TOTP broke their own rule on that last episode by having Scarlet on even though their single was dropping down the chart. I wonder why that was? I don't remember it happening at all before up to 1995.

Due to the error with that week's chart (with some Woolworths data being duplicated), Scarlet were announced as a non-mover at #14 that week, which TOTP went with, rather than falling 2 places to #16, which is how they appear in virtually all chart records now.

I see, that explains it, thanks.

11TH MARCH

 

 

Another week of chart records with Celine Dion grabbing a 6th week at the top, “Think Twice” is now in its 21st straight week on the chart and still No 1, a feat not seen since Frankie Laine’s “I Believe” over 40 years ago. She is however deposed on the album chart with the arrival of the new Bruce Springsteen greatest hits album.

 

The song experiences a mere 29% sales drop to 78,000 which means that it is now a million seller, only the fourth ever by a female soloist, it’s also the best seller of the year so far by some margin. Its days are clearly numbered though with Alex Party shaping up to be the next No 1 as it rises 3-2 (71,000) with a sales hike of 14% thanks in part to a TOTP performance. The top 2 are some way clear of the opposition with the Nightcrawlers rise 9-3 (54,000) giving a false impression of a record heading to the top.

 

 

 

 

DJ Kenny Gonzales is usually accompanied by Little Louie Vega as the production due Masters At Work who are respected remixers in the dance field. He’s gone solo under the name Bucketheads and comes with the hit “The Bomb! (These Sounds Fall Into My Head)” which samples Chicago’s “Street Player” extensively and arrives 13-5 (40,000) and could be on course for the top 3 next week.

 

 

 

Taking their name from a character in the novel “To Kill A Mockingbird” The Boo Radley’s have had a growing ascendancy garnering considerable support from radio and a cult following. Despite that they’ve never had a top 40 hit until now but with a lot of radio help “Wake Up Boo!” smashes straight in at No 9 (24,000) riding on the current wind of Britpop, not bad for a band already 7 years into their career. Fourth album “Wake Up” is out in a few weeks if you want more.

 

 

MN8 collapse 2-4 (49,000) and also heading south are Annie Lennox 4-6 (32,000), Perfecto Allstarz 6-7 (26,000) and N-Trance 5-8 (25,000)

 

 

Touted as the UK’s answer to 2 Unlimited (if you wanted that kind of thing) Clock are really DJ’s Stu Allen and Pete Prichard who hired frontmen for their project called Clock. Four hits in and they finally hit it big with their version of “Axel F” formerly a No 2 hit for Harold Faltermeyer in 1985 giving the song a 90s overhaul. Officially it is teamed with an original composition “Keep Pushin” but it’s “Axel F” that is getting all the promo and airplay, it climbs 14-10 (22,000) this week.

 

 

 

 

1- THINK TWICE- Celine Dion (78,000)

2- DON’T GIVE ME YOUR LIFE- Alex Party (71,000)

3- PUSH THE FEELING ON- The Nightcrawlers (54,000)

4- I’VE GOT A LITTLE SOMETHING FOR YOU- MN8 (49,000)

5- THE BOMB! (THESE SOUNDS FALL INTO MY HEAD)- Bucketheads (40,000)

6- NO MORE “I LOVE YOU”’S- Annie Lennox (32,000)

7- REACH UP (PAPA’S GOT A BRAND NEW PIGBAG)- Perfecto Allstarz (26,000)

8- SET YOU FREE- N-Trance (25,000)

9- WAKE UP BOO!- Boo Radleys (24,000)

10- AXEL F/ PUSHIN- Clock (22,000)

 

Some great dance in the top 10 at the moment with Alex Party and Nightcrawlers! There was another fab electronic new entry sitting outside the top 10 as well.

...that was Bucketheads, great to see that within the top 10 now :music:

 

Re. Jester's last 'outside the top 10' post - I'd never heard 'Waking Up' by Elastica until the relevant TOTP episode, what a great discovery. It was nice to see both that and 'Independent Love Song' experiencing a bit of an iTunes boost just from the TOTP episodes, even if it doesn't mean all that much nowadays.

