Tag: Emma Bunton

Tim’s Top 20 of Q1 2019

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1. WESTLIFE – HELLO MY LOVE (54 plays)
2. Little Mix- Think About Us // LM5 (40 plays)
3. Marina- Handmade Heaven // Love + Fear (38 plays)
4. Calvin Harris & Rag n Bone Man- Giant (33 plays)
5. Dido- Friends // Still On My Mind (28 plays)
6. Unperfect- Gots To Give The Girl (27 plays)
7. Jax Jones & Years and Years- Play (23 plays)
8. Adelphi Music Factory- Javelin (22 plays)
9. CamelPhat- Breathe (21 plays)
10. Avril Lavigne & Nicki Minaj- Dumb Blonde // Head Above Water (20 plays)
11. Purple Disco Machine- Body Funk (19 plays)
12. Jess Glynne- No One // Always In Between (19 plays)
13. Francis Rossi & Hannah Rickard- I Talk Too Much // We Talk Too Much (19 plays)
14. Pink- Walk Me Home // Hurts 2 B Human (18 plays)
15. Emma Bunton- Baby Please Don’t Stop // My Happy Place (17 plays)
16. Zedd & Katy Perry- 365 (15 plays)
17. Dido- Give You Up // Still On My Mind (10 plays)
18. Francis Rossi & Hannah Rickard- Maybe Tomorrow // We Talk Too Much (10 plays)
19. Ariana Grande- Break Up With Your Girlfriend // Thank U, Next (10 plays)
20. That Kid- Take It Off (10 plays)

Tim’s Top 20 Number 85

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So, it might look like a weird scenario at the top end of the chart. 2 re-entries right into the top 2 after an unspectacular set of results prior. Well, the main reason Jess Glynne and Zedd have suddenly appeared where they have is due to the stellar remix packages that have started to be released over the last 2 weeks. The Zedd remixes are particularly amazing: fast, ferocious, all with enough supersonic whooshes and vocal fudgery to wow any listener with a pulse.

“No One” has suddenly plonked itself at number 1. It musically sounds similar to her beaut of a UK number 1 smash “Hold My Hand” but, my main reservation with this song was the lyrics to be honest. I’m unsure how healthy it is for a song in the mainstream to effectively be telling listeners you need someone else’s approval to validate you. Maybe I’ve misinterpreted the lyrics or, not been listening to them properly. If you have made an alternative interpretation I’d be intrigued to know what it is.

Midweek, it looked like Will Young was going to earn his first number 1 on my chart since, well, probably as far back as “Leave Right Now” on an earlier incarnation of TT20, 16 years ago! It wasn’t meant to be and the shock WTF reaction at how great Louise’s first single in 18 years is, didn’t help either. The is-she-isnt-she-footballer’s-wife-ex-Eternal member’s “Stretch” is the highest new entry of the week, at #3, with Will Young, ahem, right behind her…

I don’t know what happened for it to take until a Missy collaboration, to be sleeping on the recent releases from the Meghan Trainor-esque Lizzo, but rap-product placement often works, as in this case. The sassy “Tempo” is surely not going to be a one-off song to be appearing soon in this chart.

Little Mix, once again, hog 20% of the chart, with tracks from their latest album “LM5” and hold the longest-running entry of the week with “Woman Like Me”.

Westlife are teetering on the borderline with “Hello My Love” but, it’s not all lost as they are likely to enter very highly next week with their new single “Better Man” which, I hate to say, was co-written by Ed Sheeran, as was the former hit.

COMING SOON:

I’m launching aseries of blog posts, highlighting the new song releases Dorothy’s mates and I would probably be most interested in….tentatively-titled “New Music FriGay”. Read first listen reviews of the tracks of the week, in anticipation of their arrival on future editions of Tim’s Top 20.

Tim’s Top 20 Number 84

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There’s another big overhaul on this week’s chart, following a positive response to Status Quo founder, Francis Rossi, and duet partner Hannah Rickard’s new album “We Talk Too Much”. Tracks from the album, which sadly missed the top 50 this week in the UK album chart, make up a quarter of this week’s TT20.

