Singles
-------
Rihanna easily holds on at #1 for a 4th week.

New Entries/Climbers
--------------------
Top 10 : Calvin Harris #3, Reverend & The Makers #8, Enrique Iglesias #9
Top 20 : White Stripes #13, Bob Sinclar #14, Unklejam #16, Kelly Rowland 
#18, QOTSA #19
Top 30 : Chemical Brothers #25, Klaxons #28
Top 40 : Fray #34, Ghosts #35, Corenell #37, Holloways #39

New outside the top 40 : Carbon/Silicon #59, Gwen Stefani #64

Albums
------
All change this week, with most of last week's top 10 being brushed 
aside!

Rihanna completes the double, as her 3rd album becomes her first to 
reach the top spot.

NE's (top 20) : Biffy Clyro #2, Twang #3, Paul McCartney #5, Dizzee 
Rascal #7, Marilyn Manson #8, Mutya Buena #10, Hank Marvin #13,

New outside the top 20 : Bruce Springsteen #21, Dream Theatre #25, Bob 
Marley #44, Mark Almond #53, Wiley #61


Next Week
---------
Singles
-------
Still nothing to challenge R&B babe Rihanna's dominance, with the 
possible exception of a charity single by an as yet unknown artist.

Top 10 : Enrique Iglesias (Top 3), White Stripes, Kelly Rowland, Kelly 
Clarkson
Top 20 : Chemical Brothers, Holloways, Fray
Top 30 : Gossip, Maximo Park
Top 40 : Erasure

Albums
------
I can't see any of the new albums being #1, so I'll have to say Rihanna 
again.

Top 20 NE : Bon Jovi, Enrique, Police, QOTSA, Rod Stewart, Tiny Dancers
-- 
Paul Hyett, Cheltenham (change 'invalid83261' to 'blueyonder' to email me)

Wonder how the new Marillion single chart.

>
> Next Week
> ---------
> Singles
> -------
> Still nothing to challenge R&B babe Rihanna's dominance, with the possible 
> exception of a charity single by an as yet unknown artist.
>
> Top 10 : Enrique Iglesias (Top 3), White Stripes, Kelly Rowland, Kelly 
> Clarkson
> Top 20 : Chemical Brothers, Holloways, Fray
> Top 30 : Gossip, Maximo Park
> Top 40 : Erasure

Jason Donovan should make Top 40 next week, if the promo this week is 
anything to go by!

Toast.

Paul Hyett wrote:

> Next Week
> ---------
> Singles
> -------
> Still nothing to challenge R&B babe Rihanna's dominance, with the 
> possible exception of a charity single by an as yet unknown artist.
> 
> Top 10 : Enrique Iglesias (Top 3), White Stripes, Kelly Rowland, Kelly 
> Clarkson
> Top 20 : Chemical Brothers, Holloways, Fray
> Top 30 : Gossip, Maximo Park
> Top 40 : Erasure

I wonder if the cover of the new Bowling for Soup single will put off 
potential buyers...

http://ec1.images-amazon.com/images/I/51B7QfFeyVL._SS500_.jpg

-- 
On a lonely planet spinning its way to damnation amid the fear and
despair of a broken human race, who is left to fight for all that is
good and pure and gets you smashed for under a fiver? Yes, it's the
surprising adventures of me, That Dog That Bit Tom Baker's Face!

"That Dog That Bit Tom Baker's Face"  wrote 
in message news:f4jv0n$76e$1@news.freedom2surf.net...
> Paul Hyett wrote:
>
>> Next Week
>> ---------
>> Singles
>> -------
> I wonder if the cover of the new Bowling for Soup single will put off 
> potential buyers...
>
> http://ec1.images-amazon.com/images/I/51B7QfFeyVL._SS500_.jpg

I see what you mean, but surely nobody with even the slightest modicum of 
taste would contemplate buying a Bowling For Soup single anyway?

    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:$6Bq8RAciEbGFw+r@blueyonder.co.uk...
> Singles
> -------
> Rihanna easily holds on at #1 for a 4th week.

Getting a bit boring now.

> New Entries/Climbers
> --------------------
> Top 10 : Calvin Harris #3,

Moving on from 'Acceptable In The Eighties' to a record that can surely 
never have been acceptable at any time.
I realise this isn't intended to be taken seriously, but it's another 
addition to the odd subgenre of dance records that sound a little bit too 
desperate to tell is they like girls.

>Reverend & The Makers #8,

Anyone's guess at the end of the day.

> Enrique Iglesias #9

Quite a dramatic climb. I presume he's been on some chat shows or something.

> Top 20 : White Stripes #13,

Out today on CD & 7"s.

 >Bob Sinclar #14,

Desperately running the formula into the ground. I might as well cut and 
paste my comments on one of his previous hits.

>Unklejam #16,

Climbing a lot from midweek, which seems to suggest that it's selling pretty 
poorly on physicals.
I still think this is a dreadful attempt to sound like Gnarls Barkley.

> Kelly Rowland

Out today on CD & 12".

> #18, QOTSA #19

Third Top 20 hit for Josh Homme and his varying set of backing musicians.
Possibly in some sort of allusion to the song title '3s And 7s', both 7" 
formats also include the album track 'Sick Sick Sick' plus one additional 
track. And you can fit all three physical formats into one package, although 
what you're meant to do with the other two I don't know.

> Top 30 : Chemical Brothers #25,

Out on CD, 7" and 12" on the 18th. I didn't realise it was out on downloads 
yet.

>Klaxons #28

Out on CD & 7"s on the 25th.
Another very dramatic climb (presuming it was in the Top 200 last week) and 
already beating the combined peak of 'Gravity's Rainbow'.

> Top 40 : Fray #34,

After hanging around since February, it only now makes the Top 40. Possibly 
not destined to be their biggest hit.

>Ghosts #35,

Their last single, 'Stay The Night', crept into the Top 40 on downloads but 
dropped out again until the physical formats were released. This time around 
they put both out simultaneously, for all the good it did them.

> Corenell #37,

Yet another re-hash for the seventies disco hit 'Keep On Jumpin', last in 
the charts in 1996 for both Todd Terry and The Lisa Marie Experience, who 
recur on this version for no good reason.

> Holloways #39

Out on physicals today. Apparently the new version is a re-mix.

> New outside the top 40 : Carbon/Silicon #59,

First commercial single from the act founded by Mick Jones (ex-Clash, ex-Big 
Audio Dynamite) and Tony James (ex-Generation X) although they've previously 
given away several albums of material online.

 >Gwen Stefani #64

Out on CD on the 25th.
Meanwhile, the rest of No Doubt have apparently gone into the studio without 
her.

Also, a noteworthy re-entry for 'Fluorescent Adolescent' by the Arctic 
Monkeys at 72, now it's scheduled for single release.

> Albums
> ------
> All change this week, with most of last week's top 10 being brushed aside!

A record-breaking week, it says here.

> Rihanna completes the double, as her 3rd album becomes her first to reach 
> the top spot.

People who like this sort of thing say that she actually seems to have made 
an effort on this album too.

> NE's (top 20) : Biffy Clyro #2,

First Top 40 album for the Scottish trio, after many years of trying. One 
hopes their old record company had the sense to demand a royalty.

>Twang #3,

Narrowly beaten by the Biffy in the end. Perhaps it's the awful cover 
illustration of a fox wearing a leather jacket (!) that made the difference.

>Paul McCartney #5,

His first Top 5 album of new songs in a decade, and as noted elsewhere his 
first to appear in the UK on a label other than EMI. Memory Almost Full (an 
anagram of "For My Soulmate LLM", they tell me) finds McCartney trying to 
deal with ageing, and has inevitably attracted some positive reviews - one 
critic even went so far as to call it him best album since Abbey Road. Hmm.

> Dizzee Rascal #7,

His third and highest-charting album to date, which considering his 
relatively low profile in recent years is not bad going. The album contains 
the usual set of collaborations, including Arctic Monkeys and Lily Allen (on 
a track that samples Bugsy Malone, for some reason). Joss Stone didn't make 
the cut though.

> Marilyn Manson #8,

Seventh studio album from the man you'd call a shock-rocker if anyone was 
still shocked. At least, he seems to have become a solo artist now.

> Mutya Buena #10,

First solo album, featuring her previously released collaborations with 
George Michael and Groove Armada. Amy Winehouse also guests on the track 
'B-Boy Baby', which is exactly what you'd fear.

>Hank Marvin #13,

Certainly not his first solo album. Includes his versions of 'Fields Of 
Gold', 'Patience', 'You're Beautiful', 'Nine Million Bicycles' and also 
stuff like 'You've Got A Friend' and 'While My Guitar Gently Weeps' which he 
could surely have done years ago.
One of two people who are really called Brian entering the chart this week.

> New outside the top 20 : Bruce Springsteen #21,

His fifth charting live album captures Springsteen and his Sessions Band in 
Dublin last November. Naturally, the bulk of the material is traditional but 
there are also a number of originals in the same vein, eg 'Atlantic City', 
'Growin' Up', 'Blinded By The Light'. And a version of 'Love Of The Common 
People'.

>Dream Theatre #25,

It's spelt "Theater" because they're American. Another first Top 40 album. 
Only two of the tracks are more than ten minutes long this time.

>Bob Marley #44,

30th Anniversary re-issue of Exodus, which is the one with 'Waiting In Vain' 
and 'Three Little Birds' on it.
My Mum saw Bob Marley and the Wailers live once. They were rubbish.

>Mark Almond #53,

I'm glad he's feeling better and everything, but I've never really liked his 
voice, which is a significant consideration with somebody who does so many 
covers. Guests here include Sarah Cracknell, Antony Hegarty and Jools 
Holland.

>Wiley #61

71 actually - Russel Watson was at 61.
Dizzee Rascal's estranged friend claims that this will be his last album.

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

Agreed, but you don't have to keep telling us who she is.

> with the possible exception of a charity single by an as yet unknown 
> artist.

Er... does this mean that you expect somebody to release a charity single in 
the middle of the week without warning? Or is there an anonymous charity 
single doing the rounds somewhere?

> Top 10 : Enrique Iglesias (Top 3),

I think so, although the physical is only a two-track.

>White Stripes,

Easily.

>Kelly Rowland,

Yes, but I wonder where.

> Kelly Clarkson

Hard to imagine it not happening. Although I literally have never heard 
this - presumably it's a big video hit or something.

> Top 20 : Chemical Brothers,

Not sure which way that will go, to be honest.

> Holloways,

Victoria Newton thinks this will go Top Ten apparently. So it won't.

>Fray

I'm not completely sure actually.

> Top 30 : Gossip,

Logical, in the absence of much airplay or anything.

>Maximo Park

Might well graze the Top 20, as only the second single from the album. But 
certainly won't hang around the way 'Our Velocity' did.

> Top 40 : Erasure

I suppose so. Also, there's some sort of 12" from the Fratellis, assuming 
it's eligible, Richard Grey has some women in his video. It says here that 
Take That have a single out this week, but you could have fooled me.
And there's a Marillion  single. Need I say more?

> Albums
> ------
> I can't see any of the new albums being #1, so I'll have to say Rihanna 
> again.

You just have. Retail seems to be favouring Bon Jovi, which I suppose isn't 
entirely out of the question but I wouldn't bank on it.

> Top 20 NE : Bon Jovi,

See above.

>Enrique,

Postponed to next week. I'd have predicted the single lower otherwise.

> Police,

Probably, but a lot of people must already have all this.

> QOTSA,

Yeah.

> Rod Stewart,

Maybe, but see The Police.

> Tiny Dancers

Perhaps, although the singles haven't been massive.

    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 Mon, 11 Jun 2007, Chris Brown 
 wrote :

>> Singles
>> -------
>> Rihanna easily holds on at #1 for a 4th week.
>
>Getting a bit boring now.

You'll probably have to put up with it for a while yet.
>
>> New Entries/Climbers
>> --------------------
>> Top 10 : Calvin Harris #3,
>
>I realise this isn't intended to be taken seriously, but it's another
>addition to the odd subgenre of dance records that sound a little bit too
>desperate to tell is they like girls.

Are you outing Calvin Harris? :)
>
>> Enrique Iglesias #9
>
>Quite a dramatic climb. I presume he's been on some chat shows or something.

Is he still with that tennis babe?
>
>> Top 20 : White Stripes #13,
>
>Out today on CD & 7"s.

Surprisingly high on just downloads.
>
>> Top 30 : Chemical Brothers #25,
>
>Out on CD, 7" and 12" on the 18th. I didn't realise it was out on downloads
>yet.

IMO they've lost the spark they once had.
>
>>Klaxons #28
>
>Out on CD & 7"s on the 25th.

I've seen no release date.

>Another very dramatic climb (presuming it was in the Top 200 last week) and
>already beating the combined peak of 'Gravity's Rainbow'.

I suspect its position will be fairly static for the next two weeks.
>
>> Top 40 : Fray #34,
>
>After hanging around since February, it only now makes the Top 40. Possibly
>not destined to be their biggest hit.

Only slightly better than their last dirge.
>
>> New outside the top 40 : Carbon/Silicon #59,
>
>First commercial

If you can call #59 that...

>single from the act founded by Mick Jones (ex-Clash, ex-Big
>Audio Dynamite) and Tony James (ex-Generation X) although they've previously
>given away several albums of material online.

Because they couldn't *sell* it? :)
>
> >Gwen Stefani #64
>
>Out on CD on the 25th.
>Meanwhile, the rest of No Doubt have apparently gone into the studio without
>her.

But she is to provide vocals for them separately, I heard.
>
>Also, a noteworthy re-entry for 'Fluorescent Adolescent' by the Arctic
>Monkeys at 72, now it's scheduled for single release.

I did wonder.
>
>> Albums
>> ------
>> All change this week, with most of last week's top 10 being brushed aside!
>
>A record-breaking week, it says here.

