Gezza

2ND SEPTEMBER Experiencing a 13% drop in sales “Swing The Mood” holds the top spot for a fifth week making it the longest chart topper since Yazz last summer, it sold a still impressive 82,229 copies last week to take its total to 617,950 copies turning platinum (the first single to be classified platinum under the new certification level), we’ll see if it can make it 6 weeks next week, that hasn’t been done since “I Just Called To Say I Love You” back in 1984. The gap however is now much narrower with Black Box climbing 3-2 (59,415) and Cliff Richard shooting 10-3 (42,789) both should have a shot at catching Jive Bunny next week if they can hold off the challenge of a new Jason Donovan single. Former member of the She Rockers (they supported Public Enemy on tour in the US) Betty Boo (real name Alison Clarkson) is the fourth artist to be featured on a Beatmasters single. The group have now scored three top 10 singles out of five releases and were last in the top 10 back in May with “Who’s In The House”, parent album “Anywayawanna” only made No 30 in July though it now back 48-37 this week as the new single “Hey DJ (I Can’t Dance To The Music You’re Playing)/ Ska Train” rises 11-7 (28,169). The single “DJ” is apparently a swipe at the S/A/W phenomenon (the clues are in the video if you need convincing). Tears For Fears are back! Clearly the UK has missed them as well as none of their six previous top 10 singles debuted in the top 10 but now “Seeds Of Love” has done just that at it crashes in at No 9 (26,197). Written in the summer of 1987 and reflecting the group’s feelings around the general election victory for Mrs Thatcher along with the occasion swipe at other musicians, it marks a controversial return for the pair, you can buy the duo’s first album in 4 years next month. A bad week for Alice Cooper with his album dropping 2-3 and the single “Poison” moving 2-4 (39,508) whilst Martika makes it three weeks at No 5 (30,515) and has been a remarkably consistent seller, Big Fun improve 8-6 (29,988) which sees a new peak for the track in any version, and all that with a sales decrease! Lil Louis drops 4-8 (27,404) and Kylie is almost out of the top 10 as she falls 6-10 (25,279) but not to worry as the new Jason Donovan single is out this week- will he be having rabbit stew next week? 1- SWING THE MOOD- Jive Bunny & The Mastermixers (82,229) 2- RIDE ON TIME- Black Box (59,415) 3- I JUST DON’T HAVE THE HEART- Cliff Richard (42,789) 4- POISON- Alice Cooper (39,508) 5- TOY SOLDIERS- Martika (30,515) 6- BLAME IT ON THE BOOGIE- Big Fun (29,988) 7- HEY DJ...I CAN’T DANCE TO THE MUSIC YOU’RE PLAYING/ SKA TRAIN- Beatmasters Featuring Betty Boo (28,169) 8- FRENCH KISS- Lil Louis (27,404) 9- SOWING THE SEEDS OF LOVE- Tears For Fears (26,197) 10- WOULDN’T CHANGE A THING- Kylie Minogue (25,279)

Well there is an argument that to enjoy and appreciate Dance music you need to hear it in the arena it was designed for (clubs) so I think that's true to an extent but even in the late 80s chart dance music was always at the more commercial end of the market, and most pop music incorporated it as well, even SAW plucked inspiration from the dance music. I was a pop kid 100% but even I had the 7" of "Ride on time" (and "Swing the mood" but let's glaze over that).

26TH AUGUST Jive Bunny hops home for a fourth week at the top and again was well clear of the field despite taking a 24% sales hit to 95,455 which means of course that “Swing The Mood” is now the best selling single of 1989 as it crosses the half million mark. On paper Alice Cooper could be a threat as he rises 4-2 but he sold just 44,319 copies to do so, hampered in part by the arrival of his album “Trash” which also hits No 2 behind Gloria Estefan, that’s still his best show on either chart for 15 years! The only danger on the horizon, and admittedly very far in the distance, comes from Italy’s Black Box, consisting of a production team of three members and fronted by a French model (Katrina Quinol) who have sampled the Loleatta Holloway Dance hit “Love Sensation” from 1980 to make “Ride On Time” this week’s highest climber in the top 10 shifting 11-3 (42,126). The fabled S/A/W written and produced track for Cliff Richard finally sees the light of day this week and crashes straight into the chart at No 10 (29,138) to mark the first time that three successive Cliff records have debuted in the top 10 and the first time in 7 years that he’s strung 3 ten singles together. Cliff has remarked that he’s never suffered such criticism in his career as he has had working with the S/A/W team but it seems he’s had the last laugh now. Lil Louis dips 2-4 (40,409) with Martika holding at No 5 (40,035) despite increasing her sales and Big Fun hold at No 8 (30,651) but there are also a brace of fallers. Kylie falls 3-6 (37,876), Liza Minelli surprisingly reverses 6-7 (36,244) even though sales are up 34%, Shakespears Sister fall 7-9 (29,359) sales up 18%. 1- SWING THE MOOD- Jive Bunny & The Mastermixers (95,455) 2- POISON- Alice Cooper (44,319) 3- RIDE ON TIME- Black Box (42,126) 4- FRENCH KISS- Lil Louis (40,409) 5- TOY SOLDIERS- Martika (40,035) 6- WOULDN’T CHANGE A THING- Kylie Minogue (37,876) 7- LOSING MY MIND- Liza Minelli (36,244) 8- BLAME IT ON THE BOOGIE- Big Fun (30,651) 9- YOU’RE HISTORY- Shakespear's Sister (29,359) 10- I JUST DON’T HAVE THE HEART- Cliff Richard (29,138)

