This week's Official UK Singles Chart
Now be honest, you weren't really expecting anything other than the Sugababes at the top of the singles chart were you? The physical release of About You Now sends its sales soaring still further and ensuring that nothing was ever going to come between the girls and a second week at the top of the chart. The song itself has an impressive pedigree, penned by Cathy Dennis and Lukasz "Dr Luke" Gottwald, writer of hits such as Behind These Hazel Eyes and Since U Been Gone for Kelly Clarkson, Girlfriend for Avril Lavigne' and Who Knew for Pink. About You Now is, however, his first UK Number One single as a writer or producer.
In a quiet week for big new singles, the only significant Top 5 move is the three place leap made by Let Me Think About It from Ida Corr vs Fedde Le Grand which now nestles comfortably at Number 2, shouldering Shayne Ward out of the way in the process. Indeed the singles chart as a whole has an air of calm before the storm about it with just a handful of new song arriving on the Top 75 overall. Rest assured this state of affairs is not set to last for long, not least due to the imminent arrival of some long-awaited comeback singles. Just looking at the release schedules for the next few weeks throws up some mouthwatering prospects. Kylie returns on November 12, Britney Spears a week before her. November 19 sees the Spice Girls return whilst the next few weeks will also see new singles from McFly, Westlife and Leona Lewis land on the chart.
Back to the present and new to the Top 10 this week is Mark Ronson who moves 12-7 with the still to be released Valerie. The third single from Version has now sailed past the Number 8 peak of its predecessor Oh My God and has now with ease beaten the Number 9 peak of the Zutons' original version of the song from last year. The track has now also equalled the Number 7 peak of Rehab to rank for the moment as singer Amy Winehouse's joint biggest hit to date. Best of all the single still has another week as a download hit to go, not released physically until next Monday (October 15).
Also new to the Top 10 is Feist who rises 16-8 with the still appealing 1234. Really she is a week late to the party as James Blunt tumbles 8-17 with 1973, thus denying us the spectacle of two Top 10 hits whose titles consist entirely of numbers. Feist isn't the first act to have a hit single named after such a count, having been beaten to the punch by Coolio who hit Number 13 with 1234 (Sumpin' New) in 1996, whilst Richard Blackwood had a Number 10 hit in 2000 with 1-2-3-4 Get With The Wicked. Needless to say, Feist is the only one without any words in the name of her song at all. Only one single whose title consists of a number has ever topped the charts, that, of course, being 19 by Paul Hardcastle which hit the top in 1985.
It seems longer but it has in fact only been just over a year since Jennifer Lopez was last on the chart, duetting with LL Cool J on Control Myself. Her singing comeback is marked by the single Do It Well which moves 34-11 this week following physical release. You'll note of course that the lack of hype and indeed general interest surrounding the single has contributed to what is for her a less than stellar performance. Assuming it progresses no further this will be her first hit to miss the Top 10 since I'm Glad also peaked at Number 11 in June 2003.
The highest Top 40 new entry goes to the Stereophonics who made a rather understated debut last week with a Number 41 entry for the download sales of It Means Nothing, the lead single from their new album Pull The Pin. A week ahead of the release of the long player, the track arrives in the shops but can only limp to Number 12, a far cry from the chart-topping success of Dakota which was the first single from their last album. As it stands then the Welshmen look unlikely to add to their tally of 10 Top 10 hits for the moment which is a shame, 2007 marking the tenth anniversary of their first ever singles chart appearance.
Highest new entry proper is Elvis single of the week, King Creole being this week's offering, the title track from his 1958 film and a single which hit Number 2 first time around almost exactly 49 years ago We've still got another nine of these re-releases to go, although in a few weeks time we get to move on from the formulaic 50s stuff and switch to late 60s and early 70s Vegas Elvis when he resurrected his career with some of his best singles ever.
New in at Number 22 are the Manic Street Preachers with the appropriately titled Indian Summer, their third hit of the year following Your Love Alone Is Not Enough and Autumnsong. Needless to say as the third single from their album it is really only making a token chart appearance here, selling minimally online and arriving on the chart after a physical release. Still, this chart placing is something of a shock as this will mark the first time they have missed the Top 20 since She Is Suffering peaked at Number 25 way back in October 1994.
It is also a difficult week for Kate Nash who one would presume is riding high after the summertime success of her first hit single Foundations. If I may be frank though, followup hit Mouthwash does miserably, creeping to a mere Number 47 last week and now hitting Number 23 after physical release. Much as I hate to say this, you have to wonder just how much of a one trick pony she is. Whilst this new single is musically sound and her vocal style hovers just on the right side of annoying, lyrically the track sucks the big hairy left one. Presumably, the original intent of the song was one of self-empowerment with the singer articulating her physical and personal frailties in an attempt to face up to them, but compared to the kitchen sink drama of Foundations it falls somewhat flat.
One man who for the moment appears to be immune to the law of diminishing returns is Mika. With three Top 10 hits to his name already this year, he is going for a fourth with the November 15 release of Happy Ending. It is a worthy choice of single and a refreshing antidote to the full-on wackiness of his previous singles. Instead, Happy Ending is a lavish and lushly produced ballad that allows his voice to soar to its furthest registers in a way that is at times quite spine-tingling. Can it go Top 10 like his other hits? Stay tuned…
Finally for this week if the sugar-coated world of High School Musical is getting to you, then be very afraid for the wholesome world of Walt Disney is all over the new entry at Number 33. Teenage singers Aly and AJ may not have their own movie yet but they are very much a part of the Troy and Gabriella/Cheetah Girls school of wholesome teen pop that corporate America is frantically shovelling at its impressionable youth. Not that this should put you off their hit single itself as Potential Breakup Song is actually one of the best pop records you will hear this side of the Sugababes, an infectious electropop ditty that is worthy of its status as their first ever international hit. For a track that has been talked about since the summer, it makes a rather limp chart debut but something tells me things will improve with physical sales added to the mix next week.
