Singles
-------
Rihanna remains at #1 for a 5th, and probably last, week.

New Entries/Climbers
--------------------
Top 10 : White Stripes #2, Enrique Iglesias #3, Kelly Rowland #4, Kelly 
Clarkson #9
Top 20 : Holloways #14, Marillion #15, Maximo Park #16, Lee Mead #18, 
Fray #19
Top 30 : Koopa #21, Chemical Brothers #23, Editors #30
Top 40 : Avril Lavigne #32, Erasure #33, Gossip #39

New outside the top 40 : MCR #42, Rumble Strips #46, Justice v Simian 
#48, Cherry Ghost #49, Richard Grey #52, Fergie #60, Justin Timberlake 
#63, Natasha Bedingfield #70

Albums
------
Did we fall through a time warp 20+ years into the past? :)

The Travelling Wilburys (someone I'd never heard of until a week ago) 
claim the #1 spot in a low sales week.

NE's (top 20) : Bon Jovi #2, Police #3, QOTSA #7, Rod Stewart #20

Plus re-entry at #9 for The Who.

New outside the top 20 : Van Morrison #23, Tiny Dancers #64, Alfie Boe 
#72

Also, re-entries for John Lennon #30, Aerosmith #44

Next Week
---------
Singles
-------
I can't see Rihanna holding on again, so I guess it'll be a nightmare 
choice between Lee Mead & Take That. The former being the slightly 
lesser of two evils.

Top 10 : Take That, Chemical Brothers
Top 20 : Editors, Gwen Stefani
Top 30 : Ash, Just Jack, Mel C, Simon Webbe, Avril Lavigne, Enemy
Top 40 : Andrea Corr, Enter Shikari, Gareth Gates, MCR, Cherry Ghost

Albums
------
It'll be a straight fight between Enrique Iglesias & the White Stripes 
for #1. My money would be on the latter, *just*.

Top 20 NE : Calvin Harris, Ray Lamontagne
-- 
Paul Hyett, Cheltenham (change 'invalid83261' to 'blueyonder' to email me)

"Paul Hyett"  wrote in message 
news:N2pm$TDlgYdGFwJC@blueyonder.co.uk...
> Singles
> -------
> Rihanna remains at #1 for a 5th, and probably last, week.
>
> New Entries/Climbers
> --------------------
> Top 10 : White Stripes #2,

First-ever title track to a White Stripes album, trivia fans.
And though it's hardly the most commercial piece of music they've ever 
released, it becomes the highest-charting single as a duo, although Jack 
White also reached Number 2 as an uncredited guest vocalist with Electric 
Six.
I'm an unashamed fan of this, apart from that rather lame fade-out at the 
end.

>Enrique Iglesias #3,

His first single since March 2004, not that I'd really noticed.
'Do You Know?' (not the Michelle Gayle song) is subtitled 'The Ping-Pong 
Song' because of the percussion used on some edits of the track. It's easy 
to see why he'd get bored enough of listening to this to drift off into a 
game of table-tennis, but it's not the first time it's ever been done.

> Kelly Rowland #4,

Winning the little-publicised Battle Of The Kellys with a track that's 
noticeably more RnB-flavoured than her previous solo work, possibly because 
this has now become her day job.
Mind you, she does sound rather like a guest star on her own song.

>Kelly Clarkson #9

Almost a stealth release for this, amid reputed fall-outs with management 
and record company, and a US tour cancelled for lack of interest. All of 
which is approximately 7000 times more interesting than the sub-Avril 
whinefest on the CD. Produced by the same bloke as the new Paul McCartney 
album.

> Top 20 : Holloways #14,

A remix of last year's minor hit, which ironically sounds even more like 
Madness than the original Langer/Winstanley production.
It's not entirely clear why they need a generator, unless this song is about 
a post-apocalyptic dystopia. For that matter, it's not totally clear why 
people are paying money for a song about taping music off the radio.

> Marillion #15,

As per usual.

>Maximo Park #16,

Not as obvious a single as 'Our Velocity', which I guess is why they put 
that one out first. But there are some fine lyrics in here and it deservedly 
expands their run of, er, Top 21 hits.
B-sides across the various formats include their unique version of '500 
Miles' and another in their series of obituary songs, 'Don McPhee'.

> Lee Mead #18,

The Any Dream Will Do Winner. Out on CD tomorrow.

> Fray #19

As I mentioned last week, this has been bouncing about the lower reaches of 
the chart for ages, but only just crept into the Top 40 last week; I'd be 
inclined to attribute this to people downloading it out of curiosity to find 
out whether the Fray have enough good songs to justify the price of an 
album.



No.

> Top 30 : Koopa #21,

Second opportunistic Top 40 hit. Just like that.
As it's called 'One Of Song For The Summer' we can at least hope they won't 
release another one for six months or so.

> Editors #30

Out tomorrow on CD & 7"s.

> Top 40 : Avril Lavigne #32,

Out on CD on the 2nd of July.

> Erasure #33,

'Sunday Girl' is not, as might have been expected, a cover of the Blondie 
hit, but a new song which Vince Clarke says was written in a hotel room in 
the afternoon.
I may have said this before, but what the hell happened to Andy Bell's 
voice?

> Gossip #39

Another act revisiting old material, in this case a re-recording of a song 
that peaked at 88 last July before the breakthrough of 'Standing In The Way 
Of Control'.

> New outside the top 40 : MCR #42,

Fourth selection from the Black Parade. Out on 9th of July.

>Rumble Strips #46,

Second near miss of the year.
Available on two picture discs (with oddly similar pictures) and a CD 
featuring their cover of 'Back To Black'.

>Justice v Simian #48,

Actually, this one is just Justice (French dance duo Xavier de Rosnay and 
Gaspard Auge) - the hit credited to Justice Vs Simian was their remix of a 
Simian track. On that evidence, they need the right source material.

> Cherry Ghost #49,

Out on CD & 7" on the 25th.

>Richard Grey #52,

Well, he's got the dirty old man video and the obvious Eighties sample but 
somehow it hasn't sold this time.

> Fergie #60,

I've yet to hear this, but I'm guessing it's not the Four Seasons song. I'm 
sure I'll find out by the 16th of next month.

> Natasha Bedingfield #70

Out on CD on the 2nd July.

Note also the bottom end of the Top 75 reflects the top, with old tracks by 
the White Stripes and Enrique at 74 and 75 respectively.

> Albums
> ------
>
> The Travelling Wilburys (someone I'd never heard of >until a week ago)

Well, if bands are going to appear out of nowhere and have success so 
quickly... ;-)

> claim the #1 spot in a low sales week.

Aren't they all low sales weeks now?
They were of course the supergroup famously convened by George Harrison to 
record a 12" B-side.
This package combines both their previous chart albums (Volume 1 and Volume 
3 - oh you crazy guys!) with four additional tracks and a DVD. As the 
material has been out of print for over a decade, it's no surprise that 
there was pent-up demand, but this is an even greater success than I think 
most people predicted.
It's Tom Petty's first UK Number One album, but the other members have all 
topped the chart before now: Harrison last did so as a member of The Beatles 
in 2000, Roy Orbison did it (albeit posthumously) in 1989, Jeff Lynne's last 
one was in 1981 with the Electric Light Orchestra. Perhaps surprisingly, Bob 
Dylan was last at the top on the Concert For Bangladesh album in 1972, which 
of course also features George Harrison.

> NE's (top 20) : Bon Jovi #2,

If we forget Jon Bovi's solo career (and if only we could!) Lost Highway is 
their 10th studio album. And as the title hints, they're attempting to 
pursue a new country direction, complete with guest spots for Big & Rich and 
LeeAn Rimes. Of course, Bon Jovi being Bon Jovi, it's so watered-down you 
wouldn't know it was country if they didn't tell you.

> Police #3,

Fourth hits collection to chart, if you include the one they had to share 
with Sting.
The UK edition is a 30-track double CD which begins with their obscure debut 
single 'Fall Out' (not on any of their previous compilations, AFAIK) and 
covers all the UK hits from their original career (they spare you all the 
dodgy remixes) and various album cuts. In fact, no fewer than eight tracks 
from the Synchronicity album make the cut, which is surely a bit much.

> QOTSA #7,

Fifth album by the group (if you can call them that) includes guest spots 
from Julian Casablancas and (in the UK) Trent Reznor. It also recyles a song 
from Josh Homme's side-project Desert Sessions.

>Rod Stewart #20

The Seventies Collection. Which is certainly a better idea than the Eighties 
Collection or the Nineties Collection, but it's a slight misnomer - as he 
changed record labels in 1975, this is really more like The First Half Of 
The Seventies Collection. At least that means no 'Sailing' though.

> Plus re-entry at #9 for The Who.

A re-release of their 2004 compilation Then And Now, featuring last year's 
accurately-titled 'It's Not Enough'.
On the positive side, they removed one of the 2004 recordings to make room - 
at least they're not deluded enough to have displaced one of the classic 
tracks.

> New outside the top 20 : Van Morrison #23,

Now, I've never been a fan of his, but I have to admit the the first Best Of 
was a very well-compiled package, so much so in fact that there wasn't 
really much decent material left for Volume 2.
This third volume at least has 14 years of recordings to draw from and even 
a couple of Top 40 singles, but stretching it out to a double CD means a lot 
of collaborations and re-recordings of old songs. There's a new duet with 
Tom Jones too.

>Tiny Dancers #64,

We used to get milk at my primary school.

> Alfie Boe #72

Is this a real new entry or a re-entry? It came out in March.

> Also, re-entries for John Lennon #30,

Another one that's semi-new - it's the Sight & Sound edition of Lennon 
Legend, which combines the existing CD and DVD releases of that title. I 
presume sales of the original CD would be combined, if any.

>Aerosmith #44

Also adding a bonus DVD, but with only four promo videos. And not even the 
four you'd expect.

Muse are also back at 69 with the Tour Edition of Black Holes & Revelations, 
which appends three videos and four live performances.

All this activity means that only two of the seven alvums that entered in 
the Top 10 last week are still there - and impressively, Paul McCartney is 
one of them. The biggest dropper of all is Marilyn Manson's 8-37, but I 
should imagine the one that's goiing to cause the most panic is Mutya Buena 
(10-24).

> Next Week
> ---------
> Singles
> -------
> I can't see Rihanna holding on again, so I guess it'll be a nightmare 
> choice between Lee Mead & Take That. The former being the slightly lesser 
> of two evils.

I reckon it's between Lee Mead & Lee Mead. Or possibly Lee Mead & Rihanna.

> Top 10 : Take That,

Looking at how it's done on downloads (remember, 'Shine' was Number 10 the 
week before the physical came out) I think this is shaping up to be their 
smallest hit in a long while. And not undeservedly so.
That said (er, no pun intended) it might very well manage the Top 10.

>Chemical Brothers

Hmm. There or thereabouts I'd say.

> Top 20 : Editors,

Not to be ruled out entirely for the Top 10, I think, as it's the big 
comeback thing.

>Gwen Stefani

Not out on physicals until the 25th, AFAIK.

> Top 30 : Ash,

Still a pre-album single, so I'd slate it for about 19 or 20.

>Just Jack,

Much as I like this, I can't realistically see it outperforming 'Glory 
Days'.

>Mel C,

Maybe.

>Simon Webbe,

He needs it.

>Avril Lavigne,

From Number 32, I'm not sure that even counts as a prediction. ;-)

> Enemy

Again we're ahead of physicals. But I've checked and it is coming out as a 
download tomorrow.

> Top 40 : Andrea Corr,

Hard to tell. Much spun on R2, but then so was the last Corrs single.

> Enter Shikari,

Seems logical.

>Gareth Gates,

Hmm... this is the track that R2 were playing when 'Changes' came out, and 
that single did a lot better than we thought, so I wouldn't put it past this 
one to shift a bit better.

>MCR,

See Av-Lav.

>Cherry Ghost

And again, I suppose.

Also, Pharoahe Monch has been doing moderately well on airplay, although I 
can see that downloads might be a problem. ;-)
Art Brut have had near misses before and are on a major now, Air Traffic 
were already on one.

> Albums
> ------
> It'll be a straight fight between Enrique Iglesias & the White Stripes for 
> #1. My money would be on the latter, *just*.

Considering that Enrique's only previous Number One album was in the "soft" 
February chart while he was at the top of the singles chart, and that his 
other English albums peaked at 13 and 81, I think he'll be lucky to get 
close.

> Top 20 NE : Calvin Harris,

Yes. At least initially, it's bound to sell from the singles.

>Ray Lamontagne

Why the obession with Ray Lamontagne? This album's been out for months 
already.