19TH AUGUST “Swing The Mood” finally starts to cool at retail but it still shifted 125,154 copies to raise the tally to 440,266 copies and means it should become the best seller of the year as early as next week! It even rose to the top of the 12” chart deposing Lil Louis who himself still climbs 3-2 (56,644) but as you’ll note has no chance of toppling the bunny, that gap between the top 2 is largest since Glenn Medeiros and Salt N Pepa last July. There is a rival version of "French Kiss" by Big Louis sitting just outside the top 75 by way of trivia. Incredibly, given her fame and a long history of releasing music, Liza Minelli has never had a charting single in the UK, until now. Hooking up with the Pet Shop Boys they’ve produced “Losing My Mind” for her and it seems that the UK public love it with the single jetting 24-6 (27,387). The song was written by Stephen Sondheim in 1971 for the musical “Follies” and Liza’s version will be followed with an album called “Results” in October again produced by The Pet Shop Boys and should also include some updated versions of their own tracks performed by Minelli. Formed by Siobhan Fahey after she left Bananarama in early 1988 and now including Marcella Detroit (who co-wrote with Eric Clapton such songs as “Lay Down Sally”) Shakespear's Sister take their name from the Smiths track of the same name which by extension comes from Virginia Woolf’s “Room Of One’s Own” and last year teased us all with their debut single “Break My Heart/ Heroine” which failed to chart. Better fortune now for their second single “You’re History” becoming a hit moving 13-7 (25,160) this week, the video features Fahey’s 2 yr old son in a bumblebee outfit and if you like the sound of the single then the album “Secret Heart” is out in a fortnight. Not happy with Bros? So over Brother Beyond? Well making a bid for the boyband crown are Big Fun, three lads from the UK who are the newest act in the S/A/W catalogue to have a hit, originally their first release was a cover of the Carole King track “I Feel The Earth Move” which was circulated as a promo without much interest from radio causing it to be pulled and instead their version of Mick Jackson’s 1978 No 15 hit marks their debut. It was originally written in 1976 with the intention of offering it to Stevie Wonder but “Blame It On The Boogie” was snapped up by the Jacksons with their version plus Mick Jackson’s own version charting simultaneously in the charts, The Jacksons version came off best making No 8. 11 years later and the Big Fun version cruises 25-8 (24,973) to equal the peak achieved by the Jacksons, S/A/W’s other current top 10 hits are however falling, Kylie down 2-3 (55,709) and Sonia dropping 4-10 (23,664). Alice Cooper climbs 5-4 (43,163) with Martika chasing him hard 9-5 (34,986) and Gloria Estefan is now out of the running 6-9 (23,868) though she is No 1 in the album charts for a third week. 1- SWING THE MOOD- Jive Bunny & The Mastermixers (125,154) 2- FRENCH KISS- Lil Louis (56,644) 3- WOULDN’T CHANGE A THING- Kylie Minogue (55,709) 4- POISON- Alice Cooper (43,163) 5- TOY SOLDIERS- Martika (34,986) 6- LOSING MY MIND- Liza Minelli (27,387) 7- YOU’RE HISTORY- Shakespears Sister (25,160) 8- BLAME IT ON THE BOOGIE- Big Fun (24,973) 9- DON’T WANNA LOSE YOU- Gloria Estefan (23,868) 10- YOU’LL NEVER STOP ME LOVING YOU- Sonia (23,664)

8TH NOVEMBER Aqua continue to improve at retail lifting another 26% to 239,000 giving them a total of 612,000 and a platinum disc after just 3 weeks on sale. By contrast, and also after three weeks on sale, “Spice Up Your Life” drops 2-3 (117,000) giving them a tally of 600,000 exactly- still all of their 5 singles have gone Platinum a feat never before achieved. It also marks the 20th straight week that the chart topper has registered six digits- that puts it equal in the record books with the longest run ever (since 1980) back in 1982. Sitting in between Aqua and Spice Girls is this week’s highest new entry from Natalie Imbruglia who you may know better as Neighbours character Beth Brennon until she left the soap a few years ago. Recorded first in Danish by Lis Sørenson in 1993 then translated by former Johnny Hates Jazz and The Cure member Phil Thornalley into English when it was released by US group Ednaswap in 1995 before Imbruglia recorded her version but was not a hit, all that has now changed. The promo is already in heavy rotation and features actor Jeremy Sheffield which has helped the song power in at No 2 (135,000) along with substantial airplay. It’s a worrying time for Peter Andre, with his new album due in 3 weeks his single “Lonely” can only debut at No 6 (51,000). That’s not a bad position for an act but bearing in mind that the song is not available on an album at present he should be performing better given his double chart toppers last year. It is a sixth straight top 10 single but you have to suspect his chart topping years may now be behind him. Embrace’s may still be ahead of them! After a year of praise from critics and the “about to happen” tag the and ever improving chart positions “All You Good Good People” arrives at No 8 (43,000). Officially an EP the title track got an initial release in earlier this year in a limited edition and played a major part in getting the critics interested in them, two EP’s followed “Fireworks” (#34¬) and “One Big Family” (#21) before their current success. The band are currently recording the debut album due in the Spring and claim this song was "inspired" by Barry Manilow's "Made It Through The Rain" apparently. Elton John dips 3-4 (73,000) as he dips below the 100,000 for the first time in 8 weeks (a record) and has sales now totalling 4,438,000. Sash! falter 4-5 (57,000) and it’s back up for the Backstreet Boys 8-7 (47,000), no such luck for either N-Trance/ Rod Stewart or Dario G who both falter 7-9 (41,000) and 6-10 (37,000) respectively. 1- BARBIE GIRL- Aqua (239,000) 2- TORN- Natalie Imbruglia (135,000) 3- SPICE UP YOUR LIFE- Spice Girls (117,000) 4- CANDLE IN THE WIND 97/ SOMETHING ABOUT THE WAY YOU LOOK TONIGHT- Elton John (73,000) 5- STAY- Sash Featuring LeTrec (57,000) 6- LONELY- Peter Andre (51,000) 7- AS LONG AS YOU LOVE ME- Backstreet Boys (47,000) 8- ALL YOU GOOD GOOD PEOPLE- Embrace (43,000) 9- DO YA THINK I’M SEXY- N-Trance Featuring Rod Stewart (41,000) 10- SUNCHYME- Dario G (37,000)

