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'Don't Speak' was an American smash hit first and then a huge British chart-topper in February '97... Gwen and the boys expect a second big hit soon with 'Just A Girl'.
In early 1997, I didn't listen to the radio all that much, but I did listen to the chart rundown. So when Mark Goodier announced that the previous week's Number One had dropped to 6, I was at a loss to guess what might have replaced it; I guessed correctly that it wouldn't have been the one single I bought that week, 'Last Day' by Silver Sun. It turned out to be this lot, who I recalled having a minor hit with the original release of 'Just A Girl' the year before. Years later I was to discover that bassist Tony Kanal (as seen shirtless at the start of the video) went to the same primary school as me, though not at the same time.
Though I hadn't heard it before it became Number One, I've heard it often enough since, even on the radio the day I started writing this post. I must admit I was never fond of it, finding it terribly whiny and self-consciously emotive. Matthew Wilder's (yes, he of nothing breaking his stride fame) production is full of good ideas, but rather too full - we have to have the flamenco guitar solo *and* the muted trumpets *and* the big string section - the full whack just drags on too long. It's very much one of those songs where I can tell why people like it, I just don't want to listen to it myself.
Also appearing on: Now 37
Available on: Tragic Kingdom
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