‘Look Ma, No Mike!’ N°5 – Vintage 90s Videos

1 . Cliff Richard – This New Year

“This New Year” by Cliff Richard attempts to capture the warmth of holiday nostalgia with a polished pop sheen typical of his later work.

First released on the 1991 album “Together With Cliff Richard” and later included in 2003’s “Cliff at Christmas,” the track sits comfortably in the middle of his festive repertoire, blending themes of renewal and celebration.

The song failed to make a significant dent as a standalone hit, peaking modestly at #28 on UK charts, but it fits snugly into the broader holiday market that has long embraced Richard’s perennial appeal.

Its production, helmed by Alan Tarney under EMI Records, features lush instrumentation and a vocal delivery that teeters between heartfelt sincerity and breezy optimism, all of which aligns neatly with the artist’s established image.

Lyrically, it’s a reflection on beginnings and endings, with touches of hope and longing that cross the often-blurred line between sentimentality and schmaltz.

While not a song that reshaped the season’s musical canon, “This New Year” remains one of those inoffensive background tracks that soundtracked countless living rooms during December festivities of its time.

Perhaps its greatest curiosity lies in its unassuming nature; a song that neither experiments, provokes, nor overstays its welcome, but quietly claims its place in the sentimental playlists of the holiday season.

Featured on the 1990 album “Together with Cliff Richard”.

Lyrics >> More by the same : Official Site

2 . Runrig – The Greatest Flame

Runrig’s “The Greatest Flame,” nestled in their 1993 album *Amazing Things*, is an earnest nod to Celtic rock that toys with paradoxes—an understated anthem that bridges Gaelic and English worlds while claiming no obvious spotlight as a major single.

The track owes its heartbeat to the Macdonald brothers’ songwriting, weaving threads of Scottish heritage into a rock framework that feels both grounded in tradition and yearning for universality.

Though initially recorded with Donnie Munro at the helm, Bruce Guthro’s later interpretation injected a different undercurrent of energy, transforming its live renditions into moments of quiet euphoria rather than overt spectacle.

Unsurprisingly, the song’s life extended beyond its album-birthplace, gaining traction among the faithful during the band’s prolific touring years—traversing everything from regional cultural pride to the emotional eruption at “The Last Dance” farewell show in 2018 under the open sky of Stirling Castle.

Unlike tracks engineered for chart domination, “The Greatest Flame” chose intimacy over flash, underscoring strength through resilience, a theme stitched into Scottish cultural identity like tartan on the nation’s soul.

Featured on the 1989 album “Amazing Things”.

Lyrics >> More by the same : Official Site

3 . The High – Box Set Go

Released in 1992 amidst the vibrant churn of UK indie music, “Box Set Go” holds its own as an ambitious escapade into urban discontent.

Produced by Mike Hedges and nestled within *The High*’s album “Somewhere Soon,” the track barely grazed the UK charts at #53, yet managed to stand out with its decidedly experimental twist on the prevailing indie tropes of the time.

The song’s production walks a tightrope between dense, textured layers and a remarkable sense of movement—an apt reflection of its thematic undercurrent: escaping the grind of city life.

With a pulse driven by undeniable energy, the track doesn’t shy away from ambition, giving voice to a tension between grit and optimism that elevates its appeal.

Though far from a commercial juggernaut, “Box Set Go” resonates as a time capsule of early 90s alternative audacity—a little raw around the edges, but all the better for its mix of confidence and impulsive swagger.

If nothing else, it’s a moment where resilience and a restless spirit collide, offering a glimpse into the UK’s restless indie undercurrents.

Featured on the 1990 album “Somewhere Soon”.

Lyrics >> More by the same : Official Site

4 . Dodgy – So Let Me Go Far

Released in 1994, Dodgy’s “So Let Me Go Far” is both a snapshot of mid-‘90s Britpop as well as a testament to the era’s penchant for optimism tucked behind jangly guitars and infectious hooks.

An entry on their second studio album, *Homegrown,* it solidified itself not merely as a chart-climber—peaking respectably at No. 30 in the UK Singles Chart—but as a sonic embodiment of exploration and movement, a generation testing its boundaries under the guise of laid-back charm.

