Released 4 April 2005
- CHART COMMENTARY from JAMES MASTERTON
(Launch Music on Yahoo, April 10, 2005)
This week genuinely marks the end of an era. The big day has been put off once already but despite some continued grumbles from independent labels next week will see one of the biggest changes in the singles chart for a generation as online downloads will be factored in to the main chart listing for the first time ever. ... In spite of all the hype, download sales remain a tiny, tiny chunk of the overall singles market.
... Anyway, with that said we still have a singles chart this week to deal with, but it is almost as if nobody can really be bothered this week, an air of stagnation hanging over not just the Top 40 but the Top 75 as a whole, just 11 new singles making their debut on the entire chart. The result is a fourth week at the top for Tony Christie, 'Amarillo' now only the second single in the last year to spend a full moon cycle at the summit, the first since 'Do They Know It's Christmas' at the turn of the year. The chances are good for the single spending a fifth week there next week as well, Tony Christie's track set to benefit from the boost online sales will give, the track this week spending another seven days at the summit of the download-only chart.
Biggest "new" hit of the week is this week's Elvis Presley track - 'Crying In The Chapel'. A Number One hit in June 1965 it was a genuine oddity at the time, the now classic ballad having been an outtake from the 1960 sessions that produced Elvis' gospel album 'Your Hand In Mine'. Modern accounts suggest its release was delayed so that Colonel Tom could negotiate away the publishing rights but as far as Elvis fans were concerned its appearance was like a breath of fresh air. After watching their idol churn out bad movie after bad movie and going into the recording studio almost as an afterthought to record the soundtrack, 'Crying In The Chapel' was a fine example of how good he can be. Sadly it took the artist himself another three years to work it out and there would be an unprecedented five year wait for his next Number One single. Lucky us, we only have to wait seven days to find out what it is.
...
- CHRISTIE CONTINUES HIS CHART REIGN
(contactmusic.com, April 10, 2005)
Veteran crooner TONY CHRISTIE is spending his fourth week at the top of the British charts with his 1971 track (IS THIS THE WAY TO) AMARILLO. However his subsequent reign of the album charts with his DEFINITIVE COLLECTION came to an end with NATALIE IMBRUGLIA's third disc COUNTING DOWN THE DAYS going straight at one today (10 APR 05). The highest new entry was the re-release of ELVIS PRESLEY's 1965 number one hit CRYING IN THE CHAPEL which came in at two. ...
- Kay and Christie still at top spot
(Yahoo! News / Press
Association, April 10, 2005)
Seventies crooner Tony Christie and comic Peter Kay clung to the top spot in UK singles chart. Their Comic Relief remake of the 1971 classic, Is This The Way to Amarillo ?, remained at number one for the fourth week. But Christie was not so lucky in the album chart - his Definitive Collection was knocked off the top spot by Natalie Imbruglia's new entry, Counting Down The Days. Elvis Presley was a new entry at number two in the singles chart with the haunting ballad Crying In the Chapel. ...
- 'Amarillo' Finds Way to Top UK Charts for 4th Week
(Yahoo! News / Reuters, April 10, 2005)
Seventies heartthrob Tony Christie and comic Peter Kay have topped the British pop charts for a fourth week with their charity single "(Is This The Way To) Amarillo," the Official UK Charts Company said on Sunday. The 1971 classic was released to raise funds for Comic Relief and features Christie, Kay and other celebrities lip-synching its lyrics in a promotional video. Elvis Presley's latest reissue, "Chapel In The Chapel," first a hit in 1965, was a new entry at number two. American rockers Garbage were another new entry at number seven with "Why Do You Love Me," while ex-Spice Girl Melanie C was the week's other debut at 10 with "Next Best Superstar." ...
- UK chart glory for Tony Christie, Natalie Imbruglia
(soundgenerator.com, April 10, 2005)
The pop crooner continues his grip on the UK Top 40, while Australian Imbruglia scores a number one album.
Tony Christie has notched a fourth week as the UK's favourite single, with the now-familiar battle with Elvis Presley again going the way of the 70's pop crooner. '(Is This The Way To) Amarillo' holds Elvis Presley's 'Crying In The Chapel' at number two, while Mario's 'Let Me Love You' continues its stay at three. ...