1ST NOVEMBER Dethroned after just a week “Spice Up Your Life” becomes the first Spice Girls single to spend a solitary week on top, it took a mighty 49% cut in sales as it falls 1-2 (162,000). It is succeeded by Aqua’s “Barbie Girl” which is only the second chart topper by a Danish act following on from Whigfield back in 1994, and upped its sales to a mighty 190,000 to do it despite a lack of radio support which seems to be of the opinion that it is too novelty! The song also becomes only the third song to climb to No 1 (Puff Daddy’s return to the top aside) this year. With Elton John holding at No 3 (102,000) it marks another week when the top 3 all exceed the 100,000 mark. Sash! hold at No 4 (69,000) as their re-promoted album comes in at No 6, and once place below them is the highest new entry of the week from boyband 911. Although they’ve yet to get their first No 1 single they have now scored five straight top 10 singles in the last year and can rightly claim to be one of the biggest boybands in the UK at the moment. New single “Party People….Friday Night” is new at No 5 (64,000) perhaps a little low given that it is the first single not available on their debut album “The Journey”. The last three N-Trance tracks all made the top 20 without getting the boost into the big ten but the right cover is all they needed. Covering Rod Stewart’s 1978 chart topper “Do Ya Think I’m Sexy” enables the man himself to get a credit otherwise it’s the standard rap over the verses with ad lib vocals from Kelly Llorenna but it does the trick to restore them to the top 10 for the first time in 2 years as it enters at No 7 (45,000), and ends an even longer three year wait for Stewart. Should we class “Phenomenon” as the official follow up to the chart topping “Ain’t Nobody”? In the interim you’ll recall that Ll Cool J formed part of the all star recording of “Hit Em High” which made No 8 in April but in terms of solo records this is the one that matters as it cruises in at No 9 (39,000). Sampling Creative Source’s “Who Is He And Who Is He To You” and lifting the chorus from Melle Mel’s “White Lines” it is co-written and co-produced by man of the moment Puff Daddy. Dario G continue the slow drop 5-6 (47,000), The Backstreet Boys prove they have longevity with a month in the top flight dropping 6-8 (42,000) and Chumbawamba fall 8-10 (31,000) but should sell its 750,000th copy sometime this week and also enters the US top 10. 1- BARBIE GIRL- Aqua (190,000) 2- SPICE UP YOUR LIFE- Spice Girls (162,000) 3- CANDLE IN THE WIND 97/ SOMETHING ABOUT THE WAY YOU LOOK TONIGHT- Elton John (102,000) 4- STAY- Sash Featuring La Trec (69,000) 5- PARTY PEOPLE...FRIDAY NIGHT- 911 (64,000) 6- SUNCHYME- Dario G (47,000) 7- DO YA THINK I’M SEXY- N- Trance Featuring Rod Stewart (45,000) 8- AS LONG AS YOU LOVE ME- Backstreet Boys (42,000) 9- PHENOMENON- LL Cool J (39,000) 10- TUBTHUMPING- Chumbawamba (31,000)

I'm not a rock fan generally but "Poison" is rather marvellous!

12TH AUGUST Experiencing a sales increase of 55% Jive Bunny & The Mastermixers “Swing The Mood” explodes at retail finishing with a tally of 155,669 the biggest weekly total of the year so far, who says there has to be a summer sales slump? Kylie Minogue locks into the No 2 slot with a sales increase herself of 42% to 89,896 itself a record for the runner up slot in 1989 (for a track never to be a chart topper-yet) and enough for No 1 in all but 8 weeks of the year so far- sadly this is one of them. Lil Louis completes the top 3 moving 5-3 (51,136) in part thanks to the release of the 7” inch version of the single. Alice Cooper was last in the top 10 fifteen years ago with “No More Mr Nice Guy”, the last of his 4 consecutive top 10 tracks at the start of his career though of course it worth noting that Alice Cooper was at that stage a group, the man we now know as Alice Cooper was born Vincent Furnier only changing his name in the mid 70s. Since then he’s battled with drink and drugs, produced a string of flop albums, and ran a sideline in cameo film appearances, but he’s now signed with EMI and the first fruits show promise with “Poison” racing 13-5 (33,898). It’s written by Desmond Child who’s been busy helming many of Bon Jovi’s hits over the last 3 years. Starting off in acting at age 13 Martika is a US singer who came to fame Stateside via the TV show “Kids Incorporated” and now finds herself with a US No 1 single which is fast rising here 27-9 (22,721). The song deals with drug addiction, a subject close to the singer’s heart as the song recalls one of her close friend’s struggle with heroin, and at just 20 it points to a promising future for the singer. Elsewhere Sonia continues her descent 3-4 (36,635) while Gloria Estefan remains No 1 on the album charts and at No 6 (30,090) on the singles front. Bros slide 4-7 (28,067), Bobby Brown falls 7-8 (25,721) and Chaka Khan & Rufus dip 9-10 (19,907) 1- SWING THE MOOD- Jive Bunny & The Mastermixers (155,669) 2- WOULDN’T CHANGE A THING- Kylie Minogue (89,896) 3- FRENCH KISS- Lil Louis (51,136) 4- YOU’LL NEVER STOP ME LOVING YOU- Sonia (36,635) 5- POISON- Alice Cooper (33,898) 6- DON’T WANNA LOSE YOU- Gloria Estefan (30,090) 7- TOO MUCH- Bros (28,067) 8- ON OUR OWN- Bobby Brown (25,721) 9- TOY SOLDIERS- Martika (22,576) 10- AIN’T NOBODY (REMIX)- Chaka Khan & Rufus (19,907)

