8TH MAY

 

 

The charts have been relatively quiet of late but this week we see a trio of new entries inside the top 10 and a big climber- lots to get excited about but first we need to deal with the chart topper. As expected George Michael/ Queen/ Lisa Stansfield hold the top spot with ease and increase their sales to 93,000 a new record for 1993 with radio picking up three tracks to give regular airplay to it seems that there are multiple reasons to pick up a copy.

 

 

 

Giving the charity disc some competition, at least initially, was the new Janet Jackson single “That’s The Way Loves Goes”. You may recall back in 1991 Jackson signed a record breaking contract with Virgin and her new album “Janet” is the first fruits for her new record label, the track is based around a sample from James Brown’s “Papa Don’t Take No Mess” and currently occupies the No 2 spot in the US which is exactly where this song enters the chart this week on sales of 43,000. That equals her previous best which she achieved last year with “Best Things In Life Are Free” and is her 5th top 10 single.

 

 

 

2 Unlimited have been busy finishing that second album “No Limits” which is out in a fortnight, their last single “No Limit” topped the charts for 5 weeks and is currently the best seller of the year, it debuted at No 4 which is incidentally where the follow up single “Tribal Dance” arrives this week after shifting 26,000 copies. The group have now scored five top 10 singles from six releases, an enviable rate and there’s even a sample of dialogue from “Back To Future” in there for good measure!

 

 

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Already a hit in most European countries Ace of Base’s “All That She Wants” finally makes it across the channel to the UK charts and debuts at No 5 (25,000). It started out life being influenced by a track by Swedish singer Kayo called “Another Mother” which the group liked so much they wanted to recreate the sound of the track so pursued the producer of that song Denniz Pop until he agreed to produce “All That She Wants”. Doubtless the fact that they are a quartet of two males and two females and come from Sweden will draw ABBA comparisons and they certainly have started off on the right foot.

 

 

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Continuing the great year for reggae that 1993 has become we have Inner Circle who were originally together between 1968 and 1980 before going their separate ways after the death of lead singer Jacob Miller. Reformed in 1986 the band had yet to score a bigger hit than their 1979 single “Everything Is Great” and when released last year “Sweat (A La La La La Long)” only made No 43, but it’s been given a second shot in the arm after making the top 20 stateside. It now shoots 20-6 (23,000) having already made No 1 in Germany, Switzerland and Holland last year.

 

 

Janet Jackson’s arrival means that Whitney Houston is left stranded at No 3 (30,000) but giving up the ghost are Sub Sub 4-7 (22,000), The Bluebells 2-8 (22,000), and Snow 5-10 (19,000). R.E.M hold at No 9 (22,000) but the album returns to No 1 for a third stint.

 

 

1- FIVE LIVE E,P- George Michael/ Queen/ Lisa Stansfield (93,000)

2- THAT’S THE WAY LOVE GOES- Janet Jackson (43,000)

3- I HAVE NOTHING- Whitney Houston (30,000)

4- TRIBAL DANCE- 2 Unlimited (26,000)

5- ALL THAT SHE WANTS- Ace Of Base (25,000)

6- SWEAT (A LA LA LA LONG)- Inner Circle (23,000)

7- AIN’T NO LOVE (AIN’T NO USE)- Sub Sub Ft Melanie Williams (22,000)

8- YOUNG AT HEART- The Bluebells (22,000)

9- EVERYBODY HURTS- R.E.M (22,000)

10- INFORMER- Snow (19,000)

 

2 really strong Top 10s there, especially the 1 May one. Obviously Everybody Hurts slightly overshadows everything else but love the New Order and Sybil tracks, and I’ve really grown to appreciate Young At Heart recently.

 

5 Live is a good EP; not quite as good as the previous chart topping EP, ABBA-Esque, but still excellent by charity record standards. Shame it’s hard to actually find all the tracks that would have been on the original record on Spotify or even YouTube as I found when doing the #1 listen-throughs.

 

Like the Ace Of Base and Janet new entries, and actually while 2 Unlimited were a bit 1 dimensional Tribal Dance is a decent bop.

George Michaels version of Killer on the Five Live EP is excellent. Like Freddy Mercury did at Live Aid in 1985, George's rendition of Somebody To Love at the tribute concert stole the show.

not that crazy about the Five Live EP, the only track I like is Killer, which is an excellent version, the rest I don't care that much

 

loved that Janet song and made me buy the album, which was ok but not great. Also loved All That She Wants, that's a classic.

not so fond of the other 2 newbies, Tribal Bass is 2Unlimited at their worst and never liked that La La La La song :)

 

on the May 1 chart, PJ Harvey had her first top 40 hit with 50ft Queenie and the following week she debuted at #3 in the album charts with Rid of Me :) one of my fav albums of that period...

Catching up - today I learned that The Weeknd's 'House of Balloons / Glass Table Girls' isn't the only song out there to sample/interpolate Siouxsie's 'Happy House', with Cappella too!

 

Love 'Regret' and 'That's The Way Love Goes' :wub: (spotted a young J Lo in the latter music video!)

