Latin rhythms and lalochezia

I certainly get lalochezia on the first day back to work after a Bank Holiday!

To divert attention from the creeping horror that overtakes us when we realise today is the meteorological Last Day of Summer, let's have another "timeslip moment"!

Today, we've leapt from the Nebuchadnezzar into the midst of the closing year of the millennium, 1999 [the year we moved to London] - the year of Kosovo, Clinton and David Copeland (who nail-bombed the Admiral Duncan gay bar); of Jill Dando's murder, Harold Shipman and the ascension of Putin; and the year the Scottish and Welsh parliaments, the Euro, Napster, MSN Messenger and the Millennium Dome were born.

In the news headlines in August '99: the solar eclipse over the UK [which was a bit of a "flash-in-the-pan", as I recall], outrage over the arrest of farmer Tony Martin for shooting a burglar in his home, a second war erupted in Chechnya, Charlie Kennedy became leader of the LibDems, and we bade a sad farewell to sports presenter Helen Rollason and one half of the Two Fat Ladies Jennifer Paterson. In our cinemas: Star Wars: The Phantom Menace; Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me; South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut. On telly: The Sopranos; Animals Do the Funniest Things; House Doctor.

And in our charts this week twenty-two years ago? The all-conquering Mambo No. 5 by Lou Bega had just crashed into the top slot, and there was a clutch of decent choons from Geri Halliwell, Moloko, Ricky Martin, Alice Deejay, Bran Van 3000, TLC and Another Level, and another dirge from Westlife making up the numbers.

But the second-highest entry in the Top 10 (destined never to reach the top, more's the pity) was another "Latin-flavoured" - and totally irresistible - classic; a makeover of an old Dean Martin hit, no less:

Shaft - (Mucho Mambo) Sway

When marimba rhythms start to play
Dance with me, make me sway
Like the lazy ocean hugs the shore, hold me close
Sway me more.(3x)

cha cha cha cha cha
cha cha cha cha cha cha cha
cha cha cha cha cha
cha cha cha cha cha cha cha

When marimba rhythms start to play
Dance with me, make me sway
Like the lazy ocean hugs the shore, hold me close
Sway me more.(4x)

I love it!

...but 22 years ago? Really?!

Make me sway

Ignoring as I have the hoo-ha over "Back To The Future 2 Day" and all that crap this week, our own little timewarp machine has instead deposited us back in this week in 2000.

Fifteen years ago, our news was occupied with the end of the tyranny of Slobodan Milošević in Serbia, repercussions arising from the Hatfield rail crash, and continued killings in the Israel-Palestine conflict; the UK's wettest autumn in 200 years was underway (with worse to come!); we bade farewell to First Minister of Scotland Donald Dewar, Wembley Stadium and the BBC Nine O'Clock News (which moved to 10pm); and on the big screen were Billy Elliot, Meet the Parents and The Contender.

In the charts? Miss Aguilera, Steps, Macy Gray, Shania Twain, Moby, 911, Chemical Brothers, Ann Lee and ATB were all riding high - but sliding down the charts after a massively successful summer was this one...

It's Shaft and their classy re-working of a Norman Gimbel jazz-pop standard [and not-so-classy video]:

Shaft - (Mucho Mambo) Sway

Ah, memories.