Decadance II: 1993

Side 2 of my 'maginary 90s mixtape, focusing on 1993.

 

The carefree college days were drawing to a close, and final exams loomed. 

 

I got to look at the work of Joan Miró, Antoni Gaudí, Salvador Dalí, Pablo Picasso and many more up close and personal for the first time in Barcelona. 

 

I went with my girlfriend, her best fried and boyfriend to the inaugural Phoenix Festival in Stratford-upon-Avon, where I saw, amongst others, Manic Street Preachers, Sonic Youth, Faith No More, Julian Cope (who I saw twice in '93), The Disposable Heroes Of Hiphoprisy, Utah Saints, Back To The Planet, House Of Pain, Sandals, Senser, The Young Gods, Credit To The Nation, Ian McNabb, Sheep On Drugs, The Black Crowes and Pop Will Eat Itself. Only one of them makes an appearance in today's selection.

 

Poor old Pop Will Eat Itself. This is the second time that PWEI made it to the last 14 and failed to survive the final edit. They'll be even more gutted that on this occasion, the nearly ran was Get The Girl! Kill The Baddies! which was surprisingly a #9 hit in January 1993 and, perhaps less surprisingly, their only Top 10 hit. The window of opportunity is closing for the lads as 1994 would prove to be the last time they cracked the Top 40. 

So which of the Phoenix Festival luminaries made it? Credit To The Nation of course, with their Nirvana riffing anthem that is Call It What You Want. Front person Matty Hanson was a compelling performer on stage, and they deserved bigger and better things.

 

Not the only rap to show up here, with Cypress Hill, whose song landed in my grubby mitts in 1994, courtesy of Reading Present, a cover-mounted cassette freebie with Melody Maker. Having no tolerance for potty language, of course, the UK single was re-titled When The Ship Goes Down (or Sh--, depending where you saw it promoted).

 

When it came to choosing today's Mandatory Andrew Weatherall...well, I couldn't. In fact, at one point, I nearly went for the triple with the squalling, spiky Sabres Of Paradise remix of Leftfield/Lydon's mighty Open Up. Instead, there's One Dove with White Love. There was a sanitised, radio friendly single verson, but the one to go for is the Guitar Paradise mix by Andrew and the band with Sabres compadres Jagz Kooner and Gary Burns. Much as I would love to include the full length album version, it's well over ten minutes, so here's the US promo edit, which was also used for the official video. Dot Allison is of course uber cool throughout.

 

The second MAW for 1993 is New Order's comeback single, Regret. I'll be honest, I didn't warm to the single when I first heard it, but Andrew, Jagz and Gary opened my eyes and ears to it's potential with a couple of next-level remixes. The Slow 'n' Lo remix is just shy of thirteen minutes, split into vocal and dub halves; this is the former, a sublime skank that suits Bernard's voice perfectly.

 

Also getting two bites of the cherry are Fluke, firstly with their remix of Björk's Big Time Sensuality, which she loved so much that it became the official single and video version. You can see why, it's four minutes of pure joy. I loved Fluke's previous music, but this tipped into something of an obsession in 1993, with the release of The Techno Rose Of Blighty, a slew of superb singles (including Slid, today's featured song) and tons of top notch remixes. As with Andrew Weatherall, I tried my darnedest to track down everything that had Fluke on it. Still love 'em as much now as I did then.

 

The same can be said for Justin Robertson, who expanded from DJing and remixing to releasing original music as Lionrock, accompanied by wordsmith MC Buzz B. Packet Of Peace was the second single and the first of four Top 40 hits.

 

Not that the rest of today's selection is anything less than excellent. No #1's this time perhaps but nine Top 40 hits is not to be sniffed at. And the ones that didn't make the Top 40 really should have.

 

1994 was a bit of a divergent path in my life, but what remained unwavering was my love for music. Some good tunes coming up? Probably!

