Singles
-------
Rihanna extends her lead even further with the physical release of 
Umbrella.

New Entries/Climbers
--------------------
Top 10 : Mutya #2, Twang #8, Calvin Harris #9
Top 20 : Reverend & The Makers #12 , MIMS #18, Marilyn Manson #19
Top 30 : Armand Van Helden #22, Kim Sozzi #23, Zimmers #26, Enrique 
Iglesias #28
Top 40 : Tiny Dancers #33, Simply Red #36

New outside the top 40 : LCD Soundsystem #41, Scissor Sisters #43, Bob 
Sinclar #49, Omarion #58, Pendulum #64, Jeff Buckley #65, Josh Groban 
#74, Holloways #75

Albums
------
Maroon 5 hold onto the #1 spot, but with much diminished sales.

NE's (top 20) : Pigeon Detectives #3, R Kelly #10, Jeff Buckley #16

New outside the top 20 : Chris Cornell #25, Richard Thompson #39, 
Mumm-Ra #42, Infernal #44, Hans Zimmer #58 (LW #77), Ross Copperman #59, 
Joe Jackson #60

Next Week
---------
Singles
-------
Still nothing to challenge R&B babe Rihanna's dominance.

Top 10 : (prob top 5) Calvin Harris,
Top 20 : Unklejam,
Top 30 : Bob Sinclar, Corenell,
Top 40 : QOTSA

Albums
------
Rihanna looks a fair possibility to complete the double.

Top 20 NE : Biffy Clyro, Marilyn Manson, Mutya, Paul McCartney, Twang
-- 
Paul Hyett, Cheltenham (change 'invalid83261' to 'blueyonder' to email me)

"Paul Hyett"  wrote in message 
news:q+avNvE$4xYGFw0A@blueyonder.co.uk...
> Singles
> -------
> Rihanna extends her lead even further with the physical release of 
> Umbrella.

I facetiously asked last week whether the weather would affect sales of a 
song called 'Umbrella', but as it turned out the climate was so changeable 
as to preclude any sort of judgement.
Either way, the actual chart position was never really open to question.

> New Entries/Climbers
> --------------------
> Top 10 : Mutya #2,

Her first solo chart entry, although you might argue that Lenny Kravitz is 
as entitled to a credit as George Michael was.
In some ways, this reminds me of another solo debut, 'Not Such An Innocent 
Girl' by Victoria Beckham in that it seems very insistent on answering a 
question we never asked. Ironically enough the cover looks nothing like any 
other picture I've ever seen of her.

> Twang #8,

I have to admit that I find the slightly more vulnerable tone of this single 
preferable to the bullishness of 'Wide Awake' but the chorus itself is 
worryingly similar.
Many have drawn comparisons with The Streets, who has indeed done a remix of 
this.

> Calvin Harris #9

Out tomorrow on CD & 12"s. Already his highest-charting single.

> Top 20 : Reverend & The Makers #12 ,

According to the NME, without The Reverend (whose real name is John McClure) 
there would be no monkeys. I don't think most primatologists would agree.
The record itself has been compared to LCD Soundsystem with a Yorkshire 
accent, and there's something oddly self-serving about its rebellion that 
sticks in my craw.
Meanwhile, the 7" includes a collaboration with John Cooper Clarke.

 >MIMS #18,

It stands for "Music Is My Savior" apparently.
He claims he can sell a million copies saying nothing on a track. Which on 
this evidence is just as well.

> Marilyn Manson #19

Winning the prize for Mixed Metaphor Of The Week with 'Heart-Shaped 
Glasses'.
Try as he might, it seems a long time since anybody was actually threatened 
or challenged by him, and his new mopey direction seems to have disappointed 
his existing fans without interesting anyone else.
FWIW, though, his first original hit since September 2003. Maybe it was the 
free ringtone that did it.

> Top 30 : Armand Van Helden #22,

It's now just over a decade since he first came to most of our attentions 
with his chart-topping Tori Amos remix. Rewarded with a record deal of his 
own, he went through a knowingly uncommercial phase before rescuing his 
career with the shameless crowd-pleaser 'U Don't Know Me'.
Since then he's bounced erratically between major and minor hits. 'NYC Beat' 
is his first Top 40 single since the reworked 'MyMyMy' a year ago, and his 
first new one since the original of that in 2004.
Perhaps it would have done even better if he'd spelt out the whole title 
though.

>Kim Sozzi #23,

I can see why Cascada's name is almost as big on the cover as hers.

> Zimmers #26,

With an average age of 78, weren't these the generation who were trying to 
p-put the Who down just because they g-g-g-g-g-got around?
Originally conceived as a PR stunt for a well-known bingo chain, this has 
inexplicably been picked up by the BBC as part of some dreadful-sounding 
reality show about protests, which broadcast an episode about their "assault 
on the charts" on Bank Holiday Monday, oddly the same day when they released 
the CD single.
Interestingly enough, it's a one-track disc - I wonder when the last time a 
one-track CD charted?

>Enrique Iglesias #28

Out on CD on the 11th, apparently, although that's also the release date for 
the album.

> Top 40 : Tiny Dancers #33,

Despite the graffiti-like cover artwork, Tiny Dancers' second hit single 
continues in the AOR vein of their previous work.
There's a hint of James about this one as well, though not necessarily in a 
good way.
Greater radio attention doesn't seem to have helped their commercial 
prospects a lot.

>Simply Red #36

Ignoring covers and songs based on familiar samples, this briefly threatened 
to become their biggest hit since 1998. Which probably says more about 
Hucknall's promotional efforts than the record itself, which sounds like 
Blue.

> New outside the top 40 : LCD Soundsystem #41,

In a play on the song title 'All My Friends', the two 7" formats feature 
covers of the song by Franz Ferdinand and John Cale respectively. Cale may 
not take it as a compliment that his format comes with a free poster, 
whereas the Franz one was trusted to sell on its own merits.

>Scissor Sisters #43,

Funnily enough, JK & J played this at the end of the show a few weeks ago, 
prompting me to quip that it might be their only chance to play this song on 
the Chart Show. Many a true word, etc.
The midweeks here seem to have provoked a lot of surprise, presumably among 
people who don't remember than the more obviously Scissor-like 'She's My 
Man' only got to Number 29. This is one single further down the line, and it 
sounds like Polydor put out a Rachel Stevens B-side by mistake.

> Bob Sinclar #49,

Out on CD & 12"s tomorrow.

>Omarion #58,

Not officially sampling 'Don't Stop The Music', this fares a bit better than 
its Number 76 peak last year, but seemingly not well enough to be 
worthwhile.

>Pendulum #64,

12" only (AFAIK) single from the popular Australian Drum n' Bass act.

>Jeff Buckley #65,

His 1994 cover of 'Hallelujah' (the Leonard Cohen song, of course, not the 
Happy Mondays one), which was actually released on 7" last week but 
presumably sold more downloads this week because of the anniversary (see 
below).

> Josh Groban #74,

Another old cover version, this time 'You Raise Me Up', which predates 
Westlife's version at least.

>Holloways #75

Re-released on CD & 7"s on the 11th.

> Albums
> ------
> NE's (top 20) : Pigeon Detectives #3,

It seems to say something about current trends in the industry that a not 
very distinctive band can get a Top 3 album off the back of a couple of 
successful singles.

>R Kelly #10,

Double Up is, oddly, not actually a double album. Here's what his very 
modest press release has to say:
"Much like his musical forefathers Marvin Gaye, Curtis Mayfield and Donny 
Hathaway (the latter two also hailed from Chi-town), R Kelly makes songs for 
ladies lounging in suites as well as homeboys b-balling in the streets. 
Aptly titled 'Double Up', Kelly's new disc features a wide ranch of songs 
that pushes the sonic envelope while staying true to his game."
Includes collaborations with Nelly, Chamillionaire, Usher, Ludacris and Kid 
Rock as well as a track called - oh yes - 'Sex Planet'.

> Jeff Buckley #16

 Released in the US on the (presumed) tenth anniversary of his demise, a 
somewhat superfluous best-of collection from a man who only released one 
album in his lifetime. No fewer than seven of the fourteen tracks here are 
from the expanded version of Grace that his fans surely already have, with a 
further three from the posthumous Sketches For My Sweetheart The Drunk and 
two from his first live EP.
The one piece of bait for collectors is a previously-unreleased cover 
version of 'I Know It's Over' (and even that was out on 7" last week) which 
seems curiously disrespectful.

> New outside the top 20 : Chris Cornell #25,

I'd kind of assumed that the abject failure of the 'Arms Around Your Love' 
single would have out paid to this album's chances, but evidently enough 
people remember the Bond theme for him to get away with it.
It's Cornell's second solo effort after 1999's Number 31 Euphoria Morning, 
since when he charted three albums as a member of Audioslave before falling 
out with them so spectacularly that they reformed Rage Against The Machine. 
It seems to concentrate on his more mid-tempo power-ballad side, and for 
some reason he's also covered 'Billie Jean'.

> Richard Thompson #39,

Tenth solo chart album for the folk-rock legend, not counting a 
collaboration with unrelated bassist Danny Thompson.
This is his first new electric album since 2003 and has already spawned an 
unlikely Web 2.0 hit, with his song 'Dad's Gonna Kill Me' soundtracking many 
an anti-war video on YouTube.

> Mumm-Ra #42,

 A band who've been compared to The Automatic but haven't sued yet, named 
after a character from Thundercats.
There's something I don't like about them, but I can't quite put my finger 
on it.

>Infernal #44,

Doing alright for an album that's been out on import for a year in a genre 
that tends not to sell albums.

> Hans Zimmer #58 (LW #77),

The score to the new Pirates Of The Caribbean movie. I notice he was also in 
the singles midweeks, but perhaps people were downloading him instead of The 
Zimmers by mistake.

> Ross Copperman #59,

Welcome To Reality is the title of this album. Hahaha!
The record company have been trying to push him as an American Robbie 
Williams, and in a way failing to sell records in the UK does make him that, 
but probably not in the way they were hoping for.

> Joe Jackson #60

By my count his sixth UK compilation, which makes it hard to tell what this 
one adds to the world. There's nothing on it post-1989.
Joe isn't his real name, you know.

> Next Week
> ---------
> Singles
> -------
> Still nothing to challenge R&B babe Rihanna's dominance.

Not really. Of course we know know that it would be hard to compete with, 
but surely the other record companies didn't realise before?

> Top 10 : (prob top 5) Calvin Harris,

Of course.

> Top 20 : Unklejam,

People seem to like this one, for some reason.

> Top 30 : Bob Sinclar,

Always a little bit difficult to predict. Could go Top 20.

>Corenell,

Also a very difficult one to guess at, especially for people like me who 
can't even begin to see the point.

> Top 40 : QOTSA

Odd, in that they've had some decent-sized hits in the past but this seems 
to be sneaking out almost unnoticed.

I'd also expect Ghosts to repeat their success last time. Rumble Strips were 
Number 41 with their last single, so they don't need to do much more this 
time.

> Albums
> ------
> Rihanna looks a fair possibility to complete the double.

Hmm... Her first album didn't sell, so we can't take that as a given.

> Top 20 NE : Biffy Clyro,

Possibly the most awaited album of the week.

> Marilyn Manson,

Yeah, the fans'll buy it anyway, even if they never listen to it afterwards.

> Mutya,

Probably the most hyped release of the week.

> Paul McCartney,

Probably, although his recent albums haven't been very consistent sellers.

>Twang

Another one that's been pretty heavily promoted. Can I be the first one to 
call them the new Kasabian?

I also wouldn't rule out Dizzee Rascal, and Bruce Springsteen can sell live 
albums.

    Chris
-- 
"It's always hard meeting your heroes. Especially when they punch you in the 
face."

http://thehitparade.blogspot.com

More of my blathering is available at
http://faynights.users.btopenworld.com

"Paul Hyett"  wrote in message 
news:q+avNvE$4xYGFw0A@blueyonder.co.uk...
> Singles
> -------
> Rihanna extends her lead even further with the physical release of 
> Umbrella.

I facetiously asked last week whether the weather would affect sales of a 
song called 'Umbrella', but as it turned out the climate was so changeable 
as to preclude any sort of judgement.
Either way, the actual chart position was never really open to question.