“We Talk Too Much” is Rossi’s first new album since the death of the other face of Status Quo, Rick Parfitt, whose posthumous solo album hit the top 5 last April, and the first studio album to feature Rossi since Quo’s “Aquostic 2” in 2016, for which Rickard featured as violinist. This is how the latest team-up occurred. “We Talk Too Much” sounds like…if 80s Quo did country without the sad songs about someone’s man doing the dolly down the road’s daughter’s cousin behind her back rather than coming home for supper.

Dido’s dominance dwindles a bit this week, however she stil holds 2 spots on the chart this week, 1 of which is another track taken from the new album “Still On My Mind”. She is due to tour the world later this year.

Once again, Xenomania’s new girl group Unperfect’s debut single “Gots To Give The Girl” returns to the chart on the strength of another new batch of remixes being released, this time from the production house itself. Although the group are not quite making waves in the UK yet, they have hit Mexican radio charts and are releasing a 2nd single very soon.

At 6 and 7 are songs which sound like other big songs (but what doesn’t a lot of the time?) Rita Ora is on a 2nd song called “RIP” and this song sounds like “Tip Toe” like Jason Derulo. Daya’s “Insomnia” is like Kylie’s “Can’t Get You Out Of My Head” which is certainly no insult. Hopefully both tracks have some traction on streaming and download sites soon.

COMING SOON:

Will Young has brought out a song that sounds like a 2012 Rudimental song without the whine of Sam Smith over it.

The Lighthouse Family are back with an UPBEAT song!

Tim’s Top 20 Number 83

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So, this week there are 5 new entries, 5 re-entries, 5 climbers and 5 droppers. This, of course, means there’s a brand new #1.

But, let’s begin by mentioning the influx of entries from Dido. She has the most entries on this week’s chart with 5 tracks, all taken from her 5th album “Still On My Mind”. The album is heading for a top 3 position on the UK album chart this week. This will be her best chart position for 11 years. A more comprehensive review of the collection will appear on this site very soon. But, from the dominance on this top 20, expect it to get a good report.

My new favourite, Purple Disco Machine, scores a 2nd number 1 in just 6 months with a freshly promoted track from his 2017 album “Soulmatic”. “Body Funk” was released as a remix EP and has enabled it to enter the chart right on top. It’ll be interesting to see whether its longevity on the chart will be an improvement on the last #1 he featured on- a remix of Jax Jones’ “Play”, which left TT20 just 2 weeks after also entering the chart on top position. The song has had a rebound this week, re-entering for a 3rd week on the list, at this week’s #17.

Benefitting from a neatly packaged EP of remixes on Spotify, Calvin Harris’ “Giant” climbs to its best chart position so far (#3) and, guess what, the New Purple One is one of the remixers. Bringing disco house shimmying into 2019, is this finally the end of listless dance music ruling the airwaves? Everything is crossed…

Bananarama were a pop force in the 80s and have managed to continue for a further 30 years by being a gay scene staple, with a sadly cheap sounding, kitsch pop style. Their only saving grace being a Buzz Junkies remix of a Three Degrees song from the 70s (“The Runner”). Reuniting with Siobhan Fahey in 2016 for a tour seems to have reinvigorated the 2-piece studio line-up. Following a false start with the horrendously reductive “Dance Music”, they’ve released a 2nd song from their forthcoming album. Making an effort to not be a dismissive bitch over the whole affair, “Stuff Like That”, which isn’t quite as offensive, has managed enough streams this week to enter TT20 at #20.

COMING SOON:

My review of Dido’s new album is due later in the week

New entries on TT20 are likely from Daya, Westlife and Rita Ora in the coming weeks. They are unlikely to come from Iggy Azalea.

