TheThorne
Member
*Hillside, slip and slide, feel the pain, it's no surprise!*
Posts: 27,571
|
Post by TheThorne on Jan 23, 2015 13:53:20 GMT 1
Female instrumentalists that have come close since well there as been the brilliant Haim
|
|
vastar iner
Member
I am the poster on your wall
Posts: 17,431
|
Post by vastar iner on Jan 24, 2015 0:09:41 GMT 1
12. The filmic one-hit-wonder number
BuzzcocksSurely their story is well-known by now? Peter Shelley and Howard Devoto, forming at a Pistols gig, Devoto leaving after their first EP to form Magazine, but Shelley sticking with it and the resurrected band scored a number of top 40s without ever cracking the single digits. Although this song did via Fine Young Cannibals. One of two twelvers I have seen live, the other being Glasvegas, whose gig was almost like a football crowd - had that sort of passion in the audience. Shame the industry did their best to bury them after they came within a fan-hating band of scoring a no. 1 album. I was very tempted to put Jane Wiedlin here, so I could try to shoehorn The Go-Go's in somehow, but her fleeting solo success cannot really justify a presence. Inspiral Carpets are also worthy of a shoutout, for two reasons if nothing else; getting Mark E Smith onto Top Of The Pops, and " This Is How It Feels". Now, you may say, rightly, that there's not that much filmic about those acts; Buzzcocks got their name from the Rock Follies TV series, and Jane Wiedlin did some bit-parts, most notably in the film Clue. And certainly there is nothing one-hitty about any of them. But there are a curious number of one-hit-wonder-film-type-peeps that got to 12... -Police Academy: the annoying song seemingly on constant airplay at the Blue Oyster Bar was Bimbo Jet's no. 12 hit from the seventies; -The Blues Brothers, who topped the US album charts a decade earlier, got a re-issue hit in 1990; -Oscar-winning director Mel Brooks took his Hitler rap here; -fellow comedian (loosely-speaking)/director Jerry Lewis also reached here; -Richard Chamberlain added words to the Dr Kildare theme and had a one-hit wonder; -EastEnders stars Letitia Dean and Paul J Medford duetted to here as Nick Berry desecrated the top spot; -Max Headroom guested with Art Of Noise and got a no. 12er; -Murray Head's only solo hit was off the back of the musical Chess; -Lovebug Starski, whose 2 names both feature in film titles, had a hit parodying the film The Amityville Horror; -if one stretches to those portrayed in the Richie Valens biopic, The Big Bopper, who died in the same crash, peaked here. He did go all the way as a songwriter (and backing vocalist) via "Running Bear"; -and Grace Jones was a sort of one-hit wonder, as she had one go as a Bond girl. There's another film link for a more successful act. Kane Gang, who did the Byker Grove theme (which spawned Byker Groove, Crush and a couple of lesser "talents") were named after Orson Welles' masterpiece Citizen Kane. One more coincidence - Shelley Poole peaked here as a guest vocalist and as part of Alisha's Attic. In fact three times in the latter. Frustratingly close to the top ten...
