Pandora's Box was a number one for me as I bought the single and then the album, as was Move Any Mountain, both great singles, and a tragic drowning accident in Tenerife for Will - I sometimes wonder how The Shamen's career might have developed had he not died. Sadly, tourists drowning in the Canaries is an ongoing issue, there's been some more this week but it never makes the news. The sea there is treacherous with sudden Atlantic waves able to catch people unawares as they walk along the beach and get swept out to sea. I've been there when M ignored red flags and staff beach patrols and went for a swim much against my wishes, and a massive wave suddenly appeared out of nowhere - he dived into the foot of the wave, was banged about on the seabed, and swept hundreds of meters down the coast in 30 seconds before managing to get out. We will be there in 4 weeks time and I still have that "I told you so" stored up for 15 years for any potential bad swimming decisions on rough weather days since!

More Than Words is sweet and melodic, very nice, saw Extreme in concert in 92 sometime I think. Pretty good. I preferred the original Jump To The Beat, but Dannii's was OK, and fine for anyone too young to know Stacy Lattisaw's, as she was at the ancient age of 24 then, where Dannii was a youthful 20. Cher's Love & Understanding is one of her best 90's tracks, and way better than Shoop Shoop. Think that single flopped in the US, so it made more sense it was added to the UK album than there.

10TH AUGUST





As you were at the top of the charts this week but Bryan Adams is finally starting to fade….slowly, just 6% in fact to 106,400, that also means it has sold 560,304 and thusly becomes 1991’s best seller as it powers past Cher and is also the 5th biggest seller of the decade to boot. Extreme are once again runners up despite another 19% sales improvement to 51,424, in reality they are a world away from deposing Adams.

Brothers Richard & Fred Fairbrass and bassist Rob Manzoli make up Right Said Fred who are providing this year’s big novelty hit by the looks of it, “I’m Too Sexy” in a tongue in cheek homage to the fashion industry and the song lifts 12-3 (35,040) this week. The band lied to their bank manager to get the funding together to make the record but can be assured of paying it back now, their name is taken from the Bernard Cribbins 1962 hit of the same name and the song is not without a sample, this time the instrumental break is taken from Jimi Hendrix’s “Third Stone From The Sun”.

Fourth album “And Justice For All” proved to be Metallica’s breakthrough in the UK and provided them with their biggest hit “One” which made No 13 in 1989. Now comes the fifth album (which will be self titled) and a first release from it “Enter Sandman” which at a stroke becomes their biggest hit as it smashes in at No 5 (27,856). The album is out in a fortnight to strike whilst the iron is hot.

1991 has been a trying year for Tim Simenon, with a second Bomb The Bass album ready to go earlier this year the lead single “Love So True” fell victim to Radio 1’s ruling that some band names were too contentious, given the gulf war, to promote (see also Massive Attack’s renaming) and so the track went largely without airplay and even a re-pressing using Simenon’s own name couldn’t save the single. However second single “Winter In July”, which has a sample of Japan’s “Ghosts” running through it, provides a 5th top 10 single lifting 14-7 (23,056) pre album release to salvage things.

Talking of salvaged eras, Deacon Blue’s third album “Fellow Hoodlums” was launched with the single “Your Swaying Arms” which stiffed at No 23 but did the job enough to see the album debut at No 2 behind Seal in June. “Twist & Shout” is not a cover of the Beatles track but a new composition which gives the album a boost in the arm as it re-climbs 14-9 this week as the single advances 15-10 (18,480).

The Shamen hold at No 4 (30,000) after the surprise arrival of Right Said Fred, and Heavy D & The Boyz drop 3-6 (27,184), but their album debuts at No 40, and reaching a new peak of No 8 on that album chart means bad news for C & C Music Factory as “Things That Make You Go Mmmm” drops 5-8 (22,864) and OMD dive 7-9 (18,912) but once again the album charts provides the answer as “Sugar Tax” reaches a new peak 11-4 thirteen weeks after its release.