 

1) Big Time Sensuality (The Fluke Minimix): Björk

2) Who Do You Think You Are (Single Version) (Cover of Candlewick Green): Saint Etienne ft. Debsey Wykes

3) When The Shit Goes Down (Diamond D Remix By Joseph Kirkland): Cypress Hill

4) White Love (Guitar Paradise Edit By One Dove & Sabres Of Paradise): One Dove

5) Walking In My Shoes (Random Carpet Single Edit By William Orbit): Depeche Mode

6) Regret (Sabres Slow 'n' Lo (Vocal) Remix By Sabres Of Paradise): New Order

7) Cannonball: The Breeders

8) Packet Of Peace (7" Edit By Justin Robertson & Mark Stagg): Lionrock ft. MC Buzz B

9) Slid (Glid Edit): Fluke

10) Call It What You Want (Single Version): Credit To The Nation

11) Animal Nitrate: Suede

12) Feed The Tree: Belly

 

17th January 1993: Feed The Tree EP (#32): 12

28th February 1993: Animal Nitrate EP (#2): 11

14th March 1993: Slid EP (#59): 9

18th April 1993: Regret EP (#4): 6

2nd May 1993: Packet Of Peace EP (#32): 8

9th May 1993: Walking In My Shoes EP (#14): 5

16th May 1993: Call It What You Want EP (#57): 10

23rd May 1993: Hobart Paving/Who Do You Think You Are EP (#23): 2 

1st August 1993: White Love EP (#43): 4 

15th August 1993: Last Splash (#40): 7

26th September 1993: When The Shit Goes Down EP (#19): 3

28th November 1993: Big Time Sensuality EP (#17): 1

 

Side Two (46:32) (GD) (M)

Decadance II: 1992

Side 1 of a mixtape mockery, focusing on the 1990s and today in particular, 1992. It's also Dubhed post number 1,400, whatever that's worth.

 

1992 was a weird year in that, after a few years working and travelling, I decided to go back to college. I originally went to college straight from school, had a really crap time, dropped out half way through and vowed 'never again'. How fickle we human beings are, eh?

 

It was slightly better the second time around, although my outsider status was maintained by being older than the majority of my fellows, though I would hesitate to describe myself as a 'mature student'. Mature I most definitely was not. 

 

I wasn't even the oldest student there. That dubious honour was reserved for a forty-something woman in my English Literature class who frequently expressed her frustration at the juvenile antics of her peers.

 

I wouldn't say that I had the time of my life, but I enjoyed the classes, liked most of the people, fell in love with a girl, and got to make some horrendous fashion choices on a daily basis. Oh, and I had a part-time job so that I could afford to run a car and have a social life. Critical, considering that I was back home living with my parents out in the sticks.

 

Music-wise, I was out of sync with my contemporaries. The college jukebox was great, but invariably had Nirvana, Soundgarden or Pearl effing Jam on constant rotation. Whenever I got the opportunity, I would stick on Don't Fight It, Feel It by Primal Scream, the 7 minute Andrew Weatherall Scat Mix on the B-side, naturally, Denise Johnson's voice resounding around the room to general indifference. Philistines!

 

Today's eclectic selection reflects the times and my tastes. I was still leaning heavily into dance music (literally, on some club nights when I'd been at it for hours without a break) but I was still knocked for six by a new indie tune. I was just as inclined to listen to Pete Tong's Essential Selection as I was John Peel or Annie Nightingale's Request Show.

 

Opening song, the Kate Bush-sampling Something Good by Utah Saints is the only one from 1992's Top 40 best-selling UK singles, scraping in at #36. 

 

Another sacrilegious sample carries Messiah's Temple Of Dreams, it's shameless lift of This Mortal Coil's cover of Song To The Siren giving Elizabeth Fraser an unexpected (and uncredited) #20 hit in June 1992.

 

Less contentious is Orbital's use of Kirsty Hawkshaw's la la la's from Opus III's It's A Fine Day on the sublime Halcyon. The dictionary definition "denoting a period of time in the past that was idyllically happy and peaceful" is in keeping with the tone of the tune. However, the song is dedicated to Phil and Paul Hartnoll's mother, who was addicted to the tranquilliser Halcion (Triazolam) for many years.

 

A couple of songs were technically contenders for the previous year. Lithium first appeared on Nirvana's gargantuan album Nevermind in 1991, but wasn't released as a single until the following July. 

 

Hit by The Sugarcubes was officially on sale as a single on 30th December 1991, though it's prophetic (optimistic?) title was fulfilled a couple of weeks later, in January 1992.

