-Jay-

Oh quite a surprise to have a new studio recording of this from Emma! It’s a safe choice for her, considering how often she’s performed it (and will do so again on Strictly) but I’m sure it’ll sound lovely. A released solo version is what I wanted back in 2003 when she performed it on TV :lol: I know we got the version with Robbie but… completely solo Bunton is where it’s at :cool:

Does the new solo recording of 2 Become 1 count? :teresa:

I cashed out on Tom yesterday and got my £7 back and an additional 78p :lol: :ph34r:

Insane that it’s been 22 years 🥹🥹 Remember it being new like it was yesterday!

She was backstage making cups of tea for them between songs, singing along to WOMAN :teresa: Her Lift Me Up promo was done, she had free time! (“Geri” didn’t sound very noticeable to me in this video tbh argh!)

But… as I said, this Woman upload is using their real vocals :unsure: Vocal extraction and separation =/= fake vocals

Better late than never! https://letterboxd.com/Jay1988/

Seems like you're too weak to resist Too Weak to Resist :teresa:

Is Bet365 not re-opening Christmas #1 betting? Have I scammed myself out of £7*, thinking that there would be opportunities to cash out in the coming days? * Assuming that Tom Grennan doesn't get Christmas #1 x

Interesting, why so? A 14 track version of TOTD as its theoretical first release, this would still have contained the 10 tracks from the original, i.e. the majority of the album. So I’m not sure I understand how some additional tracks on top of those songs, would lead to being very disappointed in the album? If you like the vast majority of the tracks, wouldn’t that still be a pleasing outcome?

? Firstly, their professional and personal association was plain to see in the 90s and 00s - so it’s not something that can be “outed” as if it was some kind of secret, because it wasn’t. Diddy has left his musical footprint across numerous huge artists from that era, so your suggestion of a Mariah boycott would have to apply to so many artists… and what exactly would that achieve? Mariah is not responsible for Diddy’s alleged heinous actions. Being a friend and colleague of somebody is not an admission of knowledge/condoning of their behaviour. Suggesting that she should be considered guilty by association isn’t fair.

Thank you! I'll update. Interestingly Don't Call Me Angel going Gold has happened exactly 5 years after it went Silver on 13th December 2019! 'we can't be friends (wait for your love)' left the Top 100 for the first time. It stayed in the chart for 32 weeks, which is the longest stretch of time a single of hers has managed to stay in the Top 100 since the ACR rules were introduced. 'no tears left to cry' and 'Rain on Me' also managed 32 weeks!

I received the vinyl today. :wub: Its official UK release date is considered to be today (13th December) however the sales have been included in today's chart as if it was released last week - it's new at #7 in the vinyl singles chart, and a re-entry at #9 in the physicals chart.

"Katy Perry filmed an ITV special last night, quite randomly, in a Methodist hall in the middle of Westminster. Money is pretty tight at ITV so much so they couldn't really afford to do it. They had the brainwave to start charging for tickets to see Katy. TV audiences are normally free (as are church services, presumably) so that anyone in the crowd can be made to whoop and cheer on demand. Which is perhaps why few people jumped at the £143 tickets on offer, still very much available right up until the 11th hour of filming. Budgets were so bleak, Katy had to take on some product placement. When the show airs later this month you can probably see her receiving an Amazon Prime parcel onstage and taking a sip of some posh fizzy water to help pay for it all."

In at #45. Her studio albums benefited, they're all back in the Top 100 this week. Maybe the impact is a bit diluted between them? Official Top 100: #45 - Live from the Royal Albert Hall #82 - Radical Optimism #85 - Dua Lipa #99 - Future Nostalgia

Even as a defender of A Hundred Years of Winter, I didn't play it once this year! Maybe I should before 2024 is over :teresa:

I feel like the music industry at large is snobby to Steps, sadly! Not just then, but sadly still now. I felt that this was evident in the recent Radio 2 "best British groups" poll, a long list of groups and Steps weren't included. Fairly sure they have to be one of the UK's best selling acts not to have been included.

Step One's major strength is in its singles, plus a couple of album tracks. But then, being brutally honest, it also includes some filler (albeit filler which has sentimental value). It can't be ignored that it has two outright cringey songs slap bang in the middle. Tears on the Dancefloor hangs together better as an album overall, solid from start to finish! So I'm voting that.