The track’s production, helmed by Ian Broudie and released under A&M Records, exudes a sharp yet unpretentious energy, weaving reflective lyrics with spirited instrumentation that feels lifted straight out of a care-free summer road trip.

The music video, showcasing the band’s buoyant demeanor, echoes this free-spirited ethos, standing firmly in opposition to the self-seriousness that occasionally plagued contemporaries in the Britpop landscape.

Dodgy themselves—Nigel Clark, Andy Miller, and Mathew Priest—bring a cohesive sincerity to the track, a tight-knit balance of melody and rhythm that teeters between polished professionalism and garage-band authenticity.

*Homegrown*’s Silver certification and solid UK album chart performance at No. 28 offer a sense of the reach Dodgy managed to carve out amidst a crowded scene dominated by much bigger personalities.

The song’s lyrical emphasis on freedom and exuberance connects it to broader cultural themes of its time, a nod toward breaking free from traditional expectations while maintaining an upbeat sensibility.

What might set it apart, though, is its refusal to bask in its own nostalgia; instead, the track quietly insists on looking forward, a refreshing anomaly in a genre sometimes criticized for wallowing in its glory days.

Though far from the revolutionary heights of their louder Britpop counterparts, Dodgy’s output holds up for its understated charm, consistently popping up on compilations of the era as a reminder that the genre wasn’t only about chart dominance or blistering rivalries—it was occasionally about just penning a good tune.

“So Let Me Go Far” doesn’t posture or overreach, and therein lies its quiet charm, ensuring its spot in the oft-revisited playlists of those still wistful for the golden haze of ‘90s melodies.

Featured on the 1990 album “Homegrown”.

Lyrics >> More by the same : Official Site

5 . Del Amitri – Nothing Ever Happens

Released in 1989, “Nothing Ever Happens” by Del Amitri pulls no punches in its portrayal of societal inertia and quiet despair.

This brooding anthem, steeped in alt-rock melancholy, was the third single from their breakthrough album *Waking Hours* and captured a cultural moment, peaking at No. 11 on the UK charts.

The lyrics, penned by Justin Currie and Iain Harvie, take aim at the numbing routines of modern life, with sharp critiques of environmental neglect and corporate apathy woven throughout.

Its deceptively simple melody underscores a melancholic resignation, allowing the poignant narrative to take center stage.

Produced by Hugh Jones under A&M Records, the song’s stripped-back black-and-white music video echoes its reflective tone, devoid of glamor yet heavy with meaning.

While the track never snagged major awards, it endured as a quiet cultural critic, a modest yet piercing reminder of society’s capacity for complacency.

To this day, it remains a haunting presence in the band’s live performances, where its relevance continues to resonate.

Featured on the 1993 album “Waking Hours”.

Lyrics >> Review >> More by the same : Official Site

6 . The Black Crowes – Twice As Hard

“Twice As Hard” opens with a gritty blend of blues swagger and southern rock grit, setting the tone for The Black Crowes’ debut album, “Shake Your Money Maker,” released in 1990.

Anchored by Chris Robinson’s raspy vocals and Rich Robinson’s riff-heavy guitars, the track exudes a raw, unpolished energy that feels more like a barroom confession than a calculated studio cut.

The production by George Drakoulias pulls no punches, opting for a clean, classic rock structure that amplifies its love-and-loss narrative without veering into overwrought sentimentality.

The song grapples with themes of resilience and emotional vulnerability, packing equal parts regret and defiance into its lyrics and delivery.

Its success on the Billboard Album Rock Tracks chart, reaching No. 11, reflects a moment when gritty ’70s revivalism managed to seep into a music scene saturated with glossy ’80s leftovers and emerging alternative sounds.

The accompanying video, directed by Pete Angelus, keeps things similarly stripped-back, focusing on the band’s aesthetic and stage presence rather than indulging in heavy visual storytelling.

Often lauded as a live staple, “Twice As Hard” has retained its appeal over the years, benefiting from the raw dynamism of the band’s early performances, including their breakout appearance on “Saturday Night Live.”

Though it never shattered the charts, the track’s heavy rotation and inclusion on compilations like their 2000 “Greatest Hits” package underline its staying power as a fan favorite.

If anything, the song feels emblematic of a band walking a tightrope between retro influences and contemporary aspirations without losing their bite.

Featured on the 1994 album “Shake Your Money Maker“.