 

Whilst you are thankfully spared big hitters (is that a typo?) by Whitney Houston, Boyz II Men, Jimmy Nail, Wet Wet Wet and Billy Ray Cyrus, a ridiculously big shortlist means that R.E.M., Beastie Boys, PJ Harvey, Suede and Neneh Cherry also failed to make the final dozen.

I had to find a place for Julian Cope, though. The Arch Drude released his magnum opus Jehovahkill in 1992, and lead/sole single Fear Loves This Place is as good a single as Julian's released at any point in his career. 

1992's MAW (Mandatory Andrew Weatherall) is Papua New Guinea by The Future Sound Of London, a ground breaking song in it's own right, transformed into an 11-minute aural odyssey by Mr. W. As with Finitribe last week, even the 3-minute edit featured here (found on the B-side of the 7" single) is epic.

 

Representing indie discos were a couple of absolute classics, the minute they burst onto the airwaves. Weirdo by The Charlatans, with it's juddering intro that sounded like the noise my car made, trying to get it started on a cold morning, remains one of my favourites by Tim and the band. 

 

As for The Auteurs, what better song than Showgirl as a statement of intent. How was this not a huge hit in 1992?!

 

Rounding things up, The Age Of Love released their eponymous single multiple times though it was another five years before it became a UK hit. 1992 however saw the debut of the superb remixes by Jam & Spoon, which for me remain the definitive versions of the song.

 

Bassheads burned briefly but brightly, and I thought they were great. A clutch of singles, an album and a handful of remixes and that was it. Back To The Old School is itself now old school, yet still gets the hairs on the back of my neck standing up. And when the beat kicks in... perfection.

More Nineties nonsense tomorrow. Who will win? Who will lose? And which Weatherall shall I choose?

1) Something Good (7-Inch): Utah Saints ft. Doctor Douglas
2) Weirdo (Album Version By Flood): The Charlatans
3) Hit (Album Version): The Sugarcubes
4) Showgirl (Single Version): The Auteurs
5) Back To The Old School (Edit): Bassheads

6) Temple Of Dreams (U.S. Edit By Messiah & Ralph P. Ruppert): Messiah

7) Halcyon (Edit): Orbital

8) Papua New Guinea (Andrew Weatherall Mix) (7" Edit): The Future Sound Of London

9) The Age Of Love (Jam & Spoon Radio Edit): The Age Of Love

10) Lithium (Album Version): Nirvana

11) Fear Loves This Place (Album Version): Julian Cope

12) Hallelujah (Leftfield Edit): Inner City

19th January 1992: Stick Around For Joy (#17): 3

19th March 1992: Weirdo EP (#19): 2

5th April 1992: Hallelujah '92 EP (#22): 12

24th May 1992: Papua New Guinea EP (#22): 8

31st May 1992: Back To The Old School EP (#12): 5

21st June 1992: Something Good EP (#4): 1

28th June 1992: Temple Of Dreams EP (#20): 6 

26th July 1992: Nevermind (#11): 10

27th July 1992: The Age Of Love EP (# n/a): 9

20th September 1992: Radiccio EP (#37): 7

18th October 1992: Jehovahkill (#42): 11

November 1992: Showgirl EP (# n/a): 4

Side One (46:09) (GD) (M)

From Northern Dream To Studio Cadet

I know next to nothing about Bill Nelson's solo ouevre, whether pre- or post-Be Bop Deluxe, the band he formed in 1972. In fact, I know even less about Be Bop Deluxe.

For all that, Bill's music has been slowing creeping into my collection, such as the appearance of Everyone's Hero, a track from his 1971 debut album (and re-released today), on Mojo magazine's 2022 compilation Heavy Nuggets Vol. 6. 

I also seem to have acquired the 1986 mini-album Living For The Spangled Moment along the way. But the sum total still amounts to fewer than 20 songs and a smidge over an hour's worth of music.

Trying to delve deeper is a daunting prospect: Discogs lists 130 albums; Wikipedia's discography is a dizzingly long list; Bandcamp has 30 releases on sale, many of them albums at £10.00 a pop.

So, I've selected nine songs from the latter, starting off with a few from my own collection, the rest a random trawl through time, washing up on the shores of Bill's current album, Studio Cadet, a collection of lost songs from 2015, released in December 2024.

