16TH NOVEMBER

 

 

Into decline already, “Dizzy” still remains very healthily in front of the field with another 61,000 buyers last week, that makes 216,000 in its first month, not bad in terms of the year. His album arrives at No 16 as Reeves announces that he will be issuing a Christmas single, talking of which we’ll do our annual review of the runners and riders in a few weeks.

 

 

 

Circulating in clubland for many months and featuring a raft of uncleared samples The Basshead’s are the latest dance album on Deconstruction to hit it big as “Is There Anybody Out There” debuts at No 8 (21,000) just one week after the fifth top 40 hit for the label did exactly the same for K-Klass. “Rhythm Is A Mystery” surges 8-3 (33,000) which is exactly what the Bassheads will be hoping for next week, their song features samples from Pink Floyd, Talking Heads, and The Osmonds which all makes it rather eclectic to say the least. It is the 32nd track to debut in the top 10, yes that’s a new record folks!

 

 

 

The KLF are back, well under a pseudonym “Justified Ancients Of Mu Mu” or the JAM’s with a song “It’s Grim Up North” which was originally released in a limited 12” form last December with Pete Wylie on vocals. Now re-worked with Drummond on the mic the song takes its inspiration from the inscription on a bridge over the M1 and proceeds to list many northern towns before sliding into an orchestrated version of “Jerusalem”. It marks the first time that the same group has made the top 10 under three different guises, it rises 18-10 (18,000).

 

 

2 Unlimited rebound 3-2 (40,000) though they lose ground on Reeves & The Wonder Stuff, Kylie & Keith float 7-4 (30,000) making it her biggest single of 1991. A couple of falling chart toppers up next, U2 drop 2-5 (28,000) and with the single now deleted it should hurtle south, and Bryan Adams is also descends 4-6 (27,000). Kiri Te Kanawa ebbs 5-7 (25,000) with Genesis bounding back 6-9 (20,000) as their album “We Can’t Dance” in the shops this week. Next week sees the return of Michael Jackson!

 

 

1- DIZZY- Vic Reeves/ Wonder Stuff (61,000)

2- GET READY FOR THIS- 2 Unlimited (40,000)

3- RHYTHM IS A MYSTERY- K Klass (33,000)

4- IF YOU WERE HERE WITH ME- Kylie Minogue & Keith Washington (30,000)

5- THE FLY- U2 (28,000)

6- (EVERYTHING I DO) I DO IT FOR YOU- Bryan Adams (27,000)

7- WORLD IN UNION- Kiri Te Kanawa (25,000)

8- IS THERE ANYBODY OUT THERE?- Bassheads (21,000)

9- NO SON OF MINE- Genesis (20,000)

10- IT’S GRIM UP NORTH- Justified Ancients Of Mumu (18,000)

 

The K Klass and Bassheads songs definitely do sound more like early 1991 dance (house) than late 1991 dance (breakbeats and rave synths) so I am not surprised to learn they have been circulating for a while on the dance floors before finally being released.

Edited November 12, 20213 yr by 30 Spells Snakey

23RD NOVEMBER

 

 

It’s been four years in the making but the new Michael Jackson album is almost with us and that of course means an epic video. The 11 minute promo for “Black Or White” was premiered in the UK on TOTP in its entirety this week the same day that the single was available (Thursday) but in just 3 days the song sold 72,000 to effortlessly become Jackson’s fourth solo chart topper but his first to arrive instantly at the top. Indeed Jackson is the first US artist to do that since Elvis in 1960, his lead was so great that he should easily retain the top spot for a few weeks, and in terms of debuts at No 1, 1991 now equals 1973 when 4 singles turned the trick. The arrival of two new tracks into the top 10 also marks the first time in chart history (or at least since the charts became a top 20) that there has been a new entry in the top flight for five consecutive weeks!

 

 

The promo incidentally caused calls to the BBC and complaints about the violence it contained within, all of which naturally generated headlines and sales so either way it was all good for sales, “Dangerous” the album is available this Thursday and will have to go some to do battle with the U2 album “Achtung Baby” which is also expected to be a massive seller and will have the advantage of three days sales over the Jackson LP.

