Mar 24 Bit of a historic day on the pop charts. Britain has her 922nd best seller in stores since the sales chart began in November 1952. Since the rock era began with Rock Around The Clock
in 1955, the USA has had 921 chart toppers. The US has led since 1977, but the recent frenetic turnover in the UK has seen that lead erode.
The record that established the milestone? Unchained Melody
, recorded by Pop Idle loser Gareth Gates. It's the fourth version of Zaret and North's classic to top the lists, following Jimmy Young (55), the Righteous Brothers (90) and Robson & Jerome (95). No other record has headed the listings in as many as three different versions.
In any other week, the most significant development would be the comparative failure of George Michael's latest release. Freek
was cited as a potential challenger to Gates' #1 crown. It barely made the top 10 sales, and poor airplay means it only enters the Fab 50 at #13. Yog had only had one single not on an album fail to enter in the top four, his '84 debut Careless Whisper
. That came in at 12 en route to the top of the charts, making this new one amongst his least successful singles ever.
TV The West Wing
series 2 begins again on C4. This is the one where there's an attempt on the President's life. Before the hour is out, the White House is saying that it doesn't know the whereabouts of Osama bin Laden, and speculating on the intentions of the Iraqis. This show was recorded in 2000.
17 moves into the fourth 42 and a half minutes, between 3 and 4 am. This presidential candidate chap is humourless, cold, dour, and wooden. Sorry, was I watching CNN by mistake? Curses.
Mar 23 Former British prime minister Mrs Margaret Thatcher will never speak in public again, on doctors orders. If only Mr Blair were similarly advised. Indeed, it seems that while I was out of the country, public opinion has finally caught up with the facts and figured that Blair really is a bit of a waste of space.
Where's the best city in the world? Detroit claims Maxim. Miami, claims Maxim. Philadelphia. San Fransisco. Dallas. New York. Boston. In total, Maxim claims 13 cities in North America are the best in the world. Each regional edition cites a different place as the world's greatest. None of them is correct, as the Canadian edition cites Toronto.
Dark Season
gets a repeat airing on CBBC. This is the 1991 technology drama by Russell T. Davies, in which a mad scientist tries to take over the world. Some great shots of the curves and earthy beauty of early 90s vintage laptop computers. Starring Kate Winslet, from back in the days when she was still the girl next door. Nothing pretentious, nothing off the wall, just the fully figured Anyteen. How things change...
How To Have a Number One
Vic Reeves presents a decent review of ways to have a chart topper. There are the usual suspects - Band Aid, Blur -v- Oasis, Elton, Abba. But some new stories - Cliff's use of churches as a vehicle for 1999's "Millennium Prayer", the fantastic marketing that led to Iron Maiden's visit to the top. There's the story of Robson and Jerome and the Spice Girls from the mouths of Simon Cow-ell and Nikki Chapman, now stars of POP IDLE.
Perhaps the most interesting point was Ian Brodie's suggestion that "Three Lions" has become something to rival the national anthem. Later, there's a feature on the Sex Pistols' "God Save The Queen," kept from the top only by rigging against it in 1977. GSTQ is due for a re-release in June, alongside Brenda's 50 year anniversary. At the same time, there's the little matter of a World Cup football tournament, which could lead to a third version of TL being released. Which is the bigger anthem? Could we see the two go head to head?
Other notes: Cowell said R&J wouldn't have to do TOP OF THE POPS, an offer they didn't take up, but he did make happen to Will Young. David Spencer first heard Elton's remake in rehearsal, and couldn't continue for some time afterwards. And Pete Waterman reckons Three Lions turned from novelty song to massive classic in about three weeks. Hurrah!
Mar 21 Get to the station, grab a few provisions for my journey back, then spend a half hour or so with Richard, straight from his flight from the US. He's in good shape for someone off the red eye. Thence to Berlin and home.
For anyone spending time in Tegel airport, it *is* an enclosed hexagon. For BA, get off the bus and almost double back on yourself to low numbered desks. There's a nice cafe around gate 4. Each gate has its own security zone, a few chairs, and nothing more than the over-priced duty free shop.
Plane back is rather spoiled by the group around me, who are resentful of the people in business class. Their resentment hangs in the air like a fog.
Mar 20 Woken early by the opera "singer" upstairs doing what she calls singing. No one else agrees. A bit of shopping, and the SIMPSONS and BUFFY in German. The voices of Homer and Xander are bizarre.
Mar 19 Hanging around with 'Rike, seeing some of the sights of Leipzig. Though not the cigar thing.
Mar 18 Off to Leipzig, via the all-singing, all-dancing, highly-regarded ICE train. The Inter City Express has a top speed of 160 kph, the same speed or slower as trains in the UK. It's also about 20 minutes late, the same delay as trains in the UK. Leipzig has trams. Trams rock. All German cities seem to have a sensible, intelligent public transport system, a far cry from the disorganised mess in the UK.
Mar 17 The sights, sounds, and brunch of Potsdam. Including a trip round the royal park, and ordering crepes in a restaurant. My French is far better than my German, which pleases the waiter no end.
Mar 16 Off to Berlin airport. Proof that chelle's rubric still applies - I join the late running 0745 train, only to find it's being repaired and I may as well join the train I intended to in the first place. The flight is uneventful, though the staff leave it very late to serve the food.
Arrive in Berlin, meet Tanya and her boyf, and see the sights. Including a trip up the TV tower, and coffee in the opera house. Very cultured.