|
|
vastar iner
Member
I am the poster on your wall
Posts: 17,431
|
Post by vastar iner on Jan 24, 2015 9:44:41 GMT 1
11. The album group number
We've Got A Fuzzbox And We're Gonna Use ItAwwww. How lovely were Fuzzbox? There was something of the determined outsider about them throughout their career, from the start when they were probably the most authentic punk band this side of The Slits. They also helped Robert Lloyd get his one chart hit with their typically harum-scarum backing vocals on the Vindaloo Summer Special. And nearly scored an intensely unlikely top 40 with " XX Sex". I am incidentally somewhat suspicious that this stopped at 41 - there seems to be a disproportionate number of indie groups that got just short of the 40... They did finally make the 40 via " Love Is The Slug", which didn't make it to TOTP, if I recall. Again how odd. Perhaps because of the mainstream snubs and calumnies they signed to a major, revamped themselves and suddenly a) scored a decent hit and b) had the record media complaining that they were not like they were before. Can't win. And RIP Jo Dunne. Anyway, they did score a top 10 album, and there are a good few acts that scored chart-topping albums who stopped off here. The most notable being Cream, but you can add The Cult, The Levellers and Robert Plant to that list, plus top-five album-ers The Mission, Del Amitri and Super Furry Animals. And Black Kids, who were in my mind for 11 for their terrific debut single. If they ever get around to their second album I might have to re-consider. However the main combatants for the 11 spot were other shouty girl-punkers Shampoo, who were, stereotypically, big in Japan; perhaps the most teenage band ever. Also Haysi Fantayzee, whose brand of bluegrass-pop worked where it should never have done - Jeremy Healy scored a no. 11 hit as part of his later DJ career, and finally entered the top 10 when he married Patsy Kensit. Otherwise, it's a surprisingly meagre number.
|
|
TheThorne
Member
*Hillside, slip and slide, feel the pain, it's no surprise!*
Posts: 27,571
|
Post by TheThorne on Jan 24, 2015 9:49:32 GMT 1
Wow you liked Black Kids, it is one of my favourite songs of the 00s and favourite of that year as you will eventually find out when I get near the end of my list. That 2nd album is imminent I think we might actually see it this year they are playing dates in US. Also a fan of Del Amitri and SFA but yes Fuzzbox were great although don't think I ever bought anything buy them, my flatmate was a fan and he bought most of their major singles and we tried to avoid doubling up for finance reasons.
|
|
|
Post by Earl Purple on Jan 25, 2015 4:13:10 GMT 1
You mentioned my #12 act Inspiral Carpets and one of my #11 acts the Levellers. My other #11 act are of course Air Supply
|
|
vastar iner
Member
I am the poster on your wall
Posts: 17,431
|
Post by vastar iner on Jan 25, 2015 11:07:45 GMT 1
10. The lifetime achievement award
The Wedding PresentOne of the things I liked with the later versions of GBoHS was the combining of singles and album charts. Because that led to a long string of hits with occasional symbols to the left. There was nothing more satisfying than the entries for The Fall and The Wedding Present - complete blanks then, in one place, a single bullet hole, signifying that, once in their careers, they had done something that was in the ten most popular things in the UK. It seemed a fitting reward for their continual long service that they had made some sort of a connection. On the singles side of things alone, it's not just the Weddoes who have scrambled into the top 10 by the skin of their teeth despite a long career of releases. The others, of course, have had major album success, but the list is still impressive. Joan Armatrading, Iggy Pop, Neil Young, Chris Rea, Bert Weedon, ZZ Top, Pearl Jam, All About Eve, Renaissance, Lou Reed; all legends, all making the top 10 at no. 10. It's almost as if the charts themselves wanted to honour these acts with a top ten single when under normal circumstances they wouldn't - or it was scandalous that they hadn't. Another legend whose chart career belies his importance is Carl Perkins, just the one charting single, but it was "Blue Suede Shoes". Slightly less legendary but still with long careers are Third World and Farley "Jackmaster" Funk, plus the John Barry Orchestra; even Kenny Lynch released singles over 20 years. And on the major candidates side there are two that fit that pattern. XTC and Massive Attack. The latter get credit for bringing Elizabeth Fraser her only top 10 single, which in a sense is an indictment of the British public. I'm still amazed XTC's alter-egos Dukes Of Stratosphear never had a hit single. Also close to legend status are The Pretty Things. For those for whom the Stones were too middle-class. Invented the concept album with SF Sorrow. Dirty, scuzzy, proto-punk sound. And a couple of also-rans worthy of quick note; A Flock Of Seagulls, whose barnets unfortunately overshadowed their music - they could come up with a tune from time to time; and Jackie Lee, who twice charted with sumptuous television themes. That for Rupert the Bear, and that for White Horses, where the theme is remembered much better than the programme.
|
|
|
Post by Earl Purple on Jan 25, 2015 11:15:07 GMT 1
Not surprisingly my choice at #10 is the same as yours.