 

With the arrival of such an eagerly anticipated single last week’s best seller stood little chance and sure enough Vic Reeves & The Wonder Stuff retreat 1-2 (49,000) and similarly force 2 Unlimited down 2-3 (35,000).

 

 

Shelley’s Laserdome club in Stoke On Trent is an unlikely spot to be on the national map as significant but that club is currently benefiting from the close of the Hacienda in Manchester last year and is now the epicentre of the British rave scene. If you’ve never been there then you can at least see the car park in the video for Altern-8’s “Active-8 (Come With Me)” which bounds 11-4 (32,000), the rave duo have garnered a reputation for themselves turning up at outdoor rave events and playing, it all seems to have paid off for them, first single “Infiltrate 202” made No 28 but can this go all the way?

 

 

 

Seal’s had a fantastic year with “Crazy” making no 2 in January and two other top 20 singles coupled with the chart topping eponymous album in June. The album has already shifted 300,000 and rockets 42-20 this week as the fourth track is culled from it “Killer”. It of course Seal’s solo version of the Adamski song which topped the charts for 4 weeks last year and introduced us all to his voice though Seal was uncredited on it, it’s actually an EP entitled “Killer….On The Loose” and contains his version of Jimi Hendrix’s “Hey Joe” among its other tracks, it climbs 14-8 (23,000) to round off a great year. It also comes with a 3D video which was recently premiered on “Going Live” a few weeks ago and must have helped here.

 

 

 

Talking of the west midlands, this week we have not only Altern-8 new in the top 10 but also Bizarre Inc, a three piece from Stafford who used to include Mark Archer, he’s now a producer and co-produced the Altern 8 track! You may have heard of them thanks to their last single “Such A Feeling” making No 13 in September, but before that they released three singles which failed before “Playing With Knives” made No 43, clearly buoyed by the success of their last single they’ve re-released the track and now debuts instantly at No 9 (21,000). The song samples a 1990 club hit by Circuit called “Shelter Me” in case you wondered where the vocals came from.

 

 

 

The current US No 1 single trundles 31-10 (19,000) and marks a return to favour for Michael Bolton, his first UK hit “How Am I Supposed To Live Without You” went to No 3 and became his first US chart topper but his second UK album “Time Love & Tenderness had failed to give the singer a UK top 20 single until now though it has itself been certified platinum after peaking at No 2. His version of Percy Sledge’s “When A Man Loves A Woman” should continue to climb now, it’ll be hoping to at least match the No 2 of the original on re-issue in 1987 thanks to a Levi advert.

 

 

Bassheads progress 8-5 (31,000) as labelmates K-Klass fall back 3-6 (27,000) and Kylie & Keith falter 4-7 (24,000).

 

 

1- BLACK OR WHITE- Michael Jackson (72,000)

2- DIZZY- Vic Reeves/ Wonder Stuff (49,000)

3- GET READY FOR THIS- 2 Unlimited (35,000)

4- ACTIV 8 (COME WITH ME)- Altern 8 (32,000)

5- IS THERE ANYBODY OUT THERE- Bassheads (31,000)

6- RHYTHM IS A MYSTERY- K Klass (27,000)

7- IF YOU WERE WITH ME NOW- Kylie Minogue & Keith Washington (24,000)

8- KILLER...EP- Seal (23,000)

9- PLAYING WITH KNIVES- Bizarre Inc (21,000)

10- WHEN A MAN LOVES A WOMAN- Michael Bolton (19,000)

 

With Altern-8, K-Class, The Bassheads and Bizarre Inc, that is such as fabulously 1991 dance top 10!

16TH NOVEMBER

 

 

The KLF are back, well under a pseudonym “Justified Ancients Of Mu Mu” or the JAM’s with a song “It’s Grim Up North” which was originally released in a limited 12” form last December with Pete Wylie on vocals. Now re-worked with Drummond on the mic the song takes its inspiration from the inscription on a bridge over the M1 and proceeds to list many northern towns before sliding into an orchestrated version of “Jerusalem”. It marks the first time that the same group has made the top 10 under three different guises, it rises 18-10 (18,000).

