loved Temple Of Love and Ofra Haza being on it, Goth banger. Marc Almond at 4 makes the top 5 substantially better too, hooray! In The Closet was never a fave of mine, always thought it was one of his weakest singles, and preferred other tracks on the album not yet released as singles. That of course is bound to be rectified based on the number of Bad singles last time out....

Please Don't Go, KC's original was pleasant and an MOR comeback for him as Disco Sucks wiped out his career in the USA. KWS though, ooh no no no, I've said before it got on my nerves after a short while, that hook was too repetitive and a rip off of a cover (which I did chart along with KWS briefly). I caught them on the Radio One Roadshow - so I could see the crowd enjoying it, even if I wasn't.

“Stay” dropped to no.19 this week and out of the top 40 the week after. I guess it was deleted?

1 hour ago, Popgeek said:

“Stay” dropped to no.19 this week and out of the top 40 the week after. I guess it was deleted?

Yes to make way for their next single.

9TH MAY



So a fortnight ago SL2 didn’t get any airtime on TOTP and paid the price and last week they got promo and again they came off second best. The nation has a new chart topper but it isn’t the boys from London who are celebrating but the lads from Nottingham, yes KWS rocket 9-1 (33,405) with their cover of “Please Don’t Go/ Game Boy” and to add to the insult Double You (the originator of the arrangement of this version) move 47-41 this week to narrowly miss out on a top 40 hit. KWS are only the 4th act to score a No 1 in 1992 in what is rapidly becoming a very slow year for turnover at the top, by this point (Wk 18) in previous years there were 6 in 1988, 6 in 1989, 7 in 1990, and 8 last year. SL2 did improve their sales by 20% to 31,200 but it wasn’t quite enough at the end of the day.

Metallica lift 12-6 (17,955) with a third single from their eponymous album “Nothing Else Matters”. The group only made No 15 last time out with “Unforgiven” just before Christmas but they now have the second biggest hit of their career and comes with live versions of their biggest hits on the CD single. They opened the Freddie Mercury tribute concert a few weeks ago and are donating proceeds from the single to charity.

Things haven’t been too great for Curiosity Killed The Cat since their first album generated three top 20 singles back in 1987, a second album gave them one hit but their label dropped them when the album bombed. A change of name to simply Curiosity and now a three piece with a new label they return with “Hang On In There Baby” a cover of the Johnny Bristol 1974 #3 track, it’s now their second biggest hit as it flies 15-7 (16,935) matching the peak of “Misfit”.

The outgoing chart topper from Right Said Fred falls 1-3 (24,195), and Marc Almond holds at No 4 (19,245) just above a falling Sisters of Mercy 3-5 (17,955) who see their greatest hits also debut at No 5. Curtis Stigers goes the wrong way 6-8 (15,930) and Michael Jackson also slips 8-9 (15,720) but both sold more than last week!, Ten Sharp meanwhile spend a third week at No 10 increasing to 13,965 as their album arrives without fanfare at No 46!



1- PLEASE DON’T GO/ GAME BOY- KWS (33,405)
2- ON A RAGGA TIP- SL2 (31,200)
3- DEEPLY DIPPY- Right Said Fred (24,195)
4- THE DAYS OF PEARLY SPENCER- Marc Almond (19,245)
5- TEMPLE OF LOVE (1992)- Sisters Of Mercy (17,955)
6- NOTHING ELSE MATTERS- Metallica (17,430)
7- HANG ON IN THERE BABY- Curiosity (16,935)
8- YOU’RE ALL THAT MATTERS TO ME- Curtis Stigers (15,930)
9- IN THE CLOSET- Michael Jackson & Mystery Girl (15,720)
10- YOU- 10 Sharp (13,965)

16TH MAY

After a rather lacklustre year so far 1992 finally gets a sales injection this week with KWS at the spearhead, “Please Don’t Go/ Game Boy” accelerated away from the field to record a new high for the year so far at 66,510! It also leaves poor SL2 trailing in a distant second place for a third week in a row, they actually lost sales to 30,960 which gives them a tally of 125,205 so far which seems to illustrate that whilst dance music is dominating the charts at present it isn’t convincing huge numbers to invest at the moment.

KWS have recorded a new promo for the track to replace the rather low budget production of the "live" performances which served as the video initially.

More evidence of this is the record that drives 12-4 (15,435) this week by 2 Unlimited. “Workaholic” is the third cut from their debut album “Get Ready” and is now a third top 4 single, ideal promo for a hit album you’d thing but the album (which was out in March) debuted at No 37 and disappeared three weeks later and is yet to return and less than 20k for a No 4 track hasn’t been seen since January though of course Monday was a bank holiday which didn’t help. Anyway as is the norm with releases by the group the rap verses have been removed for UK release and the first line has been lifted from the 1987 film “Wall Street”- other than that it’s business as usual for the Dutch duo.

