[mod.music.gaffa] Chart Effects

Love-Hounds-request.UUCP@mit-eddie.UUCP (11/27/86)

Really-From: Jeff Dalton <jeff%aiva.edinburgh.ac.uk@Cs.Ucl.AC.UK>

This week's Gallup Music Week/BBC/BPI LP  chart has:

   1 (1)   Hits 5                              -- Various
   2 (3)   The Whole Story                     -- Kate Bush
   3 (2)   Every Breath You Take - The Singles -- The Police
   4 (8)   O.S.T. Top Gun                      -- Various
   5 (7)   True Blue                           -- Madonna
   ...
  11 (4)   Live 1987-1985                      -- Bruce Springsteen et al
   ...
  14 (new) Infected                            -- The The

So much for Bruce.

The The is getting pushed mightily in the press.  The last Time Out had an
insert, twice-folded glossy re Infected, which says it is "Available in
video, compact disc, tape, record, and book form".  The front is the cover
painting from one version of the LP, the back the picture used for the
"torture sleeve" (the alternate LP cover).  Inside you find pictures
(presumably frames from the video), bits of lyrics, and "5 years since
'Burning Blue Soul'... 3 years since 'Soul Mining'... 2 years in the
making... 'Infected'  Utilizing the most powerful visual and lyrical
metaphors to cut through the *flab* and into the *raw bones* of Addiction,
Affliction, Attrition ... the Western Condition."  And "to hear excerpts
from 'Infected' phone (*) 0895 600505"  

(*) "23p off peak; 46p peak rate"

I think I'll go back to my Fuzzbox singles...

Love-Hounds-request@EDDIE.MIT.EDU (12/05/86)

Really-From: Jeff Dalton <jeff%aiva.edinburgh.ac.uk@Cs.Ucl.AC.UK>

This tuesday's Gallup Music Week/BBC/BPI LP chart has:

   1  (-)  Now That's What I Call Music 8 	-- Various
   2  (1)  Hits 5				-- Various
   3  (2)  The Whole Story			-- Kate Bush
   4  (3)  Every Breath You Take - the Singles	-- The Police
   5  (4)  Original Soundtrack "Top Gun"	-- Various
   6  (5)  True Blue				-- Madonna
   ...
! 15 (56)  Different Light			-- Bangles
  16  (-)  Notorious				-- Duran Duran
  17 (16)  Brothers in Arms			-- Dire Straits
  18 (12)  Revenge				-- Eurithmics
  19 (11)  Live/1975-1985			-- Bruce Springsteen et al
  20 (15)  Disco				-- Pet Shop Boys

As you can see, the Christmas Variation has begun, filling the chart
with Hits collections (there are three more in the "...") even though
the Christmas Single race doesn't seem to have started.  Kate is still
the highest non-various in the chart, but Madonna still has the highest
LP that isn't a singles package (and the the two people in front of me
at Edinburgh Virgin both bought it).  Bruce is still falling, but Dire
Straits refuses to go away.  And, for some reason, the Bangles have come
back.  Good news, say I.