Where?
>
>
>> NE's (top 20) :
>
>>Paul McCartney #5,
>
>His first Top 5 album of new songs in a decade, and as noted elsewhere his
>first to appear in the UK on a label other than EMI. Memory Almost Full (an
>anagram of "For My Soulmate LLM", they tell me) finds McCartney trying to
>deal with ageing

What, no new version of 'When I'm 64'? :)
>
>> Next Week
>> ---------
>> Singles
>> -------
>
>> with the possible exception of a charity single by an as yet unknown
>> artist.
>
>Er... does this mean that you expect somebody to release a charity single in
>the middle of the week without warning? Or is there an anonymous charity
>single doing the rounds somewhere?

The winner of one of these talent(less) competitions wasn't known when I 
wrote the above. I believe they have a single out to download on 
Thursday.
>
>> Top 10 :
>
>> Kelly Clarkson
>
>Hard to imagine it not happening. Although I literally have never heard
>this - presumably it's a big video hit or something.

Looks like simultaneous download/CD release.
>
>> Top 20 :
>
>> Holloways,
>
>Victoria Newton thinks this will go Top Ten apparently. So it won't.

Who is she, anyway?
>
>> Top 40 : Erasure
>
>I suppose so. Also, there's some sort of 12" from the Fratellis, assuming
>it's eligible, Richard Grey has some women in his video. It says here that
>Take That have a single out this week, but you could have fooled me.

>And there's a Marillion  single. Need I say more?

I didn't include it, as I assumed it would be download-only like the 
last one - but I saw it in the shops yesterday, so it should be top 20 
(after top 10 initially).
>
>> Albums
>> ------
>> I can't see any of the new albums being #1, so I'll have to say Rihanna
>> again.
>
>You just have. Retail seems to be favouring Bon Jovi, which I suppose isn't
>entirely out of the question but I wouldn't bank on it.

No promo single.
>
>> Top 20 NE :
>
>> QOTSA,
>
>Yeah.
>
-- 
Paul Hyett, Cheltenham (change 'invalid83261' to 'blueyonder' to email me)

"Paul Hyett"  wrote in message 
news:AIxFwFKd4kbGFw77@blueyonder.co.uk...
> In uk.music.charts on Mon, 11 Jun 2007, Chris Brown 
>  wrote :
>
>>> Singles
>>> -------
>>
>>> New Entries/Climbers
>>> --------------------
>>> Top 10 : Calvin Harris #3,
>>
>>I realise this isn't intended to be taken seriously, but it's another
>>addition to the odd subgenre of dance records that sound a little bit too
>>desperate to tell is they like girls.
>
> Are you outing Calvin Harris? :)

Not that I know of.

>>> Enrique Iglesias #9
>>
>>Quite a dramatic climb. I presume he's been on some chat shows or 
>>something.
>
> Is he still with that tennis babe?

Presumably.

>>> Top 20 : White Stripes #13,
>>
>>Out today on CD & 7"s.
>
> Surprisingly high on just downloads.

It may have something to do with pent-up demand.

>>>Klaxons #28
>>
>>Out on CD & 7"s on the 25th.
>
> I've seen no release date.

You have now.

>>Another very dramatic climb (presuming it was in the Top 200 last week) 
>>and
>>already beating the combined peak of 'Gravity's Rainbow'.
>
> I suspect its position will be fairly static for the next two weeks.

Presumably, although that doesn't explain why the sudden surge now.

>>> New outside the top 40 : Carbon/Silicon #59,
>>
>>First commercial
>
> If you can call #59 that...

Hey, I didn't say "popular".

>>single from the act founded by Mick Jones (ex-Clash, ex-Big
>>Audio Dynamite) and Tony James (ex-Generation X) although they've 
>>previously
>>given away several albums of material online.
>
> Because they couldn't *sell* it? :)

I didn't say that either. But it may have crossed my mind.

>> >Gwen Stefani #64
>>
>>Out on CD on the 25th.
>>Meanwhile, the rest of No Doubt have apparently gone into the studio 
>>without
>>her.
>
> But she is to provide vocals for them separately, I heard.

Er, yes, I don't think the world is waiting for an instrumental album.

>>> Albums
>>> ------
>>> All change this week, with most of last week's top 10 being brushed 
>>> aside!
>>
>>A record-breaking week, it says here.
>
> Where?

In the Music Week Commentary. And possibly some other places too.

>>> NE's (top 20) :
>>
>>>Paul McCartney #5,
>>
>>His first Top 5 album of new songs in a decade, and as noted elsewhere his
>>first to appear in the UK on a label other than EMI. Memory Almost Full 
>>(an
>>anagram of "For My Soulmate LLM", they tell me) finds McCartney trying to
>>deal with ageing
>
> What, no new version of 'When I'm 64'? :)

Some fans tried to persuade him and Brian Wilson to re-record it as a duet 
last year. Wisely they didn't.
I'm sure it must have crossed his mind.

>>> Next Week
>>> ---------
>>> Singles
>>> -------
>>
>>> with the possible exception of a charity single by an as yet unknown
>>> artist.
>>
>>Er... does this mean that you expect somebody to release a charity single 
>>in
>>the middle of the week without warning? Or is there an anonymous charity
>>single doing the rounds somewhere?
>
> The winner of one of these talent(less) competitions wasn't known when I 
> wrote the above. I believe they have a single out to download on Thursday.

Ooh, you're being all mysterious. Best not give too much away then.

BTW, how come the X-Factor winner can get a CD single out on Wednesday, but 
it takes this one until Thursday to release a download?

>>> Top 10 :
>>
>>> Kelly Clarkson
>>
>>Hard to imagine it not happening. Although I literally have never heard
>>this - presumably it's a big video hit or something.
>
> Looks like simultaneous download/CD release.

Oh, I knew it was that.

>>> Top 20 :
>>
>>> Holloways,
>>
>>Victoria Newton thinks this will go Top Ten apparently. So it won't.
>
> Who is she, anyway?

Author of the Bizarre [sic] column in The Scum. See also:
http://vickywatch.blogspot.com/

>>> Top 40 : Erasure
>>

>
>>And there's a Marillion  single. Need I say more?
>
> I didn't include it, as I assumed it would be download-only like the last 
> one - but I saw it in the shops yesterday, so it should be top 20 (after 
> top 10 initially).

Three physical formats. I actually didn't see them in the shops, but I 
wasn't looking very hard.

>>> Albums
>>> ------
>>> I can't see any of the new albums being #1, so I'll have to say Rihanna
>>> again.
>>
>>You just have. Retail seems to be favouring Bon Jovi, which I suppose 
>>isn't
>>entirely out of the question but I wouldn't bank on it.
>
> No promo single.

There is one apparently, it's just that nobody's interested in it.

    Chris

In uk.music.charts on Tue, 12 Jun 2007, Chris Brown 
 wrote :
>>
>>>> Singles
>>>> -------
>>>
>>>> New Entries/Climbers
>>>> --------------------
>>>>Klaxons #28
>>>
>>>Another very dramatic climb (presuming it was in the Top 200 last week)
>>>and
>>>already beating the combined peak of 'Gravity's Rainbow'.
>>
>> I suspect its position will be fairly static for the next two weeks.
>
>Presumably, although that doesn't explain why the sudden surge now.

I guess it just became available on one or more of the major download 
sites.

>>>Meanwhile, the rest of No Doubt have apparently gone into the studio
>>>without
>>>her.
>>
>> But she is to provide vocals for them separately, I heard.
>
>Er, yes, I don't think the world is waiting for an instrumental album.

They could have recruited a new vocalist, though.
-- 
Paul Hyett, Cheltenham (change 'invalid83261' to 'blueyonder' to email me)

"Paul Hyett"  wrote in message 
news:Bmpl7XH+t5bGFwJf@blueyonder.co.uk...
> In uk.music.charts on Tue, 12 Jun 2007, Chris Brown 
>  wrote :
>>>
>>>>> Singles
>>>>> -------
>>>>
>>>>> New Entries/Climbers
>>>>> --------------------
>>>>>Klaxons #28
>>>>
>>>>Another very dramatic climb (presuming it was in the Top 200 last week)
>>>>and
>>>>already beating the combined peak of 'Gravity's Rainbow'.
>>>
>>> I suspect its position will be fairly static for the next two weeks.
>>
>>Presumably, although that doesn't explain why the sudden surge now.
>
> I guess it just became available on one or more of the major download 
> sites.

But it's been available as an album track since February - indeed it even 
reached the Top 200 then. I can appreciate that if the radio version was 
issued digitally, that would be a boost, but this is an unusually large one.

>>>>Meanwhile, the rest of No Doubt have apparently gone into the studio
>>>>without
>>>>her.
>>>
>>> But she is to provide vocals for them separately, I heard.
>>
>>Er, yes, I don't think the world is waiting for an instrumental album.
>
> They could have recruited a new vocalist, though.

Not without asking her.

    Chris

In uk.music.charts on Wed, 13 Jun 2007, Chris Brown 
 wrote :
>>>>
>>>>>> Singles
>>>>>> -------
>
>>>>>Meanwhile, the rest of No Doubt have apparently gone into the studio
>>>>>without
>>>>>her.
>>>>
>>>> But she is to provide vocals for them separately, I heard.
>>>
>>>Er, yes, I don't think the world is waiting for an instrumental album.
>>
>> They could have recruited a new vocalist, though.
>
>Not without asking her.
>
 From which I deduce she *is* still part of the group - I just assumed 
she left when she started her solo career.
-- 
Paul Hyett, Cheltenham (change 'invalid83261' to 'blueyonder' to email me)

"Paul Hyett"  wrote in message 
news:NxmWOEFcFOcGFwBU@blueyonder.co.uk...
> In uk.music.charts on Wed, 13 Jun 2007, Chris Brown 
>  wrote :
>>>>>
>>>>>>> Singles
>>>>>>> -------
>>
>>>>>>Meanwhile, the rest of No Doubt have apparently gone into the studio
>>>>>>without
>>>>>>her.
>>>>>
>>>>> But she is to provide vocals for them separately, I heard.
>>>>
>>>>Er, yes, I don't think the world is waiting for an instrumental album.
>>>
>>> They could have recruited a new vocalist, though.
>>
>>Not without asking her.
>>
> From which I deduce she *is* still part of the group - I just assumed she 
> left when she started her solo career.

So she says anyway. Although this could be another Ronan/Boyzone type 
situation, where the famous one leaves the rest of the band and doesn't tell 
them they're not coming back. Even if that did happen, though, the rump 
couldn't (normally) hire another singer under the same name without 
permission from the previous one.

Mind you, I suppose if they hired Jimmy Nail as a replacement they could 
call themselves Ain't No Doubt. ;-)

    Chris

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

> Twang #8,

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

> Calvin Harris #9

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

> Top 20 : Reverend & The Makers #12 ,

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

 >MIMS #18,

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

> Marilyn Manson #19

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

> Top 30 : Armand Van Helden #22,

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

>Kim Sozzi #23,

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

> Zimmers #26,

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

>Enrique Iglesias #28

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

> Top 40 : Tiny Dancers #33,

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

>Simply Red #36

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

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

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

>Scissor Sisters #43,

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

> Bob Sinclar #49,

Out on CD & 12"s tomorrow.

>Omarion #58,

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

>Pendulum #64,

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

>Jeff Buckley #65,

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

> Josh Groban #74,

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

>Holloways #75

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

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

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

>R Kelly #10,

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

> Jeff Buckley #16

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

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

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

> Richard Thompson #39,

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

> Mumm-Ra #42,

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

>Infernal #44,

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

> Hans Zimmer #58 (LW #77),

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

> Ross Copperman #59,

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

> Joe Jackson #60

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

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

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

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

Of course.

> Top 20 : Unklejam,

People seem to like this one, for some reason.

> Top 30 : Bob Sinclar,

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

>Corenell,

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

> Top 40 : QOTSA

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

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

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

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

> Top 20 NE : Biffy Clyro,

Possibly the most awaited album of the week.

> Marilyn Manson,

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

> Mutya,

Probably the most hyped release of the week.

> Paul McCartney,

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

>Twang

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

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

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

http://thehitparade.blogspot.com

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

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

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

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

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

IMO the best he can expect is #2.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Couldn't you download one of the other versions?

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

But why inflict this record on us?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    Chris

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

http://thehitparade.blogspot.com

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

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

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

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

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

"Paul Hyett"  wrote in message 
news:U2xg$RFVZZZGFwaK@blueyonder.co.uk...
> In uk.music.charts on Tue, 5 Jun 2007, Chris Brown 
>  wrote :
>>
>>Considering how much success he had off the back of that one, it's odd 
>>that
>>it hadn't happened first time around. Admittedly he had one hit "stolen"
>>from him by Spacedust.
>>
>>> I doubt I would have liked the above though, unless it was radically
>>> different to any of his recent stuff.
>>
>>It's been a while since I heard it too, but IIRC it's more your sort of
>>thing. No Jamaicans involved.
>
> Why Jamaicans?

Just because Gary Pine of 'Love Generation' fame is from Jamaica, and didn't 
Sinclar use him on most of the subsequent ones?

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

All you need to do is chop off the rest of the song as well, and you might 
be on to something... ;-)
BTW, I've been blithely assuming that the non-Jay-Z version is 
(legitimately) available on download, although I don't actually know that.

>>Can't they just stick it on YouTube or something and spare us poor radio
>>listeners the suffering?
>
> But the videos on Youtube tend to be crap quality.

That wasn't a completely serious suggestion, you know.

    Chris

In uk.music.charts on Wed, 6 Jun 2007, Chris Brown 
 wrote :
>>
>> I recorded the video, and chopped off the first part that has Jay-Z.
>
>All you need to do is chop off the rest of the song as well, and you might
>be on to something... ;-)

>BTW, I've been blithely assuming that the non-Jay-Z version is
>(legitimately) available on download, although I don't actually know that.