I'm not surprised Free Me and Life in Mono tracks are pretty high up these results, but I would have had some A Girl Like Me highlights higher up the results, ahead of these particular Free Me/Life in Mono tracks (High on Love, A World Without You, Better Be Careful >>> Life in Mono, Who the Hell Are You, You Are, I'm Not Crying Over Yesterdays, Amazing). And that's my hot take for today, enjoy x :teresa:

For me this is not all that much different to listening to a fan-made remix, which aren't exactly real either in the sense that they're unofficial. It appears to be the case that this WOMAN upload is using technology to extract/separate vocals from the live performance, the leaked stems, and I'm assuming that behind the scenes video. Ultimately to create what the final song could sound like, in theory. It's interesting to hear, and in my humble opinion, well made! If they weren't upfront about it being AI created, I think it could have easily fooled people as a leak. I'm not holding my breath for WOMAN in 2025. I'll be thrilled if they stay true to their word and finally deliver it... after twenty six years... but as of right now I don't trust them lol.

Intrigued to find out what she sings! Feels like quite a random booking but get it, Bunton! :cool:

7" vinyl of Last Night's Mascara, available on 17th January 2025: https://shop.officialgriff.com/gb/griff/las...1732548269.html

I put £7 on Tom at 9/1 on bet365 (seems I missed the 14/1 moment there). Like others it's with the view to cash out at the right time. Fingers crossed!