From the other names on your list, XTC and All About Eve both reached #1 in my chart with the single that peaked at #10 in the UK. XTC also had several other hits, but they were very scattered. After "Senses Working Overtime" their next hit was a whole decade later. Back then I didn't chart anything that didn't reach the UK chart other than a few US hits and rarely stuff outside the top 40, and "The Disappointed" was their next top 40 hit. By 1999 I was charting anything that was released and "I'd Like That" reached NM #4. The following year "The Man Who Murdered Love" reached my chart making them an artist to have charted in all 4 decades to date. They haven't yet charted in the 2010s.
|
|
vastar iner
Member
I am the poster on your wall
Posts: 17,431
|
Post by vastar iner on Jan 25, 2015 22:39:11 GMT 1
9. The AssociatesReally, really difficult choice, this one. In the end I perhaps let emotion take over; to give The Associates the nod is one way to pay tribute to Billy Mackenzie, the greatest male vocalist in music history. Like Elizabeth Fraser, he did things that no other singer could possibly achieve. An operatic coloratura applied to devastating synth hooks and leftfield new wave. It's astonishing that they got the success they did - perhaps had they broken through just six months earlier they might have scored a no. 1 hit. "Party Fears Two" is one of the most astonishing top tens of our age, but their masterpiece was " 18 Carat Love Affair", an entire boxset compressed into one song. Martha Ladly had previously peaked at 10 with Martha & The Muffins. There were two competitors who had absolutely compelling cases as well. Ride, the Oxford band who had the most success of any shoegazers other than Blur, who turned their back on the faith for only metal, what a bore. Another band whose biggest hit was not their best - " Taste" is a headlong plummet from 100,000 feet through a kaleidoscope of guitar assault. And the third? The Undertones, of course, surely the finest band from Northern Ireland and probably not far from being the best from the island of Ireland in toto. There were a few others of interest at no. 9. From one-hit wonderland, Mobiles came up with one of the best singles here with " Drowning In Berlin". There is a sort of jazzy theme here, with Brand New Heavies, Shakatak, Alison Limerick and Beverley Knight all topping off here. Also a sporting theme; Arsenal (how?!?!?), England United and the Torvill & Dean music - which, if I remember correctly, never actually got credited to anyone at all on TOTP, it was captioned "Bolero", but is down as being by Richard Hartley & The Michael Reed Orchestra, Hartley being the producer - all getting to 9, plus Harry J All Stars, whose "Liquidator" was used as coming-out music for West Brom and Wolves, and I heard it being used by Chelscum over the weekend - something else they nicked from someone else, to go with their colours, nickname, badge and billions. But there's a tinge of tragedy about this number. Obviously we know of the fate of Billy Mackenzie, but Tammi Terrell gained her chart peak posthumously, in a duet with Marvin Gaye - another one with a tragic end - via a song written by Ashford & Simpson. David Christie committed suicide a few months after the premature death of his young daughter. Lee Brilleaux of Dr Feelgood died of lung cancer. And Joann Kenny, the girl in the Mobiles video, died in 2010, not yet 40. Also note the fate of Darren Partington of 808 State - he has just been sentenced to 18 months for drug dealing.
|
|
TheThorne
Member
*Hillside, slip and slide, feel the pain, it's no surprise!*
Posts: 27,571
|
Post by TheThorne on Jan 26, 2015 0:03:40 GMT 1
Would probably be Ride for me snd I am seeing them for the first time in May. Did you say Ride went metal is that a typo or a joke they just went 6os and britpopish before dissolving into Seahorses
|
|
vastar iner
Member
I am the poster on your wall
Posts: 17,431
|
Post by vastar iner on Jan 26, 2015 0:06:13 GMT 1
No, I was referring to Blur, and quoting from Cockney Rebel's only chart-topper...
