12 September 1997 I've never been sure if 'Tubthumping' is meant to be satirical (binge drinking and let's be havin' you!) or sincere (drowning your sorrows and soldiering on). Alice Nutter sweetly singing "Pissing the night away" and a wisp of 'Danny Boy' certainly has its charm, but again I'm wondering if this record is … Continue reading Chumbawumba – ‘Tubthumping’ →

22 August 1997 Considering Will Smith's single 'Men In Black' as a rap record feels like I'm missing the point. It's promotional collateral for Will Smith's movie Men In Black. No, wait: maybe the single is merely the pretext for Will Smith's video for 'Men In Black', the real promotional collateral for Will Smith's movie … Continue reading Will Smith – ‘Men In Black’ →

11 July 1997 If 'Don't Look Back In Anger' was the sound of Oasis going from Britpop to soft rock, 'D'You Know What I Mean?' is soft-rock Oasis kicking on to self-parody. Beatles references? It literally and randomly name-checks 'The Fool On The Hill' and 'I Feel Fine'. Cartoonish aggro? There's Liam bleating and sneering … Continue reading Oasis – ‘D’You Know What I Mean?’ →

4 July 1997 I recall reports of his death in 1997, but I don't recall the Notorious B.I.G. being as much a star name here in Ireland as he clearly was in the US. If my own mid-'90s circle is indicative, we were more into the Wu-Tang Clan, but that's as much a narrow awareness … Continue reading Puff Daddy and Faith Evans ft. 112 – ‘I’ll Be Missing You’ →

13 June 1997 If I told you a number one single was an original track speeded up and given cartoonish record scratches, all with a chorus of gibberish scat vocalising and sung by three cutesy floppy-haired American siblings, you'd assume it was a novelty hit, right? Hanson's 'MMMBop' is that single. I see a lot … Continue reading Hanson – ‘MMMBop’ →

23 May 1997 Here's the first Irish number one we can attribute to German boxing. 'Con te partirò' had already been a solo hit across Europe for Andrea Bocelli. In November 1996 Henry Maske, a former Olympic champion boxer, was coming to the end of an illustrious pro career that had made him one of … Continue reading Sarah Brightman & Andrea Bocelli – ‘Time To Say Goodbye (Con te partirò)’ →

11 April 1997 Whenever Irish social media talks about the Irish language, which is taught as a compulsory subject in Irish schools, you invariably get a reply guy who claims they finished school with a poor level of Irish but a "strong" level of French, German, Spanish or whatever. I happen to be a fluent … Continue reading Sash! – ‘Encore Une Fois’ →

14 March 1997 This is a double-A-sided single of two halves. 'Who Do You Think You Are' is a down-the-line disco banger that plays to the Spice Girls's strengths: it allows them to be energetic, fun, smart and assertive, without too many demands on the singing front. Notably, it's their first single where one member … Continue reading Spice Girls – ‘Mama’ / ‘Who Do You Think You Are’ →

21 February 1997 The song is about Gwen Stefani's break-up with the band's bass player. The video is about the band, including bass player ex, resenting all the attention on Stefani at their expense. The song's co-writer, Stefani's brother Eric, had left the band after the song and its parent album had been recorded. Tell … Continue reading No Doubt – ‘Don’t Speak’ →