Climbing 5-2 in the US this week are En Vogue with “My Lovin’” their first single from a second album “Funky Diva’s”, it only made No 69 when it was released here last month but the US success led to a TOTP appearance here and the song soared back to No 30 and now shoots to No 8 (11,280). The song is based extensively around James Brown’s “The Payback” which was also sampled on their first hit “Hold On” back in 1990 and was itself in the charts in remixed form back in 1988 when it made No 12.

Wedding Present’s idea to release a new single every month of the year in a limited run of 10,000 copies seems to have been an inspired one. Prior to 1992 the group had scored 7 hit singles but all had failed to make the top 20, formed in 1985 they were initially championed by John Peel among others and faced some criticism in 1989 when they finally signed with a major label (RCA) contrary to their indie roots. The releases this year have peaked at No 26, 20, 14 and 14 but their newie “Come Play With Me” has a best showing yet by Debuting at No 10 (11,025) which marks a new low required for the top 10. The bank holiday doubtless helped them by giving a day’s less competition and clearly fans are getting more adept at making sure they purchase the singles in their first week but it a further symbol of how flat the market is at present. Incidentally the sales here are more than the 10,000 limited run but it is thought that the record label are dipping into the 5,000 copies produced for overseas demand to help fill pre orders.

Curiosity climb 7-3 (17,670) to equal their best ever performance with “Down To Earth” five years ago but there’s a host of fallers beside that. Right Said Fred fall 3-5 (15,270) but will cross the 250,000 mark this week though that is only half of what “I’m Too Sexy” sold, Marc Almond trips 4-6 (12,030). Metallica dip 6-7 (11,685) and Curtis Stigers lingers 8-9 (11,055), No's 3 & 4 and 6 through to 10 are all record lows for their positions since at least 1980, unwanted records are being made weekly at present- can it get any worse?

1- PLEASE DON’T GO- K.W.S (66,510)
2- ON A RAGGA TIP- SL2 (30,960)
3- HANG ON IN THERE BABY- Curiosity (17,670)
4- WORKAHOLIC- 2 Unlimited (15,435)
5- DEEPLY DIPPY- Right Said Fred (15,270)
6- THE DAYS OF PEARLY SPENCER- Marc Almond (12,030)
7- NOTHING ELSE MATTERS- Metallica (11,685)
8- MY LOVIN- En Vogue (11,280)
9- YOU’RE ALL THAT MATTERS TO ME- Curtis Stigers (11, 055)
10- COME PLAY WITH ME- The Wedding Present (11,025)

Ah forgot KWS came form Nottingham, that puts them 3rd behind Paper Lace and Jake Bugg. Oh hang on, 4th, behind Su Pollard. My nearby hometown had Alvin Stardust (also better) 😇Apologies to anyone else I have forgotten. Hang On In There Baby was a good cover of an even better original, I generally liked Curiosity either with or without the cat. 2 Unlimited getting less good as they go on, Metallica, never a fan but the charity cause gets a gold star, En Vogue's is a soul bop, never get bored of that one, and The Wedding Present, meh, never got them. Sorry!

It would have been so cool for SL2 to grab a number 1.

'Deeply Dippy' keeping SL2 from the top spot is a chart crime!

I think I'd rather listen to Deeply Dippy than Please Don't Go, I always found the latter really annoying. On a Ragga Tip wipes the floor with both of them though.

23RD MAY

Another great week for KWS with “Please Don’t Go/ Game Boy” selling a massive 71,235 and again creating a record for the year, that also puts them on a grand tally of 192,525 as it climbs into the big 10 for the YTD with an eye on the top spot currently occupied by Shakespears Sister but more on them in a moment.

The rather impressive sales for KWS put paid to any chances of a Guns N Roses chart topper though their version of Bob Dylan’s “Knockin On Heaven’s Door” does enter at No 2 (29,580) a position it occupied from the off. Written by Dylan for the 1973 film “Pat Garrett & Billy The Kid” it made No 14 in the UK and produced many cover versions over the years though only Clapton’s version did any business in the top 40. GNR started covering the song live in 1987 becoming a B-side to “Welcome To The Jungle” before doing a studio version for the soundtrack to “Days Of Thunder” three years later, they’ve tinkered with it again for the current version lifted from “Use Your Illusion II”. You’ll doubtless recall the group performed it at the recent Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert a few weeks ago and all proceeds go to the Mercury Phoenix Trust, it’s the group’s 8th top 10 hit but their biggest beating the No 3 peak of “You Could Be Mine” last summer.

