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The Summer of Love Is All Around

Sounds of the 90s with Fearne Cotton Class of 94
Episode 1 of 4

30 years on, Radio 2 remembers the summer that was soundtracked by Wet Wet Wet's reign of 15 consecutive weeks at number 1, with newly recorded recollections from Marti Pellow.

30 years on, Radio 2 remembers the summer that was soundtracked by Wet Wet Wet's reign of 15 consecutive weeks at number 1, with newly recorded recollections from Marti Pellow.

For each of those weeks, there's also R&B, dance, reggae, boybands, Britpop, Euro-pop, more cover versions, music from other film soundtracks and a football song that stopped Love Is All Around getting to number 1 a week earlier.

This month-by-month run through of Summer 1994 remembers the music, culture and a World Cup year where the combination of no home nations having qualified and the time difference with the USA might have dampened all interest in it but for the Republic of Ireland, as managed by Jack Charlton.

Love Is All Around was recorded for the Four Weddings and a Funeral soundtrack, and the film's UK premiere resulted in a splash of headlines and photos of an attendee who actually had nothing to do with the film... with Liz Hurley stealing the show in "that dress".

Love Is All Around wasn't the only old song finding a new audience - for two weeks in its run at number 1, the Top 3 singles were all '60s or '70s songs getting a new lease of life, and it's remarkable how many covers of old songs got them back in the charts.

The term Britpop had first come about the previous year, and although Kurt Cobain's death in April 1994 reignited interest in Nirvana, it also signalled the end of grunge and a focus towards homegrown guitar bands. Blur's Parklife album and singles coinciding with the emergence of Oasis, who ended the year having 5 top 40 singles and a number 1 debut album, set-up a rivalry that'd be headline-making the following summer.

One of 1993's biggest summer hits was also a cover of a classic song, as featured in a movie, with UB40's take on Can't Help Falling In Love With You reaching number 1 in 12 countries, including America. Ali and Robin Campbell repeated the trick towards the end of Summer 1994, featuring on Pato Banton's cover of The Equals' Baby Come Back, but ahead of it. Dawn Penn, Red Dragon with Brian & Tony Gold, Big Mountain, CJ Lewis, China Black, Chaka Demus & Pliers and Aswad had all kept up the reggae resurgence. Aswad's Shine also coincided with Ace of Base releasing a version of Don't Turn Around in the UK, while The Sign by Ace of Base was on the way to being America's biggest hit of 1994.

And when Love Is All Around did finally relinquish the top spot (not quite matching Bryan Adams' run of 16 weeks, just 3 summers earlier), it was because Wet Wet Wet themselves asked their record label to stop production of the single - a decision that Marti Pellow talks about making.

Its place was taken by the epitome of a holiday hit; the pent-up demand to do a wacky dance which had first ruled resorts and was now huge in British nightclubs, resulted in Saturday Night by Whigfield rounding off the summer of 1994 by going straight to number 1.

57 minutes

Last on

Sun 18 Aug 2024 00:00
ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ Radio 2

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1994: The Best Year Ever for MoviesClass of 94

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1994: The Best Year Ever for MoviesClass of 94

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Music Played

  • Kylie Minogue

    Confide In Me

    • Simply The Best Radio Hits (Various).
    • Warner E.S.P..

  • Chaka Demus, Pliers & Jack Radics

    Twist & Shout

    • (CD Single).
    • Mango.

  • The Beatles

    Twist and Shout

    • Please Please Me.
    • Parlophone.
    • 14.

  • Diana Ross

    One Shining Moment

    • Now That's What I Call Music Vol.22.
    • Now.

  • Wet Wet Wet

    Cold Cold Heart

    • End Of Part One - Their Greatest Hits.
    • EMI.
    • 18.

  • D:Ream

    Things Can Only Get Better

    • Now 27 (Various Artists).
    • Now.

  • Mariah Carey

    Without You

    • Mariah #1's - The Best Of Mariah Care.
    • Columbia.

  • Doop

    Doop

    • Now That's What I Call Music 27.
    • NOW.

  • Take That

    Everything Changes

    • Take That - Greatest Hits.
    • RCA.

  • Take That

    Beatles Medley

    • (CD Single).
    • RCA.

  • Prince

    The Most Beautiful Girl in the World

    • (CD Single).
    • NPG RECORDS.

  • Neil Richardson, John Hannah, Andie MacDowell & Hugh Grant

    Four Weddings and a Funeral/Funeral Blues

    • Four Weddings & A Funeral.
    • Vertigo.
    • 12.

  • Prince

    Adore

    • Sign "O" the Times.
    • Rhino/Warner Records.
    • 16.

  • Robert Palmer

    She Makes My Day

    • Baby Love.
    • EMI.

  • The Troggs

    Love Is All Around

    • The Best Of Dick James Music - Vol 1.
    • Polygram.

  • Tsidii Le Loka & The Original Broadway Ensemble of The Lion King

    Circle Of Life

    • The Lion King: Original Broadway Cast Recording.
    • Walt Disney Records.
    • 1.

  • Oasis

    Cigarettes & Alcohol

    • Definitely Maybe (Deluxe Edition Remastered).
    • Big Brother Recordings Ltd.
    • 13.

