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In the last chart of 1996, I posted my Top 50 singles of the year, picking out the Top 10 first. During 1997, I’ll be going through the list one by one. I’ve finished the Top 10, and have now moved onto the rest.
This week : 15 new entries, 1 re-entry, 0 climbers, 0 non-movers & 24 downers
It’s goodbye to :
And hello to :
(* – my current favourites)
(!!! – Single Of The Week!!!)
(:O === the current all-time hate that makes even my smilie want to hurl!)
( (R) – Repeat., ie. a re-release)
A brief analysis on the current chart situation…
15 new entries this week, plus one re-entry for the Spice Girls.
Yet another week with another new No.1.
Anyone who watched The Cook Report (ITV, Tues 3rd June, 8.30pm) will haveseen part one of a two-part special investigation into chart-rigging and anexplanation and admission of just how the chart is easily rigged by the bigrecord companies.
They attempted to hype a single into the chart themselves, promoting DebbieCurrie’s (daughter of Tory MP Edwina Currie) debut single, a cover of “You CanDo Magic”.
It didn’t quite work out though as it debuted at No.108 last week, and is notdestined to climb any higher, as it only sold 1000 copies and 800 of them werebought by Cook’s own chart-buying organisation.
However, the best line was from a man giving out info on how to rig the chartsby saying that you have to be careful though because, “You don’t want Roger Cookon your back do you…” 🙂
Part 2 of the investigation can be seen on Tuesday 10th June, 8.30pm, ITV.
31 World Party – Beautiful Dream *
The first single for World Party since my charts began and it’s a well-writtenand catchy song, and surprisingly for a good record it’s found a chart place.Whether it’s still here next week is doubtful.
11 Gina G – Ti Amo
Not bad for a Gina G song. When I first heard it I thought it was very goodindeed, until I found out it was by Gina G…
10 Toby Bourke with George Michael – Waltz Away Dreaming *
The first artist to be signed to George’s own Aegean label is a masterpieceof a ballad in which George wrote an extra verse as a tribute to his latemother, and joined in in background vocals.
9 Sneaker Pimps – Six Underground *
Second time around for this single after it made No.15 in October last year.
Since then it’s been used on the soundtrack for Val Kilmer’s film “The Saint”,and word has it that the soundtrack is infinitely better than the film, andthe song is propelled back into the charts. I didn’t hear it much last timeround, but I’m glad it’s been re-released as it’s excellent and was very closeto being the “record of the week”, if it hadn’t been for the next new entry.
3 Radiohead – Paranoid Android * !!!
The first single for Radiohead since “Street Spirit (Fade Out)” made No.5 lastFebruary, and it makes this week’s “record of the week”.
I don’t know what the song is about, and the video doesn’t help much either.The single last 6:30, and the video is an animated cartoon about a boy calledRobin, and the things which go on in his world.
For those who want to see more of Robin, he appears on the Paramount Channelsometimes late at night in 5-minute bursts. In the cartoon I saw, Robin andhis friend had a microphone which was stolen by a few tramps, one of whom ateit and subsequently died. The coroner opened the tramp up, and handed back the(now smelly) microphone. Robin turned it down as it “smelled like shit”, sothe other tramps got it and used it for improvised karaoke on the street.
The single is taken from their new album, “OK Computer”.
1 Hanson – Mmmbop :O === *1st Week at No.1*
Although only released a week ago this catchy tune has been played on radiostations endlessly for the past 6 weeks…and therein lies the problem.
I really liked it at first, and thought it was part-Sheryl Crow/part-CyndiLauper, then found out it was three brothers from America, namely Isaac, aged16 (guitar), Taylor, 13 (keyboard and vocals), and Zach, 11 (drums).
After the first week or two of hearing it, it has been played to deathENDLESSLY on every station all day, and I’m now completely sick of it.
This is now the 5th single in a row to go straight in at No.1, the list lookinglike this :
(* – my current favourites)
May 26th :
MMMBOP…………………………………………..Hanson (Mercury) GOOD GOD……………………………………..Korn (Immortal/Epic) THE BEAUTIFUL PLACE……………………..Marilyn Manson (Interscope) THE 4 SATIN EP………………………..Mogwai (Chemikal Underground) STAR……………………………………..Primal Scream (Creation) PARANOID ANDROID…………………………….Radiohead (Parlophone) SPY IN THE HOUSE OF LOVE……………………..Steve Winwood (Virgin) BEAUTIFUL DREAM…………………………….World Party (Chrysalis)
June 2nd :
IF YOU REALLY WANNA KNOW…………………………Ether (Parlophone)
June 9th :
TOYS…………………………………………..Posh (Rhythm King)
June 16th :
NOTHING LOST FOREVER………………………..Echo & The Bunnymen (-)
June 30th :
I CONFESS………………………………………Posh (Rhythm King)
July 7th :
SO HELP ME GIRL………………………………….Gary Barlow (RCA) D’YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN…………………………….Oasis (Creation)
Other forthcoming releasesJUNE
TOO HANDSOME TO BE HOMELESS………………………..Baby Bird (Echo) SOMEPLACE, SOMEWHERE……………………….The Hormones (Banana/V2) KISS YOU ALL OVER………………………………..No Mercy (Arista) [tba]……………………………………………Oasis (Creation) [tba]………………………………..Strangelove (Food/Parlophone) [tba]……………………………………………Subcircus (Echo) WANTED……………………………White Town (Brilliant!/Chrysalis)
JULY
[tba] EP……………………………………..Embrace (Hut/Virgin) KISS YOU ALL OVER………………………………..No Mercy (Arista) KARMA POLICE………………………………..Radiohead (Parlophone) MOFO………………………………………….U2 & Underworld (-) WANTED……………………………White Town (Brilliant!/Chrysalis) URGE………………………………The Wildhearts (Round/East West)
In this week’s Top 10, there’s new entries for The Jam (Direction ReactionCreation, 8), Seahorses (Do It Yourself, 2) and Gary Barlow (Open Road, 1).
Also, there’s only two climbers for Eternal (Before the Rain, 14 to 7) andAndrea Bocelli (Romanza, 10 to 6), plus one new entry outside the Top 10for No Mercy (My Promise, 17).
23. Gabrielle – Forget About The World
At No.23 is a record which peaked at No.23 in June last year for Gabrielle.It was the second of four singles last year, and was the best of the lot inmy opinion, and wasn’t played to death like the others.
The other singles were: Give Me A Little More Time (No.5), If You Really Cared(No.15) and a cover of Shyy’s If You Ever with East 17, which made No.2 beforeChristmas.
The end bit :
Well, that’s it for now. If you want to be added to the list, just mailme at Charts Request to tell me, but please specify whether you want the music charts and/or the widescreen video and laserdisc lists.
Bye for now,
Dominator
Reviewer of movies, videogames and music since 1994. Aortic valve operation survivor from the same year. Running DVDfever.co.uk since 2000. Nobel Peace Prize winner 2021.