I like some more than others and I'm not sure I've found the key to tracing my way through Bill's musical history. But it's a start.

1) Everyone's Hero (Northern Dream) (1971)

2) Atom Man Loves Radium Girl (Do You Dream In Colour? EP) (1980)

3) He And Sleep Were Brothers (Eros Arriving EP) (1982)

4) Another Kiss For Your Slender Neck (Pavilions Of The Heart And Soul) (1985)

5) Broken (Heartbreakland) (1990)

6) The Orson Welles Memorial Sleighride  (Wah-Wah Galaxy) (2004)

7) Another Slice Of Wonder Cake (Modern Moods For Mighty Atoms) (2010)

8) Cassidy's Electric Campfire Song (The Last Of The Neon Cynics) (2012)

9) Dance Of The Anti-Gravity Enthusiasts (Studio Cadet) (2015)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Just This Terrible Crescendo Heading Towards A Conclusion

I was going to start off by saying that I haven't really followed the path of Destroyer aka Dan Bejar, but thought I'd 'fact check' that first.

 

It turned out to be something of an understatement. 

 

According to Discogs, Dan's debut self-released cassette, Deströyer, came out thirty years ago. Destroyer's 15th album, the brilliantly-titled Dan's Boogie, is released in late March.

According to my music collection, I currently have the sum total of 3 songs and 15 minutes of Destroyer music, two original songs and one cover version.

The second single and video from Dan's Boogie has just dropped. The equally brilliantly titled Hydroplaning Off The Edge Of The World starts off with Dan and a startled cat at home, drum then guitars and synths then ba ba bas kicking in classic pop fashion before the opening line, "I lie to myself..."

Nearly five minutes later, I'm sold and pre-ordering the album.

Not that I needed convincing, but January's preceding single, Bologna, featuring Fiver aka Simone Carver, is equally good.

Destroyer are on tour, with three dates in England in June, Manchester, London and The Fleece in Bristol. It's a mid-week gig, but on the handful of songs I've heard, I was sorely tempted... until I realised that it's the same night that I'll be on the other side of the city, seeing Butler, Blake & Grant instead. Drat!

 

Here are the other three songs currently residing in my collection. Crimson Tide is the opening song on 2020 album Have Me Met. Blue Eyes, featuring Sibel Thrasher, is the second track on 2011's tenth album Kaputt. 

 

In December 2011, Mojo magazine's cover mounted CD was a cover of New Order's 1983 album, Power Corruption & Lies, plus the Blue Monday 12" and album-related B-sides. Destroyer tackle the album closer, Leave Me Alone, and it's really rather good.

 

 

Snooty Twits Havin' Fits

Is it MAD! that a pair of brothers with a collective age of over 150 are continuing to make perfect more than half a century after they first had those creative Sparks?

Probably not. Do Things My Own Way is another wonderfully repetitious single with a wilfully wonky video. 

No Maels or baby grands were harmed in the making of this short film.

Sparks are playing two dates each in London and Manchester, with a fifth and final show in Scotland. Tickets on sale Friday 7th.

Sparks' 28th album MAD! will follow in 2025. Hail or Mael? You choose.

 

Gotta run, gotta fly
Gonna do things my own way
Fall behind, bye bye bye
Gonna do things my own way
Feelin' right, feelin’ tight
Gonna do things my own way
Got the fuel, broke the rules
Gonna do things my own way

Snooty twits havin' fits
Gonna do things my own way
They wanna lunch, don't wanna lunch
Gonna do things my own way
Lookin’ good, understood
Gonna do things my own way
Out the way, out the way
Gonna do things my own way

Feelin' cool, seelin' schooled
Gonna do things my own way
I'm Howard Hughes in Jordan 2's
Gonna do things my own way

Do things my own way
Do things my own way
Do things my own way
Do things my own way

Not a phase, all my days
Gonna do things my own way
Not a fad, is that so bad?
Gonna do things my own way
Unabashed, totin' cash
Gonna do things my own way
Unaligned, simply fine
Gonna do things my own way

Do things, gotta run
Do things, gotta go
Do things, gotta stay
Do things, gotta play
Do things, gotta run
Do things, gotta go
Do things, gotta stay
Do things, gotta play

Saw the Pope, told him, 'nope'
Gonna do things my own way
My guru told him too
Gonna do things my own way
My advice? No advice
Gonna do things my own way
Roll the dice, roll the dice
Gonna do things my own way

 

Anywhere, anytime
Gonna do things my own way
I don’t care, I don’t care
Gonna do things my own way

Gonna do things my own way
Gonna do things my own way
Gonna do things my own way
Gonna do things my own way 

When Mekons Met Marc

Today's selection is the 12" version of This House Is A House Of Trouble! by Sally Timms and The Drifting Cowgirls.

