I'm coming to the end of a whirlwind, five day trip back to Pennsylvania for the holidays. I took the above photo in Pittsburgh while driving at night on Friday. It was less about trying to capture a clear image, and more about the glare of the city lights in the rain. Always constant, but less familiar with each passing year.
Last night I got together with four friends from college, several of whom haven't seen each other in over 12 years. It was this week in 1994 that I went to a gay nightclub in Pittsburgh for the first time, with three of the four pals I saw last night. I clearly remember the one guy playing Corona's "The Rhythm Of The Night" single in the car on that trip over and over...and over....and over... (More on that here.)
I reminded everyone of that at dinner last night, and, much to the chagrin of the table behind us, we all began singing the chorus to it. The power of Merlot.
Anyway, just a mention of today's issue at hand: The U.K. chart. Pretty much the same as recent weeks.
I was flipping back through posts here from early 2007, nearly two years ago...a time when Mika and Just Jack were the great new hope.
It's funny how time marches on and, in the end, really waits for no one. Particularly Mika and Just Jack. And me.
Ah, well. At least I'll always have "The Rhythm Of The Night."
Right. To understand the whole "Hallelujah"/Alexandra Burke/Jeff Buckley nonsense, read this and this. Enjoy your new, totally unsurprising Christmas #1 single, United Kingdom.
What I'd like to know is how Geraldine McQueen's "Once Upon A Christmas Song" (written by Take That's Gary Barlow and Geraldine's alter ego, Peter Kay) didn't make it to the top. Of course, I'm still perplexed by how the Fast Food Rockers' "I Love Christmas" not only peaked at a dismal #25 five years ago, but dropped a piano from the top of a 12-story building onto the cheesy pop trio's career.
Watch "Once Upon A Christmas Song" and "I Love Christmas":
For us pop fans, "I Love Christmas" was a landmark defeat. A victory snatched from our warm hearts. A doom-laden pall of despair heaped upon the Christmas holiday like a dumptruck full of dead hookers backing over a small child on a tricycle, over and over and over again.
But we swore, never again! We'd come back and achieve glory! We'd ensure that pop would reclaim its rightful place at the top of the festive chart each year! And, wow-wow-WOW! Look how great we did!
Halle-fucking-lujah, Great Britain! You've got The X Factor!
Things could always be worse, however—or in Boyzone's case, "Better." Their latest single of that title peaked at #22 last week on the U.K. chart, and this week drops to #30.
Oh, now, what a crying shame; Girls Aloud were only, uh, allowed one week atop the U.K. singles chart with "The Promise." Awww. But at least worthy, revered rock legends the X Factor Finalists were the ones to bump the Girls off, with their face-melting power jam "Hero."
Gosh, the guitar solo alone in that one gets me stiff. Plus, it's for a worthy cause; further ensuring Simon Cowell will be raping "talent" for at least four more seasons.
Speaking of shit television at its finest, I actually kind of like Leon Jackson's "Don't Call This Love"...so naturally it's a flop, falling to #20 in its third week.
Meanwhile, have you heard this godawful new Bond theme from Alicia Keys and Jack White (#10)? Lily Allen barfing into a shopping cart probably has more melody. I'm just gonna call it "Another Way To Suck."
Kudos to The Saturdays for hanging in there with "Up," which since its debut two weeks ago at #5, has only slid two positions to #7.
Unfortunately the Saturdays' album Chasing Cars—pretty superb for a debut, when it had the chance to be so, so bad—debuts this week on the Brit album chart at #11. Not that great, but maybe the single will hang in there and draw more attention to the full LP.
Yeah, and maybe I'll go thumb myself now.