- Mid-week sales, April 5th (source - Elvis News)
- Tony Christie - "Is This The Way to Amarillo?" (26,035 copies)
- Elvis - "Crying In The Chapel" (17,674)
- Mario - "Let Me Love You" (4,124)
- Garbage - "Why Do You Love Me?" (3,780)
- Elvis Song Played as Tribute to Pope Paul 11
By ElvisArt
(Express Press Release, April 5, 2005)
The song, "Crying in the Chapel", by Elvis Presley, a million selling hit single in 1965 was re-released on a single CD, 4th April 2005. It was played on LM FM Radio Ireland as a lovely tribute to Pope Paul 11, on 5th April. Many people will be surprised to hear an Elvis Gospel recording hit the number one spot at the height of The Beatles success. Elvis fans are now requesting the beautiful song should be played on radio stations world-wide as a special tribute to the late, Pope Paul 11. The song will no doubt follow the string of recent Elvis hits on the official British music chart announced on BBC Radio 1.
Released 28th March 2005
- The love songs of Elvis: SOUNDS FAMILIAR
By Baby A. Gil
(Philippine Star, April 6, 2005)
The big news is that nearly 38 years after his death on Aug. 15, 1977, the songs of Elvis Presley continue to outsell recent recordings by the new batch of artists in the United Kingdom. The latest chart buster is Devil in Disguise, which he recorded way back in 1963. This comes on the heels of another hit single, Good Luck Charm, which is even older and was first released in 1962. If the trend continues, we can expect these two songs to also make the charts in other countries, most notably the US of A. ...
- CHART COMMENTARY from JAMES MASTERTON
(Launch Music on Yahoo, April 4, 2005)
There is a rather marvelous olde worlde look to the singles chart this week. A frantic 17 new entries in the Top 40 alone, yes, but a full 7 of those pitch up between 30 and 40, just like the good old days when new singles would slip unnoticed into the lower reaches and then steadily rise up the listings. Of course this being 2005 none of the singles in question will actually end up doing much and just exist to be ranked as relative flops but if nothing else it is nice to look and wonder. It also gives the two local radio clowns on the Top 40 show plenty of material to poke fun about until they get round to the important bits of the chart.
Conveniently enough that is where we will start with Tony Christie reigning supreme at the top of both singles and albums listings, raising plenty of Comic Relief money and also bagging himself the longest running Number One hit since Band Aid. Funny to think that 'Amarillo's vast sale in its first week meant that in one fell swoop it sold more copies in a single week that it did during its whole chart run first time around.
A lack of anything really outstanding in terms of new singles and a corresponding slight dip in overall sales results in Elvis chalking up the biggest new entry of the week and his first Number 2 hit in a month. '(You're The) Devil In Disguise' was a return to chart form for Elvis when it topped the charts in the summer of 1963. His last single 'One Broken Heart For Sale' was a feeble soundtrack single from another feeble film and had become his first proper single for five years to miss the Top 10 when it peaked at Number 12. 'Devil In Disguise' briefly stopped the rot but merseybeat and Beatlemania in particular were sweeping the country and the single had just a solitary week at the top. It would be Elvis' last chart-topper for two years. Back to the present day and the single becomes the 13th in the current weekly reissue program to storm the Top 10 and thus breaks the 13 year old record held by the Wedding Present for most chart singles in a year - even if all of Elvis' have been decades old recordings rather than the new material turned out by the Leeds indie stars. Thus far the program has yielded 3 Number Ones, 6 Number Twos, 3 Number 3s and a solitary Number 5 hit. Look on the bright side, we've only got four more to go. ...
- CHRISTIE'S TRIPLE CHART CROWN
(contactmusic.com, April 3, 2005)
Veteran crooner TONY CHRISTIE has continued his dominance of the British charts by notching up his third week at the top of the UK singles chart and his second week at number one in the album chart. The 61-year-old's classic tune (IS THIS THE WAY TO) AMARILLO is revelling in renewed popularity since it was chosen as the surprise theme tune for British charity COMIC RELIEF's 2005 TV campaign - and a new generation of music listeners are snapping up Christie's DEFINITIVE COLLECTION long player.
(Is This The Way To) Amarillo - originally a chart-topper for Christie in 1971 - saw off competition from ELVIS PRESLEY's re-released (YOU'RE THE) DEVIL IN DISGUISE, the highest new entry at number two, and MARIAH CAREY, who entered the chart at number four with comeback single IT'S LIKE THAT.
...
- '(Is This The Way To) Amarillo' continues to top the UK tally
(soundgenerator.com, April 3, 2005)
Tony Christie's charity single '(Is This The Way To) Amarillo' ft. Peter Kay has seen of[f] a challenge by Elvis Presley to land its third week at number one. Presley's 13th re-release of 2005, '(You're the Devil in Disguise)', debuts at number two, with Mario's 'Let Me Love You' falling to three.
