{"id":319,"date":"2010-05-06T21:15:42","date_gmt":"2010-05-06T20:15:42","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.housetoastonish.com\/?p=319"},"modified":"2010-05-06T21:15:42","modified_gmt":"2010-05-06T20:15:42","slug":"number-1s-of-2010-2-may-2010","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.housetoastonish.com\/?p=319","title":{"rendered":"Number 1s of 2010 – 2 May 2010"},"content":{"rendered":"

It’s election night, the night when people all across Britain stay up to two or three in the morning before it finally dawns on them that they won’t know for sure till next morning.\u00a0 And so!\u00a0 Let’s devote our time to something else instead.<\/p>\n

Our new number 1 is the latest in the series of grime acts making a shameless bid for mainstream stardom.<\/p>\n

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This is “Good Times” by Roll Deep. <\/strong><\/em>(Non-embeddable YouTube version here.)<\/a><\/p>\n

Roll Deep have been around for years, in various permutations.\u00a0 They’re more of a collective than a band as such, but former members include Dizzee Rascal and Tinchy Stryder, both of whom made the crossover to the mainstream a while ago.\u00a0 Of the current line-up, the best known is Wiley, who’s had several hits of his own dating back to 2004, the biggest being “Wearing My Rolex”<\/a> (number 2 in 2008).<\/p>\n

Roll Deep themselves have generally kept a slightly lower profile.\u00a0 Their back catalogue ranges from minimalist grime<\/a> includes credible but accessible hip-hop like “When I’m ‘Ere.”<\/p>\n

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For the most part, however, they’ve stayed under the chart radar.\u00a0 The exception was in 2005, when “Avenue”<\/a> made number 11 and “Shake A Leg”<\/a> got to 24.\u00a0 By 2005 standards, both singles were something of a bid for mainstream acceptance, with radio friendly samples and a bit of novelty value.\u00a0 But they haven’t been seen in the charts since (despite releasing two albums since then).<\/p>\n

“Good Times” obviously marks something of a departure for the group, since it’s a shameless bid for daytime radio.\u00a0 I suspect there’s a degree of purist-baiting going on here.\u00a0 Note how the opening seconds are terrifyingly reminiscent of “Heaven” by DJ Sammy<\/a>.\u00a0 Raise an eyebrow at a background vocal hook that’s suspiciously similar to “Come on Barbie, let’s go party.”\u00a0 Ponder at the low-budget wedding reception look of the video.\u00a0 And wonder at a vision of late-night hedonism that includes popping out for some “late night shopping on a Thursday.”<\/p>\n

But it’s a good pop song, it really is.\u00a0 It sounds nothing like Roll Deep – when I first heard it I actually double-checked that I’d downloaded the right track from Spotify – but it’s a good pop song.\u00a0 It could be at the top for a while.<\/p>\n

The other big surprise on this week’s chart is the appearance at number 29 of “She’s Always a Woman” by Billy Joel<\/a>, a track from his 1977 album “The Stranger”.\u00a0 In 1986 it was released as a double A-side single with “Just The Way You Are”, peaking at number 53.\u00a0 But this is its first chart appearance.\u00a0 Why?\u00a0 Because a cover version is being used in this advert for the John Lewis department store, who would like you to know that your custom is welcome quite literally from cradle to grave.<\/p>\n

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The version in the advert is actually by Fyfe Dangerfield, the lead singer of the Guillemots.\u00a0 But his version wasn’t available for most of the week, and so people have been downloading the original.\u00a0 The Dangerfield version has been rush-released and will almost certainly chart in the top 20 on Sunday.<\/p>\n

Also entering the chart this week:<\/p>\n