5TH AUGUST History repeated itself this week and produced the same end result. This week last year Kylie’s “The Loco-Motion” debuted at No 2 after leading all week and this year she does it again but more on that in a moment. Playing the part of Yazz & The Plastic Population this year are Jive Bunny & The Mastermixers whose “Swing The Mood” charges 3-1 after shifting 100,130 copies, they become the first “fictional” group to hit the top since Spitting Image in 1986. It's just the second time in 1989 that a 6 figure tally is seen fpr the No 1 record! So onto Kylie then, again she lost a midweek lead for the third time in her short career, and for a third time she debuts at No 2 which along with Madonna makes her a record holder in terms of high debuts by female soloists. “Wouldn’t Change A Thing” will probably have considerably more trouble overcoming Jive Bunny (which is a new chart topper) than “Hand On Your Heart” had displacing the, then, 4 week No 1 “Eternal Flame” back in May, its opening salvo of 63,274 shows how heavily it was outsold by Jive Bunny in the latter half of the week. It really will be a Herculean effort for this to rise. With outgoing chart topper from Sonia falling 1-3 (57,137) it again means that S/A/W produce two of the top 3 tracks of the week for a 12th time in the last 18 months. There’s no other new tracks in the top 10 but plenty of movement. Those with reason to be happy include Lil Louis who climbs 10-5 (46,784) which sees a 7” version become available this week, and Gloria Estefan who holds at No 6 (38,488) and sees her first solo album “Cuts Both Ways” enter at No 1. It’s all over for Bros however as “Too Much” tumbles 2-4 (49,657) as it becomes the 7th single in chart history to debut at No 2 and not make No 1, Bobby Brown slithers 5-7 (35,853), The London Boys see the dawn rise 4-8 (34,408), Chaka Khan & Rufus ebb 7-9 (28,101) and Bette Midler tumbles 8-10 (24,225) 1- SWING THE MOOD- Jive Bunny & The Mastermixers (100,130) 2- WOULDN’T CHANGE A THING- Kylie Minogue (63,274) 3- YOU’LL NEVER STOP ME LOVING YOU- Sonia (57,137) 4- TOO MUCH- Bros (49,657) 5- FRENCH KISS- Lil Louis (46,784) 6- DON’T WANNA LOSE YOU- Gloria Estefan (38,488) 7- ON OUR OWN- Bobby Brown (35,853) 8- LONDON NIGHTS- London Boys (34,408) 9- AIN’T NOBODY (REMIX)- Chaka Khan & Rufus (28,101) 10- WIND BENEATH MY WINGS- Bette Midler (24,225)

The album was called "Twelve Commandments of Dance"- it's actually quite good in a 1989 pop kinda way.

