I feel used

We're having another timeslip moment again, dear reader!

A rift in the space time continuum has dumped us (again) in 1997 - the year of Tony Blair, the loss of Hong Kong to China, "the McLibel case", the killing of 62 people at the Temple of Hatshepshut in Egypt, Katrina and the Waves, Titanic, Madeleine Albright and "Mad Cow Disease"; the births of South Park, Maisie Williams, Harry Potter and Channel 5; and the deaths of Laurie Lee, Billy Mackenzie, Gianni Versace and Princess Diana.

In the news in March '97: Pablo Picasso's Tête de Femme was stolen from a London gallery (but was later found); The Sun newspaper controversially "swapped sides" and pledged its support for Blair; thirty-nine members of the loony "Heaven's Gate" pseudo religious cult committed mass suicide in the USA; scandal erupted in Papua New Guinea when it was discovered that British mercenaries were being engaged by the PM to oust his opponents; in the ascendant were Comet Hale–Bopp (literally), Tara Lipinski (who, at 14, became the youngest women's world figure skating champion) and The English Patient (which won the Best Picture Oscar); but Jermaine Stewart (of We Don't Have To Take Our Clothes Off fame) became the latest casualty of AIDS. In our cinemas: Mars Attacks!, My Night with Reg and The Portrait of a Lady. On telly: the Comic Relief telethon, Formula One racing (for the first time shown on ITV after it won the rights) and Family Affairs (on the new Channel 5); and both Midsomer Murders and Teletubbies were first broadcast.

And in the UK charts twenty-one years ago this week? Naturally, it was the Spice Girls who ruled the roost at Number 1; while No Doubt, Fugees, Sash!, Bee Gees, Kula Shaker, Mark Morrison, Eternal, No Mercy and Ant & Dec made up the rest of the high numbers. However, just arrived outside the Top Ten, and destined to forever be an exemplar of '90s club-dom, was this one by the Sneaker Pimps (another fave here at Dolores Delargo Towers) - and whatever happened to them..?

Sneaker Pimps - Spin Spin Sugar (official video)

...but it was (of course) the marvellous remix [in the "Decade of Dance", everything had to have at least one remix, if not 27!] by flavour-de-jour Armand Van Helden that really made this a classic [I remember dancing to it on many an occasion]:

Sneaker Pimps - Spin Spin Sugar (Armand van Helden mix)

I'm everyone - I feel used
I'm everyone - I need you
I'm everyone - Hang your label on me
I'm everyone - Paint it black and white and easy
I want perfection - I'm real need
I've seen attention - See through me

I'm everyone - Sticks in me
I'm everyone - Sticks with me
Call on me - Spin spin sugar
Crawl on me - Spin spin sugar
Stinks on me - Spin spin sugar
Twists for me - Spin spin sugar

I've seen attention - See through me
I want perfection - I'm real need

I'm everyone - Sticks in me
I'm everyone - Sticks with me
Call on me - Spin spin sugar
Crawl on me - Spin spin sugar
Stinks on me - Spin spin sugar
Twists for me - Spin spin sugar

Sweet.