Opening this week is the new Mike Myers film “Wayne’s World” and it contains the track “Everything About You” by Ugly Kid Joe. The band got their name whilst on tour with Pretty Boy Floyd and realising they were the antithesis of that group they got their name, the single first surfaced on an EP late last year though it sold minimally but the promo for the film bolsters the single 15-5 (19,875).

Their album returns to the top 10 rising 14-8 and their new single “I Don’t Care” is also on the move 16-7 (18,165) for Shakespears Sister. “Stay” only dropped off the charts last week and was immediately replaced by this which looks like it could replicate the chart topping experience of that hit though it won’t have TOTP to help it this week.

Released in the US at the end of last year the newest Disney film “Beauty & The Beast” has been a hit (it’s due here in October) and generated a hit single with title track from the soundtrack. It should be noted that the film version is sung by actress Angela Lansbury but was re-recorded by Celine Dion and Peabo Bryson for single release which hit No 9 stateside last month. Bryson has only hit the charts once before on the No 2 hit “Tonight I Celebrate My Love” in duet with Roberta Flack (1983) whilst it marks the debut for Canadian singer Dion whose only previous brush with fame was winning the Eurovision Song Contest in 1988 for Switzerland (beating the UK by one point!), she’s had hits in most of the major markets in the world with only the UK holding out so far but that’s over as the song rises 14-9 (14,070).

In just under 5 months Ce Ce Peniston has accrued three top 10 singles as her new single “Keep On Walkin’” debuts at No 10 (12,870). It is written by Steve “Silk” Hurley (who also produces it) and Kym Sims who herself has two top 20 hits to her name in the last 5 months. The album lifts 57-50 but has really struggled to make any great inroads despite the impact of the singles.

SL2 are down 2-3 (26,820) and just stay above En Vogue who jump 8-4 (22,800) as they score their biggest hit yet and double their sales, down go Curiosity 3-6 (19,425) and 2 Unlimited 4-8 (16,575) but both sold more than last week!


1- PLEASE DON’T GO/ GAME BOY- KWS (71,235)
2- KNOCKIN ON HEAVEN’S DOOR- Guns N Roses (29,580)
3- ON A RAGGA TIP- SL2 (26,820)
4- MY LOVIN- En Vogue (22,800)
5- EVERYTHING ABOUT YOU- Ugly Kid Joe (19,875)
6- HANG ON IN THERE BABY- Curiosity (19.425)
7- I DON’T CARE- Shakespears Sister (18,165)
8- WORKAHOLIC- 2 Unlimited (16,575)
9- BEAUTY AND THE BEAST- Celine Dion & Peabo Bryson (14,070)
10- KEEP ON WALKIN- Ce Ce Peniston (12,870)

I Don’t Care <3

I actually liked this one even more than Stay and I still play it quite a lot these days, it’s great fun

30TH MAY





Well it turned into a rather eventful week in the end, but the headline reads that KWS score a fourth week at No 1 with sales finally on the downward trend to 63,315 raising its overall tally to 255,840 and places it at No 3 for the YTD with only Shakespears Sister and Wet, Wet, Wet still ahead of them.

But it wasn’t the midweek chart topper, that belonged to dance act Shut Up And Dance, “Raving I’m Raving” samples Marc Cohn’s “Walking In Memphis (#22, 1991) and was not authorised for clearance leading to a court injunction being issued last week which meant that not only would all proceeds from the single go to charity but that no new copies would be made. Fortunately 35,000 copies had already been sent to shops which meant that the single flew into a midweek lead but ultimately the track sold 40,245 copies in total in the week. That figure is of course higher than the copies available highlights a deficiency in the Gallup methodology of taking sales in shops and extrapolating over an entire market, sound enough for a normal release but not a limited release! The album has been put back a month as it was due to be released next week but will now include a new version which the group will perform on TOTP this week. Without that sample we’ll see how well it can do next week. It’s the duo’s 4th hit but first time in the top 40.

original (banned) version



En Vogue hold at No 2 in the US but drop 4-6 (24,465) whilst posting a sales increase, they are holding behind the current 6 week chart topper over there by rap duo Kris Kross who are just 13 years old. They were discovered in a shopping Mall and have the gimmick of wearing their clothes back to front, “Jump” debuts here at No 4 (32,310) and is one of the most eagerly awaiting singles this year. It contains samples of James Brown, OPP, Jackson 5, and the Ohio Players, they’ll also be supporting Michael Jackson on his Dangerous tour later this year.

“Wish” became the Cure’s first chart topping LP earlier this month, and now second single from it “Friday I’m In Love” charges 31-8 (18,330) to become their 4th in total but first back to back top ten single.

