It’s Thursday, and midday, which would thus make this the optimum time to revisit another UK chart smash from exactly twenty years ago. It’s time for The Story of Pop: 2000. This week: the last of our 1999 hangover hits that gained a second wind in the new millennium…
The groundswell of support for UK garage music that had really got started in 1999 only continued to expand into the new millennium, and this was one of the big records to ensure that was the case. Comprising London based producer Joel Samuels and rapper Michael Rose, DJ Luck & MC Neat (for it is they) had first released the brooding, atmospheric 2-step banger ‘A Little Bit Of Luck’ on a limited white label.
It wasn’t long however, before it crossed over out of the clubs and into a full commercial release in December 1999. However, lost among the Christmas number one rush, ‘A Little Bit of Luck’ was only initially able to debut at #18. But rather than fall away fast, something even more unusual happened.
As the seasonal hits fell away to nothing sales wise once Y2K dawned, it showed itself to be a resilient record, bouncing around the top 20 for just over a month straight. It was in its sixth week on the chart by the time it came to rest at its peak position of #9, spending a further three weeks inside the top 10 to boot and selling over 200,000 copies.
A couple more top 10 hits and another three top 40 hits of lesser degrees of success followed for DJ Luck & MC Neat until 2002. They still attract a big following on the retro club and garage revival circuit – they even made a cameo appearance at Olly Murs’ headline set at V Festival in 2015. But this week, we toast the success of ‘A Little Bit Of Luck’. Altogether now: “Holla with da rinsin’ sound, holla with da rinsin’ sound…”
Don’t forget to follow our brand new playlist on Spotify – updated weekly so you never miss a song from the story of pop in 2000. And you can leave your memories of the songs below in the comments or Tweet us, using the hashtag #StoryofPop2000.
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