29TH JULY First the headline, Sonia keeps the top spot for a second week with “You’ll Never Stop Me Loving You” being the best seller overall for the last week and enabling S/A/W’s 29th week at the top as producers. Now the story behind this week’s chart. Bros got off to a phenomenal start with their new single “Too Much” which sprinted ahead to what looked like an insurmountable lead of over 15,000 at one point. Of course since we last heard from them at Christmas Craig Logan has left and the twins have soldiered on, this single being released in three sleeves one with the brothers together and one each showing their individual faces, perhaps unsurprisingly Matt’s being the bigger seller. That probably ensured that the diehard fans probably bought a copy each artificially boosting the initial sales. In the end the song enters at No 2 selling 55,335 compared to Sonia’s 60,520. It is however the 6th top 5 hit for Bros and the first single from a second album due in the Autumn and will feature a much greater input from the Goss brother than their debut effort. It also must have proved a potential awkward moment at Wembley next month when Sonia supports Bros on tour! TOTP obviously gave a boost to Sonia but it also gave a significant shot in the arm to Jive Bunny & The Mastermixers whose “Swing The Mood” rockets 31-3 (48,161) and looks set for No 1 next week should Bros fall short. The men behind the rabbit are DJ’s John and Andy Pickles (Father and Son) who took a mix provided to them by another DJ Les Hemstock and have essentially created an old skool medley featuring many 50s/60s hits using John Anderson’s Big Band’s “Glenn Miller Medley” as its backbone, itself a No 61 hit at Christmas 1985. Post TOTP this was the biggest seller in the UK on both Friday and Saturday indicated that Sonia’s days may be numbered. It also meant, funnily enough, that Sonia wasn't the biggest seller on any particular day of the week! Number one on the 12” chart this week is the new hit by Chicago DJ Lil Louis (real name Marvin Burns) and is causing a minor furore for the suggestive nature of the female vocals on it, something not heard since Donna Summer caused controversy on “Love To Love You Baby” in the 70s. The vocalist is thought to be Shawn Christopher long time backing vocalist for Chaka Khan, and the fact that the song tops the 12” chart is no surprise as that’s the only format the song is currently available on, it debuts at No 10 (25,432) the highest new entry by a previously uncharted act since Bomb The Bass over a year ago. London Boys enter the album charts at No 2 but fall 2-4 44,557) on the singles front though you'll note their sales are actually up from last week! Bobby Brown is also fading 4-5 (40,613), Chaka Khan & Rufus dip 6-7 (32,487), Bette Midler plummets 5-8 (30,362) and Soul II Soul slide 3-9 (26,452). Only Gloria Estefan can be happy with her progress as she climbs 9-6 (33,507). Bros have failed to debut at No 1 but this week a new Kylie single will be vying to arrive right at the top and I’m assured that no cassette single sales will be disqualified on this one! 1- YOU’LL NEVER STOP ME LOVING YOU- Sonia (60,520) 2- TOO MUCH- Bros (55,335) 3- SWING THE MOOD- Jive Bunny & The Mastermixers (48,161) 4- LONDON NIGHTS- London Boys (44,557) 5- ON OUR OWN- Bobby Brown (40,613) 6- DON’T WANNA LOSE YOU- Gloria Estefan (33,507) 7- AIN’T NOBODY (REMIX)- Chaka Khan & Rufus (32,487) 8- WIND BENEATH MY WINGS- Bette Midler (30,362) 9- BACK TO LIFE (HOWEVER DO YOU WANT ME)- Soul II Soul Featuring Caron Wheeler (26,452) 10- FRENCH KISS- Lil Louis (25,432)

Still easy on the eye now He's also a dancer in this Dead or Alive video from the same time

22ND JULY She becomes the youngest UK female soloist to top the charts this week since Mary Hopkin 21 years ago, yes Sonia Evans moves 2-1 with “You’ll Never Stop Me Loving You” and in doing so it becomes the 11th produced S/A/W chart topper in 4 years, and the 6th chart topper of 1989 to come from their studios. It trounced The London Boys who do move 3-2 (43,486) but were 11,000 copies behind Sonia when the dust had settled and indeed lost sales week on week, and spare a thought for Soul II Soul who not only drop 1-3 (42,857) but also are superseded by Simply Red on the album charts, the single does however move into the YTD top 10. You’d be forgiven for thinking that Gloria Estefan has gone solo, the credits on her hits have read “Miami Sound Machine” then “Gloria Estefan & The Miami Sound Machine” and now it’s just a solo credit though in reality the line ups haven’t changed. “Don’t Wanna Lose You” powers 30-9 (21,335), is entirely written by Estefan, and is taken from her debut “solo” album “Cuts Both Ways” which is out in a fortnight. Registering strong moves this week are Bobby Brown 8-4 (42,619) and Bette Midler 9-5 (35,462) who can now celebrate with their biggest hits, whilst Chaka Khan & Rufus hold at No 6 (34,714). Falling are Pet Shop Boys 5-7 (26,231), Beautiful South 4-8 (23,154) and Gladys Knight 7-10 (20,740). Next week sees the release of the first Bros single from a new album- expect it to debut high- maybe even No 1? 1- YOU’LL NEVER STOP ME LOVING YOU- Sonia (54,672) 2- LONDON NIGHTS- London Boys (43,486) 3- BACK TO LIFE (HOWEVER DO YOU WANT ME)- Soul II Soul Featuring Caron Wheeler (42,857) 4- ON OUR OWN- Bobby Brown (42,619) 5- WIND BENEATH MY WINGS- Bette Midler (35,462) 6- AIN’T NOBODY (REMIX)- Chaka Khan & Rufus (34,714) 7- IT’S ALRIGHT- Pet Shop Boys (26,231) 8- SONG FOR WHOEVER- The Beautiful South (23,154) 9- DON’T WANNA LOSE YOU- Gloria Estefan (21,335) 10- LICENCE TO KILL- Gladys Knight (20,740)

