Hits 21 - 1994 (2): Doop, Take That, Prince

Episode Date: May 23, 2025

Hello everyone! Welcome back to Hits 21: The 90s.At the roundtable this week it's Rob, Ed, and Andy!This week - DOOP! Take That bring us some Philly Cheese (but not that kind), and Prince nearly gives Rob a chance to talk to his crush.Email: [e-mail]: https://bsky.app/profile/hits21uk.bsky.social

Hits 21 Hi there, and welcome back to Hits21, the 90s, where me, Rob, me, Andy and me, Ed are looking back at every single UK number one of the 1990s. If you want to get in touch with us, you can, email us, send it on over to Hits21podcast.gmail 1990s. If you want to get in touch with us, you can. Email us. Send it on over to hits21podcast.gmail.com. Thank you for joining us again. Thank you for waiting for a couple of weeks while we sorted some stuff out. We are currently looking back at the year 1994. This is our second episode and this week we'll be covering the period between the 13th of

March and the 30th of April. So a slightly smaller step through 1994. March and April 1994. Police investigating the Fred and Rose West murders uncover nine bodies in Gloucester. As the first women are ordained as priests in the Church of England, the Women's Air Force is also amalgamated into the Royal Air Force, and at Staffordshire theme park Alton Towers Nemesis opens to the public becoming the first inverted rollercoaster in Europe. Bob Criatt, the Labour MP for Bradford, is killed when his car accidentally overturns

on the M1. Polls reveal that public support for the Tories is at 26%, the lowest point since before Margaret Thatcher was elected. They'd kill for 26% now though, wow. The Tories then lose over 400 seats at local council elections and unemployment in Britain continues to decrease as the country recovers from the recession. The presidents of both Rwanda and Burundi are killed when their plane is shot down in East

Africa. The double assassination sparks the Rwandan genocide, which claims the lives of a million people in just three months. And in America, a former CIA agent is jailed for life after admitting to selling secrets to the Soviet Union during the Cold War. The films to hit the top of the UK box office during this period were as follows. Schindler's List for three weeks, Beethoven's Second for one week before Schindler's List for three weeks, Beethoven's Second for one week before Schindler's List returns to the top for three more weeks, and Robbie Williams and Mark Owen of Take That present a Golden Mike episode of Top of the Pops. Bruce Forsythe returns as the host of Play Your Cards Right after the show had spent

seven dark years off the air. Lynn Perry leaves Coronation Street playing her character Ivy Tildesley for the last time. Darts themed quiz show Bullseye is moved from Sunday afternoons to Saturday evenings. And as A Courtroom Trial is broadcast on Scottish TV, Frasier makes its debut on British TV. I can hear the blues are calling. In America, Major League Soccer announces a TV deal with ESPN, despite having no players, no coaches and no teams in place.

Madonna's appearance on David Letterman becomes one of the most bleeped out interviews in US TV history. And after the death of former US President Richard Nixon, aged 81, his state funeral is broadcast across almost all major networks. Andy, the album charts, how are they? So this period picks up from last week with Music Box by Mariah Carey at number one for four weeks which went five times platinum That's knocked off for one week by Morrissey with Voxel and I which went number one for one week and only went gold I feel like having not listened to that album,

I just, I know exactly what that sounds like. Just exactly what that sounds like. I think it's, yeah. It's pretty obvious. I'll tell you what though, I'm not a big fan of Morrissey's solo work. That is a fantastic album. I would say that it's his best

for whatever that is worth to you. Well, I'm a huge Mets fan, but I don't really know Morrissey and I'm hesitant to listen to Solo Morrissey because he would get more of the share of that streaming money to be honest and I don't really want that. Okay that's fair. Yes but then Morrissey is kicked off the top spot by Mariah Carey again with Music Box for one more week and then that's finally out of the window and knocked off the top spot by

none other than Pink Floyd with well when you want to do the opposite of multiplication what do you ring that's right it's the division bell which were number one for four weeks and went double platinum I was channeling my inner head there for that one yeah that went double platinum so yes only four albums to talk about this week, it's a pretty quiet time. Not a bad one the Division Bell, I think you know from sort of the 80s onwards Floyd are a bit patchy but Floyd fans tend to like the Division Bell. In the US how are things there? First off, Braxton's back alright! Permanently denying Mariah Carey's music box the number one spot. I don't believe she's back, although probably we'll be hearing from her at the end of the

pissing year. But anyway, that's for another day. That's before another solitary week of post-grunge, question mark, alt-metal citation needed from Chris Cornell and an entire garden of sound. Superunknown becomes semi-acquainted with the number one spot and then, don't turn around, it's Ace of Base. I still can't quite get my head around the stats behind this. This is purely from just a very light dive into the Wikipedia article. I think it's only at US number one for one week, but apparently it made

Arista, the US label, $42 million. And it is the only, to this day, single or album by a Swedish artist to reach the top of any Billboard chart, single or album by a Swedish artist to reach the top of any Billboard chart single or album in America So ABBA never made it but but but ace of bass did apparently Strange, you know, I was wanting to do something else clever with the name Of the band so I thought oh, you know what? I'll look up I'll go on Google Translate and find out what ace of base is in in Swedish. Can you guess what it is? a sue obey sue doesn't know it's it's ace of base and

That's I Wasted my time. So I thought I'd pass on the the wasting to you But now Wow complete change of pace. It's time to sweat and spit in a beer can or something because it's the 90s, motherfucker. Time for some grody, edgelord, not quite thrash metal from Pantera with 4 Beyond Driven. By the way, every one of these albums has been for one week only, which is not a trend that is broken by our next entrant, Bonnie Raitt, with longing

in her heart. But if she was longing for a month solid stint at number one for frowny snails pace sound designers Pink Floyd then quids in Bonnie the David Gilmore iteration of the band some might argue its third best refuse to budge with the division bell their first album in seven years again slight disclaimer I actually also quite like the band and the album I'm just being a dickhead. Right singles and this is a completely different story. Right Ace of Bass stake their place with the sign for a total of four weeks before bumping and grinding into cheeky R&B roustabout R. Kelly. Oh you and your appalling sex crimes. That's it by the way. R. Kelly is bumping and grinding and grooming for the whole month of April. What a scamp.

