This Time I Know It's A Rate- The PWL/SAW rate 1989-1993- THE WINNER!

Time for that 11

 

SONIA- LISTEN TO YOUR HEART​

AVERAGE SCORE: 8.523
HIGHEST SCORE: 11 x 1 @ohnoitisnathan 10 X 8 @MixmasterRemix @etcetera @phoenix123 @ElectricYouth @idratherjack @WhatKindOfKylie? @SmashHitter @Odge
LOWEST SCORE: 3 X 2 @Deborah X @CasuallyCrazed

PEAK POSITION: 10
RELEASED: DECEMBER 1989


Benefiting slightly from the January sales slump this sneaked into the top 10 for Sonia in early 1990. The dancers in the video are of course Big Fun who obviously had some spare time. In other news we have a new rate leader with 9 voters giving this a 10 or more!


What did PJ say?


So another 11 falls (our 4th) and this time it’s for @ohnoitisnathan “It was between this and Lonnie’s ‘Happenin’…’ that were going to get my 11, but I had to go with this out of loyalty to Son. Uplifting!” but eight others were sorely tempted including @Odge “So just like Sinitta and Cross My Broken Heart, this single has a great pay off with the instrumental bridge before the final chorus”, @MixmasterRemix “The video was dreadful, the single sleeve was mumsy, and the club mix’s attempt to ape the Royal House “Can You Party” synth riffs felt passé upon release but even with all that this is an absolute sentimental showstopper”


@WhatKindOfKylie? is also convinced of its greatness “The BEST Sonia single for me! Although it did make the top 10, even so, #10 still feels just a tad too low somehow. Perfect perky pop”.


@nanafan loves it too “ A good follow up to a disappointing second single, stronger than the debut and should have been single #2. It gave us the fab Better Than Ever too. Couldn’t imagine this by anyone other than Sonia” but there’s always been something missing for me “This is still quite endearing in a 13 yr old way (my age at the time it came out)- the b-side “Better Than Ever” remains the real gem on the single to my ears but this is more than acceptable. For some reason I always want a second part to the second verse like we get in verse 1. That’s always annoyed me”


@CasperFan accurately says “Love this song-such a tune. But boy did Sonia have some spectacularly shit videos”, a fact which doesn’t pass @iheartpoptarts by “With dancers in literal heart t-shirts. Amazing”.

Promo

TOTP

12" Mix

 

God, each and every loss in this rate is getting harder and harder to see! By far though out of the last few eliminations, is the loss of What Kind Of Fool. @idratherjack, I feel your pain for your loss!

 

Oh wow, did not know Big Fun were the dancers in the Sonia video! “Listen to Your Heart” is such a wonderful song, I just wish they’d gotten some better stylists for the poor girl. Who was approving shots like this?!



And forgot all about the fab B-side which really deserved album status!

Though at some point it was being considered as a single for SAW themselves. Possibly a follow up to “S.S. Paparazzi”? Never released at the time but finally surfaced as an iTunes release.

 

I definitely think it’s fair to keep this as an S&W release too. Despite whatever murkiness there may be around the credits, it sounded like S&W did do some adjustments to it and it came out under their name so they’re certainly tied to the final production.

Plus, Eddie Gordon seemed to have made up with Mike Stock at least. After turning West End into a female trio, Gordon brought them back to a post-PWL Stock & Aitken to produce a rather inessential (and ultimately pulled) cover of “It’s Raining Men.”

 

Sonia had great singles with SAW (in fact the album is great). Listen To Your Heart is my favourite single from her and perfect pop. It always seemed so effortless (if that makes any sense).

 

What the actual at me losing a total of three 10s right before we hit the top 20? Savage.

And let's face it, ghewls... The only Listen to Your Heart worth caring about...

 

Are we absolutely sure those dancers are Big Fun? They seem reasonably proficient at staying in rhythm.

 

I very much doubt it's Big Fun. Plus there is clearly no need for three dancers when just one dancer will do - he's been pasted in multiple times thanks to digital wizardry.

 

Bless her for staying so perky with such a miserable audience. Half of them are barely even moving.

