So, a new feature where I shall pick three songs that were clearly screaming to be huge hits - yet for some reason or another, never got the chance to be - some record companies just aren't quite sure what they're doing! Hopefully you will discover something great that you've never heard, or else re-discover something that you used to love!
Kylie Minogue - Made Of Glass
Australian pop princess Kylie wrote a few songs to be included on her 2004 hits compilation Ultimate Kylie - ultimately, the two that made it on there were the excellent I Believe In You - a UK #2 single, and the far less interesting Giving You Up which was nonetheless a top ten hit for Kylie in 2005. What was for more interesting was the b-side of Giving You Up, the stunning electro pop stunner Made Of Glass, one of the finest songs that Kylie had recorded since the Fever era. With a brilliant infectious 'love makes the world go round' chorus, it's quite unbelivable that this was left to forever rot as a b-side to an inferior parent a-side.
Maria Haukaas Storeng feat Mira Craig - Mine All Mine
Talented and quirky Norwegian/American singer Mira Craig wrote a number of songs for Norwegian singer Maria's second solo album Hold On Be Strong, which was released off the back of her 2008 Eurovision entry of the same name. One of the songs was a duet between the singer's, both popular in their own right in Norway. A glorious faux-Motown pop song with extremely subtle electro undertones, it perfectly fit into the 2008 music scene which was dominated by the sound. Had somebody made the wise decision to send this to UK radio, it would have been the sound of the summer and lapped up by commercial radio. Sadly they didn't, and it wasn't...
Amy MacDonald - Barrowland Ballroom
Scottish singer Amy MacDonald's album was absolutely huge all over Europe, and deservedly so, it was packed with stunning melodies and thoughtful lyrics. But my summer 2007 anthem had to be the jaunty album track Barrowland Ballroom. A feel good song, incredibly infectious and showed a completely different and more interesting side to Amy. She made some great single choices; This Is The Life, Mr Rock & Roll and Poison Prince - but as much as I loved L.A. and Run, whoever picked them as singles over this really needed a thorough talking to - this song would have seriously helped to sell the album to an audience not won over by the other singles.
Jason Mraz feat James Morrison - Details In The Fabric
There can't have been two bigger singers 12 months ago than Jason Mraz, and his British equivalent James Morrison. The idea of them duetting together sounded as bland as hell on paper but in fact they came up with this gorgeous ballad, with both voices complementing each other beautifully. Maybe a bit too long to be a single at near six minutes, but there are easily bits of this song that could have been chopped out without having too much of an effect. Radio love this pair, and would have loved this song had it been a joint follow up to I'm Yours and Broken Strings. Make It Mine and Please Don't Stop The Rain somehow didn't seem quite as effective...
Delta Goodrem - Predictable
Ok, so it was a #1 hit in Australia, but why did this never even get talked about for a UK release? After the opening ballad of Born To Try, the more poppy Lost Without You and the dramatic Innocent Eyes, Delta reverted back to ballad territory with Not Me, Not I for the fourth single. Throw It Away was rumoured as a fifth single in early 2004 but the album had already sold over 3 quarters of a million copies in the UK by this point so was unlikely to be a point and was panned. Predictable I feel would have helped to push the album that bit further, and easily given Delta a fifth straight top 20 hit from it. Easily one of the most relevant and more interesting pop songs on Innocent Eyes, it would have appealed to casual listeners, I'm absolutely sure of it because all of the friends that I played this track to who didn't like Delta, did love this song. A very silly choice not letting this see the light of day here...
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