It is a quiet week, but don't put it past Gallows to do an Enter Shikari.

    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:N2pm$TDlgYdGFwJC@blueyonder.co.uk...
> Singles
> -------
> Rihanna remains at #1 for a 5th, and probably last, week.
>
> New Entries/Climbers
> --------------------
> Top 10 : White Stripes #2,

First-ever title track to a White Stripes album, trivia fans.
And though it's hardly the most commercial piece of music they've ever 
released, it becomes the highest-charting single as a duo, although Jack 
White also reached Number 2 as an uncredited guest vocalist with Electric 
Six.
I'm an unashamed fan of this, apart from that rather lame fade-out at the 
end.

>Enrique Iglesias #3,

His first single since March 2004, not that I'd really noticed.
'Do You Know?' (not the Michelle Gayle song) is subtitled 'The Ping-Pong 
Song' because of the percussion used on some edits of the track. It's easy 
to see why he'd get bored enough of listening to this to drift off into a 
game of table-tennis, but it's not the first time it's ever been done.

> Kelly Rowland #4,

Winning the little-publicised Battle Of The Kellys with a track that's 
noticeably more RnB-flavoured than her previous solo work, possibly because 
this has now become her day job.
Mind you, she does sound rather like a guest star on her own song.

>Kelly Clarkson #9

Almost a stealth release for this, amid reputed fall-outs with management 
and record company, and a US tour cancelled for lack of interest. All of 
which is approximately 7000 times more interesting than the sub-Avril 
whinefest on the CD. Produced by the same bloke as the new Paul McCartney 
album.

> Top 20 : Holloways #14,

A remix of last year's minor hit, which ironically sounds even more like 
Madness than the original Langer/Winstanley production.
It's not entirely clear why they need a generator, unless this song is about 
a post-apocalyptic dystopia. For that matter, it's not totally clear why 
people are paying money for a song about taping music off the radio.

> Marillion #15,

As per usual.

>Maximo Park #16,

Not as obvious a single as 'Our Velocity', which I guess is why they put 
that one out first. But there are some fine lyrics in here and it deservedly 
expands their run of, er, Top 21 hits.
B-sides across the various formats include their unique version of '500 
Miles' and another in their series of obituary songs, 'Don McPhee'.

> Lee Mead #18,

The Any Dream Will Do Winner. Out on CD tomorrow.

> Fray #19

As I mentioned last week, this has been bouncing about the lower reaches of 
the chart for ages, but only just crept into the Top 40 last week; I'd be 
inclined to attribute this to people downloading it out of curiosity to find 
out whether the Fray have enough good songs to justify the price of an 
album.



No.

> Top 30 : Koopa #21,

Second opportunistic Top 40 hit. Just like that.
As it's called 'One Of Song For The Summer' we can at least hope they won't 
release another one for six months or so.

> Editors #30

Out tomorrow on CD & 7"s.

> Top 40 : Avril Lavigne #32,

Out on CD on the 2nd of July.

> Erasure #33,

'Sunday Girl' is not, as might have been expected, a cover of the Blondie 
hit, but a new song which Vince Clarke says was written in a hotel room in 
the afternoon.
I may have said this before, but what the hell happened to Andy Bell's 
voice?

> Gossip #39

Another act revisiting old material, in this case a re-recording of a song 
that peaked at 88 last July before the breakthrough of 'Standing In The Way 
Of Control'.

> New outside the top 40 : MCR #42,

Fourth selection from the Black Parade. Out on 9th of July.

>Rumble Strips #46,

Second near miss of the year.
Available on two picture discs (with oddly similar pictures) and a CD 
featuring their cover of 'Back To Black'.

>Justice v Simian #48,

Actually, this one is just Justice (French dance duo Xavier de Rosnay and 
Gaspard Auge) - the hit credited to Justice Vs Simian was their remix of a 
Simian track. On that evidence, they need the right source material.

> Cherry Ghost #49,

Out on CD & 7" on the 25th.

>Richard Grey #52,

Well, he's got the dirty old man video and the obvious Eighties sample but 
somehow it hasn't sold this time.

> Fergie #60,

I've yet to hear this, but I'm guessing it's not the Four Seasons song. I'm 
sure I'll find out by the 16th of next month.

> Natasha Bedingfield #70

Out on CD on the 2nd July.

Note also the bottom end of the Top 75 reflects the top, with old tracks by 
the White Stripes and Enrique at 74 and 75 respectively.

> Albums
> ------
>
> The Travelling Wilburys (someone I'd never heard of >until a week ago)

Well, if bands are going to appear out of nowhere and have success so 
quickly... ;-)

> claim the #1 spot in a low sales week.

Aren't they all low sales weeks now?
They were of course the supergroup famously convened by George Harrison to 
record a 12" B-side.
This package combines both their previous chart albums (Volume 1 and Volume 
3 - oh you crazy guys!) with four additional tracks and a DVD. As the 
material has been out of print for over a decade, it's no surprise that 
there was pent-up demand, but this is an even greater success than I think 
most people predicted.
It's Tom Petty's first UK Number One album, but the other members have all 
topped the chart before now: Harrison last did so as a member of The Beatles 
in 2000, Roy Orbison did it (albeit posthumously) in 1989, Jeff Lynne's last 
one was in 1981 with the Electric Light Orchestra. Perhaps surprisingly, Bob 
Dylan was last at the top on the Concert For Bangladesh album in 1972, which 
of course also features George Harrison.

> NE's (top 20) : Bon Jovi #2,

If we forget Jon Bovi's solo career (and if only we could!) Lost Highway is 
their 10th studio album. And as the title hints, they're attempting to 
pursue a new country direction, complete with guest spots for Big & Rich and 
LeeAn Rimes. Of course, Bon Jovi being Bon Jovi, it's so watered-down you 
wouldn't know it was country if they didn't tell you.

> Police #3,

Fourth hits collection to chart, if you include the one they had to share 
with Sting.
The UK edition is a 30-track double CD which begins with their obscure debut 
single 'Fall Out' (not on any of their previous compilations, AFAIK) and 
covers all the UK hits from their original career (they spare you all the 
dodgy remixes) and various album cuts. In fact, no fewer than eight tracks 
from the Synchronicity album make the cut, which is surely a bit much.

> QOTSA #7,

Fifth album by the group (if you can call them that) includes guest spots 
from Julian Casablancas and (in the UK) Trent Reznor. It also recyles a song 
from Josh Homme's side-project Desert Sessions.

>Rod Stewart #20

The Seventies Collection. Which is certainly a better idea than the Eighties 
Collection or the Nineties Collection, but it's a slight misnomer - as he 
changed record labels in 1975, this is really more like The First Half Of 
The Seventies Collection. At least that means no 'Sailing' though.

> Plus re-entry at #9 for The Who.

A re-release of their 2004 compilation Then And Now, featuring last year's 
accurately-titled 'It's Not Enough'.
On the positive side, they removed one of the 2004 recordings to make room - 
at least they're not deluded enough to have displaced one of the classic 
tracks.

> New outside the top 20 : Van Morrison #23,

Now, I've never been a fan of his, but I have to admit the the first Best Of 
was a very well-compiled package, so much so in fact that there wasn't 
really much decent material left for Volume 2.
This third volume at least has 14 years of recordings to draw from and even 
a couple of Top 40 singles, but stretching it out to a double CD means a lot 
of collaborations and re-recordings of old songs. There's a new duet with 
Tom Jones too.

>Tiny Dancers #64,

We used to get milk at my primary school.

> Alfie Boe #72

Is this a real new entry or a re-entry? It came out in March.

> Also, re-entries for John Lennon #30,

Another one that's semi-new - it's the Sight & Sound edition of Lennon 
Legend, which combines the existing CD and DVD releases of that title. I 
presume sales of the original CD would be combined, if any.

>Aerosmith #44

Also adding a bonus DVD, but with only four promo videos. And not even the 
four you'd expect.

Muse are also back at 69 with the Tour Edition of Black Holes & Revelations, 
which appends three videos and four live performances.

All this activity means that only two of the seven alvums that entered in 
the Top 10 last week are still there - and impressively, Paul McCartney is 
one of them. The biggest dropper of all is Marilyn Manson's 8-37, but I 
should imagine the one that's goiing to cause the most panic is Mutya Buena 
(10-24).

> Next Week
> ---------
> Singles
> -------
> I can't see Rihanna holding on again, so I guess it'll be a nightmare 
> choice between Lee Mead & Take That. The former being the slightly lesser 
> of two evils.

I reckon it's between Lee Mead & Lee Mead. Or possibly Lee Mead & Rihanna.

> Top 10 : Take That,

Looking at how it's done on downloads (remember, 'Shine' was Number 10 the 
week before the physical came out) I think this is shaping up to be their 
smallest hit in a long while. And not undeservedly so.
That said (er, no pun intended) it might very well manage the Top 10.

>Chemical Brothers

Hmm. There or thereabouts I'd say.

> Top 20 : Editors,

Not to be ruled out entirely for the Top 10, I think, as it's the big 
comeback thing.

>Gwen Stefani

Not out on physicals until the 25th, AFAIK.

> Top 30 : Ash,

Still a pre-album single, so I'd slate it for about 19 or 20.

>Just Jack,

Much as I like this, I can't realistically see it outperforming 'Glory 
Days'.

>Mel C,

Maybe.

>Simon Webbe,

He needs it.

>Avril Lavigne,

From Number 32, I'm not sure that even counts as a prediction. ;-)

> Enemy

Again we're ahead of physicals. But I've checked and it is coming out as a 
download tomorrow.

> Top 40 : Andrea Corr,

Hard to tell. Much spun on R2, but then so was the last Corrs single.

> Enter Shikari,

Seems logical.

>Gareth Gates,

Hmm... this is the track that R2 were playing when 'Changes' came out, and 
that single did a lot better than we thought, so I wouldn't put it past this 
one to shift a bit better.

>MCR,

See Av-Lav.

>Cherry Ghost

And again, I suppose.

Also, Pharoahe Monch has been doing moderately well on airplay, although I 
can see that downloads might be a problem. ;-)
Art Brut have had near misses before and are on a major now, Air Traffic 
were already on one.

> Albums
> ------
> It'll be a straight fight between Enrique Iglesias & the White Stripes for 
> #1. My money would be on the latter, *just*.

Considering that Enrique's only previous Number One album was in the "soft" 
February chart while he was at the top of the singles chart, and that his 
other English albums peaked at 13 and 81, I think he'll be lucky to get 
close.

> Top 20 NE : Calvin Harris,

Yes. At least initially, it's bound to sell from the singles.

>Ray Lamontagne

Why the obession with Ray Lamontagne? This album's been out for months 
already.

It is a quiet week, but don't put it past Gallows to do an Enter Shikari.

    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, 17 Jun 2007, Chris Brown 
 wrote :

>> Singles
>> -------
>> Rihanna remains at #1 for a 5th, and probably last, week.
>>
>> New Entries/Climbers
>> --------------------
>> Top 10 : White Stripes #2,
>
>First-ever title track to a White Stripes album, trivia fans.

Huh? Surely it's their 5th album?

>And though it's hardly the most commercial piece of music they've ever
>released

You can say that again! :(

>, it becomes the highest-charting single as a duo, although Jack
>White also reached Number 2 as an uncredited guest vocalist with Electric
>Six.

>I'm an unashamed fan of this, apart from that rather lame fade-out at the
>end.

I find it unlistenably discordant. There's no flow, with chunks 
seemingly stuck in randomly. I had similar issues with Bodyrox 'Yeah 
Yeah'.
>
>>Enrique Iglesias #3,
>
>His first single since March 2004

That would be the Kelis duet?
>
>> Kelly Rowland #4,
>
>Winning the little-publicised Battle Of The Kellys with a track that's
>noticeably more RnB-flavoured than her previous solo work, possibly because
>this has now become her day job.
>Mind you, she does sound rather like a guest star on her own song.

IMO she should have called it quits after Destiny's Child.
>
>>Kelly Clarkson #9
>
>Almost a stealth release for this, amid reputed fall-outs with management
>and record company, and a US tour cancelled for lack of interest.

Can't understand why her star seems to have faded so fast after the 
massively successful 'Breakaway'

>All of
>which is approximately 7000 times more interesting than the sub-Avril
>whinefest on the CD.

That didn't hurt her previous album... :)
>
>> Top 20 : Holloways #14,
>
>A remix of last year's minor hit, which ironically sounds even more like
>Madness than the original Langer/Winstanley production.

You think so?

>It's not entirely clear why they need a generator, unless this song is about
>a post-apocalyptic dystopia. For that matter, it's not totally clear why
>people are paying money for a song about taping music off the radio.

