JHME - Chart Chat

Well if you were looking for big names then this week is not for you! Jennifer Lopez, Radiohead, Aerosmith, New Order and Stereo MCs all have new releases scheduled for the next fortnight but there are only a handful of names who release singles this week.

Delayed by a week to avoid the Atomic Kitten vs Destiny's Child battle is Geri Halliwell with her sixth single 'Scream If You Wanna Go Faster'. Ignore the newspaper reports of her demise as her album wasn't a big seller - pop acts never do shift albums. A1 had number one hits but could not secure a top ten album. My theory is that her new album will sell well, but it may take one or two more singles to get the public interest back up. As for the new single it's a bit rockier than one might expect from Geri but its perfect for the summer weather with its singalong chorus and breezy vocals. If this tops the chart that will give her five number ones in her first six releases and will also give her twelve number ones in total. Not bad at all really!

Destined for a high new entry but then a dramatic descent into chart oblivion is the new single from Depeche Mode. Such is the fan base loyalty that their singles often crash into the top ten in their first week of release only to disappear from the top twenty a week later. Despite the fact that it is the best song they have released in almost a decade I suspect this single will do nothing to break that pattern. The remixes of this track are already in demand and coupled with the information I just referred to this has to be a top ten banker.

Also looking for chart glory just a month before her brothers high profile return to the chart is Janet Jackson. 'All For You' was a massive hit though not quite the number one return that she might have hoped for. 'Someone To Call My Lover' is her new release and is more pop music than r'n'b, something which should please her fans in the UK who have found her lighter music more accessible. Of course the CD and 12" come with the usual baffling array of mixes so I'm sure this will find itself in the top ten on Sunday afternoon.

Over the years the Guiness adverts have provided the charts with some highly placed hits. The music behind the surfing advert was made by Leftfield and was the other side of their massive 'Afrika Shox' single. Likewise 'Guaglione' by Perez Prez Prado was a massive hit earlier in the 90's. Now it's the turn of the snail race advert to provide us with 'Barbarabitiri', performed by the Gypsy Kings. Originally recorded almost fifty years ago by Beny More the new recording has been produced and mixed by Todd Terry and looks like being a truly massive summer hit.

Another band who thought they would remain untouched by the remixers must have been The Wurzels. This year is their 25th anniversary and to celebrate their number one classic 'Combine Harvester' has been remixed and reissued. Fans need not worry - the original is also contained on the CD single along with their classic song 'Black Bird'. It's hard to say exactly how big a hit this will be but with the children on holiday and the heat generally sending people mad this may well catch us all by surprise!

Human League have been around nigh on twenty years now. Phil Oakey was last in our charts guesting on the All Seeing I song 'First Man In Space'. Now he returns to his rightful place as frontman of the electronic pop stars. 'All I Ever Wanted' is a fine effort too - a real return to form. It manages to echo their glory days when they burst onto the scene but also sounds not at all out of place in the charts of 2001. I don't really expect it to be a massive hit but I think it should notch them up another top forty hit to add to their collection.

'Butterfly' was a massive hit for Crazy Town and introduced them to the masses in the UK. 'Revolving Door' is the follow up from them and looks set to cement their name as one of America's biggest rock / rap exporters. I don't quite expect to see them back in the top three but I think this will end up denting the top twenty.

Mauro Picotto is a busy man. Not content with being the man behind part time chart stars CRW and producing many of trance's biggest hits he still finds time to make his own singles. Looking for some top twenty activity this week is his new release entitled 'Like This Like That'. Music purists may not quite find him to their taste but if you have ever been to a club then you might have had the pleasure of exactly how good this sounds. As I said, top twenty for certain.

'Underdog (Save Me)' gave Turin Brakes their first top forty hit and took them the first step towards the recognition which they truly deserve. The follow up single comes in the shape of 'Mind Over Money' which is a live favourite amongst their growing army of fans. Hopefully this will add to their top forty tally and is only a taster from the great things we can expect to come from them.

As much as I'd like Geri to triumph, I think the Atomic Kitten girls will hold on at the top. The stakes are high - if Geri succeeds she becomes the most successful female singer of all time with an impressive twelve number ones in total. If not then Atomic Kitten will spend their sixth week at the top this year. See you back here in seven days time then!