What's not clear until you flip over to the back sleeve is that the lead song is a duet with Marc Almond, who also wrote the song. There was a 7" single too, but I've only ever heard the extended version, seven minutes of relationship breakdown, peppered with the sound of broken crockery and barbed insults passing back and forth between the lost lovers in the song's final moments.

I found a fan made video on You Tube, which prompted me to dig out the 12" vinyl I bought secondhand from Replay Records in Bristol sometime around 1991-92, after I had been seduced by the brilliant Mekons Rock 'n'  Roll album. It was £1.90 well spent.

Released in 1987, this was the second 'solo' single by Sally, produced by fellow Mekon Jon Langford. On this record, The Drifting Cowgirls were Jon with Brendan Croker, Emma Bolland, Rory Allam and Steve Goulding.

Two songs on the B-side. According to the sleeve, Chained To The Anchor Of Love is backed by My Little Pony...according to the label, however, the latter songs is Heaven's Gates. Which one is it? Discogs seems to defer to the latter, I can't find either on YouTube and it's late at night writing this, so I'm going to have to wait to find out until tomorrow, when I can give the record a spin.

Somebody's Rocking My Dreamboat, the sole album by Sally Timms & The Drifting Cowgirls, came out in 1988. The only song from this EP to make it is Chained To The Anchor Of Love.

This House Is A House Of Trouble! is worth tracking down, whether you're a Mekons or Marc fan, or both, a hidden gem in their respective back catalogues.

Happily, both Sally and Marc are still actively recording and performing, and Mekons are touring the UK in May.

We Let The Devil In And It's Tearing Us Apart

I've been drawn back into the orbit of Eddie Chacon recently. 

The Dubhed selection focusing on Seahawks in the New Year included their excellent 2020 remix of Hurt from Eddie's debut album. His third album, Lay Low, was released on 31st January.

Since coming across that debut, Pleasure, Joy And Happiness, in late 2021 and discovering Charles' fascinating career - and life - left turns since his success thirty years previously as one half of Charles & Eddie, I've been a fan of his ongoing solo explorations.

After a second, equally brilliant album, Sundown, with John Carroll Kirby, Lay Low sees Eddie collaborate with Nick Hakim, the pair having first come together in 2020 when Nick remixed Above Below from the first album.

Lay Low is not a dramatic departure, but a further teasing out of the "low-key R&B" that Eddie has made his signature in the 21st Century. The touchstone for me is Why Can't We Live Together by Timmy Thomas, sharing the sparse, stripped back sound yet slowed down even further. The effect is to focus the mind on the words and the voice. And it works.

The economy extends to the album itself: eight songs, less than half an hour, but rewarding on so many levels that it feels like a complete, nourishing experience.

I've picked five songs from the Lay Low, a remix from each of the previous two albums and an extended segment from Later...With Jools Holland. The latter features an interview with Eddie, a clip of his 1993 debut on the show with Charles Pettigrew, performing Would I Lie To You?, and closing with Eddie, John Carroll Kirby and band performing Holy Hell.

What a way to start the week.

1) Empire (Official Video) (ft. John Carroll Kirby) (2024)

2) Good Sun (Official Visual) (2025)

3) Let You Go (Album Version) (2025)

4) If I Ever Let You Go (Album Version) (2025)

5) Let The Devil In (Official Visual) (2025)

6) Hurt (Seahawks Remix) (2020)

7) Holy Hell (Mndsgn Remix) (2022)

8) Interview / Would I Lie To You? (Charles & Eddie, 1993) / Holy Hell (Live On Later...With Jools Holland, BBC2 TV, 10th June 2023)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Decadance I: 1991

Side 2 of a made up mixtape, focusing on the Nineties. Today we arrive in 1991. 

