Dancing Directions

Dancing is cool.  At least watching celebrities.  It's prime time TV on Saturday nights in plenty of countries.  BBC's Strictly Come Dancing is now it on it's 10th series since starting out in 2004.  Celebrities paired up with professional dancers simply compete against each other in front of a panel of judges and a voting TV audience.  It's now been emulated in over 40 countries worldwide as Dancing with the Stars.

Two of the show's judges provide a few simple dancing hints and tips to make the most of that party dancing opportunity.  Here's those messages distilled....

1. Do try dancing to everything

Try it all, just listen to the back beat and start clapping your hands and moving your feet to get the feel.

2. The simple steps are best 

Step to the side and tap, and then step to the other side and tap. That works to any song and always looks good

3. Do Dance with others

When there are others on the dance floor who know what they're doing, then join in.  Don't hover on the edge looking awkward, you'll just attract more attention.

4. Do copy shamelessly

Find someone who is looking good and dance next to them, then you can copy their moves and know that what you are doing looks good too.

5. Throw some caution to the wind.  

It's very liberating not to worry about perfecting every step and technique.

6. Think about arms too

Generally, try not to lets your hands wander above your head, you're dancing not drowning.  Best dance styling tend to keep arms below shoulder height.

7. Stay Standing  

Pretending to row a boat for example, especially if you're drunk and can't get back up again, is never cool.  That close up grinding is so sleazy too.

8.  Be Neighbourly

When the dancefloor is crowded, don't flail about playing the air guitar or sliding around on your knees.  Nobody really likes a show off.

9. Do have a drink 

If you're nervous, a drink can fortify yourself, and can help you relax and enjoy yourself.  To much can work against you though.  Remember to drink responsibly though...See Drink Aware for advice and guidance.

10. And protect your modesty.

If you're in a strapless top don't lift your arms up to far, and don't do the twist in a short skirt.  We've all seen it happen and it's really not that attractive.

Source: Based on Strictly Tips to Dance like Darcy. It's the party season, but are your moves a dance 'disaaahster'? Darcy Bussell and Len Goodman show you how to score a perfect 10.  BBC Radio Times (22.12.12-04.01.13)

All the Christmas No.1s

The Christmas No.1 single each year is a bit of a converted accolade.   There can be some close fought races to that top spot and some real targeting and planning to get there.  Here are all those Christmas No.1's of the past 50 years, plus some interesting observations.

A Christmas No.1...defined.

What is a Christmas number one?  The song that sold most singles that "Christmas"?  Well sort of but not quite. In fact technically, it's the single that sold most in the week up to the Sunday before Christmas.   To be even more precise it's sales between 00.01 Sunday and and midnight on Saturday.  So that doesn't reflect what was sold the week(s) before or after.  And that's all assuming that the single has been officially registered with the Official Charts Company, and comply with it's chart rules, for it to be eligible to be officially counted.

So timing is Everything

So the charts are always measured to a specific point in the week which is midnight on Saturday.  However the day of the week on Christmas day falls will vary from year to year.  This means that the chart could be finalised on Christmas day itself, or up to 6 days earlier.   So it can be that with 6 days to go until Christmas then the Christmas No.1 is already decided.  That variability has led to some near misses.

So for example, in 1990 Vanilla Ice was No.1 with Ice Ice Baby, but by the next Chart on 29th December, Cliff Richard's Saviour's Day was No.1.  In 2010 it was Cannonball with Little Mix at Christmas No.1, with Military Wives with Gareth Malone had to wait a week to peak with Wherever You Are.  In 2008 Leona Lewis's Run (20th Dec 2008) meant that Alexandra Burke' Hallelujah had to wait a week too (27th Dec).

Disparate Decades

Over the decades the nature of the Christmas No.1's have changed to become more disparate.  In the 1950's seven of the ten were from either the Beatles or Elvis.   For Elvis it was It's Now or Never [1960] and Return to Sender [1962], and for the Beatles with I Want to hold your hand [1963], I feel Fine [1964], and Day Tripper/We Can work it out [1965], Hello Goodbye [1967].

Once in a lifetime

The Christmas No.1 is also the opportunity for some of the quirky numbers to stand out.  The test being that their airtime since had been miniminal.  Benny Hill's Ernie- the Fastest Milkman in the West [1971], Donny Osmond's Long Haired Lover From Liverpool [1972], and then there was Mister Blobby in 1984.  That includes those children's hits too....The JCB Song from Nizlopi in 2005,  Can we fix it? from Bob the Builder [2000].    That said Band Aid managed to be the Christmas No.1 three times over 20 years with Do They Know it's Christmas in 1984, 1989, 2004.

Source and thanks: Official Charts Company

National Sound Check Day

The 12th December 2012 is of course national sound check day " 1 2 1 2 1 2".   Nothing official, just of passing novelty really. And technically National Sound Check Moment would be 12 minutes and 12 seconds past 12...12:12:12 on 12:12:12

It's also the last matching date-month-year until the next decade, that another 89 years, on 01.01.01

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John Lewis - Music Promotor

Well John Lewis has done it again in 2012.  It's Christmas Ad campaign is always eagerly awaited, and the accompanying music often goes on to chart success. Since 2009 those sound tracks have collectively sold 1.5 million singles in the UK.  Four of those have gone on to  become Top 10 hits on the Official Singles Chart.

The Official Charts Company's data shows that Ellie Goulding's "Your Song" cover in 2010 went on to generate over 729,000 sales and in 2012 Gabrielle Alpin's cover of The Power of Love has generated 220,000 sales in the first five weeks.  Happy Christmas Gabrielle....

Source and thanks: Official Charts Company