she/her
Better than the original honestly.
Nooooooo, not 'Call U Sexy'! But the random moment of A*Teens makes up for it.
Mixed Pop Groups & Duos Rate • WINNER ANNOUNCED
- Thread starter Doodvid
- Start date
Better than the original honestly.
Nooooooo, not 'Call U Sexy'! But the random moment of A*Teens makes up for it.
Let's get this wild ride started with a trip back to the 80s. Not our Aqua song though, but this beauty!
Just you and me, we were go walking together,
Watching the sunrise over the trees
Wa-Oo-Wa-Oo-Wa
Wa-Oo-Wa-Oo
#50
Tight Fit - 'Fantasy Island'
Average score: 7.400
High scorers: 5 x 10s (@saviodxl, @idratherjack, @Untouchable Ace, @MilesAngel, @unnameable)
Low scorers: 3 x 4s (@Conan, @AcerBenII, @Markus1981), @Lost In Japan. (5)
Notable achievements: Their second and final top 5 single in the UK and number 3 in Ireland.
Like many of our bands in this rate, Tight Fit's line up was rather fluid. They had their origins in the medley trend that was very popular in the early 1980s. In 1981, producer Ken Gold put together Tight Fit and released their first single, 'Back to the 60s' which reached number 4 in the UK Singles chart. More famous actors such as Lowri-Ann Richards and Robert Pereno were hired to front the group when Tight Fit first appeared on BBC TV's music show Top of the Pops. A follow up 'Back to the 60s Part 2' was released shortly after, reaching #33 on the charts.
Later in the year, a version of 'The Lion Sleeps Tonight', originally released in 1939 with its most famous version being in 1961 by The Tokens, was recorded with session singers by another producers, Tim Friese-Greene. With the lead singer being Roy Ward from 1970s band City Boy, the song gained instant attention, so the third line up was put together to front the single's release. Steve Grant, Denise Gyngell and Julie Harris found themselves with a number 1 single, which is where we pick up the story in this rate! Denise later married Pete Waterman - was this the inspiration behind him picking up Steps 15 or so years later?!?
Buoyed by the success of 'The Lion Sleeps Tonight', their second single was a reworking of the Millionaires' 1982 entry into the Netherlands Nationaal Songfestival. Tapping heavily into the Abba sound and look, this cute little track gained mixed reception from the music press at the time. Susie Fletcher described the song as an "Abba impersonation that serves only to show 'Wimoweh' in a relatively good light" for Record Mirror, with Martin Fry in Smash Hits highlighting the song's hypnotic nature: "the song goes around and around and beats you into submission". After Fantasy Island, a third single 'Single Heart' only reached no. 41. Shortly after their album launch, Denise and Julie left the band, citing issues with being paid a wage rather than receiving loyalties. Yet another line up followed, but the band couldn't capture their previous success and fizzled out after a couple more single releases.
However, Fantasy Island had a bit of a second life in 2010, with this amazing poppers-o-clock remix from Almighty!
Voters say:
@saviodxl 10
They were a two-hit wonder then, eh? This is brilliant.
@berserkboi 8.5
ABBA-esque!
@Sprockrooster 7.5
ABBA should sue.
Just you and me, we were go walking together,
Watching the sunrise over the trees
Wa-Oo-Wa-Oo-Wa
Wa-Oo-Wa-Oo
#50
Tight Fit - 'Fantasy Island'
Average score: 7.400
High scorers: 5 x 10s (@saviodxl, @idratherjack, @Untouchable Ace, @MilesAngel, @unnameable)
Low scorers: 3 x 4s (@Conan, @AcerBenII, @Markus1981), @Lost In Japan. (5)
Notable achievements: Their second and final top 5 single in the UK and number 3 in Ireland.
Like many of our bands in this rate, Tight Fit's line up was rather fluid. They had their origins in the medley trend that was very popular in the early 1980s. In 1981, producer Ken Gold put together Tight Fit and released their first single, 'Back to the 60s' which reached number 4 in the UK Singles chart. More famous actors such as Lowri-Ann Richards and Robert Pereno were hired to front the group when Tight Fit first appeared on BBC TV's music show Top of the Pops. A follow up 'Back to the 60s Part 2' was released shortly after, reaching #33 on the charts.
Later in the year, a version of 'The Lion Sleeps Tonight', originally released in 1939 with its most famous version being in 1961 by The Tokens, was recorded with session singers by another producers, Tim Friese-Greene. With the lead singer being Roy Ward from 1970s band City Boy, the song gained instant attention, so the third line up was put together to front the single's release. Steve Grant, Denise Gyngell and Julie Harris found themselves with a number 1 single, which is where we pick up the story in this rate! Denise later married Pete Waterman - was this the inspiration behind him picking up Steps 15 or so years later?!?