I'm not so sure there even *is* a non-Jay-Z version now.

It would appear that until a couple of weeks ago, I'd never caught the 
video right from the beginning (or if I had, I'd think 'bloody rap' and 
instantly change channel without making the connection to Rihanna). 
Therefore I just assumed there was a version without him.
>
>>>Can't they just stick it on YouTube or something and spare us poor radio
>>>listeners the suffering?
>>
>> But the videos on Youtube tend to be crap quality.
>
>That wasn't a completely serious suggestion, you know.

Of course.

Mind you, Youtube *is* a good place to find obscure music videos.
-- 
Paul Hyett, Cheltenham (change 'invalid83261' to 'blueyonder' to email me)

"Paul Hyett"  wrote in message 
news:kV1c3sFFm6ZGFwO5@blueyonder.co.uk...
> In uk.music.charts on Wed, 6 Jun 2007, Chris Brown 
>  wrote :
>>>
>>> I recorded the video, and chopped off the first part that has Jay-Z.
>>
>>All you need to do is chop off the rest of the song as well, and you might
>>be on to something... ;-)
>
>>BTW, I've been blithely assuming that the non-Jay-Z version is
>>(legitimately) available on download, although I don't actually know that.
>
> I'm not so sure there even *is* a non-Jay-Z version now.
>
> It would appear that until a couple of weeks ago, I'd never caught the 
> video right from the beginning (or if I had, I'd think 'bloody rap' and 
> instantly change channel without making the connection to Rihanna). 
> Therefore I just assumed there was a version without him.

There definitely is a non-J version, because it's been serviced to radio. 
But I don't know whether it's commercially available.

>>>>Can't they just stick it on YouTube or something and spare us poor radio
>>>>listeners the suffering?
>>>
>>> But the videos on Youtube tend to be crap quality.
>>
>>That wasn't a completely serious suggestion, you know.
>
> Of course.
>
> Mind you, Youtube *is* a good place to find obscure music videos.

It is indeed. Which adds a certain irony to Viacom complaining about "their" 
content being on there.

    Chris

In uk.music.charts on Thu, 7 Jun 2007, Chris Brown 
 wrote :
>
>"Paul Hyett"  wrote in message
>news:kV1c3sFFm6ZGFwO5@blueyonder.co.uk...
>>
>> Mind you, Youtube *is* a good place to find obscure music videos.
>
>It is indeed. Which adds a certain irony to Viacom complaining about "their"
>content being on there.

Maybe they've forgotten the axiom of 'no publicity is bad publicity'...
-- 
Paul Hyett, Cheltenham (change 'invalid83261' to 'blueyonder' to email me)

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

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

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

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

> Twang #8,

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

> Calvin Harris #9

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

> Top 20 : Reverend & The Makers #12 ,

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

 >MIMS #18,

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

> Marilyn Manson #19

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

> Top 30 : Armand Van Helden #22,

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

>Kim Sozzi #23,

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

> Zimmers #26,

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

>Enrique Iglesias #28

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

> Top 40 : Tiny Dancers #33,

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

>Simply Red #36

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

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

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

>Scissor Sisters #43,

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

> Bob Sinclar #49,

Out on CD & 12"s tomorrow.

>Omarion #58,

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

>Pendulum #64,

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

>Jeff Buckley #65,

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

> Josh Groban #74,

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

>Holloways #75

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

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

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

>R Kelly #10,

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

> Jeff Buckley #16

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

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

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

> Richard Thompson #39,

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

> Mumm-Ra #42,

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

>Infernal #44,

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

> Hans Zimmer #58 (LW #77),

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

> Ross Copperman #59,

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

> Joe Jackson #60

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

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

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

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

Of course.

> Top 20 : Unklejam,

People seem to like this one, for some reason.

> Top 30 : Bob Sinclar,

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

>Corenell,

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

> Top 40 : QOTSA

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

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

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

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

> Top 20 NE : Biffy Clyro,

Possibly the most awaited album of the week.

> Marilyn Manson,

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

> Mutya,

Probably the most hyped release of the week.

> Paul McCartney,

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

>Twang

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

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

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

http://thehitparade.blogspot.com

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

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

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

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

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

IMO the best he can expect is #2.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Couldn't you download one of the other versions?

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

But why inflict this record on us?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    Chris

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

http://thehitparade.blogspot.com

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

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

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

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

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

"Paul Hyett"  wrote in message 
news:U2xg$RFVZZZGFwaK@blueyonder.co.uk...
> In uk.music.charts on Tue, 5 Jun 2007, Chris Brown 
>  wrote :
>>
>>Considering how much success he had off the back of that one, it's odd 
>>that
>>it hadn't happened first time around. Admittedly he had one hit "stolen"
>>from him by Spacedust.
>>
>>> I doubt I would have liked the above though, unless it was radically
>>> different to any of his recent stuff.
>>
>>It's been a while since I heard it too, but IIRC it's more your sort of
>>thing. No Jamaicans involved.
>
> Why Jamaicans?

Just because Gary Pine of 'Love Generation' fame is from Jamaica, and didn't 
Sinclar use him on most of the subsequent ones?

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

All you need to do is chop off the rest of the song as well, and you might 
be on to something... ;-)
BTW, I've been blithely assuming that the non-Jay-Z version is 
(legitimately) available on download, although I don't actually know that.

>>Can't they just stick it on YouTube or something and spare us poor radio
>>listeners the suffering?
>
> But the videos on Youtube tend to be crap quality.

That wasn't a completely serious suggestion, you know.

    Chris

In uk.music.charts on Wed, 6 Jun 2007, Chris Brown 
 wrote :
>>
>> I recorded the video, and chopped off the first part that has Jay-Z.
>
>All you need to do is chop off the rest of the song as well, and you might
>be on to something... ;-)

>BTW, I've been blithely assuming that the non-Jay-Z version is
>(legitimately) available on download, although I don't actually know that.

I'm not so sure there even *is* a non-Jay-Z version now.

It would appear that until a couple of weeks ago, I'd never caught the 
video right from the beginning (or if I had, I'd think 'bloody rap' and 
instantly change channel without making the connection to Rihanna). 
Therefore I just assumed there was a version without him.
>
>>>Can't they just stick it on YouTube or something and spare us poor radio
>>>listeners the suffering?
>>
>> But the videos on Youtube tend to be crap quality.
>
>That wasn't a completely serious suggestion, you know.

Of course.

Mind you, Youtube *is* a good place to find obscure music videos.
-- 
Paul Hyett, Cheltenham (change 'invalid83261' to 'blueyonder' to email me)

"Paul Hyett"  wrote in message 
news:kV1c3sFFm6ZGFwO5@blueyonder.co.uk...
> In uk.music.charts on Wed, 6 Jun 2007, Chris Brown 
>  wrote :
>>>
>>> I recorded the video, and chopped off the first part that has Jay-Z.
>>
>>All you need to do is chop off the rest of the song as well, and you might
>>be on to something... ;-)
>
>>BTW, I've been blithely assuming that the non-Jay-Z version is
>>(legitimately) available on download, although I don't actually know that.
>
> I'm not so sure there even *is* a non-Jay-Z version now.
>
> It would appear that until a couple of weeks ago, I'd never caught the 
> video right from the beginning (or if I had, I'd think 'bloody rap' and 
> instantly change channel without making the connection to Rihanna). 
> Therefore I just assumed there was a version without him.

There definitely is a non-J version, because it's been serviced to radio. 
But I don't know whether it's commercially available.

>>>>Can't they just stick it on YouTube or something and spare us poor radio
>>>>listeners the suffering?
>>>
>>> But the videos on Youtube tend to be crap quality.
>>
>>That wasn't a completely serious suggestion, you know.
>
> Of course.
>
> Mind you, Youtube *is* a good place to find obscure music videos.

It is indeed. Which adds a certain irony to Viacom complaining about "their" 
content being on there.

    Chris

In uk.music.charts on Thu, 7 Jun 2007, Chris Brown 
 wrote :
>
>"Paul Hyett"  wrote in message
>news:kV1c3sFFm6ZGFwO5@blueyonder.co.uk...
>>
>> Mind you, Youtube *is* a good place to find obscure music videos.
>
>It is indeed. Which adds a certain irony to Viacom complaining about "their"
>content being on there.

Maybe they've forgotten the axiom of 'no publicity is bad publicity'...
-- 
Paul Hyett, Cheltenham (change 'invalid83261' to 'blueyonder' to email me)

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

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

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

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

> Twang #8,

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

> Calvin Harris #9

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

> Top 20 : Reverend & The Makers #12 ,

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

 >MIMS #18,

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

> Marilyn Manson #19

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

> Top 30 : Armand Van Helden #22,

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

>Kim Sozzi #23,

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

> Zimmers #26,

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

>Enrique Iglesias #28

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

> Top 40 : Tiny Dancers #33,

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

>Simply Red #36

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

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

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

>Scissor Sisters #43,

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

> Bob Sinclar #49,

Out on CD & 12"s tomorrow.

>Omarion #58,

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

>Pendulum #64,

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

>Jeff Buckley #65,

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

> Josh Groban #74,

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

>Holloways #75

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

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

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

>R Kelly #10,

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

> Jeff Buckley #16

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

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

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

> Richard Thompson #39,

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

> Mumm-Ra #42,

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

>Infernal #44,

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

> Hans Zimmer #58 (LW #77),

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

> Ross Copperman #59,

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

> Joe Jackson #60

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

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

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

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

Of course.

> Top 20 : Unklejam,

People seem to like this one, for some reason.

> Top 30 : Bob Sinclar,

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

>Corenell,

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

> Top 40 : QOTSA

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

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

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

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

> Top 20 NE : Biffy Clyro,

Possibly the most awaited album of the week.

> Marilyn Manson,

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

> Mutya,

Probably the most hyped release of the week.

> Paul McCartney,

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

>Twang

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

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

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

http://thehitparade.blogspot.com

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

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

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

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

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

IMO the best he can expect is #2.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Couldn't you download one of the other versions?

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

But why inflict this record on us?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    Chris

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

http://thehitparade.blogspot.com

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

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

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

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

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

"Paul Hyett"  wrote in message 
news:U2xg$RFVZZZGFwaK@blueyonder.co.uk...
> In uk.music.charts on Tue, 5 Jun 2007, Chris Brown 
>  wrote :
>>
>>Considering how much success he had off the back of that one, it's odd 
>>that
>>it hadn't happened first time around. Admittedly he had one hit "stolen"
>>from him by Spacedust.
>>
>>> I doubt I would have liked the above though, unless it was radically
>>> different to any of his recent stuff.
>>
>>It's been a while since I heard it too, but IIRC it's more your sort of
>>thing. No Jamaicans involved.
>
> Why Jamaicans?

Just because Gary Pine of 'Love Generation' fame is from Jamaica, and didn't 
Sinclar use him on most of the subsequent ones?

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

All you need to do is chop off the rest of the song as well, and you might 
be on to something... ;-)
BTW, I've been blithely assuming that the non-Jay-Z version is 
(legitimately) available on download, although I don't actually know that.

>>Can't they just stick it on YouTube or something and spare us poor radio
>>listeners the suffering?
>
> But the videos on Youtube tend to be crap quality.

That wasn't a completely serious suggestion, you know.

    Chris

In uk.music.charts on Wed, 6 Jun 2007, Chris Brown 
 wrote :
>>
>> I recorded the video, and chopped off the first part that has Jay-Z.
>
>All you need to do is chop off the rest of the song as well, and you might
>be on to something... ;-)

>BTW, I've been blithely assuming that the non-Jay-Z version is
>(legitimately) available on download, although I don't actually know that.

I'm not so sure there even *is* a non-Jay-Z version now.

It would appear that until a couple of weeks ago, I'd never caught the 
video right from the beginning (or if I had, I'd think 'bloody rap' and 
instantly change channel without making the connection to Rihanna). 
Therefore I just assumed there was a version without him.
>
>>>Can't they just stick it on YouTube or something and spare us poor radio
>>>listeners the suffering?
>>
>> But the videos on Youtube tend to be crap quality.
>
>That wasn't a completely serious suggestion, you know.

Of course.

Mind you, Youtube *is* a good place to find obscure music videos.
-- 
Paul Hyett, Cheltenham (change 'invalid83261' to 'blueyonder' to email me)

"Paul Hyett"  wrote in message 
news:kV1c3sFFm6ZGFwO5@blueyonder.co.uk...
> In uk.music.charts on Wed, 6 Jun 2007, Chris Brown 
>  wrote :
>>>
>>> I recorded the video, and chopped off the first part that has Jay-Z.
>>
>>All you need to do is chop off the rest of the song as well, and you might
>>be on to something... ;-)
>
>>BTW, I've been blithely assuming that the non-Jay-Z version is
>>(legitimately) available on download, although I don't actually know that.
>
> I'm not so sure there even *is* a non-Jay-Z version now.
>
> It would appear that until a couple of weeks ago, I'd never caught the 
> video right from the beginning (or if I had, I'd think 'bloody rap' and 
> instantly change channel without making the connection to Rihanna). 
> Therefore I just assumed there was a version without him.

There definitely is a non-J version, because it's been serviced to radio. 
But I don't know whether it's commercially available.

>>>>Can't they just stick it on YouTube or something and spare us poor radio
>>>>listeners the suffering?
>>>
>>> But the videos on Youtube tend to be crap quality.
>>
>>That wasn't a completely serious suggestion, you know.
>
> Of course.
>
> Mind you, Youtube *is* a good place to find obscure music videos.

It is indeed. Which adds a certain irony to Viacom complaining about "their" 
content being on there.

    Chris

In uk.music.charts on Thu, 7 Jun 2007, Chris Brown 
 wrote :
>
>"Paul Hyett"  wrote in message
>news:kV1c3sFFm6ZGFwO5@blueyonder.co.uk...
>>
>> Mind you, Youtube *is* a good place to find obscure music videos.
>
>It is indeed. Which adds a certain irony to Viacom complaining about "their"
>content being on there.

