390) Neneh Cherry - Raw Like Sushi

We are back on Top of the Pops, and a woman is on singing her debut hit, she’s dancing away seven months pregnant rapping and then hitting the chorus with a great voice and really annoying me.

Why? I know her, I can’t think why but I know her, but this is pre internet, Buffalo Stance is a wonderful song, something fresh and she is not holding back and looks fantastic.

How do I know her, over time you find these things out. I own The The Infected and there she is duetting with Matt Johnson on Slow Train to Dawn and I also buy Big Audio Dynamites video collection and again she is with Mick and the band plus Strummer, Simonon and Lydon dancing away as one of the backing singers on Medicine Show, why did we not have the internet back in 1989?

She followed her top ten debut with another huge hit Manchild, this was not as immediate as Buffalo but really showed her vocals, a ballad with an added edge, its aged better than Buffalo and this was enough to convince me to buy the album on release.

There is a salsa feel to Kisses on the Wind with added Spanish thrown in, also released as a single she has started her debut with three bangers.

Inner City Mamma the chorus and the piano break show she was the lead but was happy to work alongside many collaborators (including Massive Attack, Nellie Hooper, Tim Simonon and her husband Cameron McVey) everyone bringing something to the mix.

The Next Generation with the scratching and the annoying voices in the background and the beats have dated, if you heard it for the first time you would guess it’s an 80’s track, and not a great one at that and although better Love Ghetto and Heart are album tracks and nothing more.

Phoney Ladies has a similarity to Manchild with a more hard hitting chorus, I wouldn’t argue with her and Outre Risqué Locomotive would have not been out of the place on a Prince album at the time.

Here I Come I love the sassy nature of the track and although I’m not a huge fan of rap she delivers and I love the minimal beats and instruments on the chorus, a positive finish.

I thought she was going to be huge and although subsequent albums followed she never achieved this level of success again but she certainly was a welcome distraction at the time and if she is alright for Matt and Mick then she’s alright for me.

6/10

GIVE IT A STREAM: Manchild