> New Entries/Climbers
> --------------------
> Top 10 : Mutya #2,

Her first solo chart entry, although you might argue that Lenny Kravitz is 
as entitled to a credit as George Michael was.
In some ways, this reminds me of another solo debut, 'Not Such An Innocent 
Girl' by Victoria Beckham in that it seems very insistent on answering a 
question we never asked. Ironically enough the cover looks nothing like any 
other picture I've ever seen of her.

> Twang #8,

I have to admit that I find the slightly more vulnerable tone of this single 
preferable to the bullishness of 'Wide Awake' but the chorus itself is 
worryingly similar.
Many have drawn comparisons with The Streets, who has indeed done a remix of 
this.

> Calvin Harris #9

Out tomorrow on CD & 12"s. Already his highest-charting single.

> Top 20 : Reverend & The Makers #12 ,

According to the NME, without The Reverend (whose real name is John McClure) 
there would be no monkeys. I don't think most primatologists would agree.
The record itself has been compared to LCD Soundsystem with a Yorkshire 
accent, and there's something oddly self-serving about its rebellion that 
sticks in my craw.
Meanwhile, the 7" includes a collaboration with John Cooper Clarke.

 >MIMS #18,

It stands for "Music Is My Savior" apparently.
He claims he can sell a million copies saying nothing on a track. Which on 
this evidence is just as well.

> Marilyn Manson #19

Winning the prize for Mixed Metaphor Of The Week with 'Heart-Shaped 
Glasses'.
Try as he might, it seems a long time since anybody was actually threatened 
or challenged by him, and his new mopey direction seems to have disappointed 
his existing fans without interesting anyone else.
FWIW, though, his first original hit since September 2003. Maybe it was the 
free ringtone that did it.

> Top 30 : Armand Van Helden #22,

It's now just over a decade since he first came to most of our attentions 
with his chart-topping Tori Amos remix. Rewarded with a record deal of his 
own, he went through a knowingly uncommercial phase before rescuing his 
career with the shameless crowd-pleaser 'U Don't Know Me'.
Since then he's bounced erratically between major and minor hits. 'NYC Beat' 
is his first Top 40 single since the reworked 'MyMyMy' a year ago, and his 
first new one since the original of that in 2004.
Perhaps it would have done even better if he'd spelt out the whole title 
though.

>Kim Sozzi #23,

I can see why Cascada's name is almost as big on the cover as hers.

> Zimmers #26,

With an average age of 78, weren't these the generation who were trying to 
p-put the Who down just because they g-g-g-g-g-got around?
Originally conceived as a PR stunt for a well-known bingo chain, this has 
inexplicably been picked up by the BBC as part of some dreadful-sounding 
reality show about protests, which broadcast an episode about their "assault 
on the charts" on Bank Holiday Monday, oddly the same day when they released 
the CD single.
Interestingly enough, it's a one-track disc - I wonder when the last time a 
one-track CD charted?

>Enrique Iglesias #28

Out on CD on the 11th, apparently, although that's also the release date for 
the album.

> Top 40 : Tiny Dancers #33,

Despite the graffiti-like cover artwork, Tiny Dancers' second hit single 
continues in the AOR vein of their previous work.
There's a hint of James about this one as well, though not necessarily in a 
good way.
Greater radio attention doesn't seem to have helped their commercial 
prospects a lot.

>Simply Red #36

Ignoring covers and songs based on familiar samples, this briefly threatened 
to become their biggest hit since 1998. Which probably says more about 
Hucknall's promotional efforts than the record itself, which sounds like 
Blue.

> New outside the top 40 : LCD Soundsystem #41,

In a play on the song title 'All My Friends', the two 7" formats feature 
covers of the song by Franz Ferdinand and John Cale respectively. Cale may 
not take it as a compliment that his format comes with a free poster, 
whereas the Franz one was trusted to sell on its own merits.

>Scissor Sisters #43,

Funnily enough, JK & J played this at the end of the show a few weeks ago, 
prompting me to quip that it might be their only chance to play this song on 
the Chart Show. Many a true word, etc.
The midweeks here seem to have provoked a lot of surprise, presumably among 
people who don't remember than the more obviously Scissor-like 'She's My 
Man' only got to Number 29. This is one single further down the line, and it 
sounds like Polydor put out a Rachel Stevens B-side by mistake.

> Bob Sinclar #49,

Out on CD & 12"s tomorrow.

>Omarion #58,

Not officially sampling 'Don't Stop The Music', this fares a bit better than 
its Number 76 peak last year, but seemingly not well enough to be 
worthwhile.

>Pendulum #64,

12" only (AFAIK) single from the popular Australian Drum n' Bass act.

>Jeff Buckley #65,

His 1994 cover of 'Hallelujah' (the Leonard Cohen song, of course, not the 
Happy Mondays one), which was actually released on 7" last week but 
presumably sold more downloads this week because of the anniversary (see 
below).

> Josh Groban #74,

Another old cover version, this time 'You Raise Me Up', which predates 
Westlife's version at least.

>Holloways #75

Re-released on CD & 7"s on the 11th.

> Albums
> ------
> NE's (top 20) : Pigeon Detectives #3,

It seems to say something about current trends in the industry that a not 
very distinctive band can get a Top 3 album off the back of a couple of 
successful singles.

>R Kelly #10,

Double Up is, oddly, not actually a double album. Here's what his very 
modest press release has to say:
"Much like his musical forefathers Marvin Gaye, Curtis Mayfield and Donny 
Hathaway (the latter two also hailed from Chi-town), R Kelly makes songs for 
ladies lounging in suites as well as homeboys b-balling in the streets. 
Aptly titled 'Double Up', Kelly's new disc features a wide ranch of songs 
that pushes the sonic envelope while staying true to his game."
Includes collaborations with Nelly, Chamillionaire, Usher, Ludacris and Kid 
Rock as well as a track called - oh yes - 'Sex Planet'.

> Jeff Buckley #16

 Released in the US on the (presumed) tenth anniversary of his demise, a 
somewhat superfluous best-of collection from a man who only released one 
album in his lifetime. No fewer than seven of the fourteen tracks here are 
from the expanded version of Grace that his fans surely already have, with a 
further three from the posthumous Sketches For My Sweetheart The Drunk and 
two from his first live EP.
The one piece of bait for collectors is a previously-unreleased cover 
version of 'I Know It's Over' (and even that was out on 7" last week) which 
seems curiously disrespectful.

> New outside the top 20 : Chris Cornell #25,

I'd kind of assumed that the abject failure of the 'Arms Around Your Love' 
single would have out paid to this album's chances, but evidently enough 
people remember the Bond theme for him to get away with it.
It's Cornell's second solo effort after 1999's Number 31 Euphoria Morning, 
since when he charted three albums as a member of Audioslave before falling 
out with them so spectacularly that they reformed Rage Against The Machine. 
It seems to concentrate on his more mid-tempo power-ballad side, and for 
some reason he's also covered 'Billie Jean'.

> Richard Thompson #39,

Tenth solo chart album for the folk-rock legend, not counting a 
collaboration with unrelated bassist Danny Thompson.
This is his first new electric album since 2003 and has already spawned an 
unlikely Web 2.0 hit, with his song 'Dad's Gonna Kill Me' soundtracking many 
an anti-war video on YouTube.

> Mumm-Ra #42,

 A band who've been compared to The Automatic but haven't sued yet, named 
after a character from Thundercats.
There's something I don't like about them, but I can't quite put my finger 
on it.

>Infernal #44,

Doing alright for an album that's been out on import for a year in a genre 
that tends not to sell albums.

> Hans Zimmer #58 (LW #77),

The score to the new Pirates Of The Caribbean movie. I notice he was also in 
the singles midweeks, but perhaps people were downloading him instead of The 
Zimmers by mistake.

> Ross Copperman #59,

Welcome To Reality is the title of this album. Hahaha!
The record company have been trying to push him as an American Robbie 
Williams, and in a way failing to sell records in the UK does make him that, 
but probably not in the way they were hoping for.

> Joe Jackson #60

By my count his sixth UK compilation, which makes it hard to tell what this 
one adds to the world. There's nothing on it post-1989.
Joe isn't his real name, you know.

> Next Week
> ---------
> Singles
> -------
> Still nothing to challenge R&B babe Rihanna's dominance.

Not really. Of course we know know that it would be hard to compete with, 
but surely the other record companies didn't realise before?

> Top 10 : (prob top 5) Calvin Harris,

Of course.

> Top 20 : Unklejam,

People seem to like this one, for some reason.

> Top 30 : Bob Sinclar,

Always a little bit difficult to predict. Could go Top 20.

>Corenell,

Also a very difficult one to guess at, especially for people like me who 
can't even begin to see the point.

> Top 40 : QOTSA

Odd, in that they've had some decent-sized hits in the past but this seems 
to be sneaking out almost unnoticed.

I'd also expect Ghosts to repeat their success last time. Rumble Strips were 
Number 41 with their last single, so they don't need to do much more this 
time.

> Albums
> ------
> Rihanna looks a fair possibility to complete the double.

Hmm... Her first album didn't sell, so we can't take that as a given.

> Top 20 NE : Biffy Clyro,

Possibly the most awaited album of the week.

> Marilyn Manson,

Yeah, the fans'll buy it anyway, even if they never listen to it afterwards.

> Mutya,

Probably the most hyped release of the week.

> Paul McCartney,

Probably, although his recent albums haven't been very consistent sellers.

>Twang

Another one that's been pretty heavily promoted. Can I be the first one to 
call them the new Kasabian?

I also wouldn't rule out Dizzee Rascal, and Bruce Springsteen can sell live 
albums.

    Chris
-- 
"It's always hard meeting your heroes. Especially when they punch you in the 
face."

http://thehitparade.blogspot.com

More of my blathering is available at
http://faynights.users.btopenworld.com

In uk.music.charts on Sun, 3 Jun 2007, Chris Brown 
 wrote :

>> Singles
>> -------
>> New Entries/Climbers
>> --------------------
>> Top 10 : Mutya #2,
>
>Her first solo chart entry

>In some ways, this reminds me of another solo debut, 'Not Such An Innocent
>Girl' by Victoria Beckham in that it seems very insistent on answering a
>question we never asked. Ironically enough the cover looks nothing like any
>other picture I've ever seen of her.

Maybe that's the point?
>
>> Calvin Harris #9
>
>Out tomorrow on CD & 12"s. Already his highest-charting single.

IMO the best he can expect is #2.

Personally I can't see how this even reached the top 20.
>
> >MIMS #18,
>
>It stands for "Music Is My Savior" apparently.

What does music have to do with rap? :)
>
>>Kim Sozzi #23,
>
>I can see why Cascada's name is almost as big on the cover as hers.

Why do you say that?
>
>> Zimmers #26,
>
>With an average age of 78, weren't these the generation who were trying to
>p-put the Who down just because they g-g-g-g-g-got around?

Just what I thought. :)
>
>>LCD Soundsystem #41,
>
>In a play on the song title 'All My Friends', the two 7" formats feature
>covers of the song by Franz Ferdinand and John Cale respectively.

They bothered releasing two 7" formats for a single that was never going 
to storm the charts?
>
>> Bob Sinclar #49,
>
>Out on CD & 12"s tomorrow.

His appeal escapes me, as always.
>
>> Albums
>> ------
>> NE's (top 20) : Pigeon Detectives #3,
>
>It seems to say something about current trends in the industry that a not
>very distinctive band can get a Top 3 album off the back of a couple of
>successful singles.

I think it says more about the time of year & lack of competition.
>
>>Infernal #44,
>
>Doing alright for an album that's been out on import for a year in a genre
>that tends not to sell albums.

Unless their lead singer is named Natalie Horler?
>
>> Next Week
>> ---------
>> Singles
>> -------
>> Still nothing to challenge R&B babe Rihanna's dominance.
>
>Not really. Of course we know know that it would be hard to compete with,
>but surely the other record companies didn't realise before?

Maybe they didn't - Umbrella seemed to catch a lot of people by 
surprise. I would have bought it myself if it didn't feature Jay-Z.
>
>> Top 30 :
>
>>Corenell,
>
>Also a very difficult one to guess at, especially for people like me who
>can't even begin to see the point.

