Gezza

14TH MARCH Still selling in prodigious quantities each week there was always a chance, given the right circumstances, that Celine Dion’s “My Heart Will Go On” would reap the rewards of the top spot again given the ongoing success of the Titanic film. Circumstances happened this week, Madonna suffers a 54% decrease in sales to 91,000 and slumps 1-3 in part due to the arrival of her album “Ray Of Light” at No 1, that created a vacuum at the top which was filled by Dion as she rebounds 2-1 (112,000) a mere 20% slip week on week. Dion’s track is the 6th single to return to the top in the same run in the 90s, an usual feat until the last few years, it also turns platinum in celebration with a new tally of 663,000. She doesn’t have it all her own way though with the song toppled from the US No 1 spot by Will Smith, and it becomes the first chart topper since Puff Daddy last summer to be No 1 yet top none of the individual format charts with Madonna triumphing on 12", CD, and Cassingle and Cornershop the top selling 7". For the first time in 10 years the entire top 3 consist of female soloists with Natalie Imbruglia joining Dion and Madonna there. Her new single “Big Mistake” avoids the controversy over writing credits that “Torn” generated by being co-written by the woman herself and arrives at No 2 (96,000), it’s another cut from “Left Of The Middle” which has done almost 400,000 so far. Proving they were no one hit wonders Five are back with a second single hot on the heels of the No 10 smash “Slam Dunk (Da Funk)” in December. Former Dead Or Alive member Mike Percy co-writes this one (he’s already written top ten singles for Kenny Thomas and 911 this decade) and “When The Lights Go Out” easily tops of the achievement of Five’s first single by debuting at No 4 (65,000). An album is promised in the summer. “Casualty” has been on our screens for 12 years now and whilst many have gone on to be well known faces on the TV few have made the transition to chart stars but now the entire cast score a top 10 single. The recent storyline which resulted in the marriage of characters Charlie & Baz resulted in some of the cast performing this single at the reception spearheaded by Amy Howard (played by Rebecca Wheatley) on main vocals. They pile in at No 5 (57,000). Bereft of new entries in the lower half, tracks just re-arrange themselves, Cornershop drop 3-6 (54,000), Space & Cerys Matthews fall 4-7 (49,000), Savage Garden ebb 5-8 (44,000) as their album berths at No 14, LeAnn Rimes relents 7-9 (38,000) and Aqua hang in there 6-10 (36,000). So this week sees the release of the Spice Girls 7th single- could their lucky streak continue? 1- MY HEART WILL GO ON- Celine Dion (112,000) 2- BIG MISTAKE- Natalie Imbruglia (96,000) 3- FROZEN- Madonna (91,000) 4- WHEN THE LIGHTS GO OUT- Five (65,000) 5- EVERLASTING LOVE- Cast From “Casualty” (57,000) 6- BRIMFUL OF ASHA- Cornershop (54,000) 7- THE BALLAD OF TOM JONES- Space With Cerys Matthews (49,000) 8- TRULY MADLY DEPLY- Savage Garden (44,000) 9- HOW DO I LIVE?- Le Ann Rimes (38,000) 10- DOCTOR JONES- Aqua (36,000) http://i.imgur.com/Dt2ir56.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/yopOOH2.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/qyAYAVq.pnghttp://i.imgur.com/HJ6LnBe.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/LSn9znJ.jpg http://i.imgur.com/pxrEIUt.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/ZHK0Cbk.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/L9eTpOT.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/o1FvFoH.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/vFykSSd.jpg

7TH MARCH Written off for much of the decade as an artist whose creativity had peaked and was set for a slow gradual fade in pop history as a chart force, Madonna once again proves that you can never quite write her off. Heralding her first studio album in four years new single “Frozen” this week becomes her first instant No 1 selling a mighty 196,604 to prove the point helped by a memorable National Lottery show performance which garnered much attention. Where to start with the stats on Madonna is always a head scratcher but here goes, this is her 8th No 1 single drawing her level with Take That and Rolling Stones, and behind only Cliff, Elvis, The Beatles, and ABBA, the wait of 8 years since her last No 1 “Vogue” with new material is a longer wait than any act save Diana Ross, Queen, Cher, Don McLean, Frank Sinatra, Cliff, and The Bee Gees. It’s her 44th hit and 40th top 10 single more than double any other female soloist with only Elvis and Cliff ahead of her. The single naturally comes with another eye catching promo featuring Madonna shapeshifting and the song is produced by William Orbit (former member of “Fascinating Rhythm” hitmakers Bass-O-Matic) to give it its distinctive sound, you can get the album “Ray Of Light” this week if you like the sound of this. Interesting fact, no Madonna single has sold as much in one week as “Frozen” last week! The country is still “Titanic” crazy with the soundtrack still No 1 and Celine Dion’s “My Heart Will Go On” still raking it in at No 2 (140,000)- it has sold a mighty 550,000 in 3 weeks and rockets to No 1 on the YTD chart in the process. With Catatonia’s “Mulder & Scully” still top 40, lead singer Cerys Matthews has gone AWOL to help out Space on their new single “Ballad Of Tom Jones”. The tale of warring lovers who come together through their love of the Welsh singer has found fans zooming straight in at No 4 (84,000) which makes it instantly the biggest hit of Space’s career. A massive US hit and finally arriving in the UK at No 7 (43,000) is LeAnn Rimes’ “How Do I Live?”- it made No 2 stateside behind both Elton and Savage Garden spending a record 25 consecutive weeks in the top 5. The country song is written by Diane Warren expressly with Rimes in mind and for the film “Con Air” but once they heard 14yr old Rimes version the film studio said they would prefer an older singer to record the film version and country star Trisha Yearwood got the gig. Yearwood’s version made US #23 and UK #66 last year but Rimes gets the last laugh with the major hit. From 15yr old Rimes to 18 yr old Robin Carlsson who records under the name Robyn. Discovered via television in her native Sweden Robyn’s first album generated a couple of minor hits here but two top 10 hits in the US including “Show Me Love” which is new at No 8 (37,000) here this week. Long a star in his home country of Jamaica, Beenie Man is now a UK star with his song “Who Am I” crashing straight in at No 10 (32,000). It marks his debut with a major label (virgin) which gives the dancehall star an international platform. The song somewhat inexplicably turns into a cover, briefly, of Luther Vandross’ “Never Too Much” half way through which at least makes it something unusual. Cornershop drop 1-3 (106,000) with Savage Garden off gently 4-5 (55,000). Aqua’s former chart topper falls 3-6 (47,000) and Another Level fall back 6-9 (35,000). 1- FROZEN- Madonna (196,604) 2- MY HEART WILL GO ON- Celine Dion (140,000) 3- BRIMFUL OF ASHA- Cornershop (106,000) 4- THE BALLAD OF TOM JONES- Space with Cerys Matthews (84,000) 5- TRULY MADLY DEEPLY- Savage Garden (55,000) 6- DOCTOR JONES- Aqua (47,000) 7- HOW DO I LIVE?- Le Ann Rimes (43,000) 8- SHOW ME LOVE- Robyn (37,000) 9- BE ALONE NO MORE- Another Level (35,000) 10- WHO AM I- Beenie Man (32,000)

