16 December 1994 Anyone putting money on the 1994 Christmas number one being a slow ballad by a boyband would surely have had Take That and Gary Barlow's piano-driven singer-songwriter aspirations in mind. But no: it's East 17 who take pop's most coveted prize in the UK as well as here in Ireland, holding off … Continue reading East 17 – ‘Stay Another Day’ →

19 December 1993 By the time Take That get to number one in Ireland, they're no longer Robbie Williams' Take That—cheeky dance routines and disco bops—but instead Gary Barlow's Take That: 'classic' songwriting and Gary at the piano with four bored-looking backing singers. As it happens, the lead vocal on 'Babe' is by Mark Owen, … Continue reading Take That – ‘Babe’ →

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’ →

18 December 1975 and 19 December 1991 I wasn't born when it was first a hit, and I hadn't developed any interest in Queen since then, so I knew very little of 'Bohemian Rhapsody' when it came around again after Freddie Mercury's untimely death. I reckon today you wouldn't even fill a taxi with the … Continue reading Queen – ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ / ‘These Are The Days Of Our Lives’ →

13 December 1990 In the early '90s The Den was appointment viewing for teens, college students, grown-ups and perhaps even children too. Much as The Saw Doctors and Scrap Saturday did, Zig and Zag's brand of cheeky energy flourished in feel-good post-Italia '90 Ireland. The show was an essential promo stop for any Irish band, … Continue reading Zig and Zag – ‘Christmas No. 1’ →

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?’ →

10 December 1988 Well, I didn't know that 'Mistletoe And Wine' was originally from a musical version of Hans Christian Andersen's story The Little Match Girl, screened on UK television in the mid-'80s, set in Victorian London, without the more religious lyrics, and sung by Twiggy as the character of a bawdy East End lady … Continue reading Cliff Richard – ‘Mistletoe And Wine’ →

13 December 1986 My main takeaway from 'Caravan Of Love' at the time was the bit in the video where each of The Housemartins took down their hoods to reveal a crucifix shaved into their heads. Was this a thing now, or even allowed? Impressionable as I was, I didn't have the nerve or inclination … Continue reading The Housemartins – ‘Caravan Of Love’ →

28 December 1985 Nothing ages as badly as comedy, and some comedy was just bad to begin with. So, I get in the ring with this comedy record from Dermot Morgan's pre-Ted, pre-Scrap Saturday years with plenty of trepidation. Fortunately, 'Thank You Very Much Mr Eastwood' is still in much better shape than the boxer-manager … Continue reading Dermot Morgan – ‘Thank You Very Much Mr Eastwood’ →

21 December 1985 One of the great redundant questions of our time is "How will I know if he really loves me?" as asked by 1980s Whitney Houston. Well, because you're 1980s Whitney Houston! Pretty much a pinnacle of human perfectibility! Not having such vocabulary at the time, since I was only a child, I … Continue reading Whitney Houston – ‘Saving All My Love For You’ →