Alright then so the first song up this week is this. I'm gonna be a good boy. Okay, this is DOOP by DOOP, released as the lead single from the group's second studio album titled Circus DOOP. DOOP is DOOP's first single to be released in the UK and their first to reach number one, however as of, it is their last. DOOP first entered the UK charts at number three, reaching number one during its second week. It stayed at number one for three weeks. In its first week atop the charts, it sold 118,000 copies, beating competition from Streets of Philadelphia by Bruce Springsteen, which got to number 4, Girls and Boys by Blur, which

got to number 5, and Pretty Good Year by Tori Amos, which got to number 7. And in week 2, it sold 115,000 copies, beating competition from You Are the Best Thing by Dee Reem, which got to number 5, What A Man by Salt and Pepper, which climbed to number 8, Shine On by Degrees of Motion, which climbed to number 9, and Dry Country by Bon Jovi, which climbed to number 10. And in week 3, it sold 84,000 copies, beating competition from I'll Remember by Madonna, which got to number 10. When it was knocked off the top of the charts, Doop dropped one place to number 2. By the time it was done on the charts it had been inside the top 104 for 13 weeks. The song is currently

officially certified gold in the UK as of 20 to 25. Andy you can kick us off with Doop. I feel like you could have done some more enthusiastic doops than that. I'll give you my most enthusiastic Yeah, that's not like you're a gunpoint and what's your most enthusiastic dupe Sorry, I mean That was quite good Rob Rob, go on, have another go. DOOP! That, that, there you go. That'll do. Sorry, my fire alarm's going off, won't be a second.

DOOP! DOOP! DOOP! I mean, there has to be, even for someone who has a sliver of ice in their heart, you have to have some appreciation for a song that's just called DOOP by a group called DOOP that goes DOOP DOOP DOOP DOOP DOOP DOOP. Like you have to have some appreciation for the value of the British charts. As we've said so many times in the past about novelty shit that like we allow stuff like this to get to number one, not just allow it, we actively drive it to number one, that we choose that. Britpop on the horizon here, girls and boys? Nah, who cares? Dupe is around. If you called your song Dupe and Dupe by Dupe, we might have considered it, but no, you called

it girls and boys. Ha ha. I just think we have to celebrate stuff like this when it happens, regardless of whether it's good or not, it keeps everything fresh, it keeps everything real. And I actually don't dislike this as much as a lot of people tend to. I suspect I probably like it more than either of you two do. I don't love it. I think it's a hard thing to love, if I'm honest, because it's really, really in your face. But I think it's a hard thing to dislike as well. Electroswing is one of those weird genres where like it's no matter how you do it, it's always very abrasive to be honest because you combine into very different things. The whole point of combining the two is to create that tension and to create that kind of mania. There isn't really a version of that genre that isn't very very

obnoxious and on every beat and sounds like you should be doing a mad uncontrolled Charleston to it like that's sort of the only version of that genre I'm really reminded of that Eurovision entry from 2015 still in love with you by electro velvet which is a lot like this and everybody hated that and I will say at the time, I didn't hate that. I was one of the only people that I knew who like sort of okay with it. Looking back, I was wrong.

It was awful. Like I was absolutely wrong about that. Still in love with you was terrible. But there's some DNA from this. Maybe they thought, well, you know, 20 years ago Doope got number one, you know, Electric Swing might be worth a go. I've tried to think of the best way to sum up what this feels like with that constant brr brr brr brr brr brr brr brr brr brr brr brr brr brr brr brr brr brr brr brr brr brr brr brr brr brr brr brr brr brr brr brr brr brr brr brr brr brr brr brr brr brr brr brr brr brr brr brr brr brr brr brr brr brr brr brr brr brr brr brr brr brr brr brr brr brr brr brr brr brr brr brr brr brr brr brr brr brr brr brr brr brr brr brr brr brr brr brr brr brr brr brr brr brr brr brr brr brr brr brr brr brr brr brr brr brr brr brr brr brr brr brr brr brr brr brr brr brr brr brr brr brr brr brr brr brr brr brr brr brr brr brr brr brr brr brr brr brr brr brr brr brr brr brr brr brr brr brr brr brr brr brr brr brr brr brr brr brr brr brr brr brr brr brr brr brr brr brr brr brr brr brr brr brr brr brr brr brr brr brr brr brr brr brr brr brr brr brr brr brr brr brr brr brr brr brr brr brr brr brr brr brr brr br Right in your face. That's kind of the image it conjures up.

And that's got its good and its bad sides. The good side is that, wow, you remember this, like it sticks with you forever. Because this is one of the songs that I do remember the first time I heard this. It wasn't particularly early in my life. I was a teenager. It was on the music channels or something. Me and my sister were just channel surfing the music channels. And I'd never heard this in my life.

And I was like, what is this? This is brilliant. Because I just hadn't been exposed to sounds like this before, and I really, really loved the campus and the stupidness of it. Then I heard it a few more times and I was like, okay, it's not that great, but it really does strike you. It's got that memorable factor to it that there's nothing else that we've heard like this. The downside of a clown laughing in your face, of course, is that it's extremely annoying, that it's extremely physically close in your ears and you just want it to stop and turn it off.

I don't think it helps that this is so repetitive. If it had done a bit more with that saxophone and done a bit more with melody, there isn't much of a melody at all. If you've done something a bit more melodic, something a little bit more verse, chorus, verse, chorus, bridge, you all. If you've done something a bit more melodic, something a little bit more verse chorus verse chorus bridge, you know, you could've transformed it a bit more. I don't think this would be anywhere near as annoying. The fact that it just this cacophony of the same sort of noises over and over and over

again gives it this kind of, I don't know, I don't know which way the scales tip for me. It kind of depends on my mood during the day because on the one hand it's really, really mad and memorable and I love that something as manic and stupid as this got to number one. On the other hand, oh, it is so manic and stupid and like, just get this out of my ears. It really kind of depends to be honest. I'm kind of mixed on it. But it's not like my least favourite thing, but it's also like, it's got many, many problems that I understand why people don't like it. So yeah, this is a weird one. This is a really weird one.

