This seemed like a really great episode of TOTP, one classic after another in the studio for me with Jade, Robin S, The Bluebells and Sybil all performing. I'd have liked to have seen more of the Bowie record shown, and less of the Cliff one although it has a catchy melody - the production on it is very 'The Lion King' although it preceded that by a year.

Ah Young at Heart! One of the first songs I ever remember hearing as a child as it was played a lot on radio after it became a hit for this second time!

 

I thought it was an early 90s song when I was younger too, it fits into the pre-Britpop jangle pop sound of the early 90s like James - Sit Down I think! It's a pity the Bluebells didn't follow it up with another hit later in 1993.

 

And an old song returning to the chart now on TOTP repeats on BBC 4 makes a nice parallel with what has recently happened in the chart nowadays!

Edited July 17, 20223 yr by The Sake

for the first time I checked the Bananarama original and it's not that great...

 

Agreed, Bluebells did it way better.

 

Interesting that on the same show Bananarama popped up with a clip of their cover of More, More, More, their final hit for 12 years, by which time Rachel Stevens had recently had a much bigger hit with a cover of the same song!

Wow the original is almost unrecognisable, it’s 100% album filler and skippable. Just shows you how the same song can go in radically different directions depending on who’s involved.

3RD APRIL

 

 

There was a great tussle at the top of the charts this week with Snow the early chart leader though he was never comfortably free with the re-issued Bluebells track and Shaggy always within striking distance. Only 5,000 copies the three by the time the shops shut on Saturday and it was The Bluebells who triumphed as they rose 5-1 (67,000) benefiting from a reformed band playing TOTP, “Young At Heart” was co-written by Bananarama’s Siobhan Fahey who was also at No 1 this time last year with Shakespears Sister and so will get another boost for her bank balance with this.

 

 

Shaggy dips 1-2 (63,000) as he overtook Snow at the death and topped the 300,000 mark, indeed TOTP proved that it can still, on occasion, decide the direction of the No 1 single as only Snow failed to feature on the show and thusly lost his lead trailing in at No 3 (62,000) even though he had a 56% sales increase week on week, and of course now that he actually falls down the chart he won’t get further exposure on the program!

 

The rest of the top 5 were way behind, Shabba Ranks drifts 3-4 (39,000) and 2 Unlimited descend 4-5 (27,000) but it is now well ensconced at the No 1 position on the YTD which as we’re a quarter of the way through 1993 looks like this

 

1- NO LIMIT- 2 Unlimited 466,000

2- I WILL ALWAYS LOVE YOU- Whitney Houston 364,000

3- OH CAROLINA- Shaggy 310,000

4- LITTLE BIRD/ LOVE SONG FOR A VAMPIRE- Annie Lennox 240,000

5- THE LOVE I LOST- West End Featuring Sybil 226,000

6- EXTERMINATE!- Snap! Featuring Niki Harris 197,000

7- DEEP- East 17 195,000

8- WHY CAN’T I WAKE UP WITH YOU- Take That 160,000

9- ARE YOU GONNA GO MY WAY- Lenny Kravitz 158,000

10- I’M EVERY WOMAN- Whitney Houston 150,000

 

 

“Fever” is the first Madonna cover to make it to single status (in the UK at any rate), it was originally recorded by Little Willy John in 1956 before becoming a UK chart hit for Helen Shapiro, The McCoys and most notably Peggy Lee in 1958 for whom it became her signature hit. It becomes Madonna’s 29th top 10 single as it appears at No 6 (26,000) only a month after her last single “Bad Girl” made No 10 which is surely an admittance that that single underperformed as it falls 30-44 this week. It is the fourth top 10 hit to be lifted from “Erotica” which has yet to cross the half million mark and revives only 63-60 this week.

 

 

 

Stock and Waterman continue to have a revival in the charts with Sybil’s “When I’m Good And Ready” becoming their third production in as many months to make the top flight. It also marks Sybil’s third top 10 single coming hot on the heels of “The Love I Lost” which has sold 226,000 to date and is still charting, and 1990’s “Walk On By” which is still the highest ranking version of the track. The new single flies 16-8 (20,000) and will feature on her forthcoming album due in the summer.

 

 

 

One of the hottest dance records of the year finally makes its presence felt in the top 10, that belongs to Robin Stone who records as Robin S, her debut single “Show Me Love” dates back to 1990 when it was released under her full name and failed to chart. It now comes remixed by Stonebridge and Nick Nice for 1993 and was an instant club hit which translated into a chart hit as it rises 22-10 (18,000).

 

 

Ugly Kid Joe hold steady at No 7 (23,000) and David Bowie climbs 10-9 (18,000).