Tim’s Top 20 Number 82

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So, 15 weeks after it was last at #1, Little Mix’s first single from “LM5” has returned to the top. “Woman Like Me” is now accompanied by 2 new mixes featuring a Nicki replacement in the form of Ms Banks and has helped with the track’s reversal in fortunes on this chart. Meanwhile, for the 2nd week in a row the group holds the most entries in a single week on this chart with 5.

Click here to read my post on the return of Emma Bunton and my ponderings over why she seems to be the favourite Spice Girl. Her first solo single in 13 years is this week’s highest new entry on TT20, straight in at 3. A new album follows in April.

Benefitting from curiosity plays of a remix package, Xenomania’s new girl group Unperfect’s debut single “Gots To Give The Girl” returns to the chart after a week out of it. Further, dancier remixes are confirmed to be released on 15 March.

I’ll be reviewing Dido’s 5th album “Still On My Mind” later in the week. The title track is the 5th song from it to enter the chart and is this week’s 2nd highest new entry, in at 8.

Last week’s returning chart-topper retreats to its lowest position within the chart so far, as Kelly Clarkson’s “Heat” drops 8.

Coming soon:

My new favourite mixmaster General, Purple Disco Machine has released a new single this week and is likely to enter highly next Friday. Also, Quo’s Francis Rossi and his new collaborater Hannah Rickard prepare the release of the album “I Talk Too Much” with a 3rd single release from it this week. Finally, the full remix collection of “Giant” has been released by Calvin Harris, so will this help the track reverse its downward trek this time next week?

Come back here next Friday to find out!

Baby Love: Why is Emma Bunton seemingly the Favourite Spice?

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Hold On To Your Knickers, Girls…BABY GOT BACK!

25 years ago, Emma Lee Bunton joined a girl group called Touch, and was the one who replaced Michelle Stephenson as she didn’t gel with the other 4 members. Emma completed the line-up that would evolve into the Spice Girls. There’s not much point going into what happened between 1994 and 2000, that’s been documented enough!

In 2001, while the biggest girl group of the century quietly split up, Emma was readying the release of her first solo single “What Took You So Long”. The single would hit #1 in the UK, just weeks before Geri Halliwell would have the last solo Spice single to top the charts with her cover of “It’s Raining Men”. Several singles followed from her top 5 album “A Girl Like Me” before the label who’d funded her career since 1995, Virgin Records, unceremoniously dropped her from their roster, along with 2 of her bandmates Melanie B and Melanie C.

Victoria made a promising start with her solo career after she appeared on 2000 hit “Out of Your Mind” with the Truesteppers and Dane Bowers. The single received a ton of publicity after being pitted against Spiller and Sophie Ellis-Bextor’s “Groovejet”. It was the latter that would win the chart battle right at the finishing line.

Nevertheless, Victoria’s #2 start with 200,000 sales in week 1, was incredible at the time and, in 2019, would be practically unheard of. Sadly, after she was pitted against Kylie in 2001, with “Not Such An Innocent Girl” being released the same week as the most-played song in the UK ever (according to PRS, if my memory serves me correctly), “Can’t Get You Out Of My Head”, it all went sour very quickly. Posh decided to do fashion instead and now she’s rolling in money like a pig in sh*t”.

So, the Spice Girl bubble seemed to have well and truly burst by 2003. The 2 Mels had to spend their own money and release music on their own labels, Mel B’s 2nd solo album sold just enough to make the top 500 in 2005, Geri released one last album with EMI shortly afterwards called “Passion”, which flopped as well. Victoria didn’t even bother after her new label Telstar folded and not even a hit TV show with Goldenballs Beckham in 2003 could help her to the top. But, Emma, good old Emma (even though she is the youngest Spice Girl), kept going with the solo material.

“Free Me” was released under the guidance of her reinstated manager Simon Fuller and his label 19 Records. The album spawned 3 top 20 hits, “Free Me”, “I’ll Be There”, her best solo single “Maybe” and, “Crickets Sing For Anamaria” and the album sold more than her Virgin Records debut. She had adapted a 60s girl-next-door vibe, similar to Sandie Shaw and Cilla Black. The formula worked so well, the label brought out another successful single, a cover of Petula Clark’s “Downtown” in 2006. But that was it. Its parent album “Life in Mono” barely hit the top 75, much like the 2nd single “All I Need To Know”.

