Your Number's Up

 I keep looking at the shelf of mostly alphabetically ordered (by artist) CD singles I've accumulated over the years (above*) and thinking that I should play some of them, or at least save them onto a memory stick/card/whatever, but I just can't be bothered.  Besides, I can barely make out the artist/song on the spine of most of the brittle plastic cases and it's quite difficult to wheedle them out as they're packed in quite tightly**, so I might end up pulling out a single that I have no interest in any more (because I'm sure my tastes have changed over the years).

 I thought about randomly selecting a few to listen to, but knew the selection wouldn't be random as if I didn't like one I'd just pick another instead, so that's where you and your number picking came in. 

 

* Before you start counting and/or clicking to embiggen, the photo above doesn't show all my CD singles.  Goldfrapp's and Erasure's are with their respective albums on the shelves above, and there are two or three others languishing on other shelves that I can't squeeze back in this one (but they have been counted).

** Remember this.  It will be important once you've listened to/read the final pick. 

 

Anyway, here the results of your efforts: 

 

#73 Ms Scarlet : Pepe Deluxé - "Before You Leave"

"Before You Leave" - by Finnish band Pepe Deluxé - was released in 2001 and got to number 20 in the UK charts (but #10 in its native Finland).  I still really like this track but haven't listened to it, never mind heard it, in years.  I don't have any more singles or albums by Pepe Deluxé (who last released an album in 2024), so they're a one-hit wonder for me.

 

 

#45 Dinah : Goldfrapp - "Ride A White Horse"

I love Goldfrapp and have loads of singles so it's no wonder at least one got selected.  Dinah unknowingly picked the original version (the 'B-side' is the edited DFA remix of "Slide In") - #46 in my collection contains four re-edits/remixes, including my favourite "Ewan Pearson Disco Odyssey Parts 1 + 2" (which gets screeched along to in Car II quite often!).

"Ride A White Horse" was released in 2006 and reached #15 in the UK charts, #7 in Spain, and #5 in the US Dance Singles Sales (Billboard) chart.

 

 

#63 Jon : Liberty X - "Holding On For You"

No video for this 2002 release from Popstars runner-up band Liberty X (who were MUCH better than the winners, Hear'Say) as it's the "Mickey P & Raph Alternative Mix" from CD2 (it seems I didn't buy the original which charted at #5 in the UK).  This is track 3 from the CD single and I chose it to represent Jon's pick as its the closest to the original song.  I also quite like "Brooks' Hold Tight Dub" (although it's "Brooks' Hold Tight Mix" on the CD) but it goes on for 6 minutes, so it didn't make the cut for expediency's sake.

Tony and Jessica were my favourites of the group - Jessica went on to marry super-hot cricketer, Kevin Pieterson (well, I thought so, back in the day).

 

#96 Mago : Steps - "Deeper Shade of Blue"

An excellent pick from Mr Mago! Any excuse to play a bit of Steps, and this one's one of my favourites - and not just because of the thoughts of meeting Lee dressed like that in some filthy, dirty air duct... 

Anyway, "Deeper Shade of Blue" reached #4 in the UK singles chart when it was released in April 2000.  Along with loads of other Norfolk poofs, I found myself dancing to it almost every Saturday night at Norwich's (then) only gay club, The Loft.  It popped back in May 2024 reaching #91 in the singles download chart (almost certainly) as a result of the release of the "Steps 25 Revisited Mix" video (last seen here).

 

 

#76 Savvy : Phixx - "Hold On Me"

Well this is a blast from the past.  2003, to be precise.  I've chosen this Top of the Pops video to illustrate the song not because it features a Bucks Fizz-style whip-away of clothing (and dreadful miming), but because it's of slightly better quality than the Phixx boys official video which can be found here.

I can't quite put my finger on why I might have liked Phixx...? 

 

 

#69 Mitzi : Narcotic Thrust - "I Like It"

I haven't got much to say about 2004's "I Like It" except that I like it.  I can't remember anything of note or even a tangential anecdote as to how it ended up in my collection.  I have just discovered, though, that Narcotic Thrust is an anagram of co-founder, Stuart Crichton.

 

 Oh, dear... As I was counting along the CDs following Mitzi's pick, what did I spy poking out between 64 and 65?  Why, the black cardboard sleeve of Massive Attack's "Teardrop"!  This means that "I Like It" really ought to be "In My Arms" by Mylo.  However, I decided to leave things be otherwise I'd have to find videos for and remember stuff about three other singles, and I don't have the time nor patience for that.  As I type this, it's 8:46pm and I want this post published and to slump in front of the telly watching Schitt's Creek.

 

 So, that's the game.  I hope you're not too disappointed?  If you like it, we can always play again another day and/or you can number a collection of your own - music, films, fuchsias, porcelain figurines etc. etc. - and play the game at your place.