Big Number Twos

[sp1814]

Which songs kept Pulp's 'Common People' and The Verve's 'Bitter Sweet Symphony' off the number one spot in the UK singles charts?

[Gromit]

Pulp one I think is

Unchained Melody - Robson & Jerome

[Gromit]

Verve one is

"I'll Be Missing You" by Puff Daddy and Faith Evans.

[China Doll]

Candle in the Wind for Verve? Possibly?

Not 100% on that though.

(Think Verve single was released around the end of Sept that year and I think Candle in the Wind was at number 1 for quite a while around that time).

[China Doll]

Or you could go with the walking encyclopedia up there's ^^^ answer....

Rolls eyes & mutters about trying only trying to help, bloody northerners

[China Doll]

Oh yeah, forgot to say.... your question title Splat, lovely mental image!!

[Gromit]

The other famous one is

Which record kept Ultravox's Vienna off the top spot?

[B00]

ahh, now that i do know, that was Joe Dolce, shaddap wi' ya face. Talk about a travesty!

[China Doll]

I'm too young to remember that. ;0P

[B00]

and shaddap wi' your face too CD- bag.............lol

[China Doll]

Tut, tut... Jealousy's such a nasty trait in a person Boobies, better go and add it to your flaws! ;0P

[caz247]

lol good old Joe Dolce the fake italian wth his
blackboard on TOTP i remember it well

[mushroom25]

whilst "bitter sweet symphony" was the verve's biggest single release, not only was it kept from no1, but the hit's earning power for them was all but removed in the ensuing royalties dispute in the courts - some say that's what precipitated the band's demise.

[Doc Spock]

hi

[littleoldme]

Robson and ol' squashy nose keeping Pulp off number one with the 914th hit version of Unchained Melody was a far bigger travesty than Joe Dolce in my book. At least Joe had the decency to bu99er off pretty sharpish afterwards.

[sp1814]

Thanks for your answers...it was based on a pub conversation on Wednesday night.

By the way, the Verve story is even more unfair than many people realise.

Apparently it's only the opening strings section which is taken from a Stones song, but worse than that...I remember reading that the strings section didn't even appear on the original Stones version - it's actually taken from an orchestra arrangement of old classic rock songs.

Weird but true.

[littleoldme]

Andrew Loog Oldham's version of The Last Time, to be precise.