Ah, I assumed he was the PWL Tea Boy who got a deal with them, so didn't know he was on RCA.

I seem to remember the exhaustion thing back then so can see how that led to him doing it his own way.

Edited February 14Feb 14 by ChrisJK

boo U2 getting to #1 with their weakest single of the 80s :o

 

but I guess with album 2 Rick hadn't completely split up with SAW cos half of the album is SAW

was reading earlier how Domino Dancing killed the career of PSB in the US

after that, no radio played them again, and basically with zero airplay your career is dead in the US

so after this, they never had another top 20 in the US

Isn't Domino Dancing also where Neil Tennant said their "imperial phase" was over and they wouldn't be a No 1 achieving act in the UK either?

 

I think it's good he recognised that (no doubt from his years in music journalism seeing acts come and go and get desperate).

you mean, did he say that at the release or years later?

I think he retrospectively said it was the moment he knew that their biggest phase was over because he thought it would be a big hit yet “only” made #7

guess it makes sense

for me also it's easily in my top 3 PSB top songs together with Rent and Always on my Mind

so should have definetely charted higher

15TH OCTOBER

 

 

Normally when a song climbs to No 1 it gets an addition sales boost but not in the case of U2 whose “Desire” immediately falls back 1-2 (42,857) and loses 30% of its week on week sales, presumably their fans are saving their pennies for “Rattle & Hum” which is out this week and will be competing with the Pet Shop Boys new album “Introspective” but after the poor show from its lead single it might not be the competition it once promised to be.

 

The new chart topper is from Ms Whitney Houston who can now boast a third No 1 as “One Moment In Time” eases 3-1 (47,855) and follows in the footsteps of “I Wanna Dance With Somebody” and “Saving All My Love For You” to the top. She's just the third female soloists to hit the triple No 1 mark following Sandie Shaw and Madonna but she’s had 7 US No 1 singles in a row creating a new record over there for the singer, sadly her last single “Love Will Save The Day” only made No 10 which was something of a let down. Regardless it is the lowest weekly sale for a chart topper in 16 weeks- 1988 is surely a tumultuous time given we had the top 2 over 100,000 just last month.

 

 

 

A US chart topper for 2 weeks recently Bobby McFerrin’s acappella track “Don’t Worry, Be Happy” is one of the more unusual tracks to grace our top 10 this year. Originally it flopped when first released earlier this year but gets a second chance after the song saw US success with an airing in the film “Cocktail” which is currently a hit in the US though not due for release here until January, here the song at least is riding high 11-3 (37,604) just nipping ahead marginally of Womack & Womack who again hold at No 4 (31,195), a sixth week in the charts at either No 3 or No 4- remarkable. The promo features actors Robin Williams and Bill Irwin

 

 

 

After the agony of seeing “Chains Of Love” peak at No 11 earlier this year Erasure are back on form with “A Little Respect” shooting 12-7 (27,234) to become their 5th top 10 single in under 2 years. The album “The Innocents” became their first No 1 album and responds in kind this week rising 43-25, its sales of some 300,000 means it is on track to become their biggest album by the year end.

 

 

 

Sisters Sandra and Sam Lawrence are two former backing singers for Feargal Sharkey who have seen successive releases make more of an impact chartwise, their first release bombed then subsequent releases peaked at No’s 60, and 23, now with “Wee Rule” the Wee Papa Girl Rappers move 17-8 (27,081). The sisters take their name from a phrase used by their father and are also the composers of the current version of the theme to “Jim’ll Fix It”.

 

 

Rick Astley pushes up again but only by a spot 7-6 (29,342) thanks to TOTP, he can’t catch the falling Hollies 2-5 (29,988) though, lower down Jason Donovan is almost out 6-9 (26,265) and Phil Collins bottoms out 5-10 (24,123). Keep your eye on the top spot as well, there’s a new Kylie single out this week, expect a high new entry!

 

 

1- ONE MOMENT IN TIME- Whitney Houston (47,855)

2- DESIRE- U2 (42,857)

3- DON’T WORRY, BE HAPPY- Bobby McFerrin (37,604)

4- TEARDROPS- Womack & Womack (31,195)

5- HE AIN’T HEAVY, HE’S MY BROTHER- The Hollies (29,988)

6- SHE WANTS TO DANCE WITH ME- Rick Astley (29,342)

7- A LITTLE RESPECT- Erasure (27,234)

8- WEE RULE- Wee Papa Girl Rappers (27,081)

9- NOTHING CAN DIVIDE US- Jason Donovan (26,265)

10- A GROOVY KIND OF LOVE- Phil Collins (24,123)

 

Oh yes not the best sales at the moment.

 

'A Little Respect' is a magnificent addition this week :wub: my favourite Erasure song even if an obvious pick.

A Little Respect is also my favourite Erasure song :wub:

 

The boring Whitney song made it :/ the US got it right, despite WH being far more popular in the US, One Moment in Time just made it to #5 in the US

 

A Little Respect is really saving that top 10, fabulous song <3

 

kinda hated the Bobby McFerrin song, can't believe it became such a big hit, #1 in the US and all

 

never liked Wee papa girl Rapprs or Wee rule, they're not Salt N Pepa :o

A Little Respect, such a classic and will quite likely be my favourite song all year

A Little Respect is fab!

