It's time for me to pick my favorite song from those that entered the UK singles chart 20 years ago in 1995. This week's chart is from March 19 1995 and can be seen in full HERE. Every week a Twitter account called @ThisIsMyJam95 invites followers to pick their favorite new entry of the week, and I have decided to take it a step further by listening to ALL of the new entries before picking the best of the bunch.Among the songs that made up the worst of the bunch included Alysha Warren's forgettable RnB effort 'I Thought I Meant The World To You' which entered at 40, and despite the fact that I loved most of Apollo 440's work, their number 35 cover of Blue Oyster Cult's '(Don't Fear) The Reaper' is something that I've never been keen on. Meanwhile, rapper Warren G is someone who I've also never been keen on, and tracks such as the number 29 entry 'Do You See' have never struck a chord with me. Despite a couple of wonderful hits in the early 90s, Duran Duran continued a bad run of form with their slightly altered 90s line up and a weak cover of Lou Reed's untouchable 'Perfect Day', which the British public liked enough to take it to number 28. Award for the week's most dreadful entry goes to EastEnders actor Sean Maguire and his woeful 'Suddenly', which goes in at number 20. One of the most diabolical singles I ever owned entered the charts at number 11, and I purchased it to play at the DJ sets I did on the weekends at the club my Dad managed in Corsham... It was hillbilly dance act Rednex with the follow-up to 'Cotton Eye Joe', which had only been in the charts the previous week, and deleted to make way for the release of the equally ridiculous and almost identical 'Old Pop In An Oak'. The week's highest new entry comes from serial chart botherers Wet Wet Wet, whose dull Beatles pastiche 'Julia Says' lands at number 6.
Compared to some of the previous weeks in 1995, it's not the strongest set of new entries this week, but there was still a generous helping of of good stuff though: dutch Euro-house vocalist CB Milton's 'It's A Loving Thing' is a rather catchy thing that goes in at number 34, while Ned's Atomic Dustbin win a number 33 position with the pounding 'All I Ask Of Myself Is That I Hold Together', and Amos scores a number 31 entry with 'Let Love Shine'. The leading Clubzone Mix of the latter song takes on a slightly faster and more Euro-styled flavor than the brilliantly housey Cleveland City mixes that also featured on the 12". At number 22, the infectious 'Here I Go' provides Dutch dance duo 2 Unlimited with one of the ir finest moments, and even though I'm not fond of their subsequent singles, Tin Tin Out's update of 'Always Something There To Remind Me' brings back nostalgic memories and has a sound that is very of its time. With a sound that's like a bargain basement version of The Shamen in places, East 17's number 11 entry 'Let It Rain' was pretty hardcore for a boyband and is possibly one of their best songs. I probably thought it was shite at the time, but it's rather pleasing now.
But the week's most dazzling new entry is the powerfully mysterious 'Original' by Leftfield, featuring vocals from Curve singer Toni Halliday. The song was taken from their seminal debut album 'Leftism' and entered the charts at number 18. It would take them four years to release its follow-up 'Rhythm And Stealth', before the duo of Neil Barnes and Paul Daley went their separate ways in 2002. A few years later Barnes decided to revive Leftfield without the involvement of Daley, and has just announced the release of a brand new album which will be called 'Alternative Light Source'...
