{"id":505,"date":"2010-09-23T22:25:38","date_gmt":"2010-09-23T21:25:38","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.housetoastonish.com\/?p=505"},"modified":"2010-09-23T22:25:38","modified_gmt":"2010-09-23T21:25:38","slug":"charts-12-september-2010","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.housetoastonish.com\/?p=505","title":{"rendered":"Charts – 12 September 2010"},"content":{"rendered":"

After a long run of singles that only spent a week at number 1, at last we reach a record that managed two. \u00a0(It’s unlikely to manage three, since the midweek charts show it dropping to 6.) \u00a0And yes, you guessed it, it’s connected to The X Factor<\/em>.<\/p>\n

<\/embed><\/object>
\n<\/strong> <\/em><\/p>\n

“Start Without You” by Alexandra Burke featuring Laza Morgan<\/strong>. \u00a0Simon Cowell’s empire notches up its second consecutive number one – last time it was the 2009 runner-up, this time it’s the 2008 winner with the lead single from her next album.<\/p>\n

Cowell generally seems more comfortable promoting MOR than pop music, but he’s always recognised that if Alexandra Burke is anything, she’s a pop singer. \u00a0Pushing her as another diva would never have worked; that would have made her a B-list Leona Lewis. \u00a0So she gets material like this – produced by RedOne, and extremely loosely based on “Hooray Hooray It’s a Holi-Holiday” by Boney M, a number 3 hit from 1979.<\/p>\n

<\/embed><\/object><\/p>\n

According to Wikipedia, Boney M never got anywhere in America. \u00a0So a bit of explanation might be called for. \u00a0Boney M were marketed in Europe as a sort of Caribbean disco\/pop crossover act. \u00a0But they started life as an alias for German record producer and songwriter Frank Farian, who hired some performers to front the group the fact. \u00a0The people on stage are in fact from Jamaica, Montserrat and Aruba, but the records themselves are German – Farian continued singing on the records even after hiring the group.<\/p>\n

Boney M were very much of their time, but they did release some records that proved to have an unexpectedly long shelf life. \u00a0“Rasputin” (number 2 in 1978) is perhaps their weirdest effort – a reflection on the life of the popular early twentieth century Russian monk, it features some of the most audaciously ridiculous deadpan lyrics ever heard in a pop song: “Ra ra Rasputin \/ Russia’s greatest love machine \/ There was a cat that really was gone.”<\/p>\n

<\/embed><\/object><\/p>\n

Their only number one was a double A-side, “Rivers of Babylon” and “Brown Girl In The Ring”<\/a>. The first is a Melodians cover, the second is a West Indies nursery rhyme. The single has the unique chart distinction of reaching number one, dropping to number 20, and then climbing all the way back to number two when radio stations belatedly started playing the other side.<\/p>\n

But returning to the current number one…<\/p>\n

This is Alexandra Burke’s fifth hit single, and third number one. \u00a0(Sixth and fourth, if you count her appearance on the obligatory X Factor<\/em> finalists charity single from her year.) \u00a0It’s the chart debut for American singer Laza Morgan.<\/p>\n

Other new entries from that week:<\/p>\n