You mean the hot footy-playing blondes & brunettes in the video, aren't 
the point? :)
>
>> Top 40 : QOTSA
>
>Odd, in that they've had some decent-sized hits in the past but this seems
>to be sneaking out almost unnoticed.

I think it's download-only.
>
>> Albums
>> ------
>> Rihanna looks a fair possibility to complete the double.
>
>Hmm... Her first album didn't sell, so we can't take that as a given.

But maroon 5 sold less than 40k at #1 this week, so...
>
>I also wouldn't rule out Dizzee Rascal

I would - 2nd rate rap artists struggle to sell albums here.
-- 
Paul Hyett, Cheltenham (change 'invalid83261' to 'blueyonder' to email me)

"Paul Hyett"  wrote in message 
news:q+avNvE$4xYGFw0A@blueyonder.co.uk...
> Singles
> -------
> Rihanna extends her lead even further with the physical release of 
> Umbrella.

I facetiously asked last week whether the weather would affect sales of a 
song called 'Umbrella', but as it turned out the climate was so changeable 
as to preclude any sort of judgement.
Either way, the actual chart position was never really open to question.

> New Entries/Climbers
> --------------------
> Top 10 : Mutya #2,

Her first solo chart entry, although you might argue that Lenny Kravitz is 
as entitled to a credit as George Michael was.
In some ways, this reminds me of another solo debut, 'Not Such An Innocent 
Girl' by Victoria Beckham in that it seems very insistent on answering a 
question we never asked. Ironically enough the cover looks nothing like any 
other picture I've ever seen of her.

> Twang #8,

I have to admit that I find the slightly more vulnerable tone of this single 
preferable to the bullishness of 'Wide Awake' but the chorus itself is 
worryingly similar.
Many have drawn comparisons with The Streets, who has indeed done a remix of 
this.

> Calvin Harris #9

Out tomorrow on CD & 12"s. Already his highest-charting single.

> Top 20 : Reverend & The Makers #12 ,

According to the NME, without The Reverend (whose real name is John McClure) 
there would be no monkeys. I don't think most primatologists would agree.
The record itself has been compared to LCD Soundsystem with a Yorkshire 
accent, and there's something oddly self-serving about its rebellion that 
sticks in my craw.
Meanwhile, the 7" includes a collaboration with John Cooper Clarke.

 >MIMS #18,

It stands for "Music Is My Savior" apparently.
He claims he can sell a million copies saying nothing on a track. Which on 
this evidence is just as well.

> Marilyn Manson #19

Winning the prize for Mixed Metaphor Of The Week with 'Heart-Shaped 
Glasses'.
Try as he might, it seems a long time since anybody was actually threatened 
or challenged by him, and his new mopey direction seems to have disappointed 
his existing fans without interesting anyone else.
FWIW, though, his first original hit since September 2003. Maybe it was the 
free ringtone that did it.

> Top 30 : Armand Van Helden #22,

It's now just over a decade since he first came to most of our attentions 
with his chart-topping Tori Amos remix. Rewarded with a record deal of his 
own, he went through a knowingly uncommercial phase before rescuing his 
career with the shameless crowd-pleaser 'U Don't Know Me'.
Since then he's bounced erratically between major and minor hits. 'NYC Beat' 
is his first Top 40 single since the reworked 'MyMyMy' a year ago, and his 
first new one since the original of that in 2004.
Perhaps it would have done even better if he'd spelt out the whole title 
though.

>Kim Sozzi #23,

I can see why Cascada's name is almost as big on the cover as hers.

> Zimmers #26,

With an average age of 78, weren't these the generation who were trying to 
p-put the Who down just because they g-g-g-g-g-got around?
Originally conceived as a PR stunt for a well-known bingo chain, this has 
inexplicably been picked up by the BBC as part of some dreadful-sounding 
reality show about protests, which broadcast an episode about their "assault 
on the charts" on Bank Holiday Monday, oddly the same day when they released 
the CD single.
Interestingly enough, it's a one-track disc - I wonder when the last time a 
one-track CD charted?

>Enrique Iglesias #28

Out on CD on the 11th, apparently, although that's also the release date for 
the album.

> Top 40 : Tiny Dancers #33,

Despite the graffiti-like cover artwork, Tiny Dancers' second hit single 
continues in the AOR vein of their previous work.
There's a hint of James about this one as well, though not necessarily in a 
good way.
Greater radio attention doesn't seem to have helped their commercial 
prospects a lot.

>Simply Red #36

Ignoring covers and songs based on familiar samples, this briefly threatened 
to become their biggest hit since 1998. Which probably says more about 
Hucknall's promotional efforts than the record itself, which sounds like 
Blue.

> New outside the top 40 : LCD Soundsystem #41,

In a play on the song title 'All My Friends', the two 7" formats feature 
covers of the song by Franz Ferdinand and John Cale respectively. Cale may 
not take it as a compliment that his format comes with a free poster, 
whereas the Franz one was trusted to sell on its own merits.

>Scissor Sisters #43,

Funnily enough, JK & J played this at the end of the show a few weeks ago, 
prompting me to quip that it might be their only chance to play this song on 
the Chart Show. Many a true word, etc.
The midweeks here seem to have provoked a lot of surprise, presumably among 
people who don't remember than the more obviously Scissor-like 'She's My 
Man' only got to Number 29. This is one single further down the line, and it 
sounds like Polydor put out a Rachel Stevens B-side by mistake.

> Bob Sinclar #49,

Out on CD & 12"s tomorrow.

>Omarion #58,

Not officially sampling 'Don't Stop The Music', this fares a bit better than 
its Number 76 peak last year, but seemingly not well enough to be 
worthwhile.

>Pendulum #64,

12" only (AFAIK) single from the popular Australian Drum n' Bass act.

>Jeff Buckley #65,

His 1994 cover of 'Hallelujah' (the Leonard Cohen song, of course, not the 
Happy Mondays one), which was actually released on 7" last week but 
presumably sold more downloads this week because of the anniversary (see 
below).

> Josh Groban #74,

Another old cover version, this time 'You Raise Me Up', which predates 
Westlife's version at least.

>Holloways #75

Re-released on CD & 7"s on the 11th.

> Albums
> ------
> NE's (top 20) : Pigeon Detectives #3,

It seems to say something about current trends in the industry that a not 
very distinctive band can get a Top 3 album off the back of a couple of 
successful singles.

>R Kelly #10,

Double Up is, oddly, not actually a double album. Here's what his very 
modest press release has to say:
"Much like his musical forefathers Marvin Gaye, Curtis Mayfield and Donny 
Hathaway (the latter two also hailed from Chi-town), R Kelly makes songs for 
ladies lounging in suites as well as homeboys b-balling in the streets. 
Aptly titled 'Double Up', Kelly's new disc features a wide ranch of songs 
that pushes the sonic envelope while staying true to his game."
Includes collaborations with Nelly, Chamillionaire, Usher, Ludacris and Kid 
Rock as well as a track called - oh yes - 'Sex Planet'.

> Jeff Buckley #16

 Released in the US on the (presumed) tenth anniversary of his demise, a 
somewhat superfluous best-of collection from a man who only released one 
album in his lifetime. No fewer than seven of the fourteen tracks here are 
from the expanded version of Grace that his fans surely already have, with a 
further three from the posthumous Sketches For My Sweetheart The Drunk and 
two from his first live EP.
The one piece of bait for collectors is a previously-unreleased cover 
version of 'I Know It's Over' (and even that was out on 7" last week) which 
seems curiously disrespectful.

> New outside the top 20 : Chris Cornell #25,

I'd kind of assumed that the abject failure of the 'Arms Around Your Love' 
single would have out paid to this album's chances, but evidently enough 
people remember the Bond theme for him to get away with it.
It's Cornell's second solo effort after 1999's Number 31 Euphoria Morning, 
since when he charted three albums as a member of Audioslave before falling 
out with them so spectacularly that they reformed Rage Against The Machine. 
It seems to concentrate on his more mid-tempo power-ballad side, and for 
some reason he's also covered 'Billie Jean'.

> Richard Thompson #39,

Tenth solo chart album for the folk-rock legend, not counting a 
collaboration with unrelated bassist Danny Thompson.
This is his first new electric album since 2003 and has already spawned an 
unlikely Web 2.0 hit, with his song 'Dad's Gonna Kill Me' soundtracking many 
an anti-war video on YouTube.

> Mumm-Ra #42,

 A band who've been compared to The Automatic but haven't sued yet, named 
after a character from Thundercats.
There's something I don't like about them, but I can't quite put my finger 
on it.

>Infernal #44,

Doing alright for an album that's been out on import for a year in a genre 
that tends not to sell albums.

> Hans Zimmer #58 (LW #77),

The score to the new Pirates Of The Caribbean movie. I notice he was also in 
the singles midweeks, but perhaps people were downloading him instead of The 
Zimmers by mistake.

> Ross Copperman #59,

Welcome To Reality is the title of this album. Hahaha!
The record company have been trying to push him as an American Robbie 
Williams, and in a way failing to sell records in the UK does make him that, 
but probably not in the way they were hoping for.

> Joe Jackson #60

By my count his sixth UK compilation, which makes it hard to tell what this 
one adds to the world. There's nothing on it post-1989.
Joe isn't his real name, you know.

> Next Week
> ---------
> Singles
> -------
> Still nothing to challenge R&B babe Rihanna's dominance.

Not really. Of course we know know that it would be hard to compete with, 
but surely the other record companies didn't realise before?

> Top 10 : (prob top 5) Calvin Harris,

Of course.

> Top 20 : Unklejam,

People seem to like this one, for some reason.

> Top 30 : Bob Sinclar,

Always a little bit difficult to predict. Could go Top 20.

>Corenell,

Also a very difficult one to guess at, especially for people like me who 
can't even begin to see the point.

> Top 40 : QOTSA

Odd, in that they've had some decent-sized hits in the past but this seems 
to be sneaking out almost unnoticed.

I'd also expect Ghosts to repeat their success last time. Rumble Strips were 
Number 41 with their last single, so they don't need to do much more this 
time.

> Albums
> ------
> Rihanna looks a fair possibility to complete the double.

Hmm... Her first album didn't sell, so we can't take that as a given.

> Top 20 NE : Biffy Clyro,

Possibly the most awaited album of the week.

> Marilyn Manson,

Yeah, the fans'll buy it anyway, even if they never listen to it afterwards.

> Mutya,

Probably the most hyped release of the week.

> Paul McCartney,

Probably, although his recent albums haven't been very consistent sellers.

>Twang

Another one that's been pretty heavily promoted. Can I be the first one to 
call them the new Kasabian?

I also wouldn't rule out Dizzee Rascal, and Bruce Springsteen can sell live 
albums.

    Chris
-- 
"It's always hard meeting your heroes. Especially when they punch you in the 
face."

http://thehitparade.blogspot.com

More of my blathering is available at
http://faynights.users.btopenworld.com

In uk.music.charts on Sun, 3 Jun 2007, Chris Brown 
 wrote :

>> Singles
>> -------
>> New Entries/Climbers
>> --------------------
>> Top 10 : Mutya #2,
>
>Her first solo chart entry

>In some ways, this reminds me of another solo debut, 'Not Such An Innocent
>Girl' by Victoria Beckham in that it seems very insistent on answering a
>question we never asked. Ironically enough the cover looks nothing like any
>other picture I've ever seen of her.

Maybe that's the point?
>
>> Calvin Harris #9
>
>Out tomorrow on CD & 12"s. Already his highest-charting single.

IMO the best he can expect is #2.

Personally I can't see how this even reached the top 20.
>
> >MIMS #18,
>
>It stands for "Music Is My Savior" apparently.

What does music have to do with rap? :)
>
>>Kim Sozzi #23,
>
>I can see why Cascada's name is almost as big on the cover as hers.

Why do you say that?
>
>> Zimmers #26,
>
>With an average age of 78, weren't these the generation who were trying to
>p-put the Who down just because they g-g-g-g-g-got around?

Just what I thought. :)
>
>>LCD Soundsystem #41,
>
>In a play on the song title 'All My Friends', the two 7" formats feature
>covers of the song by Franz Ferdinand and John Cale respectively.