  • Paul Weller

    Shadow Of The Sun (Paradiso Live Version)

    • Live Wood.
    • Universal-Island Records Ltd..
    • 7.

  • Stiltskin

    Inside

    • Now That's What I Call Music 28.
    • EMI / Virgin / Polygram.
    • 11.

  • Nirvana

    In Bloom

    • DGC.

  • Oasis

    Supersonic

    • Definitely Maybe (Deluxe Edition).
    • Big Brother Recordings.
    • 6.

  • Elastica

    Line Up

    • Deceptive Records.

  • Pulp

    Do You Remember The First Time?

    • (CD Single).
    • Island.
    • 4.

  • Blur

    Parklife

    • (CD Single).
    • Parlophone.

  • Manchester United 1994 Football Squad

    Come on You Reds

  • John Michael Montgomery

    I Swear

    • Love Songs.
    • Rhino/Warner Records.
    • 6.

  • Ace of Base

    The Sign

    • Now 27 (Various Artists).
    • Now.

  • Daryl Hall & Sounds of Blackness

    Gloryland

    • Gloryland.
    • 2.

  • Jon Secada

    If You Go

    • Greatest Hits.
    • Virgin Records.
    • 5.

  • Diana Ross

    I'm Coming Out

    • Diana Ross & The Supremes - 40 Motown.
    • Polygram Tv.

  • Leonard Bernstein

    West Side Story End Credits

    • West Side Story (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack).
    • Hollywood Records.
    • 21.

  • Los Angeles Philharmonic, Zubin Mehta & Luciano Pavarotti

    Turandot, Act 3: "Nessun dorma" (Live)

    • The Three Tenors in Concert, 1994 (Live).
    • Warner Classics.
    • 13.

  • Coro de monjes del Monasterio Benedictino de Santo Domingo de Silos

    Os Iusti

    • Canto Gregoriano.
    • EMI Classics.
    • 07.

  • Peter Frampton

    Baby, I Love Your Way

    • Peter Frampton - Show Me The Way.
    • A&M.

  • Big Mountain

    Baby, I Love Your Way

    • No Greater Love (Various Artists).
    • Global Records & Tapes.

  • Dawn Penn

    You Don't Love Me (No No No)

    • Reggae Love Songs (Various Artists).
    • Sanctuary.

  • ΄‘±τ±τ‐4‐O²Τ±π

    I Swear

    • (CD Single).
    • Atlantic.

  • C.J. Lewis

    Sweets For My Sweet

    • Pleasure Island (Various Artists).
    • Global Records & Tapes.

  • China Black

    Searching

    • The Love Album (CD 1) (Various Artist.
    • Virgin.

  • UB40

    Baby Come Back (feat. Pato Banton)

    • Now 29 (Various Artists).
    • Now.

  • Aswad

    Shine

    • Now 1994 - The Millennium Series.
    • EMI.

  • Ace of Base

    Don't Turn Around

    • Don't Turn Around.
    • 1.

  • The Prodigy

    3 Kilos

    • Music for the Jilted Generation.
    • XL Recordings.
    • 11.

  • Take That

    Love Ain't Here Anymore

    • (CD Single).
    • RCA.

  • M People

    Renaissance

    • Ultimate Collection.
    • RCA Records Label.
    • 15.

  • Oasis

    Cum On Feel the Noize

    • Don't Look Back In Anger.
    • Big Brother Recordings Ltd.
    • 4.

  • Slade

    Cum On Feel The Noize

    • (CD Single).
    • Columbia.

  • The B‐52s

    Meet The Flintstones

    • (CD Single).
    • MCA.

  • Elton John

    Can You Feel The Love Tonight

    • Diamonds.
    • Virgin EMI Records.

  • Elton John

    Chapel of Love

    • Four Weddings & A Funeral.
    • Vertigo.
    • 14.

  • Let Loose

    Crazy For You

  • Oasis

    Slide Away

  • Red Dragon & Brian & Tony Gold

    Compliments On Your Kiss

    • The Best Summer Ever (Various Artist.
    • Virgin.

  • Billy Taylor Trio

    I Wish I Knew (How It Would Feel To Be Free)

    • Jazz On A Summer's Day.
    • Castle.

  • Whitney Houston

    I Will Always Love You

    • The Bodyguard (Original S/Track).
    • Arista.

  • Bryan Adams

    (Everything I Do) I Do It For You

  • Mariah Carey

    Hero

    • Mariah #1's - The Best Of Mariah Care.
    • Columbia.

  • Corona

    The Rhythm Of The Night

    • Now 29 (Various Artists).
    • Now.

  • Whigfield

    Saturday Night

  • Youssou Ndour & Neneh Cherry

    7 Seconds

    • Love - 38 All Time Love Classics.
    • Polygram Tv.

  • Wet Wet Wet

    Goodnight Girl

    • Now 1992 (Various Artists).
    • Now.

  • Whigfield

    Saturday Night (Nite Mix)

    • Fetenhits 90s Maxi Classics.
    • Polystar.
    • 11.

  • Wet Wet Wet

    Love Is All Around

    • The All Time Greatest Movie Songs.
    • Columbia/Sony Tv.

Broadcast

  • Sun 18 Aug 2024 00:00
    ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ Radio 2