12TH MAY Adamski is the nation’s new favourite act with “Killer” moving 4-1 (51,782). It easily fended off Adventures Of Stevie V who still threaten 5-2 (40,001) and manage to push Paula Abdul out of the way as she trips 2-3 (39,321), her album also re-peaks at No 3 which must have drained some sales away from the single. No similar excuse for Madonna as she hurtles 1-4 (35,649) but was unlucky to fall so far given the similar sales tallies. Below Madonna is the heir apparent (at present) to her title, Kylie Minogue. Her 10th single also becomes her 10th top 5 hit as it crashes into the charts at No 5 (33,388), it again comes from the pens of S/A/W who seem to be losing their touch with their other acts allowing Minogue to claim back the honour as their biggest act with the recent downturn in the fate of Donovan. The track is allegedly written about her relationship with Michael Hutchence which has attracted considerable press attention over the course of this year and has garnered more than usual praise from the critics who are liking the more sophisticated angle to her music, not to mention it comes with a racier than normal promo from the Ex-Neighbours star. This is her 6th hit to debut inside the top 5 but the previous 5 all debuted at No 2 so this is the first not to! For S/A/W and PWL this is their 63rd top 10 single and the 101st S/A/W produced single to be released apparently. Further down are current chart favourites New Kids On The Block who score a third top 10 single of 1990 and a fourth on the trot with “Cover Girl” which arrives at No 8 (24,871). The UK is still playing catch up with their native US where this song peaked at No 2 last November (albeit in a remixed version whereas we get the album version), the album “Hangin Tough” continues to sell well shifting 21-12 this week having already sold over 300.000. Soul II Soul appear to be floundering with their new single only climbing 8-6 (26,571) but that’s better than Alannah Myles who slides 3-7 (25,483), also going the wrong way are UB40 6-9 (20,111) and Snap! 7-10 (17,595). "The Power" has now spent five weeks in the top 10 post topping the charts, the first track to spend so long past its No 1 peak since Wham!'s "I'm Your Man" in 1985. 1- KILLER- Adamski (51,782) 2- DIRTY CASH- Adventures Of Stevie V (40,001) 3- OPPOSITES ATTRACT- Paula Abdul Duet with Wild Pair (39,321) 4- VOGUE- Madonna (35,649) 5- BETTER THE DEVIL YOU KNOW- Kylie Minogue (33,388) 6- A DREAM’S A DREAM- Soul II Soul (26,571) 7- BLACK VELVET- Alannah Myles (25,483) 8- COVER GIRL- New Kids On The Block (24,871) 9- KINGSTON TOWN- UB40 (20,111) 10- THE POWER- Snap! (17,595)

5TH MAY Well “Vogue” spends a month at the top equalling her personal best she achieved with “Into The Groove”, the track sold 51,680 copies putting in a very consistent performance, it was always out in front but whether it can become her first chart topper to last 5 weeks looks doubtful though. In part that’s because of Paula Abdul who climbs 3-2 selling 44,863 into the bargain which coupled with Madonna’s dropping sales could point to the end of her reign, Abdul could be curtailed by the new expanded version of her album “Forever Your Girl” getting a re-release which will include this hit. Incidentally “Vogue” has sold 255,153 copies during its 4 week tenure at the top, compare that to the 448,069 that “Into The Groove” did and you get an idea of the different market we’re in five years later. If not Abdul then one of the new entries to the big 10 could be worth a punt, “Dirty Cash” which has been doing well on 12” inch since its limited release back in December and had got as high as No 93 in February before being deleted and primed for a full release a few weeks ago. It’s since moved 28-11-5 securing sales of 33,779 in the process last week- it could go much higher! Another of 1989’s favourite acts returns this week and it’s the group that perhaps identified the “sound” of summer of 1989, Soul II Soul. It’s time for that second album and here’s the lead single “A Dreams A Dream” which features the vocals of Victoria Wilson James and precedes “Volume II” which is out in 3 weeks and will go head to head with the new Madonna album “I’m Breathless”. The single debuts at No 8 (26,214) and with the last 3 Soul II Soul singles all going top 5 this should see a nice rise next week. Alannah Myles’ challenge to the top spot is over as she trips 2-3 (43,486) as it duelled with Paula Abdul all week for the runner up spot, Adamski lifts 7-4 (38,760), below him and falling are UB40 5-6 (28,475), Snap! 4-7 (26,741) and Heart 8-9 (23,800) with Family Stand maintaining the anchor position with 21,080 sales. You may recall a few weeks ago I mentioned that the amount of eligible formats for the chart dropped from 5 to 4, well it has also seemingly contributed to the decline of the 7" single, most record labels are opting to go with a 7", 12" cassette, and CD version abandoning the practice of gatefold sleeve and multiple covers of 7" singles which were common up to that point. Sales of the format now account for 44% of the market with 12" sales still expanding to 38%. Next week old adversaries New Kids On The Block and Kylie Minogue go head to head with new singles- who’ll make the bigger splash? 1- VOGUE- Madonna (51,680) 2- OPPOSITES ATTRACT- Paula Abdul Duet with the Wild Pair (44,863) 3- BLACK VELVET- Alannah Myles (43,486) 4- KILLER- Adamski (38,760) 5- DIRTY CASH- Adventures Of Stevie V (33,779) 6- KINGSTON TOWN- UB40 (28,475) 7- THE POWER- Snap! (26,741) 8- A DREAM’S A DREAM- Soul II Soul (26,214) 9- ALL I WANNA DO IS MAKE LOVE TO YOU- Heart (23,800) 10- GHETTO HEAVEN- Family Stand (21,080)

Sales had been consistently declining since the late 70s from 89.1 million in 1979 to 58.8 million in 1990. Several factors at play really, vinyl heading out and the slow switch to CD, less teenagers around as the baby boomers were then into their 20s/30s, and, arguably, as everything became computerised it made hyping songs harder to achieve so figures were less likely to be inflated as they were before gallup.