I've edited the poll, so that it reflects the "68 voters" data, but also including votes made since the poll went back to 0. I hope it's ok that I've done this! I think it's about as accurate as it can possibly be. For transparency, this is what the poll looked like before my edits: Andy Williams - It's The Most Wonderful Time Of Year [ 8 ] ** [3.45%] Ariana Grande - Santa Tell Me [ 6 ] ** [2.59%] Band Aid - Do They Know It's Christmas? [ 1 ] ** [0.43%] Bing Crosby - White Christmas [ 1 ] ** [0.43%] Bobby Helms - Jingle Bell Rock [ 1 ] ** [0.43%] Boney M. - Mary's Boy Child/Oh My Lord [ 0 ] ** [0.00%] Brenda Lee - Rockin' Around The Christmas Tree [ 22 ] ** [9.48%] Bruce Springsteen - Santa Claus Is Coming To Town [ 0 ] ** [0.00%] Burl Ives - A Holly Jolly Christmas [ 0 ] ** [0.00%] Chris Rea - Driving Home For Christmas [ 0 ] ** [0.00%] Chuck Berry - Run Rudolph Run [ 0 ] ** [0.00%] Cliff Richard - Mistletoe And Wine [ 0 ] ** [0.00%] Cliff Richard - Saviour's Day [ 0 ] ** [0.00%] Coldplay - Christmas Lights [ 14 ] ** [6.03%] Darlene Love - All Alone At Christmas [ 1 ] ** [0.43%] Darlene Love - Christmas (Baby Please Come Home) [ 0 ] ** [0.00%] Dean Martin - Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow! [ 0 ] ** [0.00%] Eartha Kitt - Santa Baby [ 1 ] ** [0.43%] East 17 - Stay Another Day [ 0 ] ** [0.00%] Elton John - Step Into Christmas [ 0 ] ** [0.00%] Elvis Presley - Blue Christmas [ 0 ] ** [0.00%] Frank Sinatra - Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas [ 0 ] ** [0.00%] Frankie Goes To Hollywood - The Power Of Love [ 0 ] ** [0.00%] John Lennon & Yoko Ono - Happy Xmas (War Is Over) [ 0 ] ** [0.00%] Johnny Mathis - When A Child Is Born [ 0 ] ** [0.00%] Jona Lewie - Stop The Cavalry [ 2 ] ** [0.86%] Jose Feliciano - Feliz Navidad [ 2 ] ** [0.86%] Justin Bieber - Mistletoe [ 0 ] ** [0.00%] Kelly Clarkson - Underneath The Tree [ 20 ] ** [8.62%] Kylie Minogue - Santa Baby [ 0 ] ** [0.00%] Leona Lewis - One More Sleep [ 17 ] ** [7.33%] Mariah Carey - All I Want For Christmas Is You [ 22 ] ** [9.48%] Michael Bublé - Holly Jolly Christmas [ 0 ] ** [0.00%] Michael Jackson & Jackson 5 - Santa Claus Is Coming To Town [ 0 ] ** [0.00%] Mud - Lonely This Christmas [ 0 ] ** [0.00%] Nat King Cole - The Christmas Song [ 0 ] ** [0.00%] Paul McCartney - Wonderful Christmastime [ 0 ] ** [0.00%] Perry Como - It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas [ 0 ] ** [0.00%] Shakin' Stevens - Merry Christmas Everyone [ 21 ] ** [9.05%] Sia - Snowman [ 0 ] ** [0.00%] Slade - Merry Xmas Everybody [ 1 ] ** [0.43%] Taylor Swift - Christmas Tree Farm [ 1 ] ** [0.43%] The Beach Boys - Little Saint Nick [ 0 ] ** [0.00%] The Darkness - Christmas Time (Don't Let The Bells End) [ 2 ] ** [0.86%] The Pogues feat. Kirsty MacColl - Fairytale Of New York [ 32 ] ** [13.79%] The Pretenders - 2000 Miles [ 1 ] ** [0.43%] The Ronettes - Sleigh Ride [ 2 ] ** [0.86%] The Waitresses - Christmas Wrapping [ 27 ] ** [11.64%] Wham! - Last Christmas [ 1 ] ** [0.43%] Wizzard - I Wish It Would Be Christmas Everyday [ 26 ] ** [11.21%] And this is what it looks like after I've edited, and there is currently 75 voters: Andy Williams - It's The Most Wonderful Time Of Year [ 8 ] ** [3.45%] Ariana Grande - Santa Tell Me [ 6 ] ** [2.59%] Band Aid - Do They Know It's Christmas? [ 1 ] ** [0.43%] Bing Crosby - White Christmas [ 1 ] ** [0.43%] Bobby Helms - Jingle Bell Rock [ 1 ] ** [0.43%] Boney M. - Mary's Boy Child/Oh My Lord [ 0 ] ** [0.00%] Brenda Lee - Rockin' Around The Christmas Tree [ 22 ] ** [9.48%] Bruce Springsteen - Santa Claus Is Coming To Town [ 0 ] ** [0.00%] Burl Ives - A Holly Jolly Christmas [ 0 ] ** [0.00%] Chris Rea - Driving Home For Christmas [ 0 ] ** [0.00%] Chuck Berry - Run Rudolph Run [ 0 ] ** [0.00%] Cliff Richard - Mistletoe And Wine [ 0 ] ** [0.00%] Cliff Richard - Saviour's Day [ 0 ] ** [0.00%] Coldplay - Christmas Lights [ 14 ] ** [6.03%] Darlene Love - All Alone At Christmas [ 1 ] ** [0.43%] Darlene Love - Christmas (Baby Please Come Home) [ 0 ] ** [0.00%] Dean Martin - Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow! [ 0 ] ** [0.00%] Eartha Kitt - Santa Baby [ 1 ] ** [0.43%] East 17 - Stay Another Day [ 0 ] ** [0.00%] Elton John - Step Into Christmas [ 0 ] ** [0.00%] Elvis Presley - Blue Christmas [ 0 ] ** [0.00%] Frank Sinatra - Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas [ 0 ] ** [0.00%] Frankie Goes To Hollywood - The Power Of Love [ 0 ] ** [0.00%] John Lennon & Yoko Ono - Happy Xmas (War Is Over) [ 0 ] ** [0.00%] Johnny Mathis - When A Child Is Born [ 0 ] ** [0.00%] Jona Lewie - Stop The Cavalry [ 2 ] ** [0.86%] Jose Feliciano - Feliz Navidad [ 2 ] ** [0.86%] Justin Bieber - Mistletoe [ 0 ] ** [0.00%] Kelly Clarkson - Underneath The Tree [ 20 ] ** [8.62%] Kylie Minogue - Santa Baby [ 0 ] ** [0.00%] Leona Lewis - One More Sleep [ 17 ] ** [7.33%] Mariah Carey - All I Want For Christmas Is You [ 22 ] ** [9.48%] Michael Bublé - Holly Jolly Christmas [ 0 ] ** [0.00%] Michael Jackson & Jackson 5 - Santa Claus Is Coming To Town [ 0 ] ** [0.00%] Mud - Lonely This Christmas [ 0 ] ** [0.00%] Nat King Cole - The Christmas Song [ 0 ] ** [0.00%] Paul McCartney - Wonderful Christmastime [ 0 ] ** [0.00%] Perry Como - It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas [ 0 ] ** [0.00%] Shakin' Stevens - Merry Christmas Everyone [ 21 ] ** [9.05%] Sia - Snowman [ 0 ] ** [0.00%] Slade - Merry Xmas Everybody [ 1 ] ** [0.43%] Taylor Swift - Christmas Tree Farm [ 1 ] ** [0.43%] The Beach Boys - Little Saint Nick [ 0 ] ** [0.00%] The Darkness - Christmas Time (Don't Let The Bells End) [ 2 ] ** [0.86%] The Pogues feat. Kirsty MacColl - Fairytale Of New York [ 32 ] ** [13.79%] The Pretenders - 2000 Miles [ 1 ] ** [0.43%] The Ronettes - Sleigh Ride [ 2 ] ** [0.86%] The Waitresses - Christmas Wrapping [ 27 ] ** [11.64%] Wham! - Last Christmas [ 1 ] ** [0.43%] Wizzard - I Wish It Would Be Christmas Everyday [ 26 ] ** [11.21%]