Who *tapes* music nowadays, anyway? :)
>
>>Maximo Park #16,
>
>Not as obvious a single as 'Our Velocity', which I guess is why they put
>that one out first. But there are some fine lyrics in here and it deservedly
>expands their run of, er, Top 21 hits.

A rather arbitrary limit?
>
>> Fray #19
>
>As I mentioned last week, this has been bouncing about the lower reaches of
>the chart for ages, but only just crept into the Top 40 last week; I'd be
>inclined to attribute this to people downloading it out of curiosity to find
>out whether the Fray have enough good songs to justify the price of an
>album.

They don't have enough good songs to justify buying a one-track single. 
Their 'How To Save A Life' was the biggest dirge I've heard in many 
years.
>
>> Top 40 : Avril Lavigne #32,
>
>Out on CD on the 2nd of July.

I don't think her voice is really strong enough for power ballads - she 
should stick to pop/rock like Sk8er Boy & Girlfriend.
>
>> New outside the top 40 : MCR #42,
>
>Fourth selection from the Black Parade. Out on 9th of July.

I can't see it making much further progress until then.
>
>> Cherry Ghost #49,
>
>Out on CD & 7" on the 25th.

This one has really been pulling in the radio airplay, but very little 
TV play, oddly (though fortunately) enough.
>
>> Natasha Bedingfield #70
>
>Out on CD on the 2nd July.

Better than the last one, at least.
>
>Note also the bottom end of the Top 75 reflects the top, with old tracks by
>the White Stripes and Enrique at 74 and 75 respectively.

73 & 74, actually.
>
>> Albums
>> ------
>>
>> The Travelling Wilburys (someone I'd never heard of >until a week ago)
>
>Well, if bands are going to appear out of nowhere and have success so
>quickly... ;-)

Well, they *did* emerge during my off period, and had limited success as 
a combo...
>
>> claim the #1 spot in a low sales week.
>
>Aren't they all low sales weeks now?

I wouldn't describe 100k+ as low.

In any case, given the artists lining up new album releases in the 
autumn, that trend should be reversed.

>This package combines both their previous chart albums (Volume 1 and Volume
>3 - oh you crazy guys!)

What happened to 2?
>
>> NE's (top 20) : Bon Jovi #2,
>
>If we forget Jon Bovi's solo career (and if only we could!) Lost Highway is
>their 10th studio album. And as the title hints

How on earth does a name like 'Lost Highway' hint at country music?

>, they're attempting to
>pursue a new country direction, complete with guest spots for Big & Rich and
>LeeAn Rimes. Of course, Bon Jovi being Bon Jovi, it's so watered-down you
>wouldn't know it was country if they didn't tell you.

When did they tell anyone?
>
>> Police #3,
>
>Fourth hits collection to chart, if you include the one they had to share
>with Sting.

There must be a lot of careless people who've damaged their old Police 
LP's & CD's, that's all I can say...
>
>>Rod Stewart #20
>
>The Seventies Collection. Which is certainly a better idea than the Eighties
>Collection or the Nineties Collection, but it's a slight misnomer - as he
>changed record labels in 1975, this is really more like The First Half Of
>The Seventies Collection. At least that means no 'Sailing' though.

But that was his *best* single!
>
>>Tiny Dancers #64,
>
>We used to get milk at my primary school.

Before Thatcher snatched it? :)
>
>> Alfie Boe #72
>
>Is this a real new entry or a re-entry? It came out in March.

Buzzjack said NE, so I didn't check.
>
>
>All this activity means that only two of the seven alvums that entered in
>the Top 10 last week are still there - and impressively, Paul McCartney is
>one of them. The biggest dropper of all is Marilyn Manson's 8-37, but I
>should imagine the one that's goiing to cause the most panic is Mutya Buena
>(10-24).

It's hardly unusual for ex girl-band members to struggle to sell albums, 
though.

BTW, I heard that her replacement in the Sugababes (Amelie) may be 
getting booted. She's apparently been missing recording sessions to 
support her boyfriend, who is on trial.
>
>> Next Week
>> ---------
>> Singles
>> -------
>> I can't see Rihanna holding on again, so I guess it'll be a nightmare
>> choice between Lee Mead & Take That. The former being the slightly lesser
>> of two evils.
>
>I reckon it's between Lee Mead & Lee Mead.

Given his mediocre download position, I think I overplayed his 
challenge.
>
>> Top 10 : Take That,
>
>Looking at how it's done on downloads (remember, 'Shine' was Number 10 the
>week before the physical came out) I think this is shaping up to be their
>smallest hit in a long while.

That would still apply even if they were #2, though.
>
>>Chemical Brothers
>
>Hmm. There or thereabouts I'd say.

This is almost as bad as 'Galvanize'
>
>> Top 20 : Editors,
>
>Not to be ruled out entirely for the Top 10, I think, as it's the big
>comeback thing.

Where did they go, then?
>
>>Gwen Stefani
>
>Not out on physicals until the 25th, AFAIK.

So?
>
>>Mel C,
>
>Maybe.

For an ex-Spice single, it's better than average.
>
>>Avril Lavigne,
>
>From Number 32, I'm not sure that even counts as a prediction. ;-)

Often I don't bother going back checking my 'next week' predictions 
after I find out this week's positions.
>
>>Gareth Gates,
>
>Hmm... this is the track that R2 were playing when 'Changes' came out, and
>that single did a lot better than we thought, so I wouldn't put it past this
>one to shift a bit better.

OK, give it on place higher then. :)
>
>> Albums
>> ------
>> It'll be a straight fight between Enrique Iglesias & the White Stripes for
>> #1. My money would be on the latter, *just*.
>
>Considering that Enrique's only previous Number One album was in the "soft"
>February chart while he was at the top of the singles chart, and that his
>other English albums peaked at 13 and 81, I think he'll be lucky to get
>close.

I didn't look *when* his album was #1 - I just saw #1 & 71 weeks on 
chart.
>
>>Ray Lamontagne
>
>Why the obession with Ray Lamontagne? This album's been out for months
>already.

Then why was it listed as a new release for 18/6 then?
>
>It is a quiet week, but don't put it past Gallows

Who?

> to do an Enter Shikari.
-- 
Paul Hyett, Cheltenham (change 'invalid83261' to 'blueyonder' to email me)

"Paul Hyett"  wrote in message 
news:N2pm$TDlgYdGFwJC@blueyonder.co.uk...
> Singles
> -------
> Rihanna remains at #1 for a 5th, and probably last, week.
>
> New Entries/Climbers
> --------------------
> Top 10 : White Stripes #2,

First-ever title track to a White Stripes album, trivia fans.
And though it's hardly the most commercial piece of music they've ever 
released, it becomes the highest-charting single as a duo, although Jack 
White also reached Number 2 as an uncredited guest vocalist with Electric 
Six.
I'm an unashamed fan of this, apart from that rather lame fade-out at the 
end.

>Enrique Iglesias #3,

His first single since March 2004, not that I'd really noticed.
'Do You Know?' (not the Michelle Gayle song) is subtitled 'The Ping-Pong 
Song' because of the percussion used on some edits of the track. It's easy 
to see why he'd get bored enough of listening to this to drift off into a 
game of table-tennis, but it's not the first time it's ever been done.

> Kelly Rowland #4,

Winning the little-publicised Battle Of The Kellys with a track that's 
noticeably more RnB-flavoured than her previous solo work, possibly because 
this has now become her day job.
Mind you, she does sound rather like a guest star on her own song.

>Kelly Clarkson #9

Almost a stealth release for this, amid reputed fall-outs with management 
and record company, and a US tour cancelled for lack of interest. All of 
which is approximately 7000 times more interesting than the sub-Avril 
whinefest on the CD. Produced by the same bloke as the new Paul McCartney 
album.

> Top 20 : Holloways #14,

A remix of last year's minor hit, which ironically sounds even more like 
Madness than the original Langer/Winstanley production.
It's not entirely clear why they need a generator, unless this song is about 
a post-apocalyptic dystopia. For that matter, it's not totally clear why 
people are paying money for a song about taping music off the radio.

> Marillion #15,

As per usual.

>Maximo Park #16,

Not as obvious a single as 'Our Velocity', which I guess is why they put 
that one out first. But there are some fine lyrics in here and it deservedly 
expands their run of, er, Top 21 hits.
B-sides across the various formats include their unique version of '500 
Miles' and another in their series of obituary songs, 'Don McPhee'.

> Lee Mead #18,

The Any Dream Will Do Winner. Out on CD tomorrow.

> Fray #19

As I mentioned last week, this has been bouncing about the lower reaches of 
the chart for ages, but only just crept into the Top 40 last week; I'd be 
inclined to attribute this to people downloading it out of curiosity to find 
out whether the Fray have enough good songs to justify the price of an 
album.



No.

> Top 30 : Koopa #21,

Second opportunistic Top 40 hit. Just like that.
As it's called 'One Of Song For The Summer' we can at least hope they won't 
release another one for six months or so.

> Editors #30

Out tomorrow on CD & 7"s.

> Top 40 : Avril Lavigne #32,

Out on CD on the 2nd of July.

> Erasure #33,

'Sunday Girl' is not, as might have been expected, a cover of the Blondie 
hit, but a new song which Vince Clarke says was written in a hotel room in 
the afternoon.
I may have said this before, but what the hell happened to Andy Bell's 
voice?

> Gossip #39

Another act revisiting old material, in this case a re-recording of a song 
that peaked at 88 last July before the breakthrough of 'Standing In The Way 
Of Control'.

> New outside the top 40 : MCR #42,

Fourth selection from the Black Parade. Out on 9th of July.

>Rumble Strips #46,

Second near miss of the year.
Available on two picture discs (with oddly similar pictures) and a CD 
featuring their cover of 'Back To Black'.

>Justice v Simian #48,

Actually, this one is just Justice (French dance duo Xavier de Rosnay and 
Gaspard Auge) - the hit credited to Justice Vs Simian was their remix of a 
Simian track. On that evidence, they need the right source material.

> Cherry Ghost #49,

Out on CD & 7" on the 25th.

>Richard Grey #52,

Well, he's got the dirty old man video and the obvious Eighties sample but 
somehow it hasn't sold this time.

> Fergie #60,

I've yet to hear this, but I'm guessing it's not the Four Seasons song. I'm 
sure I'll find out by the 16th of next month.

> Natasha Bedingfield #70

Out on CD on the 2nd July.

Note also the bottom end of the Top 75 reflects the top, with old tracks by 
the White Stripes and Enrique at 74 and 75 respectively.

> Albums
> ------
>
> The Travelling Wilburys (someone I'd never heard of >until a week ago)

Well, if bands are going to appear out of nowhere and have success so 
quickly... ;-)

> claim the #1 spot in a low sales week.

Aren't they all low sales weeks now?
They were of course the supergroup famously convened by George Harrison to 
record a 12" B-side.
This package combines both their previous chart albums (Volume 1 and Volume 
3 - oh you crazy guys!) with four additional tracks and a DVD. As the 
material has been out of print for over a decade, it's no surprise that 
there was pent-up demand, but this is an even greater success than I think 
most people predicted.
It's Tom Petty's first UK Number One album, but the other members have all 
topped the chart before now: Harrison last did so as a member of The Beatles 
in 2000, Roy Orbison did it (albeit posthumously) in 1989, Jeff Lynne's last 
one was in 1981 with the Electric Light Orchestra. Perhaps surprisingly, Bob 
Dylan was last at the top on the Concert For Bangladesh album in 1972, which 
of course also features George Harrison.

> NE's (top 20) : Bon Jovi #2,

If we forget Jon Bovi's solo career (and if only we could!) Lost Highway is 
their 10th studio album. And as the title hints, they're attempting to 
pursue a new country direction, complete with guest spots for Big & Rich and 
LeeAn Rimes. Of course, Bon Jovi being Bon Jovi, it's so watered-down you 
wouldn't know it was country if they didn't tell you.

> Police #3,

Fourth hits collection to chart, if you include the one they had to share 
with Sting.
The UK edition is a 30-track double CD which begins with their obscure debut 
single 'Fall Out' (not on any of their previous compilations, AFAIK) and 
covers all the UK hits from their original career (they spare you all the 
dodgy remixes) and various album cuts. In fact, no fewer than eight tracks 
from the Synchronicity album make the cut, which is surely a bit much.

> QOTSA #7,

Fifth album by the group (if you can call them that) includes guest spots 
from Julian Casablancas and (in the UK) Trent Reznor. It also recyles a song 
from Josh Homme's side-project Desert Sessions.