1- (EVERYTHING I DO) I DO IT FOR YOU- Bryan Adams (106,400)
2- MORE THAN WORDS- Extreme (51,424)
3- I’M TOO SEXY- Right Said Fred (35,040)
4- MOVE ANY MOUNTAIN- The Shamen (30,000)
5- ENTER SANDMAN- Metallica (27,856)
6- NOW THAT WE FOUND LOVE- Heavy D & The Boyz (27,184)
7- WINTER IN JULY- Bomb The Bass (23,056)
8- THINGS THAT MAKE YOU GO MMM- C & C Music Factory (22,864)
9- PANDORA’S BOX- OMD (18,912)
10- TWIST AND SHOUT- Deacon Blue (18,480)

Bomb The Bass' best single, love Winter In July and didnt twig it was sampling Ghosts! That was Japan's best record too. I'm Too Sexy was a abit of fun until it got overplayed and outstayed its' welcome, but it still sounds fun now and again. That Hendrix sample was copied by Cozy Powell, drum legend, in his 1973 smash Dance With The Devil. That was way better, though, than Right Said Fred's. Deacon Blue, meh, give me the Fabs' Twist & Shout any day, though DB's song was one of their better ones. Metallica, Enter Sandman is their least-annoying track I think. Not a fan, I struggle to find much I enjoy in their many hits....

17TH AUGUST





Becoming the first chart topper to spend 6 weeks at the top in two years, and thusly the longest chart topper of the decade thus far, Bryan Adams's “Everything I Do” sold 104,400 copies last week and cumulatively 664,704 with just Sinead O'Connor and The Righteous Brothers ahead of it in terms of the decade to date list. Its descent in sales is so small that it retains a commanding lead over the field, though finally it isn't selling double of the runner up, which is now Right Said Fred’s ” I’m Too Sexy”, that sold 53,264 and trades places with Extreme who slip 2-3 (47,104) as their challenge fades. With nothing in sight you have to fancy Adams to remain at the top for a 7th week, the longest stay in 7 years! it also tops the 100,000 mark for a 4th week on the trotm the first trak to do since Cliff Richard's "Mistletoe & Wine" three years ago, and the first track outside the festive period to turn the trick since Jennifer Rush in 1985!

Spandau Ballet are back, a new greatest hits collection is due and their biggest hit “True” is getting a re-issue next week, but by far the biggest promo for it is the new PM Dawn single “Set Adrift On Memory Bliss” which is based extensively on the 1983 track and improves substantially on the No 36 peak of their first hit by slamming in at No 5 (28,224). Tony Hadley actually appears in the promo for the track which also samples the beat from Erik B & Rakim’s “Paid In Full” and must be fancied to become the main threat to Bryan Adams in the forthcoming weeks.

Following up the massive No 1 “I Wanna Sex You Up” seems to have been no problem for Color Me Badd, their new single “All 4 Love” moves 11-6 (26,976). It may find further progress is checked by the release of their first album this week.

Already an American No 4 hit DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince’s “Summertime” is appropriately riding high in the charts over here in August wafting 13-10 (18,896). Once more it has a sample at heart this time Kool & The Gang’s “Summer Madness”, the duo’s only other chart hit was the 1986 No 21 hit “Girls Ain’t Nothing But Trouble” which can also be found on the CD version of the single, but since then Will Smith (“Fresh Prince”) has landed a prime acting job on the comedy “Fresh Prince Of Bel Air” which has been a hit in the US and is now showing on BBC2 here.

The Shamen spend a third week at No 4 but they are fading fast with 28,368 takers this week and Bomb The Bass finding the going tough further down holding at No 7 (22,864), Heavy D & The Boyz continue south 6-8 (22,352) and Metallica beat a hasty retreat 5-9 (21,008).


1- (EVERYTHING I DO) I DO IT FOR YOU- Bryan Adams (104,400)
2- I’M TOO SEXY- Right Said Fred (53,264)
3- MORE THAN WORDS- Extreme (47,104)
4- MOVE ANY MOUNTAIN- The Shamen (28,368)
5- SET ADRIFT ON MEMORY BLISS- PM Dawn (28,224)
6- ALL 4 LOVE- Color Me Badd (26,976)
7- WINTER IN JULY- Bomb The Bass (21,864)
8- NOW THAT WE’VE FOUND LOVE- Heavy D & The Boyz (22,352)
9- ENTER SANDMAN- Metallica (21,008)
10- SUMMERTIME- DJ Jazzy Jeff & Fresh Prince (18,896)

'Winter In July' is a beautiful song.

