Side 2 of an imaginary compilation cassette, travelling through the 2000s.
Troubling the upper reaches of the UK's best-selling singles of 2001 were Shaggy, Atomic Kitten and S Club 7. Not to forget yesterday's reference to Westshite, who must have had a sideline commission on bar stools, the amount of time they spent with their arses glued to them whilst inflicting another ballad or cover version (or both) on us.
Yet, there was hope. Kylie Minogue was experiencing a purple patch of perfect pop songs, arguably none more so than Can't Get You Out Of My Head. Bucking the trend of one-week-only #1s, Ms. Minogue spent four weeks at the top, seven in the Top 10 and the best part of six months in the Top 75.
Can't Get You Out Of My Head was apparently offered first to S Club 7 (well, their manager) then Sophie Ellis-Bextor, who both turned it down. I bet they've been kicking themselves ever since.
Basement Jaxx were also wanting to know Where's Your Head At, cracking the UK Top 10 in December. Featuring Damien Peachey on vocals, the song is built on the riff from Gary Numan's 1979 song M.E. and was accompanied by a memorable video.
Speaking of samples, there's a serendipitous connection between today's playlist and the original Decade mixtape series. In October 2001, Felix Da Housecat charted with the single Harlot, sampling the synth percussion of The Sound Of The Crowd by The Human League. That very song featured in my 1981 selection, having reached #12 in May of that year. It's almost like I planned it...!
Missy Elliott had previously scored a UK #1 in 1998, but it was a guest on ex-Spice Girl Melanie B's single I Want You Back. Get UR Freak On got to #4 in April 2001 and would prove to be Missy's highest charting single in the UK as a solo artist. It's a magnificent record, and Timbaland's production and the tabla frenzy underpinning the song cannot be underestimated. Yet, it wouldn't be half as good without Missy herself: her delivery is spot on and a breath of fresh air compared to many of her male contemporaries.
This was the year that we were introduced to The Strokes. I wasn't as blown away by them as the gushing music press appeared to be, though I found myself morbidly fascinated by Last Nite, both the video and the song. Both were unashamedly retro, yet there was something compelleing about their sound and look, even to an old cynic like me.
2001 also saw the first collaboration between Daft Punk and Pharrell Williams, a partnership that would really pay off a decade and a half later. Here, The Neptunes (Pharrell and Chad Hugo) get their hands on Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger and take it in a completely new direction.
The Charlatans, Depeche Mode, Faithless and Damon Albarn all came back with strong songs, reasserting their relevance in the 21st century. Albarn especially so, as in a radical departure from Blur, he co-created 'virtual' band Gorillaz to great critical and commercial acclaim.
Trevor Jackson is the brains behind Playgroup, the only non-charting single in today's picks. Never heard of him? Break 4 Love by Raze or House Of Lovers by The Rapture? Two of the many record sleeves Trevor designed. The Underdog remixes of Massive Attack, House Of Pain, U2 or Everything But The Girl? That's Trevor. Late 1990s releases by Fridge and Four Tet (Kieran Hebden) on the Output label? Trevor ran it.
Playgroup's self-titled debut album is a thing of wonder and I will write about it at some point, here or elsewhere. Suffice to say that both it and the various singles should have been smash hits. Front 2 Back is featured here, with a strong lead from KC Flightt and a wonderful guest spot from Edwyn Collins on guitar, who nails it.
Robert Miles had a #2 hit with Children in January 1996. Nina Miranda, fronting Smoke City, got to #4 with Underwater Love in April 1997. On paper, a collaboration between the two had 'hit' written all over it, surely? Sadly not.
Paths is a great song, but managed just one week at #74 in July 2001. The Future Sound Of London aka Brian Dougans and Garry Cobain were no strangers to the UK charts themselves in the 1990s and they provide a stunning remix here. There is a full-length 7+ minute version on the 12" single, though everything you need is captured here in two hundred and twenty eight wonderful seconds.
Although labelled as a remix by The Future Sound Of London, Brian and Garry were revisiting another of their aliases, and this remix signposted their new direction. Stay tuned, as you'll find out what they were up to next week.
2) 19/2000 (Soulchild Remix By Damien Mendis & Stuart Bradbury): Gorillaz
3) I Feel Loved (Single Version): Depeche Mode
4) Get Ur Freak On (Edit By Timbaland & Jimmy Douglass): Missy Elliott
5) Harlot (Edit): Felix Da Housecat ft. Melistar
6) Muhammad Ali (Radio Edit By Rollo & Sister Bliss): Faithless ft. Pauline Taylor
7) Last Nite (Album Version): The Strokes
8) Front 2 Back (Album Version): Playgroup ft. KC Flightt & Edwyn Collins
9) Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger (The Neptunes Remix Edit By Pharrell Williams & Chad Hugo): Daft Punk
10) Where's Your Head At (Radio Edit): Basement Jaxx ft. Damien Peachey
11) Can't Get You Out Of My Head (Album Version): Kylie Minogue
12) Paths (Future Sound Of London 'Cosmic Jukebox' Remix (Edit)): Robert Miles ft. Nina Miranda, Garry Cobain & Justin Gibson
22nd April 2001: Miss E ...So Addictive (#4): 4
1st July 2001: Gorillaz (#6): 2
22nd July 2001: Organik Remixes (#74): 12
5th August 2001: Exciter (#12): 3
2nd September 2001: Wonderland (#16): 1
23rd September 2001: Outrospective (#29): 6
23rd September 2001: Fever (#1): 11
21st October 2001: Kittenz And Thee Glitz (#79): 5
21st October 2001: Playgroup (# n/a): 8 *
11th November 2001: Is This It (#14): 7
11th November 2001: Discovery (#25): 9
2nd December 2001: Rooty (#9): 10
* Front 2 Back failed to chart as a single, but Playgroup's self-titled album got to #94 in this week.
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