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Bottom Feeders: The Ass End of the ’90s, Vol. 22

Dave Steed June 4, 2012 18

Section 1: The Ass End

Joe Diffie
“John Deere Green” 1993, #69 (11 weeks) (download)
“Third Rock from the Sun” 1994, #84 (9 weeks) (download)
“Pickup Man” 1994, #60 (5 weeks) (download)
“So Help Me Girl” 1995, #84 (7 weeks) (download)

Before I met my wife I would have had no idea what these tunes were but now they are very familiar. She tells me that “Third Rock from the Sun” is one of her favorite songs to line dance to. And don’t underestimate the power of John Deere to turn on a country girl. In the tractor world a John Deere is like working with a Porsche while everyone else has a broken down Yugo. The color green itself is clearly made with pheromones or something as county women seem to cream themselves over it. It doesn’t quite make sense to me but I’m sure my desire to collect colored pieces of vinyl doesn’t make sense to most people too.

Digable Planets
“9th Wonder (Blackitolism)” 1994, #80 (7 weeks) (download)

I think Digable Planets were a little too intelligent for their own good at points. They were a pretty fantastic rap group that didn’t really catch on beyond “Rebirth of Slick” possibly because they were just a little fucking weird. Not like I understood half the lyrics on that tune but go to the follow up album with the odd name, Blowout Comb and you get tracks like “Highing Fly,” “The Art of Easing” and of course the curious “Dial 7 (Axioms of Creamy Spies).” Critics loved both their albums and they were quite good looking back at them now but still pretty hard for the average hip-hop fan to relate to their oddball nature. The urban dictionary isn’t enough to understand these lyrics. You need the Harvard edition for Digable Planets’ tunes.

Celine Dion
“Think Twice” 1994, #95 (5 weeks) (download)
“Only One Road” 1995, #93 (3 weeks) (download)

I think I can sum up the collective feeling on Celine Dion with the statement my wife said as I was listening to “Think Twice.” Her unsolicited response was “this is shitty even for Celine Dion.”

I don’t think I’ve ever met a person that has admitted to me that they like Celine Dion, though it doesn’t come up in regular conversation either. However, you have to admit that she has one of the best voices in the world and to write a song for her that got released as a single pretty much meant mucho buckaroonies. She did win four Grammys and two Oscars so she did something right. There’s points where she seems like a diva (and she has the right to be) and points where she seems to be down to earth.

Interestingly enough, while my wife clearly didn’t think much of “Think Twice” – that was her first #1 in the UK and the song that broke her to that audience. To each their own I suppose.

Celine hasn’t released a new record since 2007 and honestly may not ever need to release another one as her four year stay in Vegas (lasting through 2014) is one of the top grossing shows on the strip.

Dis ‘N’ Dat
“Freak Me Baby” 1995, #60 (18 weeks) (download)

Typical mid-90s boot knockin’ southern rap featuring the two groups you really know from this sound, 95 South and the 69 Boyz.

Dixie Chicks
“I Can Love You Better” 1998, #77 (7 weeks) (download)
“Wide Open Spaces” 1998, #41 (20 weeks) (download)
“Tonight the Heartache’s On Me” 1999, #46 (16 weeks) (download)

Any one of my regular readers will know that there’s no way in hell that I would have ever actually liked the Dixie Chicks. But long before Natalie Maines opened her mouth and destroyed the group, I had a huge crush on her. All three ladies were/are very sexy but Natalie was the one that I wanted. Then she started ranting about George Bush and all of a sudden music barely mattered and it was all about politics. Rightfully so, in 2007/2008 the Dixie Chicks took a step back and a little break to remove themselves from the spotlight. Personally, they can say anything they want, that’s what freedom of speech is for but it’s a shame that her rants tore the group apart as they had the potential to be one of the greatest country artists of all time the way they were going.

DJ Company
“Rhythm Of Love” 1997, #53 (19 weeks) (download)

Eurodance!!!!!!

Man, I just discovered the greatest thing in the world in the Eurodance Encyclopedia. Now I can verify if these groups are considered Eurodance or not. DJ Company was pretty easy to figure out though. Behind the scenes the company were three German producers. On stage they were January Ordu singing and Michael Fielder and Brian Thomas listed only as dancers.

