Kim APPLEBY: s.t [cassette tape] 1990. Check audio (whole album, all songs) and videos “Don’t Worry”, “G.L.A.D.”, “mama”, “If You Cared”

Description

Kim Appleby (born 28 August 1961, London), is a mixed-race English singer, songwriter and actor. She participated in the duo Mel and Kim, with her sister Melanie Appleby, until her sister death from cancer. Her father is Jamaican and her mother is English.

With the aid of her boyfriend, ex-Bros bassist Craig Logan, Kim launched a solo career with much of her debut solo album composed of songs cowritten with Mel, for what was intended to be the next “”Mel and Kim”” album. The album, “”Kim Appleby””, contained her debut solo single “”Don’t Worry”” which reached number two on the British charts in November 1990. A follow up single “”G.L.A.D.”” was a UK #10 hit. Subsequent singles from her debut album were “”Mama”” [#19] and “”If You Cared”” [#44].
Kim Appleby (album tracklisting) |1990| Parlophone

1. “”Don’t Worry””
2. “”Mama””
3. “”If You Cared””
4. “”Downtown Clown””
5. “”I’ll Be There””
6. “”G.L.A.D.””
7. “”Hey You””
8. “”What Did I Do Wrong?””
9. “”Dodgy People””
10. “”Teach Me””

“Don’t Worry” is the debut solo single of English musician Kim Appleby from her self-titled debut solo album (1990). This was Appleby’s first solo-single after the death of her sister Mel. The song addresses the process of getting over being heartbroken. With the aid of her then boyfriend, ex-Bros bassist Craig Logan, Kim launched a solo career with much of her debut solo album composed of songs co-written with Mel, for what was intended to be the next Mel and Kim album. The new album showed Appleby in a more prominent, soulful role, although the tongue-in-cheek humour of Mel & Kim still remained.

Released on 22 October 1990, the song reached number two on the UK Singles Chart in November 1990 and entered the top 40 throughout Europe. The single was also one of the best played singles on both IR stations and the BBC for a month. Additionally it peaked within the Top 10 in Austria, Belgium, Finland, Germany, Ireland, the Netherlands and Switzerland. On the Eurochart Hot 100, “Don’t Worry” reached number seven in December 1990. In Zimbabwe, the single reached number one in January 1991.

Pan-European magazine Music & Media described the song as a “hit-bound record with a strong Motown (Supremes) feel. Co-written by Appleby and former Bros member Craig Logan, this is an up-tempo, cheerful and well produced song.” Selina Webb from Music Week wrote that this release “is tinged with considerable sadness, as it should have been performed by a duo.” She added that it “lacks the SAW magic but stands up as an easily-consumed pop song which should bop its way easily into the charts.” R.S. Murthi from New Straits Times said it “sounds so much like Stock/Aitken/Waterman that you’re disappointed to discover that it’s not their work.” Tom Doyle from Smash Hits noted that the song is “something of a bouncy singalong SAW-type affair” and added that Appleby’s voice is “consistently strong and tuneful”

“G.L.A.D” is a 1991 song by English singer, songwriter and actress Kim Appleby, released as the second single from her debut solo album, Kim Appleby. It was co-written by her with her sister, Melanie Appleby and Craig Logan. The remix features a rap from Aswad vocalist Brinsley Forde. It peaked at number ten on the UK Singles Chart for two weeks in February 1991. “G.L.A.D” also peaked at number five in Luxembourg, number six in Belgium and number seven in Ireland.

A reviewer from Liverpool Echo called the song “cheerful and catchy.  Pan-European magazine Music & Media commented, “The well-known PWL-vibe, sometimes known as ‘the sound of a bright young Britain’ strikes back. G.L.A.D. stands for Good Lovin And Devotion, and is taken from Appleby’s solo debut album as the follow-up to Don’t Worry. It’s solid but not exactly profound. Newcastle Evening Chronicle described it as “bouncy bubbly pop”, noting that Appleby co-wrote it with late sister Mel and ex Bros Craig Logan.