This week's Official UK Singles Chart
Preamble:
Major news up at the top end of the charts this week with the usual rapid turnover at the bottom end. 12 new entries, 7 climbers and 2 non-movers.
Analysis:
No. 40: NEW ENTRY. PM Dawn featuring Boy George - More Than Likely
Erring perhaps on the side of blandnes, PM Dawn make the Top 40 at last with this much heralded collaboration after bubbling under for a couple of weeks. It's the third recent Top 40 hit for PM Dawn from their latest album and a followup to the Top 20 of Looking Through Patient Eyes back in April. For Boy George its his first chart appearance since his version of The Crying Game made No.24 in September last year. The track was reissued subsequently following the Oscar success of the Neil Jordan film from which it came, but failed to chart again.
No. 39: NEW ENTRY. Ugly Kid Joe - Busy Bee
Never ones to let a successful formula pass them by, Ugly Kid Joe get a fourth Top 40 hit with a track that could almost be a rehash of Cats In The Cradle which gave them a Top Ten hit back in April. By no means another major hit for them but proof at least they are to be congratulated for rising above the novelty of Everything About You.
No. 37: NEW ENTRY. Manchester United and the Champions - United We Love You
Oh dear. Last month Manchester United became the 1993 champions of the FA Premier League [the first ones ever fact fans] following the decision of my home team Leeds to give everyone else a chance this year and after a wait of 18 years since their last championship victory. In order to celebrate they have made a record of course. In doing so they equal the record set by Tottenham Hotspur of having 3 Top 40 hits, this one being a followup to 1983s Glory Glory Man. United (No.13) and 1985's We All Follow Man. United (No.10). It would have been 4 had it not been for Manchester United peaking at No.50 in May 1976 in the days when the chart was only 50 records long.
No. 36: NEW ENTRY. Bjork - Human Behaviour
In the manner of all awkward bastards, the Sugarcubes split up just as it seemed they were destined for crossover success - Hit making the Top 20 in January 1992. Lead singer Bjork has now struck out on her own, making a strong Top 40 debut with her first single that is unfortunately a cacophonous mess.
No. 35: NEW ENTRY. Neneh Cherry - Buddy X
Neneh Cherry's latest album hasn't exactly set the charts on fire in terms of hit singles. So far it has only spawned one hit which was so distinctive I've forgotten what it was. The latest is unlikely to progess much further either, a far cry from the days of Buffalo Stance and Manchild - both Top 10 hits.
No. 33: NEW ENTRY. Kingmaker - Queen Jane
Currently on a roll, Kingmaker rapdily followup their last hit Ten Years Asleep with another similarly styled track. Unlikely to be as big a hit as last time, but surely only a matter of time before they achieve massive crossover success.
No. 32: NEW ENTRY. Brian May featuring Cozy Powell - Resurrection
Rock giant meets Rock giant time as the former Queen guitarist releases his heaviest single yet and in complete contrast to the blandness of his last hit Back To The Light. For sometime Black Sabbath drummer Powell it's his first chart hit since 1979. His record of two top ten hits Dance With The Devil and Na Na Na make him second only to Sandy Nelson as the most successful solo drummer in chart history. May also equals the feat this week of Lisa Stansfield by appearing on two chart
records at once. Coincidentally they are both on the same one - the Five Live EP.
No. 28: NEW ENTRY. Thunder - Like A Satellite
Third album time for Thunder, one of the better British rock groups destined it seems never for a major hit. The closest they have ever come is the No.21 peak of Love Walked In
No. 27: NEW ENTRY. Niamh Kavanagh - In Your Eyes
The record that for some reason everyone is getting _so_ excited about. Last month the Commitments vocalist beat dear old Sonia to first place in the Eurovision Song Contest. By charting it becomes the first winner to do so since Johnny Logan's 1987 Irish winner Hold Me Now. Since then the only Eurovision songs to chart have been failed British entries, Sonia's Better The Devil You Know being the most recent.
No. 20: CLIMBER. Time Frequency - Ultimate High/The Power Zone
Steadily climbing for the Scottish dance act, who make some of the most uplifting records around. I actually credited their last hit New Emotion as doing better than it did last week. It actually peaked at No.35 making this by far their largest hit.
No. 19: NEW ENTRY. Terence Trent D'Arby featuring Des'ree - Delicate
His pubic profile has never been higher after appearing naked on the front cover of Q magazine [DYSWIDT]. D'Arby returns with his second Top 20 hit in a row and by far the best track on his new album and destined surely for Top 10 success next week. For Des'ree it is her first chart hit since Feel So High made the Top 30 on its second release in January 1992.
No. 16: NEW ENTRY. Sting - Fields Of Gold
For a man who is normally considered an albums artist this is an achievement indeed, a third hit in a row from his latest album, and all of them Top 20 hits. Although it is unlikely to get much further, this has sealed Sting's reputation as a crossover star. [Hardly a surprise really, his best solo album ever producing its fair share of instantly classic hit singles].
No. 14: CLIMBER. Sade - No Ordinary Love
Breaking the jinx I mentioned last week, Sade climbs yet again with her reissued hit to give her only her 3rd Top 20 hit ever and her second ever biggest hit.
No. 10: FALLER. Lisa Stansfield - In All The Right Places
Oh alright I'm a pickled gherkin then. [That's a callback to a bold statement I made a couple of weeks back when this first charted, just in case anyone is confused here].
No. 7: NON-MOVER. Pet Shop Boys - Can You Forgive Her?
Surprising many by not shifting, especially after their enigmatic Top of the Pops performance last week. It will be interesting to see how further releases from their new album progress.
No. 6: CLIMBER. Chaka Demus and Pliers - Tease Me
Ranking alongside Shout as the record DJs are falling over themselves to describe as the next Oh Carolina. Shout failed to get further than six though....
No. 2: NEW ENTRY. Gabrielle - Dreams
Another one of those records that is a hit almost before it even started. Played to death on the radio for weeks, this haunting dreamy ballad makes an astonishing debut on the chart and in doing so give Gabrielle a unique record. By going in at No.2 she has the highest ever debut by a previously uncharted act, shattering the No.3 record held by both Vanilla Ice and Crystal Waters. With the entire country about to fall in love with this record it is almost certainly a No.1 [which it was, so you'll have to hold on for the video].
No. 1: SECOND WEEK. UB40 - (I Can't Help) Falling In Love With You
Hanging in there but only just after Gabrielle caused another close run on the calculations. It all looks dicey for UB40 but the film has still yet to open...