>Rod Stewart #20

The Seventies Collection. Which is certainly a better idea than the Eighties 
Collection or the Nineties Collection, but it's a slight misnomer - as he 
changed record labels in 1975, this is really more like The First Half Of 
The Seventies Collection. At least that means no 'Sailing' though.

> Plus re-entry at #9 for The Who.

A re-release of their 2004 compilation Then And Now, featuring last year's 
accurately-titled 'It's Not Enough'.
On the positive side, they removed one of the 2004 recordings to make room - 
at least they're not deluded enough to have displaced one of the classic 
tracks.

> New outside the top 20 : Van Morrison #23,

Now, I've never been a fan of his, but I have to admit the the first Best Of 
was a very well-compiled package, so much so in fact that there wasn't 
really much decent material left for Volume 2.
This third volume at least has 14 years of recordings to draw from and even 
a couple of Top 40 singles, but stretching it out to a double CD means a lot 
of collaborations and re-recordings of old songs. There's a new duet with 
Tom Jones too.

>Tiny Dancers #64,

We used to get milk at my primary school.

> Alfie Boe #72

Is this a real new entry or a re-entry? It came out in March.

> Also, re-entries for John Lennon #30,

Another one that's semi-new - it's the Sight & Sound edition of Lennon 
Legend, which combines the existing CD and DVD releases of that title. I 
presume sales of the original CD would be combined, if any.

>Aerosmith #44

Also adding a bonus DVD, but with only four promo videos. And not even the 
four you'd expect.

Muse are also back at 69 with the Tour Edition of Black Holes & Revelations, 
which appends three videos and four live performances.

All this activity means that only two of the seven alvums that entered in 
the Top 10 last week are still there - and impressively, Paul McCartney is 
one of them. The biggest dropper of all is Marilyn Manson's 8-37, but I 
should imagine the one that's goiing to cause the most panic is Mutya Buena 
(10-24).

> Next Week
> ---------
> Singles
> -------
> I can't see Rihanna holding on again, so I guess it'll be a nightmare 
> choice between Lee Mead & Take That. The former being the slightly lesser 
> of two evils.

I reckon it's between Lee Mead & Lee Mead. Or possibly Lee Mead & Rihanna.

> Top 10 : Take That,

Looking at how it's done on downloads (remember, 'Shine' was Number 10 the 
week before the physical came out) I think this is shaping up to be their 
smallest hit in a long while. And not undeservedly so.
That said (er, no pun intended) it might very well manage the Top 10.

>Chemical Brothers

Hmm. There or thereabouts I'd say.

> Top 20 : Editors,

Not to be ruled out entirely for the Top 10, I think, as it's the big 
comeback thing.

>Gwen Stefani

Not out on physicals until the 25th, AFAIK.

> Top 30 : Ash,

Still a pre-album single, so I'd slate it for about 19 or 20.

>Just Jack,

Much as I like this, I can't realistically see it outperforming 'Glory 
Days'.

>Mel C,

Maybe.

>Simon Webbe,

He needs it.

>Avril Lavigne,

From Number 32, I'm not sure that even counts as a prediction. ;-)

> Enemy

Again we're ahead of physicals. But I've checked and it is coming out as a 
download tomorrow.

> Top 40 : Andrea Corr,

Hard to tell. Much spun on R2, but then so was the last Corrs single.

> Enter Shikari,

Seems logical.

>Gareth Gates,

Hmm... this is the track that R2 were playing when 'Changes' came out, and 
that single did a lot better than we thought, so I wouldn't put it past this 
one to shift a bit better.

>MCR,

See Av-Lav.

>Cherry Ghost

And again, I suppose.

Also, Pharoahe Monch has been doing moderately well on airplay, although I 
can see that downloads might be a problem. ;-)
Art Brut have had near misses before and are on a major now, Air Traffic 
were already on one.

> Albums
> ------
> It'll be a straight fight between Enrique Iglesias & the White Stripes for 
> #1. My money would be on the latter, *just*.

Considering that Enrique's only previous Number One album was in the "soft" 
February chart while he was at the top of the singles chart, and that his 
other English albums peaked at 13 and 81, I think he'll be lucky to get 
close.

> Top 20 NE : Calvin Harris,

Yes. At least initially, it's bound to sell from the singles.

>Ray Lamontagne

Why the obession with Ray Lamontagne? This album's been out for months 
already.

It is a quiet week, but don't put it past Gallows to do an Enter Shikari.

    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, 17 Jun 2007, Chris Brown 
 wrote :

>> Singles
>> -------
>> Rihanna remains at #1 for a 5th, and probably last, week.
>>
>> New Entries/Climbers
>> --------------------
>> Top 10 : White Stripes #2,
>
>First-ever title track to a White Stripes album, trivia fans.

Huh? Surely it's their 5th album?

>And though it's hardly the most commercial piece of music they've ever
>released

You can say that again! :(

>, it becomes the highest-charting single as a duo, although Jack
>White also reached Number 2 as an uncredited guest vocalist with Electric
>Six.

>I'm an unashamed fan of this, apart from that rather lame fade-out at the
>end.

I find it unlistenably discordant. There's no flow, with chunks 
seemingly stuck in randomly. I had similar issues with Bodyrox 'Yeah 
Yeah'.
>
>>Enrique Iglesias #3,
>
>His first single since March 2004

That would be the Kelis duet?
>
>> Kelly Rowland #4,
>
>Winning the little-publicised Battle Of The Kellys with a track that's
>noticeably more RnB-flavoured than her previous solo work, possibly because
>this has now become her day job.
>Mind you, she does sound rather like a guest star on her own song.

IMO she should have called it quits after Destiny's Child.
>
>>Kelly Clarkson #9
>
>Almost a stealth release for this, amid reputed fall-outs with management
>and record company, and a US tour cancelled for lack of interest.

Can't understand why her star seems to have faded so fast after the 
massively successful 'Breakaway'

>All of
>which is approximately 7000 times more interesting than the sub-Avril
>whinefest on the CD.

That didn't hurt her previous album... :)
>
>> Top 20 : Holloways #14,
>
>A remix of last year's minor hit, which ironically sounds even more like
>Madness than the original Langer/Winstanley production.

You think so?

>It's not entirely clear why they need a generator, unless this song is about
>a post-apocalyptic dystopia. For that matter, it's not totally clear why
>people are paying money for a song about taping music off the radio.

Who *tapes* music nowadays, anyway? :)
>
>>Maximo Park #16,
>
>Not as obvious a single as 'Our Velocity', which I guess is why they put
>that one out first. But there are some fine lyrics in here and it deservedly
>expands their run of, er, Top 21 hits.

A rather arbitrary limit?
>
>> Fray #19
>
>As I mentioned last week, this has been bouncing about the lower reaches of
>the chart for ages, but only just crept into the Top 40 last week; I'd be
>inclined to attribute this to people downloading it out of curiosity to find
>out whether the Fray have enough good songs to justify the price of an
>album.

They don't have enough good songs to justify buying a one-track single. 
Their 'How To Save A Life' was the biggest dirge I've heard in many 
years.
>
>> Top 40 : Avril Lavigne #32,
>
>Out on CD on the 2nd of July.

I don't think her voice is really strong enough for power ballads - she 
should stick to pop/rock like Sk8er Boy & Girlfriend.
>
>> New outside the top 40 : MCR #42,
>
>Fourth selection from the Black Parade. Out on 9th of July.

I can't see it making much further progress until then.
>
>> Cherry Ghost #49,
>
>Out on CD & 7" on the 25th.

This one has really been pulling in the radio airplay, but very little 
TV play, oddly (though fortunately) enough.
>
>> Natasha Bedingfield #70
>
>Out on CD on the 2nd July.

Better than the last one, at least.
>
>Note also the bottom end of the Top 75 reflects the top, with old tracks by
>the White Stripes and Enrique at 74 and 75 respectively.

73 & 74, actually.
>
>> Albums
>> ------
>>
>> The Travelling Wilburys (someone I'd never heard of >until a week ago)
>
>Well, if bands are going to appear out of nowhere and have success so
>quickly... ;-)

Well, they *did* emerge during my off period, and had limited success as 
a combo...
>
>> claim the #1 spot in a low sales week.
>
>Aren't they all low sales weeks now?

I wouldn't describe 100k+ as low.

In any case, given the artists lining up new album releases in the 
autumn, that trend should be reversed.

>This package combines both their previous chart albums (Volume 1 and Volume
>3 - oh you crazy guys!)

What happened to 2?
>
>> NE's (top 20) : Bon Jovi #2,
>
>If we forget Jon Bovi's solo career (and if only we could!) Lost Highway is
>their 10th studio album. And as the title hints

How on earth does a name like 'Lost Highway' hint at country music?

>, they're attempting to
>pursue a new country direction, complete with guest spots for Big & Rich and
>LeeAn Rimes. Of course, Bon Jovi being Bon Jovi, it's so watered-down you
>wouldn't know it was country if they didn't tell you.

When did they tell anyone?
>
>> Police #3,
>
>Fourth hits collection to chart, if you include the one they had to share
>with Sting.

There must be a lot of careless people who've damaged their old Police 
LP's & CD's, that's all I can say...
>
>>Rod Stewart #20
>
>The Seventies Collection. Which is certainly a better idea than the Eighties
>Collection or the Nineties Collection, but it's a slight misnomer - as he
>changed record labels in 1975, this is really more like The First Half Of
>The Seventies Collection. At least that means no 'Sailing' though.

But that was his *best* single!
>
>>Tiny Dancers #64,
>
>We used to get milk at my primary school.

Before Thatcher snatched it? :)
>
>> Alfie Boe #72
>
>Is this a real new entry or a re-entry? It came out in March.

Buzzjack said NE, so I didn't check.
>
>
>All this activity means that only two of the seven alvums that entered in
>the Top 10 last week are still there - and impressively, Paul McCartney is
>one of them. The biggest dropper of all is Marilyn Manson's 8-37, but I
>should imagine the one that's goiing to cause the most panic is Mutya Buena
>(10-24).

It's hardly unusual for ex girl-band members to struggle to sell albums, 
though.

BTW, I heard that her replacement in the Sugababes (Amelie) may be 
getting booted. She's apparently been missing recording sessions to 
support her boyfriend, who is on trial.
>
>> Next Week
>> ---------
>> Singles
>> -------
>> I can't see Rihanna holding on again, so I guess it'll be a nightmare
>> choice between Lee Mead & Take That. The former being the slightly lesser
>> of two evils.
>
>I reckon it's between Lee Mead & Lee Mead.

Given his mediocre download position, I think I overplayed his 
challenge.
>
>> Top 10 : Take That,
>
>Looking at how it's done on downloads (remember, 'Shine' was Number 10 the
>week before the physical came out) I think this is shaping up to be their
>smallest hit in a long while.

That would still apply even if they were #2, though.
>
>>Chemical Brothers
>
>Hmm. There or thereabouts I'd say.

This is almost as bad as 'Galvanize'
>
>> Top 20 : Editors,
>
>Not to be ruled out entirely for the Top 10, I think, as it's the big
>comeback thing.

Where did they go, then?
>
>>Gwen Stefani
>
>Not out on physicals until the 25th, AFAIK.

So?
>
>>Mel C,
>
>Maybe.

For an ex-Spice single, it's better than average.
>
>>Avril Lavigne,
>
>From Number 32, I'm not sure that even counts as a prediction. ;-)

Often I don't bother going back checking my 'next week' predictions 
after I find out this week's positions.
>
>>Gareth Gates,
>
>Hmm... this is the track that R2 were playing when 'Changes' came out, and
>that single did a lot better than we thought, so I wouldn't put it past this
>one to shift a bit better.

OK, give it on place higher then. :)
>
>> Albums
>> ------
>> It'll be a straight fight between Enrique Iglesias & the White Stripes for
>> #1. My money would be on the latter, *just*.
>
>Considering that Enrique's only previous Number One album was in the "soft"
>February chart while he was at the top of the singles chart, and that his
>other English albums peaked at 13 and 81, I think he'll be lucky to get
>close.

I didn't look *when* his album was #1 - I just saw #1 & 71 weeks on 
chart.
>
>>Ray Lamontagne
>
>Why the obession with Ray Lamontagne? This album's been out for months
>already.

Then why was it listed as a new release for 18/6 then?
>
>It is a quiet week, but don't put it past Gallows

Who?

