:
- CHART COMMENTARY from JAMES MASTERTON
(Launch Music on Yahoo, May 8, 2005)
... It is a similarly spectacular week for Lil' Jon and the East Side Boyz who storm in at Number 10 with 'Get Low/Lovers & Friends' in a spectacular improvement on their last hit 'Roll Call/What U Goin Do' which limped to Number 38 back in February. Lil' Jon himself has actually had three hits so far this year, having also contributed alongside Trick Daddy and Twista on 'Let's Go' which was a Number 26 hit in February. The presence of the track this high means that the UK singles chart is looking disturbingly like its US equivalent with five rap hits and two R&B singles shouldering out pretty much anything resembling pop music. Look on the bright side, this is the first week since January that hasn't seen an Elvis Presley single in the Top 10. ...
Released 25 April 2005
- CHART COMMENTARY from JAMES MASTERTON
(Launch Music on Yahoo, May 2, 2005)
Well this is a headscratcher. It has been six and a half years since I've had to find some way of talking about a record that had spent a whopping seven weeks at the top of the singles chart. That was back in December 1998 when Cher's 'Believe' was at the end of an epic run that until now has been unmatched. All that changes this week of course as Tony Christie sits proudly at the top of the pile, seeing off midweek challenges from both Elvis and Snoop Dogg. What I can do is recite the statistic that I used for week ending December 12th 1998 and point out that of the over 1000 records to have topped the UK charts since 1952, only 20 of them have had a longer run at the top than 'Amarillo'. Moving down a run however and it is interesting to note that assuming that this week is 'Amarillo's last week at the top, it will be the 18th single to spend seven weeks (no more, no less) at the summit. It is the fourth to do so in exactly a decade, the first of these being Robson and Jerome's rendition of 'Unchained Melody' which hit the top of the charts on May 20th 1995. The most extraordinary year in chart history for seven week runs came in 1957 when no less than three acts Tab Hunter, Harry Belafonte and (of course) Elvis all achieved the feat. Tony Christie could of course clock up an eight week run next week - I'll be waiting.
Landing the runners up slot and the honour of the biggest new single of the week is Snoop Dogg with an all-star cast on the pleasingly hummable 'Signs'. ... After 17 weeks the Elvis re-release juggernaut finally reaches the end of its journey with a chart reappearance for a rather more familiar track and one which I suspect will sit uncomfortably alongside the R&R classics that formed the earlier part of the set of collectable singles. 'A Little Less Conversation' began life as a forgotten late-60s b-side before being revived thanks to a 2002 Nike commercial via the soundtrack to the movie Oceans 11. JXL's remix soundtracked the advert and helped propel the single to the top of the charts to give Elvis a record-breaking 18th Number One single, a full 25 years after his 17th. Since then of course the 2005 re-releases have given him a 19th, 20th and 21st chart-topper but the arguments rage on as to whether re-released Number One singles can count twice towards an artists total (the OCC, Guinness, Brown/Kutner/Warwick and I all agree that they do - so there). Incidentally to answer the most commonly asked question of the last four months, Elvis' first Number One single 'All Shook Up' was indeed also re-released. It came out in the same week as 'Jailhouse Rock' back in January but as it came packaged with the famed cardboard box with spaces for the other 17 singles it was chart ineligible. ...
- Christie fends off Snoop, Elvis for seventh week at no.1: The pop crooner's remarkable run continues
(soundgenerator.com, April 24, 2005)
Tony Christie has landed his seventh consecutive week as the UK's number one, the first to do so since Cher's 1998 hit 'Believe'.
'(Is This The Way To) Amarillo', featuring comedian Peter Kay, was launched as a charity single to raise funds for the Comic Relief appeal in early March and has seen off releases by a number of big name acts - including - to notch its seventh week.
This week, Snoop Dogg's 'Signs' featuring Justin Timberlake and Wilson, is the latest track to be denied the top spot, settling for number two ahead of Elvis' final re-release, the Junkie XL remix of 'A Little Less Conversation', at three. ...
- Christie makes it seven not out
(itv.com, May 1, 2005)
Seventies crooner Tony Christie and comic Peter Kay have remained at the top of the charts for a seventh week in a row. Their Comic Relief remake of 1970's classic (Is this the way to) Amarillo has held on to the number one position in the combined download and singles chart. They held off competition from Signs, the latest offering from rapper Snoop Dogg, Charlie Wilson and Justin Timberlake, which entered at number two. The series of re-releases from Elvis, this time teaming the king with JXL, saw A Little Less Conversation come in at number three, while Bodyrockers' I Like The Way slipped one place to number four. ...