28TH APRIL Madonna once again proves she is the current queen of pop as she sees “Vogue” grab a third week at the top, only “Into The Groove” has lasted longer at the top out of her chart toppers. It was helped by the news of her UK tour dates which naturally sold out in a morning, the song will now also be available on the soundtrack to her new movie “Dick Tracy” which is due to get a UK release in July to accompany the tour, the soundtrack is due in June. Alannah Myles did cut her lead at the top to just 8,381 selling 52,224 as her album debuts at No 3, Paula Abdul and the Wild Pair float 5-3 (36,448) so depending on how you view the contribution of the Wild Pair it is arguable that this is an all female top 3 for only the third time in history but the first not to feature Kylie Minogue, her new single is released next month. Adamski’s first hit “N-R-G” peaked at No 12 back in January, his new single “Killer” does even better as it rockets 20-7 (21,777) and introduces us to singer Seal though he is uncredited on the track. The pair apparently met in a McDonalds (if you believe the story) and now find themselves in the top 10, and Adamski (real name Adam Tinley) has a second album due this year if you like the sound of this. New York outfit Family Stand are also new entrants to our top ten with “Ghetto Heaven” moving 12-10 (19,482). Part of the song’s appeal comes from the fact that it is remixed and produced by Nelle Hooper and Jazzy B from Soul II Soul who have their own new single in the shops this week (watch out for that in 7 days time). A couple of tracks which can’t seem to move are The Happy Mondays at No 6 (22,219) and Heart at No 8 (21,046). Fallers include Snap! Who are powerless to drop 3-4 (33,031), UB40 who slip 4-5 (30,600), and Bizz Nizz who are hungover and slide 7-9 (20,230). 1- VOGUE- Madonna (60,605) 2- BLACK VELVET- Alannah Myles (52,224) 3- OPPOSITES ATTRACT- Paula Abdul Duet with The Wild Pair (36,448) 4- THE POWER- Snap! (33,031) 5- KINGSTON TOWN- UB40 (30,600) 6- STEP ON- Happy Mondays (22,219) 7- KILLER- Adamski (21,777) 8- ALL I WANNA DO IS MAKE LOVE TO YOU- Heart (21,046) 9- DON’T MISS THE PARTYLINE- Bizz Nizz (20,230) 10- GHETTO HEAVEN- Family Stand (19,482)

21ST APRIL Sparked by a media frenzy over the start of her world tour opening in Japan last week Madonna mania seems alive and well in the UK with “Vogue” on cruise control this week and is proving a consistent if unspectacular seller registering a further 75,225 copies last week, turning last week’s 225 copy victory into a 23,000 victory over the still rising Alannah Myles who squeezes past a falling Snap! (50,524). That all leaves UB40 out in the cold and holding at No 4 (42,704) with no clear way of it seeing the top 3. Number One for 3 weeks Stateside in February “Opposites Attract” transposes its success across the Atlantic as it arrives 17-5 (30,906). Abdul’s career in the US has been stratospheric so far with four No 1 singles in the space of a year, it’s markedly different here where only “Straight Up” has been a top 20 single albeit a No 3 hit, her current hit features Bruce DeShazer and Marv Gunn as the “wild pair” but the track comes with a memorable semi animated promo featuring MC Skat Kat which is garnering attention, could it go all the way over here? Here’s a song with a history, “All I Wanna Do Is Make Love To You” is a Robert “Mutt” Lange written track which was originally recorded in 1979 by Dobie Gray with completely different lyrics, it was dusted down by Lange and re-written into its current form with Don Henley in mind but ends up in the hands of Heart who you may recall scored a couple of top 10 singles a few years ago. Their tenth album “Brigade” is due next month and this marks the first single, its somewhat controversial lyrics seem to have not caused as much outrage here as they have in the US and the song rises 11-8 (26,843) Among those taking surprising downturns this week include The Happy Mondays 5-6 (29,359) and Jason Donovan 8-9 (21,913), also falling are the B-52’s who fall 6-10 (21,352). Better news for Bizz Nizz who hold at No 7 (26,877). 1- VOGUE- Madonna (75,225) 2- BLACK VELVET- Alannah Myles (51,561) 3- THE POWER- Snap! (50,524) 4- KINGSTON TOWN- UB40 (42,704) 5- OPPOSITES ATTRACT- Paula Abdul with Wild Pair (30,906) 6- STEP ON- Happy Mondays (29,359) 7- DON’T MISS THE PARTYLINE- Bizz Nizz (26,877) 8- ALL I WANNA DO IS MAKE LOVE TO YOU- Heart (26,843) 9- HANG ON TO YOUR LOVE- Jason Donovan (21,913) 10- LOVE SHACK- The B-52’s (21,352)

14TH APRIL So in the end it ended up being quite a tussle, not between Madonna and Jason Donovan as form would suggest (they crossed swords last Easter you may recall) but between Madonna and the outgoing chart topper from Snap!, it ended up being awarded to Madonna who sees “Vogue” become her seventh chart topper placing her 6th on the all time list behind The Beatles, Elvis, Cliff, ABBA and The Rolling Stones, and she also becomes the third act to top the charts in the 80s and 90s. The track sold 67,643 against “The Power”’s 67,388, that 16% sales loss proving fatal. Recent US chart topper “Black Velvet” is also on the move 17-3 (34,000) and could yet prove troublesome for Madonna, the song by Canadian Alannah Myles, is a homage to Elvis Presley and was inspired when Myles’s boyfriend was on a coach to Graceland to mark the 10th anniversary of the icon’s death in 1987. UB40’s inability to score a big hit with self- written material arguably lead to “Labour Of Love II” at the end of last year and now they score a second top 10 single from it with “Kingston Town” originally written by Kendrick Patrick in 1970. It’s their 13th top 10 hit and as it rises 11-4 (33,915) it also becomes their highest peaking single since 1985’s “Don’t Break My Heart” made No 3. The album debuted at No 9 back in December but this week charges 16-8 to reach a new peak though it still has a long way to go to reach the success of the original “Labour Of Love” which went all the way to the top. Leading lights, along with The Stone Roses, in the current “Madchester” movement, and after their last single “Madchester Rave On EP” became their first Top 40 hit (peaking at No 19), Happy Mondays have seen considerable adulation in the music press (second only to the Roses), now they finally have a top 10 single to back it up, “Step On”. A take on John Kongos’s 1971’s No 4 hit “He’s Gonna Step On you Again” it’s been remixed by Paul Oakenfold and will be the first release from their third album due at Christmas, the single powers 16-5 (30,872) and could yet be a chart topper given their support. Two of last week’s top 3 find themselves out of favour with The B-52’s falling 2-6 (29,410) and Candy Flip tumbling 3-9 (24,718) along with They Might Be Giants ebbing 6-10 (24,480). Bizz Nizz rise 8-7 (28,288) and the surprise of the week being that Jason Donovan can only move a slot 9-8 (25,891) even with TOTP to help him, could S/A/W’s golden boy be losing his touch? Finally as a foot note the charts have altered the allowed formats to contribute to chart positions with only 5 formats now being permissible, hence the high number of new entries last week to get around the issue. 1- VOGUE- Madonna (67,643) 2- THE POWER- Snap! (67,388) 3- BLACK VELVET- Alannah Myles (34,000) 4- KINGSTON TOWN- UB40 (33,915) 5- STEP ON- Happy Mondays (30,872) 6- LOVE SHACK- The B-52’s (29,410) 7- DON’T MISS THE PARTYLINE- Bizz Nizz (28,288) 8- HANG ON TO YOUR LOVE- Jason Donovan (25,891) 9- STRAWBERRY FIELDS FOREVER- Candy Flip (24,718) 10- BIRDHOUSE IN YOUR SOUL- They Might Be Giants (24,480)

Well "Like a Prayer" had an international high profile launch with a controversial TV ad which created a major media buzz so let's not underestimate that either.