I'm really glad we've got to cover this because I've been looking forward to talking about this for ages because how do you dissect something like Duke? Like we had a hard enough time with Mr Blobby but now we've got this. I think this is even harder to figure out. It's just a weird piece of music. Yeah, I feel like this is always going to bring me to the very edge of like a proper nervous breakdown whenever I play this. I've had to spare myself because there's three main kind of versions of this song. There's the Sydney Berlin Ragtime remix, which is the one that got to number one.

There's the Jean Lejeu orchestral version. And then there's the Duper Than Dupe version, which combines the two together. That wasn't made till 2011 though, I don't think, but I thought about playing that on this episode because that, at least after the 92nd mark, kind of goes off in a slightly different direction and it's a bit softer and more kind of bearable. But, oh god, the whole thing is just the Bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit bit background. And it just never, yeah, it's scary. The more bearable second half in the Dooper Than Doop remix makes me kind of realize how it goes beyond great and it's more visceral than that. I think, you know, I get very, very tired very, very quickly. And I know

that like, you know, the point is that like, you know, it is what it is, which is annoying and shit and it's supposed to drive you crazy. And it doesn't really, I'm glad you mentioned Mr. Bobby Andy, because it doesn't really make it that different to Mr. Bobby. If a song's meant to drive you to drink and it succeeds in those intentions, then has it not been an overall success? There's not much you can do to argue against it when you watch the music video It does become apparent that this isn't exactly meant to be like a parody of like the big band and swing era but there's a kind of sped up 1940s kind of

You know the costumes and stuff and like it's taken like a split second of that era and just kind of padded it out And made it as comical as it possibly can But I don't find it particularly Funny, I just find it anxiety inducing and it's like Mr Blobby but without the diversions into no bridge too far, he's got a car, you know that sort of, it just doesn't have, Mr Blobby had a bit of variation and a few more jokes whereas this just just it hurts. I'm not slamming it into the pie hole because I think that it succeeds on its intentions at least but just for the way that it makes me feel when we come to the end of the episode I won't be able to keep it out of the pie

hole unfortunately but Ed, how are you with... DOOP! I have very little fresh to add that you haven't already covered. Yes, I agree, Rob, it has this sort of really almost anxiety inducing pro plus edginess to it. It's like caffeinated and incapable of not moving, but not in a sort of joyful got a dance kind of way, just kind of like, Jesus Christ, I can can't stop which is not necessarily what you want but I think it knows that it's a trifle manic and yeah yeah I I 100% agree with you as well Andy it is it is still

pretty unique this and I remember at the time when it landed it had an instant impact. I remember the video from seeing it once and it is amazing. I mean I know there's not actually that much to the song but it's amazing how crystal clear I remembered this song from not hearing it I think in about well since about in about 31 years. So it certainly did its job in that regard. And do you know what? I didn't hate it either. It's so, but it's like the most annoying bit

is the beginning, as you kind of implied. And it doesn't get any more annoying. It becomes fatiguing after the two minute mark because you realize it's not doing anything else. But oddly, it kind of transcends its own relentlessness quite quickly. I'm not gonna do a Stuart Lee comparison. I'm not gonna go fucking nuts here and say

that it comes back round and you realize it's actually brilliant and it's all about patience because there is no payoff at the end and two minutes yet is very fucking sufficient for this. I think that would have been fine. I think it would have sold just as much. I don't think it needs the extra 50 bloody seconds but do you know what this reminds me of and I can't remember whether we're going to be covering it or whether it was just a top 10 hit but there was a song at the other end of the 90s that got a lot of radio play that had one word in it like this that also began with D and also had four letters and was incredibly obnoxiously and deliberately repetitive and is another one that I have had stuck in my head since I first heard it

And I can't even remember whether it's actually called down or whether it's called something else cheekily But do you remember the song that goes? I'm not finished down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down and you get into peak cheesy pop. I think there's quite a lot of stuff like this in 1999 to be honest, like everything the cartoons did, like Witch Doctor and all that. I think a lot of stuff Aqua did as well. Like even, you know, Dr. Jones is an all right song, but definitely stuff like cartoon heroes. Like there's a lot of like,

buh buh buh buh buh buh buh buh, just really obnoxious crazy stuff. I think Witch Doctor certainly has a lot in common with this. And it's only five years later I guess. So maybe there was a mild trend happening through the 90s here that only ever showed its head a couple of times. The thing about that down track that I was saying, if that is what it's indeed called, I would assume so. Get Down by Paul Johnson. Oh, Paul Johnson and him and his, all of his,

all of his, it's it, sorry. Yeah, the thing is, I can't tell whether I like that or not. I know it was effective, but I've not heard it in so long. I don't know whether I'll find it annoying or mesmeric and insistent. And I had the same sort of reactions. This is like, do I hate dupe? Do I love dupe?

And I still have exactly the same opinion. I don't know. This exists. It's incredibly bold in many ways beyond its own little, you know, electro swing genre. It kind of, I think, paved the way for stuff like Big Beat. You know, it sounds a bit odd to say, but it's so insistent. You know, people like Norman Cook must have fucking heard this, must have

filtered into their consciousness. And you could, you know, optimistically say that it opened the doors for Fatboy Slim's output. Um, and I like it's cool. I like how unique it is. It isn't aping contemporary trends. It's fucking bizarre. And it's very memorable. But it's very cheap as well.

And so I can't reconcile those things and so it kind of drifts. It just sits in the air for me. I feel no different now than I did 30 years ago. It pioneering electro swing has kind of made me think as well that something else it kind of reminds me of a little bit further down the line, much further down the line actually, is that we speak no Americano, the Yolanda be cool, the... Bapana Americano! It's just the... Beep, beep, beep, beep, beep, beep, beep, beep, beep, beep, beep, beep, beep, beep, beep, beep, beep, beep, beep, beep, beep, beep, beep, beep, beep, beep, beep, beep, beep, beep, beep, beep, beep, beep, beep, beep, beep, beep, beep, beep, beep, beep, beep, beep, beep, beep, beep, beep, beep, beep, beep, beep, beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep

beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep

beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep In terms of repetitive hits that we get, actually later in the 90s, Get Down gets to number

five, that Paul Johnson one, but we do get later Flat Beat, and I love Flat Beat. I absolutely hate Flat Beat for a lot of the reasons that you said. So that'll be an interesting episode. But I'm quite surprised that you love Flat Beat because I think it has the exact problems that you've just laid out. Ah, well, explain myself at the time. I will say that it's just less, well, Doop's just very loud. It is quite loud.