|
|
vya
Member
Posts: 8,776
|
Post by vya on Jan 26, 2015 0:23:24 GMT 1
It's gotta be Billy Mackenzie for me at 9, can't fault the Weddoes at 10, and would be torn between Fuzzbox and Haysi Fantaysee at 11 - but I think Fuzzbox would just win through on the strength of their wider catalogue (also: ROBERT LLOYD. Yes indeed). 12 - would be seriously tempted by the Inspirals, even if they didn't really live up to their early promise (The whole "She Comes In The Fall" 12" EP is possibly even more stunning than "This Is How It Feels", if less elegiac, though).
|
|
vastar iner
Member
I am the poster on your wall
Posts: 17,431
|
Post by vastar iner on Jan 26, 2015 22:37:50 GMT 1
8. The Jesus & Mary Chain
The nearer we get to the top of the charts, the more artists we find peaking at each number. I think something like 300 have peaked at 8. The thing that stood out to me was how many had peaked here in recent years whose existence had completely eluded me. Just as a smorgasbord of obsolescence, does anyone recall any of DJ Dado, Cam'ron, Layo & Bushwacka!, Lonyo, Milky, Premium 45 or Triple Eight? Also probably justly forgotten, except as footnotes to history, are the boy/girl group flops. Bad Boys Inc were meant to be producer Ian Levine's revenge on Take T**t, who had ditched him as a producer - Levine had the name before he even had the group; Girl Thing were Simon Bowell's revenge on Spice Girls after he turned them down; Kavana was meant to be proof that people bought Take T**t records for the songs rather than their looks, and, therefore, needed a cover version of a non-Barlow record to break through; The Reynolds Girls were meant to be the SAWmill's revenge on pluggers who didn't play their records, although in 1989 there was not a single plugger in every single known universe who did not force their sh*te down people's ears; and then there was Hepburn, who were meant to show that girls could play instruments as well. And then there's a macedoine of those who were not taking things too seriously. Toto Coelo had four fabulous singles and binbag dresses; Daphne & Celeste were probably the most punk act of the late 90s, showing the vapidity of the music scene around then (I still can't believe any sentient being bought Mr Oizo - if you're going to make a record, for the sake of all that is holy, use a second note); and Judge Dread got banned more than anyone else on Radio 1. Also, for reference, Daz Sampson and Plastic Bertrand. Moving towards the top end, there are a bunch of class acts, Portishead, Orange Juice, Visage, Ramones, Smiths (oddly Soho also peaked at 8 with their borrowing of "How Soon Is Now"), The Divine Comedy and Black. But there can be only one. And it has to be J&MC. I've written before how "Never Understand" and " Some Candy Talking" had a mystical influence over me. I had given up on music, the Reids showed me there was still something out there. And what still astounds is they hit the top ten twice. Once is a miracle; twice is a Lottery jackpot. How could the British public, that had the ill-taste to put Madonna and Minogue perennially at the top of the charts, also show the sense to put J&MC in single digits?
|
|
TheThorne
Member
*Hillside, slip and slide, feel the pain, it's no surprise!*
Posts: 27,571
|
Post by TheThorne on Jan 26, 2015 22:50:46 GMT 1
Must admit I still play layo & bushwacka gorgeous chilled house house track but really out if the acts you name checked it has to be The Smiths
|
|
|
Post by Earl Purple on Jan 27, 2015 2:16:25 GMT 1
The Smiths reached #8 with a re-issue of This Charming Man in 1992. During their regular career the highest they peaked was #10, twice.
|
|
|
Post by Earl Purple on Jan 27, 2015 2:18:06 GMT 1
Obviously your artist for #7 will be Debbie Gibson.