 

1- YOUNG AT HEART- The Bluebells (67,000)

2- OH CAROLINA- Shaggy (63,000)

3- INFORMER- Snow (62,000)

4- MR LOVERMAN- Shabba Ranks (39,000)

5- NO LIMIT- 2 Unlimited (27,000)

6- FEVER- Madonna (26,000)

7- CAT’S IN THE CRADLE- Ugly Kid Joe (23,000)

8- WHEN I’M GOOD AND READY- Sybil (20,000)

9- JUMP THEY SAY- David Bowie (18,000)

10- SHOW ME LOVE- Robin S (18,000)

 

10TH APRIL

 

 

A curiously slow week in the top 10 this week with lots of stasis, no more so than right at the top where the top 4 all remain as they were but only the chart topper increases its sales. “Young At Heart” sold an impressive 74,000 a new record for the year so far buoyed by a TOTP performance, major play on radio and of course daily exposure on the car ad, it will top the 200,000 mark but is already in the top 10 YTD. Another song in there is Shaggy who holds at No 2 (46,000) as he again fends off Snow (45,000) at No 3 and Shabba Ranks remains well adrift at No 4 (30,000). Total sales of the three tracks are 356,000, 172,000, and 145,000 and signifies that dancehall/ Reggae has certainly had a good chart year so far with Shaggy doubtless becoming the second biggest seller of the year next week and Snow in the top 10 YTD.

 

 

Below that stubborn top 4 there is activity with Sybil climbing 8-5 (29,000) and Robin S improves 10-6 (28,000) while Madonna tumbles immediately 6-7 (28,000) though it does improve in sales terms, and 2 Unlimited fall 5-8 (23,000), sales of “No Limit” will in all probability move over the 500,000 next week.

 

 

Currently sitting in the top 5 Stateside Jade are a trio of ladies whose first single “I Wanna Love You” was a top 20 hit over there though it failed here, follow up “Don’t Walk Away” is doing much better though and climbs 11-9 (22,000) to mark their arrival.

 

 

 

Sub Sub are a northern based dance trio who have thus far released two singles without chart success though they have garnered something of a club following and by roping on their friend Melanie Williams they finally have a hit on their hands. “Ain’t No Love (Ain’t No Use)” debuts straight into the charts at No 10 (17,000).

 

 

 

1- YOUNG AT HEART- The Bluebells (74,000)

2- OH CAROLINA- Shaggy (46,000)

3- INFORMER- Snow (45,000)

4- MR LOVERMAN- Shabba Ranks (30,000)

5- WHEN I’M GOOD AND READY- Sybil (29,000)

6- SHOW ME LOVE- Robin S (28,000)

7- FEVER- Madonna (28,000)

8- NO LIMIT- 2 Unlimited (23,000)

9- DON’T WALK AWAY- Jade (22,000)

10- AIN’T NO LOVE (AIN’T NO USE)- Sub Sub Ft Melanie Williams (17,000)

 

Ain’t no love ain’t no use! :wub:

 

Of course they would go on the unlikely transformation to become Doves and achieve far bigger success under that guise

Sorry to my namesake but 'Ain’t No Love (Ain’t No Use)' entering the top 10 is my highlight of the past couple of weeks *.* 'Show Me Love' is of course a dance classic but done to death by now, whereas the Sub Sub song felt like one that has been left in the past, so I got a lot more satisfaction out of seeing it on TOTP. Tune! (love Melanie Williams' hair also)

Ain't No Love (Ain't No Use) :wub:

When I'm Good and Ready :wub:

Fever :wub:

 

Had no idea 'Young At Heart' was originally a Bananarama song! :o

 

Also quite odd how 'Show Me Love' did so averagely at the time considering how ubiquitous it is today.

It's great to see Annie have the 4th best seller of the quarter.

Ain't No Love (Ain't No Use) was track 5 on Now 1993, and like most of those songs it still sounds great almost 30 years on - it's neat that Sub Sub also peaked at #3 as Doves in 2002. I aso enjoyed Pressue Us as another Sunscreem discovery for me after Broken English a few months back.

Don't Walk Away must have been deleted as looking at its chart run its out of the chart just three weeks after peaking 36-20-11-9-8-{7}-13-51 Which is a shame as it probably would have sold alot more

Edited July 23, 20223 yr by fiesta

Sub Sub, Sybil and Robin S are are classics. A decent couple of charts there - plus I have warmed back up to enjoying Young At Heart now.

Ain’t no love ain’t no use! :wub:

 

Of course they would go on the unlikely transformation to become Doves and achieve far bigger success under that guise

What?!

 

:o

I think I was surprised when I first realised also. I'd actually quite like to hear a Doves album where they have a bit more of that dance influence, you would assume the members are capable of doing it given their history

I can’t quite believe this lol

the SubSub > Doves transformation was quite radical!

Don't think I know any other SubSub song besides this one...

Great albums also at #1 last couple weeks

 

1 NEW Depeche Mode - Songs of Faith and Devotion

 

1 NEW Suede - Suede

 

The organ part of Show Me Love is of course iconic and led to more uses of that style of organ in dance music, the grinding bassline intro though is great too but that synth effect has been relatively unused in comparison.