1ST DECEMBER
It ended up being a bit of a tussle in the end but Jim Diamond sees himself top the UK chart this week with “I Should Have Known Better” though it sold just 67,000 copies, just over 1,000 sales clear of Chaka Khan’s “I Feel For You” which had a bit of a sales push at the week end thanks to TOTP but didn’t have enough propulsion to get a fourth week.
[video=youtube;jvSy3JBCW54]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jvSy3JBCW54[/video]
(clip includes a top 10 countdown)
Promoted as their “third No 1 single” Frankie Goes To Hollywood didn’t quite manage to carry off the boast and end up debuting at No 3 with “The Power Of Love”. It was doubtless hampered also by the success of “Welcome To The Pleasuredome” which of course made No 1 last month, the nativity based promo was directed by Godley & Crème and also comes with a 12” mix in which the group parody DJ Mike Smith’s banning of “Relax” at the start of the year. The song sold just 60,000 last week which is a marked comedown from the 206,000 opening of their last single “Two Tribes” but it’s early doors for the single and with Christmas soon here it could easily become the third million seller of the year from the group.
His “Greatest Hits” album gets a new peak this week moving 10-9 and Shakin Stevens now has his 12th top 10 hit of the 80s with “Teardrops” as it flies 24-7 (45,000) a track which owes a little bit of help from Hank Marvin on Guitar. Shaky is still second only to Madness in terms of top 10 singles (14 to 12) and in terms of sales he isn’t far off the 5 million mark now and closing fast having sold roughly 3 times as many singles in 1984 as the Nutty boys.
There’s no other new entries in the top 10 but that doesn’t mean that there’s any lack of movement, most notably Nik Kershaw who continues to rise 5-4 (49,000) and is matched by the Eurythmics who slink 7-6 (46,000) yet Chicago get stuck in the mire at No 8 (44,000). Moving towards the exit are Limahl 4-5 (47,000), Duran Duran 3-9 (44,000) and Billy Ocean 6-10 (38,000)
Just as I was running down the runners and riders for the Christmas chart topper last week Bob Geldof made the announcement about Band Aid which has been all over the press all week. The track “Do They Know It’s Christmas” was recorded on Sunday just gone and naturally the papers were full of pictures of the stars involved arriving at the studio which amounts to a who’s who of the charts of 1984. The bookies have closed the books on bets for Band Aid such is their confidence that the song will be at No 1 on Christmas Day, the song will be issued to radio’s by midweek and in the shops next week which should make next week do or die for FGTH in terms of getting that record equalling third No 1 from their first releases.
It ended up being a bit of a tussle in the end but Jim Diamond sees himself top the UK chart this week with “I Should Have Known Better” though it sold just 67,000 copies, just over 1,000 sales clear of Chaka Khan’s “I Feel For You” which had a bit of a sales push at the week end thanks to TOTP but didn’t have enough propulsion to get a fourth week.
[video=youtube;jvSy3JBCW54]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jvSy3JBCW54[/video]
(clip includes a top 10 countdown)
Promoted as their “third No 1 single” Frankie Goes To Hollywood didn’t quite manage to carry off the boast and end up debuting at No 3 with “The Power Of Love”. It was doubtless hampered also by the success of “Welcome To The Pleasuredome” which of course made No 1 last month, the nativity based promo was directed by Godley & Crème and also comes with a 12” mix in which the group parody DJ Mike Smith’s banning of “Relax” at the start of the year. The song sold just 60,000 last week which is a marked comedown from the 206,000 opening of their last single “Two Tribes” but it’s early doors for the single and with Christmas soon here it could easily become the third million seller of the year from the group.
His “Greatest Hits” album gets a new peak this week moving 10-9 and Shakin Stevens now has his 12th top 10 hit of the 80s with “Teardrops” as it flies 24-7 (45,000) a track which owes a little bit of help from Hank Marvin on Guitar. Shaky is still second only to Madness in terms of top 10 singles (14 to 12) and in terms of sales he isn’t far off the 5 million mark now and closing fast having sold roughly 3 times as many singles in 1984 as the Nutty boys.
There’s no other new entries in the top 10 but that doesn’t mean that there’s any lack of movement, most notably Nik Kershaw who continues to rise 5-4 (49,000) and is matched by the Eurythmics who slink 7-6 (46,000) yet Chicago get stuck in the mire at No 8 (44,000). Moving towards the exit are Limahl 4-5 (47,000), Duran Duran 3-9 (44,000) and Billy Ocean 6-10 (38,000)
Just as I was running down the runners and riders for the Christmas chart topper last week Bob Geldof made the announcement about Band Aid which has been all over the press all week. The track “Do They Know It’s Christmas” was recorded on Sunday just gone and naturally the papers were full of pictures of the stars involved arriving at the studio which amounts to a who’s who of the charts of 1984. The bookies have closed the books on bets for Band Aid such is their confidence that the song will be at No 1 on Christmas Day, the song will be issued to radio’s by midweek and in the shops next week which should make next week do or die for FGTH in terms of getting that record equalling third No 1 from their first releases.
