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This is Edition 531

Chart Chat is updated every week usually on a Tuesday

Radio Index

United Kingdom Radio station guide.
 (Listen while you surf)

Glee Cast moved up two to no.3 with their version of 'Don't Stop Believin'' and 3OH!3 featuring Katy Perry stayed the same at no.4 with 'Starstrukk'. Sidney Samson featuring Wizard Sleeve fell two to no.5 with 'Riverside (Let's Go)' and Example got a new entry at no.6 with 'Won't Go Quietly'. Journey fell one to no.7 with 'Don't Stop Believin'' and Alexandra Burke went up two to no.8 with 'Broken Heels'. Lady Gaga went down two to no.9 with 'Bad Romance' and the top ten was concluded by JLS who notched up the highest climber of the week going up twenty two places to no.10 with 'One Shot'. 

A further new entry and three climbers were to be found in the remainder of the top twenty.  The Saturdays went back up three to no.11 with 'Ego' and Alicia Keys climbed eight to no.15 with 'Empire State Of Mind Part II'.  Girls Can't Catch scored their first top twenty hit as 'Echo' went straight in at no.19 while Biffy Clyro rounded things off climbing eighteen places to no.20 with 'Many Of Horror'. 

There were three new entries and two climbers in the lower half of the chart. Jay Sean featuring Sean Paul & Lil Jon got a new entry at no.23 with 'Do You Remember' while OneRepublic climbed four places to no.26 with 'All The Right Moves'. Pixie Lott went back up two to no.27 with 'Cry Me Out' and the Glee Cast notched up another hit as their cover of 'Take A Bow' became a new entry at no.36. The final new entry came at no.40 and went to Pitbull featuring Akon with 'Shut It Down'. 

'VCR' is the new single by The Xx. It is released this week on 7" vinyl backed with the track 'Insects'. The band are a four piece hailing from South West London and last year saw their self titled debut album make no.36. They originally met at Elliot School which also spawned the bands Hot Chip, Burial and Four Tet. Last year saw them support Florence & The Machine and Friendly Fires while this year will see them open for Hot Chip on their American tour in April. This track also featured in an episode of the American television series 'Lie To Me' which has been shown on Sky1 in the UK. They have yet to enjoy a hit single despite the release of 'Crystalised', 'Basic Space' and 'Islands' with the latter being a minor hit in France.  Sadly I'm not sure this will be the release to secure them a hit single. 

Ocean Colour Scene are back this week, eighteen years after they first hit the charts with 'Yesterday Today'. They really hit their stride in 1996 when they enjoyed six consecutive top ten hits with both 'Hundred Mile High City' and 'The Day We Caught The Train' making no.4. 'I Told You So' was their last top forty hit in 2007 though it made just no.34. February sees them release their ninth studio album 'Saturday' and it includes both their new single 'Magic Carpet Ride' and the track 'Mrs Maylie' which was offered free to fans via their website. If successful this will become their eighteenth top forty hit, and hopefully it will promote the album too as their last outing 'On The Leyline' made just no.37. It's been over a decade since their glory days and they need to recapture those soon if they are to continue to have a record deal. 

'You Don't Know Love' is the new single from Editors, and it is the second to be taken from their third studio album 'In This Life And On This Evening'.  It is only available as a download, and it's the follow up to 'Papillon' which peaked at no.23 last year. If successful it will become their eleventh top forty hit though it is unlikely to match the top ten status enjoyed by 'Munich' and 'Smokers Outside The Hospital Doors'. The band have spent January down in Australia and are currently in America before heading back for a detailed UK tour which will kick off for them in March.  They have carved themselves a niche in British Indie music and can be proud of the success that they have achieved so far.  I think that this may struggle for them, with so many fans already owning it on the album and with no physical release for them to purchase. 

X Factor reject Daniel Evans releases his new single 'Open Arms' this week.  Ironically the song was performed on the recent series of X Factor by Joe McElderry, the eventual winner of the competition, though the song was originally performed by Journey. It is perhaps best known in the UK as being a hit for Mariah Carey, although Britney Spears has also performed the song live.  Evan's Facebook page has just over 3,000 fans at the time of writing so he will need to build significantly on that if he is to enjoy a hit. He has an album entitled 'No Easy Way Out' due for release next month and some of the profits from the CD are going towards the Help For Heroes charity. As Evans failed to make the top five on X Factor I think he will struggle but the general feeling is that he has produced a great CD with a limited budget.  We wish him well with this release. 

