Writing about Theophilus London yesterday, I recalled that from the first time I’d featured the genre-blending rapper/singer, I’d wanted to post some love for P.M. Dawn, the ’90s hip-hop sibling duo that also defied easy categorization, embracing Top 40 pop one minute and classic rock the next.

Many months after my initial inclination, P.M. Dawn finally gets their day in the sun today. As it so happens, the song that I’d selected to spotlight way back when, “Downtown Venus,” debuted on the Billboard Hot 100 on this very date in 1995. It was the first single from Jesus Wept, the Cordes brothers’ third studio album.

Sampling Deep Purple’s “Hush,” “Downtown Venus” is really one of the best examples of the synthesis of sound that P.M. Dawn did like no one else. The single topped out at #48 and spent just seven weeks on the charts, a real shame. Prince Be and DJ Minute Mix fared only slightly better with the song on the Modern Rock chart, reaching #39. Hear here:

If you prefer some P.M. Dawn visual stimulation, watch the “Downtown Venus” video over at ArtistDirect.

Purchase P.M. Dawn – “Downtown Venus” via iTunes.