> to do an Enter Shikari.
-- 
Paul Hyett, Cheltenham (change 'invalid83261' to 'blueyonder' to email me)

"Paul Hyett"  wrote in message 
news:N2pm$TDlgYdGFwJC@blueyonder.co.uk...
> Singles
> -------
> Rihanna remains at #1 for a 5th, and probably last, week.
>
> New Entries/Climbers
> --------------------
> Top 10 : White Stripes #2,

First-ever title track to a White Stripes album, trivia fans.
And though it's hardly the most commercial piece of music they've ever 
released, it becomes the highest-charting single as a duo, although Jack 
White also reached Number 2 as an uncredited guest vocalist with Electric 
Six.
I'm an unashamed fan of this, apart from that rather lame fade-out at the 
end.

>Enrique Iglesias #3,

His first single since March 2004, not that I'd really noticed.
'Do You Know?' (not the Michelle Gayle song) is subtitled 'The Ping-Pong 
Song' because of the percussion used on some edits of the track. It's easy 
to see why he'd get bored enough of listening to this to drift off into a 
game of table-tennis, but it's not the first time it's ever been done.

> Kelly Rowland #4,

Winning the little-publicised Battle Of The Kellys with a track that's 
noticeably more RnB-flavoured than her previous solo work, possibly because 
this has now become her day job.
Mind you, she does sound rather like a guest star on her own song.

>Kelly Clarkson #9

Almost a stealth release for this, amid reputed fall-outs with management 
and record company, and a US tour cancelled for lack of interest. All of 
which is approximately 7000 times more interesting than the sub-Avril 
whinefest on the CD. Produced by the same bloke as the new Paul McCartney 
album.

> Top 20 : Holloways #14,

A remix of last year's minor hit, which ironically sounds even more like 
Madness than the original Langer/Winstanley production.
It's not entirely clear why they need a generator, unless this song is about 
a post-apocalyptic dystopia. For that matter, it's not totally clear why 
people are paying money for a song about taping music off the radio.

> Marillion #15,

As per usual.

>Maximo Park #16,

Not as obvious a single as 'Our Velocity', which I guess is why they put 
that one out first. But there are some fine lyrics in here and it deservedly 
expands their run of, er, Top 21 hits.
B-sides across the various formats include their unique version of '500 
Miles' and another in their series of obituary songs, 'Don McPhee'.

> Lee Mead #18,

The Any Dream Will Do Winner. Out on CD tomorrow.

> Fray #19

As I mentioned last week, this has been bouncing about the lower reaches of 
the chart for ages, but only just crept into the Top 40 last week; I'd be 
inclined to attribute this to people downloading it out of curiosity to find 
out whether the Fray have enough good songs to justify the price of an 
album.



No.

> Top 30 : Koopa #21,

Second opportunistic Top 40 hit. Just like that.
As it's called 'One Of Song For The Summer' we can at least hope they won't 
release another one for six months or so.

> Editors #30

Out tomorrow on CD & 7"s.

> Top 40 : Avril Lavigne #32,

Out on CD on the 2nd of July.

> Erasure #33,

'Sunday Girl' is not, as might have been expected, a cover of the Blondie 
hit, but a new song which Vince Clarke says was written in a hotel room in 
the afternoon.
I may have said this before, but what the hell happened to Andy Bell's 
voice?

> Gossip #39

Another act revisiting old material, in this case a re-recording of a song 
that peaked at 88 last July before the breakthrough of 'Standing In The Way 
Of Control'.

> New outside the top 40 : MCR #42,

Fourth selection from the Black Parade. Out on 9th of July.

>Rumble Strips #46,

Second near miss of the year.
Available on two picture discs (with oddly similar pictures) and a CD 
featuring their cover of 'Back To Black'.

>Justice v Simian #48,

Actually, this one is just Justice (French dance duo Xavier de Rosnay and 
Gaspard Auge) - the hit credited to Justice Vs Simian was their remix of a 
Simian track. On that evidence, they need the right source material.

> Cherry Ghost #49,

Out on CD & 7" on the 25th.

>Richard Grey #52,

Well, he's got the dirty old man video and the obvious Eighties sample but 
somehow it hasn't sold this time.

> Fergie #60,

I've yet to hear this, but I'm guessing it's not the Four Seasons song. I'm 
sure I'll find out by the 16th of next month.

> Natasha Bedingfield #70

Out on CD on the 2nd July.

Note also the bottom end of the Top 75 reflects the top, with old tracks by 
the White Stripes and Enrique at 74 and 75 respectively.

> Albums
> ------
>
> The Travelling Wilburys (someone I'd never heard of >until a week ago)

Well, if bands are going to appear out of nowhere and have success so 
quickly... ;-)

> claim the #1 spot in a low sales week.

Aren't they all low sales weeks now?
They were of course the supergroup famously convened by George Harrison to 
record a 12" B-side.
This package combines both their previous chart albums (Volume 1 and Volume 
3 - oh you crazy guys!) with four additional tracks and a DVD. As the 
material has been out of print for over a decade, it's no surprise that 
there was pent-up demand, but this is an even greater success than I think 
most people predicted.
It's Tom Petty's first UK Number One album, but the other members have all 
topped the chart before now: Harrison last did so as a member of The Beatles 
in 2000, Roy Orbison did it (albeit posthumously) in 1989, Jeff Lynne's last 
one was in 1981 with the Electric Light Orchestra. Perhaps surprisingly, Bob 
Dylan was last at the top on the Concert For Bangladesh album in 1972, which 
of course also features George Harrison.

> NE's (top 20) : Bon Jovi #2,

If we forget Jon Bovi's solo career (and if only we could!) Lost Highway is 
their 10th studio album. And as the title hints, they're attempting to 
pursue a new country direction, complete with guest spots for Big & Rich and 
LeeAn Rimes. Of course, Bon Jovi being Bon Jovi, it's so watered-down you 
wouldn't know it was country if they didn't tell you.

> Police #3,

Fourth hits collection to chart, if you include the one they had to share 
with Sting.
The UK edition is a 30-track double CD which begins with their obscure debut 
single 'Fall Out' (not on any of their previous compilations, AFAIK) and 
covers all the UK hits from their original career (they spare you all the 
dodgy remixes) and various album cuts. In fact, no fewer than eight tracks 
from the Synchronicity album make the cut, which is surely a bit much.

> QOTSA #7,

Fifth album by the group (if you can call them that) includes guest spots 
from Julian Casablancas and (in the UK) Trent Reznor. It also recyles a song 
from Josh Homme's side-project Desert Sessions.

>Rod Stewart #20

The Seventies Collection. Which is certainly a better idea than the Eighties 
Collection or the Nineties Collection, but it's a slight misnomer - as he 
changed record labels in 1975, this is really more like The First Half Of 
The Seventies Collection. At least that means no 'Sailing' though.

> Plus re-entry at #9 for The Who.

A re-release of their 2004 compilation Then And Now, featuring last year's 
accurately-titled 'It's Not Enough'.
On the positive side, they removed one of the 2004 recordings to make room - 
at least they're not deluded enough to have displaced one of the classic 
tracks.

> New outside the top 20 : Van Morrison #23,

Now, I've never been a fan of his, but I have to admit the the first Best Of 
was a very well-compiled package, so much so in fact that there wasn't 
really much decent material left for Volume 2.
This third volume at least has 14 years of recordings to draw from and even 
a couple of Top 40 singles, but stretching it out to a double CD means a lot 
of collaborations and re-recordings of old songs. There's a new duet with 
Tom Jones too.

>Tiny Dancers #64,

We used to get milk at my primary school.

> Alfie Boe #72

Is this a real new entry or a re-entry? It came out in March.

> Also, re-entries for John Lennon #30,

Another one that's semi-new - it's the Sight & Sound edition of Lennon 
Legend, which combines the existing CD and DVD releases of that title. I 
presume sales of the original CD would be combined, if any.

>Aerosmith #44

Also adding a bonus DVD, but with only four promo videos. And not even the 
four you'd expect.

Muse are also back at 69 with the Tour Edition of Black Holes & Revelations, 
which appends three videos and four live performances.

All this activity means that only two of the seven alvums that entered in 
the Top 10 last week are still there - and impressively, Paul McCartney is 
one of them. The biggest dropper of all is Marilyn Manson's 8-37, but I 
should imagine the one that's goiing to cause the most panic is Mutya Buena 
(10-24).

> Next Week
> ---------
> Singles
> -------
> I can't see Rihanna holding on again, so I guess it'll be a nightmare 
> choice between Lee Mead & Take That. The former being the slightly lesser 
> of two evils.

I reckon it's between Lee Mead & Lee Mead. Or possibly Lee Mead & Rihanna.

> Top 10 : Take That,

Looking at how it's done on downloads (remember, 'Shine' was Number 10 the 
week before the physical came out) I think this is shaping up to be their 
smallest hit in a long while. And not undeservedly so.
That said (er, no pun intended) it might very well manage the Top 10.

>Chemical Brothers

Hmm. There or thereabouts I'd say.

> Top 20 : Editors,

Not to be ruled out entirely for the Top 10, I think, as it's the big 
comeback thing.

>Gwen Stefani

Not out on physicals until the 25th, AFAIK.

> Top 30 : Ash,

Still a pre-album single, so I'd slate it for about 19 or 20.

>Just Jack,

Much as I like this, I can't realistically see it outperforming 'Glory 
Days'.

>Mel C,

Maybe.

>Simon Webbe,

He needs it.

>Avril Lavigne,

From Number 32, I'm not sure that even counts as a prediction. ;-)

> Enemy

Again we're ahead of physicals. But I've checked and it is coming out as a 
download tomorrow.

> Top 40 : Andrea Corr,

Hard to tell. Much spun on R2, but then so was the last Corrs single.

> Enter Shikari,

Seems logical.

>Gareth Gates,

Hmm... this is the track that R2 were playing when 'Changes' came out, and 
that single did a lot better than we thought, so I wouldn't put it past this 
one to shift a bit better.

>MCR,

See Av-Lav.

>Cherry Ghost

And again, I suppose.

Also, Pharoahe Monch has been doing moderately well on airplay, although I 
can see that downloads might be a problem. ;-)
Art Brut have had near misses before and are on a major now, Air Traffic 
were already on one.

> Albums
> ------
> It'll be a straight fight between Enrique Iglesias & the White Stripes for 
> #1. My money would be on the latter, *just*.

Considering that Enrique's only previous Number One album was in the "soft" 
February chart while he was at the top of the singles chart, and that his 
other English albums peaked at 13 and 81, I think he'll be lucky to get 
close.

> Top 20 NE : Calvin Harris,

Yes. At least initially, it's bound to sell from the singles.

>Ray Lamontagne

Why the obession with Ray Lamontagne? This album's been out for months 
already.

It is a quiet week, but don't put it past Gallows to do an Enter Shikari.

    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, 17 Jun 2007, Chris Brown 
 wrote :

>> Singles
>> -------
>> Rihanna remains at #1 for a 5th, and probably last, week.
>>
>> New Entries/Climbers
>> --------------------
>> Top 10 : White Stripes #2,
>
>First-ever title track to a White Stripes album, trivia fans.

Huh? Surely it's their 5th album?

>And though it's hardly the most commercial piece of music they've ever
>released

You can say that again! :(

>, it becomes the highest-charting single as a duo, although Jack
>White also reached Number 2 as an uncredited guest vocalist with Electric
>Six.

>I'm an unashamed fan of this, apart from that rather lame fade-out at the
>end.

I find it unlistenably discordant. There's no flow, with chunks 
seemingly stuck in randomly. I had similar issues with Bodyrox 'Yeah 
Yeah'.
>
>>Enrique Iglesias #3,
>
>His first single since March 2004

That would be the Kelis duet?
>
>> Kelly Rowland #4,
>
>Winning the little-publicised Battle Of The Kellys with a track that's
>noticeably more RnB-flavoured than her previous solo work, possibly because
>this has now become her day job.
>Mind you, she does sound rather like a guest star on her own song.

IMO she should have called it quits after Destiny's Child.
>
>>Kelly Clarkson #9
>
>Almost a stealth release for this, amid reputed fall-outs with management
>and record company, and a US tour cancelled for lack of interest.

Can't understand why her star seems to have faded so fast after the 
massively successful 'Breakaway'

>All of
>which is approximately 7000 times more interesting than the sub-Avril
>whinefest on the CD.

That didn't hurt her previous album... :)
>
>> Top 20 : Holloways #14,
>
>A remix of last year's minor hit, which ironically sounds even more like
>Madness than the original Langer/Winstanley production.

You think so?

>It's not entirely clear why they need a generator, unless this song is about
>a post-apocalyptic dystopia. For that matter, it's not totally clear why
>people are paying money for a song about taping music off the radio.

Who *tapes* music nowadays, anyway? :)
>
>>Maximo Park #16,
>
>Not as obvious a single as 'Our Velocity', which I guess is why they put
>that one out first. But there are some fine lyrics in here and it deservedly
>expands their run of, er, Top 21 hits.