'Set Adrift On Memory Bliss' is really nice too and I kind of agree that I find it more interesting than the Spandau original.

I refuse to engage with Right Said Fred even ironically these days, due to them being a pair of quite frankly dangerous nutjobs!

24TH AUGUST





“(Everything I Do) I Do It For You” spends a seventh week at No 1 and is now the longest chart topper since “Two Tribes” ruled for 9 weeks in the summer of 1984. It is fading but still only slowly, another 7% to 96,384 bringing its haul to 761,088 and it will, in all likelihood, become the biggest selling single of the 90s so far next week, a million may not be beyond it ultimately.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vFD2gu007dc&list=RDvFD2gu007dc&start_radio=1

Right Said Fred wait patiently at No 2 again but they are eating into the lead Adams has albeit slowly, they sold 61,664 copies enough to outpace PM Dawn who climb 5-3 (41,648) with almost a 50% sales increase but all look far too distant from Adams to worry about.  For those tiring of Adams it is worth noting that his lead over the rest of the chart has halved in the last 3 weeks so there are glimmers of light!



The only new song in the top 10 comes as a new entry at No 9 from dance act The Prodigy. Their first single “What Evil Lurks” stopped short at No 118 earlier this year but “Charly” has much more success, it’s helped by utilising the BBC series of child safety adverts in the 70s “Charley Says” which featured a young boy and his cat (voiced by Kenny Everett) set to a rave backing. It convinced 18,080 buyers in its first week on the charts.

Improving this week are Color Me Badd who lift 6-5 (30,576) as their album debuts at No 8, and DJ Jazzy Jeff & Fresh Prince lift 10-8 (22,064). Bomb The Bass hold at No 7 (22,848) on almost identical sales from last week, but it’s all over for Extreme who slip 3-4 (36,416), while The Shamen also surrender the No 4 spot 4-6 (23,712) and Heavy D & The Boyz drop 8-10 (17,296).


1- (EVERYTHING I DO)- I DO IT FOR YOU- Bryan Adams (96,384)
2- I’M TOO SEXY- Right Said Fred (61,664)
3- SET ADRIFT ON MEMORY BLISS- PM Dawn (41,648)
4- MORE THAN WORDS- Extreme (36,416)
5- ALL 4 LOVE- Color Me Badd (30,576)
6- MOVE ANY MOUNTAIN- The Shamen (23,712)
7- WINTER IN JULY- Bomb The Bass (22,848)
8- SUMMERTIME- DJ Jazzy Jeff & Fresh Prince (22,064)
9- CHARLY- The Prodigy (18,080)
10- NOW THAT WE FOUND LOVE- Heavy D & The Boyz (17,296)

Adore that PM Dawn track!

And Charly is iconic, must have sounded a weird top 10 single for those at the time not into the rave scene.

Of course it wasn't the first rave song to make the charts, very ravey Quadrophonia and Cubic 22 songs a few months before made top 40 but didn't go top 10.

I think "Charly" was largely considered novelty at the time- or a clever dance tune to tap into nostalgia, either way little indication of what was to come.

31ST AUGUST





Eight weeks in and Bryan Adams shows no sign of faltering just yet suffering a mere 2% sales loss to haul and another 94,224 copies last week to come around 7,000 short of being the biggest seller of the 90s to date. It’s losing sales at such a gentle rate that the million is now entirely possible, even probable, incredible given his previous best was the No 11 track “Run To You”. Right Said Fred and PM Dawn also complete the static top 3 but both singles are fading in popularity, “I’m Too Sexy” dipping to 58,976 and “Set Adrift On Memory Bliss” sold 39,872, neither will topple Adams it seems.

