1997 - Request for Experiences
 

Hey all :D

Bit of a strange request this, but I am about to start my research for a book I want to write about the year 1997. I won't go into too much detail about the narrative (don't want to bore you all lol) but I would really like to hear any RYL member's thoughts and experiences about the year. I have my own memories etc but would like to hear from a broader range of people.

I need answers to the following questions really:

What music were you listening to in 1997?

What films were you watching etc?

Which news stories do you remember (there were a couple of biggies in 97, namely Diana's death and the Labour landslide, but what about any others, or news from elsewhere in the world)?

How did you feel about society at the time?

And also, any personal experiences if you wish to share them.

I am trying to recapture what it felt like at the time as obviously 13 years have passed and I am nearing 30 now as opposed to 16/17 I was back then. Please if you could help i'd be very grateful, you could share here or send me a PM if what you want to say is a bit personal (obviously anyone who PMs will have my utmost confidence, and don't worry I'm not going to steal your anecdote for the book lol, at least not without permission :P )

Thanks everyone!

I started out the year with 3 months intensive yoga self development course in a retreat centre in the middle of nowhere in Canada, then came home and failed to get out of teaching.
I remember nothing about society or news or anything like that then, really. I was too fixated on finding myself!

The only thing I remember from 1997 (I was about 10 then) is being really into the Spice Girls. They'd released their album "SPICE" and were all the big thing.

Yes! I was into Spice Girls then too :)
Well, I was probably into stuff like Noddy as well but I remember S Club 7, Britney Spears and Spice Girls from my younger years.

I vaguely remember Diana's death.

Oh yes, Princess Diana. I remember walking through my local park around that time. It was Autumn. I felt kind of melancholy.

They were amazing however, were confiscated from my (and most other) school/s!

1997... erm... I was 10 then, and I really can't remember much lol. Will have a think and see if anything comes to me

What music were you listening to in 1997?
Spice Girls, S Club 7, Aqua (don't laugh - I was six years old! 1997 was when they released their song 'Barbie Girl') and The Corrs.

What films were you watching etc?
The Lion King! Even though it had come out a few years prior, I watched it religiously when I was a kid.

And I don't really remember Diana's death. I do remember cyclone warnings being on tv during the wet season but that's not really unique to 1997.

pokemon cards =D and tamogotchis and warheads lol

^ Yeah, kids I was teaching had all of those things! [well, except when I was onto them, lol!]

I was 27 in 1997.

Thanks guys :D

I was 16/17 that year, left school and started college.

Stellata, I don't remember myself, but was yoga suddenly the big thing that year?

music, spice girls mainly,
news - for some reason my mum was up early that morning like as the diana story hit the news. i went down early myself, 6am-ish, to find her in tears and went up to break the news to the rest of the family. i was 10.

Badger, I don't think so. It might have been, but it was more a personal thing for me.

Thanks Stellata, I wasn't sure if that was the case or not. Btw I love your new avatar :)

The Diana thing really did feel at the time like our 'jfk' moment, although I think we've really now had two (9/11 being the other one). Whether you thought the media/public reaction was warranted or not, it was still a watershed moment.

I have been youtubing some music from around the time and looking through my own diaries, I hope to start writing next week :)

Keep the anecdotes etc coming though, it's all helpful.

pogs!! Walkers crisps did a special loony tunes set if I recall that year, with a special collectors book for them. I had the whole set but couldnt afford the book so my brother made one using sellotape and an old binder hehe.

http://v1.milkcapmania.co.uk/Tazo/Tazo_home.html

oh oh oh Ally McBeal came on that year, and titanic was relased.
Everyone went mad over the 3 hour film and Celin Dion hit the charts with the song from it.

If i rememebr right, wasnt that they year tellytubbies came onto tv? And a big fuss was kicked up over not teaching proper language. (I que'ed for like 3 hours that year to get a stupid Po doll at toys r us)

If it was the year spice girls was out, I was into hair crimping and platform trainers. I also owned a spice girls tshirt, I am just that cool. I spent my weekends canoeing and sailing (I remember as I used to wear my tshirt under the wet suit) hmm actully might have been around that time that those horrible chippy trainers were in style and jelly shoes.

Dolly the sheep was cloned that year too.

And if it was the year diana died, then so did mother Theresa as I was shocked at the amount of work she had done in her life, yet, her death was out shadowed by dianas funeral an such.

I was 7 and all i remember was being bummed cos in the aftermath of diana's death there was none of my usual kids tv programmes on and i didn't care (or really understand) who this diana lady was....lol

I think OJ Simpson's trial was that year, and maybe Lorena Bobbit, but I can't remember. Seems like it might have been before that. I was 11 for most of the year.

My Son Was Born!!!
And I Listened To Alot Of Matchbox Twenty, Lol.

I saw the Basketball diaries that year (although it may have been out before)
Titanic - Leonardo DiCaprio
An American Werewolf in Paris

I was very into Blink 182 - What's my age again?
Korn
Marilyn Manson

Spice girls of course and there was a lot of camo and leopard print around that time.

I think Pogs were earlier than 97 but I could be wrong.

I remember a lot of things but most of them are stories from 8th grade haha

I also remember the commercial for Bud Light I think where the Penguin sang Doo-be-doo-be-doo

Britpop was sort of still big but on its way out.

As said before, Aqua, The Corrs, Savage Garden, Spice Girls... UK garage was on the way up. Some great tracks coming out such as Masters At Work - To Be In Love, Run DMC vs Jason Nevins - It's Like That, stardust - Music Sounds Better With You. Those were probably the Summer tracks that defined 1997 for me :) The Verve - Bittersweet Symphony was a 1997 song too, iirc.

Oh, and Hanson. Mmmbop! I wanted to marry Taylor <3 Listened to their album Middle of Nowhere loooads too!

titanic was probably the big film I remember from then too. And the remainder of the romeo and Juliet hype leaving me totally loving Leo ;)