7TH APRIL Lots of new hits to digest this week but first to the top 3 where everything is, by way of contrast, entirely static. Snap! Make it two weeks at No 1 with “The Power” shifting another 80,053 copies, that’s an increase of 52% week on week, and they do extend their lead over The B-52’s to 41,582 from 7,327 last week so are far more secure, and Candy Flip get stuck in mud at No 3, again losing sales to 34,969. Below that it gets interesting with the new Madonna Single called “Vogue”. It takes its inspiration from the dance of the same name popular in underground gay clubs in New York which has now been exported by the singer to the mainstream and features a roll call of classic 30s-50s movie stars to accompany the stylish black and white promo which naturally being Madonna is another instantly memorable one. The song was originally written as a B-Side to the US single “Keep It Together”, a fifth release from the “Like A Prayer” album, as it was felt it needed a new track to get sales for a song available for such a long time on the album. In the end it was deemed too good to be thrown away on a B-side as instead it is issued as a standalone single and it arrives at No 4 (27,710) this week, she’s never debuted in the top 5 and not gone to No 1! Not had enough Belgian Dance music? Well look no further than Bizz Nizz who leap 22-8 (24,633) with “Don’t Miss The Partyline” and is another song which forms part of the ongoing trend of generating hits first in the clubs that transfer onto the charts. It’s the brainchild of Jean-Paul De Costa. So onto 1989’s biggest chart star Jason Donovan. His last 5 singles all debuted in the top 10 and all peaked in the top 2 and his newie “Hang On To Your Love” has started in the right vein as it debuts brightly at No 9 (21,437) and will be the second single from his new album expected in the summer. It’s another top 10 single for S/A/W/ Hit factory who have been absent from the big 10 for 5 weeks now, since Pepsi & Shirlie’s “Goodbye Stranger” entered the top 10 back in June 1987 a total of 148 chart weeks have elapsed, weeks without a hit factory record being present in it? Just 25! Erasure continue their slow descent 4-5 (26,282) along with a reverse gear for David A Stewart & Candy Dulfer dip 6-7 (25,126), meanwhile better news for They Might Be Giants who climb 8-6 (25,925) and see their album debut at No 14. Beats International slump 5-10 (18,598) to complete our round up but as it’s the end of the first quarter let’s see how the year is shaping up thus far! 1- NOTHING COMPARES 2 U- Sinead O’Connor 646,527 2- DUB BE GOOD TO ME- Beats International Featuring Lindy Layton 436,407 3- GET UP! (BEFORE THE NIGHT IS OVER)- Technotronic Ft Ya Kid K 311,304 4- HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO LIVE WITHOUT YOU- Michael Bolton 247,197 5- TEARS ON MY PILLOW- Kylie Minogue 241,077 6- GOT TO HAVE YOUR LOVE- Mantronix 192,202 7- LOVE SHACK- The B-52’s 186,677 8- HANGIN TOUGH- New Kids On The Block 182,784 9- I DON’T KNOW ANYBODY ELSE- Black Box 181,169 10-TOUCH ME- 49ers 177,939 This week's top 10 1- THE POWER- Snap! (80,053) 2- LOVE SHACK- The B-52’s (38,471) 3- STRAWBERRY FIELDS FOREVER- Candy Flip (34,969) 4- VOGUE- Madonna (27, 710) 5- BLUE SAVANNAH- Erasure (26,282) 6- BIRDHOUSE IN YOUR SOUL- They Might Be Giants (25,925) 7- LILY WAS HERE- David A Stewart Ft Candy Dulfer (25,126) 8- DON’T MISS THE PARTYLINE- Bizz Nizz (24,633) 9- HANG ON TO YOUR LOVE- Jason Donovan (21,437) 10- DUB BE GOOD TO ME- Beats International Ft Lindy Layton (18,598)

31ST MARCH Becoming the first song to leap to No 1 from outside the top 10 since Glenn Mederios back in 1988, Snap! are the new chart toppers with their track “The Power” which debuted at No 12 last week. Essentially a German production duo of Luca Anzilotti and Michael Münzing and fronted by rapper Turbo B, “The Power” is their first single under the Snap! Moniker and features the vocals of Penny Smith, though keeping with recent traditions in the dance genre, the video features a different singer miming the vocals (Jackie Harris) as Smith is apparently media shy. The song features a mash up of Jocelyn Brown’s “Love’s Gonna Get You”, Mantronix’s “King Of The Beats Lesson 1” and Chill Rob G’s “Let The Words Flow” which have come together to convince 53,380 buyers last week including a strong show on 12” to top that chart as well. Former Chart topper from Beats International was never in the running for a 5th week at the top, it falls 1-5 (35,190) the biggest fall since Simple Minds last year, it was overtaken by The B-52’s who are bridesmaids again on 46,053 and early week chart toppers before TOTP threw the No 1 spot Snap’s way. Candy Flip advance 6-3 (37,944) and Erasure slip a spot 3-4 (36,601) despite increasing sales. The only other new hit in the top 10 comes from They Might Be Giants with “Birdhouse In Your Soul”. There can’t be many songs which are essentially about a nightlight but that’s what this hit is all about sung from the perspective of the night light itself, the band have a quirky background (as you might expect) and this is the first single from their second album “Flood” which is due next week, in the meantime “Birdhouse” climbs 17-8 (24,565). David A Stewart & Candy Dulfer continue inch ever nearer to the top 5 as they climb 7-6 (34,493) but it’s certainly all over for the chart topping bids by New Kids On The Block who fall 5-7 (25,007) and Jive Bunny & The Mastermixers as they dive 4-9 (22,270), Michael Bolton completes the ten as he dips 8-10 (20,094). Next week sees the release of new singles by Jason Donovan and Madonna who go head to head with new releases not available on their albums yet- could they make the top 2 next week? 1- THE POWER- Snap! (53,380) 2- LOVE SHACK- The B-52’s (46,053) 3- STRAWBERRY FIELDS FOREVER- Candy Flip (37,944) 4- BLUE SAVANNAH- Erasure (36,601) 5- DUB BE GOOD TO ME- Beats International Ft Lindy Layton (35,190) 6- LILY WAS HERE- David A Stewart Ft Candy Dulfer (34,493) 7- I’LL BE LOVING YOU (FOREVER)- New Kids On The Block (25,007) 8- BIRDHOUSE IN YOUR SOUL- They Might Be Giants (24,565) 9- THAT SOUNDS GOOD TO ME- Jive Bunny & The Mastermixers (22,270) 10- HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO LIVE WITHOUT YOU- Michael Bolton (20,094)