Lyrics >> Review >> More by the same : Official Site

7 . Nick Heyward – Rollerblade

Nick Heyward’s “Rollerblade,” from the 1995 album “Tangled,” offers a breezy ode to youthful exuberance wrapped in the guise of a pop track.

Produced under the stewardship of George Hamer and released via Arista Records, it feels like the soundtrack to a sun-drenched, suburban afternoon, where nostalgia doesn’t lurk in shadows but gleams just out of reach.

The song’s cheerful rhythm skips like a stone, propelled by crisp melodies that channel carefree energy without falling victim to saccharine overindulgence.

Thematically, it balances on a thin line between joy and escapism, capturing a sense of motion—literal and emotional—in under four minutes.

By the mid-’90s, Heyward’s commercial clout may have waned, but this track manages to evoke flashes of the unadulterated optimism that marked a period transitioning from grunge back towards brighter, simpler arrangements.

The single’s UK chart peak at #37 may not have screamed dominance, but its infectious spirit earned it a place just outside the cultural zeitgeist of its time.

While some might critique its polished delivery as overly clean, there’s an undeniable charm in its refusal to complicate the unadorned pleasures of skating through open spaces.

Ebullient without tipping into frivolity, “Rollerblade” finds Heyward gliding on smooth production and a sense of melodic freedom that remains tethered to its tightly crafted pop DNA.

Featured on the 1989 album “Tangled”.

Lyrics >> More by the same : Official Site

8 . Oasis – Shakermaker

Oasis’s “Shakermaker” finds its footing in a jangly, laid-back rhythm that somehow feels both listless and self-assured, perfectly encapsulating the early ’90s Britpop ethos.

The song’s melodic borrowing from The New Seekers’ “I’d Like to Teach the World to Sing” may have landed the band in legal hot water, but it also speaks to Noel Gallagher’s knack for repurposing nostalgia into something distinctly his own.

Gallagher’s lyrics are a kaleidoscope of offbeat references, nodding to consumer culture with mentions of Coca-Cola bottles and Trebor mints, while simultaneously evoking a dreamy suburban ennui unique to Burnage, Manchester.

The single’s peak at number 11 on the UK charts feels less like a limitation and more like a preview of the seismic impact Oasis would soon have on the cultural landscape of the mid-1990s.

Paired with Mark Szaszy’s grainy, no-frills music video, “Shakermaker” offers a snapshot of a brash young band still figuring out its weapons while daring the world to look their way.

Performed during their electrifying Glastonbury 1994 set, the track holds its charm as a curious piece of Oasis’s foundation: equal parts mischief, irreverence, and burgeoning ambition, all wrapped in a haze of guitar fuzz and melodic swagger.

Featured on the 1989 album “Definitely Maybe“.

Lyrics >> Review >> More by the same : Official Site

9 . North & South – Breathing

Released in 1997 as part of the “Allsorts” album, “Breathing” by North & South sneaked onto the UK pop charts with a mix of polished production and unabashed boy-band charm.

Ian Levine, working alongside PWL Records, shaped this track into a glossy package that many 90s teens gravitated towards, not because it broke new ground but because it leaned unapologetically into its genre.

Thematically, the song is stitched together with threads of longing, hope, and devotion—a familiar trifecta in the teen pop playbook.

The peppy instrumentation and sugar-coated chorus create a calculated optimism, ideal for an audience seeking harmless escapism from adolescent woes.

But beneath the sheen of bright melodies, there’s an underlying tension: the band’s palpable effort to stand out in a market drowning in boy-band saturation.

That’s not to say “Breathing” doesn’t have its merits—its hooks linger just enough to nudge you into a reluctant second listen.

Whether this track is a nostalgic guilty-pleasure or a forgotten relic depends entirely on how much resilience you have for its unrelenting earnestness.

At its best, it’s a snapshot of a time when pop music thrived on simplicity and formulaic charm; at its worst, it’s an audible distillation of everything late 90s critics rolled their eyes at.

Lyrics >> More by the same : Facebook

10 . L.A. Guns – The Ballad Of Jayne

Steeped in the neon-soaked theatrics of late-’80s glam metal, “The Ballad of Jayne” occupies a curious corner of L.A. Guns’ repertoire—a power ballad infused with melancholia and just enough grit to avoid full saccharine collapse.