I definitely, like, I actually noticed myself, and I thought I'm gonna have to say this when I talk, but I actually noticed myself turning it down a couple of times, and I thought, hmm, don't normally have to do that. Like, actively turn the music down. It's like, and each time you turn it down do that. Like, actively turn the music down. And each time you turn it down it's like, is this... is this still loud?

Anyway, okay, so the second song this week is... this! Girl, come over here. Let me hold you for a little while. And remember, I'll always love you. Forevermore. Everything changes but you. Everything changes but you We've said goodbye The taxi cab is retained Now don't you cry

Just one more kiss before I have to go Hey girl, I know The situation changed And so much is new But something in my life remains the same Cause everything changes but you We're a thousand miles apart But you know I love you Everything changes but you Okay, this is Everything Changes by Take That.

Released as the fifth single from the group's second studio album titled Everything Changes, Everything Changes is take that twelfth single overall to be released in the UK and their fourth to reach number one and it's not the last time we'll be coming to take that during our 90s coverage. Everything Changes went straight in at number one as a brand new entry. It stayed at number one for two weeks. In week one it sold 128,000 copies beating competition from The Most Beautiful Girl in the World by Prince which got to number four and in week two it sold 105,000 copies beating competition from The Real Thing by Tony DeBart which climbed

to number six and Rock My Heart by Hadaway which climbed to number 9. When it was knocked off the top of the charts, Everything Changes dropped 1 place to number 2. By the time it was done on the charts it had been inside the top 100 for 13 weeks. The song is currently officially certified gold in the UK as of 20...25...Ed, you can go first on Take That. The Take That apologist is back and now I can double as a Robbie apologist as well for this one. Yeah, to say the least I was not a big fan of their last go round when they gave Jason the mic prematurely. One might say prematurely. I've got to say Robbie Williams here,

maybe it's just because I'm bearing in mind what he sounds like on the first album. This is a lot better than that, certainly. I think it's pretty good. There's a vocal, it's not a great vocal, but it's kind of... if you smoothed off the edges of Elton John, it would probably sound a little bit like this. Take that as you will. I think he does alright here for his first sort of vocal on one of their big

hits. And, yeah, talking of unusual anachronistic genres to be pulling into chart hits. This is at heart, it's basically just a Philly soul song. You know, this could have been by The Spinners or something like that. And I mean, that's quite a compliment because I think this is a, at its heart, it's a really, really good song. I really like it.

It's got a catchy chorus. It's got just enough sort of harmonic movement to keep it interesting. It's got a nice momentum. I movement to keep it interesting. It's got a nice momentum. I mean the production, as has been the case with their singles so far, is on the cheap side. I mean in some ways you could say it's modernization. They didn't want to go pure into like the OJ's horns and things like that or make it sound like a Delphonics record or something but it kind of it does sort of modernize it and make it you know less ostentatious on modern radio but at the same time

it does make it sound cheap and all of their songs so far have sounded a bit cheap in the production line not that it did them any fucking harm it It's just in retrospect. I think that part could have been done a bit better. But on the whole, I really like this song. You know, it's not a mind-blowing performance. It's not a tremendously edgy song. But I think it's classy. I think this is a classy song. And that's about all I've got to say on it.

It's not often you get songs about long distance relationships in the charts, so it's nice to have something new, I think, to discuss. But it seems to be more about a guy living a whirlwind lifestyle who seems to cheat a lot, but oh it doesn't matter because they don't mean anything to him, he's just a man with needs, but also we've got to be super sensitive and friendly because we'll take that. And it reminds me a little bit of any one of us, that Gareth Gates one, where you've got the kind of boyish tender song but it's about stuff that needs a bit more uncertainty

underpinning it. Because he made a stupid mistake. Mistake, yes. Robbie is also still finding out whether he can sing or not and he seems to change his mind on a line by line basis in this but what he lacks in quality I think he makes up in charm so he is getting there and in defense of the song itself I think Gary Barlow has already got pretty solid writing chops he get a good kind of late disco slash soul flavor to this it feels a little bit Bee Gees a little bit Stylistics, I guess yes. Yes. Well, there's the other little bits in there Kind of like a neat continuation of what they were doing with real at my fire the cover of that

He's still Gary and Andy now you've pointed this out Andy I cannot get it out of my head now and I notice it every time where he does the short first line of the chorus and Then the longer second line thing because it's the Everything changes, but you yeah, we're a thousand miles apart But you know and it goes on and on and now I get it, but I like that I can't unhear it, but I do like that. I am enjoying take that's outport at the moment the babe aside I won't go much further than that until we're a bit further into the 90s because I think the next, not the next number one, but the two after that, I really enjoy Never Forget

and Back 4 Good. I think they're both pretty great and I'm looking forward to getting to those. But for now, they're just in a decent kind of 7 out of 10 kind of singles territory, which is good. They are a solid singles band. I think that that continues into about the noughties, but not all the way through the noughties unfortunately, because we have covered Greatest Day before and I wasn't the biggest fan of that really.

But yeah, okay, fine with this. Andy, how are we feeling on Everything Changes? Not as positive as you two, actually. I'm really interested that we've all arrived at a similar conclusion about that soul sound. And I wouldn't really, I'd be a bit more general than Philly Soul, to be honest, but I definitely think that that chorus

really puts you in mind of, to be honest, for me it was more like kind of Earth, Wind and Fire or even the Jacksons or something but when I thought of that I thought no what this would have if this was like you know four of the Jacksons doing that everything changes but you in the background and you'd have Michael or whoever at the front doing a big counter melody over it and the counter melody would be the thing that we know so it's actually ended up counting against it in my favor because I realized that that's the problem I have with this and to be honest

it's a problem I've had with all of the Take That Songs Apart from Real Like My Fire up to this point, the choruses aren't distinct enough they're just not strong enough that this like I'm trying to think of a comparison point it's a bit like I have the same problem with Never Too Much by Luther van Drost that I've always thought that chorus is just not strong enough that a thousand pieces of it just doesn't sound like a chorus to me it feels like there should be something else and that should be the backing vocal and I definitely feel that here that the everything changes but it's just a backing vocal you need a melodic line over the top of that and looking back now I would say

the same of Prey certainly babe needed more to it as well we like my fire that gets away with it because it's got so much energy in there but yeah I'm just not vibing with take that so far and I'm running out of things to say about this particular era of them I'm looking forward to the Back For Good and Never Forget era because firstly, I'm pretty sure I'm going to like both of those songs quite a lot more than these, but also because it is distinct from this. We talk about take that in the 90s and take that in the naughties as though they are the two eras, but actually they go through very different sounds in the 90s and I'm much more looking forward to that era.