'Die Happy Die Smiling' is the new single by Maps and it gets a download release this week. The track features on Maps second album 'Turning The Mind' which was released in Autumn last year. It's the third single to be lifted from the album and follows in the footsteps of 'Let Go Of The Fear' and 'I Dream Of Crystal'. To all intents and purposes 'Maps' is just a name used by Northampton based musician James Chapman.  He started out in 2006 with the 'Start Something EP' and his single 'Lost My Soul' was listed by the NME as being one of their top 50 songs of 2006. His first album 'We Can Create' was nominated for the Mercury Music Prize but eventually lost out to the Klaxons 'Myths Of The Near Future'. I don't think this will do any better than its predecessors, so don't be looking for this inside next weekends top forty. 

'Buddy Bradley' is the new single by the charismatic former Moldy Peaches frontman Adam Green. It's released on a download format only and is taken from his new album 'Minor Love' which is Green's sixth solo album to date. He is well connected in the music business and is close friends with former Libertines frontman Carl Barat. Partly as a result of this he has performed a cover of their classic track 'What A Waster'. Green's first two solo albums were recorded before the band's hiatus which started in 2004 though the use of their song 'Anyone Else But You' in the film Juno did spark some renewed interest in the band. He married his girlfriend Loribeth Capella last year but is rumoured to be filing for divorce. I think this will pick up some decent airplay but am not sure that it is commercial enough to cross over into becoming a top forty hit. 

Eighties favourites Europe are back with their new single 'New Love In Town' this week. The band came from Sweden and originally formed under the name Force over thirty years ago but switched their name to Europe in 1982.  It was 1986 when they hit the big time with the chart topping 'Final Countdown' but they split six years later.  1998 saw them back together and last year saw them release their eighth studio album 'Last Look At Eden'. They have only achieved six top forty appearances in their career, with the last coming in 1999 with 'The Final Countdown 2000', a remix of their classic track designed to celebrate the new millenium. They have a much smaller UK following now, and with this release being on download only I can't see it charting for them. 

Europe were often pitched as rivals to Bon Jovi who charted with 'Livin' On A Prayer' just prior to 'Final Countdown' making the top spot.  However it has been their American rivals who have gone from strength to strength managing thirty six top forty hits over the same time period.  Their current album 'The Circle' saw them back in the top three and 'We Weren't Born To Follow' was the first hit to come from it.  'Superman Tonight' is released this week as the second single although it has no accompanying physical format. With many fans already owning the album I don't see the incentive for fans to download it.  As such it may secure some limited airplay but can't see this making an appearance on next weeks chart. 

There seems to be a vintage feel to this week with the final act this week being Birmingham's finest musical exports UB40.  They recently endured the departure of former frontman Ali Campbell but have kept going to record a fourth album in their 'Labour Of Love' series. Ali's brother Duncan now provides the vocals and this week sees them release their new single 'Get Along Without You Now' with the album following in two weeks time. As with many of their classic hits its a cover and it was originally recorded by the Rocksteady vocal group The Melodians. If successful it will become their thirty eighth top forty hit and comes thirty years after they first appeared on the chart with their double a side 'King / Food For Thought'.  I like this and hope that it ends up doing well for them. 

Also released this week are 'Behave Yourself (EP)' by Cold War Kids and 'Marlene' by Lightspeed Champion. Download only releases this week include 'That's What The Girls Like' by 2Play featuring Maxi Priest, 'Breathing Your Love' by Darin featuring Kat De Luna, 'Strobe' by Deadmau5, 'Slick Maturity' by Dimbleby & Capper, 'Don't Stop The Music' by Jamie Cullum and 'Not Like Loving You' by Nell Bryden. 

With such a quiet week for new releases it looks like being the same acts battling out the top three but I expect Owl City to hold on. Don't forget to stop by next week when artists releasing new singles look set to include Arctic Monkeys, Corinne Bailey Rae, H.I.M.and Marina & The Diamonds.  Until then have yourself a good week.

JHME Music Correspondent