28TH FEBRUARY Norman Cook is turning into quite the star of the year, the ex-Housemartin first remixed Wildchild’s “Renegade Master” into a No 3 hit last month and now he works his magic on Cornershop’s “Brimful Of Asha” and voila a No 1 single results! A very minor hit last year (#60) it clearly didn’t pass Cook by who allegedly got in touch with the record company offering his services to remix it and they duly obliged thankfully. Lyrically an homage to Indian film culture and actress Asha Bhosle it marks the official coming of age for Cornershop who have garnered much critical acclaim over the last few years without much sales to back it up. Parent album “When I Was Born For The Seventh Time” also goes top 20 even though it doesn’t contain the current mix. With most money on an easy second week for Dion but in the end she was easily defeated selling 176,000 as she slid to No 2 but Cornershop romp home on a sale of 208,321. She can console herself with the US No 1 spot which she debuts this week. One of the most anticipated records of 1998 finally arrives at No 4 (59,000) for Savage Garden. The song hit the headlines last month when it became the song to dislodge Elton John at the top of the US charts after 14 weeks and already been a No 1 last April in their native Australia! The group had a false dawn here last year when their single “I Want You” made No 11 but follow up “To The Moon And Back” flopped at No 55 so it was back to the drawing board with this plaintive ballad. You may know him better as Jambo in Hollyoaks but now actor Will Mellor is a popstar as well. His version of Leo Sayer’s “When I Need You” (No 1, 1977) comes straight in at No 5 (47,000) and comes with the announcement that Mellor will be leaving the soap this year. New boyband alert! Another Level are a UK quartet who sent their demo tape to Jay Z who in turn passed it onto his UK label Northwestside who promptly signed them up, first single “Be Alone No More” proves the investment as it arrives at No 6 (42,000). The UK isn’t normally too receptive to country music as it proved for Shania Twain who’s first international release “Woman In Me” generated no hit singles here and failed to chart despite making her a US star. She appears now to have made an impact here with a new single “You’re Still The One” which is new at No 10 (28,000) thanks in part to a slot on the National Lottery Show, the song is written by Twain and husband producer Robert “Mutt” Lange about their own relationship. Aqua drop 2-3 (73,000) as “Aquarium” reaches a new peak of No 6, All Saints drop back 3-7 (38,000) and Will Smith glides 7-8 (33,000). Robbie Williams also dips 4-9 (29,000). 1- BRIMFUL OF ASHA- Cornershop (208,321) 2- MY HEART WILL GO ON- Celine Dion (176,000) 3- DOCTOR JONES- Aqua (73,000) 4- TRULY MADLY DEEPLY- Savage Garden (59,000) 5- WHEN I NEED YOU- Will Melor (47,000) 6- BE ALONE NO MORE- Another Level (42,000) 7- NEVER EVER- All Saints (38,000) 8- GETTIN JIGGY WIT IT- Will Smith (33,000) 9- ANGELS- Robbie Williams (29,000) 10- YOU’RE STILL THE ONE Shania Twain (28,000)

21ST FEBRUARY Celine Dion sails effortlessly to No 1 this week with the “Titanic” love theme “My Heart Will Go On”. The film is of course currently No 1 and rapidly becoming something of a sensation as the must see film in the land and so naturally the single rushed to the top on a 1998 best yet sale of 234,685, in debuting at the top it means that Dion has both the fastest chart topper of all time (which admittedly she shares with over 90 other singles) but also the slowest No 1 of all time (with “Think Twice”), the two songs remain Dion’s only UK chart toppers thus far. That sale incidentally beats the 220,000 sold by Whigfield’s “Saturday Night” to become the biggest weekly sale by a female solo act ever. Paul Newman is up next, he is normally known as DJ Tall Paul who scored a #12 hit last year with “Rock Da House” and is a much sought after DJ. He’s adopted another alias now as Casmira and the first release under this moniker is “Let Me Show You” which is itself a mish mash of samples from 4 tracks most notably Sandy B’s “Make The World Go Round”. It crashes in at No 5 (50,000). The Bluetones are back, lead single to a new album “Solomon Bites The Worm” debuts easily at No 10 (26,000) to become their fourth top 10 single in a row. You only have to wait a month for the album. We got the BRITS last week which as per usual affects the album charts much more than the singles chart but there are a couple of benefactors namely All Saints and Robbie Williams who both performed. “Never Ever” won two awards (Best British single and video) and lifts 5-3 (64,000) whilst Robbie ended up going home without an award but “Angels” responds 7-4 (56,000). That’s a new peak for the track 11 weeks into its run, an unusual feat in 1998 and it also becomes Williams’ first platinum seller with sales of 629,000 to date. Will Smith slides 6-7 (43,000) whilst increasing sales, Cleopatra fade 3-8 (34,000) and Lighthouse Family fall 8-9 (28,000). 1- MY HEART WILL GO ON- Celine Dion (234,685) 2- DOCTOR JONES- Aqua (112,000) 3- NEVER EVER- All Saints (64,000) 4- ANGELS- Robbie Williams (56,000) 5- LET ME SHOW YOU- Camisra (50,000) 6- ALL I HAVE TO GIVE- Backstreet Boys (47,000) 7- GETTIN JIGGY WIT IT- Will Smith (43,000) 8- CLEOPATRA’S THEME- Cleopatra (34,000) 9- HIGH- Lighthouse Family (28,000) 10- SOLOMON BITES THE WORM- The Bluetones (26,000)

Interestingly in terms of pure sales, Erasure far closer to No 1 in this week than they ever were with either "Sometimes" or "Stop".

24TH MARCH Beats International claim a fourth week at No 1 equalling the longest stint of the year with Sinead O’Connor, saleswise there isn’t much competition with the former selling a total of 382,619 to the latter’s 623,781. “Dub Be Good To Me” sold a miserly 44,982 copies last week in the end under 300 copies in front of the B52’s “Love Shack” which springs 6-2 (44,727) and must be on course for the top spot next week. The expected arrival of Jive Bunny at the top of charts failed to materialise with the track actually losing sales (34,782) though it held the No 4 spot being overtaken by Erasure’s “Blue Savannah” which leaps 8-3 (35,802), that’s Erasure’s third top 3 hit though they’ve yet to make No 1 (with 8 top 10 singles and no chart toppers that makes them the most successful duo never to get the gold), and for Jive Bunny it looks like the bubble may have burst and that fourth chart topper in a row won’t be happening. A further bit of history however for Sinead O'Connor who does indeed now have the biggest selling Prince penned hit in the UK, but also is the first Irish female to grab herself a No 1 album as she lands there this week. New Kids On The Block could only debut at No 11 last week with “I’ll Be Loving You (Forever)” but it advances this week to No 5 (33,830) and could yet become their third chart topper enabling them to join Jive Bunny, FGTH, and Gerry & The Pacemakers in the record books. The song topped the US charts back in June last year so is already almost a year old but they can’t currently do anything wrong. Already a hit on the Manchester rave scene Candy Flip’s take on the Beatles Classic “Strawberry Fields Forever” achieves national interest as it flies 18-6 (33,711). It features the famous “Funky Drummer” loop which continues to be the sample of choice at present. David A Stewart and Candy Dulfer continue to move north 10-7 (28,339) but there are three fallers at the foot of the big 10, Michael Bolton tumbles 3-8 (27,982), Various Artists BRITS melody falls 2-9 (27,676) and Guru Josh proves his time is up dipping 5-10 (25,398). 1- DUB BE GOOD TO ME- Beats International Ft Lindy Layton (44,982) 2- LOVE SHACK- The B-52’s (44,727) 3- BLUE SAVANNAH- Erasure (35,802) 4- THAT SOUNDS GOOD TO ME- Jive Bunny & The Mastermixers (34,782) 5- I’LL BE LOVING YOU (FOREVER)- New Kids On The Block (33,830) 6- STRAWBERRY FIELDS FOREVER- Candy Flip (33,711) 7- LILY WAS HERE- David A Stewart Ft Candy Dulfer (28,339) 8- HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO LIVE WITHOUT YOU- Michael Bolton (27,982) 9- THE BRITS 1990- Various (27,676) 10- INFINITY- Guru Josh (25,398)