These were the results when 68 people had voted, which was at about 4:30pm UK time (9 hours ago) - 7: Andy Williams - It's The Most Wonderful Time Of Year 5: Ariana Grande - Santa Tell Me 16: Band Aid - Do They Know It's Christmas? 6: Bing Crosby - White Christmas 4: Bobby Helms - Jingle Bell Rock 9: Boney M. - Mary's Boy Child/Oh My Lord 21: Brenda Lee - Rockin' Around The Christmas Tree 6: Bruce Springsteen - Santa Claus Is Coming To Town 2: Burl Ives - A Holly Jolly Christmas 20: Chris Rea - Driving Home For Christmas 2: Chuck Berry - Run Rudolph Run 5: Cliff Richard - Mistletoe And Wine 5: Cliff Richard - Saviour's Day 11: Coldplay - Christmas Lights 11: Darlene Love - All Alone At Christmas 10: Darlene Love - Christmas (Baby Please Come Home) 5: Dean Martin - Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow! 1: Eartha Kitt - Santa Baby 12: East 17 - Stay Another Day 7: Elton John - Step Into Christmas 2: Elvis Presley - Blue Christmas 2: Frank Sinatra - Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas 4: Frankie Goes To Hollywood - The Power Of Love 17: John Lennon & Yoko Ono - Happy Xmas (War Is Over) 2: Johnny Mathis - When A Child Is Born 18: Jona Lewie - Stop The Cavalry 15: Jose Feliciano - Feliz Navidad 0: Justin Bieber - Mistletoe 19: Kelly Clarkson - Underneath The Tree 9: Kylie Minogue - Santa Baby 16: Leona Lewis - One More Sleep 21: Mariah Carey - All I Want For Christmas Is You 2: Michael Bublé - Holly Jolly Christmas 3: Michael Jackson & Jackson 5 - Santa Claus Is Coming To Town 6: Mud - Lonely This Christmas 5: Nat King Cole - The Christmas Song 10: Paul McCartney - Wonderful Christmastime 4: Perry Como - It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas 21: Shakin' Stevens - Merry Christmas Everyone 5: Sia - Snowman 20: Slade - Merry Xmas Everybody 5: Taylor Swift - Christmas Tree Farm 3: The Beach Boys - Little Saint Nick 17: The Darkness - Christmas Time (Don't Let The Bells End) 31: The Pogues feat. Kirsty MacColl - Fairytale Of New York 14: The Pretenders - 2000 Miles 14: The Ronettes - Sleigh Ride 25: The Waitresses - Christmas Wrapping 21: Wham! - Last Christmas 25: Wizzard - I Wish It Would Be Christmas Everyday At the time of me posting this, there's 75 voters in the poll (i.e. 7 more votes since the above list) Hope this can help to fill in some gaps in the poll!