The Feeling 'Love It When You Call'

Chart Peak: 18

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'I Love It When You Call' {sic} is the Feeling's 4th hit from their hugely successful album Twelve Stops And Home... They have just embarked on a massive tour of the States before returning to the UK for a host of outdoor gigs and festivals in the summer.

As it says, their fourth Top 20 hit, but the first to fall short of the Top 10. I had actually liked some of their stuff at first but by this time their brand of knowing MOR was starting to get a bit stale, an odd combination of the attention-grabbing intro (all that bleeping) and the easy-listening style of the remainder of the song. It's unfortunate as well that the protagonist of this song comes over as so annoying and needy. If I were the person he's singing to, I wouldn't be calling him either.

Possibly the best thing about the song is this bizarre cover by Brian May and his protegee Kerry Ellis.

Also appearing on: Now 63, 64, 65, 69, 70
Available on: The Feeling - Singles (2006 - 2011)

The Feeling 'I Thought It Was Over'

Chart Peak: 9

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As if to follow up last night's post, they might have come to regret the song title here. 'I Thought It Was Over' was their sixth consecutive Top 40 single and the fourth to hit the Top 10 - but their three subsequent singles have peaked at 53, 67 and 87 respectively. They were one of the biggest success stories of 2006 but people's patience seems to have worn out fast. People who weren't radio programmers, at any rate.

Perhaps the right single could have saved their career, but it sounds too much like they'd had the same thought themselves. There's something terribly forced about this track, as if they were so determined to include a memorable chorus that they neglected to include anything else interesting to us or even then. Supposedly the opening line "You were there when the wall came down" sets this in 1989, but it's hard to believe anyone's doing more than going through the motions. It became tiresome very fast.

Also, bad, bad moustache.

Also appearing on: Now 63, 64, 65, 66, 70
Available on: Join With Us (Special Edition)