18TH MARCH

 

 

Despite all predictions Celine Dion remains the Nations favourite though only just, she takes a heavy hit in the sales of “Think Twice” as it crept to just 57,000 copies last week indicating that it has simply run out of buyers but at 1,092,000 who could be surprised? Its sales lost almost 25% exactly and it can thank Alex Party’s similar sales cut to 53,000 for its seventh week and also the fact that everything else was so far behind them last week.

 

 

Dion is currently one of only 5 million sellers in the decade and this week “Think Twice” moves past “Saturday Night” in terms of biggest hits by female solo act, and should easily pass “The Power Of Love” with only “I Will Always Love You” ahead of it- though it is some way ahead of it! The current No 1 is also the 4th biggest seller of the 90s to date and, as noted last week, is still No 1 in its 22nd consecutive week on the chart, only Frankie Laine’s “I Believe” can match that though that track took two stints to do it so Dion can claim to hold the record as it has had just one run at the top. Also worth noting is that the current No 1 has sold a million without the help of a movie to promote it, something the other hits ahead of it in this decade can’t claim.

 

 

 

First a No. 1 hitmaker in The Housemartins then in Beats International, Norman Cook has now turned into Freak Power with a few add ons, their debut hit “Turn On, Tune In, Cop Out” only made No 29 in late 1993 but has now been picked up for the new Levi Ad’s and true to form it’s now a hit. Given the ad’s have provided so many tracks a second shot at No 1 you’d be unwise to bet against this going all the way next week but for now it debuts at No 3 (38,000).

 

 

 

Freak Power’s chances at the top rely more on the performance of the song which debuts at No 5 this week rather than Dion. Yes it’s been two years since the last Comic Relief so we must be due another record and with the big day itself rolling around this week the obligatory single sold 34,000 copies to crack the top end of the charts. It’s performed by Cher, Chrissie Hynde, Neneh Cherry, and Eric Clapton and is a cover of the 1991 Judds track “Love Can Build A Bridge” which has already been released twice in aid of charity without success (firstly for ITV’s “Telethon” then for the Rwandan aid appeal when it peaked at No 57 last year). It has already matched the peak of Clapton’s previous best chart outing but has to go much higher to be Cherry, Cher, or Hynde’s biggest hit but its open gambit of 32,000 copies isn’t a bad start.

 

 

 

There’s a long list of dance tracks that have had rather questionable lyrics, the recent hit by 20 fingers is a case in point but certainly sex still sells and the most recent hit to fall into the category comes from US duo Outhere Brothers. Their song “Don’t Stop (Wiggle Wiggle”) has been cleared up for radio and comes with an innocent enough promo but you can almost hear the screams of parents up and down the land when the normal version is played by their children (it’s widely available on the CD version). It debuts at No 9 (26,000)- expect this to rise as the nightclubs hammer the “original” version.

 

 

 

 

 

Both “Control” and “Rhythm Nation 1814” delivered up 7 UK hit singles for Janet Jackson and now “Janet” does the same with double A-Side “What’ll I Do/ Whoops Now!” debuting at No 10 (21,000). “Whoops” is a hidden track on the album whilst “What’ll I Do” is a cover of a Johnny Daye song co-written by Jagger/Richards, in its present form the latter track comes to us as a remix by Dave Navarro and will be available on “Janet- Remixed” which is out in a few weeks but may account for why the package is so high in the charts when the precious three releases all missed the big 10.

 

 

The Nightcrawlers fall back 3-4 (38,000) and The Bucketheads can do no better dropping 5-6 (31,000) with MN8 tumbling 4-8 (28,000). Better news for Clock who climb 10-7 (29,000) but next week all eyes are on three releases from acts who made No 1 last time out- Rednex, Wet wet wet, and East 17- who’s gonna win?