Maybe they've forgotten the axiom of 'no publicity is bad publicity'...
-- 
Paul Hyett, Cheltenham (change 'invalid83261' to 'blueyonder' to email me)

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

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

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

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

> Twang #8,

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

> Calvin Harris #9

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

> Top 20 : Reverend & The Makers #12 ,

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

 >MIMS #18,

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

> Marilyn Manson #19

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

> Top 30 : Armand Van Helden #22,

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

>Kim Sozzi #23,

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

> Zimmers #26,

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

>Enrique Iglesias #28

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

> Top 40 : Tiny Dancers #33,

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

>Simply Red #36

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

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

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

>Scissor Sisters #43,

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

> Bob Sinclar #49,

Out on CD & 12"s tomorrow.

>Omarion #58,

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

>Pendulum #64,

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

>Jeff Buckley #65,

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

> Josh Groban #74,

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

>Holloways #75

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

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

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

>R Kelly #10,

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

> Jeff Buckley #16

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

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

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

> Richard Thompson #39,

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

> Mumm-Ra #42,

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

>Infernal #44,

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

> Hans Zimmer #58 (LW #77),

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

> Ross Copperman #59,

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

> Joe Jackson #60

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

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

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

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

Of course.

> Top 20 : Unklejam,

People seem to like this one, for some reason.

> Top 30 : Bob Sinclar,

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

>Corenell,

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

> Top 40 : QOTSA

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

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

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

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

> Top 20 NE : Biffy Clyro,

Possibly the most awaited album of the week.

> Marilyn Manson,

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

> Mutya,

Probably the most hyped release of the week.

> Paul McCartney,

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

>Twang

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

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

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

http://thehitparade.blogspot.com

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

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

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

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

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

IMO the best he can expect is #2.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Couldn't you download one of the other versions?

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

But why inflict this record on us?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    Chris

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

http://thehitparade.blogspot.com

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

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

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

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

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

"Paul Hyett"  wrote in message 
news:U2xg$RFVZZZGFwaK@blueyonder.co.uk...
> In uk.music.charts on Tue, 5 Jun 2007, Chris Brown 
>  wrote :
>>
>>Considering how much success he had off the back of that one, it's odd 
>>that
>>it hadn't happened first time around. Admittedly he had one hit "stolen"
>>from him by Spacedust.
>>
>>> I doubt I would have liked the above though, unless it was radically
>>> different to any of his recent stuff.
>>
>>It's been a while since I heard it too, but IIRC it's more your sort of
>>thing. No Jamaicans involved.
>
> Why Jamaicans?

Just because Gary Pine of 'Love Generation' fame is from Jamaica, and didn't 
Sinclar use him on most of the subsequent ones?

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

All you need to do is chop off the rest of the song as well, and you might 
be on to something... ;-)
BTW, I've been blithely assuming that the non-Jay-Z version is 
(legitimately) available on download, although I don't actually know that.

>>Can't they just stick it on YouTube or something and spare us poor radio
>>listeners the suffering?
>
> But the videos on Youtube tend to be crap quality.

That wasn't a completely serious suggestion, you know.

    Chris

In uk.music.charts on Wed, 6 Jun 2007, Chris Brown 
 wrote :
>>
>> I recorded the video, and chopped off the first part that has Jay-Z.
>
>All you need to do is chop off the rest of the song as well, and you might
>be on to something... ;-)

>BTW, I've been blithely assuming that the non-Jay-Z version is
>(legitimately) available on download, although I don't actually know that.

I'm not so sure there even *is* a non-Jay-Z version now.

It would appear that until a couple of weeks ago, I'd never caught the 
video right from the beginning (or if I had, I'd think 'bloody rap' and 
instantly change channel without making the connection to Rihanna). 
Therefore I just assumed there was a version without him.
>
>>>Can't they just stick it on YouTube or something and spare us poor radio
>>>listeners the suffering?
>>
>> But the videos on Youtube tend to be crap quality.
>
>That wasn't a completely serious suggestion, you know.

Of course.

Mind you, Youtube *is* a good place to find obscure music videos.
-- 
Paul Hyett, Cheltenham (change 'invalid83261' to 'blueyonder' to email me)

"Paul Hyett"  wrote in message 
news:kV1c3sFFm6ZGFwO5@blueyonder.co.uk...
> In uk.music.charts on Wed, 6 Jun 2007, Chris Brown 
>  wrote :
>>>
>>> I recorded the video, and chopped off the first part that has Jay-Z.
>>
>>All you need to do is chop off the rest of the song as well, and you might
>>be on to something... ;-)
>
>>BTW, I've been blithely assuming that the non-Jay-Z version is
>>(legitimately) available on download, although I don't actually know that.
>
> I'm not so sure there even *is* a non-Jay-Z version now.
>
> It would appear that until a couple of weeks ago, I'd never caught the 
> video right from the beginning (or if I had, I'd think 'bloody rap' and 
> instantly change channel without making the connection to Rihanna). 
> Therefore I just assumed there was a version without him.

There definitely is a non-J version, because it's been serviced to radio. 
But I don't know whether it's commercially available.

>>>>Can't they just stick it on YouTube or something and spare us poor radio
>>>>listeners the suffering?
>>>
>>> But the videos on Youtube tend to be crap quality.
>>
>>That wasn't a completely serious suggestion, you know.
>
> Of course.
>
> Mind you, Youtube *is* a good place to find obscure music videos.

It is indeed. Which adds a certain irony to Viacom complaining about "their" 
content being on there.

    Chris

In uk.music.charts on Thu, 7 Jun 2007, Chris Brown 
 wrote :
>
>"Paul Hyett"  wrote in message
>news:kV1c3sFFm6ZGFwO5@blueyonder.co.uk...
>>
>> Mind you, Youtube *is* a good place to find obscure music videos.
>
>It is indeed. Which adds a certain irony to Viacom complaining about "their"
>content being on there.

Maybe they've forgotten the axiom of 'no publicity is bad publicity'...
-- 
Paul Hyett, Cheltenham (change 'invalid83261' to 'blueyonder' to email me)

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

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

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

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

> Twang #8,

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

> Calvin Harris #9

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

> Top 20 : Reverend & The Makers #12 ,

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

 >MIMS #18,

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

> Marilyn Manson #19

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

> Top 30 : Armand Van Helden #22,

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

>Kim Sozzi #23,

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

> Zimmers #26,

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

>Enrique Iglesias #28

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

> Top 40 : Tiny Dancers #33,

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

>Simply Red #36

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

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

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

>Scissor Sisters #43,

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

> Bob Sinclar #49,

Out on CD & 12"s tomorrow.

>Omarion #58,

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

>Pendulum #64,

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

>Jeff Buckley #65,

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

> Josh Groban #74,

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

>Holloways #75

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

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

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

>R Kelly #10,

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

> Jeff Buckley #16

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

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

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

> Richard Thompson #39,

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

> Mumm-Ra #42,

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

>Infernal #44,

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

> Hans Zimmer #58 (LW #77),

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

> Ross Copperman #59,

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

> Joe Jackson #60

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

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

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

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

Of course.

> Top 20 : Unklejam,

People seem to like this one, for some reason.

> Top 30 : Bob Sinclar,

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

>Corenell,

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

> Top 40 : QOTSA

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

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

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

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

> Top 20 NE : Biffy Clyro,

Possibly the most awaited album of the week.

> Marilyn Manson,

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

> Mutya,

Probably the most hyped release of the week.

> Paul McCartney,

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

>Twang

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

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

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

http://thehitparade.blogspot.com

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

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

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

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

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

IMO the best he can expect is #2.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Couldn't you download one of the other versions?

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

But why inflict this record on us?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    Chris

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

http://thehitparade.blogspot.com

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

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

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

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

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

"Paul Hyett"  wrote in message 
news:U2xg$RFVZZZGFwaK@blueyonder.co.uk...
> In uk.music.charts on Tue, 5 Jun 2007, Chris Brown 
>  wrote :
>>
>>Considering how much success he had off the back of that one, it's odd 
>>that
>>it hadn't happened first time around. Admittedly he had one hit "stolen"
>>from him by Spacedust.
>>
>>> I doubt I would have liked the above though, unless it was radically
>>> different to any of his recent stuff.
>>
>>It's been a while since I heard it too, but IIRC it's more your sort of
>>thing. No Jamaicans involved.
>
> Why Jamaicans?

Just because Gary Pine of 'Love Generation' fame is from Jamaica, and didn't 
Sinclar use him on most of the subsequent ones?

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

All you need to do is chop off the rest of the song as well, and you might 
be on to something... ;-)
BTW, I've been blithely assuming that the non-Jay-Z version is 
(legitimately) available on download, although I don't actually know that.

>>Can't they just stick it on YouTube or something and spare us poor radio
>>listeners the suffering?
>
> But the videos on Youtube tend to be crap quality.

That wasn't a completely serious suggestion, you know.

    Chris

In uk.music.charts on Wed, 6 Jun 2007, Chris Brown 
 wrote :
>>
>> I recorded the video, and chopped off the first part that has Jay-Z.
>
>All you need to do is chop off the rest of the song as well, and you might
>be on to something... ;-)

>BTW, I've been blithely assuming that the non-Jay-Z version is
>(legitimately) available on download, although I don't actually know that.

I'm not so sure there even *is* a non-Jay-Z version now.

It would appear that until a couple of weeks ago, I'd never caught the 
video right from the beginning (or if I had, I'd think 'bloody rap' and 
instantly change channel without making the connection to Rihanna). 
Therefore I just assumed there was a version without him.
>
>>>Can't they just stick it on YouTube or something and spare us poor radio
>>>listeners the suffering?
>>
>> But the videos on Youtube tend to be crap quality.
>
>That wasn't a completely serious suggestion, you know.

Of course.

Mind you, Youtube *is* a good place to find obscure music videos.
-- 
Paul Hyett, Cheltenham (change 'invalid83261' to 'blueyonder' to email me)

"Paul Hyett"  wrote in message 
news:kV1c3sFFm6ZGFwO5@blueyonder.co.uk...
> In uk.music.charts on Wed, 6 Jun 2007, Chris Brown 
>  wrote :
>>>
>>> I recorded the video, and chopped off the first part that has Jay-Z.
>>
>>All you need to do is chop off the rest of the song as well, and you might
>>be on to something... ;-)
>
>>BTW, I've been blithely assuming that the non-Jay-Z version is
>>(legitimately) available on download, although I don't actually know that.
>
> I'm not so sure there even *is* a non-Jay-Z version now.
>
> It would appear that until a couple of weeks ago, I'd never caught the 
> video right from the beginning (or if I had, I'd think 'bloody rap' and 
> instantly change channel without making the connection to Rihanna). 
> Therefore I just assumed there was a version without him.

There definitely is a non-J version, because it's been serviced to radio. 
But I don't know whether it's commercially available.

>>>>Can't they just stick it on YouTube or something and spare us poor radio
>>>>listeners the suffering?
>>>
>>> But the videos on Youtube tend to be crap quality.
>>
>>That wasn't a completely serious suggestion, you know.
>
> Of course.
>
> Mind you, Youtube *is* a good place to find obscure music videos.

It is indeed. Which adds a certain irony to Viacom complaining about "their" 
content being on there.

    Chris

In uk.music.charts on Thu, 7 Jun 2007, Chris Brown 
 wrote :
>
>"Paul Hyett"  wrote in message
>news:kV1c3sFFm6ZGFwO5@blueyonder.co.uk...
>>
>> Mind you, Youtube *is* a good place to find obscure music videos.
>
>It is indeed. Which adds a certain irony to Viacom complaining about "their"
>content being on there.

Maybe they've forgotten the axiom of 'no publicity is bad publicity'...
-- 
Paul Hyett, Cheltenham (change 'invalid83261' to 'blueyonder' to email me)

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

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

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

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

> Twang #8,

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

> Calvin Harris #9

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

> Top 20 : Reverend & The Makers #12 ,

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

 >MIMS #18,

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

> Marilyn Manson #19

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

> Top 30 : Armand Van Helden #22,

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

>Kim Sozzi #23,

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

> Zimmers #26,

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

>Enrique Iglesias #28

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

> Top 40 : Tiny Dancers #33,

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

>Simply Red #36

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

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

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

>Scissor Sisters #43,

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

> Bob Sinclar #49,

Out on CD & 12"s tomorrow.

>Omarion #58,

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

>Pendulum #64,

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

>Jeff Buckley #65,

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

> Josh Groban #74,

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

>Holloways #75

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

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

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

>R Kelly #10,

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

> Jeff Buckley #16

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

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

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

> Richard Thompson #39,

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

> Mumm-Ra #42,

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

>Infernal #44,

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

> Hans Zimmer #58 (LW #77),

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

> Ross Copperman #59,

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

> Joe Jackson #60

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

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

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

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

Of course.

> Top 20 : Unklejam,

People seem to like this one, for some reason.

> Top 30 : Bob Sinclar,

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

>Corenell,

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

> Top 40 : QOTSA

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

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

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

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

> Top 20 NE : Biffy Clyro,

Possibly the most awaited album of the week.

> Marilyn Manson,

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

> Mutya,

Probably the most hyped release of the week.

> Paul McCartney,

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

>Twang

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

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

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

http://thehitparade.blogspot.com

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

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

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

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

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

IMO the best he can expect is #2.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Couldn't you download one of the other versions?