15TH JULY The nation officially goes Soul II Soul crazy this week with “Back To Life” scoring a 4th week atop the singles chart and “Club Classics Volume I” finally makes it to the No 1 spot in the albums. The single is now the equal longest stayer of the year tying with Marc Almond & Gene Pitney’s “Something’s Gotten Hold Of My Heart” and The Bangles “Eternal Flame”- could it make 5 weeks? Unlikely, sales are off 23% at just 50,592 and is now under real pressure from the rest of the top 3. Indeed was in runner up spot behind the London Boys for most of the week until TOTP gave it a boost. It will almost certainly lose the crown next week most probably to Sonia who is the new name from the S/A/W factory, she got her break after pestering Waterman outside the radio station where he does his Saturday morning show, he gave in and asked her to sing live on air and he promised to make her a star. The track “You’ll Never Stop Me Loving You” scurries 12-2 (48,365) nabbing the runner up spot from The London Boys at the death by just a few thousand copies. Spending its first 7 weeks in the top 40 “Life Is A Dance- The Remix Project” clearly isn’t done generating hits yet, after “I’m Every Woman” made No 8 back in May it’s now the time for “Ain’t Nobody” to be remixed, this time courtesy of Frankie Knuckles. It reached No 8 in 1984 but now rushes 18-6 (33,473) to become a bigger hit at the second time of asking. One of 1989’s biggest stars is Bobby Brown who at just 20 has already accumulated his third top 10 hit in 6 months as a soloist, he got the gig to sing the theme to “Ghostbusters II” which is already big news in the US though the film isn’t out here until Christmas. The video is a kind of remake of the original Ray Parker Jr theme with cameos by some big names such as Donald Trump, Christopher Reeve, and Lori Singer, the song debuts at No 8 (23,069) to become his most immediate hit. First recorded by Roger Whittakar in 1982 and subsequently recorded by artists such as Sheena Easton as Gladys Knight, “Wind Beneath My Wings” failed to become a major hit for any act until now. Featured in the film “Beaches” Bette Midler’s version now climbs 30-9 (20,451) to become her first charting hit in the UK unbelievably. It also means that with Gladys Knight dropping 6-7 (23,137) and Prince hurtling 4-10 (20,281) there are four cinematic related hits in the top 10 and all next to each other. Pet Shop Boys hold at No 5 (34,051) and will be hoping the UK leg of their tour this week will improve their position next week, they lodge behind a falling Beautiful South who themselves move 2-4 (34,357). 1- BACK TO LIFE (HOWEVER DO YOU WANT ME)- Soul II Soul Featuring Caron Wheeler (50,592) 2- YOU’LL NEVER STOP ME LOVING YOU- Sonia (48,365) 3- LONDON NIGHTS- London Boys (45,543) 4- SONG FOR WHOEVER- The Beautiful South (34,357) 5- IT’S ALRIGHT- Pet Shop Boys (34,051) 6- AIN’T NOBODY (REMIX)- Rufus & Chaka Khan (33,473) 7- LICENCE TO KILL- Gladys Knight (23,137) 8- ON OUR OWN- Bobby Brown (23,069) 9- WIND BENEATH MY WINGS- Bette Midler (20,451) 10- BATDANCE- Prince (20,281)

8TH JULY Soul II Soul score a third week at the top with “Back To Life”, it was an easy victory but its sales are plateauing at 66,470 although its total now stands at 259,794. Is that enough for the YTD top 10? Well take a look below to find out: 1- ETERNAL FLAME- The Bangles 486,625 2- TOO MANY BROKEN HEARTS- Jason Donovan 446,947 3- SOMETHING’S GOTTEN HOLD OF MY HEART- Marc Almond & Gene Pitney 444,125 4- HAND ON YOUR HEART- Kylie Minogue 410,346 5- LIKE A PRAYER- Madonna 401,948 6- LOVE CHANGES EVERYTHING- Michael Ball 355,334 7- THE LIVING YEARS- Mike + The Mechanics 334,815 8- FERRY CROSS THE MERSEY- Paul McCartney, The Christians, Holly Johnson, Gerry Marsden, Stock/ Aitken/ Waterman 328,032 9- MISS YOU LIKE CRAZY- Natalie Cole 313,752 10- THIS TIME I KNOW IT’S FOR REAL- Donna Summer 311,933 S/A/W are responsible for 40% of the YTD top 10 underlining their fantastic year so far. Soul II Soul’s nearest challengers were The Beautiful South whose “Song For Whoever” inched 3-2 (38,216) but underneath them are doubtless the main challengers for next week if not the next No 1. The London Boys went to No 4 in May with “Requiem” but that was just a warm up for “London Nights” which flies 19-3 (37,332) and looks unstoppable on its way to the top, the album is out in 3 weeks just enough time for this to hit No 1 Recorded and released in 1987 the Sterling Void track “It’s Alright” featured on a fair few house compilations in 1988 coming to the attention of The Pet Shop Boys who recorded their version for the “Introspective” album in late 1988 and which they now release as the 4th single from the album. In between all of that Sterling Void re-issued their version scoring a No 53 hit this February, the PSB version is of course timed nicely with the boys first mini world tour which is currently in the far east and comes to the UK in a fortnight. It is their 10th top 10 single, a ninth on the trot and features the production magic of Trevor Horn. Queen’s return continues apace with their album “The Miracle” debuting at No 1 and selling 150,000 copies in the process whilst the single “Breakthru” becomes the second top 10 single to be lifted from it. It is actually the amalgamation of two songs, the main track by Roger Taylor and another song “A New Life Is Born” written by Mercury which is better heard on the album version of the song, it climbs 13-7 (23,392) to become the band’s 18th top 10 single. Registering a new peak at No 31 this week on the album charts, “G N R Lies” is officially classed as an album though it only 33 minutes long, the first single to be taken from it is “Patience” which scores Guns N Roses a third top 10 single in just 4 months! It finds the group in a more contemplative mood than their norm as it races 22-10 (20,145) having hit No 4 in the US last month. Prince dips 2-4 (35,105), U2 slide 4-8 (22,780) and Cyndi Lauper reverses 7-9 (22,729) but Gladys Knight is still heading the right way 8-6 (28,509). 1- BACK TO LIFE (HOWEVER DO YOU WANT ME)- Soul II Soul Featuring Caron Wheeler (66,470) 2- SONG FOR WHOEVER- The Beautiful South (38,216) 3- LONDON NIGHTS- London Boys (37,332) 4- BATDANCE- Prince (35,105) 5- IT’S ALRIGHT- Pet Shop Boys (30,192) 6- LICENCE TO KILL- Gladys Knight (28,509) 7- BREATHRU- Queen (23,392) 8- ALL I WANT IS YOU- U2 (22,780) 9- I DROVE ALL NIGHT- Cyndi Lauper (22,729) 10- PATIENCE- Guns N Roses (20,145)

There was no obligation to sing live on TOTP in the 80s (we all recall the change in rules in 1991 when they had to sing live and there was some, let's call them, issues 😆) Soul II Soul insisted on a live vocal (as indeed they did on "Keep on movin") but for whatever reason TOTP wasn't happy with that one.