The U.K. Top 10:
1. "Hero" - X Factor Finalists*1 week* 2. "The Promise" - Girls Aloud 3. "So What" - Pink 4."Infinity 2008" - Guru Josh Project 5. "Sex On Fire" - Kings Of Leon 6. "Hot N Cold" - Katy Perry 7. "Up'" - The Saturdays 8. "Love Lockdown" - Kanye West 9. "Wire To Wire'" - Razorlight 10. "Another Way To Die" - Alicia Keys & Jack White
There's a popular misconception that D'luv thinks Girls Aloud are a mangy pack of Z-grade dames with all the talent of a dead whore baking in the sun and decomposing on a rock at the beach.
But 'tis not so!
Ever since their magnificent single "Call The Shots" made it to Chart Rigger's "Best of the Year" list last December, I've warmed up to these strippers.
And while their new jam "The Promise" doesn't come close to "Call The Shots," it nevertheless tops the U.K. chart this week, ironically the same week the similarly '60s-influenced "Girls" by Sugababes gets bumped out of the Top 10.
All in all, "The Promise" is the Girls' 19th single, and their fourth U.K. #1—the last of which was the godawful "Walk This Way" duet with Sugababes.
Elsewhere, there's the 2008 update of Guru Josh's "Infinity" at #3...but, you know—NEEEXT!
The U.K. Top 10:
1. "The Promise" - Girls Aloud*1 week* 2. "So What" - Pink 3. "Infinity 2008" - Guru Josh Project *new* 4."Sex On Fire" - Kings Of Leon 5. "Wire To Wire'" - Razorlight *new* 6. "Up'" - The Saturdays 7. "Hot N Cold" - Katy Perry 8. "Love Lockdown" - Kanye West 9. "Raindrops (Encore Une Fois)" - Sash feat. Stunt 10. "The Winner's Song" - Geraldine
Well, one of those Gary Barlow-penned singles I mentioned last month—"The Winners Song"—charts this week in the U.K. at #2, as performed by "Geraldine," Brit comedian Peter Kay's drag character on his two-hour special Britain's Got the Pop Factor ... and Possibly a New Celebrity Jesus Christ Soapstar Superstar Strictly on Ice (which featured Pete Waterman as a judge).
In a bit of an ironic twist, just behind the reality-show-mocking Geraldine single on the chart is last year's X Factor winner Leon Jackson, who debuts at #3 with "Don't Call This Love." Should Jackson look this boffable with his new haircut? Hmmmm....
Also, besting the #8 chart placing of their debut single "If This Is Love" back in early August, The Saturdays return with "Up," which goes in at an impressive #5. This is what this new contenders for the British girl group throne needed to do to make a case for longevity. Let's see how the gal's album Chasing Lights does upon its release next week.
And speaking of which, Keane's Perfect Symmetry debuts atop the Brit album chart this week. Unfortunately, the same can't be said for Boyzone's Back Again—No Matter What, which settles for a #4 placing. Sorry, Ronan Keating...next time maybe drop your shorts on the record cover if you want us to buy your reheated collection of low rent dirges.
The U.K. Top 10:
1. "So What" - Pink *3 weeks* 2. "The Winner's Song" - Geraldine *new* 3. "Don't Call This Love" - Leon Jackson *new* 4."Sex On Fire" - Kings Of Leon 5. "Up'" - The Saturdays*new* 6. "Take Back The City" - Snow Patrol 7. "Miss Independent" - Ne-Yo 8. "Disturbia" - Rihanna 9. "Raindrops (Encore Une Fois)" - Sash feat. Stunt *new* 10. "Girls" - Sugababes
"The Shock Of The Lightning"? More like the shock of Oasis charting at #3 last week in the U.K., then dropping to #16. (Ironically, that single has been getting major airplay on multiple stations here in Los Angeles.)
The same goes for the returning Boyzone, whose comeback single "I Love You Anyway" debuted at a so-so #5, but now falls to #13.
Between this and the failure of New Kids On The Block to chart a major hit single with their own foray into the mainstream once again, maybe the window of opportunity for '90s-band comebacks shut down hard about two years ago, after Take That managed to wriggle through.