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

But why inflict this record on us?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    Chris

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

http://thehitparade.blogspot.com

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

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

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

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

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

"Paul Hyett"  wrote in message 
news:U2xg$RFVZZZGFwaK@blueyonder.co.uk...
> In uk.music.charts on Tue, 5 Jun 2007, Chris Brown 
>  wrote :
>>
>>Considering how much success he had off the back of that one, it's odd 
>>that
>>it hadn't happened first time around. Admittedly he had one hit "stolen"
>>from him by Spacedust.
>>
>>> I doubt I would have liked the above though, unless it was radically
>>> different to any of his recent stuff.
>>
>>It's been a while since I heard it too, but IIRC it's more your sort of
>>thing. No Jamaicans involved.
>
> Why Jamaicans?

Just because Gary Pine of 'Love Generation' fame is from Jamaica, and didn't 
Sinclar use him on most of the subsequent ones?

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

All you need to do is chop off the rest of the song as well, and you might 
be on to something... ;-)
BTW, I've been blithely assuming that the non-Jay-Z version is 
(legitimately) available on download, although I don't actually know that.

>>Can't they just stick it on YouTube or something and spare us poor radio
>>listeners the suffering?
>
> But the videos on Youtube tend to be crap quality.

That wasn't a completely serious suggestion, you know.

    Chris

In uk.music.charts on Wed, 6 Jun 2007, Chris Brown 
 wrote :
>>
>> I recorded the video, and chopped off the first part that has Jay-Z.
>
>All you need to do is chop off the rest of the song as well, and you might
>be on to something... ;-)

>BTW, I've been blithely assuming that the non-Jay-Z version is
>(legitimately) available on download, although I don't actually know that.

I'm not so sure there even *is* a non-Jay-Z version now.

It would appear that until a couple of weeks ago, I'd never caught the 
video right from the beginning (or if I had, I'd think 'bloody rap' and 
instantly change channel without making the connection to Rihanna). 
Therefore I just assumed there was a version without him.
>
>>>Can't they just stick it on YouTube or something and spare us poor radio
>>>listeners the suffering?
>>
>> But the videos on Youtube tend to be crap quality.
>
>That wasn't a completely serious suggestion, you know.

Of course.

Mind you, Youtube *is* a good place to find obscure music videos.
-- 
Paul Hyett, Cheltenham (change 'invalid83261' to 'blueyonder' to email me)

"Paul Hyett"  wrote in message 
news:kV1c3sFFm6ZGFwO5@blueyonder.co.uk...
> In uk.music.charts on Wed, 6 Jun 2007, Chris Brown 
>  wrote :
>>>
>>> I recorded the video, and chopped off the first part that has Jay-Z.
>>
>>All you need to do is chop off the rest of the song as well, and you might
>>be on to something... ;-)
>
>>BTW, I've been blithely assuming that the non-Jay-Z version is
>>(legitimately) available on download, although I don't actually know that.
>
> I'm not so sure there even *is* a non-Jay-Z version now.
>
> It would appear that until a couple of weeks ago, I'd never caught the 
> video right from the beginning (or if I had, I'd think 'bloody rap' and 
> instantly change channel without making the connection to Rihanna). 
> Therefore I just assumed there was a version without him.

There definitely is a non-J version, because it's been serviced to radio. 
But I don't know whether it's commercially available.

>>>>Can't they just stick it on YouTube or something and spare us poor radio
>>>>listeners the suffering?
>>>
>>> But the videos on Youtube tend to be crap quality.
>>
>>That wasn't a completely serious suggestion, you know.
>
> Of course.
>
> Mind you, Youtube *is* a good place to find obscure music videos.

It is indeed. Which adds a certain irony to Viacom complaining about "their" 
content being on there.

    Chris

In uk.music.charts on Thu, 7 Jun 2007, Chris Brown 
 wrote :
>
>"Paul Hyett"  wrote in message
>news:kV1c3sFFm6ZGFwO5@blueyonder.co.uk...
>>
>> Mind you, Youtube *is* a good place to find obscure music videos.
>
>It is indeed. Which adds a certain irony to Viacom complaining about "their"
>content being on there.

Maybe they've forgotten the axiom of 'no publicity is bad publicity'...
-- 
Paul Hyett, Cheltenham (change 'invalid83261' to 'blueyonder' to email me)

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

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

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

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

> Twang #8,

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

> Calvin Harris #9

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

> Top 20 : Reverend & The Makers #12 ,

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

 >MIMS #18,

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

> Marilyn Manson #19

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

> Top 30 : Armand Van Helden #22,

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

>Kim Sozzi #23,

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

> Zimmers #26,

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

>Enrique Iglesias #28

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

> Top 40 : Tiny Dancers #33,

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

>Simply Red #36

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

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

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

>Scissor Sisters #43,

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

> Bob Sinclar #49,

Out on CD & 12"s tomorrow.

>Omarion #58,

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

>Pendulum #64,

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

>Jeff Buckley #65,

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

> Josh Groban #74,

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

>Holloways #75

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

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

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

>R Kelly #10,

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

> Jeff Buckley #16

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

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

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

> Richard Thompson #39,

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

> Mumm-Ra #42,

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

>Infernal #44,

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

> Hans Zimmer #58 (LW #77),

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

> Ross Copperman #59,

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

> Joe Jackson #60

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

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

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

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

Of course.

> Top 20 : Unklejam,

People seem to like this one, for some reason.

> Top 30 : Bob Sinclar,

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

>Corenell,

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

> Top 40 : QOTSA

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

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

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

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

> Top 20 NE : Biffy Clyro,

Possibly the most awaited album of the week.

> Marilyn Manson,

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

> Mutya,

Probably the most hyped release of the week.

> Paul McCartney,

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

>Twang

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

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

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

http://thehitparade.blogspot.com

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

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

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

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

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

IMO the best he can expect is #2.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Couldn't you download one of the other versions?

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

But why inflict this record on us?

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

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

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

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

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

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

On the subject of predictions, though, you can scratch Gallows (free gift) 
and Rumble Strips (postponed to the 11th).

    Chris

In uk.music.charts on Mon, 4 Jun 2007, Chris Brown 
 wrote :
>
>>>> Bob Sinclar #49,
>>>
>>>Out on CD & 12"s tomorrow.
>>
>> His appeal escapes me, as always.
>
>Really? Did you ever hear 'I Feel For You'?

I thought Love Generation was his debut hit, but Guinness says 
otherwise. I doubt I would have liked the above though, unless it was 
radically different to any of his recent stuff.
>
>>>> Next Week
>>>> ---------
>>>> Singles
>>>> -------
>>>> Still nothing to challenge R&B babe Rihanna's dominance.
>>>
>>>Not really. Of course we know know that it would be hard to compete with,
>>>but surely the other record companies didn't realise before?
>>
>> Maybe they didn't - Umbrella seemed to catch a lot of people by surprise.
>
>This is what I meant - it almost looks as if they're avoiding scheduling
>against her.

But release dates are normally scheduled well in advance, and there's 
always the change of a big record emerging from nowhere.
>
>>I would have bought it myself if it didn't feature Jay-Z.
>
>Couldn't you download one of the other versions?

I don't want to download music - I prefer CD singles.
>
>>>> Top 30 :
>>>
>>>>Corenell,
>>
>> You mean the hot footy-playing blondes & brunettes in the video, aren't
>> the point? :)
>
>But why inflict this record on us?

See my previous comment. :)
-- 
Paul Hyett, Cheltenham (change 'invalid83261' to 'blueyonder' to email me)

"Paul Hyett"  wrote in message 
news:2MRIxpIWlQZGFwMf@blueyonder.co.uk...
> In uk.music.charts on Mon, 4 Jun 2007, Chris Brown 
>  wrote :
>>
>>>>> Bob Sinclar #49,
>>>>
>>>>Out on CD & 12"s tomorrow.
>>>
>>> His appeal escapes me, as always.
>>
>>Really? Did you ever hear 'I Feel For You'?
>
> I thought Love Generation was his debut hit, but Guinness says otherwise.

Considering how much success he had off the back of that one, it's odd that 
it hadn't happened first time around. Admittedly he had one hit "stolen" 
from him by Spacedust.

> I doubt I would have liked the above though, unless it was radically 
> different to any of his recent stuff.

It's been a while since I heard it too, but IIRC it's more your sort of 
thing. No Jamaicans involved.

>>>>> Next Week
>>>>> ---------
>>>>> Singles
>>>>> -------
>>>>> Still nothing to challenge R&B babe Rihanna's dominance.
>>>>
>>>>Not really. Of course we know know that it would be hard to compete 
>>>>with,
>>>>but surely the other record companies didn't realise before?
>>>
>>> Maybe they didn't - Umbrella seemed to catch a lot of people by 
>>> surprise.
>>
>>This is what I meant - it almost looks as if they're avoiding scheduling
>>against her.
>
> But release dates are normally scheduled well in advance, and there's 
> always the change of a big record emerging from nowhere.

Should I go out and come in again? I'm saying that it looks that way, but 
obviously isn't for the very reasons you're outlining.

>>>I would have bought it myself if it didn't feature Jay-Z.
>>
>>Couldn't you download one of the other versions?
>
> I don't want to download music - I prefer CD singles.

As I've said before, I've pretty much given up on those now. But horses for 
courses, etc.

>>>>> Top 30 :
>>>>
>>>>>Corenell,
>>>
>>> You mean the hot footy-playing blondes & brunettes in the video, aren't
>>> the point? :)
>>
>>But why inflict this record on us?
>
> See my previous comment. :)

Can't they just stick it on YouTube or something and spare us poor radio 
listeners the suffering?

    Chris
-- 
"It's always hard meeting your heroes. Especially when they punch you in the 
face."

http://thehitparade.blogspot.com

More of my blathering is available at
http://faynights.users.btopenworld.com

In uk.music.charts on Tue, 5 Jun 2007, Chris Brown 
 wrote :
>
>Considering how much success he had off the back of that one, it's odd that
>it hadn't happened first time around. Admittedly he had one hit "stolen"
>from him by Spacedust.
>
>> I doubt I would have liked the above though, unless it was radically
>> different to any of his recent stuff.
>
>It's been a while since I heard it too, but IIRC it's more your sort of
>thing. No Jamaicans involved.

Why Jamaicans?
>
>>>>I would have bought it myself if it didn't feature Jay-Z.
>>>
>>>Couldn't you download one of the other versions?
>>
>> I don't want to download music - I prefer CD singles.
>
>As I've said before, I've pretty much given up on those now. But horses for
>courses, etc.

I recorded the video, and chopped off the first part that has Jay-Z.
>
>Can't they just stick it on YouTube or something and spare us poor radio
>listeners the suffering?

But the videos on Youtube tend to be crap quality.
-- 
Paul Hyett, Cheltenham (change 'invalid83261' to 'blueyonder' to email me)

"Paul Hyett"  wrote in message 
news:U2xg$RFVZZZGFwaK@blueyonder.co.uk...
> In uk.music.charts on Tue, 5 Jun 2007, Chris Brown 
>  wrote :
>>
>>Considering how much success he had off the back of that one, it's odd 
>>that
>>it hadn't happened first time around. Admittedly he had one hit "stolen"
>>from him by Spacedust.
>>
>>> I doubt I would have liked the above though, unless it was radically
>>> different to any of his recent stuff.
>>
>>It's been a while since I heard it too, but IIRC it's more your sort of
>>thing. No Jamaicans involved.
>
> Why Jamaicans?

Just because Gary Pine of 'Love Generation' fame is from Jamaica, and didn't 
Sinclar use him on most of the subsequent ones?

>>>>>I would have bought it myself if it didn't feature Jay-Z.
>>>>
>>>>Couldn't you download one of the other versions?
>>>
>>> I don't want to download music - I prefer CD singles.
>>
>>As I've said before, I've pretty much given up on those now. But horses 
>>for
>>courses, etc.
>
> I recorded the video, and chopped off the first part that has Jay-Z.

All you need to do is chop off the rest of the song as well, and you might 
be on to something... ;-)
BTW, I've been blithely assuming that the non-Jay-Z version is 
(legitimately) available on download, although I don't actually know that.

>>Can't they just stick it on YouTube or something and spare us poor radio
>>listeners the suffering?
>
> But the videos on Youtube tend to be crap quality.

That wasn't a completely serious suggestion, you know.

    Chris

In uk.music.charts on Wed, 6 Jun 2007, Chris Brown 
 wrote :
>>
>> I recorded the video, and chopped off the first part that has Jay-Z.
>
>All you need to do is chop off the rest of the song as well, and you might
>be on to something... ;-)

>BTW, I've been blithely assuming that the non-Jay-Z version is
>(legitimately) available on download, although I don't actually know that.

I'm not so sure there even *is* a non-Jay-Z version now.

It would appear that until a couple of weeks ago, I'd never caught the 
video right from the beginning (or if I had, I'd think 'bloody rap' and 
instantly change channel without making the connection to Rihanna). 
Therefore I just assumed there was a version without him.
>
>>>Can't they just stick it on YouTube or something and spare us poor radio
>>>listeners the suffering?
>>
>> But the videos on Youtube tend to be crap quality.
>
>That wasn't a completely serious suggestion, you know.

Of course.

Mind you, Youtube *is* a good place to find obscure music videos.
-- 
Paul Hyett, Cheltenham (change 'invalid83261' to 'blueyonder' to email me)

"Paul Hyett"  wrote in message 
news:kV1c3sFFm6ZGFwO5@blueyonder.co.uk...
> In uk.music.charts on Wed, 6 Jun 2007, Chris Brown 
>  wrote :
>>>
>>> I recorded the video, and chopped off the first part that has Jay-Z.
>>
>>All you need to do is chop off the rest of the song as well, and you might
>>be on to something... ;-)
>
>>BTW, I've been blithely assuming that the non-Jay-Z version is
>>(legitimately) available on download, although I don't actually know that.
>
> I'm not so sure there even *is* a non-Jay-Z version now.
>
> It would appear that until a couple of weeks ago, I'd never caught the 
> video right from the beginning (or if I had, I'd think 'bloody rap' and 
> instantly change channel without making the connection to Rihanna). 
> Therefore I just assumed there was a version without him.

