Alex Party 'Don't Give Me Your Life'

Chart Peak: 2
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Alex Party are Italian brothers Paulo {sic} and Gianni Visnadi and DJ/Remixer Alex Natale together with English singer Shanie... 'Don't Give Me Your Life' had raced to No. 2 in the UK by 5/3/95.

Second track on Disc 2, and as you might expect we continue with the dance tracks that tend to dominate the second discs of Now albums in the mid-90s. A somewhat "purer" dance act than the Outhere Brothers rap/dance hybrid, Alex Party were named after a track that was named after their DJ. However the Visnadi brothers, also members of Livin' Joy, may have been more important to the sound.

'Don't Give Me Your Life' recycles elements from their eponymous hit, particularly those twinkling synth parts, but adds a fresh melody and lyric. That's just as well since the song was later re-worked again as 'Read My Lips'. This is probably the best version though, at least it has a bit of a story to tell with a rejected lover turning the tables and rejecting the rejector. Shanie is a decent singer too, even though she looks like she's been forced to do the video at gunpoint. This doesn't quite cross the boundary into being a song I love, but I can recognise it as a good example of its type.

Also appearing on: Now 32
Available on: The Best Off Dance 90 [Explicit]

Alex Party 'Wrap Me Up'

Chart Peak: 17

YouTube

The "long awaited" follow up to the huge hit 'Don't Give Me Your Life'. Well, it certainly had been quite a while since that single came out in February, but I don't know how much people really do wait for the follow-ups to big dance hits. It certainly doesn't seem like there was a huge rush to purchase this.

The vocals (by one Shanie Campbell) are actually quite decent here, but it doesn't really seem like they had three memorable tunes in them (the other one was the much re-worked 'Alex Party/Satuday Night Party/Read My Lips) and the whole thing falls flat. No wonder I couldn't tell whether I'd heard this before or not.

Also appearing on: Now 30
Available on: Alex Party (download EP)

Livin' Joy 'Don't Stop Movin'

Chart Peak: 5

YouTube

Italian house music alert! 'Don't Stop Moving' was of course the inevitable follow-up to the Number One 'Dreamer', and became the second biggest of several hits for the group around this time: my abiding memory of them is the Top Of The Pops performance of 'Where Can I Find Love?', where it sounded a bit like she was singing about Wigan. As that track proves, the formula wore out pretty quickly, but time has been kinder to this one than I thought. It still doesn't reach the realms of records I'd go out of my way to hear, but it's OK.

Also appearing on: Now 31, 35
Available on:Fresh Hits 1996