Yes it's that Middle-America thing in the 80's, they just couldnt cope with anything a bit gay (Domino dancing), George Michael had a similar drop from multi-chart-topper to zero, though his may also have been to do with refusing to do videos when MTV ruled everything but even so he still went top 10 until 1996. Soon as he was outed that was it, not a single Hot 100 hit again, not even a duet with Whitney could overcome it. So Last Christmas charting each year is something of a minor belated apology....

 

Don't Worry Be Happy is a joyful optimistic record, we could do with one like that right now. Chains Of Love should have been top 5, and A Little Respect makes it a double-release of classic pop for me from Erasure. Wee Rule was fun and quirky, I liked it.

22ND OCTOBER

 

 

Whitney Houston pushes ahead of the competition this week, sales of “One Moment In Time” increasing to a much better 63,716 leaving Bobby McFerrin as the new challenger, yet he only increases sales marginally to 39,610 to rise 3-2.

 

 

 

Next week’s No 1 could however come from the track which glides 20-3 (32,606) this week from D-Mob Featuring Gary Haisman, D-Mob is essentially a vehicle for Daniel Poku, otherwise known as Dancin’ Danny D, and “We Call It Acieed” is one of the first examples of the new “Acid House” records to make a major impact chart wise. Of course much has been made of the movement in the press about the drugs scene that is popularly thought to accompany the music but for now TOTP seems happy to promote and the records continue to sell.

 

 

 

From Acid house to new age pop in the form of former Clannad member Enya who came to our attention in 1986 when she composed the music for the BBC series “The Celts” and now is back with new album “Watermark” and her first hit “Orinoco Flow (Sail Away)” which rockets 29-5 (31,093). It name checks many places in the lyrics and Rob Dickens, the current head of Warner Music UK.

 

 

 

Putting together back to back top 10 singles for the third time in her career, Kim Wilde sees “Never Trust A Stranger” advance 15-7 (27,778) to follow up the No 3 hit “You Came”. Although she’s undergoing something of a revival in her career, parent album “Close” has really struggled failing so far to make the top 40 despite the singles released, though undoubtedly supporting Michael Jackson this summer has paid dividends, this is her 7th top 10 single.

 

 

 

Launching their career with 5 top 30 singles (though none made the top 10) The Christians have married catchy tunes to critical acclaim since they emerged last year and sold almost 750,000 copies of their debut album. A cover of the Isley Brothers “Harvest Of The World” is a stand alone single recorded for charity with proceeds going to the Disasters Emergency Committee and features on the “One Moment In Time” album along with the current chart topper, it’s taken just a fortnight to become their biggest hit as it powers 21-9 (25,415).

 

 

 

 

Erasure are still heading in the right direction 7-4 (32,589), Wee Papa Girl Rappers are also moving up 8-6 (29,189) but Rick Astley has finally had enough and slips 6-8 (27,676) and Womack & Womack plunge 4-10 (24,786). Kylie debuts at No 11 incidentally but is largely expected to climb next week, meanwhile U2 sink 2-17 becoming the first track since "Happy Talk" to be a chart topper but spend only 3 weeks in the top 10.

 

1- ONE MOMENT IN TIME- Whitney Houston (63,716)

2- DON’T WORRY, BE HAPPY- Bobby McFerrin (39,610)

3- WE CALL IT ACIEED- D Mob Featuring Gary Haisman (32,606)

4- A LITTLE RESPECT- Erasure (32,589)

5- ORINOCO FLOW (SAIL AWAY)- Enya (31,093)

6- WEE RULE- Wee Papa Girl Rappers (29,189)

7- NEVER TRUST A STRANGER- Kim Wilde (27,778)

8- SHE WANTS TO DANCE WITH ME- Rick Astley (27,676)

9- HARVEST FOR THE WORLD- The Christians (25,415)

10- TEARDROPS- Womack & Womack (24,786)

 

Great climb for Enya! That's my favourite of the new entries this week.

Enya's was a very unique-sounding lush track at the time, and fabulous, and second only to Kim Wilde's Never Trust A Stranger, one of her greatest (if not the actual greatest) hits, it needs to be better remembered as in a concert setting it's easily the most euphoric track in her catalogue, so exciting.

 

The Christians did a great version of Harvest For The World, so good they still get radio play for it when The Isley Brothers original is drop-dead brilliant. Saw Garry in concert 2 years ago, giving it a good go. And then there's one of those highly annoying tracks, which might have been cool to the acieeeeeeeeeeed crowd but as I did neither drugs nor clubbing then it was mostly a sort of novelty record. Thankfully never gets played as an oldie. :teresa:

love love love Enya and Orinoco Flow, loved it back then as a kid and still love it now. Watermark is a great album too.

 

also big love for Kim Wilde-Never Trust a Stranger, one of her best singles ever. Kinda SAW, think that for years I assumed Close was produced by SAW :D

 

the Christians cover is ok but a bit of a pity that their better originals missed and this cover went top 10. Ideal World deserved.

 

that We Call it Acieed kinda hated it back then. Actually the entire top 3 is terrible. Kinda hated those 3 songs. A Little Respect should have been the #1 this week, well guess, #4 is not half bad.

'A Little Respect' missing the Top 3 by 17 sales :o it's my favourite Erasure song too, although they have many not far behind.

 

The Isley Brothers' original of 'Harvest For The World' is fabulous, not too bothered about The Christians' version.

A Little Respect is probably the most enduring Erasure single.

Love Orinoco Flow as well.

 

Always disliked Don't Worry Be Happy and time has not changed that. The sentiment is lovely, but the song is just irritating.