Craig David kept Richard Ashcroft‘s comeback single at bay by heading straight to number one with his first solo track.
The 18-year-old from Southampton hit the top spot with ‘Fill Me In’, two places above Ashcroft. The ex-Verve frontman’s ‘A Song For The Lovers’ was beaten into third position by Sweet Female Attitude‘s ‘Flowers’. David has tasted chart glory just once previously. He sang guest vocals on Artful Dodger’s Number Two single ‘Rewind’ during October.
It was ‘Rewind’ that proved speed garage had finally made the leap from the underground into the mainstream and set it up as one of the most popular and commercially successful types of music in Britain at present – and paved the way for ‘Fill Me In’ to hit the number one slot.
Meanwhile, in a week of frantic chart action, six new singles entered the Top Ten. Steps first track in several months, ‘A Deeper Shade Of Blue’ only managed to hit number four, whilst The Bloodhound Gang scored their biggest UK hit to date taking the controversy rocked ‘The Bad Touch’ to number five. Lock ‘N’ Load‘s ‘Blow Ya Mind’ at number six and Airwave‘s ‘Rank 1’ at ten filled the rest of the new spots.
Record breaking boy band Westlife slipped down to number eight on the chart after ‘Fool Again’ spent a single week at number one.
In the albums, Moby finally climbed to the top spot, over a year after ‘Play’ initally entered the chart. Doves hit a impressive16th position with their debut ‘Lost Souls’ some eight places above Elastica‘s long awaited second album. ‘The Menace’ could only manage number 24.