There definitely is a non-J version, because it's been serviced to radio. 
But I don't know whether it's commercially available.

>>>>Can't they just stick it on YouTube or something and spare us poor radio
>>>>listeners the suffering?
>>>
>>> But the videos on Youtube tend to be crap quality.
>>
>>That wasn't a completely serious suggestion, you know.
>
> Of course.
>
> Mind you, Youtube *is* a good place to find obscure music videos.

It is indeed. Which adds a certain irony to Viacom complaining about "their" 
content being on there.

    Chris

In uk.music.charts on Thu, 7 Jun 2007, Chris Brown 
 wrote :
>
>"Paul Hyett"  wrote in message
>news:kV1c3sFFm6ZGFwO5@blueyonder.co.uk...
>>
>> Mind you, Youtube *is* a good place to find obscure music videos.
>
>It is indeed. Which adds a certain irony to Viacom complaining about "their"
>content being on there.

Maybe they've forgotten the axiom of 'no publicity is bad publicity'...
-- 
Paul Hyett, Cheltenham (change 'invalid83261' to 'blueyonder' to email me)

"Paul Hyett"  wrote in message 
news:q+avNvE$4xYGFw0A@blueyonder.co.uk...
> Singles
> -------
> Rihanna extends her lead even further with the physical release of 
> Umbrella.

I facetiously asked last week whether the weather would affect sales of a 
song called 'Umbrella', but as it turned out the climate was so changeable 
as to preclude any sort of judgement.
Either way, the actual chart position was never really open to question.

> New Entries/Climbers
> --------------------
> Top 10 : Mutya #2,

Her first solo chart entry, although you might argue that Lenny Kravitz is 
as entitled to a credit as George Michael was.
In some ways, this reminds me of another solo debut, 'Not Such An Innocent 
Girl' by Victoria Beckham in that it seems very insistent on answering a 
question we never asked. Ironically enough the cover looks nothing like any 
other picture I've ever seen of her.

> Twang #8,

I have to admit that I find the slightly more vulnerable tone of this single 
preferable to the bullishness of 'Wide Awake' but the chorus itself is 
worryingly similar.
Many have drawn comparisons with The Streets, who has indeed done a remix of 
this.

> Calvin Harris #9

Out tomorrow on CD & 12"s. Already his highest-charting single.

> Top 20 : Reverend & The Makers #12 ,

According to the NME, without The Reverend (whose real name is John McClure) 
there would be no monkeys. I don't think most primatologists would agree.
The record itself has been compared to LCD Soundsystem with a Yorkshire 
accent, and there's something oddly self-serving about its rebellion that 
sticks in my craw.
Meanwhile, the 7" includes a collaboration with John Cooper Clarke.

 >MIMS #18,

It stands for "Music Is My Savior" apparently.
He claims he can sell a million copies saying nothing on a track. Which on 
this evidence is just as well.

> Marilyn Manson #19

Winning the prize for Mixed Metaphor Of The Week with 'Heart-Shaped 
Glasses'.
Try as he might, it seems a long time since anybody was actually threatened 
or challenged by him, and his new mopey direction seems to have disappointed 
his existing fans without interesting anyone else.
FWIW, though, his first original hit since September 2003. Maybe it was the 
free ringtone that did it.

> Top 30 : Armand Van Helden #22,

It's now just over a decade since he first came to most of our attentions 
with his chart-topping Tori Amos remix. Rewarded with a record deal of his 
own, he went through a knowingly uncommercial phase before rescuing his 
career with the shameless crowd-pleaser 'U Don't Know Me'.
Since then he's bounced erratically between major and minor hits. 'NYC Beat' 
is his first Top 40 single since the reworked 'MyMyMy' a year ago, and his 
first new one since the original of that in 2004.
Perhaps it would have done even better if he'd spelt out the whole title 
though.

>Kim Sozzi #23,

I can see why Cascada's name is almost as big on the cover as hers.

> Zimmers #26,

With an average age of 78, weren't these the generation who were trying to 
p-put the Who down just because they g-g-g-g-g-got around?
Originally conceived as a PR stunt for a well-known bingo chain, this has 
inexplicably been picked up by the BBC as part of some dreadful-sounding 
reality show about protests, which broadcast an episode about their "assault 
on the charts" on Bank Holiday Monday, oddly the same day when they released 
the CD single.
Interestingly enough, it's a one-track disc - I wonder when the last time a 
one-track CD charted?

>Enrique Iglesias #28

Out on CD on the 11th, apparently, although that's also the release date for 
the album.

> Top 40 : Tiny Dancers #33,

Despite the graffiti-like cover artwork, Tiny Dancers' second hit single 
continues in the AOR vein of their previous work.
There's a hint of James about this one as well, though not necessarily in a 
good way.
Greater radio attention doesn't seem to have helped their commercial 
prospects a lot.

>Simply Red #36

Ignoring covers and songs based on familiar samples, this briefly threatened 
to become their biggest hit since 1998. Which probably says more about 
Hucknall's promotional efforts than the record itself, which sounds like 
Blue.

> New outside the top 40 : LCD Soundsystem #41,

In a play on the song title 'All My Friends', the two 7" formats feature 
covers of the song by Franz Ferdinand and John Cale respectively. Cale may 
not take it as a compliment that his format comes with a free poster, 
whereas the Franz one was trusted to sell on its own merits.

>Scissor Sisters #43,

Funnily enough, JK & J played this at the end of the show a few weeks ago, 
prompting me to quip that it might be their only chance to play this song on 
the Chart Show. Many a true word, etc.
The midweeks here seem to have provoked a lot of surprise, presumably among 
people who don't remember than the more obviously Scissor-like 'She's My 
Man' only got to Number 29. This is one single further down the line, and it 
sounds like Polydor put out a Rachel Stevens B-side by mistake.

> Bob Sinclar #49,

Out on CD & 12"s tomorrow.

>Omarion #58,

Not officially sampling 'Don't Stop The Music', this fares a bit better than 
its Number 76 peak last year, but seemingly not well enough to be 
worthwhile.

>Pendulum #64,

12" only (AFAIK) single from the popular Australian Drum n' Bass act.

>Jeff Buckley #65,

His 1994 cover of 'Hallelujah' (the Leonard Cohen song, of course, not the 
Happy Mondays one), which was actually released on 7" last week but 
presumably sold more downloads this week because of the anniversary (see 
below).

> Josh Groban #74,

Another old cover version, this time 'You Raise Me Up', which predates 
Westlife's version at least.

>Holloways #75

Re-released on CD & 7"s on the 11th.

> Albums
> ------
> NE's (top 20) : Pigeon Detectives #3,

It seems to say something about current trends in the industry that a not 
very distinctive band can get a Top 3 album off the back of a couple of 
successful singles.

>R Kelly #10,

Double Up is, oddly, not actually a double album. Here's what his very 
modest press release has to say:
"Much like his musical forefathers Marvin Gaye, Curtis Mayfield and Donny 
Hathaway (the latter two also hailed from Chi-town), R Kelly makes songs for 
ladies lounging in suites as well as homeboys b-balling in the streets. 
Aptly titled 'Double Up', Kelly's new disc features a wide ranch of songs 
that pushes the sonic envelope while staying true to his game."
Includes collaborations with Nelly, Chamillionaire, Usher, Ludacris and Kid 
Rock as well as a track called - oh yes - 'Sex Planet'.

> Jeff Buckley #16

 Released in the US on the (presumed) tenth anniversary of his demise, a 
somewhat superfluous best-of collection from a man who only released one 
album in his lifetime. No fewer than seven of the fourteen tracks here are 
from the expanded version of Grace that his fans surely already have, with a 
further three from the posthumous Sketches For My Sweetheart The Drunk and 
two from his first live EP.
The one piece of bait for collectors is a previously-unreleased cover 
version of 'I Know It's Over' (and even that was out on 7" last week) which 
seems curiously disrespectful.

> New outside the top 20 : Chris Cornell #25,

I'd kind of assumed that the abject failure of the 'Arms Around Your Love' 
single would have out paid to this album's chances, but evidently enough 
people remember the Bond theme for him to get away with it.
It's Cornell's second solo effort after 1999's Number 31 Euphoria Morning, 
since when he charted three albums as a member of Audioslave before falling 
out with them so spectacularly that they reformed Rage Against The Machine. 
It seems to concentrate on his more mid-tempo power-ballad side, and for 
some reason he's also covered 'Billie Jean'.

> Richard Thompson #39,

Tenth solo chart album for the folk-rock legend, not counting a 
collaboration with unrelated bassist Danny Thompson.
This is his first new electric album since 2003 and has already spawned an 
unlikely Web 2.0 hit, with his song 'Dad's Gonna Kill Me' soundtracking many 
an anti-war video on YouTube.

> Mumm-Ra #42,

 A band who've been compared to The Automatic but haven't sued yet, named 
after a character from Thundercats.
There's something I don't like about them, but I can't quite put my finger 
on it.

>Infernal #44,

Doing alright for an album that's been out on import for a year in a genre 
that tends not to sell albums.

> Hans Zimmer #58 (LW #77),

The score to the new Pirates Of The Caribbean movie. I notice he was also in 
the singles midweeks, but perhaps people were downloading him instead of The 
Zimmers by mistake.

> Ross Copperman #59,

Welcome To Reality is the title of this album. Hahaha!
The record company have been trying to push him as an American Robbie 
Williams, and in a way failing to sell records in the UK does make him that, 
but probably not in the way they were hoping for.

> Joe Jackson #60

By my count his sixth UK compilation, which makes it hard to tell what this 
one adds to the world. There's nothing on it post-1989.
Joe isn't his real name, you know.

> Next Week
> ---------
> Singles
> -------
> Still nothing to challenge R&B babe Rihanna's dominance.

Not really. Of course we know know that it would be hard to compete with, 
but surely the other record companies didn't realise before?

> Top 10 : (prob top 5) Calvin Harris,

Of course.

> Top 20 : Unklejam,

People seem to like this one, for some reason.

> Top 30 : Bob Sinclar,

Always a little bit difficult to predict. Could go Top 20.

>Corenell,

Also a very difficult one to guess at, especially for people like me who 
can't even begin to see the point.

> Top 40 : QOTSA

Odd, in that they've had some decent-sized hits in the past but this seems 
to be sneaking out almost unnoticed.

I'd also expect Ghosts to repeat their success last time. Rumble Strips were 
Number 41 with their last single, so they don't need to do much more this 
time.

> Albums
> ------
> Rihanna looks a fair possibility to complete the double.

Hmm... Her first album didn't sell, so we can't take that as a given.

> Top 20 NE : Biffy Clyro,

Possibly the most awaited album of the week.

> Marilyn Manson,

Yeah, the fans'll buy it anyway, even if they never listen to it afterwards.

> Mutya,

Probably the most hyped release of the week.

> Paul McCartney,

Probably, although his recent albums haven't been very consistent sellers.

>Twang

Another one that's been pretty heavily promoted. Can I be the first one to 
call them the new Kasabian?

I also wouldn't rule out Dizzee Rascal, and Bruce Springsteen can sell live 
albums.

    Chris
-- 
"It's always hard meeting your heroes. Especially when they punch you in the 
face."

http://thehitparade.blogspot.com

More of my blathering is available at
http://faynights.users.btopenworld.com

In uk.music.charts on Sun, 3 Jun 2007, Chris Brown 
 wrote :

>> Singles
>> -------
>> New Entries/Climbers
>> --------------------
>> Top 10 : Mutya #2,
>
>Her first solo chart entry

>In some ways, this reminds me of another solo debut, 'Not Such An Innocent
>Girl' by Victoria Beckham in that it seems very insistent on answering a
>question we never asked. Ironically enough the cover looks nothing like any
>other picture I've ever seen of her.

Maybe that's the point?
>
>> Calvin Harris #9
>
>Out tomorrow on CD & 12"s. Already his highest-charting single.

IMO the best he can expect is #2.

Personally I can't see how this even reached the top 20.
>
> >MIMS #18,
>
>It stands for "Music Is My Savior" apparently.

What does music have to do with rap? :)
>
>>Kim Sozzi #23,
>
>I can see why Cascada's name is almost as big on the cover as hers.

Why do you say that?
>
>> Zimmers #26,
>
>With an average age of 78, weren't these the generation who were trying to
>p-put the Who down just because they g-g-g-g-g-got around?

Just what I thought. :)
>
>>LCD Soundsystem #41,
>
>In a play on the song title 'All My Friends', the two 7" formats feature
>covers of the song by Franz Ferdinand and John Cale respectively.

They bothered releasing two 7" formats for a single that was never going 
to storm the charts?
>
>> Bob Sinclar #49,
>
>Out on CD & 12"s tomorrow.

His appeal escapes me, as always.
>
>> Albums
>> ------
>> NE's (top 20) : Pigeon Detectives #3,
>
>It seems to say something about current trends in the industry that a not
>very distinctive band can get a Top 3 album off the back of a couple of
>successful singles.

I think it says more about the time of year & lack of competition.
>
>>Infernal #44,
>
>Doing alright for an album that's been out on import for a year in a genre
>that tends not to sell albums.

Unless their lead singer is named Natalie Horler?
>
>> Next Week
>> ---------
>> Singles
>> -------
>> Still nothing to challenge R&B babe Rihanna's dominance.
>
>Not really. Of course we know know that it would be hard to compete with,
>but surely the other record companies didn't realise before?

Maybe they didn't - Umbrella seemed to catch a lot of people by 
surprise. I would have bought it myself if it didn't feature Jay-Z.
>
>> Top 30 :
>
>>Corenell,
>
>Also a very difficult one to guess at, especially for people like me who
>can't even begin to see the point.

You mean the hot footy-playing blondes & brunettes in the video, aren't 
the point? :)
>
>> Top 40 : QOTSA
>
>Odd, in that they've had some decent-sized hits in the past but this seems
>to be sneaking out almost unnoticed.

