14 December 1989 Only two singers appear on both the original 1984 Band Aid and the 1989 Band Aid II: Sara Dallin and Keren Woodward of Bananarama. Looking around the room in 1984 they would have seen hi-wattage superstars like George Michael, Boy George, Simon Le Bon, Sting and Bono. In 1989 the ambient light … Continue reading Band Aid II – ‘Do They Know It’s Christmas?’
Tag: 1989
Jason Donovan – ‘When You Come Back To Me’
7 December 1989 No surprise that one half of 'Especially For You', our first chart-topper of 1989, goes on to be Ireland's favourite pop star that year; the only surprise was which half. Yes, this is Jason's fifth Irish number one single in 1989, far more than Kylie or anyone else. 'When You Come Back … Continue reading Jason Donovan – ‘When You Come Back To Me’
Linda Ronstadt ft. Aaron Neville – ‘Don’t Know Much’
16 November 1989 I know now about Linda Ronstadt's '70s back catalogue of Laurel Canyon-style country rock, and about Aaron Neville's R&B vocal harmonies with his brothers Gary and Phil. At the time, though, to young me these were just two random middle-aged people with yet another schmaltzy romantic ballad that seemed to be played … Continue reading Linda Ronstadt ft. Aaron Neville – ‘Don’t Know Much’
Kylie Minogue – ‘Never Too Late’
9 November 1989 Spoiler alert: Kylie goes on to have an eclectic '90s, a triumphant '00s, and pop icon status ever since. Even so, and knowing all that, I listen to 'Never Too Late' and start to wonder if she's even going to be around until the end of the record. I also wonder if … Continue reading Kylie Minogue – ‘Never Too Late’
Jive Bunny and the Mastermixers – ‘That’s What I Like’
19 October 1989 When Chubby Checker followed up 'The Twist' with 'Let's Twist Again', he at least had the decency to make them two different songs. No such qualms for our Watership Downer friend Jive Bunny, whose follow-up to hit single 'Swing The Mood' also starts with the exact same Chubby Checker sample. I bet … Continue reading Jive Bunny and the Mastermixers – ‘That’s What I Like’
Wet Wet Wet – ‘Sweet Surrender’
5 October 1989 Already in late 1989 we had harbingers of the decade to come. Here's Wet Wet Wet as they begin to move away from the "popped in" of their debut album title and towards its "souled out". In a few years time they will release a single that is truly an anal fistula … Continue reading Wet Wet Wet – ‘Sweet Surrender’
Black Box – ‘Ride On Time’
28 September 1989 Quick recap. At first, up to early September 1989, you were hearing the voice of Loleatta Holloway as sampled from her 1980 single 'Love Sensation'. Since then, once Holloway and other interested parties had a quiet word with Black Box about the niceties of copyright and clearance, you have apparently been hearing … Continue reading Black Box – ‘Ride On Time’
Richard Marx – ‘Right Here Waiting’
21 September 1989 The least fun of all the Marx Brothers, including Karl, the mullet-wearing Richard had successfully opiated the US masses for a couple of years with his piano-led "adult contemporary" soft rock. This was his first big hit on our side of the Atlantic: a cheesy spectre that haunted Europe. 'Right Here Waiting' … Continue reading Richard Marx – ‘Right Here Waiting’
Jason Donovan – ‘Every Day (I Love You More)’
7 September 1989 "Thank God for that!" is not, I admit, the traditional greeting for a Stock, Aitken and Waterman single by Jason Donovan. As we trudge across the inhospitable salt plains of the late-1989 charts, though, this is a veritable drink of fresh water. Naturally, 'Every Day (I Love You More)' is a pre-cast … Continue reading Jason Donovan – ‘Every Day (I Love You More)’
Dolores Keane – ‘Lion In A Cage’
24 August 1989 There's a generation of people for whom Nelson Mandela was always the twinkly-eyed, grandfatherly figure who served as president and figurehead of South Africa in the 1990s and '00s. For those of us who were alive and aware of world affairs in 1989, we had a different concept of him - and … Continue reading Dolores Keane – ‘Lion In A Cage’
