Day 41 brings us to Now! #41, which was released on 23rd November 1998.
Let’s see what might have been on the CD player at that party.
Track 1: Boyzone – No Matter What
It’s a bit slow and saccharine, but it is a nice tune.
Track 2: Robbie Williams – Millennium
The tune is a bit dull, but there’s something quite pleasant about his one.
Track 3: The Beautiful South – Perfect 10
I’ve always been a bit mixed on this one – great tune, but for some reason I find the theme a bit depressing.
Track 4: U2 – Sweetest Thing
I’ve always quite liked this one, and the video‘s still great.
Track 5: Culture Club – I Just Wanna Be Loved
This reminded me that I read in Classic Pop (my new favourite magazine – it’s basically like Smash Hits grew up and is now a middle-aged man) the other day that Culture Club have finally made up and got back together in order to go on tour and release that album that they made a few years back before the last bust-up. As such, I’ve just ordered tickets, and I’m going to see them in November! So excited.
This song is from the late ’90s reformation, and it’s quite a pleasant reggae track, but it’s not quite up there with the ’80s stuff for me.
Track 6: Ace Of Base – Life Is A Flower
Loved it at the time, still quite like it now. Nice tune.
Track 7: Jennifer Paige – Crush
Lovely tune, classic chorus. I’ve always liked this one.
Track 8: Steps – Heartbeat
The annual music channel Christmas playlists have ensured that this is now a bona fide Christmas song, so it feels wrong in May. Trying to put that aside, it’s a pretty daft, cheesy song, fairly standard for Steps.
Track 9: Honeyz – Finally Found
We return to the theme from yesterday, of tracks that were also featured on the Top of the Pops 1998 compilation, which I owned for some reason despite liking almost none of the songs on it. This one has an annoying chorus and a boring theme.
Track 10: East 17 – Each Time
I like the instrumentals at the start, but the vocal is pretty uninspired.
Track 11: Kele Le Roc – Little Bit Of Lovin’
Overblown vocals, slow ballad, generic tune. Not a fan of this one.
Track 12: Sweetbox – Everything’s Gonna Be Alright
The Bach sample is nice, but the vocals over the top (both sung and rap) are pretty awful.
Track 13: UB40 – Come Back Darling
Fairly standard reggae track from UB40, except it’s got a sort of messy beat that I find a bit irritating. Shame, ’cause the tune’s nice.
Track 14: Melanie B and Missy Elliott – I Want You Back
So-so effort from the Spice Girls’ Mel B for her first solo single. The dull tune on the chorus does nothing for me, really…
Track 15: All Saints – Bootie Call
…and bizarrely, the dull tune on the chorus of this one is strongly reminiscent of it. I’m also irritated by the theme.
Track 16: Aqua – Turn Back Time
Gorgeous tune, love this one. Great song.
Track 17: Spice Girls – Too Much
The Now! compilers are a little late with this one, as it was the Christmas number one for 1997. Still a nice tune, though, and possibly my favourite of the three consecutive Spice Girls Christmas number ones.
Track 18: Lutricia McNeal – Someone Loves You Honey
Super cheesy and irritating, but at least it attempts to bring back the sax solo, which was much neglected by this point of the ’90s.
Track 19: Lighthouse Family – Question Of Faith
Really nice tune, great atmosphere. Good head-nodder.
Track 20: Phil Collins – True Colours
Laid-back cover of the Cyndi Lauper classic. Interesting, slightly folky instrumentals, but it doesn’t quite have the rawness of the original.
Track 21: Janet Jackson – Every Time
Pretty song – quite like this one, even if the tune on the chorus does massively rip off Go West’s King Of Wishful Thinking.
Track 22: Billie Piper – Girlfriend
Annoyed by it at the time, annoyed by it now. I remember taking the piss out of this one with mates at school using alternative lyrics, but I can’t for the life of me remember what they were.
Track 23: 911 – More Than A Woman
Fairly pointless cover of the Bee Gees song, with the only real changes being some added tinkly instrumentals and the fact that it’s not sung in falsetto. Meh.
Track 24: T-Spoon – Sex On The Beach
Well, it’s at least upfront. Found it a bit awkward at the time – nowadays I just find it interesting as a ’90s musical artefact.
Track 25: The Tamperer and Maya – If You Buy This Record Your Life Will Be Better
It’s pretty similar to their previous hit Feel It, except this time it samples Material Girl instead of Can You Feel It? It’s okay, but there’s a reason it wasn’t as big a hit as the first one.
Track 26: Stardust – Music Sounds Better With You
‘Not on Spotify’ Type 2: YouTube Pause (TM).
I should be irritated by this one, but I do like that singalong hook.
Track 27: Vengaboys – Up And Down
I’ve always quite liked this one, although it’s not the most memorable of the Vengaboys’ tracks.
Track 28: Sash! and Shannon – Move Mania
The backing track is great, but I’m not keen on the vocals.
Track 29: Touch & Go – Would You…?
I like the instrumentals, and the vocal sample’s used quite well. While it’s still not exactly innuendo, it’s not as in-your-face as Sex On The Beach (see above), and I actually quite like the track.
Track 30: The Corrs – Dreams [Tee’s Radio Mix]
Pretty, folky cover of the Fleetwood Mac classic. Really like this one.
Track 31: The Cardigans – My Favourite Game
Great track! Loved it at the time, love it now. That guitar riff is gold.
Track 32: James – Sit Down ’98
‘Not on Spotify’ Type 2: YouTube Pause (TM).
We already had the original on Now! #20, but this version is different enough that I’m not going to moan about that. It’s not different in a good way, though – it’s just really messy.
Track 33: Fatboy Slim – Gangster Trippin’
I like the instrumental hook, but the rest of the track is pretty haphazard and irritating.
Track 34: Eagle-Eye Cherry – Falling In Love Again
It’s okay, but it sounds too similar to Save Tonight. I prefer artists to diverge a bit more.
Track 35: Sheryl Crow – My Favourite Mistake
A bit repetitive, and it’s too slow for me. Nice tune though.
Track 36: Robbie Williams – No Regrets
Repeated artist alert! I know Robbie Williams was having a lot of hits at the time, but that’s really no excuse.
The tune is lovely, and had I been the Now! compilers, I would have chosen this one over Millennium and given the extra slot to someone else. I’ll remember that when I get round to building that time machine.
Track 37: Space – We Gotta Get Out Of This Place
Interesting, atmospheric cover of the Animals classic. Quite like this one.
Track 38: Embrace – My Weakness Is None Of Your Business
It’s another depressing one from Embrace. Droning vocals, slow tune, brings my mood right down. Next one, please.
Track 39: Alisha’s Attic – The Incidentals
Oh, it’s this one! Nice tune, but it’s a bit acoustic-y for my liking.
Track 40: Deetah – Relax
Pretty intro, but the instrumentals don’t really go with the rap.
Track 41: R Kelly and Keith Murray – Home Alone
Not enough melody for me, and it’s very repetitive. Not a fan.
Track 42: Sham Rock – Tell Me Ma
Dance-infused version of the traditional Irish song that I absolutely adored at the time – I bought the single and everything. It’s still a guilty pleasure, but I do find it a bit daft nowadays!