I wouldn't say entering at No 4 was a flop, after all "That's what I like" also debuted there before spending three weeks at No 1. The issue is that the songs it uses aren't generally as well known as the previous ones plus the video tries to make the track seem more contemporary where the appeal of their records must surely be nostalgic. In any eventuality with sales of the top 3 all declining it has a good chance of making No 1 though the b52's are also placed to hit the top

17TH MARCH For those expecting the top 2 to be new entries, and there were a few, the charts look rather serene and calm at the moment with the entire top 3 not moving at all. That belies the fact that all three are now in retreat sales wise with “Dub Be Good To Me” at No 1 (Down 25%) at 62,968, Brits 1990 at No 2 (Down 25%) on 42,568, and Michael Bolton in third place (Down 32%) at 37,332. His album does arrive at No 8 however in mitigation. Cook revealed this week that his original mix of "Dub Be Good To Me" actually features on the B-side to his 1989 #48 hit "For Spacious Lies" minus the vocals from Layton who contacted him proposing she sing over the beat. The title is "Invasion Of The Estate Agent" if you want to listen! Onto the big news of the week then, that’s the new Jive Bunny & The Mastermixers single “That Sounds Good To Me” which uses the Blues Brothers “Everybody Needs Somebody To Love” as its base before launching into a few more Rock N Roll classics from the likes of Buddy Holly, Elvis, and the Kalin Twins among others. It debuts at No 4 (35,751) and with everything above it collapsing sales wise we have to brace ourselves that this should climb to the top next week and create chart history, no act has seen their first 4 singles make No 1, and only three (including the bunny) have done it with their first 3 those being Gerry & The Pacemakers and Frankie Goes To Hollywood. They have already proved they can sell albums with their eponymous debut album peaking at No 2 and having sold 750,000 copies so far. US new wave act The B-52’s have been going strong for over a decade garnering critical acclaim if not sales and chart positions with only “Rock Lobster” (No 37) and a re-recorded “Rock Lobster/ Claire” (No 12) being their sole top 40 entries. “Love Shack” therefore becomes their first top 10 single this week as it darts 12-6 (32,232) having peaked at No 3 Stateside at the end of last year, the shack in question is a cabin in Georgia where singer Cindy Wilson of the band lived in the 70s and where “Rock Lobster” was written in case you wondered. After the surprise shock of “You Surround Me” (it only made No 15 last December becoming their lowest peaking single in 3 years) it seems that Erasure are back on form with an 8th top 10 single with “Blue Savannah” bolting 12-8 (30,209) Commissioned for the Dutch film “De Kassiere” the track “Lily Was Here” was composed by Eurythmics Dave Stewart who invited Candy Dulfer to play saxophone on the track. The song got a release in the Netherlands and ended up spending 5 weeks at No 1 last December which prompted a UK release and here it is moving 17-10 (28,356) and thusly outperforming all Eurythmics singles for the last 4 years. Guru Josh holds at No 5 (32,912) fending off the B-52’s and also a rising JT & The Big Family who climb 8-7 (30,498). Former chart topper “Nothing Compares 2 U” drops 4-9 (29,376) and has now passed the 600,000 mark. 1- DUB BE GOOD TO ME- Beats International Ft Lindy Layton (62,968) 2- THE BRITS 1990- Various (42,568) 3- HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO LIVE WITHOUT YOU- Michael Bolton (37,332) 4- THAT SOUNDS GOOD TO ME- Jive Bunny & The Mastermixers (35,751) 5- INFINITY- Guru Josh (32,912) 6- LOVE SHACK- The B-52’s (32,232) 7- MOMENTS IN SOUL- JT & The Big Family (30,498) 8- BLUE SAVANNAH- Erasure (30,209) 9- NOTHING COMPARES 2 U- Sinead O’Connor (29,376) 10- LILY WAS HERE- David A Stewart Ft Candy Dulfer (28,356) =

10TH MARCH After last week’s splurge of new entries it’s a quieter affair this week with “Dub Be Good To Me” holding firm at the top on an increased sale of 84,133. It opens up a commanding lead over the rest of the field and though the “BRITS 1990” medley charges 7-2 it only sold 57,307 and is well off the pace required, it does however nip past a static Michael Bolton who holds at No 3 despite playing second fiddle for most of the week, he sold 55,301. Former Chart topper “Nothing Compares 2 U” completes the list of the top 4 for this week as it falls 2-4 (48,161) and should go Platinum this week when it could also become the biggest selling Prince cover into the bargain as it overtakes Chaka Khan’s “I Feel For You”. The only new entry in the top 10 is the 22-8 (27,353) climber from JT & The Big Family. The project is the brain child of DJ Christian Hornbostal and the track “Moments In Soul” samples a range of tracks from Soul II Soul and Milli Vanilli to the O’Jays with a large slice of Art Of Noise’s “Moments In Love” to form its backbone. Guru Josh rises 9-5 (30,413) which means that Depeche Mode spend a third week at No 6 (29,529) though they are starting to fade now, Black Box tumble 5-7 (29,087) and Stone Roses fall 8-10 (22,049) after that high debut last week. Technotronic dip 4-9 (26,945) but do see their debut album rise 3-2, that’s the 8th week on the trot it has climbed though once again Phil Collins bars entry to the top slot, “But Seriously” in charge for a 14th week out of its 15 on release. Next week however sees the release of the 4th Jive Bunny & The Mastermixers single- can it arrive at No 1 and create chart history? We also get a new single from New Kids On The Block who will be chasing a third No 1 single- it’s all about to get very interesting- See you in 7 days. 1- DUB BE GOOD TO ME- Beats International Ft Lindy Layton (84,133) 2- BRITS 1990 MEDLEY- Various (57,307) 3- HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO LIVE WITHOUT YOU- Michael Bolton (55,301) 4- NOTHING COMPARES 2 U- Sinead O’Connor (48,161) 5- INFINITY (1990s: TIME FOR THE GURU)- Guru Josh (30,413) 6- ENJOY THE SILENCE- Depeche Mode (29,529) 7- I DON’T KNOW ANYBODY ELSE- Black Box (29,087) 8- MOMENTS IN SOUL- JT & The Big Family (27,353) 9- GET UP (BEFORE THE NIGHT IS OVER)- Technotronic (26,945) 10- ELEPHANT STONE- The Stone Roses (22,049)

