Bottom Feeders takes a look back at every song that hit the Billboard Hot 100 charts, but only if they didn’t crack the top 40. It’s not meant to be a comprehensive review of each tune or each artist, but rather my view of the music I grew up loving. It’s meant to bring back all the great and really crappy songs that have faded into oblivion over time for one reason or another And, the series is designed to get discussions going about the music. I don’t have expert knowledge of every song posted here but I want to hear from you with your memories of the tunes, comments about a artist or general thoughts.
Section 1: The Ass End
Bizarre Inc
”I’m Gonna Get You” 1993, #47 (23 weeks) (download)
Shocking! I would have figured this to be a huge hit. Though dated to the period of course, this song has stood the test of time for something that didn’t crack the Top 40. Bizarre Inc. released three albums in their short career before the three DJs/producers that made up the group went on to other projects. Angie Brown was the female voice, considered a session musician up until their final album where she was credited as part of the group.
Bjork
”Big Time Sensuality” 1994, #88 (5 weeks) (download)
Looking back now, in the mid-90s and 2000’s Bjork was almost Lady Gaga-like. She was a little odd, dressed weird and seemed to attract all kinds of crowds to her music. The big thing missing was the radio ready pop song. Her music was odd too and while that translated to raving critics all over the world, it didn’t turn into chart success.
I hadn’t heard ”Big Time Sensuality” in ages and it’s interesting to go back to straightforward house music for her considering that in the coming years she’d release albums that got stranger by the year.
Clint Black
”A Bad Goodbye” 1993, #43 (11 weeks) (download)
”Something That We Do” 1997, #76 (9 weeks) (download)
Clint Black is the type of artist that I really have no opinion one way or another one. As I’ve mentioned, I never listened to county until I met my wife and even now it’s more of the pop country than traditional like Black. The duet with Wynonna Judd — ”A Bad Goodbye” — is a fantastic song but something that I would absolutely never go back to on my own. However, I also might not shuffle past it either. Actually, I like ”Something That We Do” as well. Maybe I should listen to someone like Clint Black more often as it’s totally mellowing me out.
Black Crowes
”Jealous Again” 1990, #75 (9 weeks) (download)
”Hard To Handle” 1990, #45 (15 weeks) (download)
”Remedy” 1992, #48 (9 weeks) (download)
”Thorn In My Pride” 1992, #80 (6 weeks) (download)
All of the songs you know from the Black Crowes did well on the modern rock chart, but mainstream radio kind of shied away. The Otis Redding cover (”Hard To Handle”) is another one of my favorite tunes of the decade and exists in two forms. The original album version hit #45 in 1990 and then was re-released in 1991 with a brass section dubbed in and went to #26. ”Thorn In My Pride” is really the only one of their hits that hasn’t stood the test of time. Either way, I think everyone should own both of their first two records, Shake Your Money Maker and The Southern Harmony and Musical Companion.
BlackGirl
”Krazy” 1994, #91 (3 weeks) (download)
”90’s Girl” 1994, #71 (13 weeks) (download)
BlackGirl was a trio of females from Atlanta, Georgia that the R&B world seemed to love for the short time they were in existence. The three ladies released just one album called Treat U Right, which both of these songs came from. ”90’s Girl” was nominated for a couple of Billboard awards and the won a Soul Train award for ”best look” (think a trio of Stacey Dash-a-likes). They toured with people like Aaliyah and R. Kelly and were relatively successful but disbanded before a second album could be recorded.
Blackhawk
”There You Have It” 1998, #41 (14 weeks) (download)
If you had said to me back in the early 80s that this is the place Van Stephenson would end up, I would have kicked you out of my house but strangely enough the guy that sang the rocker ”Modern Day Delilah” is the tenor and guitar player in Blackhawk. The Outlaw’s Henry Paul was the lead vocalist in the group. They released five albums through 2002, then toured extensively with those albums under their belt. In 2011, they released their first album in nine years with Stephenson long since gone.
Black Moon
”Who Got the Props” 1993, #86 (6 weeks) (download)
”I Got Cha Opin” 1994, #93 (10 weeks) (download)
There’s no reason to talk about the music when you have the chance to talk about one of the craziest group names in the decade. Black Moon actually stands for Brothers Lyrically Acting Combining Kicking Music Out On Nations. The world needs more shitty backronyms, I say. Discuss.
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Black Sheep
”The Choice Is Yours” 1992, #57 (19 weeks) (download)
”Strobelight Honey” 1992, #80 (8 weeks) (download)
Blame Lazy Ass Cows Knocking Shit Higher Every Evening, Peeps.
Dres and Mister Lawnge were so cool back in the day. I spun the shit out of their debut — A Wolf In Sheep’s Clothing. And while ”The Choice Is Yours” and ”Flavor of the Month” were great tunes, I think it was more for that one interlude where they just said ”Fuck You” in different vocal tones across two minutes. It’s a shame such a unique and innovative group only made it through two albums and at the time, I’m not even sure I knew that 1994’s Non-Fiction even existed. Unbeknownst to me, they got back together and released an album in 2006. Unbeknownst to me and the majority of the world as well.
BLACKstreet
”Joy” 1995, #43 (13 weeks) (download)
”Tonight’s the Night” 1995, #80 (7 weeks) (download)
”Fix” 1997, #58 (10 weeks) (download)
”Girlfriend/Boyfriend” 1999, #47 (11 weeks) (download)
They may not have been the hit machine they should have been but for my dollars BLACKstreet were the finest R&B group of the decade. Part of this is certainly because ”No Diggity” is my favorite song in those 10 years. But their minor hits were pretty fantastic as well. ”Joy” sounds like a track right out of Michael Jackson’s catalog. And ”Girlfriend/Boyfriend” featuring Janet Jackson, Eve and Ja Rule might be their second best song. According to the Billboard bible, the version of ”Fix” that hit the charts was a remix with Slash on guitar and a rap by Ol’ Dirty Bastard. That’s not the version I remember hearing on the radio but it’s the version I’m posting here.
And yes, since he was in the group, Teddy Riley sighting, ya’ll.
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