 

Sonia injustice! Just 'cause she ain't Kylie...

 

Is this actually true? I think I read it on the wikipedia page a while back, but no source was cited. I was thinking it might be one of those alternative 'facts' like 'Can't Forget You' supposedly being offered to Kylie first, or 'Showing Out' being offered to Bananarama (both were on wikipedia at one point).

Someone in the PWL sphere other than Pete seems to love telling porkies/spreading misinformation.

And 'Listen To Your Heart' was released in November 1989, not December.

 

I reckon this story is baloney.

 

It was certainly the story at the time. I can't categorically say that it's fact no.

 

Oh, well that puts a different spin on things. I assumed it was a revelation from the internet age.

 

WHAT? Been away for the weekend and What Kind Of Fool is out before the Top 20?! It's an outrage! It's my favourite Kylie single bar none and should have made the Top 10, if not Top 5.

I should just have given my 11 to Scarlet Fantastic after all...

 

LONNIE GORDON- IF I HAVE TO STAND ALONE​

AVERAGE SCORE: 8.525
HIGHEST SCORE: 10 X 7 @Odge @SmashHitter @nanafan @ohnoitisnathan @Eric @iheartpoptarts @MixmasterRemix
LOWEST SCORE: 4 X 1 @Deborah X

PEAK POSITION: 68
RELEASED: NOVEMBER 1990


Gordon’s third release for SAW was supposed to preview her album but when it underperformed the UK release of the album was shelved and Gordon went onto pastures new.


What did PJ Say?


Again a third of you slap a ten on this and that’s no surprise, @ohnoitisnathan beams “Not quite as good as ‘Happenin’’, but it’s Lonnie, so I’m giving it 10 anyway. I love someone’s comment on the video about Lonnie’s “office woman” look in the video” @Eric has the question we all wonder “How did this only get to number 68?!? it's amazing, she exudes diva quality...” and it’s a revelation for @iheartpoptarts “A discovery. Huge melodies. And a little bit Rick Astley”.


More ten’s from @Odge “Love the beeping intro, then the baseline, then the hurdy-gurdy sound, more of Lonnie’s spoken vocals, and a soaring chorus” and @MixmasterRemix “What should have been the follow-up to “Happenin’ All Over Again” and turned Lonnie into a major star” and @nanafan completes those high scorers “I absolutely love this record, it was robbed of a great chart position by following Beyond Your Wildest Dreams. So many great mixes and the tally bit in the middle is amazing. Please don’t vote this out early!“- I think at No 18 we can say that didn’t happen!


The rest of us mostly agreed that it missed either to do with timing and or the demise of SAW in general. @WhatKindOfKylie? states it “Lacks just a little bit of the magic that “Happenin All Over Again” so I didn’t give it full marks. But, this is still a total tune, and was the follow up to her debut single that should have been, as opposed to that certain ballad...” which @CasperFan concurs “This should’ve been the follow up to Happenin’..but by the time this was released, all momentum had been lost” as does @Disco Blister “Poor Lonnie, she deserved more success. The timing was bad, I guess. She looks very chic in the video, I must add“.


I stipulate “Shame this wasn’t a hit as it is rather good (even if a paler imitation of her big hit), should have been top 20 at least but the tide was against them by this point” and @letuinmybackdoor draws an apt analogy “At the time, this seemed exciting but it's only ever so slightly above average really. The 'I don't know anybody else' to 'Happenin's 'Ride on time'”.

Promo

12" Mix

 

I keep getting confused between the two What Kind of Fools! Poor Kakko...

 

I like 'If I have to stand alone' but I suspect it would have only charted at say #24 if it had been the follow up to 'Happenin'. It wasn't like, 'When I'm good and ready' in terms of a follow up being as good as, if not better.

 

“If I Have to Stand Alone” is so iconic to me still! They’ve released a million extra mixes digitally but the only one I remembered from back in the day was the Insomniac Mix, so named as it borrowed the backing beats from Mike “Hitman” Wilson and Shawn Christopher’s epic “Another Sleepless Night.”