 

The Bluebells played up well to having an unexpected stint at #1 with those TOTP performances, good on them.

Yes I've been enjoying the revolving adlibs :lol:

I killed off Automatic for the People.

Find the River seems to have been immune to my overplaying. It now stands as my favorite REM single.

 

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love Find the River too, think it was single #6 from the album :o

Yep but it missed the UK top 40. It wasn't much of a offering. The b-sides were Everybody Hurts (live) and an instrumental of Orange Crush.

The 8th May chart was the first time in chart history that we had 3 new entries in the top 5.

 

The top 3 will all be new entries for the first time in May 1997 - George Michael will be one of the artists.

Everybody Hurts :heart: I was vaguely aware of it at the time, but it only really impacted me a few years later when I was away with some family and one of my cousins played the whole album, then I was hooked - it's since been my all-time favourite album to this day, and that's the best song for me, with a delivery that absolutely connects to the message. Find The River isn't far behind.

Tune into this week’s #1 listening session to hear a vastly inferior version of Everybody Hurts :lol:

15TH MAY

 

 

 

“Five Live EP” continues to dominate the field though its own sales tumble by 31% week on week to 64,000 which point to the end of its reign next week. It won’t be last week’s new entry at No 2 that will challenge it though, Janet Jackson is the record in question and it tumbles 2-3 (37,000) losing sales instantly, nor 2 Unlimited who can only remain in 4th position with 32,000 sales but instead Ace of Base rush past the opposition 5-2 (51,000) and will have a clear shot at the top in 7 days time.

 

 

 

 

The only new song in the top 10 comes from Utah Saints who seem to be in the habit of releasing one single a year and having a top 10 hit with it too. The latest single is “Believe In Me” which in keeping with their previous hits uses samples extensively, this time around Human League’s “Love Action”, Crown Heights Affair “You Gave Me Love” and Sylvester’s “Do You Wanna Funk” and the single will appear on the first Utah Saints album out in three weeks.

 

 

 

Inner Circle advance 6-5 (31,000) keeping ahead of an improving R.E.M who themselves travel 9-7 (20,000). Not such a good week for Whitney as she falls 3-6 (25,000), Sub Sub trip 7-9 (19,000) and Snow holds down the anchor position with a reduced sale of 16,000.

 

Furthermore the new compilers of the charts were announced this week after Millward Brown won the contract and will take over in February 1994- exciting times!

 

 

1- FIVE LIVE E.P- George Michael/ Queen/ Lisa Stansfield (64,000)

2- ALL THAT SHE WANTS- Ace Of Base (51,000)

3- THAT’S THE WAY LOVE GOES- Janet Jackson (37,000)

4- TRIBAL DANCE- 2 Unlimited (32,000)

5- SWEAT (A LA LA LA LONG)- Inner Circle (31,000)

6- I HAVE NOTHING- Whitney Houston (25,000)

7- EVERYBODY HURTS- R.E.M (20,000)

8- BELIEVE IN ME- Utah Saints (19,000)

9- AIN’T NO LOVE (AIN’T NO USE)- Sub Sub Ft Melanie Williams (19,000)

10- INFORMER- Snow (16,000)

 

22ND MAY

 

 

Its sales rose by 104% a fortnight ago and now it posts a further increase of 81% to take the top spot, yes Ace Of Base are the country’s new No 1 as “All That She Wants” takes the prize with 92,000 copies sold over the counter. The group are just the second Swedes to be able to boast a UK No 1 single after, of course, ABBA, and can now consider their conquer of the European charts complete.

 

 

Their ascension means that George Michael/ Queen/ and Lisa Stansfield slide 1-2 (48,000) but can claim total sales of 278,000 in its first month enough to place it in the YTD top 10 easily, and keep an eye out for Inner Circle who move 5-3 (46,000) but are selling in healthy amounts as well.

 

 

A 1962 chart topper for Elvis Presley, “Can’t Help Falling In Love” has since been a top 5 smash for Andy Williams and then the Stylistics in the 70s, and now in the 90s for UB40. Re-titled “(I Can’t Help) Falling In Love With You” the track has been given the usual UB40 makeover and currently features in the new Sharon Stone film “Sliver” and will also feature on the forthcoming “Promises and Lies” album from the band. It registers the 15th time in the top 10 for the band but the first time they’ve ever debuted in the top flight as it pushes in at No 4 (41,000).

 

 

 

Striking whilst the iron is hot (“Mr Loverman” is currently still charting) Shabba Ranks has re-released another of his recent “almost” hits “Housecall” which made No 31 in the summer of 1991 and features a certain Maxi Priest. It improved immediately on remix (thanks to David Morales) debuting at No 15 and now rises 11-8 (21,000), for Priest it marks his third appearance in the top 10 having last been there in 1990.

 

 

 

Bon Jovi’s “Keep The Faith” album yields a third top 20 single and the second to go top 10, “In These Arms” lifts 24-9 (20,000) following the release of a 7” and second CD containing live versions of this track and “Keep The Faith”. The album itself halves its position 32-16 in response and also ties in with their current UK tour which leaves our shores this week.