They bothered releasing two 7" formats for a single that was never going 
to storm the charts?
>
>> Bob Sinclar #49,
>
>Out on CD & 12"s tomorrow.

His appeal escapes me, as always.
>
>> Albums
>> ------
>> NE's (top 20) : Pigeon Detectives #3,
>
>It seems to say something about current trends in the industry that a not
>very distinctive band can get a Top 3 album off the back of a couple of
>successful singles.

I think it says more about the time of year & lack of competition.
>
>>Infernal #44,
>
>Doing alright for an album that's been out on import for a year in a genre
>that tends not to sell albums.

Unless their lead singer is named Natalie Horler?
>
>> Next Week
>> ---------
>> Singles
>> -------
>> Still nothing to challenge R&B babe Rihanna's dominance.
>
>Not really. Of course we know know that it would be hard to compete with,
>but surely the other record companies didn't realise before?

Maybe they didn't - Umbrella seemed to catch a lot of people by 
surprise. I would have bought it myself if it didn't feature Jay-Z.
>
>> Top 30 :
>
>>Corenell,
>
>Also a very difficult one to guess at, especially for people like me who
>can't even begin to see the point.

You mean the hot footy-playing blondes & brunettes in the video, aren't 
the point? :)
>
>> Top 40 : QOTSA
>
>Odd, in that they've had some decent-sized hits in the past but this seems
>to be sneaking out almost unnoticed.

I think it's download-only.
>
>> Albums
>> ------
>> Rihanna looks a fair possibility to complete the double.
>
>Hmm... Her first album didn't sell, so we can't take that as a given.

But maroon 5 sold less than 40k at #1 this week, so...
>
>I also wouldn't rule out Dizzee Rascal

I would - 2nd rate rap artists struggle to sell albums here.
-- 
Paul Hyett, Cheltenham (change 'invalid83261' to 'blueyonder' to email me)

"Paul Hyett"  wrote in message 
news:q+avNvE$4xYGFw0A@blueyonder.co.uk...
> Singles
> -------
> Rihanna extends her lead even further with the physical release of 
> Umbrella.

I facetiously asked last week whether the weather would affect sales of a 
song called 'Umbrella', but as it turned out the climate was so changeable 
as to preclude any sort of judgement.
Either way, the actual chart position was never really open to question.

> New Entries/Climbers
> --------------------
> Top 10 : Mutya #2,

Her first solo chart entry, although you might argue that Lenny Kravitz is 
as entitled to a credit as George Michael was.
In some ways, this reminds me of another solo debut, 'Not Such An Innocent 
Girl' by Victoria Beckham in that it seems very insistent on answering a 
question we never asked. Ironically enough the cover looks nothing like any 
other picture I've ever seen of her.

> Twang #8,

I have to admit that I find the slightly more vulnerable tone of this single 
preferable to the bullishness of 'Wide Awake' but the chorus itself is 
worryingly similar.
Many have drawn comparisons with The Streets, who has indeed done a remix of 
this.

> Calvin Harris #9

Out tomorrow on CD & 12"s. Already his highest-charting single.

> Top 20 : Reverend & The Makers #12 ,

According to the NME, without The Reverend (whose real name is John McClure) 
there would be no monkeys. I don't think most primatologists would agree.
The record itself has been compared to LCD Soundsystem with a Yorkshire 
accent, and there's something oddly self-serving about its rebellion that 
sticks in my craw.
Meanwhile, the 7" includes a collaboration with John Cooper Clarke.

 >MIMS #18,

It stands for "Music Is My Savior" apparently.
He claims he can sell a million copies saying nothing on a track. Which on 
this evidence is just as well.

> Marilyn Manson #19

Winning the prize for Mixed Metaphor Of The Week with 'Heart-Shaped 
Glasses'.
Try as he might, it seems a long time since anybody was actually threatened 
or challenged by him, and his new mopey direction seems to have disappointed 
his existing fans without interesting anyone else.
FWIW, though, his first original hit since September 2003. Maybe it was the 
free ringtone that did it.

> Top 30 : Armand Van Helden #22,

It's now just over a decade since he first came to most of our attentions 
with his chart-topping Tori Amos remix. Rewarded with a record deal of his 
own, he went through a knowingly uncommercial phase before rescuing his 
career with the shameless crowd-pleaser 'U Don't Know Me'.
Since then he's bounced erratically between major and minor hits. 'NYC Beat' 
is his first Top 40 single since the reworked 'MyMyMy' a year ago, and his 
first new one since the original of that in 2004.
Perhaps it would have done even better if he'd spelt out the whole title 
though.

>Kim Sozzi #23,

I can see why Cascada's name is almost as big on the cover as hers.

> Zimmers #26,

With an average age of 78, weren't these the generation who were trying to 
p-put the Who down just because they g-g-g-g-g-got around?
Originally conceived as a PR stunt for a well-known bingo chain, this has 
inexplicably been picked up by the BBC as part of some dreadful-sounding 
reality show about protests, which broadcast an episode about their "assault 
on the charts" on Bank Holiday Monday, oddly the same day when they released 
the CD single.
Interestingly enough, it's a one-track disc - I wonder when the last time a 
one-track CD charted?

>Enrique Iglesias #28

Out on CD on the 11th, apparently, although that's also the release date for 
the album.

> Top 40 : Tiny Dancers #33,

Despite the graffiti-like cover artwork, Tiny Dancers' second hit single 
continues in the AOR vein of their previous work.
There's a hint of James about this one as well, though not necessarily in a 
good way.
Greater radio attention doesn't seem to have helped their commercial 
prospects a lot.

>Simply Red #36

Ignoring covers and songs based on familiar samples, this briefly threatened 
to become their biggest hit since 1998. Which probably says more about 
Hucknall's promotional efforts than the record itself, which sounds like 
Blue.

> New outside the top 40 : LCD Soundsystem #41,

In a play on the song title 'All My Friends', the two 7" formats feature 
covers of the song by Franz Ferdinand and John Cale respectively. Cale may 
not take it as a compliment that his format comes with a free poster, 
whereas the Franz one was trusted to sell on its own merits.

>Scissor Sisters #43,

Funnily enough, JK & J played this at the end of the show a few weeks ago, 
prompting me to quip that it might be their only chance to play this song on 
the Chart Show. Many a true word, etc.
The midweeks here seem to have provoked a lot of surprise, presumably among 
people who don't remember than the more obviously Scissor-like 'She's My 
Man' only got to Number 29. This is one single further down the line, and it 
sounds like Polydor put out a Rachel Stevens B-side by mistake.

> Bob Sinclar #49,

Out on CD & 12"s tomorrow.

>Omarion #58,

Not officially sampling 'Don't Stop The Music', this fares a bit better than 
its Number 76 peak last year, but seemingly not well enough to be 
worthwhile.

>Pendulum #64,

12" only (AFAIK) single from the popular Australian Drum n' Bass act.

>Jeff Buckley #65,

His 1994 cover of 'Hallelujah' (the Leonard Cohen song, of course, not the 
Happy Mondays one), which was actually released on 7" last week but 
presumably sold more downloads this week because of the anniversary (see 
below).

> Josh Groban #74,

Another old cover version, this time 'You Raise Me Up', which predates 
Westlife's version at least.

>Holloways #75

Re-released on CD & 7"s on the 11th.

> Albums
> ------
> NE's (top 20) : Pigeon Detectives #3,

It seems to say something about current trends in the industry that a not 
very distinctive band can get a Top 3 album off the back of a couple of 
successful singles.

>R Kelly #10,

Double Up is, oddly, not actually a double album. Here's what his very 
modest press release has to say:
"Much like his musical forefathers Marvin Gaye, Curtis Mayfield and Donny 
Hathaway (the latter two also hailed from Chi-town), R Kelly makes songs for 
ladies lounging in suites as well as homeboys b-balling in the streets. 
Aptly titled 'Double Up', Kelly's new disc features a wide ranch of songs 
that pushes the sonic envelope while staying true to his game."
Includes collaborations with Nelly, Chamillionaire, Usher, Ludacris and Kid 
Rock as well as a track called - oh yes - 'Sex Planet'.

> Jeff Buckley #16

 Released in the US on the (presumed) tenth anniversary of his demise, a 
somewhat superfluous best-of collection from a man who only released one 
album in his lifetime. No fewer than seven of the fourteen tracks here are 
from the expanded version of Grace that his fans surely already have, with a 
further three from the posthumous Sketches For My Sweetheart The Drunk and 
two from his first live EP.
The one piece of bait for collectors is a previously-unreleased cover 
version of 'I Know It's Over' (and even that was out on 7" last week) which 
seems curiously disrespectful.

> New outside the top 20 : Chris Cornell #25,

I'd kind of assumed that the abject failure of the 'Arms Around Your Love' 
single would have out paid to this album's chances, but evidently enough 
people remember the Bond theme for him to get away with it.
It's Cornell's second solo effort after 1999's Number 31 Euphoria Morning, 
since when he charted three albums as a member of Audioslave before falling 
out with them so spectacularly that they reformed Rage Against The Machine. 
It seems to concentrate on his more mid-tempo power-ballad side, and for 
some reason he's also covered 'Billie Jean'.

> Richard Thompson #39,

Tenth solo chart album for the folk-rock legend, not counting a 
collaboration with unrelated bassist Danny Thompson.
This is his first new electric album since 2003 and has already spawned an 
unlikely Web 2.0 hit, with his song 'Dad's Gonna Kill Me' soundtracking many 
an anti-war video on YouTube.

> Mumm-Ra #42,

 A band who've been compared to The Automatic but haven't sued yet, named 
after a character from Thundercats.
There's something I don't like about them, but I can't quite put my finger 
on it.

>Infernal #44,

Doing alright for an album that's been out on import for a year in a genre 
that tends not to sell albums.

> Hans Zimmer #58 (LW #77),

The score to the new Pirates Of The Caribbean movie. I notice he was also in 
the singles midweeks, but perhaps people were downloading him instead of The 
Zimmers by mistake.

> Ross Copperman #59,

Welcome To Reality is the title of this album. Hahaha!
The record company have been trying to push him as an American Robbie 
Williams, and in a way failing to sell records in the UK does make him that, 
but probably not in the way they were hoping for.

> Joe Jackson #60

By my count his sixth UK compilation, which makes it hard to tell what this 
one adds to the world. There's nothing on it post-1989.
Joe isn't his real name, you know.

> Next Week
> ---------
> Singles
> -------
> Still nothing to challenge R&B babe Rihanna's dominance.

Not really. Of course we know know that it would be hard to compete with, 
but surely the other record companies didn't realise before?

> Top 10 : (prob top 5) Calvin Harris,

Of course.

> Top 20 : Unklejam,

People seem to like this one, for some reason.

> Top 30 : Bob Sinclar,

Always a little bit difficult to predict. Could go Top 20.

>Corenell,

Also a very difficult one to guess at, especially for people like me who 
can't even begin to see the point.

> Top 40 : QOTSA

Odd, in that they've had some decent-sized hits in the past but this seems 
to be sneaking out almost unnoticed.

I'd also expect Ghosts to repeat their success last time. Rumble Strips were 
Number 41 with their last single, so they don't need to do much more this 
time.

> Albums
> ------
> Rihanna looks a fair possibility to complete the double.

Hmm... Her first album didn't sell, so we can't take that as a given.

> Top 20 NE : Biffy Clyro,

Possibly the most awaited album of the week.

> Marilyn Manson,

Yeah, the fans'll buy it anyway, even if they never listen to it afterwards.

> Mutya,

Probably the most hyped release of the week.

> Paul McCartney,

Probably, although his recent albums haven't been very consistent sellers.

>Twang

Another one that's been pretty heavily promoted. Can I be the first one to 
call them the new Kasabian?

I also wouldn't rule out Dizzee Rascal, and Bruce Springsteen can sell live 
albums.