A rather arbitrary limit?
>
>> Fray #19
>
>As I mentioned last week, this has been bouncing about the lower reaches of
>the chart for ages, but only just crept into the Top 40 last week; I'd be
>inclined to attribute this to people downloading it out of curiosity to find
>out whether the Fray have enough good songs to justify the price of an
>album.

They don't have enough good songs to justify buying a one-track single. 
Their 'How To Save A Life' was the biggest dirge I've heard in many 
years.
>
>> Top 40 : Avril Lavigne #32,
>
>Out on CD on the 2nd of July.

I don't think her voice is really strong enough for power ballads - she 
should stick to pop/rock like Sk8er Boy & Girlfriend.
>
>> New outside the top 40 : MCR #42,
>
>Fourth selection from the Black Parade. Out on 9th of July.

I can't see it making much further progress until then.
>
>> Cherry Ghost #49,
>
>Out on CD & 7" on the 25th.

This one has really been pulling in the radio airplay, but very little 
TV play, oddly (though fortunately) enough.
>
>> Natasha Bedingfield #70
>
>Out on CD on the 2nd July.

Better than the last one, at least.
>
>Note also the bottom end of the Top 75 reflects the top, with old tracks by
>the White Stripes and Enrique at 74 and 75 respectively.

73 & 74, actually.
>
>> Albums
>> ------
>>
>> The Travelling Wilburys (someone I'd never heard of >until a week ago)
>
>Well, if bands are going to appear out of nowhere and have success so
>quickly... ;-)

Well, they *did* emerge during my off period, and had limited success as 
a combo...
>
>> claim the #1 spot in a low sales week.
>
>Aren't they all low sales weeks now?

I wouldn't describe 100k+ as low.

In any case, given the artists lining up new album releases in the 
autumn, that trend should be reversed.

>This package combines both their previous chart albums (Volume 1 and Volume
>3 - oh you crazy guys!)

What happened to 2?
>
>> NE's (top 20) : Bon Jovi #2,
>
>If we forget Jon Bovi's solo career (and if only we could!) Lost Highway is
>their 10th studio album. And as the title hints

How on earth does a name like 'Lost Highway' hint at country music?

>, they're attempting to
>pursue a new country direction, complete with guest spots for Big & Rich and
>LeeAn Rimes. Of course, Bon Jovi being Bon Jovi, it's so watered-down you
>wouldn't know it was country if they didn't tell you.

When did they tell anyone?
>
>> Police #3,
>
>Fourth hits collection to chart, if you include the one they had to share
>with Sting.

There must be a lot of careless people who've damaged their old Police 
LP's & CD's, that's all I can say...
>
>>Rod Stewart #20
>
>The Seventies Collection. Which is certainly a better idea than the Eighties
>Collection or the Nineties Collection, but it's a slight misnomer - as he
>changed record labels in 1975, this is really more like The First Half Of
>The Seventies Collection. At least that means no 'Sailing' though.

But that was his *best* single!
>
>>Tiny Dancers #64,
>
>We used to get milk at my primary school.

Before Thatcher snatched it? :)
>
>> Alfie Boe #72
>
>Is this a real new entry or a re-entry? It came out in March.

Buzzjack said NE, so I didn't check.
>
>
>All this activity means that only two of the seven alvums that entered in
>the Top 10 last week are still there - and impressively, Paul McCartney is
>one of them. The biggest dropper of all is Marilyn Manson's 8-37, but I
>should imagine the one that's goiing to cause the most panic is Mutya Buena
>(10-24).

It's hardly unusual for ex girl-band members to struggle to sell albums, 
though.

BTW, I heard that her replacement in the Sugababes (Amelie) may be 
getting booted. She's apparently been missing recording sessions to 
support her boyfriend, who is on trial.
>
>> Next Week
>> ---------
>> Singles
>> -------
>> I can't see Rihanna holding on again, so I guess it'll be a nightmare
>> choice between Lee Mead & Take That. The former being the slightly lesser
>> of two evils.
>
>I reckon it's between Lee Mead & Lee Mead.

Given his mediocre download position, I think I overplayed his 
challenge.
>
>> Top 10 : Take That,
>
>Looking at how it's done on downloads (remember, 'Shine' was Number 10 the
>week before the physical came out) I think this is shaping up to be their
>smallest hit in a long while.

That would still apply even if they were #2, though.
>
>>Chemical Brothers
>
>Hmm. There or thereabouts I'd say.

This is almost as bad as 'Galvanize'
>
>> Top 20 : Editors,
>
>Not to be ruled out entirely for the Top 10, I think, as it's the big
>comeback thing.

Where did they go, then?
>
>>Gwen Stefani
>
>Not out on physicals until the 25th, AFAIK.

So?
>
>>Mel C,
>
>Maybe.

For an ex-Spice single, it's better than average.
>
>>Avril Lavigne,
>
>From Number 32, I'm not sure that even counts as a prediction. ;-)

Often I don't bother going back checking my 'next week' predictions 
after I find out this week's positions.
>
>>Gareth Gates,
>
>Hmm... this is the track that R2 were playing when 'Changes' came out, and
>that single did a lot better than we thought, so I wouldn't put it past this
>one to shift a bit better.

OK, give it on place higher then. :)
>
>> Albums
>> ------
>> It'll be a straight fight between Enrique Iglesias & the White Stripes for
>> #1. My money would be on the latter, *just*.
>
>Considering that Enrique's only previous Number One album was in the "soft"
>February chart while he was at the top of the singles chart, and that his
>other English albums peaked at 13 and 81, I think he'll be lucky to get
>close.

I didn't look *when* his album was #1 - I just saw #1 & 71 weeks on 
chart.
>
>>Ray Lamontagne
>
>Why the obession with Ray Lamontagne? This album's been out for months
>already.

Then why was it listed as a new release for 18/6 then?
>
>It is a quiet week, but don't put it past Gallows

Who?

> to do an Enter Shikari.
-- 
Paul Hyett, Cheltenham (change 'invalid83261' to 'blueyonder' to email me)

"Paul Hyett"  wrote in message 
news:1MuIBCB58idGFwtu@blueyonder.co.uk...
> In uk.music.charts on Sun, 17 Jun 2007, Chris Brown 
>  wrote :
>
>>> Singles
>>> -------
>>> Rihanna remains at #1 for a 5th, and probably last, week.
>>>
>>> New Entries/Climbers
>>> --------------------
>>> Top 10 : White Stripes #2,
>>
>>First-ever title track to a White Stripes album, trivia fans.
>
> Huh? Surely it's their 5th album?

Sixth, actually, but the first one with a title track. If Jack White ever 
wrote songs called 'Elephant', 'De Stijl', or even 'The White Stripes' he 
kept them to himself.

>>And though it's hardly the most commercial piece of music they've ever
>>released
>
> You can say that again! :(

>>it's hardly the most commercial piece of music >>they've ever
>>released

>>, it becomes the highest-charting single as a duo, although Jack
>>White also reached Number 2 as an uncredited guest vocalist with Electric
>>Six.
>
>>I'm an unashamed fan of this, apart from that rather lame fade-out at the
>>end.
>
> I find it unlistenably discordant. There's no flow, with chunks seemingly 
> stuck in randomly. I had similar issues with Bodyrox 'Yeah Yeah'.

I thought that sounded much the same all the way through, rather to its 
detriment. It's probably better without Luciana though.

>>>Enrique Iglesias #3,
>>
>>His first single since March 2004
>
> That would be the Kelis duet?

Indeed so.

>>> Kelly Rowland #4,
>>
>>Winning the little-publicised Battle Of The Kellys with a track that's
>>noticeably more RnB-flavoured than her previous solo work, possibly 
>>because
>>this has now become her day job.
>>Mind you, she does sound rather like a guest star on her own song.
>
> IMO she should have called it quits after Destiny's Child.

Or even during.

>>>Kelly Clarkson #9
>>
>>Almost a stealth release for this, amid reputed fall-outs with management
>>and record company, and a US tour cancelled for lack of interest.
>
> Can't understand why her star seems to have faded so fast after the 
> massively successful 'Breakaway'

Er, have you heard this?

>>All of
>>which is approximately 7000 times more interesting than the sub-Avril
>>whinefest on the CD.
>
> That didn't hurt her previous album... :)

True.

>>> Top 20 : Holloways #14,
>>
>>A remix of last year's minor hit, which ironically sounds even more like
>>Madness than the original Langer/Winstanley production.
>
> You think so?

Yeah. For one thing, that piano break that's ripped off from 'The Prince' is 
more prominent in this version.

>>>Maximo Park #16,
>>
>>Not as obvious a single as 'Our Velocity', which I guess is why they put
>>that one out first. But there are some fine lyrics in here and it 
>>deservedly
>>expands their run of, er, Top 21 hits.
>
> A rather arbitrary limit?

Of course.

>>> Fray #19
>>
>>As I mentioned last week, this has been bouncing about the lower reaches 
>>of
>>the chart for ages, but only just crept into the Top 40 last week; I'd be
>>inclined to attribute this to people downloading it out of curiosity to 
>>find
>>out whether the Fray have enough good songs to justify the price of an
>>album.
>
> They don't have enough good songs to justify buying a one-track single.

You know that, I know that...

> Their 'How To Save A Life' was the biggest dirge I've heard in many years.

....Until you heard this one?

>>> Top 40 : Avril Lavigne #32,
>>
>>Out on CD on the 2nd of July.
>
> I don't think her voice is really strong enough for power ballads - she 
> should stick to pop/rock like Sk8er Boy & Girlfriend.

Or instrumentals?

>>> New outside the top 40 : MCR #42,
>>
>>Fourth selection from the Black Parade. Out on 9th of July.
>
> I can't see it making much further progress until then.

At least two places more, though, presumably.

>>> Cherry Ghost #49,
>>
>>Out on CD & 7" on the 25th.
>
> This one has really been pulling in the radio airplay, but very little TV 
> play, oddly (though fortunately) enough.

Maybe he's really ugly?

>>> Natasha Bedingfield #70
>>
>>Out on CD on the 2nd July.
>
> Better than the last one, at least.

How could it not be?

>>Note also the bottom end of the Top 75 reflects the top, with old tracks 
>>by
>>the White Stripes and Enrique at 74 and 75 respectively.
>
> 73 & 74, actually.

Well, 74 and 73 respectively. Hence the mirror-image.

>>> Albums
>>> ------
>>>
>>> The Travelling Wilburys (someone I'd never heard of >until a week ago)
>>
>>
>>Aren't they all low sales weeks now?
>
> I wouldn't describe 100k+ as low.

So, in other words, that was a lie?

>>This package combines both their previous chart albums (Volume 1 and 
>>Volume
>>3 - oh you crazy guys!)
>
> What happened to 2?

It's an in-joke.

>>> NE's (top 20) : Bon Jovi #2,
>>
>>If we forget Jon Bovi's solo career (and if only we could!) Lost Highway 
>>is
>>their 10th studio album. And as the title hints
>
> How on earth does a name like 'Lost Highway' hint at country music?

It's also the title of a famous song by Hank Williams. There's a record 
label named after it as well.

>>, they're attempting to
>>pursue a new country direction, complete with guest spots for Big & Rich 
>>and
>>LeeAn Rimes. Of course, Bon Jovi being Bon Jovi, it's so watered-down you
>>wouldn't know it was country if they didn't tell you.
>
> When did they tell anyone?

Well, they put LeeAn Rimes and Big & Rich on it.

>>> Police #3,
>>
>>Fourth hits collection to chart, if you include the one they had to share
>>with Sting.
>
> There must be a lot of careless people who've damaged their old Police 
> LP's & CD's, that's all I can say...

Careless isn't the first word I'd have used. Public-spirited, maybe?

>>>Rod Stewart #20
>>
>>The Seventies Collection. Which is certainly a better idea than the 
>>Eighties
>>Collection or the Nineties Collection, but it's a slight misnomer - as he
>>changed record labels in 1975, this is really more like The First Half Of
>>The Seventies Collection. At least that means no 'Sailing' though.
>
> But that was his *best* single!

Slightly typo there... you might have misspelt "most cringemakingly awful". 
;-)

>>>Tiny Dancers #64,
>>
>>We used to get milk at my primary school.
>
> Before Thatcher snatched it? :)

I'm not *that* old!
Spot the connection with Funeral For A Friend...

>>> Alfie Boe #72
>>
>>Is this a real new entry or a re-entry? It came out in March.
>
> Buzzjack said NE, so I didn't check.

It may not have charted before. I didn't check either.

