Bitter Sweet Symphony, the lead single off The Verve’s Urban Hymns album, is what I consider to be one of the greatest songs of all time. If I had to pick one song to listen to for the rest of my life, this song will be my top pick. It doesn’t get old. It was released on the 16th of June, 1997 and was nominated for a Grammy award.
I only recently discovered that The Verve made no money from this song because they plagiarized the Andrew Oldham Orchestra’s version of The Rollin Stone’s song, ‘The Last Time’. When I first found out, I was a peeved at The Verve. After doing some research, I changed my mind.
The Last Time actually sounds nothing like ‘Bitter Sweet Symphony’. I am not a fan of this song.
The Verve managed to get the rights to use the sample of the orchestra version but used a bit too much. Take a listen:
Wow, great song, but I still don’t see how the Andrew Oldham Orchestra created this from ‘The Last Time’. It does not have the same impact ‘Bitter Sweet Symphony’ has. The song lyrics of ‘Bitter Sweet Symphony’ were written by The Verve’s vocalist Richard Ashcroft. Regardless, the band lost all rights to the song due to its popularity. “The Rolling Stones got greedy when the song became successful” (Superwells). This is where it’s unjust. The Verve made the song their own and it is way better than the original. He wrote the lyrics! The Verve deserved fifty percent of the rights. At the Grammy Awards the nominees for the song were Mick Jagger and Keith Richards.
Well, that’s all in the past now. Let’s all remember what a brilliant song The Verve revolutionized and the impact it left on this planet.
*Purchase their last album, which was released in 2008, titled “Fourth”. The band has broken up and gotten back together so many times, I don’t know if they’re still together or not.
Before I begin, I have to apologize for not updating in what feels like ten years.
I was going through the old magazine shelf at a charity store and came across a 90s magazine. Score! It tells me what websites are running in the year 1997 in categories such as history, fashion, celebrity, etc. There happens to be a sealed ’sex’ section but unfortunately the former owner tore it out of the magazine. What was the point of that? Lemme see the porno sites from the late 90s jerk!… I’m just kidding.
Not many households owned the internet, let alone broadband internet. I think we were lucky enough just to have dial up. An Australian internet company called Telstra Bigpond offered a “Power Plan” which provided 30 hours of internet access for $50 (AU). Additional hours were charged at $3.50. . I spend around 5 hours a day online which means I would have had to pay $470 a month.
Since this blog focuses so much on pop culture, it is only appropriate that I start off with the celebrity websites. As I go through these, I must warn you, the web addresses are ludicrous. If you are able to memorize and recite these back, dare I say you sound like a geek?
1. Cheech & Chong’s homepage: http://www.cheech.com – I do not know who they are and it doesn’t look like I will anytime soon because this site no longer exists.
2. Gillian Anerson: http://gpu3.srvu.ualberta.ca/-mlwalter/GAHP.html – This is what I was talking about, and yes it’s no longer online. This is too bad as the magazine gives the site a high rating; “Gorgeous design with enough info to fill your hard drive”.
3. Madonna on Letterman: http://ftp.mcs.net/mcsnet.users/barnhart/letterman/madonna-interview.txt – What a coincidence, Madonna was JUST on Letterman! “This site stands out because it gives you an everlasting celebrity moment in time: the night Madonna caused a fracas on the David Letterman show; she swore, she was toting a cigar, she talked about athlete’s foot and the host lost it. This is the kind of behaviour that separates the celeb wheat from the B-list chaff“. Damn. Is there a video of that on youtube or something?
4. Tarantino World: http://www.tarantino.com – Finally! A site that still exist… oh wait. I spoke too soon. This address name has been taken over from a real estate company in Texas called Tarantino. WTH. At least you get to see what the site used to look like:
5. Tim Allen: http://www2.awinc.com/users/refuge/tim/html – A 2 comes after ‘www’? I don’t remember seeing that before. This site was created by the fans of Home Improvement. Where did you guys go? Where have you moved to? This site even gave everyone his email address: Tim@morepower.com. I tried emailing him and of course it didn’t work. Morepower.com still works, and judging from the design, it looks like it has not been updated since the 90s. Go check it out.
