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[Gezza]

31ST DECEMBER



So the big day arrives and somewhat bizarrely the Christmas Chart wasn’t revealed until Boxing Day but no matter for Cliff Richard who is celebrating both the festive No 1 single and album this week in a complete domination of the field. “Mistletoe & Wine” sold a simply astonishing 213,000 copies last week, the first single to break the 200,000 mark since Band Aid back in 1984 and it brings the song’s total to 705,000 as it just, and I mean “just”, passes Yazz’s “The Only Way Is Up” as the year’s best seller inching past on Christmas Eve.





In the end the victory was relatively convincing for Richard, Kylie & Jason spend a fourth week at the runner up spot but they are back to increasing to their sales by 72% in fact to 187,000 to see “Especially For You” chase “Mistletoe & Wine” through the YTD chart with 488,000 copies to date enough for No 7 on that list.





Even though it’s Christmas there are two new tracks inside the top 10, Neneh Cherry is attracting pretty much universal critical acclaim at present with her single “Buffalo Stance” but most critics would be none too pleased to find out it started life as a S/A/W co-penned track for a group called Morgan-McVey and featured Cherry on guitar in the promo (McVey is Cherry’s boyfriend). The B-Side was an alternative version featured Cherry on lead vocals with alternative lyrics and it’s this version that forms the current “Buffalo Stance” single. She’s had the song produced by the infinitely more credible Tim Simenon of Bomb The Bass who has slung in some samples from Malcolm McLaren’s “Buffalo Gals” (which explains in part the title) along with Miami’s “Chicken Yellow” to give us the single that moves 13-7 (41,000)





“Two Hearts” dips 8-10 (32,000) this week but it’s now not the only Collins/ Dozier collaboration in the top 10 as it is joined by “Loco In Acapulco” which is performed by The Four Tops and comes from the “Buster” soundtrack hence the connection to Collins. The group have had something of a renaissance this year with a new album “Indestructible” and a remixed “Reach Out, I’ll Be There” making No 11 back in August thanks to a PWL remix, now they have a 11th top 10 single in their 25 year chart career though a first in 7 years.







As you might expect with a sales period of 18-24th December sales are all on the up with some spectacular sales even below the top 2, Erasure hold at No 3 (78,000)





and Angry Anderson sticks at No 4 (75,000)





with Status Quo getting the Christmas party started right 7-5 (54,000),





and though falling even Inner City (5-6) attract 45,000 buyers





with Bros falling 6-8 but getting a sales increase to 39,000.



1- MISTLETOE AND WINE- Cliff Richard (213,000)
2- ESPECIALLY FOR YOU- Kylie Minogue & Jason Donovan (187,000)
3- CRACKERS INTERNATIONAL EP- Erasure (78,000)
4- SUDDENLY- Angry Anderson (75,000)
5- BURNING BRIDGES (ON AND OFF AND ON AGAIN)- Status Quo (54,000)
6- GOOD LIFE- Inner City (45,000)
7- BUFFALO STANCE- Neneh Cherry (41,000)
8- CAT AMOUNG THE PIGEONS/ SILENT NIGHT- Bros (39,000)
9- LOCO IN ACAPULCO- The Four Tops (37,000)
10- TWO HEARTS- Phil Collins (32,000)

Top 10 in pics