- 'Amarillo' tops charts for seventh week
(Reuters UK, May 1, 2005)
Seventies crooner Tony Christie and comedian Peter Kay have won a seventh week at the top of the hit parade with their charity release "(Is This The Way To) Amarillo", the Official UK Charts Company said on Sunday. The single, issued to raise money for Comic Relief, restricted new entry "Signs" from rapper Snoop Dogg, R&B singer Charlie Wilson and pop heartthrob Justin Timberlake to second place. In third spot was another new entry, Elvis vs JXL's remix of Elvis Presley's "A Little Less Conversation" which previously topped the charts in 2002. ...
- CHRISTIE NUMBER ONE FOR SEVENTH WEEK
(contactmusic.com, May 1, 2005)
ELVIS PRESLEY, SNOOP DOGG, JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE and WILL SMITH have failed to stop veteran crooner TONY CHRISTIE from maintaining his reign at the top of the UK singles chart for an amazing seventh consecutive week. The 61-year-old's classic song (IS THIS THE WAY TO) AMARILLO only reached number 18 when it was first released in 1971, but a new generation of fans have rushed out to buy it, after it was chosen as the theme tune for British charity COMIC RELIEF's 2005 TV campaign.
The last single to equal Christie's current chart success was CHER's dance anthem BELIEVE, which remained at number one from October to December in 1998. Snoop Dogg's collaboration with Timberlake and CHARLIE WILSON, SIGNS, is the highest new entry at number two, followed by JXL's remix of Presley's A LITTLE LESS CONVERSATION, which returns to the top ten at number three. ...
- Mid-week sales, April 26th (source - Elvis News)
- Elvis Presley - Elvis Vs. JXL - A Little Less Conversation
- Tony Christie ft. Peter Kay - Amarillo
- Snoop Dogg ft. Justin Timberlake
- Tony Christie Set To Be Toppled By Elvis
By Scott Colothan
(gigwise.com, April 24, 2005)
Elvis Presley is set to knock Tony Christie and Peter Kay's 'Amarillo' off the top spot with the ultimate single in the King's re-issue series. According to midweek sales figures the re-re-issue of 'A Little Less Conversation' currently has a 40% sales advantage over the charity hit, reports chartsingles.net. However, the Comic Relief track has been down on midweek sales weeks gone by and has managed to pull sales around by the end of the week. ...
Released 18 April 2005
- CHART COMMENTARY from JAMES MASTERTON
(Launch Music on Yahoo, April 25, 2005)
Cozy familiarity at the top of the charts? Welcome sir, welcome madam, hope you feel at home. Showing few signs of slowing down, Tony Christie and OK go on then Peter Kay notch up a sixth straight week at the top with '(Is This The Way To) Amarillo'. The single now matches the run of Black Eyed Peas' 'Where Is The Love' from 2003 to gain joint honours as the longest running chart-topper of the decade so far. Next on the horizon is the job of equaling the seven week run of 'Believe' by Cher from back in 1998, and would you really back against it? Six weeks at the top is also enough to make 'Amarillo' the longest running charity Number One of all time. Yes, the single was released in aid of Comic Relief - surely we can't all have forgotten this?
Can it be we are almost at the end? The mass Elvis re-release programme that has been going on since the start of the year finally starts to wind down as the 16th week in the sequence gives the King yet another Number 2 hit. After discovering cabaret in the early 1970s, Elvis spent the final years of his life morphing slowly into a country star, turning songs from the likes of BJ Thomas, Mark James and Tony Joe White into mid-table chart hits. The chances of him hitting the top of the charts again seemed slimmer than ever. Then came August 16th 1977 and that fateful trip to the bathroom. The King was dead and as is always the case, there was a mad rush to snap up whatever Elvis product was available. Purely by chance 'Way Down' had hit the shops just before Elvis' death and was swimming around the lower end of the Top 50 showing few signs of becoming a hit. The week after his death the single had shot to Number 4 and topped the charts a week later for a four week run. No, it is far from Elvis' greatest ever single (in fact its immediate predecessor 'Moody Blue' is a far better example of country Elvis) but by hitting the top it put a nice exclamation point on his stellar career. When 'Way Down' hit the top it became Presley's 17th Number One single, putting him into an astounding but somehow appropriate tie with the Beatles who had held that particular record since 1969. 25 years later Elvis would finally shatter the record once and for all - which means that next week's re-release brings us nicely to the present day. ...
