Mixed Pop Groups & Duos Rate • WINNER ANNOUNCED

[idratherjack]

The Slightest Touch is pure pop euphoria! It's hard to believe the Louise cover was remixed by Almighty as it's so lethargic, luckily the mighty Steps did the song justice this year with their poppers o'clock version! I'm glad the song has been brought to a new audience as despite being 100% amazing it does feel slightly forgotten these days.

Some more Five Star further listening











They had bops for days!

 

[Doodvid]

Some belated Old Popjustice Forum quotes related to Five Star that I forgot to send @Ezz (sorry!)

And the ‘best comment award’ goes to…

 

[Ezz]

This is serious
And I'm delirious
And I can't wait until we get home

#23

Pop! - 'Serious'

Average score: 8.236

High scorers: @Conan, @Hybridcookie, @idratherjack, @Remorque (4x10s), @MilesAngel (9.5)
Low scorers: @Hudweiser (5.5), @Wezzo (6), @Lost In Japan. (6.5)

Notable achievements: The group's third and final top 40 single, and their second top 20 single. Pop!'s first appearance in the countdown for over 30 places, since Xanadu at #55.



Back to that fallow time for pop music of the mid 00s, where Pete Waterman was trying his best (and indeed kept on with the likes of Josh Dubovnie a few years later!) to sell the same kind of effervescent pop that had worked in the 1990s. After their first two singles which felt very much like the descendants of Steps, Pop!'s make-or-break third single took a very different track. Everything was thrown at the video, with a vague narrative involving a casino, tasteful swimwear and a car with 'VOM' in its registration number (and arguably colour of paint too!). The vocals were shared between Jade and Jamie, and the harmonies work really well together, offering a tantalising glimpse as to what the unreleased album would have held.

Although the band improved on the performance of their second single with a #16 position, it wasn't enough to change the inevitable trajectory. As this fascinating interview with Glenn outlines, the group's lack of success had caused friction, this time with a split between Glenn / Jamie and Hannah / Jade. With Jade becoming pregnant and the seeming impossibility of putting the band on hold as they were already on the decline, amid these tensions the project came to an end, and the planned release of Xanadu cancelled.

Voters say:

@Sprockrooster 9
The way I was more focused on the music video than the music. I guess the men in the group did that.

@iheartpoptarts 9
Can we talk about the guys in this band because hi.

@berserkboi 8
Who thought that mullet and excessive fake tan was a good idea? Were they trying for a guest spot in Kath & Kim? If so - WORK!!! Ddd

@Ezz 8
Beautiful harmonies, what a shame they didn't have the chance to carry on.

Thank you to the ever-amazing @Doodvid for uploading these amazing WIP remixes!





Who ever thought jeans with a shirt and tie was a look? The trenchcoat and skimpy clothes look also resurfaces with Glenn's long coat and vest combo!



If you want to check Pop! in full ballad mode, this was the B-side to one of the CD single versions:

​

 

[Doodvid]

Ah, I forgot to leave commentary!

At the time this was referred to as Pop’s ‘On The Bible’ moment so it seems fitting the 2 tracks left consecutively.

Love the grubbiness of the band performing at club venues using toilet paper rolls painted black as their microphones. The glamour!

 

[MilesAngel]

I hadn't heard any of the Pop! songs before and Serious is my favourite. I really like the vibe of the production and it has a great chorus and middle eight. It deserved better.

 

[berserkboi]

Ha! My mullet commentary makes it again!

Stream excellence:



@Doodvid - easy 12 from me in PJ00s *hint hint*

 

[Doodvid]

Interestingly, ‘Serious’ was released in early 2005 at the time when the ‘Old Popjustice Forum’ was in full swing so fans could see reactions to the track play out in real time.

There was lots of talk about their make or break third single so I’ll share certain bits here and use the magic of gifs to break up the wall of text!

1. Pop!’s upcoming single

2. Pop!’s demise & comparisons to other Mixed Groups

3. Pop! thirst

4. Pop! drama at a live PA

5. A last kick at the corpse of Pop!

 

[idratherjack]

Phew! That 26 part quote from Old Popjustice was quite the ride!

I fear that quote about wanting to see Jamie Tinkler and Glenn Ball's naked Attitude shoot was from me...

… but really, who could blame me?!

Serious was a bop and a half. Pop! in the mid 00s were to me what Deuce had been in the mid 90s, a brilliant mixed pop group just slightly out of time and should have been far bigger. Like Deuce, I love all Pop!'s singles and their unreleased album is my holy grail of pop. Glenn did say that no album exists but he also freely admits in the Can't Stop The Pop interview that he was never anywhere near the recording studio so really who knows? Even their B-sides (Someone Like You and Without the Boy) were brilliant.

 

[Iggypig]

Loved Pop! But considering how far Heaven & Earth dropped in its second week on the chart, it's shocking they got to a third single!