1ST JULY The charts attempt to make everyone happy this week, with Prince and Soul II Soul battling it out at the top of both charts. Soul II Soul see “Back To Life” hold at the top spot for a second week on a nice 33% sales boost to 66,368 and to add to that “Club Classics Volume I” also rises 4-2 to reach a new peak. It could have been better for Prince however had the “Batman” soundtrack not have been released, but it did and Prince gets his second No 1 album into the bargain, meaning of course that he gets revenge on the album charts as his single “Batdance” advances only 3-2 to become his second No 2 single as its sales increase to 46,138. Inevitably the album therefore scuppered the chances of the single for Prince but in the end karma serves both he and Soul II Soul a piece of the pie. Further drama occurred when Soul II Soul and TOTP came to blows last week, apparently the producers were unhappy with Carol Wheeler's live vocal and insisted that they either mime or the video would be shown instead. The group responded by walking out of the studio and so it was that they passed up on a live performance. We'll wait to see if the situation gets resolved! It might be tough for Prince next week though with both Beautiful South (8-3, 36,924) and U2 (5-4 36,091) pressing hard and in truth they all had TOTP to support them so the level playing field will continue next week in that respect. Further down the top 10 and we have a new Bond theme to speak of, Gladys Knight’s “Licence To Kill” is the next in a long list that includes Duran Duran, A-ha, Lulu, and Carly Simon. The song is written by Narada Michael Walden and at over 5 minutes long in its full glory it is also the longest theme, it moves 20-8 (22,117) this week to mark the first occasion that three Bond theme’s on the trot have made the top 10. Originally the theme was given to Eric Clapton to write but when fell through Knight and Walden stepped in, it’s her first top 10 hit in 12 years and fourth overall though she’s lost the pips temporarily at least, the movie is out August 4th if you want to catch it. After the controversy of their first single “We Call It Acieed” D-Mob finally get around to making their follow up, the rather more radio friendly “It Is Time To Get Funky” which comes with some guest vocals from LRS. The team are busy producing that first album which is penciled in for around Christmas but you know how these things go. In the interim the single moves 11-9 (17,969) and if you’re particularly keen eyed you might spot Soul II Soul’s Jazzy B in the promo for this. Last spotted in the charts back in 1987 on her No 8 hit “Serious”, Donna Allen has been plugging away with the occasional dance hit in the US but nothing else, she now returns in full swing with “Joy And Pain” which climbs 15-10 (15,861) to give her a 100% success rate when she does reach the charts! That sale incidentally the lowest required for the top 10 since January so she was fortunate in that respect. The song is a cover of the Maze track from 1980 which was in the charts just last month on re-issue peaking at No 57. Cyndi Lauper holds at No 7 (23,545) and above her are two fallers both from the PWL studios, Jason Donovan tumbles 2-5 (29,325) and Sinitta drops 4-6 (24,905) 1- BACK TO LIFE (HOWEVER DO YOU WANT ME)- Soul II Soul Featuring Caron Wheeler (66,368) 2- BATDANCE- Prince (46,138) 3- SONG FOR WHOEVER- Beautiful South (36,924) 4- ALL I WANT IS YOU- U2 (36,091) 5- SEALED WITH A KISS- Jason Donovan (29,325) 6- RIGHT BACK WHERE WE STARTED FROM- Sinitta (24,905) 7- I DROVE ALL NIGHT- Cyndi Lauper (23,545) 8- LICENCE TO KILL- Gladys Knight (22,117) 9- IT IS TIME TO GET FUNKY- D.Mob Featuring LRS (17,969) 10- JOY AND PAIN- Donna Allen (15,861)

snooker tonight......urgh. Resumes next Friday

The original theme to the "Batman" movie before Prince changed his mind)- naturally it would have gotten a single remix had it have happened.

The record company wanted S/A/W to do her second album but they wanted it in a very tight time frame and S/A/W were too busy and told the record company it wasn't a reasonable request. So not really Sinitta and S/A/W falling out. In the end it was passed to the S/A/W "b-team" to do much of the work (Phil Harding/ Ian Curnow/ Pete Hammond).

