#23

Atomic Kitten – Eternal Flame

Date Charted: 04/08/2001

Weeks at #1: 2

UK Chart Run: {1}-1-2-6-9-12-21-29-40-45-47-45-34-47-71R(9)->15

Chart Commentary

Another pop group with two UK #1 singles in 2001 was Atomic Kitten. Their version of The Bangles 80's ballad was good enough to hit #1 for two weeks in the Summer, and was a familiar enough cover song to beat the likes of Destiny's Child, O-Town, Geri Halliwell and Train to name a few of the new releases over the two weeks it was at the top. Given the success of its predecessor, 'Whole Again', it wasn't too unexpected to see the Kittens have another big hit some months later. The follow-up single 'You Are' failed to make any sort of impact in the UK later that year.

I was looking up my birthday #1s yesterday and 'Eternal Flame' is apparently what I got for my 4th birthday!

The MOR route was clearly working for them, so I'm not surprised this did so well, but a pretty bland cover

Aww I love Eternal Flame, I think they did a nice version with the production on that compared to the timeless but by then very 80s sounding production on the original. Natasha sounds great on it.

You Are was cancelled as a single in the end sadly at the last minute, which is why it didn’t chart.

“Eternal Flame” does nothing for me and might be my 2nd bottom ahead of “Queen Of My Heart”: they’d also be near the top though…

#22

Blue – Too Close

Date Charted: 08/09/2001

Weeks at #1: 1

UK Chart Run: {1}-3-7-12-17-23-26-37-42-57-64-53-68->13

Chart Commentary

Back to Blue once again, with their other #1 from 2001, 'Too Close' which was itself a cover of a relatively unknown song by Next from a few years previously. Blue's version of the song was a clear intention of their direction as a boy band after breaking through with 'All Rise' earlier in the year. It marketed the boys as not just a pop outfit but with an R&B side lacking in other UK boy bands at the time with the likes of Damage and Another Level disbanding. 'Too Close' denied hits by Uncle Kracker, Louise and Emma Bunton from all peaking higher.

One of those examples of a great debut single (All Rise) peaking lower as the act is not established yet but giving a hype boost/lift to the next inferior single.

It's an ok cover of the Next track but does very little for me. I see why they picked it though, it followed the successful example of Another Level reusing Freak Me (which was a prior big US hit). And Blue perfected this kind of style with their own material later on.

Edited 2 hours ago2 hr by gooddelta

I'd forgotten the Westlife song, it prob is placed about right here I think, I don't hate it but it is forgettable (obv). Robbie & Nicole - love the song, bought it when I was 17 (of a version I loved when I was 9) but that's the Frank & Nancy original. This was a nice bit of Croon fluff for Xmas but not in the same league. Hear'Say is another I've not heard in decades but liked at the time more than Pure & Simple. Def the best new record on the list so far (Robbie's is an old song), albeit clearly going for a Britney vibe, but doesn't have the classic hooks of early Britney.

I didn't like the mood change of Blue's chart-topper, it's no All Rise! That said it's pleasant and inoffensive, but not quite up to either Hear'Say or Robbie & Nicole. The Bangles cover was weedy in comparison to the original and did it no favours, so slot that in lower than Blue for me, and the second Blue track is soul-ish and can slot in just ahead of t'previous one.