Jazzy Jeff & Fresh Prince
“I’m Looking For the One (To Be with Me)” 1993, #79 (7 weeks) (download)

Included here even though they had dropped the “DJ” at the beginning at this point in their career. It’s also the point where they tried to be somewhat series and while I like most of their hits, “I’m Looking For the One” was incredibly weak.

DJ Miko
“What’s Up” 1994, #58 (20 weeks) (download)

Yeah, this is a cover of the 4-Non Blondes tune which half the world seems to detest. Weirdly enough I kind of like this version better. From what I know about the tune, even though it sounds like Linda Perry singing, it’s actually a British lady named Louise Gard doing the uncanny impression.

DJ Quik
“Tonite” 1991, #49 (9 weeks) (download)
“Jus Lyke Compton” 1992, #62 (11 weeks) (download)
“Safe + Sound” 1995, #81 (10 weeks) (download)

Personally I’m surprised at three tunes from DJ Quik showing up here. He’s mainly a producer and was part of the west coast sound but I always seem to falsely link him up with NWA and the bands on Ruthless record. Quik was on profile and while he never became the superstar rapper he fit in pretty nicely with the times and is still releasing albums.

DJ Taz
“That’s Right” 1997, #51 (20 weeks) (download)

A little shitty southern booty shaking music here courtesy of Atlanta rapper DJ Taz with Raheem the Dream.

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About the author: Dave Steed View all posts by
Dave Steed is all about music; 80's and metal to be exact. His iPod will shuffle from Culture Club to Slayer and he won't blink an eye. He's never heard Astral Weeks but thinks "Dazzey Duks" by Duice is the bomb. It's an odd little corner of the world he lives in.

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  • jack

    It’s not really fair to call it a “rant.” She said one thing, at a concert, in EUROPE, and everyone was still in the gung-ho “AMURICA!!!” phase where anything negative about the president was treasonous. A few short years later we had those same people who blacklisted the Dixie Chicks declaring the current president is an African-born socialist Muslim who hates the country. Go figure.

  • http://redvioletblue.typepad.com/abyssgazing/ abyssgazer

    I was just about to make the same point. The real shame here is that we were living in the sort of environment where certain parties were able to foment that level of hysteria that resulted from Maines’ comments. And yes, those same parties happily malign the current president with the grossest exaggerations and lies anywhere and everywhere. That’s another shame.

  • kingofgrief

    Much to talk about this week, and since I’m on vacation from the day job, I’ve got the time to spare. Tolstoy is reborn!

    When I softened to contemporary country in the early 90s, Joe Diffie was one of the acts I’d willingly throw on at work. I can remember inventorying cassettes while “John Deere Green” played overhead. I wonder when “Third Rock From the Sun” was written, as the lyrics refer to a Big Boy statue in a Shoney’s parking lot. Per Wikipedia, Shoney’s ended their association with Big Boy in 1984, ten years before Diffie’s version was a hit. (I collect Big Boy memorabilia, so the subject is near and dear.) One last bit about Joe…his fan club back in the day was called the Diffie Cult. I always wanted to ask if their membership dues were referred to as Diffie Rent.

    Since they’re semi-featured this week, I should mention that Diamond Rio’s “Meet in the Middle” was one of the songs that broke the ice between me and commercial country in ’91.

    I got to interview Craig “Doodlebug” Irving of Digable Planets on Sound Awake in 2000. At the time, he was starting out under his new moniker, Cee Knowledge. Nice guy, wish I still had the tape of the interview.

    While I shared your affections for Natalie Maines, I never warmed up to the Dixie Chicks’ music, even after learning we probably voted the same way. And while commercial country stations may have barred them for life, their CDs still sell on the used circuit, and “Sin Wagon” and “Wide Open Spaces” get regular karaoke workouts. I guess some folks down this way have either forgiven them or never gave a shit in the first place. (I’m still waiting for someone to come up to the register with both a Dixie Chicks CD AND a Ted Nugent album. That would be fair and balanced.)

    Speaking of karaoke, the original recipe of “What’s Up” has to be among the five or ten most-requested songs for females. I liked the DJ Miko treatment myself and was amazed to learn that Linda Perry’s vocal track wasn’t the one used.

    In closing, I questioned your use of both “shitty” and “booty” in the DJ Taz description, and then I saw we missed “Dooky Boody” by THAT much. Yeah, some fun coulda been had.