I think it's download-only.
>
>> Albums
>> ------
>> Rihanna looks a fair possibility to complete the double.
>
>Hmm... Her first album didn't sell, so we can't take that as a given.

But maroon 5 sold less than 40k at #1 this week, so...
>
>I also wouldn't rule out Dizzee Rascal

I would - 2nd rate rap artists struggle to sell albums here.
-- 
Paul Hyett, Cheltenham (change 'invalid83261' to 'blueyonder' to email me)

"Paul Hyett"  wrote in message 
news:qEaPDzF8v7YGFw3I@blueyonder.co.uk...
> In uk.music.charts on Sun, 3 Jun 2007, Chris Brown 
>  wrote :
>
>>> Singles
>>> -------
>>> New Entries/Climbers
>>> --------------------
>>> Top 10 : Mutya #2,
>>
>>Her first solo chart entry
>
>>In some ways, this reminds me of another solo debut, 'Not Such An Innocent
>>Girl' by Victoria Beckham in that it seems very insistent on answering a
>>question we never asked. Ironically enough the cover looks nothing like 
>>any
>>other picture I've ever seen of her.
>
> Maybe that's the point?

In an "And this is me" sort of way? Certainly possible.
I've never knowingly met her, so I can't vouch for any particular image.

>>> Calvin Harris #9
>>
>>Out tomorrow on CD & 12"s. Already his highest-charting single.
>
> IMO the best he can expect is #2.

Certainly, looking at Rihanna's sales and the fact that there presumably 
isn't a huge army of Calvin Harris fans.

> Personally I can't see how this even reached the top >20.

I made a similar point on the R1 point, which garnered the response "I know 
what you mean, but they'll all be asking for it when I'm DJing".

>>>Kim Sozzi #23,
>>
>>I can see why Cascada's name is almost as big on the cover as hers.
>
> Why do you say that?

It does sound very like them. And they might have more fans.

>>>LCD Soundsystem #41,
>>
>>In a play on the song title 'All My Friends', the two 7" formats feature
>>covers of the song by Franz Ferdinand and John Cale respectively.
>
> They bothered releasing two 7" formats for a single that was never going 
> to storm the charts?

Well that's exactly why, isn't it? They'd have sold more copies of three 
formats than two.

>>> Bob Sinclar #49,
>>
>>Out on CD & 12"s tomorrow.
>
> His appeal escapes me, as always.

Really? Did you ever hear 'I Feel For You'?

>>> Albums
>>> ------
>>> NE's (top 20) : Pigeon Detectives #3,
>>
>>It seems to say something about current trends in the industry that a not
>>very distinctive band can get a Top 3 album off the back of a couple of
>>successful singles.
>
> I think it says more about the time of year & lack of competition.

Those are obviously part of it too, but still it's sold pretty comfortably 
for something so unremarkable.

>>>Infernal #44,
>>
>>Doing alright for an album that's been out on import for a year in a genre
>>that tends not to sell albums.
>
> Unless their lead singer is named Natalie Horler?

Right, and that's what I meant by "tends not to".

>>> Next Week
>>> ---------
>>> Singles
>>> -------
>>> Still nothing to challenge R&B babe Rihanna's dominance.
>>
>>Not really. Of course we know know that it would be hard to compete with,
>>but surely the other record companies didn't realise before?
>
> Maybe they didn't - Umbrella seemed to catch a lot of people by surprise.

This is what I meant - it almost looks as if they're avoiding scheduling 
against her.

>I would have bought it myself if it didn't feature Jay-Z.

Couldn't you download one of the other versions?

>>> Top 30 :
>>
>>>Corenell,
>>
>>Also a very difficult one to guess at, especially for people like me who
>>can't even begin to see the point.
>
> You mean the hot footy-playing blondes & brunettes in the video, aren't 
> the point? :)

But why inflict this record on us?

>>> Top 40 : QOTSA
>>
>>Odd, in that they've had some decent-sized hits in the past but this seems
>>to be sneaking out almost unnoticed.
>
> I think it's download-only.

On the contrary, I've seen all three physical formats today. You can fit 
them into one package, but they'd probably rather you waited until after 
you'd paid for them.

>>> Albums
>>> ------
>>> Rihanna looks a fair possibility to complete the double.
>>
>>Hmm... Her first album didn't sell, so we can't take that as a given.
>
> But maroon 5 sold less than 40k at #1 this week, so...

This is why I'm taking the idea seriously at all.

>>I also wouldn't rule out Dizzee Rascal
>
> I would - 2nd rate rap artists struggle to sell albums here.

He didn't last time. And his first one actually sold quite well, though 
gradually.

On the subject of predictions, though, you can scratch Gallows (free gift) 
and Rumble Strips (postponed to the 11th).

    Chris

In uk.music.charts on Mon, 4 Jun 2007, Chris Brown 
 wrote :
>
>>>> Bob Sinclar #49,
>>>
>>>Out on CD & 12"s tomorrow.
>>
>> His appeal escapes me, as always.
>
>Really? Did you ever hear 'I Feel For You'?

I thought Love Generation was his debut hit, but Guinness says 
otherwise. I doubt I would have liked the above though, unless it was 
radically different to any of his recent stuff.
>
>>>> Next Week
>>>> ---------
>>>> Singles
>>>> -------
>>>> Still nothing to challenge R&B babe Rihanna's dominance.
>>>
>>>Not really. Of course we know know that it would be hard to compete with,
>>>but surely the other record companies didn't realise before?
>>
>> Maybe they didn't - Umbrella seemed to catch a lot of people by surprise.
>
>This is what I meant - it almost looks as if they're avoiding scheduling
>against her.

But release dates are normally scheduled well in advance, and there's 
always the change of a big record emerging from nowhere.
>
>>I would have bought it myself if it didn't feature Jay-Z.
>
>Couldn't you download one of the other versions?

I don't want to download music - I prefer CD singles.
>
>>>> Top 30 :
>>>
>>>>Corenell,
>>
>> You mean the hot footy-playing blondes & brunettes in the video, aren't
>> the point? :)
>
>But why inflict this record on us?

See my previous comment. :)
-- 
Paul Hyett, Cheltenham (change 'invalid83261' to 'blueyonder' to email me)

"Paul Hyett"  wrote in message 
news:2MRIxpIWlQZGFwMf@blueyonder.co.uk...
> In uk.music.charts on Mon, 4 Jun 2007, Chris Brown 
>  wrote :
>>
>>>>> Bob Sinclar #49,
>>>>
>>>>Out on CD & 12"s tomorrow.
>>>
>>> His appeal escapes me, as always.
>>
>>Really? Did you ever hear 'I Feel For You'?
>
> I thought Love Generation was his debut hit, but Guinness says otherwise.

Considering how much success he had off the back of that one, it's odd that 
it hadn't happened first time around. Admittedly he had one hit "stolen" 
from him by Spacedust.

> I doubt I would have liked the above though, unless it was radically 
> different to any of his recent stuff.

It's been a while since I heard it too, but IIRC it's more your sort of 
thing. No Jamaicans involved.

>>>>> Next Week
>>>>> ---------
>>>>> Singles
>>>>> -------
>>>>> Still nothing to challenge R&B babe Rihanna's dominance.
>>>>
>>>>Not really. Of course we know know that it would be hard to compete 
>>>>with,
>>>>but surely the other record companies didn't realise before?
>>>
>>> Maybe they didn't - Umbrella seemed to catch a lot of people by 
>>> surprise.
>>
>>This is what I meant - it almost looks as if they're avoiding scheduling
>>against her.
>
> But release dates are normally scheduled well in advance, and there's 
> always the change of a big record emerging from nowhere.

Should I go out and come in again? I'm saying that it looks that way, but 
obviously isn't for the very reasons you're outlining.

>>>I would have bought it myself if it didn't feature Jay-Z.
>>
>>Couldn't you download one of the other versions?
>
> I don't want to download music - I prefer CD singles.

As I've said before, I've pretty much given up on those now. But horses for 
courses, etc.

>>>>> Top 30 :
>>>>
>>>>>Corenell,
>>>
>>> You mean the hot footy-playing blondes & brunettes in the video, aren't
>>> the point? :)
>>
>>But why inflict this record on us?
>
> See my previous comment. :)

Can't they just stick it on YouTube or something and spare us poor radio 
listeners the suffering?

    Chris
-- 
"It's always hard meeting your heroes. Especially when they punch you in the 
face."

http://thehitparade.blogspot.com

More of my blathering is available at
http://faynights.users.btopenworld.com

In uk.music.charts on Tue, 5 Jun 2007, Chris Brown 
 wrote :
>
>Considering how much success he had off the back of that one, it's odd that
>it hadn't happened first time around. Admittedly he had one hit "stolen"
>from him by Spacedust.
>
>> I doubt I would have liked the above though, unless it was radically
>> different to any of his recent stuff.
>
>It's been a while since I heard it too, but IIRC it's more your sort of
>thing. No Jamaicans involved.

Why Jamaicans?
>
>>>>I would have bought it myself if it didn't feature Jay-Z.
>>>
>>>Couldn't you download one of the other versions?
>>
>> I don't want to download music - I prefer CD singles.
>
>As I've said before, I've pretty much given up on those now. But horses for
>courses, etc.

I recorded the video, and chopped off the first part that has Jay-Z.
>
>Can't they just stick it on YouTube or something and spare us poor radio
>listeners the suffering?

But the videos on Youtube tend to be crap quality.
-- 
Paul Hyett, Cheltenham (change 'invalid83261' to 'blueyonder' to email me)

"Paul Hyett"  wrote in message 
news:U2xg$RFVZZZGFwaK@blueyonder.co.uk...
> In uk.music.charts on Tue, 5 Jun 2007, Chris Brown 
>  wrote :
>>
>>Considering how much success he had off the back of that one, it's odd 
>>that
>>it hadn't happened first time around. Admittedly he had one hit "stolen"
>>from him by Spacedust.
>>
>>> I doubt I would have liked the above though, unless it was radically
>>> different to any of his recent stuff.
>>
>>It's been a while since I heard it too, but IIRC it's more your sort of
>>thing. No Jamaicans involved.
>
> Why Jamaicans?

Just because Gary Pine of 'Love Generation' fame is from Jamaica, and didn't 
Sinclar use him on most of the subsequent ones?

>>>>>I would have bought it myself if it didn't feature Jay-Z.
>>>>
>>>>Couldn't you download one of the other versions?
>>>
>>> I don't want to download music - I prefer CD singles.
>>
>>As I've said before, I've pretty much given up on those now. But horses 
>>for
>>courses, etc.
>
> I recorded the video, and chopped off the first part that has Jay-Z.

All you need to do is chop off the rest of the song as well, and you might 
be on to something... ;-)
BTW, I've been blithely assuming that the non-Jay-Z version is 
(legitimately) available on download, although I don't actually know that.

>>Can't they just stick it on YouTube or something and spare us poor radio
>>listeners the suffering?
>
> But the videos on Youtube tend to be crap quality.

That wasn't a completely serious suggestion, you know.

    Chris

In uk.music.charts on Wed, 6 Jun 2007, Chris Brown 
 wrote :
>>
>> I recorded the video, and chopped off the first part that has Jay-Z.
>
>All you need to do is chop off the rest of the song as well, and you might
>be on to something... ;-)

>BTW, I've been blithely assuming that the non-Jay-Z version is
>(legitimately) available on download, although I don't actually know that.

I'm not so sure there even *is* a non-Jay-Z version now.

It would appear that until a couple of weeks ago, I'd never caught the 
video right from the beginning (or if I had, I'd think 'bloody rap' and 
instantly change channel without making the connection to Rihanna). 
Therefore I just assumed there was a version without him.
>
>>>Can't they just stick it on YouTube or something and spare us poor radio
>>>listeners the suffering?
>>
>> But the videos on Youtube tend to be crap quality.
>
>That wasn't a completely serious suggestion, you know.

Of course.

Mind you, Youtube *is* a good place to find obscure music videos.
-- 
Paul Hyett, Cheltenham (change 'invalid83261' to 'blueyonder' to email me)

"Paul Hyett"  wrote in message 
news:kV1c3sFFm6ZGFwO5@blueyonder.co.uk...
> In uk.music.charts on Wed, 6 Jun 2007, Chris Brown 
>  wrote :
>>>
>>> I recorded the video, and chopped off the first part that has Jay-Z.
>>
>>All you need to do is chop off the rest of the song as well, and you might
>>be on to something... ;-)
>
>>BTW, I've been blithely assuming that the non-Jay-Z version is
>>(legitimately) available on download, although I don't actually know that.
>
> I'm not so sure there even *is* a non-Jay-Z version now.
>
> It would appear that until a couple of weeks ago, I'd never caught the 
> video right from the beginning (or if I had, I'd think 'bloody rap' and 
> instantly change channel without making the connection to Rihanna). 
> Therefore I just assumed there was a version without him.

There definitely is a non-J version, because it's been serviced to radio. 
But I don't know whether it's commercially available.

>>>>Can't they just stick it on YouTube or something and spare us poor radio
>>>>listeners the suffering?
>>>
>>> But the videos on Youtube tend to be crap quality.
>>
>>That wasn't a completely serious suggestion, you know.
>
> Of course.
>
> Mind you, Youtube *is* a good place to find obscure music videos.

It is indeed. Which adds a certain irony to Viacom complaining about "their" 
content being on there.

    Chris

In uk.music.charts on Thu, 7 Jun 2007, Chris Brown 
 wrote :
>
>"Paul Hyett"  wrote in message
>news:kV1c3sFFm6ZGFwO5@blueyonder.co.uk...
>>
>> Mind you, Youtube *is* a good place to find obscure music videos.
>
>It is indeed. Which adds a certain irony to Viacom complaining about "their"
>content being on there.