 

 

 

I think it was a mistake not calling themselves KLF for this. It could have been a bigger hit.

 

If you look at all the other dance singles in the top 10, while they were groundbreaking in different ways, the sophistication of the production on this is way ahead of them. I dont think the rest of dance music caught up until Music for the Jilted Generation or Dubnobasswithmyheadman.

Incredible top 10 with all those sorta underground dance tracks

I remember being so disappointed with Jacko's comeback at the time

That Jacko video is great until the 12 years of over indulgent rubbish at the end.

The Bizarre Inc song is great although I am surprised it was not banned with that title, and the Altern8 track is good too (although the acid synths are a bit like musical marmite). Altern8 also had a unique visual look from a time when wearing face masks was seen as odd! Bassheads and K-Klass are good but being more early 1991 style house are a little bit dull in comparison imo to the rave sound that was now dominating.

 

Also I didn't know the MJ Black or White music video was as much as 11 minutes long! :o

Edited November 13, 20213 yr by 30 Spells Snakey

The face changing special effects are still pretty fluid.

The face changing special effects are still pretty fluid.

Yes, they are still really impressive all these years on.

Agreed, it really does still look great. I still really like Black Or White, it’s held up pretty well I think

Having watched the most recent TOTP episode on BBC Four, Send Me An Angel by Scorpions was a great new discovery, reminds me a bit of Chris De Burgh - A Spaceman Came Calling which is a very good thing imo, really nice song, I prefer it to Wind of Change. It only made #27 in the UK sadly.

Edited November 13, 20213 yr by 30 Spells Snakey

That Jacko video is great until the 12 years of over indulgent rubbish at the end.

I agree. I'd never seen the whole video before but the end seemed rather pointless. They should have continued on the scenes between the boy and his father, maybe showing the father coming back home.

 

At first I thought the actor who plays Mcaulay Culkins father was John Candy, but it's actually George Wendt from Cheers .

Edited November 13, 20213 yr by fiesta

I've got “It’s Grim Up North” on CD Single! I bought it so I could get it played at the end of year night at Uni as it wasn't available any other way- what an amazing track!

 

That 'The North Shall Rise Again' banner <3

 

16TH NOVEMBER

 

 

The KLF are back, well under a pseudonym “Justified Ancients Of Mu Mu” or the JAM’s with a song “It’s Grim Up North” which was originally released in a limited 12” form last December with Pete Wylie on vocals. Now re-worked with Drummond on the mic the song takes its inspiration from the inscription on a bridge over the M1 and proceeds to list many northern towns before sliding into an orchestrated version of “Jerusalem”. It marks the first time that the same group has made the top 10 under three different guises, it rises 18-10 (18,000).

 

 

The recent chart (17 November 1991) is the first debut for Take That - “Promises” debuting and peaking at 38. But I'm more excited about next week's Top 10 superstar debut...

I had no idea you were such a fan of Diana Ross?

Playing With Knives...... Tune!!!!!

The recent chart (17 November 1991) is the first debut for Take That - “Promises” debuting and peaking at 38.

 

I am guessing that made top 40 mostly as a result of a lot of airplay on Manchester local radio stations?

Edited November 14, 20213 yr by 30 Spells Snakey

More likely that they are doing tours of schools. A novel move we'll see if it pays off...

The recent chart (17 November 1991) is the first debut for Take That - “Promises” debuting and peaking at 38.

 

And another iconic 90s band, M People, also make their chart debut around the same time with How Can I Love You More? peaking at #29

I had no idea you were such a fan of Diana Ross?

 

How could you not??!

 

And another iconic 90s band, M People, also make their chart debut around the same time with How Can I Love You More? peaking at #29

 

Oh my, and the M stands for Manchester??

 

I should give a shout out to “2√231” which peaks at #24 on this chart for Anticappella. The only irrational number ever to chart I think (in b4 Bré inevitably claims some other obscure hit that I've forgotten).

 

 

BANGER.