This is getting depressing isn’t it? Well, I thought I’d give one more site a try…
6. Timothy Leary: http://www.leary.com – Hallelujah! It works! And it hasn’t been taken over by another business of some sort. Not much is happening …
I did not scan the look of Leary’s site but I promise I’ll do that and upload it by next week at the latest because you must see how it used to look. It is mesmerizing, literally.
If any of you readers happen to run these web sites or web pages, let me know. Are you still running a site? Have you moved it somewhere better?
Source: The Australian netDirectory, Issue 3 Summer 1997
Joseph Gordon-Levitt (Joey) and Kristen Johnston from 3rd Rock From The Sun had come to chat with us on the world-wide network! Normally we would interview celebrities over the phone, but that is sooo old! Using instant messaging is so much easier (we don’t have to type out everything they say and do, just copy and paste). They’re answering questions from fans. Since you guys asked them so many questions, we could only publish around twenty of the best questions and answers. The Best.
How often do you guys surf the internet?
Joey: I go on-line occasionally.
Kristen: This is my first time here and I love it.
What is it like to work with John Lithgow?
Kristen: He is the funniest, nicest . . . he’s the glue that keeps us all together.
Joey: Suck up, Kristen.
Can you guys abduct me? My mum says she was abducted by aliens and I want to see what it’s like.
Joey: We have to kill your mum now!
Kristen: What’s your address?
To research your roles, were you abducted by aliens?
Joey: Yeah, we just gave them a call and said, “Come and abduct us.”
Are Aliens responsible for Mad Cow Disease?
Kristen: Oh my God!
Joey: We’ve been caught!
How does Joey feel being the only teenager on the show?
Joey: I’m actually 75!
Joseph, were you ever a kid on your home planet?
Joey: Yes. When Tommy was just a little gasball, earth wasn’t formed yet. The sun was just a little twinkling star.
Joey, do you like getting fan mail? Because I have tried sending some to you, but I never got a reply.
Kristen: Joey can’t read or write!
Kristen, will you marry me? I’m from planet X34VBG and I like to ride mountains bikes.
Kristen: I didn’t know they had mountain bikes in X34VBG!
Joey: I’ll marry you!
Was it hard for you all to learn Spanish for an episode where you all spoke Spanish? You were fantastic!
Joey: Si.
Kristen: Gracias.
This is pretty much the best of the worst interviews I have ever read. What a waste of time. The only thing I have learnt from this Q&A, is that these two work a lot of hours and like the show. Luckily, back in 1997, I was able to ask a few question.
Me: How did you two get the part of Tommy and Sally?
Kristen: We scared the other actors away.
Joey: We vaporized them with our space guns. Peow Peow!
Me: What do you guys like to eat?
Joey: Everything!
Kristen: Goop.
Me: What do you do when you’re not working?
Joey: Sleep.
Kristen: I’m always working.
The Magic Riddle is an Australian animated children film, made in 1991. Not many people know about this film. It’s not even out on DVD and I wish it were so I can watch it over and over again like I did as a kid. I’ve seen a lot of Disney movies as a child, but nothing captured me the way the Magic Riddle did. It combines Cinderella, Snow White, Pinocchio, and Red Riding Hood into one story with a little bit of the Three Little Pigs and the Ugly Duckling on the side. We’re all familiar with the fairy tales, but the way Yoram Gross connected them together is brilliant. You might have heard of Yoram Gross for being the creator of Blinky Bill.
The main plot of the story is that there’s a girl named Cindy who lives with her evil stepmother and stepsisters. The boy next door is infatuated with her but the stepmother wants him to marry her large, clumsy blond daughter. The other stepsister is tall and skinny and much nicer to Cindy. The stepmother keeps her busy with house chores. Her father left everything to Cindy in his will, which he hid for Cindy to find. The stepmother thinks if she keeps her busy, she wouldn’t have time to find the will so the stepmother can find it first and destroy it. A riddle is left behind that explains where the will is. If only the stepmother can figure out its meaning.
I love this movie so much but I can’t find it anywhere!
If you answered yes to any of the questions above, perhaps you might want to be a contributor to this blog. Just email thatissophat[at]aol.com.au if you’re interested with the email you use for wordpress.
I never thought I would be writing about Michael Jackson on this blog, but I have to. Shame on me for not thinking of it before. Michael Jackson came into the spotlight at a very young age. He was a child star without a childhood. He joined his brothers band at age six!