Shocking though that was 6 places lower than that dumb redhead.
|
|
vastar iner
Member
I am the poster on your wall
Posts: 17,431
|
Post by vastar iner on Jan 27, 2015 9:23:09 GMT 1
I have to confess I wish this scene had been shot 20 years earlier...
|
|
vastar iner
Member
I am the poster on your wall
Posts: 17,431
|
Post by vastar iner on Jan 27, 2015 23:09:04 GMT 1
7. The theme number
Carter The Unstoppable Sex MachineBefore we get to the main bit, look at the number of artists who got their biggest hits at no. 7 with themes of one sort or another. From the world of espionage, David Arnold and Propellerheads re-did "On Her Majesty's Secret Service" and got a bigger hit than any of Arnold's Bond work; Larry Mullen & Adam Clayton got their one hit as a duo with a Mission Impossible theme; Chris Cornell's biggest solo hit was a Bond theme; and you can go even further and claim Goldie, as he played a Bond villain once. Then from other films Christopher Cross and Morris Stoloff got their biggest from Arthur and Picnic respectively and the composer/arranger Deodato with the theme from 2001. From the world of musicals Michael Crawford scored a hit from Phantom Of The Opera and Damian Davey with an absolute desecration of the greatest hit from Rocky Horror. And from television Julee Cruise hit big with the Twin Peaks theme - probably the best of all these themes - and The Dickies with a 120mph version of the Banana Splits theme. And then there was North & South, pathetic boyband based on some CBBC dross. Anyway. Good selection of names that got quite a bit of mainstream pub. One to note is David & Jonathan, who were the songwriters Rogers Cook and Greenaway and who hit paydirt with "I'd Like To Buy The World A Coke". Big Country, Crowded House, St Etienne for instance. Plus the Sensational Alex Harvey band, reckoned to be one of the best live acts around. The underrated electro duos Blancmange and Yello (the latter's " Of Course I'm Lying" may be the best song by any 7-er). And Republica, Jesus Jones, Prefab Sprout, Bow Wow Wow and, of course, Kirsty MacColl. But I've gone with Carter USM. I still like looking at the list of no. 1 albums for 1992ish, there are some quite remarkable figures in there; The Farm, The Orb and Oleta Adams, all acts one would never expect to see topping a chart. And Carter USM are in there. They remind me lyrically of Half Man Half Biscuit, only with more of a spike to them and relying on puns as opposed to obscure cultural references. Endlessly fascinating and for one fabulous week the most popular act in Britain. Amazing.
|
|
TheThorne
Member
*Hillside, slip and slide, feel the pain, it's no surprise!*
Posts: 27,571
|
Post by TheThorne on Jan 28, 2015 8:15:48 GMT 1
Loved Carter at the time but got tired of them fast like most indie fans at the time,for me it would be a toss up between St Etienne and Prefab Sprout , St Etienne for one of the best covers ever and Prefab for consistent brilliance although 'cars and girls' would be my favourite
|
|
|
Post by Earl Purple on Jan 28, 2015 12:48:46 GMT 1
yeah I'd be stuck as Carter USM were one of my favourite bands of the 1990s. Always more an album band for me than a singles one. They never had an NM #1 single. But I used to have album charts too and they were #1 in that several times. (It was monthly, usually no more than a top 5).
Carter USM also for me are a bit like HMHB with their outlook. Of course from London rather than Birkenhead..
Interesting you also mention "Of Course I'm Lying" - a huge #1 in my chart. "The Race" was a hit for me but OCIL was a far bigger one.
To allow Kirsty as a #7 you'd have to ignore her duet with the Pogues on which she was formally credited.
Did Saint Etienne have a #7 hit? They had two #2s in my chart, "You're In A Bad Way" and "He's On The Phone", unusual for a group of their style, which both peaked in the UK just outside the top 10 and I don't recall them ever getting in it.
Interesting all those Bond themes peaking at #007
|
|
TheThorne
Member
*Hillside, slip and slide, feel the pain, it's no surprise!*
Posts: 27,571
|
Post by TheThorne on Jan 28, 2015 13:06:31 GMT 1
Their top 10 hit was tell me why with Paul van dyk
|
|