11 April 1993 Siobhan Fahey here becomes, as far as I can see, the first Irish-born woman to write two Irish number one singles. She had already sung 'Young At Heart' as a Bananarama album track in 1983 before it was recorded the following year by Scottish band The Bluebells, whose guitarist Bobby Bluebell—not his … Continue reading The Bluebells – ‘Young At Heart’
Shaggy – ‘Oh Carolina’
4 April 1993 Call it nominative determinism, the sickly aftertaste of his more recent hits, or my lack of reggae appreciation at the time, but I was certain a re-listen to this first Shaggy number one after all these years would show it to be fairly cartoonish. I'm happy to admit I was wrong...-ish. Yes, … Continue reading Shaggy – ‘Oh Carolina’
2 Unlimited – ‘No Limit’
28 February 1993 The original version has a rap. For the UK release that we also got in Ireland, maybe from self-consciousness about a non-native-speaker rapping in English, the producers took that whole rap out - except for one word, four times. And that is how we have one of the most ruthlessly effective pop … Continue reading 2 Unlimited – ‘No Limit’
Chris Moore – ‘This Time’ / ‘Life Without You’
24 January 1993 Chris and Leanne Moore are so far the only mother and daughter to each have an Irish number one single. (Their closest challengers, Neneh Cherry and Mabel, have both only reached number three in Ireland.) We'll see the second part of that Moore family double in around 15 chart-years from now. As … Continue reading Chris Moore – ‘This Time’ / ‘Life Without You’
Whitney Houston – ‘I Will Always Love You’
3 December 1992 Thump, and then The Note Heard Round The World. I almost feel stupid trying to consider Whitney Houston's 'I Will Always Love You' as any normal record. Despite the efforts of Celine Dion and Mariah Carey, that teed-up money note by Whitney is the emblematic gesture of the '90s power diva vocal … Continue reading Whitney Houston – ‘I Will Always Love You’
Boyz II Men – ‘End Of The Road’
12 November 1992 I've mentioned before how any list of the most influential singles of the '90s has to include Mariah Carey's 'Vision Of Love' for kicking off the power diva vocal style. I think we also should include 'End Of The Road' as the demon seed of the Irish boyband ballad: four or five … Continue reading Boyz II Men – ‘End Of The Road’
Tasmin Archer – ‘Sleeping Satellite’
15 October 1992 Hate is a strong word to use about a mere pop song. When I was young in 1992, though, I hated 'Sleeping Satellite'. That naff "I blame you for the moonlit sky" chorus hook! Those clumsy, wordy lyrics! Its deification by middle-aged music press like Q magazine as Proper Songwriting Craft! I … Continue reading Tasmin Archer – ‘Sleeping Satellite’
The Shamen – ‘Ebeneezer Goode’
8 October 1992 Wahey! I doubt anyone seriously thought 'Ebeneezer Goode' was about some sort of quaint Dickensian eccentric, or anything other than a surreptitious way of getting a blatant drug reference to number one (in the UK as well as Ireland). Still, it's done so smartly, with a few other 'e' uses ("'e's a … Continue reading The Shamen – ‘Ebeneezer Goode’
Snap! – ‘Rhythm Is A Dancer’
13 August 1992 There's no denying that it's a rotten lyric, the kind of ostentatious crassness you'd sooner expect from a teenage boy or a privileged, entitled, middle-aged 'edgy' male comedian. But if you ask people what they remember about 'Rhythm Is A Dancer', they'll probably say "I'm as serious as cancer / when I … Continue reading Snap! – ‘Rhythm Is A Dancer’
Jimmy Nail – ‘Ain’t No Doubt’
23 July 1992 Phil Collins is already, by 1992, left in the '80s elephants' graveyard. However, Phil Collins-ism—sour, middle-aged misogynistic songs dressed up as Everyman coffee-table soul—remained a variant of concern. Here, the thing of which there isn't any doubt is that "a woman like you is no good for me". Oh, and whenever she … Continue reading Jimmy Nail – ‘Ain’t No Doubt’