It didn’t seem to hurt Emma too much though as, just several months later the unthinkable happened and all 5 Spice Girls announced their reunion tour. The money came in, Baby had a baby and then another one. Next thing she’s on Heart FM presenting with Jamie Theakston, her Top of the Pops pal from their heyday.

Fast forward to 2019. Emma has released her first single in 13 years called “Baby Please Don’t Stop”. The song is reminiscent of the 60s Bond music she was doing before, while also managing to sound a bit like her sole chart-topper to date. So far she has appeared back on Heart to promote the single and, the track has helped generate pre-orders of her 4th solo album “My Happy Place” out in April. At the time of writing, the album is #445 on Amazon’s pop chart, which may not sound very impressive but, it’s not out for another 5 weeks! The album will feature duets with Will Young, Robbie Williams and her fiancé/the father of her children, Jade Jones, formerly of boyband Damage.

Meanwhile, Melanie C has been releasing songs and albums, with diminishing success each time. You know the sort of act where someone will say “I haven’t heard anything from her for ages” although they’ve remained active. Geri has joined a panel of 100 industry insiders to help make singers rich on the BBC show “All Together Now” and married a billionaire motor racing bigwig. Her single “Half of Me”, which she promoted during her stint on the Australian X Factor, sold just a handful of copies in that country, while her George Michael tribute song a couple of years later called “Angels In Chains” flopped just as hard…(a tribute to one of the biggest artists of all time…GEORGE EFFING MICHAEL!!!) Melanie B has been relying on her appearances on Simon Cowell’s talent show panels around the world and her book about her life with that positively vile-sounding ex-husband of her’s to pay her creditors. Her amazing single “For Once In My Life” was a banger and even had a Desperate Housewives-esque video but even this wasn’t enough for the single to register on anyone’s radar.

Victoria…well, we don’t talk about her anymore…JUDAS!

So, what is it Emma Bunton is doing that has people interested in her 2nd comeback attempt, when nobody has been particularly bothered by the others’ music of late? I asked 100 people to name a possible reason for this anomaly (well, about 3 people, including my fellow WordPresser Hannah Brown whose amusing blog A Diary Of A Fat Bird is viewable via this link)…

Emma’s public relationship has always been impeccable. She’s unarguably the least offensive Spice Girl. She’s stayed in the limelight for the right reasons and allowed herself to be humiliated just enough through her appearances on Celebrity Juice, appearing with her celeb pals Keith Lemon/Avid Merrion/Leigh Francis and Holly Willoughby. She’s been successful with her radio stint. Emma has never come across like the fame and fortune has gone to her head and she just seems like a genuinely nice, girl next door type. You’d be happy to take her home to your mother if you were of the right persuasion, she was interested and she wasn’t about to marry Jade. After 20 years being together, that in itself must be a sign she’s not a complete cow.

One other small matter…there’s another Spice Girls tour of the UK this summer. Demand for tickets was that great they increased the number of dates from a cautious 6 to 13, including 3 nights at Wembley Stadium, a venue they last stopped off at on their Spiceworld tour in 1998.

Whatever the reason Emma Bunton has managed to stay relatively successful in music for 23 years, when her bandmates have spectacularly flopped, one thing I can confirm is I’m a 30-something gay who is naturally super excited for a Spicy 2019 and will be investing in the whole shebang!

I know what you’re all wondering now, don’t I?…

….WHAT HAPPENED TO THE BOMB ON THE BUS?!

“Baby Please Don’t Stop” is out to download and stream now.

The album “My Happy Place”, featuring 2 new songs and 8 covers of some of Emma’s favourite songs, is to be released 12 April 2019.

Spice Girls kick off their tour in Dublin in May! Hold tight!