31 January 1997 Was Bryan Adams now the '90s go-to person for a sure-fire movie theme hit? La Streisand hadn't been in the charts for a while, so she and her people probably figured they needed a contemporary act to see their soundtrack single over the line. Bryan Adams previously had movie tie-in synergy number … Continue reading Barbra Streisand and Bryan Adams – ‘I Finally Found Someone’
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No Mercy – ‘Where Do You Go’
24 January 1997 Uh-oh: I see the name of Frank Farian lurking here. Farian was the German producer behind Boney M, in which two members weren't actually singing on the records, and Milli Vanilli, in which the only two members weren't actually singing on the records. There's no suggestion that Marty Cintron, the lead No … Continue reading No Mercy – ‘Where Do You Go’
Spice Girls – ‘2 Become 1’
20 December 1996 If you list every Irish number one single in alphabetical order, starting with those which begin with numerals, '2 Become 1' by the Spice Girls is first on the list. It was also Ireland's 1996 Christmas number one, and its Christmassy New York video (actually shot with green screen in a London … Continue reading Spice Girls – ‘2 Become 1’
The Prodigy – ‘Breathe’
6 December 1996 We're probably catching The Prodigy at the wrong moment here. They'd already had a string of brilliant Irish top ten singles through the '90s, first with sparkling primary-colour rave, then with murkier hip-hop textures, and most recently before this with the scorching electro-punk of 'Firestarter'. That latter track was a genuine sensation … Continue reading The Prodigy – ‘Breathe’
Dustin & Geldof – ‘Rat Trap’
15 November 1996 Ha ha ha! This is gas, right, because Dustin - get this - is a terrible singer! And he's making a record! So it's going to be this really terrible record, which is gas, right? Kinda like if a really terrible chef opened a restaurant and all the food was terrible, but … Continue reading Dustin & Geldof – ‘Rat Trap’
Boyzone – ‘Words’
11 October 1996 I was all set to dismiss Boyzone's 'Words' as yet another cheap, insipid cover of a schmaltzy '70s ballad, but I was wrong. It's a cheap, insipid cover of a schmaltzy '60s ballad. I guess I associate the Bee Gees instinctively with '70s shiny-floor shlock and cheese. Perhaps we can all learn … Continue reading Boyzone – ‘Words’
OMC – ‘How Bizarre’
20 September 1996 OMC have the pleasure of being our first number one act from Aotearoa, also known as New Zealand. Alas, as I face a re-listen to 'How Bizarre' after all these years, I fear the pleasure will be all theirs. I remember this track being extremely naff and cheesy, with its mariachi guitar … Continue reading OMC – ‘How Bizarre’
The Wild Swans – The Hurling Songs (EP)
6 September 1996 Remember the '00s TV ad where the ardent Galway supporter drives around to every record shop buying up copies of their county's techno-banger single? Not that I'm suggesting some ride-or-die Wexford stalwart in 1996, hopped up on their long-awaited All Ireland victory, cleaned out M.J. Doran's in Gorey of cassettes like the … Continue reading The Wild Swans – The Hurling Songs (EP)
Spice Girls – ‘Wannabe’
9 August 1996 Lucy O'Brien and Caitlin Moran are among the writers and commentators who've pointed out that feminism suffered by being simplified to the Spice Girls concept of Girl Power, the latter defined by Moran as "being friends with your friends and buying Spice Girls records". As O'Brien notes in the revised and updated … Continue reading Spice Girls – ‘Wannabe’
Fool’s Garden – ‘Lemon Tree’
2 August 1996 In summer 1996 'Lemon Tree' by German band Fool's Garden seemed to fill all available Irish radio airspace like an ever-expanding gas. To borrow its chorus: I wonder how, I wonder why. Was it the schlager whimsy dressed as then-trendy Britpop-adjacent larkiness? The all-ages blandness? Probably a bit of both. Considering how … Continue reading Fool’s Garden – ‘Lemon Tree’
