On this Music Monday, let’s go back to a slightly more forgotten time in early 1990s alternative music.
Because, why not?
Confession: In a time when I didn’t openly listen to Adult Contemporary (at least, not in front of my peers), I listened to Alternative. I loved music in the mid-1990s. I had albums by No Doubt, Stone Temple Pilots, Oasis, and stuff that was popular for the time. Nowhere in my music collection was there Chicago, Kenny Loggins, or any kind of instrumental soundtrack or album. You would never have spotted a Chicago album among my music collection. Ever.
As I’ve moved through my twenties and into my thirties (my current situation is mid-30s, as you know), I’ve been able to find a balance between my teenage music love, and my “old soul” music love. Among that balance is one-hit wonders and songs by groups you probably have never heard of, along with groups you may not remember either.
Oh, and that one Tom Jones song. Thanks Beavis and Butthead and Pop-Up Video.
Anyway…
Dance school. The time period, the early-mid 1990s. I heard this one song in a rehearsal. Little kids class, lyrics about being an angel (but actually a devil), song that was cute but surprising for a class of younger kids. When I got the recital program after the first evening (tradition always was to give me the recital program after the first show), I found out the song was called “Divine Thing,” which I would never have known from the lyrics. I didn’t always understand song lyrics back then. I don’t have that issue these days.
So, the years pass, my music taste changes, I grow up, music taste evolves. I become interested in nostalgia, and once in a while, I cycle back to songs I remember but forgot so many years ago. “Divine Thing” winds up being one of those songs. However, I had a title, but no group to relate it back to. I couldn’t even place the vocals.
Yea for the internet.
I find out the group’s name is…The Soup Dragons.
It’s ok if you’ve never heard of them. I hadn’t until about seven years ago. In fact, I (for some reason) thought EMF sang today’s song of choice. I’d heard of them, but I also knew they only had one hit (“Unbelievable”), and that came out around the same time. But no, I was wrong. Not even close.
So, who are The Soup Dragons?
The Soup Dragons were a Scottish Alternative band, formed in 1985, and releasing five albums before disbanding in 1995. Their name comes from a character in the 1970s television show Clangers (a British children’s show). The group is perhaps best known for their cover of the Rolling Stones song “I’m Free,” which I remember from a cell phone commercial that was kinda like this, except not Australian:
I can’t seem to find anything on YouTube, but I swear, there is an American phone carrier commercial from the 90s that features this song!
Anyway, this is what they were most famous for. But, The Soup Dragons were hardly a one-hit wonder. With five albums, you had to have released a few songs people know, right?
“Divine Thing” was one of those songs. It was a Top 40 hit in the United States (#26 on the Billboard Hot 100, #24 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Chart, and #3 on the Billboard Modern Rock chart) in 1992, and was one of two singles released from their album Hotwired. It was their biggest hit in the states, and the music video that accompanied “Divine Thing” was nominated as one of the year’s best for the MTV Video Music Awards, but in the end, lost to Nirvana’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit” (no shocker, that video was very popular well into the 1990s).
I’ve never (shocker of shockers) seen this video before, well, this writing. I’ve always liked the song, but for some reason, never had the desire to look up the actual video. It definitely has the whole early 1990s MTV standard issue look and feel.
But I’ll let you judge!
The Soup Dragons disbanded in 1995, with its members going on to join/form different groups, or even move into different ventures altogether (drummer/guitarist/founding member Ross Sinclair has had a successful career in art, though he is still in music).
So, sort of a bummer, but we’ll always have the music, won’t we?
And there you have it, another Music Monday, and a song you may remember. As always, thanks for reading/listening/showing your support. Did you know that Music Monday has now been a regular feature for one year? It’s true!
Here’s what happened on the very first Music Monday, back on Monday, June 5, 2017.
Wow, surprise! It was a Chicago song!
To think, this was only going to be a summer feature last year, and we’ve been sharing wonderful music for 52 weeks. Not a bad thing to be.
Have a great day, and as always, enjoy the music!
Allison's Written Words