>>All this activity means that only two of the seven alvums that entered in
>>the Top 10 last week are still there - and impressively, Paul McCartney is
>>one of them. The biggest dropper of all is Marilyn Manson's 8-37, but I
>>should imagine the one that's goiing to cause the most panic is Mutya 
>>Buena
>>(10-24).
>
> It's hardly unusual for ex girl-band members to struggle to sell albums, 
> though.

No, but this is obviously a big investment for the record company.

> BTW, I heard that her replacement in the Sugababes (Amelie) may be getting 
> booted. She's apparently been missing recording sessions to support her 
> boyfriend, who is on trial.

I've seen those stories too. But how will the band cope without her? ;-)

>>> Next Week
>>> ---------
>>> Singles
>>> -------
>>> I can't see Rihanna holding on again, so I guess it'll be a nightmare
>>> choice between Lee Mead & Take That. The former being the slightly 
>>> lesser
>>> of two evils.
>>
>>I reckon it's between Lee Mead & Lee Mead.
>
> Given his mediocre download position, I think I overplayed his challenge.

Isn't there some precedent for charity singles to sell better on physicals 
though? And of course he hasn't had a full week of digital sales.

>>> Top 10 : Take That,
>>
>>Looking at how it's done on downloads (remember, 'Shine' was Number 10 the
>>week before the physical came out) I think this is shaping up to be their
>>smallest hit in a long while.
>
> That would still apply even if they were #2, though.

That's why it was such a safe prediction!

>>>Chemical Brothers
>>
>>Hmm. There or thereabouts I'd say.
>
> This is almost as bad as 'Galvanize'

It'd probably be better without the vocal IMO.

>>> Top 20 : Editors,
>>
>>Not to be ruled out entirely for the Top 10, I think, as it's the big
>>comeback thing.
>
> Where did they go, then?

Somewhere very moody, I suppose.
It's their first actual new material for a while.

>>>Gwen Stefani
>>
>>Not out on physicals until the 25th, AFAIK.
>
> So?

So will it really leap that fast just on downloads?

>>>Mel C,
>>
>>Maybe.
>
> For an ex-Spice single, it's better than average.

It can hardly be worse than her last one, but who's to know?

>>> Albums
>>> ------
>>> It'll be a straight fight between Enrique Iglesias & the White Stripes 
>>> for
>>> #1. My money would be on the latter, *just*.
>>
>>Considering that Enrique's only previous Number One album was in the 
>>"soft"
>>February chart while he was at the top of the singles chart, and that his
>>other English albums peaked at 13 and 81, I think he'll be lucky to get
>>close.
>
> I didn't look *when* his album was #1 - I just saw #1 & 71 weeks on chart.

The timing may not be that important, but the fact that he's had a 
subsequent album do worse probably is.

>>>Ray Lamontagne
>>
>>Why the obession with Ray Lamontagne? This album's been out for months
>>already.
>
> Then why was it listed as a new release for 18/6 then?

A re-promotion, I believe. If you can call it promotion.
It charted in the Top 200 on import last September, and tickled the Top 75 
as a domestic release the following month, but his record company have been 
too busy releasing singles from the previous album to acknowledge it.

>>It is a quiet week, but don't put it past Gallows
>
> Who?
>
>> to do an Enter Shikari.

Future of punk, apparently.

    Chris

"Paul Hyett"  wrote in message 
news:N2pm$TDlgYdGFwJC@blueyonder.co.uk...
> Singles
> -------
> Rihanna remains at #1 for a 5th, and probably last, week.
>
> New Entries/Climbers
> --------------------
> Top 10 : White Stripes #2,

First-ever title track to a White Stripes album, trivia fans.
And though it's hardly the most commercial piece of music they've ever 
released, it becomes the highest-charting single as a duo, although Jack 
White also reached Number 2 as an uncredited guest vocalist with Electric 
Six.
I'm an unashamed fan of this, apart from that rather lame fade-out at the 
end.

>Enrique Iglesias #3,

His first single since March 2004, not that I'd really noticed.
'Do You Know?' (not the Michelle Gayle song) is subtitled 'The Ping-Pong 
Song' because of the percussion used on some edits of the track. It's easy 
to see why he'd get bored enough of listening to this to drift off into a 
game of table-tennis, but it's not the first time it's ever been done.

> Kelly Rowland #4,

Winning the little-publicised Battle Of The Kellys with a track that's 
noticeably more RnB-flavoured than her previous solo work, possibly because 
this has now become her day job.
Mind you, she does sound rather like a guest star on her own song.

>Kelly Clarkson #9

Almost a stealth release for this, amid reputed fall-outs with management 
and record company, and a US tour cancelled for lack of interest. All of 
which is approximately 7000 times more interesting than the sub-Avril 
whinefest on the CD. Produced by the same bloke as the new Paul McCartney 
album.

> Top 20 : Holloways #14,

A remix of last year's minor hit, which ironically sounds even more like 
Madness than the original Langer/Winstanley production.
It's not entirely clear why they need a generator, unless this song is about 
a post-apocalyptic dystopia. For that matter, it's not totally clear why 
people are paying money for a song about taping music off the radio.

> Marillion #15,

As per usual.

>Maximo Park #16,

Not as obvious a single as 'Our Velocity', which I guess is why they put 
that one out first. But there are some fine lyrics in here and it deservedly 
expands their run of, er, Top 21 hits.
B-sides across the various formats include their unique version of '500 
Miles' and another in their series of obituary songs, 'Don McPhee'.

> Lee Mead #18,

The Any Dream Will Do Winner. Out on CD tomorrow.

> Fray #19

As I mentioned last week, this has been bouncing about the lower reaches of 
the chart for ages, but only just crept into the Top 40 last week; I'd be 
inclined to attribute this to people downloading it out of curiosity to find 
out whether the Fray have enough good songs to justify the price of an 
album.



No.

> Top 30 : Koopa #21,

Second opportunistic Top 40 hit. Just like that.
As it's called 'One Of Song For The Summer' we can at least hope they won't 
release another one for six months or so.

> Editors #30

Out tomorrow on CD & 7"s.

> Top 40 : Avril Lavigne #32,

Out on CD on the 2nd of July.

> Erasure #33,

'Sunday Girl' is not, as might have been expected, a cover of the Blondie 
hit, but a new song which Vince Clarke says was written in a hotel room in 
the afternoon.
I may have said this before, but what the hell happened to Andy Bell's 
voice?

> Gossip #39

Another act revisiting old material, in this case a re-recording of a song 
that peaked at 88 last July before the breakthrough of 'Standing In The Way 
Of Control'.

> New outside the top 40 : MCR #42,

Fourth selection from the Black Parade. Out on 9th of July.

>Rumble Strips #46,

Second near miss of the year.
Available on two picture discs (with oddly similar pictures) and a CD 
featuring their cover of 'Back To Black'.

>Justice v Simian #48,

Actually, this one is just Justice (French dance duo Xavier de Rosnay and 
Gaspard Auge) - the hit credited to Justice Vs Simian was their remix of a 
Simian track. On that evidence, they need the right source material.

> Cherry Ghost #49,

Out on CD & 7" on the 25th.

>Richard Grey #52,

Well, he's got the dirty old man video and the obvious Eighties sample but 
somehow it hasn't sold this time.

> Fergie #60,

I've yet to hear this, but I'm guessing it's not the Four Seasons song. I'm 
sure I'll find out by the 16th of next month.

> Natasha Bedingfield #70

Out on CD on the 2nd July.

Note also the bottom end of the Top 75 reflects the top, with old tracks by 
the White Stripes and Enrique at 74 and 75 respectively.

> Albums
> ------
>
> The Travelling Wilburys (someone I'd never heard of >until a week ago)

Well, if bands are going to appear out of nowhere and have success so 
quickly... ;-)

> claim the #1 spot in a low sales week.

Aren't they all low sales weeks now?
They were of course the supergroup famously convened by George Harrison to 
record a 12" B-side.
This package combines both their previous chart albums (Volume 1 and Volume 
3 - oh you crazy guys!) with four additional tracks and a DVD. As the 
material has been out of print for over a decade, it's no surprise that 
there was pent-up demand, but this is an even greater success than I think 
most people predicted.
It's Tom Petty's first UK Number One album, but the other members have all 
topped the chart before now: Harrison last did so as a member of The Beatles 
in 2000, Roy Orbison did it (albeit posthumously) in 1989, Jeff Lynne's last 
one was in 1981 with the Electric Light Orchestra. Perhaps surprisingly, Bob 
Dylan was last at the top on the Concert For Bangladesh album in 1972, which 
of course also features George Harrison.

> NE's (top 20) : Bon Jovi #2,

If we forget Jon Bovi's solo career (and if only we could!) Lost Highway is 
their 10th studio album. And as the title hints, they're attempting to 
pursue a new country direction, complete with guest spots for Big & Rich and 
LeeAn Rimes. Of course, Bon Jovi being Bon Jovi, it's so watered-down you 
wouldn't know it was country if they didn't tell you.

> Police #3,

Fourth hits collection to chart, if you include the one they had to share 
with Sting.
The UK edition is a 30-track double CD which begins with their obscure debut 
single 'Fall Out' (not on any of their previous compilations, AFAIK) and 
covers all the UK hits from their original career (they spare you all the 
dodgy remixes) and various album cuts. In fact, no fewer than eight tracks 
from the Synchronicity album make the cut, which is surely a bit much.

> QOTSA #7,

Fifth album by the group (if you can call them that) includes guest spots 
from Julian Casablancas and (in the UK) Trent Reznor. It also recyles a song 
from Josh Homme's side-project Desert Sessions.

>Rod Stewart #20

The Seventies Collection. Which is certainly a better idea than the Eighties 
Collection or the Nineties Collection, but it's a slight misnomer - as he 
changed record labels in 1975, this is really more like The First Half Of 
The Seventies Collection. At least that means no 'Sailing' though.

> Plus re-entry at #9 for The Who.

A re-release of their 2004 compilation Then And Now, featuring last year's 
accurately-titled 'It's Not Enough'.
On the positive side, they removed one of the 2004 recordings to make room - 
at least they're not deluded enough to have displaced one of the classic 
tracks.

> New outside the top 20 : Van Morrison #23,

Now, I've never been a fan of his, but I have to admit the the first Best Of 
was a very well-compiled package, so much so in fact that there wasn't 
really much decent material left for Volume 2.
This third volume at least has 14 years of recordings to draw from and even 
a couple of Top 40 singles, but stretching it out to a double CD means a lot 
of collaborations and re-recordings of old songs. There's a new duet with 
Tom Jones too.

>Tiny Dancers #64,

We used to get milk at my primary school.

> Alfie Boe #72

Is this a real new entry or a re-entry? It came out in March.

> Also, re-entries for John Lennon #30,

Another one that's semi-new - it's the Sight & Sound edition of Lennon 
Legend, which combines the existing CD and DVD releases of that title. I 
presume sales of the original CD would be combined, if any.

>Aerosmith #44

Also adding a bonus DVD, but with only four promo videos. And not even the 
four you'd expect.

Muse are also back at 69 with the Tour Edition of Black Holes & Revelations, 
which appends three videos and four live performances.

All this activity means that only two of the seven alvums that entered in 
the Top 10 last week are still there - and impressively, Paul McCartney is 
one of them. The biggest dropper of all is Marilyn Manson's 8-37, but I 
should imagine the one that's goiing to cause the most panic is Mutya Buena 
(10-24).

> Next Week
> ---------
> Singles
> -------
> I can't see Rihanna holding on again, so I guess it'll be a nightmare 
> choice between Lee Mead & Take That. The former being the slightly lesser 
> of two evils.

I reckon it's between Lee Mead & Lee Mead. Or possibly Lee Mead & Rihanna.

> Top 10 : Take That,

Looking at how it's done on downloads (remember, 'Shine' was Number 10 the 
week before the physical came out) I think this is shaping up to be their 
smallest hit in a long while. And not undeservedly so.
That said (er, no pun intended) it might very well manage the Top 10.

>Chemical Brothers

Hmm. There or thereabouts I'd say.

> Top 20 : Editors,

Not to be ruled out entirely for the Top 10, I think, as it's the big 
comeback thing.

>Gwen Stefani

Not out on physicals until the 25th, AFAIK.

> Top 30 : Ash,

Still a pre-album single, so I'd slate it for about 19 or 20.

>Just Jack,

Much as I like this, I can't realistically see it outperforming 'Glory 
Days'.

>Mel C,

Maybe.

>Simon Webbe,

He needs it.

>Avril Lavigne,

From Number 32, I'm not sure that even counts as a prediction. ;-)

> Enemy

Again we're ahead of physicals. But I've checked and it is coming out as a 
download tomorrow.

