1997’s novelty act of choice surprise us yet again by returning for a 3rd number single. Not only that, the surprise is increased by the fact that this is a ‘proper’ song!
Turn Back Time, by Aqua (their 3rd and final #1)
1 week, from 10th – 17th May 1998
No Barbie and Ken here, no ayypeeay-eh-oh. This is classy pop. The chord progressions in the verses have a sweeping drama to them, with the feel of a Bond theme in places. Give me time to reason, Give me time to think it through… It’s sung from the point of view of someone who has cheated, and who is owning their mistake. Give me strength, To face this test of mine… Lene’s voice, so chirpy and borderline annoying on their earlier hits, is rich here, and full of emotion. I often struggle to believe ballad singers, but she sounds genuinely guilty, and repentant.
Away from the vocals, the production is smooth nineties soul-funk. And (of course) that late-nineties preset drum beat is there, buried beneath some cool horns that make me think of Ace of Base. Maybe it’s a Scandi-pop thing and – while it does mean I’m going to lean into some national stereotyping – there is something in the clean, coolness of this that feels very Scandinavian.
Seriously, this is an excellent pop song. If it were by Madonna, and not the goons that brought us ‘Barbie Girl’, then this would not be half as forgotten as it currently is. The only thing I regret is that René’s gravelly tones don’t get a look in. I’m not sure how they could have made that work – maybe a bit of baritone harmonising – but it’s sad that he has been sidelined after two star turns. The only questionable part of this record is the jarring break in the middle, when the smoothness is broken by urgent horns and a grinding industrial beat. It’s certainly a choice – presumably meant to show the mental turmoil of the singer – and it just about works.
‘Turn Back Time’ featured on the soundtrack to the Gwyneth Paltrow film ‘Sliding Doors’, which I’ve not seen but which has one of the most famous premises in movie history. The video features plenty of scenes from the film, and also has the band re-enacting the plot, with Lene constantly missing trains and lift doors on the London Underground. Meanwhile their black leather jackets are very late-nineties chic.
Aqua were worth one more Top 10 hit from their breakthrough album, then one more when they released their second LP in 2000 (the showtune-tastic ‘Cartoon Heroes’). They split for most of the ‘00s, but reformed in 2008 and remain together to this day. They belatedly returned to the Top 10 last year, when their signature hit was reimagined by Nicki Minaj and Ice Spice ahead of the ‘Barbie’ movie.
The UK Number Ones Blog 
Yes sweetly sad and classy this one, I was quite surprised when it came out. I did see the film, so that helped, it’s a great premise for a movie – we all must wonder at times what would happen to us if we’d taken a different point in our lives. My idea of heaven would be to do a Groundhog Day existence and seeing how many very different lives one could lead. Some of them could easily be as tragic/happy ending as the film just to take the extremes. Parallel Universes basically. Cartoon Heroes is great fun, as is their version of I Am What I Am – it comes over very much like Turn Back Time, in sensitivity.
This is a fantastic song. Huge improvement over the past two chart-toppers (the All-Saints and Boyzone ones, not Aqua’s ones, which are still better than those two). Nothing much more to say. A moody Europop trip hop-influenced ballad, it gives me the feel. Really great vocals from Lene. I actually like the more industrial-influenced break.
This is big surprise coming from the group that gave us “Barbie Girl” and “Doctor Jones” to give us this type of song, and in some ways, that makes it better. Also, God, that music video is so late-90s/very early 2000s.
I like her voice a lot…thats been a recurring thing with me in the last three comments. Love her voice…It has character but…”lets fire up the casio” doesn’t. I know….I’m a kill joy lol. Nice melody also.
It is a recurring theme – 50% of pop songs in the late nineties had the same pre-set drumbeat. It’s really noticeable!
Yes it is…I may have to take back what I say about the 80s and 90s….but I never listened to huge hits in the 90s…except Sheryl Crow and artists like her.