 

 

2 Unlimited dip 4-5 (32,000) as their second album “No Limits” arrives at No 2 on the album charts unable to stop R.E.M for returning to the top with “Automatic For The People”. Their single “Everybody Hurts” stays at No 7 (26,000) with Janet Jackson sandwiched between them as she falls back 3-6 (30,000), meanwhile Utah Saints drop 8-10 (17,000).

 

 

1- ALL THAT SHE WANTS- Ace Of Base (92,000)

2- FIVE LIVE E.P- George Michael/ Queen & Lisa Stansfield (48,000)

3- SWEAT (A LA LA LA LONG)- Inner Circle (46,000)

4- (I CAN’T HELP) FALLING IN LOVE WITH YOU- UB40 (41,000)

5- TRIBAL DANCE- 2 Unlimited (32,000)

6- THAT’S THE WAY LOVE GOES- Janet Jackson (30,000)

7- EVERYBODY HURTS- R.E.M (26,000)

8- HOUSECALL (REMIX)- Shabba Ranks/ Maxi Priest (21,000)

9- IN THESE ARMS- Bon Jovi (20,000)

10- BELIEVE IN ME- Utah Saints (17,000)

 

Utah Saints was my favourite at the time from that bunch and I still enjoy it now. The Janet track was another fave at the time

 

Didn’t like the George Michael effort much at all. Was really disappointed when it came from nowhere to top the chart

Great for Ace of Base! That UB40 cover was everywhere at the time but I was really tired of the UB40 formula

I have a soft spot for that UB40 song. Not much else worth commenting on aside from the marvellous Everybody Hurts in the top 10.

I used to really like the intro and, in particular, the initial beat before it goes more reggae

Believe In Me is another good one from Utah Saints. It's rather a shame that with so many weeks going up or at its peak, Everybody Hurts only got one full play of the video, and that was with the chart rundown over the top of the subtitles. I hadn't properly seen that video for Killer with all the altered brand names before, that was quite clever. St. Etienne however were the highlight of those couple of episodes for me.

Edited August 14, 20222 yr by jimwatts

That's easily my favourite UB40 song, and of course great to see Ace of Base No.1 - a huge classic but I prefer The Sign and Life Is A Flower personally.

 

The 1993-4 reggae revival and reggae influenced pop trend was very interesting, there hasn't really been a sustained run of reggae hits since in the charts which is a surprise.

29TH MAY

 

 

The Swedes rule again with Ace Of Base claiming the top spot and in some style with sales of “All That She Wants” powering to 104,000 copies last week in the process, that’s the first time this year that weekly sales for the No 1 have gone into 6 figures. It left little hope for the rest with UB40 climbing 4-2 (74,000) but their challenge is on paper only, they were however well clear of the rest of the field, Inner Circle hold in third on 45,000, George Michael/ Queen/ Lisa Stansfield drop 2-4 (34,000) and 2 Unlimited hold at No 5 (26,000) all selling less than half of the number one.

 

 

 

 

Co- Written by Lulu and offered to Sade “I Don’t Wanna Fight” was eventually picked up by Tina Turner who recorded it to be included in her new album “What’s Love Got To Do With It” which ties in, and will be the soundtrack to, her biopic of that name due in cinema’s this September. It is Turner’s 9th top 10 single if you include her recordings with Ike and it climbs 15-7 (22,000) this week.

 

 

 

 

A No 32 hit last October House Of Pain’s “Jump Around/ Top O The Morning To Ya” went on to become a US top 3 hit late last year and now gets a re-issue here where it becomes a more substantive hit moving 16-8 (21,000) in its second week. The song contains samples from Bob & Earl (Harlem Shuffle), Junior Walker & The All Stars (Shoot Your Shot) and Chubby Checker (Popeye) all of which combine on this rather unusual track, the group take their name from the HG Wells novel “The Island of Dr Moreau” in case you wondered.

 

 

Janet Jackson holds at No 6 (25,000) but does bag herself her first UK No 1 album with “Janet” as compensation, she knocks off R.E.M who themselves also fall 7-10 (19,000) and Bon Jovi hold at No 9 (21,000).

 

 

1- ALL THAT SHE WANTS- Ace Of Base (104,000)

2- (I CAN’T HELP) FALLING IN LOVE WITH YOU- UB40 (74,000)

3- SWEAT (A LA LA LA LONG)- Inner Circle (45,000)

4- FIVE LIVE E.P- George Michael/ Queen/ Lisa Stansfield (34,000)

5- TRIBAL DANCE- 2 Unlimited (26,000)

6- THAT’S THE WAY LOVE GOES- Janet Jackson (25,000)

7- I DON’T WANNA FIGHT- Tina Turner (22,000)

8- JUMP AROUND- House Of Pain (21,000)

9- IN THESE ARMS- Bon Jovi (21,000)

10- EVERYBODY HURTS- R.E.M (19,000)