Mariah Carey returns this week with her new single 'It's Like That' - the first release for new label Def Jam - entering at number four, while Kylie Minogue's 'Giving You Up' lands at six. ...
- "Amarillo" tops charts for third week
(Reuters UK, April 3, 2005)
Crooner Tony Christie has held on to the top of the music charts for a third week running with his 70s classic "Is This the Way to Amarillo?", the Official UK Charts Company says. His chart success -- 34 years after his song was first released -- has been helped by northern comedian Peter Kay, who appeared in a spoof video of the song to raise money for Comic Relief. In second place, Elvis continued his run in the charts with new entry "(You're The) Devil In Disguise". ...
- Mid-week sales, March 30th (source - Elvis News)
- Tony Christie - "Is This The Way to Amarillo?" (35,057 copies)
- Elvis - "Devil In Disguise" (20,327)
- Kylie Minogue - "Giving You Up" (8,857)
- Mariah Carey - "It's Like That" (8,706)
- Mario - "Let Me Love You" (no data)
Released 21st March 2005
- CHART COMMENTARY from JAMES MASTERTON
(Launch Music on Yahoo, March 28, 2005)
Hooray! That is the sound of cheers all round as a buttock-clenchingly long run of Number One hits finally comes to an end. Tony Christie and his alleged collaborator Peter Kay chalk up a second week at Number One making 'Amarillo' the first single to spend more than a solitary seven days at the top of the charts since Band Aid 20 back at Christmas. Since then we have seen (deep breath now) Steve Brookstein, Elvis (twice), Ciara, Elvis again, Eminem, U2, J-Lo, Nelly, Stereophonics and McFly all take a turn at the top - a run of 13 weeks with a different single at Number One each time. This has been the longest such run since the 14 week spell that ended in September 2000, and just to show how suddenly things on the singles chart had sped up, it was not until the end of May last year that we saw the 11th new Number One hit of 2004.
... The appeal of the Elvis reissues appears to be wearing thin as 'Return To Sender' makes its appearance at Number 5 this week, the lowest charting so far of the string of re-released oldies to have hit the chart continuously since the start of the year. In a way it is appropriate as upon its original release it was an early symptom of the malaise that would overcome his musical career in the mid 1960s. His fourth chart-topper of 1962 it hit the top in December and was taken from the soundtrack of his latest cinema vehicle 'Girls Girls Girls'. Over the next few years Elvis movies would be turned out as if on a production line, each one with a plot more feeble than the last and each featuring soundtrack singles from the King of comparative naffness. Yes, this is indeed the start of Elvis' crap period but if you are tiring of all these oldies then be happy. 'Return To Sender' was his 13th Number One hit - in the whole of the rest of his lifetime he managed just four more. ...
- World ; Double triumph for Tony Christie
(keralanext.com, March 27, 2005)
Crooner Tony Christie is still on top of the UK singles chart with (Is This The Way To) Amarillo - and he now has the number one album as well. Amarillo went to number one last week after being revived by comedian Peter Kay and re-released for Comic Relief. Now the 61-year-old's greatest hits album, Definitive Collection, has also risen to number one. Christie has since been offered the freedom of the city of Amarillo, Texas, and a cameo in ITV1 soap Emmerdale. Amarillo was first a hit for him in 1971, but he faded from the spotlight in the late 1970s, returning only to join All Seeing I on 1999 hit Walk Like A Panther. It beat tough opposition to remain at number one in the singles chart, with Mario's Let Me Love You the highest new entry at number two, while rapper 50 Cent came into the chart at number four with Candy Shop. The latest Elvis Presley re-release, Return To Sender, made its chart comeback at number five, with Will Smith's Shiver coming in just behind at number six. ...
- 'Amarillo' Holds Top Spot on British Charts
(Yahoo! News / Reuters, March 27, 2005)
Crooner Tony Christie has topped the British charts for a second week with his '70s classic "Is This the Way to Amarillo?," the Official UK Charts Company said Sunday. His chart success -- 34 years after his song was first released -- was helped along by comedian Peter Kay, who appeared in a spoof video lip-synching the lyrics to the tune, which was released to raise money for Comic Relief. "Is This the Way to Amarillo?" beat competition from Mario's R&B track "Let Me Love You," one of five new entries in the top 10. McFly and the band's double A-side "All About You/You've Got a Friend," another tune released as part of Comic Relief, which raises money for charitable causes in Britain and Africa, fell one place to No. 3. Rapper 50 Cent's "Candy Shop" featuring Olivia was a new entry at No. 4 while Elvis Presley's run in the British charts continued with "Return to Sender," also a new entry at five. ...
