Me and me mum and me dad and me gran we're off to the 25th of June 1998 edition of Top of the Pops!
Curry on up the charts
25-6-98: Presenter: Jamie Theakston
(2) FAT LES – Vindaloo
Getting the show underway but this footie song could get no higher.
(24) TINA ARENA – Whistle Down The Wind
Here with her fifth and final top 40 hit but it got no higher.
(23) IMAJIN – Shorty
Performing their only top 40 hit and it peaked at number 22.
(11) DANA INTERNATIONAL – Diva
This year's Eurovision winner is in the studio with her only hit and it got no higher.
(9) KAREN RAMIREZ – Looking For Love
In the studio with her only top ten hit and it peaked at number 8.
(6) LIGHTHOUSE FAMILY – Lost In Space
Here tonight with their fourth of five top ten hits but it got no higher.
(4) B*WITCHED – C’est La Vie
Another showing for the former number one.
(26) LIONEL RICHIE – Closest Thing To Heaven
Here with us tonight but the song got no higher.
(1) BADDIEL, SKINNER & THE LIGHTNING SEEDS – Three Lions ’98 (and credits)
Second of three weeks at number one.
Tina Arena - this power ballad version of the hit West End musical I felt did the song no justice, as the original is a much more gentle song, and not from deep in the lungs as Tina Arena put out with all her vocal might, and at the same time missing the gentler feel of the song. This was not meant to be a shouting match, but hey, it didn't get any higher than No.24, so perhaps this said something about it.
ReplyDeleteDana International - as Jamie Theakston presented it as he-became-she to become Dana International, this felt like more Europop, but I can see why it won Eurovision, as the drag component would have been the contest-clincher at the 1998 Eurovision Song Contest, and I think Israel's first win at Eurovision since 1979 when Milk & Honey won the contest with Hallelujah and also flew in to perform it on TOTP.
Karen Ramirez - the background beat of this song did the song a huge favour, giving Ramirez the uplift she needed to make this song very good I thought.
Bewitched - this could easily have been a Spice Girls number, as the sound was so similar, so we didn't need another new band for more Spice Girls style of music.
Lionel Richie - I noticed this had the same song title as The Kane Gang's first chart single in 1984, but a completely different song. Kane Gang for me anyday, as theirs was the superior song of the two.
Karen Ramirez definitely the highlight for me. A dance cover version that really works. It's just as beautiful as the original by Everything But The Girl and the spacey backing during the choruses are just aas gorgeous and hypnotic now as they were back then. Good on her for singing it live too and she does a good job. Another voice that should've been heard more in the charts.
Delete