24TH JUNE It only took a 8% sales increase to take the crown but this week Soul II Soul surge 3-1 as “Back To Life” becomes the nation’s favourite song with a sale of 50,779 copies, it marks their arrival as major players in the chart with their sound set to become one of the soundtrack to this summer. The album from which it is culled “Club Classics” holds at No 4 but should get a boost now that it holds a No 1 single albeit in a very different form. Bad news then for Jason Donovan who loses both chart toppers this week with “Ten Good Reasons” giving way to Paul McCartney’s new album “Flowers In The Dirt” and his single “Sealed With A Kiss” dipping 1-2 (46,529). It isn’t due to open in UK Cinemas until August 11th but Prince is already on the promotional trail releasing the theme to the movie “Batdance”. It was apparently a last minute inclusion in the soundtrack (for which Prince contributes most of the music) after he pulled a track called “Dance With The Devil” which was intended as the theme, it seems he made the right decision chart wise at least with “Batdance” getting off to the best start of his career debuting at No 3 (35,819). His previous highest debut was the more modest No 13 start to “1999/ Little Red Corvette” in 1985 and thusly you must fancy this to be heading to No 1 and to give the purple one his first UK chart topper, the only potential joker in the pack is the release of the soundtrack this week which could detract sales from Prince’s 8th top 10 single. U2 are old hands at debuting inside the top 10 and this week they do it again with a fourth cut from “Rattle & Hum” entitled “All I Want Is You”. It’s the band’s tenth top 10 single of which 7 have arrived instantly there but somewhat unusually for any albums era it seems that the singles are only charting higher and higher, “Desire” became their first No 1 last year and was followed by “Angel Of Harlem” (No 8) then “When Love Comes To Town” (No 6) and now “All I Want Is You” debuts at No 5 (31,110). The Housemartins split last Spring but it hasn’t taken long for Paul Heaton and Dave Hemmingway to quickly form The Beautiful South and produce “Song For Whoever” which this week jets in 11-8 (27,880) to give them a far better start than the Housemartins got. Indeed the ‘Martins only scored two top 10 single though of course “Caravan Of Love” did go all the way to the top, again the group display the usual cleverness lyrically, more of which you should find on the debut album due in the autumn. Sinitta halts progress at No 4 (32,589), but that is at least considerably better than Cliff Richard who collapses 2-6 (29,988), Cyndi Lauper creeps 8-7 (27,880) but it’s all over for Guns N Roses who dip 6-9 (20,995) and Madonna who falls 5-10 (20,621) in perfect symmetry for its first 4 weeks on release. 1- BACK TO LIFE (HOWEVER DO YOU WANT ME)- Soul II Soul Featuring Caron Wheeler (50,779) 2- SEALED WITH A KISS- Jason Donovan (46,529) 3- BATDANCE- Prince (35,819) 4- RIGHT BACK WHERE WE STARTED- Sinitta (32,589) 5- ALL I WANT IS YOU- U2 (31,110) 6- THE BEST OF ME- Cliff Richard (29,988) 7- I DROVE ALL NIGHT- Cyndi Lauper (27,880) 8- SONG FOR WHOEVER- The Beautiful South (27,557) 9- SWEET CHILD O MINE- Guns N Roses (20,995) 10- EXPRESS YOURSELF- Madonna (20,621)

Yes Cyndi was the first version and I didn't much like Roy's version when I heard it at first but over the years it has probably become my preferred version. The build up to the crescendo in it is sublime.

Can we avoid spoilers on peak positions please?

17TH JUNE After last week’s big splash the top 2 (the first time the top 2 were both new entries since Band Aid/ Wham!) they hold their positions and both increase sales by 28%, Jason coming in at 89,692 while Cliff swells to 55,454 all of which means that Jason has increased his lead and also maintains the album top spot. Cliff will of course be playing his "Event" concert at Wembley this Saturday which will be his biggest concert ever and he will be hoping that can revive the single yet! The biggest new hit in the top 10 belongs to Soul II Soul Featuring Caron Wheeler, “Back To Life (However Do You Want Me)” which sprints 12-3 (47,940) to become their biggest hit to date. Their album is currently shifting in healthy amounts rising 9-4 this week and hasn’t left the top 20 since its release 9 weeks ago, the track that appears on the album is actually an a cappella one (in the main) and has thusly been much altered for the single release. Thematically it was written by Wheeler following a near death experience! From the hitmaking pens of Steinburg and Kelly comes “I Drove All Night” a song intended for, and recorded by, Roy Orbison, but whilst his version is yet to surface we have instead the first top 10 for Cyndi Lauper in 5 years! 1986’s “True Colours” surprised many by only making No 12 here but did go all the way in the US, and is the nearest she’s come to entering the top 10 in the interim, but this does the job of promoting Lauper’s third album “A Night To Remember” which sees daylight in a fortnight. Sinitta’s “Right Back Where We Started From” shoots 6-4 (36,057) leaving Madonna surprisingly stuck at No 5 (31,909) with Guns N Roses applying pressure 7-6 (30,481). Natalie Cole continues her descent 4-7 (26,112) as does Neneh Cherry 9-10 (21,114) but her album “Raw Like Sushi” debuts at No 2. Donna Summer goes up again 10-9 (21,267) though she loses sales and her previous single “This Time I Know It’s For Real” makes the US top 10, her first time there in 6 years. 1- SEALED WITH A KISS- Jason Donovan (89,692) 2- THE BEST OF ME- Cliff Richard (55,454) 3- BACK TO LIFE (HOWEVER DO YOU WANT ME)- Soul II Soul Featuring Caron Wheeler (47,940) 4- RIGHT BACK WHERE WE STARTED FROM- Sinitta (36,057) 5- EXPRESS YOURSELF- Madonna (31,909) 6- SWEET CHILD O MINE- Guns N Roses (30,481) 7- MISS YOU LIKE CRAZY- Natalie Cole (26,112) 8- I DROVE ALL NIGHT- Cyndi Lauper (21,267) 9- I DON’T WANNA GET HURT- Donna Summer (21,267) 10- MANCHILD- Neneh Cherry (21,114)

Yes, "Wicked" was released later in 1989.