    Chris
-- 
"It's always hard meeting your heroes. Especially when they punch you in the 
face."

http://thehitparade.blogspot.com

More of my blathering is available at
http://faynights.users.btopenworld.com

In uk.music.charts on Sun, 3 Jun 2007, Chris Brown 
 wrote :

>> Singles
>> -------
>> New Entries/Climbers
>> --------------------
>> Top 10 : Mutya #2,
>
>Her first solo chart entry

>In some ways, this reminds me of another solo debut, 'Not Such An Innocent
>Girl' by Victoria Beckham in that it seems very insistent on answering a
>question we never asked. Ironically enough the cover looks nothing like any
>other picture I've ever seen of her.

Maybe that's the point?
>
>> Calvin Harris #9
>
>Out tomorrow on CD & 12"s. Already his highest-charting single.

IMO the best he can expect is #2.

Personally I can't see how this even reached the top 20.
>
> >MIMS #18,
>
>It stands for "Music Is My Savior" apparently.

What does music have to do with rap? :)
>
>>Kim Sozzi #23,
>
>I can see why Cascada's name is almost as big on the cover as hers.

Why do you say that?
>
>> Zimmers #26,
>
>With an average age of 78, weren't these the generation who were trying to
>p-put the Who down just because they g-g-g-g-g-got around?

Just what I thought. :)
>
>>LCD Soundsystem #41,
>
>In a play on the song title 'All My Friends', the two 7" formats feature
>covers of the song by Franz Ferdinand and John Cale respectively.

They bothered releasing two 7" formats for a single that was never going 
to storm the charts?
>
>> Bob Sinclar #49,
>
>Out on CD & 12"s tomorrow.

His appeal escapes me, as always.
>
>> Albums
>> ------
>> NE's (top 20) : Pigeon Detectives #3,
>
>It seems to say something about current trends in the industry that a not
>very distinctive band can get a Top 3 album off the back of a couple of
>successful singles.

I think it says more about the time of year & lack of competition.
>
>>Infernal #44,
>
>Doing alright for an album that's been out on import for a year in a genre
>that tends not to sell albums.

Unless their lead singer is named Natalie Horler?
>
>> Next Week
>> ---------
>> Singles
>> -------
>> Still nothing to challenge R&B babe Rihanna's dominance.
>
>Not really. Of course we know know that it would be hard to compete with,
>but surely the other record companies didn't realise before?

Maybe they didn't - Umbrella seemed to catch a lot of people by 
surprise. I would have bought it myself if it didn't feature Jay-Z.
>
>> Top 30 :
>
>>Corenell,
>
>Also a very difficult one to guess at, especially for people like me who
>can't even begin to see the point.

You mean the hot footy-playing blondes & brunettes in the video, aren't 
the point? :)
>
>> Top 40 : QOTSA
>
>Odd, in that they've had some decent-sized hits in the past but this seems
>to be sneaking out almost unnoticed.

I think it's download-only.
>
>> Albums
>> ------
>> Rihanna looks a fair possibility to complete the double.
>
>Hmm... Her first album didn't sell, so we can't take that as a given.

But maroon 5 sold less than 40k at #1 this week, so...
>
>I also wouldn't rule out Dizzee Rascal

I would - 2nd rate rap artists struggle to sell albums here.
-- 
Paul Hyett, Cheltenham (change 'invalid83261' to 'blueyonder' to email me)

"Paul Hyett"  wrote in message 
news:qEaPDzF8v7YGFw3I@blueyonder.co.uk...
> In uk.music.charts on Sun, 3 Jun 2007, Chris Brown 
>  wrote :
>
>>> Singles
>>> -------
>>> New Entries/Climbers
>>> --------------------
>>> Top 10 : Mutya #2,
>>
>>Her first solo chart entry
>
>>In some ways, this reminds me of another solo debut, 'Not Such An Innocent
>>Girl' by Victoria Beckham in that it seems very insistent on answering a
>>question we never asked. Ironically enough the cover looks nothing like 
>>any
>>other picture I've ever seen of her.
>
> Maybe that's the point?

In an "And this is me" sort of way? Certainly possible.
I've never knowingly met her, so I can't vouch for any particular image.

>>> Calvin Harris #9
>>
>>Out tomorrow on CD & 12"s. Already his highest-charting single.
>
> IMO the best he can expect is #2.

Certainly, looking at Rihanna's sales and the fact that there presumably 
isn't a huge army of Calvin Harris fans.

> Personally I can't see how this even reached the top >20.

I made a similar point on the R1 point, which garnered the response "I know 
what you mean, but they'll all be asking for it when I'm DJing".

>>>Kim Sozzi #23,
>>
>>I can see why Cascada's name is almost as big on the cover as hers.
>
> Why do you say that?

It does sound very like them. And they might have more fans.

>>>LCD Soundsystem #41,
>>
>>In a play on the song title 'All My Friends', the two 7" formats feature
>>covers of the song by Franz Ferdinand and John Cale respectively.
>
> They bothered releasing two 7" formats for a single that was never going 
> to storm the charts?

Well that's exactly why, isn't it? They'd have sold more copies of three 
formats than two.

>>> Bob Sinclar #49,
>>
>>Out on CD & 12"s tomorrow.
>
> His appeal escapes me, as always.

Really? Did you ever hear 'I Feel For You'?

>>> Albums
>>> ------
>>> NE's (top 20) : Pigeon Detectives #3,
>>
>>It seems to say something about current trends in the industry that a not
>>very distinctive band can get a Top 3 album off the back of a couple of
>>successful singles.
>
> I think it says more about the time of year & lack of competition.

Those are obviously part of it too, but still it's sold pretty comfortably 
for something so unremarkable.

>>>Infernal #44,
>>
>>Doing alright for an album that's been out on import for a year in a genre
>>that tends not to sell albums.
>
> Unless their lead singer is named Natalie Horler?

Right, and that's what I meant by "tends not to".

>>> Next Week
>>> ---------
>>> Singles
>>> -------
>>> Still nothing to challenge R&B babe Rihanna's dominance.
>>
>>Not really. Of course we know know that it would be hard to compete with,
>>but surely the other record companies didn't realise before?
>
> Maybe they didn't - Umbrella seemed to catch a lot of people by surprise.

This is what I meant - it almost looks as if they're avoiding scheduling 
against her.

>I would have bought it myself if it didn't feature Jay-Z.

Couldn't you download one of the other versions?

>>> Top 30 :
>>
>>>Corenell,
>>
>>Also a very difficult one to guess at, especially for people like me who
>>can't even begin to see the point.
>
> You mean the hot footy-playing blondes & brunettes in the video, aren't 
> the point? :)

But why inflict this record on us?

>>> Top 40 : QOTSA
>>
>>Odd, in that they've had some decent-sized hits in the past but this seems
>>to be sneaking out almost unnoticed.
>
> I think it's download-only.

On the contrary, I've seen all three physical formats today. You can fit 
them into one package, but they'd probably rather you waited until after 
you'd paid for them.

>>> Albums
>>> ------
>>> Rihanna looks a fair possibility to complete the double.
>>
>>Hmm... Her first album didn't sell, so we can't take that as a given.
>
> But maroon 5 sold less than 40k at #1 this week, so...

This is why I'm taking the idea seriously at all.

>>I also wouldn't rule out Dizzee Rascal
>
> I would - 2nd rate rap artists struggle to sell albums here.

He didn't last time. And his first one actually sold quite well, though 
gradually.

On the subject of predictions, though, you can scratch Gallows (free gift) 
and Rumble Strips (postponed to the 11th).

    Chris

"Paul Hyett"  wrote in message 
news:q+avNvE$4xYGFw0A@blueyonder.co.uk...
> Singles
> -------
> Rihanna extends her lead even further with the physical release of 
> Umbrella.

I facetiously asked last week whether the weather would affect sales of a 
song called 'Umbrella', but as it turned out the climate was so changeable 
as to preclude any sort of judgement.
Either way, the actual chart position was never really open to question.

> New Entries/Climbers
> --------------------
> Top 10 : Mutya #2,

Her first solo chart entry, although you might argue that Lenny Kravitz is 
as entitled to a credit as George Michael was.
In some ways, this reminds me of another solo debut, 'Not Such An Innocent 
Girl' by Victoria Beckham in that it seems very insistent on answering a 
question we never asked. Ironically enough the cover looks nothing like any 
other picture I've ever seen of her.

> Twang #8,

I have to admit that I find the slightly more vulnerable tone of this single 
preferable to the bullishness of 'Wide Awake' but the chorus itself is 
worryingly similar.
Many have drawn comparisons with The Streets, who has indeed done a remix of 
this.

> Calvin Harris #9

Out tomorrow on CD & 12"s. Already his highest-charting single.

> Top 20 : Reverend & The Makers #12 ,

According to the NME, without The Reverend (whose real name is John McClure) 
there would be no monkeys. I don't think most primatologists would agree.
The record itself has been compared to LCD Soundsystem with a Yorkshire 
accent, and there's something oddly self-serving about its rebellion that 
sticks in my craw.
Meanwhile, the 7" includes a collaboration with John Cooper Clarke.

 >MIMS #18,

It stands for "Music Is My Savior" apparently.
He claims he can sell a million copies saying nothing on a track. Which on 
this evidence is just as well.

> Marilyn Manson #19

Winning the prize for Mixed Metaphor Of The Week with 'Heart-Shaped 
Glasses'.
Try as he might, it seems a long time since anybody was actually threatened 
or challenged by him, and his new mopey direction seems to have disappointed 
his existing fans without interesting anyone else.
FWIW, though, his first original hit since September 2003. Maybe it was the 
free ringtone that did it.

> Top 30 : Armand Van Helden #22,

It's now just over a decade since he first came to most of our attentions 
with his chart-topping Tori Amos remix. Rewarded with a record deal of his 
own, he went through a knowingly uncommercial phase before rescuing his 
career with the shameless crowd-pleaser 'U Don't Know Me'.
Since then he's bounced erratically between major and minor hits. 'NYC Beat' 
is his first Top 40 single since the reworked 'MyMyMy' a year ago, and his 
first new one since the original of that in 2004.
Perhaps it would have done even better if he'd spelt out the whole title 
though.

>Kim Sozzi #23,

I can see why Cascada's name is almost as big on the cover as hers.

> Zimmers #26,

With an average age of 78, weren't these the generation who were trying to 
p-put the Who down just because they g-g-g-g-g-got around?
Originally conceived as a PR stunt for a well-known bingo chain, this has 
inexplicably been picked up by the BBC as part of some dreadful-sounding 
reality show about protests, which broadcast an episode about their "assault 
on the charts" on Bank Holiday Monday, oddly the same day when they released 
the CD single.
Interestingly enough, it's a one-track disc - I wonder when the last time a 
one-track CD charted?

>Enrique Iglesias #28

Out on CD on the 11th, apparently, although that's also the release date for 
the album.

> Top 40 : Tiny Dancers #33,

Despite the graffiti-like cover artwork, Tiny Dancers' second hit single 
continues in the AOR vein of their previous work.
There's a hint of James about this one as well, though not necessarily in a 
good way.
Greater radio attention doesn't seem to have helped their commercial 
prospects a lot.

>Simply Red #36

Ignoring covers and songs based on familiar samples, this briefly threatened 
to become their biggest hit since 1998. Which probably says more about 
Hucknall's promotional efforts than the record itself, which sounds like 
Blue.

> New outside the top 40 : LCD Soundsystem #41,

In a play on the song title 'All My Friends', the two 7" formats feature 
covers of the song by Franz Ferdinand and John Cale respectively. Cale may 
not take it as a compliment that his format comes with a free poster, 
whereas the Franz one was trusted to sell on its own merits.

>Scissor Sisters #43,

Funnily enough, JK & J played this at the end of the show a few weeks ago, 
prompting me to quip that it might be their only chance to play this song on 
the Chart Show. Many a true word, etc.
The midweeks here seem to have provoked a lot of surprise, presumably among 
people who don't remember than the more obviously Scissor-like 'She's My 
Man' only got to Number 29. This is one single further down the line, and it 
sounds like Polydor put out a Rachel Stevens B-side by mistake.

> Bob Sinclar #49,

Out on CD & 12"s tomorrow.

>Omarion #58,

Not officially sampling 'Don't Stop The Music', this fares a bit better than 
its Number 76 peak last year, but seemingly not well enough to be 
worthwhile.

>Pendulum #64,

12" only (AFAIK) single from the popular Australian Drum n' Bass act.