  • kerner

    “shitty . . . booty shaking” = poor word choice & rather disgusting imagery. :: shudder ::

  • Joe

    Hey Jack & Abyssgazer I so agree. From an outsider in Oz looking in, I cannot understand why the “comment” she made should have crucified the group in the eyes of the American “public” when there now seems to be so much anti-Bush sentiment. Hell we have a redheaded Labour Prime Minister who seems to get up a lot of people’s noses here but our freedom of expression remains strong. I think she gets a lot of “constructive” critisism and advice which may or may not be welcomed but at least the people expressing those opinions are not vilified for it. Good luck Obama, I may not have a vote LOL, but you certainly get mine.

  • http://redvioletblue.typepad.com/abyssgazing/ abyssgazer

    Um, also, how did Celine Dion time travel to guest star on Star Trek as an denizen of Pollux IV? I can’t think of any saner reason for her garb in that photo.

  • http://www.discoskonfort.com/artists/drxl/ drxl

    Even though I do not think I had ever heard any of their songs, catching the Dixie Chickls live, headlining one of the last Lillith Fair festivals backin the day, has been one of the most amazing live music experiences in my life. Natalie Maines used to have one of the most amazing live presences and command the crowd like no other.

    Ishmael Butler aka ‘Palaceer Lazaro’ (once ‘Butterfly’ of the Digable Plantes) is now back in the spotlight thanks to his amazing new experimental hip hop band Shabazz Palaces. You should all definitely check them out. His collaboration with British breakbeatmasters 4-Hero some years ago is also great, by the way.

  • kingofgrief

    Something I forgot to mention: KPFT’s daily Texas/Americana program is called Wide Open Spaces, partly in solidarity to the Chicks and also a nod to the song’s composer, Susan Gibson, who’s made appearances on the station over the years (going back to her time as lead singer of the Groobees).

  • JonCummings

    Dave, apart from the indelicacy of the word “rant,” which has been hashed over already by other commenters, there are a couple other misapprehensions from which you need to be dissuaded concerning the Chicks. First, they didn’t “take a break to remove themselves from the spotlight” in ’07-’08, as if they were still under broad-based attack four years after “the incident,” and it’s the furthest thing from the truth that politics “tore the group apart.” Sure, many Republicans still hated them, the way Republicans do … and their tour didn’t do well in red states … but even those red-staters eventually came to realize that Natalie was correct about Iraq, and most everything that surrounded “Taking the Long Way” was a vindication. (Even Toby Keith came around.)

    I go on about this because I can’t imagine life without them. I haven’t missed one of their tours since 2000 … I even paid ridiculous moolah and suffered through the Eagles just to see them a couple years back. I’m waaaaaaay too emotionally invested in them — adrenaline rushes, tears are shed — but I wouldn’t trade that investment for anything.

  • JonCummings

    The second graph of my comment got deleted for some reason — my stupid computer, probably. What it said was, the Chicks’ long break has far more to do with family than politics. Martie had trouble getting pregnant for years, but finally had a baby in ’08. Emily got divorced the same year. Natalie wanted to take a longer break before recording again, hence the Court Yard Hounds. But they toured as a group with the Eagles in ’10, and they played a benefit in Austin last fall. They have stated unequivocally that the group is an ongoing enterprise.

  • Eric S.

    That’s probably the best picture of Natalie Maines that I’ve ever seen. Unfortunately, it was hard to make out since my eyes were still burning from the Celine Dion pic.

  • cmmmbase

    This column marks the second time So Help Me Girl has shown up in the 90s version of bottom feeders. Gary Barlow (of Take That) made #44 with it some 2 1/2 years after Joe Diffie made #65 with it.

  • cmmmbase

    make that #84…d’oh!

  • http://www.bastardradio.com steed

    Lord, I even said I was going to remember that point too…

  • http://www.bastardradio.com steed

    Haha. Back away from the dookie.

  • http://www.bastardradio.com steed

    Songs like “Dooky Boody” are the tracks I NEED as part of this series. I can’t wait until we get to “Captain Save A Ho”

  • http://www.bastardradio.com steed

    Put a sticky note or something over Celine from the neck up and look again – once you take that out, totally hot. And sadly, I might ever argue that she’s hot in that picture as is. Natalie is much cuter though.

  • http://www.bastardradio.com steed

    *even