3RD MARCH Well it was a close run thing in the end but Beats International did just enough to hold Sinead O’Connor from the top, the two titles shifting 72,029 and 70,873 respectively. “Nothing Compares 2 U” has now sold 527,459 and should help propel her second album “I Do Not Want What I Haven’t Got” to the top of the charts later this month. For Beats International it marks a notable achievement for Norman Cook who beats his former Housemartins bandmates to the top and for the writers of Dub Be Good To Me” (Jimmy Harris & Terry Lewis) it gives them revenge for being fired by Prince as they replace him at the top writer wise. Michael Bolton continues to threaten the top 2 moving 5-3 (52,326) with Technotronic (3-4, 39,661) and Black Box 4-5 (39,525) moving down to make way for him. Depeche Mode can only hold at No 6 (34,340) just above the influx of new comers. It was BRITS week and this year’s show was put together by Jonathan King who has also pioneered the idea of putting out this megamix of tracks to showcase the dance music of 1989 (and 1988 for that matter) and to publicise the ceremony itself. “BRITS 1990” is officially credited to Various Artists, itself an unusual step in this day and age, was performed on the night itself and debuts now at No 7 after selling 24,276 copies. The Stone Roses have rapidly become both NME darlings and flavour of the month in the music press which of course means that their back catalogue is primed for re-issue in wake of their breakthrough “Fools Gold/ What The World Is Waiting For” which made the top 10 late last year. “Sally Cinnamon” has already made No 46 and now a No 146 hit from 1988 “Elephant Stone” gets a re-issue and crashes straight into the top 10 at No 8 (24,072). The single was originally produced by New Order member Peter Hook but has subsequently been reworked for the debut album, an album which sold a little over 100,000 and only peaked at No 19 despite all the admiration! Released on the small infinity label in 1989 “Infinity” failed to chart for US musician Guru Josh though it attracted a following in dance clubs causing it to be picked up by BMG and get a full issue in 1990 with the suffix “1990 Time For The Guru”. It seems that’s what we needed and the song flies 27-9 (22,049) to finally become a top 10 single. Also seeing a BRITS boost is Rod Stewart whose “Downtown Train” pulls in at No 10 (21,165) to become his first transatlantic top 10 single since 1978’s “Do You Think I’m Sexy”. The song was originally by Tom Waits and appeared on his 1985 album “Rain Dogs” but did nothing when issued as a single, it’s now in much safer hands with Rod Stewart who scores his 19th top 10 single but his first in 4 years. 1- DUB BE GOOD TO ME- Beats International Ft Lindy Layton (72,029) 2- NOTHING COMPARES 2 U- Sinead O’Connor (70,873) 3- HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO LIVE WITHOUT YOU- Michael Bolton (52,326) 4- GET UP (BEFORE THE NIGHT IS OVER)- Technotronic (39,661) 5- I DON’T KNOW ANYBODY ELSE- Black Box (39,525) 6- ENJOY THE SILENCE- Depeche Mode (34,340) 7- THE BRITS 1990 MEDLEY- Various (24,276) 8- ELEPHANT STONE- The Stone Roses (24,072) 9- INFINITY (1990 TIME FOR THE GURU)- Guru Josh (22,049) 10- DOWNTOWN TRAIN- Rod Stewart (21,165)

24TH FEBRUARY Sinead O’Connor is once again the nation’s favourite singer with “Nothing Compares 2 U” spending a fourth week at the top of the pile, its sales cool to 107,083 but it is holding up amazingly having now sold an impressive 456,586 copies, a tally only beaten by 3 records in the whole of 1989. Beats International rise 3-2 to pose a threat on paper but “Dub Be Good To Me” sold just 61,880 copies in making that move, enough to finally demote Technotronic 2-3 (50,643) Most eyes on the next chart topper seem to be fixed on Michael Bolton whose recent US chart topper “How Am I Supposed To Live Without You” storms 22-5 (32,538) this week. It’s Bolton’s first UK hit in his own name though he did co-pen Cher’s 1988 No 5 hit “I Found Someone” so has some form, indeed that track and this one were originally released by Laura Branigan with her version “Supposed” making No 12 in the US in 1983. The song was originally performed on the soap “Knots Landing” with Air Supply originally in the frame to record it for release but after Clive Davis was refused permission to change some of the lyrics it was passed to Branigan. Bolton’s version has however proved the bigger hit. It might be their 23rd release (including an import) but Depeche Mode have only scored five top 10 hits since their debut in 1981, this week however “Enjoy The Silence” flies 17-6 (29,308) to become their equal 2nd highest peaker (after being their first single to debut in the top 20 last week), only 1984’’s “People Are People” went better making No 4. The group’s 7th album “Violator” is due next month and will feature this track along with last year’s “Personal Jesus”. Elsewhere Black Box have a surge in sales of 110% to 46,682 yet only move a slot 5-4 though if they replicate that again then they could be looking at the No 1 spot next week however they are once again in trouble about vocalists. This time it appears that a certain Martha Wash (of the Weather Girls) provides the vocals after she was drafted in as a session singer to record the song but when it got released there was no credit, legal action is now threatened again!- they never learn it seems. Lonnie Gordon tumbles 4-7 (28,390) Sybil strolls 6-8 (22,780) Phil Collins soaks 6-9 (17,187) and Lisa Stansfield holds down anchor place with 16,473 buyers. 1- NOTHING COMPARES 2 U- Sinead O’Connor (107,083) 2- DUB BE GOOD TO ME- Beats International Ft Lindy Layton (61,880) 3- GET UP (BEFORE THE NIGHT IS OVER- Technotronic (50,643) 4- I DON’T KNOW ANYBODY ELSE- Black Box (46,682) 5- HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO LIVE WITHOUT YOU- Michael Bolton (32,538) 6- ENJOY THE SILENCE- Depeche Mode (29,308) 7- HAPPENIN ALL OVER AGAIN- Lonnie Gordon (28,390) 8- WALK ON BY- Sybil (22,780) 9- I WISH IT WOULD RAIN DOWN- Phil Collins (17,187) 10- LIVE TOGETHER- Lisa Stansfield (16,473)