I'm really running out of things to say about these because they're all pretty nondescript and this is like this is just like another one basically like it's very similar to Prey it's not distinct enough. Robbie's vocals kind of bring it down for me a little bit as well because he does get into it but his first two lines it's weird it's almost like they just did take one and then didn't redo it because his first two lines sound really nervy, like really wobbly. Yes, he does sound very nervous. Yeah. And then he gets into it.

And you think, did they use the first take there? Because it's like he's getting his nerves out. I think, to be honest, I think it's kind of underplaying it to say it's like he's getting his nerves out of the system. It's it's almost like it's the first time he's ever sung before. And then he gets into it after 10 seconds. And then a lot of Robbie's habits that I don't like in his singing appear in a very uncontrolled fashion here because he's not used to them yet.

He's not used to being a vocalist. So that extremely Americanized accent that he puts on, which is like I agree, it's like Elton John, but more so. Like I really don't like that about Robbie singing. And that's really out of control here. Yeah, I can understand that, believe me. And that's not something that the other take, that singers do, they don't have that problem. Some might say it's because they've got slightly more generic voices than Robbie does, so it

may be a compliment to Robbie, but his vocals stand out in a bad way at this point. So yeah, I'm not like a big hater on this because I think it's undercooked It's basically just repeat of what we've had before I'm not gonna get any more excited than like a five out of ten out of this. It's just just not cooking with gas It's just it's just there. That's fair. No, I totally get it. It's just it is interesting though I mean I've had the same issue with with a lot with songs that other people have said kind of of, that, you know, God, it's so catchy. I think we've probably all had that experience where everyone's like, Oh God, it's such a catchy song though. And you're the one person who feels like you can never remember it. And it's like, is it? Is it just falling between the cracks for me? Because

I really like the chorus to this. It kind of, you know, it sticks, it does genuinely stick in my head. It is very low-key in terms of the way it's presented. I mean it's almost going too far into that smooth, silky 70s soul sound because they do not have enough character as vocalists at this point to actually, you know, give it that extra bit of pep. But come, I mean, I've got to say though Andy, I totally agree with you about Never Too Much, to be honest. I've always felt that sounded a little bit skeletal.

Yeah, I just listened to it and I think, where's the chorus? It feels like you've come to the end of the verse with a flourish, but that's all you've done. It's just a bit of a- It feels like a bridge. It feels like the bridge. And then let's be honest, it's all about

what is ostensibly the end of the chorus and the main riff, that song, isn't it? It's about the sound of the, never too much, never too much, never too much. Da, da, da, da, da. That's the best bit of the song. Once that's over with, it's like, oh, this is fine. He can sing well, but it's more an event than a song,

I think, that you think it's great and then you listen to it and there's just something missing. Sorry, Luther fans, he's a brilliant well, but it's more an event than a song I think that you think it's great and then you listen to it and it's just something missing. Sorry Luther fans He's a brilliant singer But I think it actually sort of goes together with the other weaknesses The other weakness that I have with take that's choruses, which is as Rob said I don't I don't like that thing of one short line and then one much much longer line Because it feels to me like we're just seeing Gary's working a bit too much that he knows Right, you've got to have your state the title. This is what people say like over your head that song everything changes

They'll go everything changes but you and then all the other things he wants to say get crammed into the second line All of all of those courses are kind of like, you know in in The Simpsons, crook, thief, steal everybody from the church, collect the money. It feels a bit like that. I think it kind of works with the material here though because I mean it's interesting, you sort of made something click in my head Rob when you mentioned, you know, the... I guess as always, I'm not even... to take that song, I don't even really listen to the lyrics, I listen to the sound of them, you know, I'm just like, Evidice, chipa-choo. And I'm not even, literally, I'm just abstracting them to that degree.

But when you mentioned it being about a long distance, you know, ostensibly a long distance relationship song, I'm like, maybe, you know, another Philly soul trap, Working My Way Back To You. It's got that, I'm working my way back to you girl, with a burning love inside.

Yeah, that's got a very strong second line actually, so I think that really helps that chorus line. Well it punches it. What I like about this is that where that one is a bit more staccato and it sticks in your head because it's got the harmonic movement beneath the melody, what I like about this is that it has a sense of urgency. It's like you've got, there's a sense of momentum here where it's got the

da da da da da da da da da da da eb-ra-da-jum-jum-jum-jum-jum-jum-jum-jum-jum-jum-jum-jum-jum-jum-jum-jum-jum-jum-jum-jum-jum-jum-jum-jum-jum-jum-jum-jum-jum-jum-jum-jum-jum-jum-jum-jum-jum-jum-jum-jum-jum-jum-jum-jum-jum-jum-jum-jum-jum-jum-jum-jum-jum-jum-jum-jum-jum-jum-jum-jum-jum-jum-jum-jum-jum-jum-jum-jum-jum-jum-jum-jum-jum-jum-jum-jum-jum-jum-jum-jum-jum-jum-jum-jum-jum-jum-jum-jum-jum-jum-jum-jum-jum-jum-jum-jum-jum-jum-jum-jum-jum-jum-jum-jum-jum-jum-jum-jum-jum-jum-jum-jum-jum-jum-jum-jum-jum-jum-jum-jum-jum-jum-jum-jum-jum-jum-jum-jum-j of what makes a catchy hook that lands, isn't it? It's just interesting. And I mean, I'm trying to give actual specific reason and then deconstruct this, but there's two aspects to this, which is just like, you know, nothing you can do about it. One of which is that I suspect I'm being harsh on Take That in the 90s,

because I'm very mindful of how much I enjoy Gary Barlow as a songwriter in the noughties. I think he absolutely knocks it out of the park quite a songwriter in the noughties I think he absolutely knocks it out the park quite a few times in the noughties. I think they are better in the noughties. I'll be honest. I think it's quite obvious that for me at least it's just getting into personal preference territory and it's just not gonna break through for me I'm very confident that I will turn around when we get to Never Forget certainly and, and maybe Back 4 Good.