Buoyed by the success of 'The Lion Sleeps Tonight', their second single was a reworking of the Millionaires' 1982 entry into the Netherlands Nationaal Songfestival. Tapping heavily into the Abba sound and look, this cute little track gained mixed reception from the music press at the time. Susie Fletcher described the song as an "Abba impersonation that serves only to show 'Wimoweh' in a relatively good light" for Record Mirror, with Martin Fry in Smash Hits highlighting the song's hypnotic nature: "the song goes around and around and beats you into submission". After Fantasy Island, a third single 'Single Heart' only reached no. 41. Shortly after their album launch, Denise and Julie left the band, citing issues with being paid a wage rather than receiving loyalties. Yet another line up followed, but the band couldn't capture their previous success and fizzled out after a couple more single releases.
However, Fantasy Island had a bit of a second life in 2010, with this amazing poppers-o-clock remix from Almighty!
Voters say:
@saviodxl 10
They were a two-hit wonder then, eh? This is brilliant.
@berserkboi 8.5
ABBA-esque!
@Sprockrooster 7.5
ABBA should sue.
@Hudweiser 7.5
The verses on this are nicer than the rather flat chorus. Where does the melody disappear to??
@DJHazey 7.3
Oh My God, could you try-hard anymore to be ABBA? Part of me is screaming to tank it for their nerve, yet I can't because they end up making a capable enough bop.
@Doodvid 6.5
Who knew they had this in them after the novelty-fest of ‘The Lion Sleeps Tonight’?
Love the shade of the TV commentator here!
Old Popjustice drew comparisons between Tight Fit and one of our rate duos! Personally I think it would have also needed LSL serving some armography as well...
The verses on this are nicer than the rather flat chorus. Where does the melody disappear to??
@DJHazey 7.3
Oh My God, could you try-hard anymore to be ABBA? Part of me is screaming to tank it for their nerve, yet I can't because they end up making a capable enough bop.
@Doodvid 6.5
Who knew they had this in them after the novelty-fest of ‘The Lion Sleeps Tonight’?
Love the shade of the TV commentator here!
Old Popjustice drew comparisons between Tight Fit and one of our rate duos! Personally I think it would have also needed LSL serving some armography as well...
Love Fantasy Island! I remember "old Popjustice" being obsessed with Steps covering it which wasn't a bad idea.
Naturally the Almighty Mix is my go to version but I also love this Sakgra PWL style mix that came out this year too
Pass the poppers!
Naturally the Almighty Mix is my go to version but I also love this Sakgra PWL style mix that came out this year too
Pass the poppers!
Thanks for sharing this, also brilliant. Wonder what made them do it this year? Is it the 80s being "in" again ,(Dua Lipa, Kylie, etc)?
Sakgra's YouTube channel has an amazing array of PWL style retro remixes of acts both new and old, definitely recommend checking it out.
I still prefer the Almighty remix which an enterprising gay has set to the video here
Pop heaven! Also, Steve Grant was a bit of an 80s hunk wasn't he? The Lee Latchford-Evans of his day!
He rocks that loincloth!
To think The Netherlands could have sent Fantasy Island to Eurovision and instead they went for this one, which is a bit of a meh, despite the performance having some cute moments like the drummer winking at the camera and the backing singer towering over Bill.
No, all members are from the UK as far as I know, they just reworked Fantasy Island that could have been the Dutch entry into Eurovision 1982.
Another elimination, another use of one of my catnips, a chanting hook (I'm sure there is a more technical term for this, but still!)
Um pa pa ay yah ya yo
Um pa pa yo
#49
Daze - 'Superhero'
Average score: 7.405
High scorers: 3x10s (@idratherjack, @iheartpoptarts, @Remorque), 2x9.5s (@Sprockrooster, @DJHazey)
Low scorers: @AcerBenII (3), 2x5s (@Doodvid, @Lost In Japan.)
Notable achievements: A smash hit in Denmark, Finland and Norway, reaching #2 in those countries (it only made #11 in Sweden though, which is possibly surprising). Covered in 2019 by Russian metal cover project Even Blurry Videos.
