America... you like the way we swing?!

The Chimes - Heaven
(From The Chimes album; 1990)


Thee glaring omission from my 101 best non-Rap singles of the 1990s list: Scotland's only entry in the U.K Street Soul canon, though Pauline Henry was a Jamaican-Cockney rather than an Edinburgh Jock like the two blokes in The Chimes. Their first single 1-2-3 was a Soul II Soul production, but by the time of their third and best single Heaven they'd learnt enough tricks to do the damn thing themselves. A truly joyous classic from the era when 60% of the singles in the British Top 40 chart were built on breakbeats, even the singles by proper bands like Fine Young Cannibals, Stone Roses, EMF etc.

Please believe that Britain was combining Soul and Hip-Hop in song format 3 years before Mary J. Blige & Puffy dropped Real Love. Baby, do you know what those braggin' rights are worth? Street Soul Heaven was a small rainy island on Earth.

Clear & Present Ginger Part 2

Calvin Harris ft. Rag 'n' Bron Son - Giant
(From some upcoming Calvin Harris album; 2019)


David Zowie's House Every Weekend's reign on top was long like Calvin Harris' legs, but it's time we all accept that Giant has toppled Zowie's one moment of glory from its perch as the best ASOS Get The Look-House anthem of the 2010s. Youz see Calvin, Jimmy? The big wee bugger has got a funnel up his arse and a breeze between his ears, but in the past 12 months he's produced a banger for Donae'o, made Sam Smith listenable, and justified the existence of a Don't Flop rappa-ternt-sanga who's the Jihadi Jordan equivalent of Plan B meets Paul Shane.

True story, Giant's ten second crescendo from 3:09 to 3:19 never fails to make me wanna triumphantly pop off semi-automatic weapons into the sky like Stitches.

And then when the trumpet parps back up for the final chorus it's bare euphoric Boyz-on-RTE vybz.

One luv 2 Stephen Gately. Goodbye, Norma Jean...