Two songs with better hopes are the Prodigy who fly 9-4 (38,992) and our highest new entry, Prince & The New Power Generation with “Gett Off”. The song charted at No 114 last week on sales of cassette and 7” of the import, the 12” and CD versions of the same import of the US release are too long in length to chart in the singles chart so move 74-33 on the album charts instead. Now with a full set of UK releases it becomes the second time in Prince’s history that he’s debuted in the top 5, the first time was with “Batdance” in 1989 which entered at No 3. The song was a last minute addition to his new album “Diamonds & Pearls” replacing “Horny Pony” which gets relegated to the B-side here, it sold 38,032 copies last week just getting defeated by the Prodigy.  The single was only intended to serve as the first track from the album in the US with "Cream" earmarked for the lead single in Europe, in the end pressure through import sales meant the record company went with a full UK release and "Cream" will follow next month here in line with the continent.

Zoe auditioned and failed to become the lead singer of the band Brilliant, not to be deterred she started dating producer and band member Youth who is responsible for the singer providing the backing vocals on Bananarama’s “Pop Life” album and the remix of “Sunshine On A Rainy Day” currently climbing 14-8 (27,280). In its original form it made No 53 last November but has been brought to a more wide audience through its use on an advert for Amiga 500 computers this year causing a remix and now a hit.

If Right Said Fred thought they had the tag “novelty hit of the summer” all to themselves then the song which explodes 32-9 (26,048) this week proves a challenger. “I’ll Be Back” is officially credited to Arnee & The Terminators and is an ode of sorts to “The Terminator” film series starring Arnold Schwarzenegger. If you’re a regular listener to Radio 1’s Steve Wright show then you’ll know that Steve and the boys are behind the track in reality who timed the release with the new “Terminator 2” film and because they wanted to see if they could have a hit single. Job Done.

It’s the end of an era as the final Jason Donovan single to be produced by Stock and Waterman is released, rather disappointingly it’s a cover again, this time of the 1967 No 12 track “Happy Together” which has been recorded for the forthcoming “Greatest Hits” album next month which brings his contract to an end. Clearly his involvement with “Joseph” has told Donovan that his future interests are better served away from the Stock and Waterman stable and as if to ratify that opinion the soundtrack to the show duly debuts at No 1 on the album charts. The single struggles 12-10 (24,048) this week so at least the chapter closes on a high with his 10th top 10 single.  News that Matt Aiken has also left the partnership with mean interest turns to the new Minogue single which is out imminently.

Color Me Badd drop 5-6 (28,688) and Extreme fall 4-7 (27,552), the top 10 all clearing the 20,000 mark for the first time since March and indeed Donovan's tally is the highest needed so far in 1991 to be in the big 10.


1- (EVERYTHING I DO) I DO IT FOR YOU- Bryan Adams (94,224)
2- I’M TOO SEXY- Right Said Fred (58,976)
3- SET ADRIFT ON MEMORY BLISS- PM Dawn (39,872)
4- CHARLY- The Prodigy (38,992)
5- GETT OFF- Prince/ NPG (38,032)
6- ALL 4 LOVE- Color Me Badd (28,688)
7- MORE THAN WORDS- Extreme (27,552)
8- SUNSHINE ON A RAINY DAY- Zoe (27,280)
9- I’LL BE BACK- Arnee & The Terminators (26,096)
10- HAPPY TOGETHER- Jason Donovan (24,048)

Charly, never liked it much, a drug rave song masquerading as kiddie novelty rave, I just found it annoying, and I was too old to have any nostalgia for the old adverts aimed at little kids. Set Adrift On Memory Bliss, though, is fab - laid-back Daisy-Age vibes and way better than True, which I was already sick to death of hearing. 34 years on, I still feel the same! Gett Off was better than naughty Cream, so there's that, but Prince was at the point where I felt there was a drop in creativity, albeit not productivity. He still had some good 'uns in him but they weren't big hits generally. I had this album and the next one before I stopped buying Prince albums.

Happy Together not a patch on The Turtles, but it wasn't awful. Unlike I'll Be Back. Steve Wright had been top of the arf list on Radio One for 9 years, and his guest list of comedy turns top notch - I think "Mick Jagger" might be the bloke that is behind That'll Be The Day shows, 40 years and going strong - but nobody needed an Arnie hit record. And if you have to have one, go for the great The BossHoss sampling Arnie from earlier this year. Color Me Bad is OK, not as good as the previous one though, and Zoe is nicely catchy, I liked it first time round.