>Jeff Buckley #65,

His 1994 cover of 'Hallelujah' (the Leonard Cohen song, of course, not the 
Happy Mondays one), which was actually released on 7" last week but 
presumably sold more downloads this week because of the anniversary (see 
below).

> Josh Groban #74,

Another old cover version, this time 'You Raise Me Up', which predates 
Westlife's version at least.

>Holloways #75

Re-released on CD & 7"s on the 11th.

> Albums
> ------
> NE's (top 20) : Pigeon Detectives #3,

It seems to say something about current trends in the industry that a not 
very distinctive band can get a Top 3 album off the back of a couple of 
successful singles.

>R Kelly #10,

Double Up is, oddly, not actually a double album. Here's what his very 
modest press release has to say:
"Much like his musical forefathers Marvin Gaye, Curtis Mayfield and Donny 
Hathaway (the latter two also hailed from Chi-town), R Kelly makes songs for 
ladies lounging in suites as well as homeboys b-balling in the streets. 
Aptly titled 'Double Up', Kelly's new disc features a wide ranch of songs 
that pushes the sonic envelope while staying true to his game."
Includes collaborations with Nelly, Chamillionaire, Usher, Ludacris and Kid 
Rock as well as a track called - oh yes - 'Sex Planet'.

> Jeff Buckley #16

 Released in the US on the (presumed) tenth anniversary of his demise, a 
somewhat superfluous best-of collection from a man who only released one 
album in his lifetime. No fewer than seven of the fourteen tracks here are 
from the expanded version of Grace that his fans surely already have, with a 
further three from the posthumous Sketches For My Sweetheart The Drunk and 
two from his first live EP.
The one piece of bait for collectors is a previously-unreleased cover 
version of 'I Know It's Over' (and even that was out on 7" last week) which 
seems curiously disrespectful.

> New outside the top 20 : Chris Cornell #25,

I'd kind of assumed that the abject failure of the 'Arms Around Your Love' 
single would have out paid to this album's chances, but evidently enough 
people remember the Bond theme for him to get away with it.
It's Cornell's second solo effort after 1999's Number 31 Euphoria Morning, 
since when he charted three albums as a member of Audioslave before falling 
out with them so spectacularly that they reformed Rage Against The Machine. 
It seems to concentrate on his more mid-tempo power-ballad side, and for 
some reason he's also covered 'Billie Jean'.

> Richard Thompson #39,

Tenth solo chart album for the folk-rock legend, not counting a 
collaboration with unrelated bassist Danny Thompson.
This is his first new electric album since 2003 and has already spawned an 
unlikely Web 2.0 hit, with his song 'Dad's Gonna Kill Me' soundtracking many 
an anti-war video on YouTube.

> Mumm-Ra #42,

 A band who've been compared to The Automatic but haven't sued yet, named 
after a character from Thundercats.
There's something I don't like about them, but I can't quite put my finger 
on it.

>Infernal #44,

Doing alright for an album that's been out on import for a year in a genre 
that tends not to sell albums.

> Hans Zimmer #58 (LW #77),

The score to the new Pirates Of The Caribbean movie. I notice he was also in 
the singles midweeks, but perhaps people were downloading him instead of The 
Zimmers by mistake.

> Ross Copperman #59,

Welcome To Reality is the title of this album. Hahaha!
The record company have been trying to push him as an American Robbie 
Williams, and in a way failing to sell records in the UK does make him that, 
but probably not in the way they were hoping for.

> Joe Jackson #60

By my count his sixth UK compilation, which makes it hard to tell what this 
one adds to the world. There's nothing on it post-1989.
Joe isn't his real name, you know.

> Next Week
> ---------
> Singles
> -------
> Still nothing to challenge R&B babe Rihanna's dominance.

Not really. Of course we know know that it would be hard to compete with, 
but surely the other record companies didn't realise before?

> Top 10 : (prob top 5) Calvin Harris,

Of course.

> Top 20 : Unklejam,

People seem to like this one, for some reason.

> Top 30 : Bob Sinclar,

Always a little bit difficult to predict. Could go Top 20.

>Corenell,

Also a very difficult one to guess at, especially for people like me who 
can't even begin to see the point.

> Top 40 : QOTSA

Odd, in that they've had some decent-sized hits in the past but this seems 
to be sneaking out almost unnoticed.

I'd also expect Ghosts to repeat their success last time. Rumble Strips were 
Number 41 with their last single, so they don't need to do much more this 
time.

> Albums
> ------
> Rihanna looks a fair possibility to complete the double.

Hmm... Her first album didn't sell, so we can't take that as a given.

> Top 20 NE : Biffy Clyro,

Possibly the most awaited album of the week.

> Marilyn Manson,

Yeah, the fans'll buy it anyway, even if they never listen to it afterwards.

> Mutya,

Probably the most hyped release of the week.

> Paul McCartney,

Probably, although his recent albums haven't been very consistent sellers.

>Twang

Another one that's been pretty heavily promoted. Can I be the first one to 
call them the new Kasabian?

I also wouldn't rule out Dizzee Rascal, and Bruce Springsteen can sell live 
albums.

    Chris
-- 
"It's always hard meeting your heroes. Especially when they punch you in the 
face."

http://thehitparade.blogspot.com

More of my blathering is available at
http://faynights.users.btopenworld.com

In uk.music.charts on Sun, 3 Jun 2007, Chris Brown 
 wrote :

>> Singles
>> -------
>> New Entries/Climbers
>> --------------------
>> Top 10 : Mutya #2,
>
>Her first solo chart entry

>In some ways, this reminds me of another solo debut, 'Not Such An Innocent
>Girl' by Victoria Beckham in that it seems very insistent on answering a
>question we never asked. Ironically enough the cover looks nothing like any
>other picture I've ever seen of her.

Maybe that's the point?
>
>> Calvin Harris #9
>
>Out tomorrow on CD & 12"s. Already his highest-charting single.

IMO the best he can expect is #2.

Personally I can't see how this even reached the top 20.
>
> >MIMS #18,
>
>It stands for "Music Is My Savior" apparently.

What does music have to do with rap? :)
>
>>Kim Sozzi #23,
>
>I can see why Cascada's name is almost as big on the cover as hers.

Why do you say that?
>
>> Zimmers #26,
>
>With an average age of 78, weren't these the generation who were trying to
>p-put the Who down just because they g-g-g-g-g-got around?

Just what I thought. :)
>
>>LCD Soundsystem #41,
>
>In a play on the song title 'All My Friends', the two 7" formats feature
>covers of the song by Franz Ferdinand and John Cale respectively.

They bothered releasing two 7" formats for a single that was never going 
to storm the charts?
>
>> Bob Sinclar #49,
>
>Out on CD & 12"s tomorrow.

His appeal escapes me, as always.
>
>> Albums
>> ------
>> NE's (top 20) : Pigeon Detectives #3,
>
>It seems to say something about current trends in the industry that a not
>very distinctive band can get a Top 3 album off the back of a couple of
>successful singles.

I think it says more about the time of year & lack of competition.
>
>>Infernal #44,
>
>Doing alright for an album that's been out on import for a year in a genre
>that tends not to sell albums.

Unless their lead singer is named Natalie Horler?
>
>> Next Week
>> ---------
>> Singles
>> -------
>> Still nothing to challenge R&B babe Rihanna's dominance.
>
>Not really. Of course we know know that it would be hard to compete with,
>but surely the other record companies didn't realise before?

Maybe they didn't - Umbrella seemed to catch a lot of people by 
surprise. I would have bought it myself if it didn't feature Jay-Z.
>
>> Top 30 :
>
>>Corenell,
>
>Also a very difficult one to guess at, especially for people like me who
>can't even begin to see the point.

You mean the hot footy-playing blondes & brunettes in the video, aren't 
the point? :)
>
>> Top 40 : QOTSA
>
>Odd, in that they've had some decent-sized hits in the past but this seems
>to be sneaking out almost unnoticed.

I think it's download-only.
>
>> Albums
>> ------
>> Rihanna looks a fair possibility to complete the double.
>
>Hmm... Her first album didn't sell, so we can't take that as a given.

But maroon 5 sold less than 40k at #1 this week, so...
>
>I also wouldn't rule out Dizzee Rascal

I would - 2nd rate rap artists struggle to sell albums here.
-- 
Paul Hyett, Cheltenham (change 'invalid83261' to 'blueyonder' to email me)

"Paul Hyett"  wrote in message 
news:qEaPDzF8v7YGFw3I@blueyonder.co.uk...
> In uk.music.charts on Sun, 3 Jun 2007, Chris Brown 
>  wrote :
>
>>> Singles
>>> -------
>>> New Entries/Climbers
>>> --------------------
>>> Top 10 : Mutya #2,
>>
>>Her first solo chart entry
>
>>In some ways, this reminds me of another solo debut, 'Not Such An Innocent
>>Girl' by Victoria Beckham in that it seems very insistent on answering a
>>question we never asked. Ironically enough the cover looks nothing like 
>>any
>>other picture I've ever seen of her.
>
> Maybe that's the point?

In an "And this is me" sort of way? Certainly possible.
I've never knowingly met her, so I can't vouch for any particular image.

>>> Calvin Harris #9
>>
>>Out tomorrow on CD & 12"s. Already his highest-charting single.
>
> IMO the best he can expect is #2.

Certainly, looking at Rihanna's sales and the fact that there presumably 
isn't a huge army of Calvin Harris fans.

> Personally I can't see how this even reached the top >20.

I made a similar point on the R1 point, which garnered the response "I know 
what you mean, but they'll all be asking for it when I'm DJing".

>>>Kim Sozzi #23,
>>
>>I can see why Cascada's name is almost as big on the cover as hers.
>
> Why do you say that?

It does sound very like them. And they might have more fans.

>>>LCD Soundsystem #41,
>>
>>In a play on the song title 'All My Friends', the two 7" formats feature
>>covers of the song by Franz Ferdinand and John Cale respectively.
>
> They bothered releasing two 7" formats for a single that was never going 
> to storm the charts?

Well that's exactly why, isn't it? They'd have sold more copies of three 
formats than two.

>>> Bob Sinclar #49,
>>
>>Out on CD & 12"s tomorrow.
>
> His appeal escapes me, as always.

Really? Did you ever hear 'I Feel For You'?

>>> Albums
>>> ------
>>> NE's (top 20) : Pigeon Detectives #3,
>>
>>It seems to say something about current trends in the industry that a not
>>very distinctive band can get a Top 3 album off the back of a couple of
>>successful singles.
>
> I think it says more about the time of year & lack of competition.

Those are obviously part of it too, but still it's sold pretty comfortably 
for something so unremarkable.

>>>Infernal #44,
>>
>>Doing alright for an album that's been out on import for a year in a genre
>>that tends not to sell albums.
>
> Unless their lead singer is named Natalie Horler?

Right, and that's what I meant by "tends not to".

>>> Next Week
>>> ---------
>>> Singles
>>> -------
>>> Still nothing to challenge R&B babe Rihanna's dominance.
>>
>>Not really. Of course we know know that it would be hard to compete with,
>>but surely the other record companies didn't realise before?
>
> Maybe they didn't - Umbrella seemed to catch a lot of people by surprise.

This is what I meant - it almost looks as if they're avoiding scheduling 
against her.

>I would have bought it myself if it didn't feature Jay-Z.

Couldn't you download one of the other versions?

>>> Top 30 :
>>
>>>Corenell,
>>
>>Also a very difficult one to guess at, especially for people like me who
>>can't even begin to see the point.
>
> You mean the hot footy-playing blondes & brunettes in the video, aren't 
> the point? :)

But why inflict this record on us?

>>> Top 40 : QOTSA
>>
>>Odd, in that they've had some decent-sized hits in the past but this seems
>>to be sneaking out almost unnoticed.
>
> I think it's download-only.

On the contrary, I've seen all three physical formats today. You can fit 
them into one package, but they'd probably rather you waited until after 
you'd paid for them.

>>> Albums
>>> ------
>>> Rihanna looks a fair possibility to complete the double.
>>
>>Hmm... Her first album didn't sell, so we can't take that as a given.
>
> But maroon 5 sold less than 40k at #1 this week, so...