- Tony Christie scores UK chart double
(soundgenerator.com, March 27, 2005)
The pop crooner hits number one on both the albums and singles chart.
Tony Christie's comeback is complete tonight as the 70's pop crooner continues his hold atop the singles charts, while moving up to number one on the albums tally. Christie's '(Do You Know The Way to) Amarillo' ft. Peter Kay takes a second week on the UK singles chart, while his 'Definitive Collection' takes over from the Stereophonics on the albums chart. Mario's 'Let Me Love You' is this week's highest new entry at two, while McFly's 'All About You/You've Got A Friend' is at three. A slew of new entries follow, starting with 50 Cent's 'Candy Shop' at four. Elvis Presley's 'Return To Sender' is at five, Will Smith's 'Switch' enters at six and Natalie Imbruglia's 'Shiver' debuts at eight. ...
- Double triumph for Tony Christie
(BBC News, March 27, 2005)
Crooner Tony Christie is still on top of the UK singles chart with (Is This The Way To) Amarillo - and he now has the number one album as well. Amarillo went to number one last week after being revived by comedian Peter Kay and re-released for Comic Relief. Now the 61-year-old's greatest hits album, Definitive Collection, has also risen to number one. Christie has since been offered the freedom of the city of Amarillo, Texas, and a cameo in ITV1 soap Emmerdale. ... The latest Elvis Presley re-release, Return To Sender, made its chart comeback at number five, with Will Smith's Shiver coming in just behind at number six. ...
UK TOP FIVE SINGLES
- (Is This The Way To) Amarillo - Tony Christie
- Let Me Love You - Mario
- All About You/ You've Got A Friend - McFly
- Candy Shop - 50 Cent
- Return To Sender - Elvis Presley
Source: Official UK Charts Company
- Jim's charity cameo hits the Bullseye
(Lancaster Guardian, March 25, 2005)
HE'S flown past McFly and even knocked Elvis Presley into a cocked hat. Jim Bowen, who lives in Melling, may not be the star of number one single, 'The Way to Amarillo', but it could beckon the start of a whole new career. ... "I might open my own recording studios in Austwick or Milnthorpe" he joked. "What do you think?" Jim was one of a number of celebrities roped into
appearing in the video for Comic Relief, where comedian Peter Kay mimes the song by Seventies crooner Tony Christie. ...
- Mid-week sales, March 25th (source - Elvis News)
- Tony Christie - "Is This The Way to Amarillo?" (86,891 copies)
- Elvis - "Return To Sender" (22,161)
- McFly - "Let Me Love You" (19,468)
- McFly - "All About You"/"You've Got A Friend" (14,000+)
Downloads will now be counted towards the UK singles chart as from April 10th 2005. This means that "Crying In The Chapel" ([to be] released on April 4th) could be Elvis Presley's last single to make the UK top 10 unless Elvis fans all purchase downloads as well as the CD's/vinyls.
In this weeks top 20 UK download chart, Elvis does not appear and has not appeared since the re-release campaign got underway.
Released 14th March 2005
- CHART COMMENTARY from JAMES MASTERTON
(Launch Music on Yahoo, March 21, 2005)
In the land of eternal cabaret, Tony Christie is a God. Although never quite in the same league as the likes of Englebert Humperdinck or Tom Jones, the singer had a brief flowering of fame in the early 1970s going Top 10 in 1971 with murderer's lament 'What I Did For Maria'. After the hits and bookings dried up he retired to Spain but his kitsch appeal remained, no better illustration of this being his 1999 comeback when Pulp's Jarvis Cocker wrote 'Walk Like A Panther' for him, his guest vocals on the All Seeing I hit helping to take the track to Number 10. Another celebrity fan of his is comedian Peter Kay who for a long time has used his 1971 Number 18 hit '(Is This The Way To) Amarillo' as a kind of unofficial theme song, playing the singalong classic at the start of live concerts to rev the crowd up.
For a long time there was talk of cashing in on this by re-releasing the track. All that was needed was the opportunity. Enter the Comic Relief appeal for which Kay filmed a new video for the track which features him miming to the track whilst a galaxy of stars appear marching behind him (Christie himself making a brief cameo appearance). The premiere of the video was easily one of the highlights of the TV appeal last week and when the single was released last Monday a massive sale was pretty much assured. So it is that 34 years after he first recorded it, 'Amarillo' gives Tony Christie a very welcome Number One hit. For the second week running Comic Relief provides the biggest selling single of the week and for the second week in a row as well the Number One hit becomes the fastest selling single of the year, sales of the track having soared well into six figures in a welcome change from the miserable levels we have witnessed since January. Peter Kay gets a chart credit on the single but his sole contribution is his starring role in the video (featured neatly on the DVD single) - quite rightly the plaudits have gone to Tony Christie and the return of his long lost classic. All together now: sha-la-la la la la la la.