His second solo album Thriller turned out to be the best selling album of all time! He revolutionized pop music like no other. Of course, you already know this don’t you?
I am a 90s child and Michael Jackson was probably the first ever celebrity music artist I knew about. He was my definition of a superstar. Everybody knew who he was. He definitely appealed to me for his dance moves and for his eccentric looks. It was not until I reached my teen years that I started to love his songs.
In 1991 he released Dangerous with ‘Black or White’, ‘Remember the Time’, and ‘Heal the World’ as the released singles. In 1995 he released a double disc album HIStory: Past, Present and Future Book 1 with ‘Scream’ beings its first single. It is known to be the highest selling multiple disc album of all time.
Not only was he a fantastic music artist, he was also a very giving and caring man. In 1992 he founded the ‘Healing the World Foundation’. All profits from his Dangerous World Tour went to the charity.
Michael Jackson was not a 90s man nor was he a 60s man. He entertained the world for over four decades. He was there for it all. That’s why he is THE King of Pop. Legend.
There is no other.
He will never be forgotten. Thank you for your music, Michael Jackson.
These shoes were created in 1945 by Doctor Klaus Maertens for comfortable wear. Apparently almost every teenager had a pair in the late 90s. They’re not the prettiest shoes you have ever seen, but in the 90s, people only cared about comfort. Baggy shirts and jeans are comfortable; throw them on. Now that I mention it, I could really use some Doc Martens. I’m wearing leather shoes at the moment and one of my toes is killing me.
A superb add of classic Dr. Marten shoes 1460 from 1997. Click to enlarge.
I see students wear them as school shoes. Yeah. School shoes were a huge hit in the 90s.
I find these knee high ones much more edgier.
Dr. Martens have released fluoro colours for the new era. I read in some fashion magazine it’s great to wear these with miniskirts. NO thanks. Try wearing them with acid-washed jeans. Vomit. How ’80s would you look, huh? If you haven’t noticed, I don’t like 80s fashion. Especially not the fluoro colours.
Vintage black is the way to go. For females; wear them with your Little Black Dress or other winter dresses to give the feminine look some edge. For males; try not to wear it with too much black as you will look gothic. Wear them with patterned pants and plain shirt. If you think you can’t pull it off, jeans are always a good but safe option.
Here are some of the latest models/celebrities wearing Doc Martens around.
[Agyness Deyn]
[Emily Blunt]
Ross: Joey, nice shoes, man.
Joey: Thanks, man.
Ross: [Long Pause] Ehem. What about mine?
Joey: What about yours?
That can not be the scientific name for the six-metre tall Velociraptor. Is it?
Here’s the low down:
Steven Spielberg wanted the scariest dinosaurs in his movie Jurassic Park. Velociraptors were only discovered to be only 1.8metres tall, but they would look too wimpy onscreen so he made his Velociraptors 6 metres tall. Not long after in Utah, USA 1992, scientist found a 6 metre tall ‘raptor’ just like the ones in the movie! They decided to call it Utahraptor because it was found in Utah. These raptors were super deadly, maybe even more so than T-Rex.
They didn’t live during the same period, but they were the most feared. What happens when these two monsters meet?
The Utahraptor vs. Tyrannosaurus Rex
Size -
Utahraptor: Six metres long.
T-Rex: 5.4 metres tall.
Weight -
Utahraptor: Nearly a tonne.
T-Rex: Six tonnes
Best Features -
Utahraptor: Huge (38 centimetres) curved hind claws.
T-Rex: Huge, strong jaw and massive neck. Bite-and-shake action twice as strong as any other predator.
Speed/Agility -
Utahraptor: Runs on two feet. Top sprint speed: 64 kilometres per hour. Tail can do quick flips for easy turning and jumping. Climbs trees. Can’t dig.
T-Rex: Runs on two feet. Top sprint speed: 64 kilometres per hour. Stiff tail, good for flipping and turning quickly. Can’t climb, but large feet great for digging prayer out of borrows. Good swimmer, but kind of slow.
Senses -
Utahraptor: Excellent vision. Long snout means good sense of smell.
T-Rex: Great at smelling out a meal. Fantastic vision and hearing.
Smarts -
Utahraptor: Huge brain: much smarter than most other dinos.
T-Rex: So-so-sized brain; smart but no rocket scientist.