Maybe they've forgotten the axiom of 'no publicity is bad publicity'...
-- 
Paul Hyett, Cheltenham (change 'invalid83261' to 'blueyonder' to email me)

In uk.music.charts on Mon, 4 Jun 2007, Chris Brown 
 wrote :
>
>>>> Bob Sinclar #49,
>>>
>>>Out on CD & 12"s tomorrow.
>>
>> His appeal escapes me, as always.
>
>Really? Did you ever hear 'I Feel For You'?

I thought Love Generation was his debut hit, but Guinness says 
otherwise. I doubt I would have liked the above though, unless it was 
radically different to any of his recent stuff.
>
>>>> Next Week
>>>> ---------
>>>> Singles
>>>> -------
>>>> Still nothing to challenge R&B babe Rihanna's dominance.
>>>
>>>Not really. Of course we know know that it would be hard to compete with,
>>>but surely the other record companies didn't realise before?
>>
>> Maybe they didn't - Umbrella seemed to catch a lot of people by surprise.
>
>This is what I meant - it almost looks as if they're avoiding scheduling
>against her.

But release dates are normally scheduled well in advance, and there's 
always the change of a big record emerging from nowhere.
>
>>I would have bought it myself if it didn't feature Jay-Z.
>
>Couldn't you download one of the other versions?

I don't want to download music - I prefer CD singles.
>
>>>> Top 30 :
>>>
>>>>Corenell,
>>
>> You mean the hot footy-playing blondes & brunettes in the video, aren't
>> the point? :)
>
>But why inflict this record on us?

See my previous comment. :)
-- 
Paul Hyett, Cheltenham (change 'invalid83261' to 'blueyonder' to email me)

"Paul Hyett"  wrote in message 
news:2MRIxpIWlQZGFwMf@blueyonder.co.uk...
> In uk.music.charts on Mon, 4 Jun 2007, Chris Brown 
>  wrote :
>>
>>>>> Bob Sinclar #49,
>>>>
>>>>Out on CD & 12"s tomorrow.
>>>
>>> His appeal escapes me, as always.
>>
>>Really? Did you ever hear 'I Feel For You'?
>
> I thought Love Generation was his debut hit, but Guinness says otherwise.

Considering how much success he had off the back of that one, it's odd that 
it hadn't happened first time around. Admittedly he had one hit "stolen" 
from him by Spacedust.

> I doubt I would have liked the above though, unless it was radically 
> different to any of his recent stuff.

It's been a while since I heard it too, but IIRC it's more your sort of 
thing. No Jamaicans involved.

>>>>> Next Week
>>>>> ---------
>>>>> Singles
>>>>> -------
>>>>> Still nothing to challenge R&B babe Rihanna's dominance.
>>>>
>>>>Not really. Of course we know know that it would be hard to compete 
>>>>with,
>>>>but surely the other record companies didn't realise before?
>>>
>>> Maybe they didn't - Umbrella seemed to catch a lot of people by 
>>> surprise.
>>
>>This is what I meant - it almost looks as if they're avoiding scheduling
>>against her.
>
> But release dates are normally scheduled well in advance, and there's 
> always the change of a big record emerging from nowhere.

Should I go out and come in again? I'm saying that it looks that way, but 
obviously isn't for the very reasons you're outlining.

>>>I would have bought it myself if it didn't feature Jay-Z.
>>
>>Couldn't you download one of the other versions?
>
> I don't want to download music - I prefer CD singles.

As I've said before, I've pretty much given up on those now. But horses for 
courses, etc.

>>>>> Top 30 :
>>>>
>>>>>Corenell,
>>>
>>> You mean the hot footy-playing blondes & brunettes in the video, aren't
>>> the point? :)
>>
>>But why inflict this record on us?
>
> See my previous comment. :)

Can't they just stick it on YouTube or something and spare us poor radio 
listeners the suffering?

    Chris
-- 
"It's always hard meeting your heroes. Especially when they punch you in the 
face."

http://thehitparade.blogspot.com

More of my blathering is available at
http://faynights.users.btopenworld.com

In uk.music.charts on Tue, 5 Jun 2007, Chris Brown 
 wrote :
>
>Considering how much success he had off the back of that one, it's odd that
>it hadn't happened first time around. Admittedly he had one hit "stolen"
>from him by Spacedust.
>
>> I doubt I would have liked the above though, unless it was radically
>> different to any of his recent stuff.
>
>It's been a while since I heard it too, but IIRC it's more your sort of
>thing. No Jamaicans involved.

Why Jamaicans?
>
>>>>I would have bought it myself if it didn't feature Jay-Z.
>>>
>>>Couldn't you download one of the other versions?
>>
>> I don't want to download music - I prefer CD singles.
>
>As I've said before, I've pretty much given up on those now. But horses for
>courses, etc.

I recorded the video, and chopped off the first part that has Jay-Z.
>
>Can't they just stick it on YouTube or something and spare us poor radio
>listeners the suffering?

But the videos on Youtube tend to be crap quality.
-- 
Paul Hyett, Cheltenham (change 'invalid83261' to 'blueyonder' to email me)

"Paul Hyett"  wrote in message 
news:U2xg$RFVZZZGFwaK@blueyonder.co.uk...
> In uk.music.charts on Tue, 5 Jun 2007, Chris Brown 
>  wrote :
>>
>>Considering how much success he had off the back of that one, it's odd 
>>that
>>it hadn't happened first time around. Admittedly he had one hit "stolen"
>>from him by Spacedust.
>>
>>> I doubt I would have liked the above though, unless it was radically
>>> different to any of his recent stuff.
>>
>>It's been a while since I heard it too, but IIRC it's more your sort of
>>thing. No Jamaicans involved.
>
> Why Jamaicans?

Just because Gary Pine of 'Love Generation' fame is from Jamaica, and didn't 
Sinclar use him on most of the subsequent ones?

>>>>>I would have bought it myself if it didn't feature Jay-Z.
>>>>
>>>>Couldn't you download one of the other versions?
>>>
>>> I don't want to download music - I prefer CD singles.
>>
>>As I've said before, I've pretty much given up on those now. But horses 
>>for
>>courses, etc.
>
> I recorded the video, and chopped off the first part that has Jay-Z.

All you need to do is chop off the rest of the song as well, and you might 
be on to something... ;-)
BTW, I've been blithely assuming that the non-Jay-Z version is 
(legitimately) available on download, although I don't actually know that.

>>Can't they just stick it on YouTube or something and spare us poor radio
>>listeners the suffering?
>
> But the videos on Youtube tend to be crap quality.

That wasn't a completely serious suggestion, you know.

    Chris

In uk.music.charts on Wed, 6 Jun 2007, Chris Brown 
 wrote :
>>
>> I recorded the video, and chopped off the first part that has Jay-Z.
>
>All you need to do is chop off the rest of the song as well, and you might
>be on to something... ;-)

>BTW, I've been blithely assuming that the non-Jay-Z version is
>(legitimately) available on download, although I don't actually know that.

I'm not so sure there even *is* a non-Jay-Z version now.

It would appear that until a couple of weeks ago, I'd never caught the 
video right from the beginning (or if I had, I'd think 'bloody rap' and 
instantly change channel without making the connection to Rihanna). 
Therefore I just assumed there was a version without him.
>
>>>Can't they just stick it on YouTube or something and spare us poor radio
>>>listeners the suffering?
>>
>> But the videos on Youtube tend to be crap quality.
>
>That wasn't a completely serious suggestion, you know.

Of course.

Mind you, Youtube *is* a good place to find obscure music videos.
-- 
Paul Hyett, Cheltenham (change 'invalid83261' to 'blueyonder' to email me)

"Paul Hyett"  wrote in message 
news:kV1c3sFFm6ZGFwO5@blueyonder.co.uk...
> In uk.music.charts on Wed, 6 Jun 2007, Chris Brown 
>  wrote :
>>>
>>> I recorded the video, and chopped off the first part that has Jay-Z.
>>
>>All you need to do is chop off the rest of the song as well, and you might
>>be on to something... ;-)
>
>>BTW, I've been blithely assuming that the non-Jay-Z version is
>>(legitimately) available on download, although I don't actually know that.
>
> I'm not so sure there even *is* a non-Jay-Z version now.
>
> It would appear that until a couple of weeks ago, I'd never caught the 
> video right from the beginning (or if I had, I'd think 'bloody rap' and 
> instantly change channel without making the connection to Rihanna). 
> Therefore I just assumed there was a version without him.

There definitely is a non-J version, because it's been serviced to radio. 
But I don't know whether it's commercially available.

>>>>Can't they just stick it on YouTube or something and spare us poor radio
>>>>listeners the suffering?
>>>
>>> But the videos on Youtube tend to be crap quality.
>>
>>That wasn't a completely serious suggestion, you know.
>
> Of course.
>
> Mind you, Youtube *is* a good place to find obscure music videos.

It is indeed. Which adds a certain irony to Viacom complaining about "their" 
content being on there.

    Chris

In uk.music.charts on Thu, 7 Jun 2007, Chris Brown 
 wrote :
>
>"Paul Hyett"  wrote in message
>news:kV1c3sFFm6ZGFwO5@blueyonder.co.uk...
>>
>> Mind you, Youtube *is* a good place to find obscure music videos.
>
>It is indeed. Which adds a certain irony to Viacom complaining about "their"
>content being on there.

Maybe they've forgotten the axiom of 'no publicity is bad publicity'...
-- 
Paul Hyett, Cheltenham (change 'invalid83261' to 'blueyonder' to email me)

"Paul Hyett"  wrote in message 
news:U2xg$RFVZZZGFwaK@blueyonder.co.uk...
> In uk.music.charts on Tue, 5 Jun 2007, Chris Brown 
>  wrote :
>>
>>Considering how much success he had off the back of that one, it's odd 
>>that
>>it hadn't happened first time around. Admittedly he had one hit "stolen"
>>from him by Spacedust.
>>
>>> I doubt I would have liked the above though, unless it was radically
>>> different to any of his recent stuff.
>>
>>It's been a while since I heard it too, but IIRC it's more your sort of
>>thing. No Jamaicans involved.
>
> Why Jamaicans?

Just because Gary Pine of 'Love Generation' fame is from Jamaica, and didn't 
Sinclar use him on most of the subsequent ones?

>>>>>I would have bought it myself if it didn't feature Jay-Z.
>>>>
>>>>Couldn't you download one of the other versions?
>>>
>>> I don't want to download music - I prefer CD singles.
>>
>>As I've said before, I've pretty much given up on those now. But horses 
>>for
>>courses, etc.
>
> I recorded the video, and chopped off the first part that has Jay-Z.

All you need to do is chop off the rest of the song as well, and you might 
be on to something... ;-)
BTW, I've been blithely assuming that the non-Jay-Z version is 
(legitimately) available on download, although I don't actually know that.

>>Can't they just stick it on YouTube or something and spare us poor radio
>>listeners the suffering?
>
> But the videos on Youtube tend to be crap quality.

That wasn't a completely serious suggestion, you know.

    Chris

In uk.music.charts on Wed, 6 Jun 2007, Chris Brown 
 wrote :
>>
>> I recorded the video, and chopped off the first part that has Jay-Z.
>
>All you need to do is chop off the rest of the song as well, and you might
>be on to something... ;-)

>BTW, I've been blithely assuming that the non-Jay-Z version is
>(legitimately) available on download, although I don't actually know that.

I'm not so sure there even *is* a non-Jay-Z version now.

It would appear that until a couple of weeks ago, I'd never caught the 
video right from the beginning (or if I had, I'd think 'bloody rap' and 
instantly change channel without making the connection to Rihanna). 
Therefore I just assumed there was a version without him.
>
>>>Can't they just stick it on YouTube or something and spare us poor radio
>>>listeners the suffering?
>>
>> But the videos on Youtube tend to be crap quality.
>
>That wasn't a completely serious suggestion, you know.

Of course.

Mind you, Youtube *is* a good place to find obscure music videos.
-- 
Paul Hyett, Cheltenham (change 'invalid83261' to 'blueyonder' to email me)

"Paul Hyett"  wrote in message 
news:kV1c3sFFm6ZGFwO5@blueyonder.co.uk...
> In uk.music.charts on Wed, 6 Jun 2007, Chris Brown 
>  wrote :
>>>
>>> I recorded the video, and chopped off the first part that has Jay-Z.
>>
>>All you need to do is chop off the rest of the song as well, and you might
>>be on to something... ;-)
>
>>BTW, I've been blithely assuming that the non-Jay-Z version is
>>(legitimately) available on download, although I don't actually know that.
>
> I'm not so sure there even *is* a non-Jay-Z version now.
>
> It would appear that until a couple of weeks ago, I'd never caught the 
> video right from the beginning (or if I had, I'd think 'bloody rap' and 
> instantly change channel without making the connection to Rihanna). 
> Therefore I just assumed there was a version without him.

There definitely is a non-J version, because it's been serviced to radio. 
But I don't know whether it's commercially available.

>>>>Can't they just stick it on YouTube or something and spare us poor radio
>>>>listeners the suffering?
>>>
>>> But the videos on Youtube tend to be crap quality.
>>
>>That wasn't a completely serious suggestion, you know.
>
> Of course.
>
> Mind you, Youtube *is* a good place to find obscure music videos.

It is indeed. Which adds a certain irony to Viacom complaining about "their" 
content being on there.

    Chris

In uk.music.charts on Thu, 7 Jun 2007, Chris Brown 
 wrote :
>
>"Paul Hyett"  wrote in message
>news:kV1c3sFFm6ZGFwO5@blueyonder.co.uk...
>>
>> Mind you, Youtube *is* a good place to find obscure music videos.
>
>It is indeed. Which adds a certain irony to Viacom complaining about "their"
>content being on there.

Maybe they've forgotten the axiom of 'no publicity is bad publicity'...
-- 
Paul Hyett, Cheltenham (change 'invalid83261' to 'blueyonder' to email me)