The musical landscape was so vast in 1992-93.
This is a list of the songs that I vividly remember from my senior year.
Some of these songs I loved. Others were just omnipresent.
Rupaul: Supermodel. Quite possibly the theme for the fall of 1992. The song by the New York City drag queen was an insanely catchy disco house track that came out of nowhere. Rupaul was an ingenious mix of over-the-top outrageousness with humor. He projected undeniable positivity without being crass or smutty (Don’t worry, Madonna cleans up in that department later on) This was a great catwalk anthem follow-up to Right Said Fred’s, “I’m Too Sexy. Fun fun stuff.
Sade: No Ordinary Love. Sade was sheer class. Her sultry, aching delivery was on full display. The track builds nicely and the guitar that slowly burns through made this song memorable. As the video proves, Sade makes a great mermaid as well. One of my go-to’s when we chose songs at the Burger King jukebox.
Snap: Rhythym is a Dancer. Cold Teutonic synth-driven production with Black American female singer and male rapper. This template would go on to be used relentlessly in the early to mid-1990’s. This was one of the best results of that formula. I remember this getting played inside Horner Park during our poorly organized gym classes while Vanessa Ahmed was sizing up Bruce.
Dr. Alban: Its My Life. This guy was apparently a full-time dentist when he decided to cut a dance track, hence the name Dr. Alban. His African-accented, plain-spoken delivery laid over the house-flavored beats was magic. This song was huge within my circle at Gospel Outreach.
Dr. Alban: Sing Hallelujah. As the title suggests, this is a rousing, feel good dance anthem with a heavy Gospel influence. A big international hit but less of an impact in the US than “Its My Life”. Energy 88.7 pumped out this jam consistently. If Gospel Outreach had a clue at the time, this should have been the school’s theme song. They could have played this before our Basketball games at Horner Park!
The Captain Hollywood Project: More and More. More and more European dance music invaded the US market, and this was a classic. A former American GI, Tony Harrison had launched a music career out of Germany where he was stationed while on duty. The German synth bears some similarity with Snap! But the vocal delivery is more ominous and remote. One of the top tunes of senior year.
The Captain Hollywood Project: Only with You. The follow up to “More and More”. The opening hypnotic synth gives way to a haunting, melodic female vocal. These tracks were like a drug as the keyboard sounds filled me with a certain adrenaline rush. To be fair, much of the production was similar to “More and More”.
2 Unlimited: Magic Friend. This duo from The Netherlands had a series of big hits in Europe and the UK. Magic Friend was regularly played on 88.7. Who was the magic friend? I’m not sure. Probably ecstasy tablets? This was also the jam that I tried dancing to after my birthday dinner. Suffice to say I never went onto a career in choreography.
Erasure: Love to Hate You. “I don’t really like New Wavers.” Apparently, Lisa Padilla said something to that effect. Firstly, Erasure was formed well after New Wave had been established. Even though Vince Clarke and Andy Bell had been cranking out music since 1985, I only became aware of them in 1991. After Depeche Mode and Yaz, Vince Clarke had found the ideal partner and conduit for his electro-pop genius in Andy Bell. “Love To Hate You” was available on the Burger King jukebox, and I played it every time I had the opportunity. Bell’s overly dramatic vocals fit perfectly with the lyrics and Clarke creates the atmosphere that allows this song to convey the emotive, haunting, slightly sad sentiment juxtaposed by the energy of the arrangement. Beyond a shadow of a doubt the gayest song of senior year. Yes, even gayer than “Supermodel.”
The Prodigy: Outer Space. Javier’s theme. Plain and simple.
Snow: Informer. I do not have any special affinity for this Dancehall megahit by the Canadian artist Snow. But I cannot deny that it was ubiquitous halfway through senior year. Around this time dancehall in general became popular as a sub-genre of reggae. Shabba Ranks being one of the other popular dancehall artists. I enjoyed reggae, but dancehall was not my thing.
Positive K: I Gotta Man. Pure fun and a throwback to late 1980’s rap. The sample they chose creates an infectious groove that drives the track. The relatively innocent braggadoccio of the lyrics mixed with the humorous back and forth between Positive K and the female he’s chatting up is top shelf. This is the rap track that Will Smith wish he made.
Mary J Blidge: Real Love. This is from her debut album and Mary J Blidge announced herself as an R&B legend in the making with this tale of unrequited love. This song holds up a lot better than some of the tinny R&B soul made during the period. The introductory beat is to quote the late Robert Palmer, simply irresistible. Blidge wasn’t a well crafted image or brand. She wasn’t a knockout bombshell. But she was authentic survivor, stong yet vulnerable. Mary J Blidge was an enduring artist and singer that made you feel what she felt when she sang. Everyone at school loved this song
Whitney Houston: I Will Always Love You. You could not escape this song no matter where you went. The girls loved to play songs off The Bodyguard soundtrack when we would be at the Burger King off Irving Park and California.
Jon Secada: Just Another Day. Another one that the girls couldn’t get enough of was this guy. A former backup singer for The Miami Sound Machine, Jon Secada hit it big time in 1992 and 1993. I liked his songs without ever being that enamored. Very good voice, well written songs, total pro. If Gospel Outreach had ever held any dances, then I’m sure this would have been a featured ballad. He was Cuban and sang songs in Spanish as well. Another reason the Hispanic girls were all goofy about him.
Madonna: Erotica. Madonna never had any issue playing the sex card to sell records. The Erotica album went next level. There was a sex book that she released in tandem with her album. She had already mined the standard slut pot images on previous albums. Now she was spicing it up with leather and S&M-themed videos. Erotica is a good tune. A nice, addictive dance groove with a hypnotic chorus. Justin Mograss replaced a word of the chorus refrain with the name of a girl at Gospel Outreach, “Leilani, Leilani, put your hands all over my body.” Yep.
Tracks from Energy 88.7:
Utah Saints: “Something Good” For a pure adrenaline rush, this track just blew me away. The Kate Bush sample is genius. Close to the peak of the Ecstasy-infused era in UK music. This was one of my top jams from the fall of 1992.
Robert Owens: I’ll be Your Friend. This was in fact released in 1991 but was still getting significant airplay by DJs on Energy 88.7. A classic Chicago house track. This was never my absolute favorite jam or something I would be pumped to hear come on. But every time “I’ll Be Your Friend” was played, it pulled me in and by the time the chorus teasingly repeats, “I’ll be your, I’ll be your, I’ll be your……” I’d be hooked.
When In Rome: The Promise. An older song for this period. “The Promise” is from 1984. At the end of the evening, normally past midnight, the Energy 88.7 DJ would play this song. It must have been associated with some kind of closing time tradition. Always associate this song with listening to the radio late at night on a Friday or Saturday during senior year.
Smart-E’s: Sesame’s Treat. Early part of senior year we all were highly amused by our childhood TV memories getting an updated techno beat remake. When you heard The Count announcing, “5,6,7,8,9….ahahahahaha” then kicking into a techno beat we loved it. We may have been too old for Sesame Street but this bit of updated nostalgia was fun. Featured primarily at the very beginning of senior year.
Aphex Twin: Speed Racer Another techno track from early part of senior year. This was massively popular with techno heads. It was gimmicky and used plenty of voice over from the original anime cartoon. The song takes an unexpected, humorous, orgasmic turn towards the end. “Oh Speed, you were wonderful……..”
Bad Boys Blue: I Totally Miss You and Save Your Love Danny loved these guys 😉
Gospel Outreach School and High School Memories 1988-1992 