Guitars are beginning to creep back into the mix, but today's selection is still very much about getting on to the dancefloor, whether of the club or indie variety.

Looking at the best-selling UK singles of 1991, there was clearly a collective madness permeating society as far as record buying was concerned. How else do you explain Bryan Adams spending four effing months at #1? Or The Simpsons also hitting the top spot and having the 5th best seller of the year? Is there any rational explanation for the existence of Color Me Badd?!!

I spent a large part of 1991 in Australia, whose singles charts were arguably just as bad, though I was at least spared The Stonk by comedians Hale & Pace. 

Continuing with the info on each single's peak (UK) chart placing and date throws up some interesting observations. As with yesterday's selection, 1991's dozen songs include eight UK Top 40 hits and four that, well, weren't.

Just the one #1 this time and that a cheeky piggy back on a re-release of Should I Stay Or Should I Go by The Clash thanks to a jeans TV advert. Mick Jones had regrouped and relaunched Big Audio Dynamite II the previous year and included a reworked and renamed song from their debut album. Change Of Atmosphere became Rush and it gave Mick another hit single...though it made little if no difference to the chart fortunes of follow up album The Globe.

The selection opens with Intastella, a band I loved but for whom commercial success seemed elusive. Century, despite a 12" remix from Adamski, peaked at #70 and proved to be the second highest charting single of their career in the UK. A shame, as they had some cracking tunes, including this one.

Today's MAW (Mandatory Andrew Weatherall, not to be confused with Masters At Work, although he's equally deserving of the label) is a monumental remix of 101 by Finitribe. Even the 3:20 single edit is a masterclass, to the extent that this was the album version selected for An Unexpected Groovy Treat the following year. 

Released in July 1991, as far as I can tell 101 managed to scrape to #171 by the end of August and that was it's peak. As I said above,  clearly a collective madness permeating society as far as record buying was concerned.

Apart from the aforementioned Big Audio Dynamite II stowaway, the only other song from 1991's Top 20 best sellers is Sunshine On A Rainy Day by Zoë. Quite an achievement given that the original 1990 version failed to make the same impression. All I will say is that returning to the UK and seeing the leather trousered, barefoot Zoë throwing all manner of shapes on Top Of The Pops made a lasting impression on me.

An unexpected delight whilst I was on the other side of the world was hearing Bristol-born boy done good Gary Clail cracking the Top 10 with Human Nature. I was already a fan of his work with Adrian Sherwood and On-U Sound System, but the additional boost of an in-vogue remix by Paul Oakenfold and Steve Osborne made all the difference. Hearing Gary's Bristolian burr ("put their hands in their pockets") alongside the dulcet tones of the legendary Alan Pillay still makes me smile.

Poor If? though, they really did try. They had some great tunes, seemingly tapped into the zeitgeist with their lyrical subjects and had impeccable taste in remixers, including Leftfield and Justin Robertson. Sadly, people just didn't buy any of their records. They had three goes with Saturday's Angels between 1991 and 1992, the 2nd being the best, with a peak of #83. This radio-friendly remix by The Grid aka Dave Ball and Richard Norris didn't in fact feature on any of the three attempts, instead tucked away as a B-side on another undeservedly flop single from 1991, Open Up Your Head.

Unfinished Sympathy was Massive Attack's first big hit...except it wasn't. Following a frankly bizarre edict regarding band names that might be triggering due to the ongoing Gulf War, the BBC banned a load of songs during this period.

The list apparently included Atomic (Blondie), In The Army Now (Status Quo), I'm On Fire (Bruce Springsteen), State Of Independence (Donna Summer), Walk Like An Egyptian (Bangles) and When the Going Gets Tough, the Tough Get Going (Billy Ocean).

The record label dodged this potential issue by renaming Massive Attack as Massive for this one single, but it seemed to work, although I sure that there were some music lovers out there devastated this this wasn't in fact a belated follow up by Massivo ft. Tracy.

Intastella weren't the only young upstarts, however. Saint Etienne, Flowered Up and The Mock Turtles were all establishing themselves, though arguably I should have made some room here for James or Manic Street Preachers. 

 

However, there was another band who showed some early promise, by the name of Blur. I wonder what became of them?