Whilst one single release has overshadowed all the others this week, that hasn't stopped the chart seeing a frantic rate of turnover and yet again seven new singles all debut inside the Top 10. The second biggest of these goes to Elvis who just for a change has the second biggest re-release of the week. 'She's Not You' originally topped the charts for The King in September 1962 and was his third Number One hit of the year. For the moment Elvis could do no wrong charts-wise but fate and Colonel Tom were about to ensure that this situation was not going to last. ...
- Comic Relief gets 70s star to the top
(The Guardian / Press Association, March 21, 2005)
The 1970s crooner Tony Christie and the comedian Peter Kay have topped the charts with their charity single. The 1971 hit Is This The Way to Amarillo? went straight in at number one, raising money for Comic Relief. Kay mimes to the song in a video which features the likes of Ronnie Corbett and Ken and Deirdre Barlow from Coronation Street. Christie, 61, first released the song in November 1971, and it reached number 18 in the charts. It was revived by Kay when he used it at the start of his stand-up gigs and also in his hit television comedy series Phoenix Nights. Is This The Way To Amarillo? knocked boy band McFly's single All About You into second place in the singles chart. Elvis Presley's She's Not You went straight in at number three. ...
- Pop crooner lands UK number one
(Sound Generator, March 20, 2005)
Seventies crooner Tony Christie and comic Peter Kay have topped the charts. Tony Christie's 1971 hit 'Is This The Way To Amarillo' is this week's UK number one, leaving hits by McFly and Elvis Presley in its wake.
The re-released track, which features an appearance by Peter Kay in the promo, takes the top spot from McFly's double A-side "All About You/You've Got a Friend" - both singles are raising money for the UK's Comic Relief charity drive. Elvis Presley's latest re-release 'She's Not You' bows in at number three, followed by new entries for Gwen Stefani's 'Rich Girl' ft. ...
- Christie charity single tops charts
(Yahoo! News / Press Association, March 20, 2005)
Seventies crooner Tony Christie and comic Peter Kay have topped the charts with their charity single. The 1971 classic Is This The Way to Amarillo? went straight in at number one, raising money for Comic Relief. Kay mimes to the song in a hilarious video featuring the likes of Ronnie Corbett and Coronation Street's Ken and Deirdre. Christie, 61, first released the song in November 1971 when it reached number 18. It was revived by Kay when he used it at the start of his stand-up gigs and in his hit TV series Phoenix Nights. Amarillo knocked boyband McFly's single All About You into second place in the singles chart. Elvis Presley's She's Not You went straight in at number three, with a new entry for Gwen Stefani's Rich Girl at number four. Sunset Strippers' Falling Stars fell two places to number five. ...
- Seventies release "Amarillo" tops charts
(Yahoo! News / Reuters, March 20, 2005)
Crooner Tony Christie has topped the charts with his 70s classic "Is This the Way to Amarillo?", the Official UK Charts Company says. His chart success -- 34 years after his song was first released -- was helped along by comedian Peter Kay, who appeared in a spoof video lip-synching the lyrics to the tune, which was released to raise money for Comic Relief. ... McFly and the band's double A-side "All About You/You've Got a Friend", another tune released as part of Comic Relief, which raises money for charitable causes in Britain and Africa, tumbled one spot to number two. Elvis Presley's run in the British charts continued with "She's Not You" entering at the charts number three. ...
- Tony Christie tops singles chart
(BBC News, March 20, 2005)
Tony Christie's classic hit Is This The Way To Amarillo has become the UK's number one single after being re-released by comedian Peter Kay. The single - which originally went to number 18 in 1971 - raised money for charity Comic Relief, knocking McFly's Comic Relief single down to number two. Elvis Presley's She's Not You went in at number three and Gwen Stefani's Rich Girl entered in fourth place. ...
- Mid-week sales, March 18th (source - Elvis News)
- Tony Christie - "Is This The Way to Amarillo?" (137,000)
- McFly - "All About You" (49,000)
- Elvis - "She's Not You" (24,000)
- Gwen Stefani - "Rich Girl" (12,000)
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