> Top 40 : Andrea Corr,

Hard to tell. Much spun on R2, but then so was the last Corrs single.

> Enter Shikari,

Seems logical.

>Gareth Gates,

Hmm... this is the track that R2 were playing when 'Changes' came out, and 
that single did a lot better than we thought, so I wouldn't put it past this 
one to shift a bit better.

>MCR,

See Av-Lav.

>Cherry Ghost

And again, I suppose.

Also, Pharoahe Monch has been doing moderately well on airplay, although I 
can see that downloads might be a problem. ;-)
Art Brut have had near misses before and are on a major now, Air Traffic 
were already on one.

> Albums
> ------
> It'll be a straight fight between Enrique Iglesias & the White Stripes for 
> #1. My money would be on the latter, *just*.

Considering that Enrique's only previous Number One album was in the "soft" 
February chart while he was at the top of the singles chart, and that his 
other English albums peaked at 13 and 81, I think he'll be lucky to get 
close.

> Top 20 NE : Calvin Harris,

Yes. At least initially, it's bound to sell from the singles.

>Ray Lamontagne

Why the obession with Ray Lamontagne? This album's been out for months 
already.

It is a quiet week, but don't put it past Gallows to do an Enter Shikari.

    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, 17 Jun 2007, Chris Brown 
 wrote :

>> Singles
>> -------
>> Rihanna remains at #1 for a 5th, and probably last, week.
>>
>> New Entries/Climbers
>> --------------------
>> Top 10 : White Stripes #2,
>
>First-ever title track to a White Stripes album, trivia fans.

Huh? Surely it's their 5th album?

>And though it's hardly the most commercial piece of music they've ever
>released

You can say that again! :(

>, it becomes the highest-charting single as a duo, although Jack
>White also reached Number 2 as an uncredited guest vocalist with Electric
>Six.

>I'm an unashamed fan of this, apart from that rather lame fade-out at the
>end.

I find it unlistenably discordant. There's no flow, with chunks 
seemingly stuck in randomly. I had similar issues with Bodyrox 'Yeah 
Yeah'.
>
>>Enrique Iglesias #3,
>
>His first single since March 2004

That would be the Kelis duet?
>
>> Kelly Rowland #4,
>
>Winning the little-publicised Battle Of The Kellys with a track that's
>noticeably more RnB-flavoured than her previous solo work, possibly because
>this has now become her day job.
>Mind you, she does sound rather like a guest star on her own song.

IMO she should have called it quits after Destiny's Child.
>
>>Kelly Clarkson #9
>
>Almost a stealth release for this, amid reputed fall-outs with management
>and record company, and a US tour cancelled for lack of interest.

Can't understand why her star seems to have faded so fast after the 
massively successful 'Breakaway'

>All of
>which is approximately 7000 times more interesting than the sub-Avril
>whinefest on the CD.

That didn't hurt her previous album... :)
>
>> Top 20 : Holloways #14,
>
>A remix of last year's minor hit, which ironically sounds even more like
>Madness than the original Langer/Winstanley production.

You think so?

>It's not entirely clear why they need a generator, unless this song is about
>a post-apocalyptic dystopia. For that matter, it's not totally clear why
>people are paying money for a song about taping music off the radio.

Who *tapes* music nowadays, anyway? :)
>
>>Maximo Park #16,
>
>Not as obvious a single as 'Our Velocity', which I guess is why they put
>that one out first. But there are some fine lyrics in here and it deservedly
>expands their run of, er, Top 21 hits.

A rather arbitrary limit?
>
>> Fray #19
>
>As I mentioned last week, this has been bouncing about the lower reaches of
>the chart for ages, but only just crept into the Top 40 last week; I'd be
>inclined to attribute this to people downloading it out of curiosity to find
>out whether the Fray have enough good songs to justify the price of an
>album.

They don't have enough good songs to justify buying a one-track single. 
Their 'How To Save A Life' was the biggest dirge I've heard in many 
years.
>
>> Top 40 : Avril Lavigne #32,
>
>Out on CD on the 2nd of July.

I don't think her voice is really strong enough for power ballads - she 
should stick to pop/rock like Sk8er Boy & Girlfriend.
>
>> New outside the top 40 : MCR #42,
>
>Fourth selection from the Black Parade. Out on 9th of July.

I can't see it making much further progress until then.
>
>> Cherry Ghost #49,
>
>Out on CD & 7" on the 25th.

This one has really been pulling in the radio airplay, but very little 
TV play, oddly (though fortunately) enough.
>
>> Natasha Bedingfield #70
>
>Out on CD on the 2nd July.

Better than the last one, at least.
>
>Note also the bottom end of the Top 75 reflects the top, with old tracks by
>the White Stripes and Enrique at 74 and 75 respectively.

73 & 74, actually.
>
>> Albums
>> ------
>>
>> The Travelling Wilburys (someone I'd never heard of >until a week ago)
>
>Well, if bands are going to appear out of nowhere and have success so
>quickly... ;-)

Well, they *did* emerge during my off period, and had limited success as 
a combo...
>
>> claim the #1 spot in a low sales week.
>
>Aren't they all low sales weeks now?

I wouldn't describe 100k+ as low.

In any case, given the artists lining up new album releases in the 
autumn, that trend should be reversed.

>This package combines both their previous chart albums (Volume 1 and Volume
>3 - oh you crazy guys!)

What happened to 2?
>
>> NE's (top 20) : Bon Jovi #2,
>
>If we forget Jon Bovi's solo career (and if only we could!) Lost Highway is
>their 10th studio album. And as the title hints

How on earth does a name like 'Lost Highway' hint at country music?

>, they're attempting to
>pursue a new country direction, complete with guest spots for Big & Rich and
>LeeAn Rimes. Of course, Bon Jovi being Bon Jovi, it's so watered-down you
>wouldn't know it was country if they didn't tell you.

When did they tell anyone?
>
>> Police #3,
>
>Fourth hits collection to chart, if you include the one they had to share
>with Sting.

There must be a lot of careless people who've damaged their old Police 
LP's & CD's, that's all I can say...
>
>>Rod Stewart #20
>
>The Seventies Collection. Which is certainly a better idea than the Eighties
>Collection or the Nineties Collection, but it's a slight misnomer - as he
>changed record labels in 1975, this is really more like The First Half Of
>The Seventies Collection. At least that means no 'Sailing' though.

But that was his *best* single!
>
>>Tiny Dancers #64,
>
>We used to get milk at my primary school.

Before Thatcher snatched it? :)
>
>> Alfie Boe #72
>
>Is this a real new entry or a re-entry? It came out in March.

Buzzjack said NE, so I didn't check.
>
>
>All this activity means that only two of the seven alvums that entered in
>the Top 10 last week are still there - and impressively, Paul McCartney is
>one of them. The biggest dropper of all is Marilyn Manson's 8-37, but I
>should imagine the one that's goiing to cause the most panic is Mutya Buena
>(10-24).

It's hardly unusual for ex girl-band members to struggle to sell albums, 
though.

BTW, I heard that her replacement in the Sugababes (Amelie) may be 
getting booted. She's apparently been missing recording sessions to 
support her boyfriend, who is on trial.
>
>> Next Week
>> ---------
>> Singles
>> -------
>> I can't see Rihanna holding on again, so I guess it'll be a nightmare
>> choice between Lee Mead & Take That. The former being the slightly lesser
>> of two evils.
>
>I reckon it's between Lee Mead & Lee Mead.

Given his mediocre download position, I think I overplayed his 
challenge.
>
>> Top 10 : Take That,
>
>Looking at how it's done on downloads (remember, 'Shine' was Number 10 the
>week before the physical came out) I think this is shaping up to be their
>smallest hit in a long while.

That would still apply even if they were #2, though.
>
>>Chemical Brothers
>
>Hmm. There or thereabouts I'd say.

This is almost as bad as 'Galvanize'
>
>> Top 20 : Editors,
>
>Not to be ruled out entirely for the Top 10, I think, as it's the big
>comeback thing.

Where did they go, then?
>
>>Gwen Stefani
>
>Not out on physicals until the 25th, AFAIK.

So?
>
>>Mel C,
>
>Maybe.

For an ex-Spice single, it's better than average.
>
>>Avril Lavigne,
>
>From Number 32, I'm not sure that even counts as a prediction. ;-)

Often I don't bother going back checking my 'next week' predictions 
after I find out this week's positions.
>
>>Gareth Gates,
>
>Hmm... this is the track that R2 were playing when 'Changes' came out, and
>that single did a lot better than we thought, so I wouldn't put it past this
>one to shift a bit better.

OK, give it on place higher then. :)
>
>> Albums
>> ------
>> It'll be a straight fight between Enrique Iglesias & the White Stripes for
>> #1. My money would be on the latter, *just*.
>
>Considering that Enrique's only previous Number One album was in the "soft"
>February chart while he was at the top of the singles chart, and that his
>other English albums peaked at 13 and 81, I think he'll be lucky to get
>close.

I didn't look *when* his album was #1 - I just saw #1 & 71 weeks on 
chart.
>
>>Ray Lamontagne
>
>Why the obession with Ray Lamontagne? This album's been out for months
>already.

Then why was it listed as a new release for 18/6 then?
>
>It is a quiet week, but don't put it past Gallows

Who?

> to do an Enter Shikari.
-- 
Paul Hyett, Cheltenham (change 'invalid83261' to 'blueyonder' to email me)

"Paul Hyett"  wrote in message 
news:1MuIBCB58idGFwtu@blueyonder.co.uk...
> In uk.music.charts on Sun, 17 Jun 2007, Chris Brown 
>  wrote :
>
>>> Singles
>>> -------
>>> Rihanna remains at #1 for a 5th, and probably last, week.
>>>
>>> New Entries/Climbers
>>> --------------------
>>> Top 10 : White Stripes #2,
>>
>>First-ever title track to a White Stripes album, trivia fans.
>
> Huh? Surely it's their 5th album?

Sixth, actually, but the first one with a title track. If Jack White ever 
wrote songs called 'Elephant', 'De Stijl', or even 'The White Stripes' he 
kept them to himself.

>>And though it's hardly the most commercial piece of music they've ever
>>released
>
> You can say that again! :(

>>it's hardly the most commercial piece of music >>they've ever
>>released

>>, it becomes the highest-charting single as a duo, although Jack
>>White also reached Number 2 as an uncredited guest vocalist with Electric
>>Six.
>
>>I'm an unashamed fan of this, apart from that rather lame fade-out at the
>>end.
>
> I find it unlistenably discordant. There's no flow, with chunks seemingly 
> stuck in randomly. I had similar issues with Bodyrox 'Yeah Yeah'.

I thought that sounded much the same all the way through, rather to its 
detriment. It's probably better without Luciana though.

>>>Enrique Iglesias #3,
>>
>>His first single since March 2004
>
> That would be the Kelis duet?

Indeed so.

>>> Kelly Rowland #4,
>>
>>Winning the little-publicised Battle Of The Kellys with a track that's
>>noticeably more RnB-flavoured than her previous solo work, possibly 
>>because
>>this has now become her day job.
>>Mind you, she does sound rather like a guest star on her own song.
>
> IMO she should have called it quits after Destiny's Child.

Or even during.

>>>Kelly Clarkson #9
>>
>>Almost a stealth release for this, amid reputed fall-outs with management
>>and record company, and a US tour cancelled for lack of interest.
>
> Can't understand why her star seems to have faded so fast after the 
> massively successful 'Breakaway'

Er, have you heard this?

>>All of
>>which is approximately 7000 times more interesting than the sub-Avril
>>whinefest on the CD.
>
> That didn't hurt her previous album... :)

True.

>>> Top 20 : Holloways #14,
>>
>>A remix of last year's minor hit, which ironically sounds even more like
>>Madness than the original Langer/Winstanley production.
>
> You think so?

Yeah. For one thing, that piano break that's ripped off from 'The Prince' is 
more prominent in this version.

>>>Maximo Park #16,
>>
>>Not as obvious a single as 'Our Velocity', which I guess is why they put
>>that one out first. But there are some fine lyrics in here and it 
>>deservedly
>>expands their run of, er, Top 21 hits.
>
> A rather arbitrary limit?

Of course.

>>> Fray #19
>>
>>As I mentioned last week, this has been bouncing about the lower reaches 
>>of
>>the chart for ages, but only just crept into the Top 40 last week; I'd be
>>inclined to attribute this to people downloading it out of curiosity to 
>>find
>>out whether the Fray have enough good songs to justify the price of an
>>album.
>
> They don't have enough good songs to justify buying a one-track single.

You know that, I know that...

> Their 'How To Save A Life' was the biggest dirge I'v