30TH MARCH
Well for those thinking that Frankie Goes To Hollywood would be debuting at No 1 it’s disappointment I’m afraid, but more on them later. Phil Collins and Philip Bailey continue at the No 1 spot for a second week and continue to move northward saleswise to 98,000 copies last week, they should enter the top 10 YTD when we review them next week failing a massive downturn. Collins’ purple patch continues on the album charts with a fifth week at the top for “No Jacket Required” where he’s already held off tough competition from both Tears For Fears and Howard Jones and will seeking to prevent Paul Young this week.
The two Phil’s easily hold off Alison Moyet who maintains her No 2 position but loses sales slightly at 62,000 and will probably fall next week in part thanks to the song that shoots 14-3 this week. Sarah Brightman has already got a top 10 single to her credit back in 1978 with “I Lost My Heart To A Starship Trooper” which made No 6, but she’s done better now in tandem with 12 year old boy soprano Paul Miles-Kingston on “Pie Jesu”. The track is lifted from the new Andrew Lloyd Webber musical “Requiem” which was written about late father and opened in theatres earlier this year, the accompanying album lifts 11-5 this week whilst the single attracted 58,000 buyers.
So onto the big news of the week, a new Frankie Single. It’s the title track from their debut album “Welcome To The Pleasuredome” which debuted at No 1 back in November and has so far sold just over 900,000 and should cross the million mark at some point this year probably. The single was promoted (much like their last one) as their next No 1 and started brightly in the week in the runner up spot before falling back to eventually enter at No 5 (48,000). All eyes will be on its performance next week to see if the group can become the first group in UK Chart history to get their first four singles to No 1, expect a blitz of promotion this week from the group to achieve it! The song of course comes with an 8 minute video which is typically exotic though it is perhaps less controversial than previous efforts.
Another of 1984’s favourites is back in the form of Nik Kershaw. His last single “The Riddle” sold over 330,000 copies before it left the charts whilst his second album, of the same title peaked at No 8, now second single cut from it “Wide Boy” sneaks 12-10 (31,000) to become his 4th top 10 single in just over a year. It was originally penned for his debut album but failed to make the cut, seems Kershaw had second thoughts.
Paul Young clings to the No 4 spot though his sales cool to 54,000 and he’ll be concentrating on his album out now, and further down the top 10 Jermaine Jackson improves 7-6 (48,000) and Go West float 9-8 (42,000). Going the wrong way are Madonna 3-7 (46,000) but she can console herself as her album “Like A Virgin” reaches a new high moving 10-8, and Stephen “Tin Tin” Duffy grinds 5-9 (39,000).
Top 10 in pics
