I was very down on B*Witched’s debut single, ‘C’est la Vie’. So down that I named it as a Very Worst Number One. At the same time, I’ve long been touting their second chart-topper as a lost classic…
Rollercoaster, by B*Witched (their 2nd of four #1s)
2 weeks, from 27th September – 11th October 1998
Which was risky, considering I hadn’t listened to ‘Rollercoaster’ in two decades or more. What if I actually hate it? Well here we are, and I am happy to announce that this is a decent little pop record. Yes, another spoken word intro had me fearing the worst, but this one actually makes sense, with the girls on their way up a rollercoaster (I can’t believe I’m doing this…!) And thankfully there’s not an Irishism in earshot!
The verses are okay, lilting guitars and organs, and lines about sailing the seven seas. The bridge is great though: very, um, Beatlesy. Seriously, it’s ‘Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band’. And then the chorus has hints of T. Rex (Come on, Get it on, Riding in a rollercoaster of love…) Beatles! T Rex! No ‘begorrahs’! What’s not to love? This is light years better than ‘C’est la Vie’.
Okay, there is another Irish fiddle interlude, presumably contractually obliged in case listeners even briefly forget where the band come from. But this one is bearable, enjoyable even. The complete opposite of the demented jig from ‘C’est la Vie’. And there is also still a lot of double-denim in the video, but fashion faux-pas can be forgiven when the songs are good.
Is ‘Rollercoaster’ a lost classic, though…? I guess, probably not. I perhaps oversold it slightly. It’s not the greatest pop song ever. Or of the decade. Or even of the year. But it has an understated charm that its predecessor completely lacked, and a couple of really catchy hooks.
I suppose when your debut is so gimmicky, then you have to come back with something strong as a second single. More of the same; but not quite the same. Aqua managed it with ‘Doctor Jones’, and B*Witched managed it here. They wouldn’t be one-hit wonders. There are even signs that their team were trying to add a bit of edge to them, with lines like You’ll soon be high… Though I’m not sure anyone was convinced by the We’re not nice, We’re cool as ice line… It may be an enjoyable pop song, but B*Witched were still teenyboppers through and through.
The UK Number Ones Blog 
I really enjoy “C’est la Vie” due to how bubblegum it is (I wasn’t alive yet when it came out so maybe if I had been I would be annoyed by it), but this is the superior song. A very well-constructed pop song. I actually added to my playlist when commuting. I did not realise how Beatlesque the bridges are until you pointed it out. Also, the fiddle interlude is something I can imagine The Beatles doing in 1967. The chorus and the bridges are great. Verses are functional but the choruses and bridges really make this song standout. I’m also like the other girls get quick vocals spots in the song too.
I actually went through a little bit of a B*Witched obsession a few weeks ago – I have no idea why, I think it was because I thought the black-haired Greek one was cute as hell – and one thing I noticed from watching their music videos is that their appearance and look changes a lot between all their videos. They look like they aged 10 years in between this song and their first single – they look like teenagers in that – especially the red-haired lead singer. I thought she was a different person at first. The blue denim look is so cheesy but it’s kinda cute too. And then their 3rd single they look very different, and their 4th single they look completely unrecognisable from how they looked in their first. I also didn’t realise how quickly the hits began to dry up for them.
I hadn’t noticed the aging thing, but I do think there was an obvious effort to make this whole song – the sound, the lyrics, the look – a bit more adult-oriented than C’est la Vie. Which made sense.
And yeah, even though there was only a year between the two albums, the 2nd LP’s singles’ chart performance fell off a cliff. I could sing the chorus to all 4 of their number ones, but don’t remember a note of any of the 2nd album’s singles, which tells you something from the perspective of a casual listener.
Were they like an Irish female “Backstreet Boys” kind of thing?
Haha yes, I guess so! Definitely a girl group aimed at filling the gap left as the Spice Girls started to split up.
Gotcha.
Def not as annoying as C’Est La Vie, and it’s 25 years since I heard this – I don’t hate it! I wouldn’t call it a major pop achievement or anything, and I’m not going to dig it out again as I play it for a second time, but it’s inoffensive enough and suitable for pre-teens and mildly singalong. It sounds more to me like All Saints for 12 year old’s, minus the naughtiness, production, vocal ability and sass but with added fiddle.
Hmm that doesn’t come over as that complimentary, actually, but hey I was 40 and very much not target-audience…. 🙂
Ah to be sure, it’s a decent enough pop record. I remember a friend at the time owning the CD single, but like you I hadn’t heard the whole song for many a year.
Again, I’ve got a soft spot for this one. I don’t think I’d ever seen the video before and it’s slightly irritating, but that apart it’s OK. Smart work, as the little nick from ’Sergeant Pepper’ had never dawned on me until you mentioned it!
>
Yes, I think it helps to not watch the videos if you want to enjoy a B*Witched single… A bit too much forced zany-ness, I’d say
I saw some of you talk about this group before…I never heard of them but yea…for what they do…it is a decent pop song. I can’t disagree with you there.
At first I thought you were talking about the TV show!
Haha no! Though I have fond memories of watching reruns of Bewitched on weekday mornings, if I was off sick : )