CHART: UK Top 40 Analysis - Week Ending March 27th 1993
James Masterton
meant I was unable to post it before now. My apologies. I'm posting it
here for completeness anyway, this week's will be along in a couple of
days time - JM]
Preamble:
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This week's chart follows the pattern of recent weeks, with an everage number of new entries, but most going in high, rather than the usuallly crowded 31-40 band. Of this weeks entries, there are a number that are landmark records and break previous statistical records. 9 new entries, 6 climbers and 4 non-movers.
Analysis:
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No. 37: NEW ENTRY. Portrait - Here We Go Again. To start off though,
the fairly mundane with a record crossing over directly from
the clubs. More commercial than most other unknown dance
records suggesting that it may break the trend of recent months
and make slightly further progress than might otherwise have
been the case.
No. 32: NEW ENTRY. Apache Indian - Chok There. In the light of the
current domination of ragga/reggae at the top of the charts,
the continuing success of Indian rapper Apache Indian should
really come as no surprise. Originally released a year ago, it
failed to chart but now achieves long overdue recognition as a
followup to the top 20 success of 'Arranged Marriage' back in
January.
No. 29: NEW ENTRY. Worlds Apart - Heaven Must Be Missing An Angel. Are
the days of the manufactured pop band back again? Quite
possibly it seems with this record, from a new multirracial
band Worlds Apart. The exact origins of the record are unclear
to me but at first listen it seems to bear all the hallmarks of
a Stock and Waterman production and is hence instantly
commercial. The song itself is well-known enough, having been a
hit for the Tavares of two occasions. Firstly, in 1976 when it
reached No.4 and subsequently when reissued in 1986 when it
made No.12.
No. 27: NEW ENTRY. Ice Cube - It Was A Good Day. Gangster rap, perhaps
understandably has never sold in Britain, the bleak and
uncompromising message of people like Ice Cube and NWA having
little meaning for British ears. Indeed the only time NWA have
ever made headlines of any sort in this country was when
Efil4Zaggin was seized by the obscene publications squad on its
release last year. Thus it is that when Ice Cube finally
crosses over and gets his first UK hit, it is with 'It Was A
Good Day' a laid-back mellow rap, far removed from his usual
uncompromising throwdown and may even stand a chance pf
crossing over even further.
No. 26: NEW ENTRY. Van Halen - Jump (Live). A song which I suspect
needs no introduction to most. Van Halen have never achieved
the success in this country that they have in America with
'Jump' and 'Why Can't This Be Love' the only tracks that mean
anything to British audiences. Thus, the precursor to a new
live album is this version of their biggest ever international
hit. It's a pretty faithful version of the track which
originally made No.7 in February 1984 abd as a deserved classic
of 1980s rock, still fills dancefloors to this day. Expect this
one to climb.
No. 22: CLIMBER. Robin S - Show Me Love. Steady progress for this
track, a new entry last week. Another club crossover, but this
time one which has taken a while to grow having been in the
club charts since before Christmas.
No. 20: CLIMBER. Jade - Don't Walk Away. The all-girl group emulate
their Hot 100 success over here and become the highest climbers
on the chart this week. It remains to be seen how much further
their brand of sunny US commerciality can progress given the
usual British reaction to records of this nature. Nonetheless,
after this progress, airplay is certain to pick up during the
week.
No. 19: NEW ENTRY. Sunscreem - Pressure Us. Fourth hit in a row for
Sunscreem, following up 'Love U More', 'Perfect Motion' and
'Broken English'. A mellow kind of trance-dance track, for want
of a better categorisation and being yet another single off an
album that appeals only to specific fans it is unlikely to
progress further.
No. 10: NEW ENTRY. David Bowie - Jump They Say. Wrinkly time in many
ways inside the Top 10 this week. First of all to Mr Bowie.
It's a startling chart comeback for Bowie who appeared to have
lost the plot recently with his experiments with Tin Machine.
Even the acclaimed first single from his forthcoming new album
'Real Cool World' failed to crack the Top 30. It is thus
something of a surprise as 'Jump They Say' becomes his first
Top 10 hit since 'Absolute Beginners' back in 1986. It's also
Bowie's 20th Top 10 hit, placing him joint 8th on the all-time
list, but if you count collaborations with other artists he has
had 23 which makes him 6th, behind Michael Jackson, Madonna,
Elvis, the Beatles and the gentleman who is just two places
above him.
No. 8: NEW ENTRY. Cliff Richard - Peace In Our Time. In many ways there
is a sense of monstrous unfairness over the way Cliff Richard
is regarded as something of a joke in British pop music. I
suppose it is unreasonable to expect a 50 year old singer who
has been having hits since 1958 to be trendy but his
achievements certainly deserve more recognition than they are
usually afforded. 'Peace In Our Time' is a landmark record in
many ways, most importantly of all because it firmly
establishes him as the greatest British chart star ever. Elvis
Presley, the previous holder of that accolade has had 109 hit
singles. 'Peace In Our Time' is Cliff's 111th. It is a record
unlikely ever to be beaten, especially given that Cliff shows
no sign of giving up yet. With 62 top ten hits to his name he
is way ahead of the competition in that respect as well. Whilst
you pause to take all that in bear another astounding fact in
mind. The all-time British chart champion has only ever had 2
American top ten hits and 9 Top 40 hits. What went wrong?
No. 7: CLIMBER. Ugly Kid Joe - Cat's In The Cradle. A second week of
climbing for the US rockers gives them their second Top Ten
hit, almost a year since the Top 3 success of 'Everything About
You'. Harry Chapin's original never charted here.
No. 5: NEW ENTRY. Bluebells - Young At Heart. Blame the adverts for this
one, not that anyone is complaining at all. Currently the
soundtrack of adverts for Volkswagen cars, 'Young At Heart'
gets a deserved reissue and immediately beats it's No.8 peak
when it was first released in 1984. The chances of this going
to No.1 I must admit are very very high indeed, the song being
regarded as a classic piece of 1980s pop and still fills floors
in nightclubs to this day. It's summery exuberance may well be
just the thing to capture the mood of the nation as spring
approaches. Watch this one climb, anyhow.
Top 3: Yet again, shattering all records making this the most successful
chart week ever for reggae....Shabba Ranks climbing to 3, Snow
at 2 and with a good chance of making the top next week.
Interestingly enough some quarters have commented on the
surprising amount of airplay Snow is getting, given the lyrics
are all about shining torches up bottoms and so forth. Oh
well....
No. 1: 2ND WEEK. Shaggy - Oh Carolina. But for how much longer we ask
ourselves. His sales slipped slightly this week and with the
other 2 tracks in the top 3 plus this week's stronger new
entries, there is a great deal of competition for next week's
top slot.
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James Masterton - 22/3/93
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| James Masterton | Give me some time, Lend me your hand |
| hid...@cent1.lancs.ac.uk | Reach into the dark and you'll understand |
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Bob Gajarsky - Hobokenite
the problem with the song is it samples one of the most
powerful phrases around (the WAY it's said), and has this wimpy
little song around it.
it's like you keep waiting for the song to take off AFTER the "here we
go again" - the whole time, i thought the "song" was a prelude to
something really good...and it wasn't.
- bob gaj
The Dominator
: No. 1: 2ND WEEK. Shaggy - Oh Carolina. But for how much longer we ask
: ourselves. His sales slipped slightly this week and with the
: other 2 tracks in the top 3 plus this week's stronger new
: entries, there is a great deal of competition for next week's
: top slot.
Do you have the actual figures for the sales of all the singles each
week? and if so can you tell us what they are? Cheers,
Dominator