So we'll see. Yeah, I think, let's be honest, I mean, I was gonna bite my lip, but I think we've generally probably all got positive things to say about those couple of singles, probably. I reckon so. I reckon so, yeah. Because they went out, well actually, their last single before the breakup was a shitty cover, but no one remembers that. The last two big singles off the last album I think were pretty good. But anyway, that's for another time.

I hope you forget about that so we can surprise you anew with our brilliant insights. All right then, so the third and final song this week is... this! It's plain to see You're the reason that God made a girl When the day turns into the last day of all time I can say I hope you are in these arms of mine And when the night falls before that day I will cry, I will cry Tears of joy It's after you all one can do is die Oh, oh, oh

Could you be The most beautiful girl in the World by Prince. Released as the lead single from his 17th studio album titled The Gold Experience, The Most Beautiful Girl in the World is Prince's 42nd single overall to be released in the UK and is first to reach number 1, However, as of 2025, it is his last. The most beautiful girl in the world first entered the UK charts at number 100, reaching number one during its fourth week. It stayed at number one for two weeks. In its first week atop the charts, it sold 60,000 copies, beating competition from Always by Erasure which got to number

four by Crash Test Dummies which got to number five and dedicated to the one I love by Bitty McLean which climbed to number eight and in week two it sold 52,000 copies beating competition from Sweets for My Sweet by CJ Lewis which climbed to number 5 and I'll Stand By You by The Pretenders which climbed to number 10. When it was knocked off the top of the charts the most beautiful girl in the world dropped one place to number 2. By the time it was done on the charts it had been inside the top 100 for 14 weeks. The song is currently officially certified silver in the UK as of 20, 25, Andy Prince. It's very odd to be in the position of not having that much to say really because it's

Prince. Like this is an artist that we've never got to discuss on the show before and I kind of never really expected to discuss. like it never really entered my head that we might encounter number one by him one day and then I was just startled to see it in the list and I guess it's because he's really not, aside from his very big hits, you know he's not really that much of a singles artist and he's certainly not number one material he's just one of these people who's very kind of respected for his body of work and there's a few standout hits but you know you don't really imagine him as someone who gets number one and certainly not in the 90s. So I was just really surprised to see him here to be honest and it's surprising that it's this of all things, it's the one

that we've landed on, you know, that we don't, we're not here discussing Castle in 1999 or Purple Rain, you know no we're here discussing The Most Beautiful Girl in the World and it's not my favourite Prince song if I'm honest. It's like he's in that top register all the way which I'm not the biggest fan of for him to be honest. I know it's maybe sacrilege to say it, I don't know how hot of a take this is but I kind of wish that kiss came down a few keys I think it would really improve that song if it was just a few keys lower just give everyone a little bit more comfort and warmth but yeah I think this is fine I'm a little bit

mystified as it oh it came in at number 100 and then really took off like it doesn't seem to have had that lightning bolt effect as far as I remember, it hasn't really stuck around. But yeah, it's nice enough, it's not like classic Prince to any degree at all to be honest, but he's also not shaming himself, it's not like a totally random appearance that's not representative of him at all. I just, I don't really have much to say I'm just like oh I was really excited to hear this and then I was just left quite deflated to be honest like it's probably my favorite of this week just because it does have a nice catchy chorus to it it's nice enough in the performance like I said I wish he was a little bit lower in the register but it's nice enough to

listen to and it's the only song we've got this week that has a proper structure that you can actually follow as far as I to. And it's the only song we've got this week that has a proper structure that you can actually follow, as far as I'm concerned. And it's certainly got a level of professionalism to it that the other two songs we covered this week don't have. And I was also just happy to have Prince here because I just think he's one of those figures like David Bowie, you know, that's just like someone that you have to sort of discuss when you cover in history like we are because he's always popping up throughout the late

20th century and now his sound is popping up all over the place all over again. One of my like favorite albums of the last 10 years is Dirty Computer by Janelle Monae, which is like absolutely riddled with Prince's sounds. Like he was a memento as far as I think he was, wasn't he? He was like her mentor to her. So it's no surprise. But there's other stuff that's been really big recently. Like Harry Styles' latest album is like absolutely coated in really obvious Prince references

and even Lady Gaga on Ember's recent album has got a song called Killer which is a clear Prince influence as well. So like it's one of those sounds that will sort of live forever but it's not really present in this so I don't really have that much more to say to it except nice to have you here, nice song. I wish we had one of the real classics here to discuss. Ed how about you? It's solid this. It's nice. It's... He can write stuff like this pretty easily. I don't know, Andy, that there is going to be too many people who are furious, you know, saying like this isn't one of his A-tier hits,

because I think a lot of people like it and a lot of people think the album it's off is underrated. But I don't think many people are going to be, you know know many Prince fans that I know of are going to be putting this in the top five or anything or top ten of his singles. Yeah I agree about the Vox as well I think I use the word strangulated for the falsetto which is strange because it's obviously affected because he does that you know the virtuosity at the end where clearly he can project richly and every fucking key imaginable, so he's obviously doing it deliberately however, I I do like It in kiss even though it is, you know, it's almost uncategorically a weak vocal in many ways, because it is, it is just a kind of thing like that.

You notice it. Don't get me wrong, I do still want it in the falsetto. I just think it's like, it's so high. Maybe just take it down like two semitones or something. But it's like, it's so, the thing is it's so, it's almost like that's so deliberate that the song has no middle. It's all just insistence and treble. The song is, it's almost insultingly throwaway, which is kind of what makes it essential.