Lindy Layton in the Spaghetti advert in case anyone wondered

17TH FEBRUARY The charts have been set up for a very interesting battle next week, but this week at least “Nothing Compares 2 U” remains unassailable moving a further 108,375 copies over the last 7 days cooling ever so slightly, Technotronic remain in the runner up spot but they do reduce the deficit albeit slightly by a mere 800, posting a sale of 60,469. What do you get when you mash The Clash, Ennio Morricone, and the S.O.S band together? Well the answer is “Dub Be Good To Me” which is essentially a rework of the S.O.S band’s 1984 No 13 hit “Just Be Good To Me” coupled with the bassline from the Clash’s “Guns Of Brixton” by Beats International. Proving what a hotbed of creativity The Housemartins were, this outfit contains Norman Cook who is clearly hoping to beat ex-bandmates outfit The Beautiful South to claim the first chart topper outside the outfit. The song powers 15-3 (42,313) and features the vocals of Lindy Layton who was one time actress in “Grange Hill” and more recently in an advert for spaghetti on TV last year! Before Beats International get too excited about trying to catch Sinead O’Connor at the top here’s Black Box with the follow up to last year’s “Ride On Time” which was the best selling single of the year shifting 850,000 copies. The vocalist on the track is subject to speculation though many have again pointed to “Love Sensation” as the inspiration for their new single “I Don’t Know Anybody Else”, it duly arrives with a bang straight in at No 5 (22,627) and deprived Technotronic last time around- can they do so next week? Speaking of following up chart toppers Lisa Stansfield is back with “Live Together”, another track from her “Affection” album which hasn’t left the top 10 since its release 12 weeks ago and rebounds 10-3 this week but still has Phil Collins ahead of it, the album which held it off the top in December. Current single rises 19-10 (18,904). In other news Lonnie Gordon sticks at No 4 (34,969) whilst Sybil climbs 9-6 (21,811) to make her version of “Walk On By” the highest charting one, that rise leaves Phil Collins stranded at No 7 (21,233). Mantronix tumble 5-8 (19,958) whilst Kylie Minogue doesn’t have a soft landing as she slumps 3-9 (19,669) 1- NOTHING COMPARES 2 U- Sinead O’Connor (108,375) 2- GET UP! (BEFORE THE NIGHT IS OVER)- Technotronic (60,469) 3- DUB BE GOOD TO ME- Beats International Ft Lindy Layton (42,313) 4- HAPPENIN ALL OVER AGAIN- Lonnie Gordon (34,969) 5- I DON’T KNOW ANYBODY ELSE- Black Box (22,627) 6- WALK ON BY- Sybil (21,811) 7- I WISH IT WOULD RAIN DOWN- Phil Collins (21,233) 8- GOT TO HAVE YOUR LOVE- Mantronix (19,958) 9- TEARS ON MY PILLOW- Kylie Minogue (19,669) 10- LIVE TOGETHER- Lisa Stansfield (18,904)

I think the controversy pretty much sunk them after the first single

10TH FEBRUARY “Nothing Compares 2 U” beds in at the top of the charts this week shifting an impressive 114,155 copies giving it a new total of 241,128 and allowing it to lead the pack in the YTD chart. Its victory over the new No 2 (Technotronic’s “Get Up”) was conclusive as it sold a mere 65,484 to move 3-2, the band’s last hit “Pump Up The Jam” also peaked at No 2 but was only 8,000 copies off the top spot at one time, this time around it looks like they are going to be further off the pace. In only 6 weeks last year did the chart topper's weekly tally move into 6 figures so it's encouraging to see that tally so early in the year! Two new entries to the top 10 this week, and both covers. First up is Sybil who climbs 19-9 (18,785) with her version of Dionne Warwick’s “Walk On By”, it’s the fifth time the song has been a hit but Sybil’s recording has already equalled the peak of Warwick’s 26 years ago, it’s also the first song to be a chart single in the 60s, 70s, 80s and 90s. Sybil has scored four previous hits but the only track to break the top 20 was last year’s “Don’t Make Me Over” which peaked at No 19 and was, you guessed it a cover of a Dionne Warwick single! The single is produced by Tony King who is on the PWL b-team and with this track being issued on PWL records which leads us nicely onto the other new entry. Inching 11-10 (18,428) are the newest act to get some hit factory help- Yell! With a version of the Dan Hartman track “Instant Replay” a No 8 hit 12 years ago. Being pushed as the next Bros in “Smash Hits” land, this track has earned the boys a strong female following and it’s Pete Hammond’s production you can hear steering this into the top 10 (61st for PWL), an album is promised in the summer. Therefore, along with Lonnie Gordon, Kylie Minogue, and Sybil there are currently 4 tracks in the top 10 from the PWL stable- a new high! More S/A/W related hits dominate the top 5 with the men themselves seeing Lonnie Gordon sprint 9-4 (32,572) to compensate for Kylie’s continued descent 2-3 (32,674). Phil Collins rises 10-7 (21,284) as everything else heads south, that includes Mantronix 4-5 (27,489), 49ers 5-6 (23,426) and Halo James flop 6-8 (20,536). 1- NOTHING COMPARES 2 U- Sinead O’Connor (114,155) 2- GET UP (BEFORE THE NIGHT IS OVER)- Technotronic (65,484) 3- TEARS ON MY PILLOW- Kylie Minogue (32,674) 4- HAPPENIN ALL OVER AGAIN- Lonnie Gordon (32,572) 5- GOT TO HAVE YOUR LOVE- Mantronix (27,489) 6- TOUCH ME- 49ers (23,426) 7- I WISH IT WOULD RAIN DOWN- Phil Collins (21,284) 8- COULD HAVE TOLD YOU SO- Halo James (20,536) 9- WALK ON BY- Sybil (18,785) 10- INSTANT REPLAY- Yell! (18,428)

14TH FEBRUARY Surprising many by holding the top spot Aqua breaks the curse of one week No 1’s that 1998 has so far given us. The run doesn’t quite match the record set in early 1997 but Aqua had to work hard to do it and indeed increase their sales albeit by a modest 15% to 117,000 and they can celebrate for another reason too, the “Aquarium” album rises 13-10 to break into the top flight for the first time! Their challengers came in the form of Backstreet Boys who were never far behind all week with “All I Have To Give”. The boys last two singles “Everybody” and “As Long As You Love Me” seem to have propelled them up the teen stakes and can now validly claim to be the only really challengers to Boyzone’s current crown as the biggest boyband around. Parent album “Backstreet’s Back” has moved over half a million here and now boasts three top 3 singles with the latest debuting at No 2 (103,000) itself the highest opening tally for a BSB single. For all that they remain to have a chart topping single yet, this their 7th straight top 10 single and 5th top 3 appearance. Nick Carter therefore replaces brother Aaron in the top 10! Girl groups which consist entirely of sisters are a rare commodity with only three groups ever having made the top 3, Pointer Sisters, Sister Sledge and The Nolans. Add a fourth now with Manchester trio Cleopatra, aged just 17,15, and 13 they’re certainly the youngest, and “Cleopatra’s Theme” announces their intentions to be major stars as it arrives at No 3 (84,000). In doing so it equals the peak of The Nolans “I’m In The Mood For Dancing” with only Pointer sisters "Automatic" and Sister Sledge’s “Frankie” ahead of the pair- maybe Cleopatra can replicate their chart topping ways later in the year? Usher drops 2-4 (52,000) but keeps ahead of All Saints 4-5 (41,000) and Will Smith 3-6 (40,000), incidentally Usher rises to No 1 stateside with the follow up “Nice & Slow”. Lighthouse Family drop 5-8 (31,000) but the song has now sold 250,000 copies in all, and Catatonia slip 8-9 (27,000) as their album “International Velvet” cruises in at No 11. Janet Jackson is down 9-10 (23,000) and Robbie Williams slips 6-7 (35,000) both songs have now spent 10 weeks in the top flight. 1- DOCTOR JONES- Aqua (117,000) 2- ALL I HAVE TO GIVE- Backstreet Boys (103,000) 3- CLEOPATRA’S THEME- Cleopatra (84,000) 4- YOU MAKE ME WANNA- Usher (52,000) 5- NEVER EVER- All Saints (41,000) 6- GETTIN JIGGY WIT IT- Will Smith (40,000) 7- ANGELS- Robbie Williams (35,000) 8- HIGH- Lighthouse Family (31,000) 9- MULDER AND SCULLY- Catatonia (27,000) 10- TOGETHER AGAIN- Janet Jackson (23,000)