Consisting of Lucas Sieber, Jesper Tønnov, and Trine Bix, Daze are a Danish Eurodance trio. Superhero' was their debut single, released in 1997. The song attracted some critical acclaim, with Larry Flick from Billboard declaring that the "hook is sticky good fun and perfect car-radio fodder. Expect it to be blasting from rhythm-crossover and top 40 stations well into the early summer season". It certainly did this in most of Scandinavia, and even sneaked into the UK chart at #76. Two follow up singles and an album followed. Toy Boy' had a peak position of #3 in Denmark. Their third single attempted to tap into the Tamagotchi craze sweeping the world at the time. Originally released as 'Tamagotchi' in Scandinavia, the single was re-released in 1998 as "Together Forever (The Cyber Pet Song)", which saw more success in Sweden, peaking at #5. Although I think the sound is quite similar to Aqua (which seemed to be a common thought looking at the old Popjustice quotes below), it was still really interesting and definitely worth including in the rate as another new (to me) act!
Voters say:
@iheartpoptarts 10
Hanson wish they could mmmbop this hard.
@Sprockrooster 9.5
OMFG! So glad to have this classic back!
@DJHazey 9.5
Another bubblegum dance classic. “Only” a 9.5 because they have a handful of songs I would rank higher. I think after some time, an immunity to the robotic “supalova-supalova” in the chorus starts to wear thin. I will always bop though.
@Ezz 7
A blend of Aqua vocals and early Steps 5678 visuals
@berserkboi 6.5
Nice enough but a little throwaway!
@Hudweiser 6
This reminds me of a cross between Aqua and Toybox. <shudder> Toybox.
@Doodvid 5
Feels a bit lightweight even though, in theory, this should be right up my street.
This event looks absolutely amazing, oh to have a time machine back to 1998!
Insights from Popjustice of the past. I wonder if anyone still keeps their Tamagotchi alive after all these years?
Um pa pa ay yah ya yo
Um pa pa yo
#49
Daze - 'Superhero'
Average score: 7.405
High scorers: 3x10s (@idratherjack, @iheartpoptarts, @Remorque), 2x9.5s (@Sprockrooster, @DJHazey)
Low scorers: @AcerBenII (3), 2x5s (@Doodvid, @Lost In Japan.)
Notable achievements: A smash hit in Denmark, Finland and Norway, reaching #2 in those countries (it only made #11 in Sweden though, which is possibly surprising). Covered in 2019 by Russian metal cover project Even Blurry Videos.
Consisting of Lucas Sieber, Jesper Tønnov, and Trine Bix, Daze are a Danish Eurodance trio. Superhero' was their debut single, released in 1997. The song attracted some critical acclaim, with Larry Flick from Billboard declaring that the "hook is sticky good fun and perfect car-radio fodder. Expect it to be blasting from rhythm-crossover and top 40 stations well into the early summer season". It certainly did this in most of Scandinavia, and even sneaked into the UK chart at #76. Two follow up singles and an album followed. Toy Boy' had a peak position of #3 in Denmark. Their third single attempted to tap into the Tamagotchi craze sweeping the world at the time. Originally released as 'Tamagotchi' in Scandinavia, the single was re-released in 1998 as "Together Forever (The Cyber Pet Song)", which saw more success in Sweden, peaking at #5. Although I think the sound is quite similar to Aqua (which seemed to be a common thought looking at the old Popjustice quotes below), it was still really interesting and definitely worth including in the rate as another new (to me) act!
Voters say:
@iheartpoptarts 10
Hanson wish they could mmmbop this hard.
@Sprockrooster 9.5
OMFG! So glad to have this classic back!
@DJHazey 9.5
Another bubblegum dance classic. “Only” a 9.5 because they have a handful of songs I would rank higher. I think after some time, an immunity to the robotic “supalova-supalova” in the chorus starts to wear thin. I will always bop though.
@Ezz 7
A blend of Aqua vocals and early Steps 5678 visuals
@berserkboi 6.5
Nice enough but a little throwaway!
@Hudweiser 6
This reminds me of a cross between Aqua and Toybox. <shudder> Toybox.
@Doodvid 5
Feels a bit lightweight even though, in theory, this should be right up my street.
This event looks absolutely amazing, oh to have a time machine back to 1998!
Insights from Popjustice of the past. I wonder if anyone still keeps their Tamagotchi alive after all these years?
Last edited:
she/her
This is the best bubblegum dance Daze song.
This is the best Max Martin soundalike Daze song.
You're welcome!
This is the best Max Martin soundalike Daze song.
You're welcome!
Love a bit of Daze! Superhero is great and Together Forever is even better.
I was one of the few who helped them score a UK #76 smash.
I was one of the few who helped them score a UK #76 smash.
The best song Aqua/Daze/Toy-Box never made
she/her
he/him
I was SO on board the Daze comeback train.
And then.... crickets.
Also not me just now learning that one of the guys in Daze co-wrote “No Promises” later covered by Shayne Ward!
And then.... crickets.
Also not me just now learning that one of the guys in Daze co-wrote “No Promises” later covered by Shayne Ward!