It's been over a year since the proper "Throwback" series began here on Chart Rigger—kicking off with Cola Boy's "7 Ways To Love"—and over time it's drifted more toward me getting overly-sentinmental and whiny.
So it's time to get back to some fun! During my first year away at university ('94-'95), practically everyone on my residence hall floor came out of the closet. Well, not everyone, but at least a third of the 30+ students living there. We've all pinpointed it to the gay Kool-Aid in the water fountain at this point.One of the guys, who lived across the hallway from me, went all out. Practically overnight, after his big, gay awakening, he hoisted up rainbow flags in his room and on his door, started wearing tight(er) T-shirts and, more importantly, bought two dance music compilations.
Actually, he bought a few more than that, but only two of them were good. One had Urban Cookie Collective's "The Key, The Secret" on it, a jam that reached #2 in the U.K. during summer 1993.
What is it about this song that never makes one tired of hearing it? Manchester, England-based Urban Cookie Collective threw all the elements of '90s Eurodance into the mix—uplifting melodies, hopeful lyrics, a wailing diva—but somehow they went above and beyond with "The Key, The Secret."My college friend went on to make us all mix tapes with the classy title "Queer Beats." There was lots of 2 Unlimited on there. But I only listened to Urban Cookie Collective.
Here are the vids for "The Key, The Secret" and the group's follow-up single, the equally-ecstatic "Feels Like Heaven" (U.K. #5):
The Very Best Of Urban Cookie Collective is available from iTunes.