 

[idratherjack]

Loved Pop! But considering how far Heaven & Earth dropped in its second week on the chart, it's shocking they got to a third single!

How far did it drop?

 

[Doodvid]

14 - 61 (out of chart) 96

 

[idratherjack]

14 - 61 (out of chart) 96

Ouch!

 

[idratherjack]

I just realised if the Top of the Pops repeats keep going on BBC4 we won't even see Pop! as they were relegated to TOTP Saturday



This really is such a great song. I always think 2005 was the dying gasp of pure pop music.

 

[DJHazey]

Actually I'd say the best two songs from Pop! are the ones remaining. I didn't know them before the rate myself either.

 

[saviodxl]

4. Pop! drama at a live PA

This is giving me Marie Kondo's I love mess dot gif vibes!

 

[Conan]

This prompted me to look up Glenn Ball's instagram and I had to laugh at a few of his memes.

 

[Ezz]

Patience is a game
And every night I say your name
Hoping that you'll answer
'Cause I'm going insane

#22

Infernal - 'From Paris to Berlin'

Average score: 8.264

High scorers: @saviodxl, @MilesAngel (2x11), @Ezz, @berserkboi, @Untouchable Ace, @AcerBenII, @Ana Raquel (5x10)
Low scorers: @j267 (2), @Wezzo, @idratherjack (2x5)

Notable achievements:
Achieved widespread chart success across Europe, going to number 1 in Denmark, number 2 in Ireland the UK and Hungary, number 3 in Belgium and number 6 in Norway. The sixth best-selling single in the 2006 UK year end charts.



We stay in the mid-00s and bring in some dancier vibes for this next entry. 'From Paris to Berlin' was taken from the Danish duo's third album, also called 'From Paris to Berlin'. Released across various territories in 2005 and 2006, it quickly became known as the group's signature track. The video is also kind of iconic, tapping into the 1980s Tron vibe and recalling those word processing machines with the black screens and green text. This may also be the only track in the rate with a connection to footfall. Ahead of the 2006 World Cup, the track was re-recorded as 'From London to Berlin', with lyrics celebrating the England football team. With Eng-er-land apparently failing as usual, this version was pulled from radio airplay. As one of the contributors to old Popjustice highlights, promotion on Radio 1 was underlined with homophobia that the optimist in me would hope is a product of its time. Maybe the band and their fanbase had the last laugh with the scale of their chart success? I remember it being absolutely ubiquitous over here, and have happy memories of finishing my university finals and doing some dodgy lasoo-dancing in a dingy club!

Although Infernal has produced 5 albums, beyond this single, their follow up 'Self Control' and possibly 'I Won't Be Crying', they are perhaps a little overlooked and I'd definitely welcome any further listening tips!

Voters say:

@MilesAngel 11
One of my favourite dance tracks ever. It never fails to get me going. I used to travel around Europe a lot and would always listen to this, singing along and replacing the word 'Paris' with the place I was visiting.

@saviodxl 11
That Eurotrip anthem you wish you'd danced to in the clubs when you were doing it. I wish! Also, Paw, hello! Not just eye candy. Eurodance meets scandibop at its best!

@berserkboi 10
An 11 contender from my husband <3

@Ezz 10
Very happy with this late addition to the list. Reminds me of a particularly sticky club on top of a car park called Filth in my student days.

@unnameable 9
Still a dancefloor filler.

@Sprockrooster 9
They are iconic and deserve their own rate with two 11's so I can award Redefinition and I Won't Be Crying top marks.

@Hudweiser 8.5
This is a bop but I always find it doesn't represent Infernal very clearly. They have some absolute bangers and more 'classic' pop songs in their repertoire.

@DJHazey 8.5
I would never call it overrated, however I’ve always held that this album is littered with better songs.

@Doodvid 7
Somewhat over-played at the time which takes away part of the joy for me.



DJ Aligator is definitely one of my guilty pleasures!





A 2006 cover entitled 'From Taipei to Beijing' by Malaysian born, Singapore-based Shi Xin Hui:




Some snippets from Popjustice of the past:

Ooo, now this sets my teeth on edge. Too trance? Too hardcore? What is this concept?

As mentioned up above...

​

 

[berserkboi]

Genuinely shocked this is not in the Top 10! Now I fear from Around The World! Ddd

 

[saviodxl]

WHAT THE FUCK

Low scorers: @j267 (2), @Wezzo, @idratherjack (2x5)

These people haven't traveled in a while, confirmed.

 

[daninternational]

@Sprockrooster 9
They are iconic and deserve their own rate with two 11's so I can award Redefinition and I Won't Be Crying top marks.​

Now this is a rate I can get behind!! Sad to see my would-be 11 miss the top ten!

This was a route I flew quite often on day trips for work, and of course the song was always played.