Be here next Saturday for some 1992 action. I'll be as surprised as you to find out what makes the final twelve.

1) Century (7" Version By Chris Nagle & Mike 'Spike' Drake): Intastella
2) 101 (Sonic Shuffle Edit By Andrew Weatherall & Hugo Nicolson): Finitribe
3) Nothing Can Stop Us (Album Version): Saint Etienne
4) Sunshine On A Rainy Day (7" Radio Mix 1991 By Youth & Mark 'Spike' Stent): Zoë
5) Do What You Feel (Dum Dum Vocal Edit By Dave Lee): Joey Negro ft. Debbie French

6) Human Nature (On The Mix Edit By Paul Oakenfold & Steve Osborne): Gary Clail / On-U Sound System ft. Alan Pillay

7) Saturday's Angels (Elevator Heaven Mix By The Grid): If?

8) Unfinished Sympathy (Nellee Hooper 7" Mix): Massive Attack ft. Shara Nelson

9) Take It (Album Version): Flowered Up

10) Rush (Edit): Big Audio Dynamite II

11) Can You Dig It? (Extended Mix By Martin Coogan, Pete Smith & Karl Madert): The Mock Turtles

12) There's No Other Way (Album Version By Stephen Street): Blur

20th Jan 1991: Saturday's Angels EP (#83): 7

3rd Mar 1991: Should I Stay Or Should I Go EP (#1): 10

10th Mar 1991: Unfinished Sympathy EP (#13): 8

14th Apr 1991: Can You Dig It? EP (#18): 11

21st Apr 1991: Human Nature EP (#10): 6

12th May 1991: Foxbase Alpha (#54): 3

12th May 1991: A Life With Brian (#34): 9

12th May 1991: There's No Other Way (#8): 12

25th Aug 1991: 101 EP (#171): 2

8th Sep 1991: Sunshine On A Rainy Day EP (#4): 4

17th Nov 1991: Century EP (#70): 1

17th Nov 1991: Do What You Feel EP (#36): 5

Side Two (47:18) (GD) (M)

Decadance I: 1990

Side 1 of a mock cassette compilation, kicking off a new series of mixtapes that never were, and a sequel of sorts to one that I posted last August and September.

As 1989 turned into 1990 I had the idea of creating a themed series of cassette compilations, looking back at the previous decade and inspiringly titled Decade. Five C90s, one year per side, 12 songs apiece. 

I recorded the first volume on 3rd February 1990. Thirty five years later, I've finally got around to the follow up.

Decadance (sic) was originally the title of a planned companion to the Decade series, featuring selected 12" versions of 80s songs. I've appropriated it for this series instead, intentional misspelling and all, starting obviously with 1990.

The next five weekends will feature each year of the 90s, sticking with the same format of a dozen songs that dip into my record collection, which grew exponentially during the decade as I got a regular wage and a increasing addiction to music.

This was a bloody tough one to begin with. My 'shortlist' ran to over 50 songs. I decided quite early on that 1990 was going to be limited to more dance-oriented music. Although I still buying lots of guitar-based and indie records, the songs here are more reflective of what I was leaning into and hearing when I was out and about.

So, that immediately relegated Pixies, Lush, Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds, Mazzy Star, Inspiral Carpets and, reluctantly, World Of Twist. Being in the list of 1990s biggest sellers was no guarantee either, as Sinéad O'Connor, Maria McKee, Madonna found out to their cost. 

And Vanilla Ice, MC Hammer and especially Turtle Power by Partners In Kryme were proof if needed that being in the Top 15 best-selling singles of 1990 does not mean that the record buying public was right. Although I agonised longer than perhaps I should have about whether to include Infinity (1990's...Time For The Guru) by Guru Josh (RIP).

That said, two-thirds of today's selection were Top 40, and I've even managed to include two #1's with Beats International and Adamski (who naughtily didn't co-headline with Seal) although I would have sworn that there were three.

In fact, Groove Is In The Heart by Deee-Lite didn't hit the top spot. It was kept at #2 for two weeks by the re-release of The Joker by The Steve Miller Band, before Maria McKee came in with Show Me Heaven and ruined it for both of them.