This is why I'm taking the idea seriously at all.

>>I also wouldn't rule out Dizzee Rascal
>
> I would - 2nd rate rap artists struggle to sell albums here.

He didn't last time. And his first one actually sold quite well, though 
gradually.

On the subject of predictions, though, you can scratch Gallows (free gift) 
and Rumble Strips (postponed to the 11th).

    Chris

In uk.music.charts on Mon, 4 Jun 2007, Chris Brown 
 wrote :
>
>>>> Bob Sinclar #49,
>>>
>>>Out on CD & 12"s tomorrow.
>>
>> His appeal escapes me, as always.
>
>Really? Did you ever hear 'I Feel For You'?

I thought Love Generation was his debut hit, but Guinness says 
otherwise. I doubt I would have liked the above though, unless it was 
radically different to any of his recent stuff.
>
>>>> Next Week
>>>> ---------
>>>> Singles
>>>> -------
>>>> Still nothing to challenge R&B babe Rihanna's dominance.
>>>
>>>Not really. Of course we know know that it would be hard to compete with,
>>>but surely the other record companies didn't realise before?
>>
>> Maybe they didn't - Umbrella seemed to catch a lot of people by surprise.
>
>This is what I meant - it almost looks as if they're avoiding scheduling
>against her.

But release dates are normally scheduled well in advance, and there's 
always the change of a big record emerging from nowhere.
>
>>I would have bought it myself if it didn't feature Jay-Z.
>
>Couldn't you download one of the other versions?

I don't want to download music - I prefer CD singles.
>
>>>> Top 30 :
>>>
>>>>Corenell,
>>
>> You mean the hot footy-playing blondes & brunettes in the video, aren't
>> the point? :)
>
>But why inflict this record on us?

See my previous comment. :)
-- 
Paul Hyett, Cheltenham (change 'invalid83261' to 'blueyonder' to email me)

"Paul Hyett"  wrote in message 
news:q+avNvE$4xYGFw0A@blueyonder.co.uk...
> Singles
> -------
> Rihanna extends her lead even further with the physical release of 
> Umbrella.

I facetiously asked last week whether the weather would affect sales of a 
song called 'Umbrella', but as it turned out the climate was so changeable 
as to preclude any sort of judgement.
Either way, the actual chart position was never really open to question.

> New Entries/Climbers
> --------------------
> Top 10 : Mutya #2,

Her first solo chart entry, although you might argue that Lenny Kravitz is 
as entitled to a credit as George Michael was.
In some ways, this reminds me of another solo debut, 'Not Such An Innocent 
Girl' by Victoria Beckham in that it seems very insistent on answering a 
question we never asked. Ironically enough the cover looks nothing like any 
other picture I've ever seen of her.

> Twang #8,

I have to admit that I find the slightly more vulnerable tone of this single 
preferable to the bullishness of 'Wide Awake' but the chorus itself is 
worryingly similar.
Many have drawn comparisons with The Streets, who has indeed done a remix of 
this.

> Calvin Harris #9

Out tomorrow on CD & 12"s. Already his highest-charting single.

> Top 20 : Reverend & The Makers #12 ,

According to the NME, without The Reverend (whose real name is John McClure) 
there would be no monkeys. I don't think most primatologists would agree.
The record itself has been compared to LCD Soundsystem with a Yorkshire 
accent, and there's something oddly self-serving about its rebellion that 
sticks in my craw.
Meanwhile, the 7" includes a collaboration with John Cooper Clarke.

 >MIMS #18,

It stands for "Music Is My Savior" apparently.
He claims he can sell a million copies saying nothing on a track. Which on 
this evidence is just as well.

> Marilyn Manson #19

Winning the prize for Mixed Metaphor Of The Week with 'Heart-Shaped 
Glasses'.
Try as he might, it seems a long time since anybody was actually threatened 
or challenged by him, and his new mopey direction seems to have disappointed 
his existing fans without interesting anyone else.
FWIW, though, his first original hit since September 2003. Maybe it was the 
free ringtone that did it.

> Top 30 : Armand Van Helden #22,

It's now just over a decade since he first came to most of our attentions 
with his chart-topping Tori Amos remix. Rewarded with a record deal of his 
own, he went through a knowingly uncommercial phase before rescuing his 
career with the shameless crowd-pleaser 'U Don't Know Me'.
Since then he's bounced erratically between major and minor hits. 'NYC Beat' 
is his first Top 40 single since the reworked 'MyMyMy' a year ago, and his 
first new one since the original of that in 2004.
Perhaps it would have done even better if he'd spelt out the whole title 
though.

>Kim Sozzi #23,

I can see why Cascada's name is almost as big on the cover as hers.

> Zimmers #26,

With an average age of 78, weren't these the generation who were trying to 
p-put the Who down just because they g-g-g-g-g-got around?
Originally conceived as a PR stunt for a well-known bingo chain, this has 
inexplicably been picked up by the BBC as part of some dreadful-sounding 
reality show about protests, which broadcast an episode about their "assault 
on the charts" on Bank Holiday Monday, oddly the same day when they released 
the CD single.
Interestingly enough, it's a one-track disc - I wonder when the last time a 
one-track CD charted?

>Enrique Iglesias #28

Out on CD on the 11th, apparently, although that's also the release date for 
the album.

> Top 40 : Tiny Dancers #33,

Despite the graffiti-like cover artwork, Tiny Dancers' second hit single 
continues in the AOR vein of their previous work.
There's a hint of James about this one as well, though not necessarily in a 
good way.
Greater radio attention doesn't seem to have helped their commercial 
prospects a lot.

>Simply Red #36

Ignoring covers and songs based on familiar samples, this briefly threatened 
to become their biggest hit since 1998. Which probably says more about 
Hucknall's promotional efforts than the record itself, which sounds like 
Blue.

> New outside the top 40 : LCD Soundsystem #41,

In a play on the song title 'All My Friends', the two 7" formats feature 
covers of the song by Franz Ferdinand and John Cale respectively. Cale may 
not take it as a compliment that his format comes with a free poster, 
whereas the Franz one was trusted to sell on its own merits.

>Scissor Sisters #43,

Funnily enough, JK & J played this at the end of the show a few weeks ago, 
prompting me to quip that it might be their only chance to play this song on 
the Chart Show. Many a true word, etc.
The midweeks here seem to have provoked a lot of surprise, presumably among 
people who don't remember than the more obviously Scissor-like 'She's My 
Man' only got to Number 29. This is one single further down the line, and it 
sounds like Polydor put out a Rachel Stevens B-side by mistake.

> Bob Sinclar #49,

Out on CD & 12"s tomorrow.

>Omarion #58,

Not officially sampling 'Don't Stop The Music', this fares a bit better than 
its Number 76 peak last year, but seemingly not well enough to be 
worthwhile.

>Pendulum #64,

12" only (AFAIK) single from the popular Australian Drum n' Bass act.

>Jeff Buckley #65,

His 1994 cover of 'Hallelujah' (the Leonard Cohen song, of course, not the 
Happy Mondays one), which was actually released on 7" last week but 
presumably sold more downloads this week because of the anniversary (see 
below).

> Josh Groban #74,

Another old cover version, this time 'You Raise Me Up', which predates 
Westlife's version at least.

>Holloways #75

Re-released on CD & 7"s on the 11th.

> Albums
> ------
> NE's (top 20) : Pigeon Detectives #3,

It seems to say something about current trends in the industry that a not 
very distinctive band can get a Top 3 album off the back of a couple of 
successful singles.

>R Kelly #10,

Double Up is, oddly, not actually a double album. Here's what his very 
modest press release has to say:
"Much like his musical forefathers Marvin Gaye, Curtis Mayfield and Donny 
Hathaway (the latter two also hailed from Chi-town), R Kelly makes songs for 
ladies lounging in suites as well as homeboys b-balling in the streets. 
Aptly titled 'Double Up', Kelly's new disc features a wide ranch of songs 
that pushes the sonic envelope while staying true to his game."
Includes collaborations with Nelly, Chamillionaire, Usher, Ludacris and Kid 
Rock as well as a track called - oh yes - 'Sex Planet'.

> Jeff Buckley #16

 Released in the US on the (presumed) tenth anniversary of his demise, a 
somewhat superfluous best-of collection from a man who only released one 
album in his lifetime. No fewer than seven of the fourteen tracks here are 
from the expanded version of Grace that his fans surely already have, with a 
further three from the posthumous Sketches For My Sweetheart The Drunk and 
two from his first live EP.
The one piece of bait for collectors is a previously-unreleased cover 
version of 'I Know It's Over' (and even that was out on 7" last week) which 
seems curiously disrespectful.

> New outside the top 20 : Chris Cornell #25,

I'd kind of assumed that the abject failure of the 'Arms Around Your Love' 
single would have out paid to this album's chances, but evidently enough 
people remember the Bond theme for him to get away with it.
It's Cornell's second solo effort after 1999's Number 31 Euphoria Morning, 
since when he charted three albums as a member of Audioslave before falling 
out with them so spectacularly that they reformed Rage Against The Machine. 
It seems to concentrate on his more mid-tempo power-ballad side, and for 
some reason he's also covered 'Billie Jean'.

> Richard Thompson #39,

Tenth solo chart album for the folk-rock legend, not counting a 
collaboration with unrelated bassist Danny Thompson.
This is his first new electric album since 2003 and has already spawned an 
unlikely Web 2.0 hit, with his song 'Dad's Gonna Kill Me' soundtracking many 
an anti-war video on YouTube.

> Mumm-Ra #42,

 A band who've been compared to The Automatic but haven't sued yet, named 
after a character from Thundercats.
There's something I don't like about them, but I can't quite put my finger 
on it.

>Infernal #44,

Doing alright for an album that's been out on import for a year in a genre 
that tends not to sell albums.

> Hans Zimmer #58 (LW #77),

The score to the new Pirates Of The Caribbean movie. I notice he was also in 
the singles midweeks, but perhaps people were downloading him instead of The 
Zimmers by mistake.

> Ross Copperman #59,

Welcome To Reality is the title of this album. Hahaha!
The record company have been trying to push him as an American Robbie 
Williams, and in a way failing to sell records in the UK does make him that, 
but probably not in the way they were hoping for.

> Joe Jackson #60

By my count his sixth UK compilation, which makes it hard to tell what this 
one adds to the world. There's nothing on it post-1989.
Joe isn't his real name, you know.

> Next Week
> ---------
> Singles
> -------
> Still nothing to challenge R&B babe Rihanna's dominance.

Not really. Of course we know know that it would be hard to compete with, 
but surely the other record companies didn't realise before?

> Top 10 : (prob top 5) Calvin Harris,

Of course.

> Top 20 : Unklejam,

People seem to like this one, for some reason.

> Top 30 : Bob Sinclar,

Always a little bit difficult to predict. Could go Top 20.

>Corenell,

Also a very difficult one to guess at, especially for people like me who 
can't even begin to see the point.

> Top 40 : QOTSA

Odd, in that they've had some decent-sized hits in the past but this seems 
to be sneaking out almost unnoticed.

I'd also expect Ghosts to repeat their success last time. Rumble Strips were 
Number 41 with their last single, so they don't need to do much more this 
time.

> Albums
> ------
> Rihanna looks a fair possibility to complete the double.

Hmm... Her first album didn't sell, so we can't take that as a given.

> Top 20 NE : Biffy Clyro,

Possibly the most awaited album of the week.

> Marilyn Manson,

Yeah, the fans'll buy it anyway, even if they never listen to it afterwards.

> Mutya,

Probably the most hyped release of the week.

> Paul McCartney,

Probably, although his recent albums haven't been very consistent sellers.

>Twang

Another one that's been pretty heavily promoted. Can I be the first one to 
call them the new Kasabian?

I also wouldn't rule out Dizzee Rascal, and Bruce Springsteen can sell live 
albums.

    Chris
-- 
"It's always hard meeting your heroes. Especially when they punch you in the 
face."

http://thehitparade.blogspot.com

More of my blathering is available at
http://faynights.users.btopenworld.com

In uk.music.charts on Sun, 3 Jun 2007, Chris Brown 
 wrote :

>> Singles
>> -------
>> New Entries/Climbers
>> --------------------
>> Top 10 : Mutya #2,
>
>Her first solo chart entry

>In some ways, this reminds me of another solo debut, 'Not Such An Innocent
>Girl' by Victoria Beckham in that it seems very insistent on answering a
>question we never asked. Ironically enough the cover looks nothing like any
>other picture I've ever seen of her.