- CHRISTIE CONTINUES HIS CHART REIGN
(contactmusic.com, April 24, 2005)
CHRISTE STILL NUMBER ONE
Veteran crooner TONY CHRISTIE has maintained his iron grip on the UK singles chart for a sixth consecutive week - holding off ELVIS PRESLEY, Bodyrockers and NINE INCH NAILS. The re-issue of 1971 classic (IS THIS THE WAY TO) AMARILLO saw off competition from ELVIS PRESLEY's WAY DOWN which entered the chart at number two. ...
- Remarkable sixth week for chart king Christie: The pop crooner spends another week as the official UK number one, while Akon's 'Trouble' is the top album
(soundgenerator.com, April 24, 2005)
Tony Christie's Comic Relief Charity single '(Is This The Way To) Amarillo' continues to rack up sales, this week enjoying a sixth week as the nation's favourite. The track heads a top ten which sees four new entries this week, as the UK's Official Top 40 enters its second week as a combined download/physical singles chart. Elvis Presley's 'Way Down' is new at two, followed by Bodyrockers' debut single 'I Like The Way' at three. ...
- CHRISTIE BEATS PRESLEY IN UK SINGLES CHART
(NME, April 24, 2005)
'(IS THIS THE WAY TO) AMARILLO' has stayed on top of UK singles chart for a sixth week, seeing off another challenge from ELVIS PRESLEY tonight (April 24). The King's re-release programme, which saw 'The Wonder Of You' smash into the Top Five last week, sees him go at Number Two this week with 'Way Down', which was a UK Number One shortly after his death in 1977.
Other new entries in the Top Ten include Bodyrockers at Three with 'I Like The Way', Nine Inch Nails at Seven with 'The Hand That Feeds' and Caesars at Eight with 'Jerk It Out'.
This week's Top Ten UK singes are:
- 1. Tony Christie - '(Is This The Way To) Amarillo'
- 2. Elvis Presley - 'Way Down'
- 3. Bodyrockers - 'I Like The Way'
- 4. Will Smith - 'Switch'
- 5. Razorlight - 'Somewhere Else'
- 6. Clara ft Missy Elliott - '1 2 Step'
- 7. Nine Inch Nails - 'The Hand That Feeds'
- 8. Caesars - 'Jerk It Out'
- 9. Mario - 'Let Me Love You'
- 10. 50 Cent - 'Candy Shop'
"He might not be top, but you gotta dig those sidies"
- "Amarillo" still tops charts
(Yahoo! News / Press Association, April 24, 2005)
The charity single "(Is This The Way To) Amarillo" by 1970s crooner Tony Christie and comic Peter Kay made it six weeks at the top of the pop charts on Sunday. ... [as below]
- Charity Single Still Tops British Pop Charts
(Yahoo! News / Reuters, April 24, 2005)
The charity single "(Is This The Way To) Amarillo" by 1970s crooner Tony Christie and comic Peter Kay made it six weeks at the top of the British pop charts Sunday. The 1971 classic, re-released to raise funds for Comic Relief and featuring Christie, Kay and other celebrities lip-synching the lyrics in its video, held off the latest Elvis Presley reissue, the Official UK Charts Company said. Presley's "Way Down," a chart topper from the mid-1970s, debuted in second spot in the second week of the new combined download/singles chart which includes tracks downloaded via the Internet provided they are also available in the shops as CDs. ...
- Christie's chart reign continues
(BBC News, April 24, 2005)
Singer Tony Christie has claimed a sixth week at the top of the singles chart, scuppering Elvis Presley's chances of another number one. Christie's song (Is This The Way To) Amarillo also saw off competition from Bodyrockers and Nine Inch Nails, both new entries inside the Top 10. ...
- Mid-week sales, April 20th? (source - Elvis News)
Singles (Physical sales)
- Elvis Presley - Way Down - 19,226
- Tony Christie ft. Peter Kay - Amarillo - 11,721
- Nine inch Nails - The Hand That Feeds - 6,828
- Razorlight - Somewhere Else - 4,120
- Will Smith - Switch - 3,969
- Ciara ft. Missy Elliott - 1,2 Step - 3,826
Singles (Combined with download sales)
- Elvis Presley - Way Down - 19,226
- Tony Christie ft. Peter Kay - Amarillo - 13,149
- Nine inch Nails - The Hand That Feeds - 6,828
- Razorlight - Somewhere Else - 5,442
- Will Smith - Switch - 5,217
- Bodyrockers - I Like The Way - 4,993
- Ciara ft. Missy Elliott - 1,2 Step - 4,460
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