As we headed toward the new millennium, popular music had something for everyone.
There was no shortage of shiny pop bops:
- The Tuesdays’ “It’s Up to You”;
- 3rd Party’s remake of Gary Wright’s “Love Is Alive”;
- Girl group She Moves’ “Breaking All the Rules”,
- American singer Imani Coppola’s oddball “Legend of a Cowgirl”,
- And English singer Jimmy Ray’s equally oddball “Are You Jimmy Ray?”
If you wanted something more ethereal?
- You could listen to Canadian singer-songwriter Loreena McKennitt’s “The Mummers’ Dance,” a Top 20 hit on the Hot 100.
In the mood for pop/rock?
- The Austin, Texas band Sister 7 could hook you up with “Know What You Mean,” an Adult Top 40 hit that went to No. 76 on the Hot 100.
In the world of R&B and hip-hop:
- Uncle Sam was a one-man Boyz II Men with “I Don’t Ever Want to See You Again.” (Boyz II Men’s Nathan Morris wrote and produced the hit, which went No. 6 pop, No. 2 R&B.)
British R&B singer Mark Morrison went Number 2 pop and Number 4 R&B with the rhythmic jam “Return of the Mack.”
Producer Jason Nevins took an old Run-DMC track, “It’s Like That,” and remixed it into a house-style dance jam.
And the movie Soul Food featured the one-time group Milestone, featuring Babyface, on “I Care ’Bout You.”
That same soundtrack spun off Total’s No. 4 R&B, No. 16 pop hit “What About Us?” which featured guest vocals by Missy Elliott and Timbaland.
Slowing down to get a little sexier, Sam Salter took “After 12, Before 6” to the Top 20 on the R&B charts.
In the meantime, three R&B powerhouses – Gerald Levert, Keith Sweat and Johnny Gill – teamed up as LSG and went No. 4 pop with “My Body,” a song that spent seven weeks atop the R&B charts.
But as well as the sexy, adult R&B warmed up to the Sacred:
A big hit in this format in 1997 was Kirk Franklin and God’s Property’s “Stomp!”
Not a remake of the Brothers Johnson 1980 hit, but a gospel-infused number, featuring a rap from Salt of Salt ‘n’ Pepa and a sample of Funkadelic’s “One Nation Under a Groove.” It topped the R&B charts and crossed to No. 32 on pop airplay.
Franklin was not alone in crossing from gospel.
Brother and sister musicians BeBe and CeCe Winans, traditionally a duo, each had a solo hit that year.
- BeBe’s was the soul-gospel ballad “In Harm’s Way,” which hit No. 83 on the Hot 100 and No. 20 R&B.
- CeCe had the bouncier but still spiritual “Well, Alright,” which went to No. 47 R&B but did not make the Hot 100.
YouTube is the place to find seven of the 19 songs in this set:
- … as well as Peach Union’s “On My Own”
- … and the multiple-artist country/AC track “One Heart at a Time.“
Here’s the Spotify link for the rest of this set:
Which ones do you like? Hate?
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I was listening to top 40, alt-rock, and some alt-contemporary at this time, but I only remember 3 of these by name. One of them is “The Mummers’ Dance” so totally hit the jackpot with just that one song. Such an amazing song to hear on the radio at that time.
My favorite this time out is the Mark Morrison record.
Whatever was going on with me in the late 90s, I guess it didn’t leave much time for listening to the radio. As Chuck’s series marches on, my ratio of “remember” to “never heard it “ is increasing exponentially.
Same here. I knew Mark Morrison (legend!) and Loreena McKennitt. And nothing else!
I only recall Mark Morrison and, God help me, that Jimmy Ray song. Thanks for making me feel old again, Chuck! (By the way, you’ll see how old I feel in a post on here within the next 2 weeks.)
I’m convinced that you just made this entire list up, Chuck. I don’t know a single song by its title. I feel out of it!
The consensus at the mothership, if I remember correctly, is that “Return Of The Mack” is a 10.
I had a co-worker who had the hots for Jimmy Ray, but I only remembered the song when listening to it just now. And I love the Donovan sample in Imani Coppola’s “Legend Of A Cowgirl,” but don’t know most of the others. I was into the Lollapalooza bands and my son liked nu-metal, so I missed a lot of these.
I knew 4 songs, and yet the only artist I knew (Run DMC source material aside) was mentioned in the song’s chorus.
Link Wray! I mean Fay Ray. I mean Sugar Ray.
Aldo Ray?
Johnny Ray?
At least I have the excuse that the reason for my drawing a blank is that the majority of these didn’t cross the ocean. Ive heard of 7 of the artists but only 4 of the songs.
There’s two UK #1s with Mark Morrison and Jason Nevins / Run DMC.
They were both inescapable for much of the late 90s.
Other than that I remember Imani Coppola and Jimmy Ray, both of which made the top 40. Imani being the standout of the limited selection I know.
Obviously I’m very familiar with Gary Barlow but that song is so bland I have no recollection of it. As the serious one and songwriter in Take That and a piano player, Gary was being touted as the new Elton John as his solo career began. This was his third single, missed the top 10 and within months he was completely overshadowed by ex bandmate with an axe to grind; Robbie Williams.
Gary still did better than Mark Morrison, who having had a great 12 months across 96/97 got sentenced to 3 months in prison for threatening a police office with a stun gun, had his driving licence removed, racked up various fines for threatening behaviour and affray, was sentenced to what we term ‘community service’ in a homeless hostel but sent someone else to do it for him. Which resulted in a further 12 month prison sentence. Once they finally sentenced him as he went to Barbados when originally due in court. His defence said he went for drug rehabilitation. Others suggest a holiday. There was plenty more besides. In 2006 he tried a comeback with the single Innocent Man (not the Billy Joel one). His rap sheet suggests not so innocent.
I recognized only a few of these, but Loreena McKennitt is sublime. Prompted me to look up and listen to this favorite for about the 863rd time.
https://youtu.be/eUTci9UbxNU?si=81n7EfxMNXYrwiSK
May I just say that, while I did come up with the headline, it was our editor supreme’s idea to apply those adjectives to me in the teaser for today. It made me LOL all day long.