Released in 1989 as part of their album “Cocked & Loaded,” this stripped-down meditation on loss flirts with classic rock tropes without fully committing to schmaltz-laden excess.

While fans often speculate its inspiration lies in the tragic life and death of Jayne Mansfield, the band remains ambiguous, a choice that enhances the song’s enigmatic allure.

Musically, it leans heavily on acoustic textures, pairing sentimental chord progressions with Phil Lewis’ unmistakable, slightly weathered vocals.

The track’s yearning ambiance is amplified by lyrics that walk the line between personal regret and universal heartbreak, pulling listeners into its wistful narrative.

Despite its commercial success—earning a respectable #33 spot on the Billboard Hot 100—the song transcends its chart performance to linger as a defining artifact of its era.

The accompanying music video, a low-budget love letter to glam-era theatrics, saw heavy rotation on MTV, further entrenching the song in the zeitgeist of late-’80s rock culture.

Favored in live sets, it has since been anthologized across various compilation albums, from “Greatest Hits and Black Beauties” to more intimate acoustic releases like “Hollywood Raw.”

More than thirty years later, “The Ballad of Jayne” continues to endure, navigating the fine line between nostalgia and relevance as it resides comfortably on playlists of glam aficionados and casual rock listeners alike.

Featured on the 1996 album “Cocked & Loaded”.

Lyrics >> Review >> More by the same : Official Site

11 . Boyzone – A Different Beat

“A Different Beat” by Boyzone steps into a rhythm-heavy, world-inspired landscape unlike much of the boyband fare that saturated the ’90s.

Produced by Ray Hedges, the song’s percussive backbone pairs surprisingly well with its earnest call for unity, evoking an ecological and cultural consciousness rarely associated with its peers in the charts.

Its November 1996 release as a single saw it skyrocket to the top spot on the UK and Irish Singles Charts, proving that a theme of harmonious coexistence still had commercial legs among a crowd not necessarily waving activist banners.

Visually, the music video commits hard to a tribal aesthetic, complete with atmospheric imagery and synchronized choreography brimming with faux-ritualistic energy.

What it lacks in cultural nuance, it makes up for in pop accessibility, a hallmark of producer Hedges’ approach.

Performed at high-profile spectacles like the Miss World Pageant, the track became an unignorable anthem for the band’s global ambitions.

As one of Boyzone’s first serious forays into writing their own material post-debut, the track amplifies both their heart-on-sleeve sincerity and their willingness to awkwardly tackle big ideas through unadorned pop machinations.

Featured on the 1991 album “A Different Beat”.

Lyrics >> Review >> More by the same : Official Site

12 . Madonna – Don’t Cry For Me Argentina

Madonna’s take on “Don’t Cry for Me Argentina” is as much a statement as it is a song, marrying theatrical grandeur with a pop star’s flair for reinvention.

Originally penned by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice for the 1976 musical *Evita*, the track finds new life in Madonna’s 1996 performance for the film adaptation, where she steps into the role of Eva Perón with a curious mix of reverence and movie-star audacity.

The production, helmed by Lloyd Webber and Nigel Wright, layers orchestral swells over Madonna’s measured vocal delivery, striking a balance between diva dramatics and restrained introspection.

Commercially, the song made its mark—it bolted into the top 10 in countries from the US to the UK, proving that the world was ready to see Madonna not just as a pop provocateur but also as a vessel for big-screen gravitas.

The Pablo Flores remix adds a club-friendly dimension, propelling the track to the top of the Billboard Dance Club Songs chart—a leap from operatic balladry to strobe-lit euphoria that only Madonna could convincingly achieve.

While the nostalgic yearning in the lyrics might evoke an air of wistfulness, Madonna’s delivery suggests the calculated confidence of someone who knows she’s in command of the narrative.

The accompanying music video splices together scenes from the film and concert footage, doubling as both a promotional tool and a visual reminder of the interplay between music and cinema in her career.

For all its drama, the song is less an intimate portrait of Eva Perón and more an exercise in Madonna’s ability to play chameleon—oscillating between historic gravitas and pop accessibility as effortlessly as she changes costumes.

Featured on the 1997 album “Evita”.

Lyrics >> Review >> More by the same : Official Site