I love how trashy and thin he is in a way because it's almost it's almost a dare like he starts with that and then the rest of the song is just and it's like it works phenomenally well and I love the bare-faced cheek of it there's a lot of songs of his in the 80s that are like that it's like what what where's the bass? It's like this is a fun. This is a funk song isn't it? What have you done with the bass? You've just taken it away and it's like It's so a lot of his stuff is so so odd and yet it becomes very very catchy. However here I don't know that that well, I'll put it this way

I think that falsetto vocal just doesn't have the same impact for me. It just sounds... I think because the song is a lot safer, not in a bad way, it's just a nice smooth ballad. It's nice to hear that Prince can do this from from time to time, you know, amidst the slightly stranger, spikier hits. You know, like a song like Slow Love, off Sign of the Times, which I absolutely adore. Forgiveness, anyway. Which I think he wrote with Miles Davis. That has a similar effect. It's just a lovely, smooth, hushed ballad.

It's not doing anything, you know, weird or abstract at all, but it just shows that you know he knows his shit if he wants to write a straight-up ballad he certainly can and this is a really solid strong memorable ballad it's smooth it's flowing it's got a good hook like you say very difficult to dislike this track it is a bit tacky and honestly I think always Prince has been on the verge of that trashiness because he's done everything himself and a lot of his songs are like written and recorded in the same five minutes. It often works as I say it has that bizarre bubblegummy trashy quality to it with

the cheap drum machines and things that oddly makes it very penetrating and transfixing but here it just because it's a little bit lusher than that 80s sound of his it does sound a little bit chintzy a little bit karaoke like that I keep thinking I'm gonna see, you know, well in my head the images of that little bee with the microphone and it says intro eight seconds. Do you know what I mean? There is a monopoly on the on the karaoke industry. What are they called? Like Sun, Sunburst? Oh you say this you're open in a whole door here because oh in that karaoke league that Rob and I have talked about several times people will request sometimes oh can they have this song but

I want the Sunflower version or the Sunburst version or I didn't realize they were in such high regard yeah no no but there's people who really don't want that version and they choose their specific version there are there are other players in that world. Oh, I see. Other karaoke versions are available. Can we talk about the sound effects in the second verse, please? The dropping in there. Yeah. That's so crap.

It's... I don't know if you thought that was cute, to me it just reminds me of right said Frank in Phoenix nights Jimbo and they're backing up that poor singer who's reduced to tears and every time she mentions Anything in the song they find the sample on the key You could travel back You could travel by aeroplane. Yeah. You know what I'm saying. He's like. He's like.

He's like. And I'm like, oh God, it's no better than that. And why was it like through the night that it has birds chirping? It's like, I kinda get it, but it feels like you just, you got the wrong sound effect. And this is an era of Prince

where I think he just released everything, unfortunately. And the, I've not actually heard the full album, the perceived quality of the Gold experience. I think it's something of an oasis in, you know, these massive triple disc records of any old shit because he could because he was doing it all himself because he wasn't beholden to the record label in the same way he was, and largely because his fans were gonna stick by him whatever, and largely, and this was a bit of an exception, this track,

people didn't really give that much of a shit in the mainstream anymore, I don't think. This was a little bit of a surprise. Everyone knew who Prince was, but he's like, oh, I remember him, not seeing him since Batman but I think some of that seeps through even on this very safe very well constructed song because it does disappear up its own bum at the end all of those modulations and you know when he comes in with the you must be them but it's

like what is the point of this it It's just, and then it goes, he uses every chord that he found in his Jazzology textbook. And it's like, what is the point in all of this other than he can do it and so he's done it. It doesn't destroy my enjoyment of the song, but it does, it's kind of a bit throw away and indulgent in the way that I don't quite like It does, it's kind of a bit throwaway and indulgent in the way that I don't quite like about some of his stuff because he had so many ideas that he would fire off

and they didn't always hit. Sometimes they were just, you know, bits. But yeah, I like it. I do, I think I'm with you. I think this is the best song this week I think it's strong and I think a B tier Prince is very solid and Yeah, that's that's that's me shot. Of course We should mention actually I've said that this was the most beautiful girl in the world by Prince

But officially it was the most beautiful girl in the world by symbol it was the most beautiful girl in the world by Symbol, which I should have said there. So we're currently in the artist formerly known as Prince era here. As for the song, I have to say I have slowly but surely fallen for this over the last little while. It's never really been a huge Prince favourite of mine and it's a shame we don't get to discuss my actual favorite Prince song I think which is controversy. Yeah Yeah, or literally any of his other songs because somehow this was his only number one in the UK I you know, I prefer Prince when he's in his kind of sexy mode rather than his romantic mode but his romantic stuff like this it still gets me going to a good

degree. I find this to be so pretty it is ornate and detailed similarly to the take that song but for slightly different reasons it does feel again a bit stylistic a bit Bee Gees even mid-80s Michael Jackson in that way actually that little guitar lick that keeps coming back around the de de de do do like it feels a bit New Jack Swing in that way actually um super glossy and opulent like instrumentation everywhere and then just when I'm happy with where we've been but I want it to kind of divert somewhere I think it goes that nice like left turn into that nighttime section where the spoken word and if the stars fell from the sky and whatever it is, that's... I'm into that. I think, you know, that's a nice passage.

It gets all intense and kind of doubly romantic and kind of switches to a bit of a minor mode and back into the chorus to see you home. So, yeah, you know, I'm very much on board with this. I think if we were discussing the full seven minute version of controversy, I'd be like, whoa, hard ten straight in, like, you know, get it in the get it in the vault, like all that sort of thing. The sound effects in the second verse are stupid, like to the point where I'm like, is this on the single version? Did it is this one of the things that got left off the radio version or something?

You know, one of those things. But yeah, I am a fan of this. It's just one of those where more and more and more I have been more and more OK with it coming up in the list. It's probably my favourite song so far. Actually, it's definitely my favourite song so far this year. It's not my favorite song this year. My favorite song is still yet to come, thankfully, because we have, you know, a few more episodes still to go in 94. But I think this will run pretty close. And I'm hopeful that this makes its way into our top five at the end of the year.

Not loads of competition for it, really. But, you know, we'll we'll see. We'll see when we get there. My least favourite song of the year is coming next week actually, I've just looked ahead. Oh dear. But yeah, okay, so later era Prince, yeah, not my absolute favourite. I'm kind of like you Ed, I think like, you know, the gold experience, like, not one I'm hugely familiar with, but people seem to count it amongst his, like, you know, his best stuff, but I think like, most people kind of sort of jump off around love sexy,

don't they? Maybe a few come back for diamonds and pearls, but yeah. I think that's the last one, it's regarded as the end of the very broad, like, purple patch if you forgive the terminology. Yeah, well there was a lot of purple in his work before purple rain even, like, you know, controversies were in a purple suit. 1999 has a purple cover, you know, so yeah. Could raspberry be defined as a shade of purple? Is that where red and purple meet? I think that's the one that you hear in the wild most often these days. And that definitely never used to always be the case. It always used to be either Kiss or 1999, but these days it's always Raspberry Beret.