Ah, well...at least Pink racks up a second week at the top. Plus, Sugababes climb up to #3 with "Girls." Thus far, those broads' only other single to peak at #3 has been "Ugly," back in December 2005.
The U.K. Top 10: 1. "So What" - Pink *2 weeks* 2. "Sex On Fire" - Kings Of Leon 3. "Girls" - Sugababes 4."Disturbia" - Rihanna 5. "Never Miss A Beat'" - Kaiser Chiefs*new* 6. "Miss Independent" - Ne-Yo 7. "I Kissed A Girl" - Katy Perry 8. "When I Grow Up" - Pussycat Dolls 9. "Cookie Jar" - Gym Class Heroes feat. The Dream 10. "In This City" - Iglu & Hartly
First up, kudos to Pink for topping the U.K. singles chart this week with "So What," a feat she accomplished here in the States a few weeks back.
One can only guess at the annoyed ranting of Noel/Liam Gallagher at having to come in not only second behind Pink, but third, with new Oasis single "The Shock Of The Lighting."
Of course, the real news for those with a pop heart is the return of Boyzone, whose "Love You Anyway"—the Ronan Keating-led boy band's first new single in eight years—debuts at #5. The track is one of two new songs on upcoming greatest hits collection Back Again... No Matter What.
Here's the vid:
Unmistakable is the slight tinge of Amy Winehouse-revived '60s pastiche in there. But whatever—"Love You Anyway" is certainly no "Patience," a song that propelled Take That back to the top of the British chart after a decade-long absence almost two years ago.
1. "So What" - Pink *1 week* 3. "Sex On Fire" - Kings Of Leon 3. "The Shock Of The Lightning" - Oasis *new* 4. "Girls" - Sugababes 5. "I Love You Anyway'" - Boyzone *new* 6. "Disturbia" - Rihanna 7. "I Kissed A Girl" - Katy Perry 8. "When I Grow Up" - Pussycat Dolls 9. "In This City" - Iglu & Hartly 10. "Cookie Jar" - Gym Class Heroes feat. The Dream
The fall's new offerings are beginning to chip away at the boring ol' U.K. Top 10 that has remained somewhat stagnant and unmoving over the past month or so.
Perhaps the most surprising development is that "Changes," Will Young's first single off his upcoming fourth album, actually fell three spots following its physical CD single release. Last week "Changes" peaked at #10 on downloads alone. Now it sits at #13.
Sugababes make a return with the so-so "Girls" at #8. Actually, so-so is almost too kind a term for that turkey of a single. It's gettin' no D'luvvin' round these parts. In fact, that "The Promise" by ho troupe Girls Aloud beats "Girls" by a mile.
Kudos to Jennifer Hudson for climbing up four positions to #11 with "Spotlight" and congrats to Pink for debuting at #38 with "So What." Meanwhile, how about X Factor rejects Avenue entering at #50 with "Last Goodbye"?
Here's the video for said tune, in its "All Around The World Mix" form...paired up with the video for Sugababes' "Girls":
And I just wouldn't be me if I didn't point out (with glee) that McFly have fallen from #4 to #17 with "Lies." Ta, lads!
The U.K. Top 10:
1. "Sex On Fire" - Kings Of Leon *3 weeks* 2. "I Kissed A Girl" - Katy Perry 3. "Disturbia" - Rihanna 4. "When I Grow Up" - Pussycat Dolls 5. "In This City" - Iglu & Hartly 6. "Cookie Jar" - Gym Class Heroes feat. The Dream 7. "You Make It Real'" - James Morrison *new* 8. "Girls" - Sugababes *new* 9. "Miss Independent" - Ne-Yo 10. "There You'll Be" - Faith Hill *new*
I'm coming to the end of a whirlwind, five day trip back to Pennsylvania for the holidays. I took the above photo in Pittsburgh while driving at night on Friday. It was less about trying to capture a clear image, and more about the glare of the city lights in the rain. Always constant, but less familiar with each passing year.