Sunshine On A Rainy Day is a very good pop song.

That Arnee song probably influenced in terms of music style by the KLF I think!

A few good tracks have appeared since I last commented... I really love Set Adrift On Memory Bliss, I didn't know the sample at the time but they used it brilliantly and I love the laid back vibe of the band in general. Gett Off is a pretty great Prince single, really funky! At the time the lyrics were a bit too risqué for someone like me but I love it now. Winter in July is just beautiful, one of the most underrated singles of the year and an early example of the type of sound that would go on to be associated with trip hop. Enter Sandman is a great Metallica single, another I've grown to love over time but didn't appeal to a 11 year old! I bought that Deacon Blue track and I still think it's a pretty catchy effort from them, they were a nice band and I always enjoyed their best of when it was released. Last but not least, the Prodigy! Charlie wasn't a huge favourite of mine and it's still nowhere near their best, it made them feel like a bit of a novelty act imo - but I do like it a bit more now and of course they had so many better moments to come.

7TH SEPTEMBER





Bryan Adams makes nine weeks at No 1 look easy, the last song to spend longer consecutively was 36 years ago when Slim Whitman’s “Rose Marie” did 11 weeks at the top. The success of the single is now approaching something of a phenomenon, the film has started to drop in the rankings but the single remains strong, in fact the next thing to threaten the ongoing domination of it could be the release of Adams’ new album “Waking Up The Neighbours” out in three weeks. It sold 85,280 copies last week to bring its total to 940,592 and should be a million seller at some point this week.

Also worth noting is Right Said Fred’s “I’m Too Sexy” which is stuck for a fourth week at No 2 (53,056) and has now sold 285,776 itself in its tenacity though it is fading week on week now. It stays well ahead of four climbers, The Prodigy 4-3 (36,560), Prince & The New Power Generation 5-4 (34,704) and Arnee & The Terminators 9-5 (34,304) who all ended up very close to each other. Zoe lifts 8-6 (31,728). PM Dawn make way for all these climbers, they stumble 3-7 (30,832) and further down Color Me Badd reverse 6-10 (21,200) but see their album make the top 3.



Gaining popularity first in the north west before starting to get the nation hooked Oceanic’s “Insanity” is a true example of a song which has grown strongly and slowly over a good few months, appearances on “The Hitman And Her” and “Top Of The Pops” have complemented clubplay and assisted where radio has resisted. It rises slowly 11-8 (27,376).

Starting off as a prayer written by Martika “Love…Thy Will Be Done” was transformed into a single by the fair hand of Prince and serves as her first single from her second album “Martika’s Kitchen” which debuts at No 18 this week. Her last album produced two top 10 singles in “Toy Soldiers” (#5) and “I Feel The Earth Move” (#7) but led to diminishing returns as last single “Water” faltered at No 59, she starts this campaign off well as the new single advances 12-9 (23,216).

1- (EVERYTHING I DO)- I DO IT FOR YOU- Bryan Adams (85,280)
2- I’M TOO SEXY- Right Said Fred (53,056)
3- CHARLY- The Prodigy (36,560)
4- GETT OFF- Prince & NPG (34,704)
5- I’LL BE BACK- Arnee & The Terminators (34,304)
6- SUNSHINE ON A RAINY DAY- Zoe (31,728)
7- SET ADRIFT ON MEMORY BLISS- PM Dawn (30,832)
8- INSANITY- Oceanic (27,376)
9- LOVE....THY WILL BE DONE- Martika (23,216)
10- ALL 4 LOVE- Color Me Badd (21,200)

It is a bit cheesy for rave with its key change but I do really like Oceanic - Insanity.

I was just returning to school this week. I remember thinking that it was the first time that the same song was at 1 on the day i finished school for the summer and the day i went back to school.

By this point I can remember feeling like I was the only person who didn’t buy that single

My sister loved that film and song. It was everywhere!

Martika's Prince-linked was a goodie, classy. I was never that bovvered by Insanity, but I might have been a bit more of a fan if I'd known then that a clubbing mate of Jorinde from the 80's would end up a close friend of mine in the early 2000's. He was in Australia when they broke through. Ian says Hi Jorinde!