That's the one that you hear out and about. For me, it's always when doves cry, I tend to hear that the most. I like doves cry a lot. Yeah, I've heard that a few times, yeah. Yeah, I mean, it's easy. Divorce. What is fascinating about Purple Rain particularly is all of the hits off that album are really accessible

and really memorable. When you put them into the context of the album, you realize what a fucking insane album it is in terms of it's just, it's bizarre. It's good, but it is really all over the place. And it's really cut up and abstract. And again, it's him doing whatever the fuck he wants. But a lot of the time it seems to kind of click,

but it's a lot, it's a lot. And then, yeah, I've always been a bit, a bit of a Prince weirdo. It took me a bit longer to warm to his more, you know, his bigger hits oddly. Because I, you know, controversy or controversy, depending on where you're from, is possibly my favourite album of his, oddly. Not one that people seem to like a lot, but I think it's a really solid, sort of funky collection with a lot of his cheek on it already. And I think it takes a lot of risks for that early in his career. But

another one no one talks about is the album that Raspberry Beret is off, which is around the world in a day, which is fantastic. It was his quote unquote psychedelic album. Again, it's kind of quite experimental, quite epic, but it's great. It's really colorful. And yeah, well, I guess it just goes to show that there's a lot to uncover in that 80s stretch. But yeah, like so many of them. Not to mention the great achievement that he made it around the world 80 times faster than Phileas Fogg. That's really an achievement as well. No one mentions that, and I think that's his crowning achievement.

Eat your heart out, Steve Coogan. Yeah. And the other thing we probably should mention as well, because we only get to discuss him the once, is that Prince is responsible, I think, for A, a lot of sex in music, but B, he's responsible for the invention of the parental advisory sticker. Because Tipa Gore walked into her daughter's bedroom and she was listening to darling Nikki and tipper Gore was not happy about that imagine if like as a

reddit comment says imagine if they were listening to sister instead or just another song the t-shirt section at HMV is very thankful for this she's a sister it it's bloody hell. I mean it's almost hidden in plain sight because it's just slightly out of the mainstream run. It was before he really had any big hits. And it is a song, transparently, about incest from the first person. And it doesn't seem to be actively really condemning anything, to be quite honest. Oh, Prince.

Oh, you. And on that note, yeah. Yes. So, yeah, that is it for this week's episode. Before we go, just going to check. Andy, Doop, everything changes and the most beautiful girl in the world. What were we thinking? Well, Doop is not going into the pie hole,

dupe is not going into the vault. Dupe by dupe can only occupy its own space known as the dupe verse, where only this song will live and exists outside of our scoring spectrum. So dupe is going into the dupe verse. As for everything changes, well, nothing changes because it's not leaving the status quo.

It's not going to either the pie hall or the vault But if I could put an element of a song in the pie hall, Robbie's vocals would go into the pie hall Just acapella, they would be stripped like a skeleton into the pie hall But yes, it's just about surviving and as for Prince It might be the most beautiful girl in the world But it's not the most beautiful song in the world, but it's not the most beautiful song in the world, nor is it the most hideous song in the world, nor, I'm sure, is it the most hideous girl in the world either. So it's just staying...

That's a song I want to hear! The most hideous girl! What sound effects would he have pulled out for that? Like from an old... Hammer horror! What sound effects would he have pulled out for that? Like from an old hammer horror? Everything's in the middle for me this week. I should say actually as well about Prince and the most beautiful girl in the world is that my very very first crush in high school when I was 11 years old, I found out that her birthday was in the first week of May. Oh, stop, I know where this is going.

And I looked it up in my big book, my Guinness Book of British Singles, and it missed her birthday by like five days, and instead she got Tony DeBart the real thing. And I thought, oh, like, because in the mind of an 11 year old I would have been like I should probably go and tell her this meant to be I thought you're gonna say oh it just was a day a day out it was

vindaloo by fatless Is the real thing Not doing that but yeah that would have been a disaster. My love for you fills my stomach with such heat that I feel like I've had a vindaloo. You give me the shit in a good way. Me and my mum and my dad would be granted. For me, so Doop is going in the pie hole unfortunately for me everything changes is going in the pie hole, unfortunately for me. Everything changes, is sitting in the middle. The most beautiful girl in the world is gonna sneak, just gonna sneak into the vault.

Ed, Prince, take that. Doop, how are we feeling on all those? Right, Doop, as I mentioned, I don't hate it and I don't quite know why. It sort of, it defies me It hangs in the air like a question mark like a challenge. It is successful. I Deeply admire its gall but I dupli despise its cheapness Well done. I hate you you bold shit

Yeah, that's not going anywhere. It's floating there like the... like the void sphere in that... in the Doctor Who episode. Strange reference. Anyway, er, while a tad more Philly cheese than Philly soul... Erm... Go ahead. Yeah.

Is that what? Hey, who doesn't enjoy a good cheese steak unless you can't or don't eat cheese and or beef and or you find the whole concept disgusting. But outside that, who doesn't love yamming one of them down? So take that. It's not quite in the vault. I don't, I don't, it's not far off for me,

but it's just lacking that extra bit of kick to it. And yeah, Robbie's vocal isn't the best ever, but Jesus, I think I'm a little bit biased because I have heard the first album multiple times. And if you hear his vocals on those album tracks, you will think this sounds like fucking Gladys Knight by comparison. Jesus, maybe I'm a bit twisted in that way.

Prince, it's not Purple Rain, but it certainly isn't Nerple Pain. As much as it may sound like Prince is experiencing that towards the end of the track, he's just camping just outside heaven in a slight, slightly tacky hotel, but it's closer than most. It is a lot closer than most. It's kind of tacky, but graceful. A bit like Prince himself. All right then. So that is it for this week's episode. When we come back, we'll be continuing our journey through 1994 and we will see you for it. Bye bye now. Bye bye.