 

 

1- THINK TWICE- Celine Dion (57,000)

2- DON’T GIVE ME YOUR LIFE- Alex Party (53,000)

3- TURN OUT, TUNE IN, COP OUT- Freak Power (38,000)

4- PUSH THE FEELING ON- The Nightcrawlers (38,000)

5- LOVE CAN BUILD A BRIDGE- Cher/ Neneh Cherry/ Chrissie Hynde and Eric Clapton (32,000)

6- THE BOMB! (THESE SOUNDS FALL INTO MY HEAD- The Bucketheads (31,000)

7- AXEL F/ PUSHIN- Clock (29,000)

8- I’VE GOT A LITTLE SOMETHING FOR YOU- MN8 (28,000)

9- DON’T STOP (WIGGLE WIGGLE)- The Outhere Brothers (26,000)

10- WHOOPS UP/ WHAT’LL I DO- Janet Jackson (21,000)

 

Didn't realise Alex Party came so close on both occasions they were at No.2, what a shame they couldn't depose Celine.

Selected tracks outside the Top 10 TOTP 11th & 18th March 1995

 

 

Radiohead - High and Dry

Chart entry this week: 17

Peak: 17

 

 

Superb single from The Bends - showing a more acoustic vibe to their sound. Classic.

 

 

 

Des'ree - You Gotta Be

Chart entry this week: 19

Peak: 14

 

 

Nice little track from Des'ree. Not quite the song with toast and ghosts, but its still a pleasant little tune.

 

 

 

The Human League - One Man In My Heart

Chart entry this week: 18

Peak: 13

 

 

Follow up to number 6 peaking Tell Me When, The Human League really were having a decent comeback in 1995.

That Outhere Brothers song is awful.

'Wake Up Boo' is one of those songs that always seemed so much bigger than its peak. Even as a kid I knew that song so well.

 

The Bomb :wub:

a mix of great and not so great songs

love Wake Up Boo and the Freakpower song

but Outhere Brothers and Clock were terrible acts

 

 

love High & Dry, one of Radiohead best, One man in my Heart was great too

I'm also a fan of the Freak Power song! I had no idea that Norman Cook was involved with it until seeing the TOTP performance (I type this while 'Right Here Right Now' is playing on SyncTube :o)

 

Still familiarising myself with Radiohead's back catalogue, the vocal performance was stunning on TOTP

 

That Outhere Brothers song is indeed awful and even worse in live form!

Yes I meant to mention Wake Up Boo too. What a joyous, wonderful song, I think it was maybe my second favourite song of 1995 after Set You Free (of what I actually recall hearing in 1995 anyway - I rate a couple of songs from The Corrs' debut higher but I didn't hear that until early 1999).

 

One of the highlights of Britpop for me and unbelievable that it only peaked at No.9. I vividly remembered buying a pack of Pogs in my local shop and that blasting on the in-store radio in April 1995. I loved it as a kid.

I always thought Wake Up Boo was a top 5 hit! I certainly is a defining Britpop anthem which I think has become more of a classic than a lot of much bigger hits of the time.

 

Also, The Bomb :wub:

To Kill A Mockingbird is my favourite novel of all-time so I approve of the band name / song title B-) that aside it's a definite earworm!

There can’t have been many songs from the 90s that sold their millionth copy while at number 1?

 

I Will Always Love You

Everything I Do

Love Is All Around

Think Twice

Unchained Melody (Robson and Jerome)

Candle In The Wind

 

???

There can’t have been many songs from the 90s that sold their millionth copy while at number 1?

 

I Will Always Love You

Everything I Do

Love Is All Around

Think Twice

Unchained Melody (Robson and Jerome)

Candle In The Wind

 

???

 

Believe - Cher

Believe - Cher

Ah yes! How could I forget Cher?

In fact Unchained Melody is one of the fastest million sellers of all time, at 3 weeks it's only beaten by Evergreen, Candle In The Wind & Do They Know It's Xmas. 9 chart (top 75) weeks is the average time to reach a million.

The Bomb! is one of my absolute favourite 90s dance songs, it still sounds amazing even now.

 

Also very pleased to see the love for Wake Up Boo! It was a huge favourite of mine and the accompanying album was pretty good too, albeit more experimental than the single would suggest.

Agree the version of the Outhere Brothers' song as performed on TOTP is awful, but I do enjoy the version in Gezza's youtube link above, which is also on Now 30 and got the most airplay at the time.