Before I'd picked any of the other songs, I knew 1990 would begin with Renegade Soundwave, simply because I loved their singles and debut album, Soundclash.  Andrew Weatherall's game changing overhaul of Primal Scream with Loaded was a strong contender but inevitably was the only way to end the selection.

In between, there are perhaps some obvious choices, with The KLF, EMF and The Beloved but hopefully a few pleasant surprises too. 

Of the singles that stalled outside the Top 50, The Fall's inspired collaboration with Coldcut was huge for me, as was The Shamen's game changing album En-Tact. The single version of Make It MIne is a different mix, but the version with the rap by Rhyme & Reason that was so cheesy it was cool is the definitive in my opinion.

As well as samples aplenty, a couple of used another song as the entire foundation of their own, to startling effect. Beats International's cover of Just Be Good To Me by The S.O.S. Band laid Lindy Layton's vocals over the rhythm of Guns Of Brixton by The Clash, with a re-recorded verse lifted from Johnny Dynell & New York 88's Jam Hot was just inspired. 

As was A Tribe Called Quest's debut Top 50 hit, Bonita Applebum, whose pairing with Carly Simon & Chic 1982 hit Why? elevated both songs to another level entirely.

Although never in the same league as Andrew Weatherall, I liked Paul Oakenfold's remixes and whilst he's represented here, you may be scratching your heads wondering why I've left off his frankly brilliant remix of Step On by Happy Mondays (#5 in April 1990) for his arguably lesser known remix of Nothing by Frazier Chorus (#51 in August 1990).

Despite Step On coming out earlier in the year, I actually bought the 12" singles of Cloud 8 and Nothing first. Both featured Oakenfold remixes (I'd also recommend the limited edition Chad Jackson reworks of Nothing) and both were a surprising and pleasing departure for Frazier Chorus. Not that it helped them in the commercial sense, unfortunately,  but look what success did to Happy Mondays...

As an added bonus, this time around, I've included info at the end on when each single's peak (UK) chart placing and date, and the respective EP or album the featured version is lifted from. Well, it keeps me occupied and off the streets.

It will come as no surprise that Sunday will take a look at 1991. 

The Top 10 best selling singles of that year included Bryan Adams, Queen, The Simpsons, Chesney Hawkes and Color Me Badd. You may be relieved to know that none of them will be showing up here.

1) Probably A Robbery (7" Remix By Daniel Miller & Rico Conning): Renegade Soundwave
2) Telephone Thing (Album Version By Coldcut): The Fall
3) Unbelievable (Album Version By Ralph Jezzard): EMF
4) Make It Mine (V2.5) (Remix By The Shamen & 'Evil' Eddie Richards): The Shamen ft. Rhyme & Reason
5) Hello (Album Version By Martyn Phillips): The Beloved
6) What Time Is Love? (Live At Trancentral) (7" Version): The KLF ft. MC Bello & The Children Of The Revolution

7) Dub Be Good To Me (Album Version By Norman Cook): Beats International ft. Lindy Layton

8) Bonita Applebum (7" Why? Edit By CJ Mackintosh & Robin Hancock): A Tribe Called Quest

9) Groove Is In The Heart (LP Version By Deee-Lite & Mike Rogers): Deee-Lite ft. Bootsy Collins & Q-Tip

10) Nothing (7" Edit By Paul Oakenfold & Steve Osborne): Frazier Chorus

11) Killer (Edit By Adamski & Mike 'Spike' Drake): Adamski ft. Seal

12) Loaded (Andrew Weatherall Mix) (7" Version): Primal Scream

27th Jan 1990: Extricate (#58): 2

11th Feb 1990: Happiness (#19): 5

18th Feb 1990: Probably A Robbery EP (#38): 1

25th Feb 1990: Dub Be Good To Me EP (#1): 7

18th Mar 1990: Loaded EP (#16): 12

6th May 1990: Killer EP (#1): 11

12th Aug 1990: Bonita Applebum EP (#47): 8

26th Aug 1990: Nothing EP (#51): 10

9th Sep 1990: World Clique (#2): 9

9th Sep 1990: What Time Is Love? EP (#5): 6

22nd Sep 1990: En-Tact (#42): 4

25th Nov 1990: Schubert Dip (#3): 3

Side One (47:24) (GD) (M)