Richard Marx has only previously had one excursion into the top 20 and that was back in 1989 when “Right Here Waiting” made No 2 behind Black Box, but three years later “Hazard” is proving his most popular offering since as it inches 12-10 (16,920). It’s the second single to be pulled from his third album “Rush Street” and has already done better than the first cut “Keep Coming Back” which peaked at No 55 last November, it comes with a much talked promo which deals with the narrative story, namely a murder and whether or not the character played by Marx is responsible for it or not, there are reputedly three versions of the promo which all reveal different parts of the story- get guessing!

Guns N Roses fall 2-3 (39,600) whilst posting a sales hike and can count themselves unlucky not to have caught Shut And Dance at the death. Ugly Kid Joe hold at No 5 (31,875) whilst SL2 drop 3-7 (23,700) and Shakespears Sister won’t have a second chart topper with “I Don’t Care” as it reverses 7-9 (17,700). Sales are up all around and much healthier with the top 5 all clearing 30,000 for the first time this year!


1- PLEASE DON’T GO/ GAME BOY- KWS (63,315)
2- RAVING I’M RAVING- Shut Up And Dance (40,245)
3- KNOCKIN ON HEAVEN’S DOOR- Guns N Roses (39,600)
4- JUMP- Kris Kross (32,310)
5- EVERYTHING ABOUT YOU- Ugly Kid Joe (31,875)
6- MY LOVIN- En Vogue (24,465)
7- ON A RAGGA TIP- SL2 (23,700)
8- FRIDAY I’M IN LOVE- The Cure (18,330)
9- I DON’T CARE- Shakespears Sister (17,700)
10- HAZARD- Richard Marx (16,920)

'Raving I'm Raving' and its chart run is iconic

They also had another very good hit sampling Duran Duram 'Save A Prayer' in the 1995 charts.

'Hazard' is a sad but good track.

The Cure and Richard Marx are my favourites of the new ones this time. Hazard feels quite forgotten these days which is a shame as it's quite an unusual and distinctive narrative.

6TH JUNE

KWS were under considerable pressure this week at the top but “Please Don’t Go/ Game Boy” held on in the end despite a loss of 6% week on week to register 59,115 copies, but that’s enough to increase its total to 314,955 and overtake “Goodnight Girl” in the YTD chart but it is around 180,000 short of overtaking Shakespears Sister at present.

Last time out they sampled Gwen Guthrie now the Utah Saints turn to Kate Bush for inspiration and her 1985 #20 hit “Cloudbusting”. Unlike Shut Up And Dance (who fall 2-15) they got clearance from the woman herself to use the track on “Something Good” which debuts at No 9 (16,065) as it immediately becomes their biggest hit as it arrives one place higher than their last hit “What Can You Do For Me” peaked.

Written allegedly about Madonna, “Midlife Crisis” marks a new high point in the career of Faith No More who crash straight in at No 10 (14,565). Their previous best was 1990’s “From Out Of Nowhere” (No 23) but with their fourth album out this month it seems that Faith No More’s time has come in the UK, Madonna’s thoughts on the single are still unknown….

Kris Kross move 4-2 selling 50,790 in the process, that’s a new best for the runner up spot this year and as often as not good enough to be No 1, and Ugly Kid Joe leap 5-3 (28,290) as “Wayne’s World” does wonders at the cinema to assist. Guns N Roses fall 2-4 (27,600) and fend off two climbers, Richard Marx 10-5 (21,375) and the Cure 8-6 (19,035), meanwhile SL2 hold at No 7 (18,825) and En Vogue tumble 6-8 (18,780).


1- PLEASE DON’T GO/ GAME BOY- KWS (59,115)
2- JUMP- Kris Kross (50,790)
3- EVERYTHING ABOUT YOU- Ugly Kid Joe (28,290)
4- KNOCKIN ON HEAVEN’S DOOR- Guns N Roses (27,600)
5- HAZARD- Richard Marx (21,375)
6- FRIDAY, I’M IN LOVE- The Cure (19,035)
7- ON A RAGGA TIP- SL2 (18,825)
8- MY LOVIN- En Vogue (18,780)
9- SOMETHING GOOD- Utah Saints (16,065)
10- MIDLIFE CRISIS- Faith No More (14,565)

"Ravin' I'm Raving" is such an iconic track - it is a big pity that it was banned. The adapted vocals from "Walking In Memphis" were great and it is much better than the Marc Cohn original. Could have been #1 otherwise.

"Something Good" is another cool track from the ravin' days of Utah Saints.

"Midlife Crises" is a great rock song and my favourite from Faith No More.