Strengths -
Utahraptor: Sharp teeth and long jaw good for quick, snapping bites. Mascular neck can jerk head and up for fast tearing action. Long claws on all toes good for grabbing, tearing.
T-Rex: Huge teeth look like elephants tusks and can cash through ribs, shoulder blades and skulls.
Weaknesses -
Utahraptor: Can’t move fash in forest. Lack of swimming skills makes it vulnerable in swampy areas. Small hind feet make walking in mud hard.
T-Rex: Can’t move quickly in dense forest. Slow on attack. Tiny arms.
Yes it’s been over a week since my first Dino post. But I swear this is the last dinosaur post. Dinosaurs are just so cool right now (90s).
This is what I think will happen. Utahraptor quickly climbs up a tree and jumps on top of T-Rex. He claws his eyes out and his back. T-Rex in pain, swings his head from side to side. He runs into a lake. Utahraptor has trouble moving but manages to claw into T-Rex’s body. T-Rex bites his tiny head off. Utahraptor Dies.
Sounds about right? Anybody think T-Rex is no match for clever Utahraptor?
It’s DINO week! Dinosaurs were so cool in the 90s, and so was the TV show Dinosaurs. It’s a sitcom based on the Sinclair family with Earl and Fran as the parents; Robbie and Charlene as brother and sister; and Baby as . . . the baby.
Unfortunately I don’t remember a single episode. I do remember it making me laugh and that I loved this show. Too bad it didn’t last very long. It aired from 1991 to 1994. This classic isn’t released on DVD in my country. Shame. Anyone else love this show? If you remember an episode you love (unlike me) please share!
I like to collect 90s magazine and post some interesting articles on this blog. I only did it once so far, and since there is a large time gap between my post these days, I decided to post some more.
Here are the albums that were just released, appearing in the February edition of TV Hits magazine. I don’t have any of these albums so I can’t give my personal opinion on them.
“Yield” Pearl Jam – Those mad rockers Pearl Jam are finally back with their latest album, “Yield”. The excellent single, “Given To Fly” and the tracks “Brain Of J” and “Wish List” will have Pearl Jam fans in rapture! This album is reminiscent of the excellent “Vitalogy” and “10″ albums. If you haven’t been a fan of the Jam, start now!
Okay! Sounds like a plan!
“LSG” Levert. Sweat. Gill. – Three legends of R&B unite to make LSG – it’s Gerald Levert, Keith Sweat and Johnny Gill – and they’ve made one very smooth album. Don’t go past the tracks “My Body”, “Where Did I Go Wrong”, “Curious” and “You Got Me”. This is definitely the CD to play if you’re in the mood for some sultry sounds.
I don’t think I have ever heard of these guys. =S
“An American Werewolf In Pairs” Various – This soundtrack to the freaky movie with Julie Delpy and Tom Everett Scott is just awesome. With “Mouth” by Bush, “Never Gonna Give You Up” by Cake, Eva Trout’s (!) “Soup Kitchen”, Fat’s “Downtime” and loads of other great tracks, this album is made to be played very loud! Way-cool.
Never saw the movie and I’m not exactly interested in it either. The title of the movie sounds . . . lame, but hey, if you’ve seen it and recommend the flick or soundtrack, leave a comment! I’m just going to prejudge this flick as terrible until somebody tells me otherwise.
“A Moment of Love” La Bouche – If La Bouche’s latest CD doesn’t get you up and dancing’, nothing will! Fans will love unreal ditties like ”A Moment Of Love”, “You Won’t Forget Me” and “Oh A Night Like This”. Also check out the cover of “I Can’t Stand The Rain” …the oldies might even like this one! So whack it on and start shakin’ your thang!
Their song “Be My Lover” is a pretty tough single to beat. I love that song.
“Ground Zero” Various (Polygram) – Whoa! From the TV show Ground Zero, this CD is chock full of hits. With Chumbawamba’s “Tubthumping”, The Chemical Brothers’ “Block Rockin’ Beats”, Dannii’s “All I Wanna Do”, Texas’ “Say What You Want” and Spice Girls’ “Say You’ll Be There”, it’s an absolute must-have CD!
That’s all.
I can’t help but ask, is there anything this reviewer doesn’t like? Everything happens to be Rad! Cool! Whicked!
After this, I realized I definitely don’t have a big enough music collection…
[Agyness Deyn]
[Emily Blunt]
