12 February 2000 I never had Noel Gallagher down as a fellow student and fan of 19th century American poetry. Here's the first verse of 'A Bag Of Tools' by Robert Lee Sharpe: Isn't it strange That princes and kings, And clowns that caper In sawdust rings, And common people Like you and me Are … Continue reading Oasis – ‘Go Let It Out’
Delerium – ‘Silence’
5 February 2000 Delerium are two Canadian guys, but the lead vocal on 'Silence' is a woman's voice. Since there's no 'ft' or other billing on the single cover (above) apart from the B-side remixers Fade, who happen to be two American guys, I wonder who the actual singer on the main event is. Turns … Continue reading Delerium – ‘Silence’
Britney Spears – ‘Born To Make You Happy’
22 January 2000 Our first new number one of the 2000s has a title more fitting to the 1950s. And still to come from Britney: 'I'm A Slave 4 U'; 'Overprotected'; 'I'm Not A Girl, Not Yet A Woman'; 'Toxic'. Scant retort comes from 'Stronger', with its clunky callback to the fatal loneliness of '...Baby … Continue reading Britney Spears – ‘Born To Make You Happy’
Westlife – ‘I Have a Dream’ / ‘Seasons In The Sun’
19 December 1999 How should we approach the landmark of the final Irish number one of the millennium? The same way we approached it at the time: ignore the symbolism completely and just put a Westlife single there. Not just any Westlife single, though - a double-A-side of covers of two remarkably dreadful songs. 'I … Continue reading Westlife – ‘I Have a Dream’ / ‘Seasons In The Sun’
Macy Gray – ‘I Try’
12 December 1999 Macy Gray made a surprise return to the news on our side of the Atlantic in July 2022 when she appeared on a British controversialist's news opinion show and gave her views on trans women and their participation in sport. Transgender Equality Network Ireland (TENI) are a support and advocacy group for … Continue reading Macy Gray – ‘I Try’
Boyzone – ‘Every Day I Love You’
5 December 1999 Boyzone? Still? Really? Dinosaur-meets-asteroid is too vigorous an analogy, but the advent of Westlife, a prettier and squeakier-clean Boyzone but with at least two actual singers, surely made Ronan and company redundant in a swoop. This micro-drama is set within the niche confines of the Irish boyband underground. The rest of us … Continue reading Boyzone – ‘Every Day I Love You’
Dustin – ’32 Counties’
21 November 1999 Should Dublin people be barred from buying records, and even from making them? It's all very well that every Dublin person loves the quintessentially stage Dub wit of Dustin, so much so that every native Dubliner household within the Pale owns a copy of his greatest hits: fact. Putting yet another Dustin … Continue reading Dustin – ’32 Counties’
Westlife – ‘Flying Without Wings’
24 October 1999 Westlife again: what joy. If there's a signature Westlife song, assuming any one Westlife song can be picked out from the crowd of others, it's probably 'Flying Without Wings'. Lyrics that could double as wedding vows; vaguely gospel-spiritual musical setting; climactic key change; windswept cruciform poses in the video: check check check … Continue reading Westlife – ‘Flying Without Wings’
Eiffel 65 – ‘Blue (Da Ba Dee)’
19 September 1999 As I write this in September 2022, a new lyric version of 'Blue (Da Ba Dee)', by David Guetta and Bebe Rexha, has gone straight in at number two in the Irish charts, thereby becoming the 77th Irish top 30 hit with 'blue' in the title. The original 'Blue (Da Ba Dee)' … Continue reading Eiffel 65 – ‘Blue (Da Ba Dee)’
Lou Bega – ‘Mambo No. 5 (A Little Bit Of…)’
29 August 1999 It sounds obvious now, but I didn't realise at the time that this was essentially Perez 'Prez' Prado of 'Guaglione' Guinness ad fame scoring his second Irish number one of the '90s, garnished with some Euro-disco effects and leery lyrics. But yes, 'Mambo No. 5' ploughs the 'Guaglione' furrow until it hits … Continue reading Lou Bega – ‘Mambo No. 5 (A Little Bit Of…)’