Maybe that's the point?
>
>> Calvin Harris #9
>
>Out tomorrow on CD & 12"s. Already his highest-charting single.

IMO the best he can expect is #2.

Personally I can't see how this even reached the top 20.
>
> >MIMS #18,
>
>It stands for "Music Is My Savior" apparently.

What does music have to do with rap? :)
>
>>Kim Sozzi #23,
>
>I can see why Cascada's name is almost as big on the cover as hers.

Why do you say that?
>
>> Zimmers #26,
>
>With an average age of 78, weren't these the generation who were trying to
>p-put the Who down just because they g-g-g-g-g-got around?

Just what I thought. :)
>
>>LCD Soundsystem #41,
>
>In a play on the song title 'All My Friends', the two 7" formats feature
>covers of the song by Franz Ferdinand and John Cale respectively.

They bothered releasing two 7" formats for a single that was never going 
to storm the charts?
>
>> Bob Sinclar #49,
>
>Out on CD & 12"s tomorrow.

His appeal escapes me, as always.
>
>> Albums
>> ------
>> NE's (top 20) : Pigeon Detectives #3,
>
>It seems to say something about current trends in the industry that a not
>very distinctive band can get a Top 3 album off the back of a couple of
>successful singles.

I think it says more about the time of year & lack of competition.
>
>>Infernal #44,
>
>Doing alright for an album that's been out on import for a year in a genre
>that tends not to sell albums.

Unless their lead singer is named Natalie Horler?
>
>> Next Week
>> ---------
>> Singles
>> -------
>> Still nothing to challenge R&B babe Rihanna's dominance.
>
>Not really. Of course we know know that it would be hard to compete with,
>but surely the other record companies didn't realise before?

Maybe they didn't - Umbrella seemed to catch a lot of people by 
surprise. I would have bought it myself if it didn't feature Jay-Z.
>
>> Top 30 :
>
>>Corenell,
>
>Also a very difficult one to guess at, especially for people like me who
>can't even begin to see the point.

You mean the hot footy-playing blondes & brunettes in the video, aren't 
the point? :)
>
>> Top 40 : QOTSA
>
>Odd, in that they've had some decent-sized hits in the past but this seems
>to be sneaking out almost unnoticed.

I think it's download-only.
>
>> Albums
>> ------
>> Rihanna looks a fair possibility to complete the double.
>
>Hmm... Her first album didn't sell, so we can't take that as a given.

But maroon 5 sold less than 40k at #1 this week, so...
>
>I also wouldn't rule out Dizzee Rascal

I would - 2nd rate rap artists struggle to sell albums here.
-- 
Paul Hyett, Cheltenham (change 'invalid83261' to 'blueyonder' to email me)

"Paul Hyett"  wrote in message 
news:qEaPDzF8v7YGFw3I@blueyonder.co.uk...
> In uk.music.charts on Sun, 3 Jun 2007, Chris Brown 
>  wrote :
>
>>> Singles
>>> -------
>>> New Entries/Climbers
>>> --------------------
>>> Top 10 : Mutya #2,
>>
>>Her first solo chart entry
>
>>In some ways, this reminds me of another solo debut, 'Not Such An Innocent
>>Girl' by Victoria Beckham in that it seems very insistent on answering a
>>question we never asked. Ironically enough the cover looks nothing like 
>>any
>>other picture I've ever seen of her.
>
> Maybe that's the point?

In an "And this is me" sort of way? Certainly possible.
I've never knowingly met her, so I can't vouch for any particular image.

>>> Calvin Harris #9
>>
>>Out tomorrow on CD & 12"s. Already his highest-charting single.
>
> IMO the best he can expect is #2.

Certainly, looking at Rihanna's sales and the fact that there presumably 
isn't a huge army of Calvin Harris fans.

> Personally I can't see how this even reached the top >20.

I made a similar point on the R1 point, which garnered the response "I know 
what you mean, but they'll all be asking for it when I'm DJing".

>>>Kim Sozzi #23,
>>
>>I can see why Cascada's name is almost as big on the cover as hers.
>
> Why do you say that?

It does sound very like them. And they might have more fans.

>>>LCD Soundsystem #41,
>>
>>In a play on the song title 'All My Friends', the two 7" formats feature
>>covers of the song by Franz Ferdinand and John Cale respectively.
>
> They bothered releasing two 7" formats for a single that was never going 
> to storm the charts?

Well that's exactly why, isn't it? They'd have sold more copies of three 
formats than two.

>>> Bob Sinclar #49,
>>
>>Out on CD & 12"s tomorrow.
>
> His appeal escapes me, as always.

Really? Did you ever hear 'I Feel For You'?

>>> Albums
>>> ------
>>> NE's (top 20) : Pigeon Detectives #3,
>>
>>It seems to say something about current trends in the industry that a not
>>very distinctive band can get a Top 3 album off the back of a couple of
>>successful singles.
>
> I think it says more about the time of year & lack of competition.

Those are obviously part of it too, but still it's sold pretty comfortably 
for something so unremarkable.

>>>Infernal #44,
>>
>>Doing alright for an album that's been out on import for a year in a genre
>>that tends not to sell albums.
>
> Unless their lead singer is named Natalie Horler?

Right, and that's what I meant by "tends not to".

>>> Next Week
>>> ---------
>>> Singles
>>> -------
>>> Still nothing to challenge R&B babe Rihanna's dominance.
>>
>>Not really. Of course we know know that it would be hard to compete with,
>>but surely the other record companies didn't realise before?
>
> Maybe they didn't - Umbrella seemed to catch a lot of people by surprise.

This is what I meant - it almost looks as if they're avoiding scheduling 
against her.

>I would have bought it myself if it didn't feature Jay-Z.

Couldn't you download one of the other versions?

>>> Top 30 :
>>
>>>Corenell,
>>
>>Also a very difficult one to guess at, especially for people like me who
>>can't even begin to see the point.
>
> You mean the hot footy-playing blondes & brunettes in the video, aren't 
> the point? :)

But why inflict this record on us?

>>> Top 40 : QOTSA
>>
>>Odd, in that they've had some decent-sized hits in the past but this seems
>>to be sneaking out almost unnoticed.
>
> I think it's download-only.

On the contrary, I've seen all three physical formats today. You can fit 
them into one package, but they'd probably rather you waited until after 
you'd paid for them.

>>> Albums
>>> ------
>>> Rihanna looks a fair possibility to complete the double.
>>
>>Hmm... Her first album didn't sell, so we can't take that as a given.
>
> But maroon 5 sold less than 40k at #1 this week, so...

This is why I'm taking the idea seriously at all.

>>I also wouldn't rule out Dizzee Rascal
>
> I would - 2nd rate rap artists struggle to sell albums here.

He didn't last time. And his first one actually sold quite well, though 
gradually.

On the subject of predictions, though, you can scratch Gallows (free gift) 
and Rumble Strips (postponed to the 11th).

    Chris

In uk.music.charts on Mon, 4 Jun 2007, Chris Brown 
 wrote :
>
>>>> Bob Sinclar #49,
>>>
>>>Out on CD & 12"s tomorrow.
>>
>> His appeal escapes me, as always.
>
>Really? Did you ever hear 'I Feel For You'?

I thought Love Generation was his debut hit, but Guinness says 
otherwise. I doubt I would have liked the above though, unless it was 
radically different to any of his recent stuff.
>
>>>> Next Week
>>>> ---------
>>>> Singles
>>>> -------
>>>> Still nothing to challenge R&B babe Rihanna's dominance.
>>>
>>>Not really. Of course we know know that it would be hard to compete with,
>>>but surely the other record companies didn't realise before?
>>
>> Maybe they didn't - Umbrella seemed to catch a lot of people by surprise.
>
>This is what I meant - it almost looks as if they're avoiding scheduling
>against her.

But release dates are normally scheduled well in advance, and there's 
always the change of a big record emerging from nowhere.
>
>>I would have bought it myself if it didn't feature Jay-Z.
>
>Couldn't you download one of the other versions?

I don't want to download music - I prefer CD singles.
>
>>>> Top 30 :
>>>
>>>>Corenell,
>>
>> You mean the hot footy-playing blondes & brunettes in the video, aren't
>> the point? :)
>
>But why inflict this record on us?

See my previous comment. :)
-- 
Paul Hyett, Cheltenham (change 'invalid83261' to 'blueyonder' to email me)

"Paul Hyett"  wrote in message 
news:2MRIxpIWlQZGFwMf@blueyonder.co.uk...
> In uk.music.charts on Mon, 4 Jun 2007, Chris Brown 
>  wrote :
>>
>>>>> Bob Sinclar #49,
>>>>
>>>>Out on CD & 12"s tomorrow.
>>>
>>> His appeal escapes me, as always.
>>
>>Really? Did you ever hear 'I Feel For You'?
>
> I thought Love Generation was his debut hit, but Guinness says otherwise.

Considering how much success he had off the back of that one, it's odd that 
it hadn't happened first time around. Admittedly he had one hit "stolen" 
from him by Spacedust.

> I doubt I would have liked the above though, unless it was radically 
> different to any of his recent stuff.

It's been a while since I heard it too, but IIRC it's more your sort of 
thing. No Jamaicans involved.

>>>>> Next Week
>>>>> ---------
>>>>> Singles
>>>>> -------
>>>>> Still nothing to challenge R&B babe Rihanna's dominance.
>>>>
>>>>Not really. Of course we know know that it would be hard to compete 
>>>>with,
>>>>but surely the other record companies didn't realise before?
>>>
>>> Maybe they didn't - Umbrella seemed to catch a lot of people by 
>>> surprise.
>>
>>This is what I meant - it almost looks as if they're avoiding scheduling
>>against her.
>
> But release dates are normally scheduled well in advance, and there's 
> always the change of a big record emerging from nowhere.

Should I go out and come in again? I'm saying that it looks that way, but 
obviously isn't for the very reasons you're outlining.

>>>I would have bought it myself if it didn't feature Jay-Z.
>>
>>Couldn't you download one of the other versions?
>
> I don't want to download music - I prefer CD singles.

As I've said before, I've pretty much given up on those now. But horses for 
courses, etc.

>>>>> Top 30 :
>>>>
>>>>>Corenell,
>>>
>>> You mean the hot footy-playing blondes & brunettes in the video, aren't
>>> the point? :)
>>
>>But why inflict this record on us?
>
> See my previous comment. :)

Can't they just stick it on YouTube or something and spare us poor radio 
listeners the suffering?

    Chris
-- 
"It's always hard meeting your heroes. Especially when they punch you in the 
face."

http://thehitparade.blogspot.com

More of my blathering is available at
http://faynights.users.btopenworld.com

In uk.music.charts on Tue, 5 Jun 2007, Chris Brown 
 wrote :
>
>Considering how much success he had off the back of that one, it's odd that
>it hadn't happened first time around. Admittedly he had one hit "stolen"
>from him by Spacedust.
>
>> I doubt I would have liked the above though, unless it was radically
>> different to any of his recent stuff.
>
>It's been a while since I heard it too, but IIRC it's more your sort of
>thing. No Jamaicans involved.

Why Jamaicans?
>
>>>>I would have bought it myself if it didn't feature Jay-Z.
>>>
>>>Couldn't you download one of the other versions?
>>
>> I don't want to download music - I prefer CD singles.
>
>As I've said before, I've pretty much given up on those now. But horses for
>courses, etc.

I recorded the video, and chopped off the first part that has Jay-Z.
>
>Can't they just stick it on YouTube or something and spare us poor radio
>listeners the suffering?

But the videos on Youtube tend to be crap quality.
-- 
Paul Hyett, Cheltenham (change 'invalid83261' to 'blueyonder' to email me)

"Paul Hyett"  wrote in message 
news:q+avNvE$4xYGFw0A@blueyonder.co.uk...
> Singles
> -------
> Rihanna extends her lead even further with the physical release of 
> Umbrella.

I facetiously asked las