Charting 1997: Album chart 8th March

Something like normal service resumes, and a strong dose of the Brits Effect, perhaps most obvious in the top two positions. Also several re-entries from classic Beatles albums; I presume there was a reason for that but I can't remember why now. 

01. (3) Spice Girls - Spice
02.(24) Manic Street Preachers - Everything Must Go
03. (9) Lighthouse Family - Ocean Drive
04. (1) Mansun - Attack of the Grey Lantern
05.(RE) Eels - Beautiful Freak (Spotify)
A minor chart success on its original "soft" UK release earlier in the year: before that it had done relatively well on import, and I remember Stuart Maconie playing various tracks on his short-lived Radio Album Show back in 1996. Now it got full distribution on the back of the 'Novocaine For The Soul' single and brought E his highest ever UK chart position - meanwhile it never made the Top 100 in the US.
Whilst personally I think Eels went on to make better records, this is certainly one of the debuts of the year. And one of my Dad's favourites too, oddly enough.
Exactly a year later, Eels won their own Brit Award.
06. (2) The Smurfs - The Smurfs Hits 97 Vol 1
07. (5) No Doubt - Tragic Kingdom
08.(21) George Michael - Older
09.(NE) James - Whiplash (Spotify)
Highest genuine new entry of the week from the indie veterans. The title proved unfortunately apt when Tim Booth injured his neck during a concert in the US a few months later. At least they had the sense of humour to call the next album Millionaires.
10.(20) Kula Shaker - K
11.(29) Robert Miles - Dreamland
12.(19) Jamiroquai - Travelling Without Moving
13.(NE) 911 - The Journey
A common sight in charity shops. So far I've managed to resist the temptation.
14. (7) Original Soundtrack - Evita
15.(10) The Beautiful South - Blue is the colour
16. (6) Texas - White On Blonde
17. (4) Blur - Blur
18.(36) Fugees - The Score
19.(NE) The Orb - Orblivion
Their last studio album to bother the Top 75 until a collaboration with Dave Gilmour in 2010. Apparently it was in the can for almost a year before the record company could be bothered to release it.
20.(NE) Warren G - Take A Look Over Your Shoulder (Reality)
The second album that seemed to guarantee nobody would ever take him seriously again.
The best track is of course 'Reel Tight Intro'.
21.(33) Sheryl Crow - Sheryl Crow
22.(17) Celine Dion - Falling into you
23.(14) Space - Spiders
24.(18) Toni Braxton - Secrets
25.(27) Gabrielle - Gabrielle
26.(16) Skunk Anansie - Stoosh
27.(12) Reef - Glow
28.(28) Bush - Razorblade Suitcase
29.(52) Beck - Odelay
30.(58) The Bee Gees - The Very Best Of
31.(34) Crowded House - Recurring Dream: The Very Best of
32.(15) Adiemus - Adiemus II Cantata Mundi
33.(13) Backstreet Boys - Backstreet Boys
34.(25) Ocean Colour Scene - Moseley shoals
35.(30) Oasis - (What's The Story) Morning Glory?
36.(11) Jean Michel Jarre - Oxygene 7-13
37. (8) Gene - Drawn To The Deep End
38.(23) LL Cool J - All world
39.(63) Mark Morrison - Return of the Mack
40.(31) Alanis Morissette - Jagged Little Pill

43.(NE) Suzanne Vega - Nine Objects Of Desire (Spotify) (Amazon)
A twelve-track album, despite the title, and part of her collaboration with Mitchell Froom which had by this point extended to marriage and parenthood. The former didn't last but the latter inspired one of the least sick-making songs of its type in 'World Before Columbus'.
54.(RE) Radiohead - The Bends
56.(RE) The Beatles - Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
58.(RE) The Beatles - Abbey Road
62.(NE) QFX - Alien Child
64.(RE) The Beatles - Revolver
72.(RE) Pink Floyd - The Dark Side Of The Moon
73.(RE) The Beatles - Rubber Soul

Charting 1997: 8th March

A third week on top for No Doubt here, still selling more than any of the previous chart-toppers of the year had managed.

01. (1) No Doubt - Don't Speak
02.(NE) Kula Shaker - Hush

The most obvious beneficiaries of the old record company habit of releasing a single in Brits week. With a brand new track (albeit not an original composition) they must have fancied their chances of the Number One but in the end they were no match for No Doubt's sales and ended up with their second appearance as runner-up. Things would never be this big again for them though, not least because of an ill-advised joke during promotional interviews for this single in which Crispian Mills suggested using giant flaming swastikas on stage.
03.(NE) Eternal - Don't You Love Me
Their first Top 3 hit.
04. (2) Sash! - Encore Une Fois
05. (5) The Bee Gees - Alone
06.(NE) Peter Andre - Natural
Part of his run of six consecutive Top 10s, though how many people remember the ones after 'Mysterious Girl' is open to question.
07. (4) No Mercy - Where Do You Go
08. (3) The Source - You Got The Love {1997}
09.(NE) Robin S - Show Me Love '97
It's 1997 so there must be a pointless remix of an old dance track, right? If you don't know this song from its many chart runs, you might have had the misfortune to hear Jason DeRulo sample it in 2011.
10. (9) Blueboy - Remember Me
11.(NE) Foxy Brown - Get Me Home ft Blackstreet
Her first UK hit with lead credit. Samples 'Gotta Get You Home Tonight' by Eugene Wilde.
12. (6) En Vogue - Don't Let Go (Love)
13.(NE) Babyface - Every Time I Close My Eyes
...It's because I'm listening to this dull music? 
14.(NE) Beck! - The New Pollution

Now this is more like it. For all his prominence and acclaim, Beck has only ever had two Top 20 singles in the UK, and this is the higher-peaking of them, albeit only by one place. This is the song that did a lot to allay my previous suspicion that he couldn't match up to the hype, and eventually persuaded me to buy the Odelay album. Sadly, he was never this much fun again either.
PS - Apologies for the rather creepy screenshot on that embed. 
15.(13) Republica - Ready To Go
16. (7) Bush - Swallowed
17.(12) DJ Kool - Let Me Clear My Throat
18.(NE) JX - Close To Your Heart
Yeah, who knew he was still going this late on? Turns out he had yet another hit exactly seven years later too, but I don't remember that one. 
19.(NE) Prince - The Holy River
Obviously, not actually calling himself Prince at the time. He had actually performed at the Brits, but not this song. 
20. (8) Warren G - I Shot The Sheriff
21.(11) Cathy Dennis - Waterloo Sunset
22.(NE) Aerosmith - Falling In Love (Is Hard On The Knees)
You'd think a lot of things would be hard on Steven Tyler's knees at his age. He was actually only 48 at the time but he already looked a lot older. Mind you the tediousness of yet another vaguely rude-sounding Aerosmith anthem would have that effect on anyone. 
23.(NE) Erasure - Don't Say Your Love Is Killing Me
OK then, I won't.
24.(NE) Ultimate Kaos - Casanova
The band who made Des Lynam say "Hoochie Booty" return two years on with a cover of the Levert hit. Somebody must have thought that was a good idea. 
25.(14) Daft Punk - Da Funk/Musique
26.(10) 911 - The Day We Find Love
27.(24) Spice Girls - 2 Become 1
28.(15) U2 - Discotheque
29.(18) Apollo 440 - Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Dub
30.(17) James - She's A Star
31.(28) Texas - Say What You Want
32.(22) Backstreet Boys - Quit Playing Games (With My Heart)
33.(26) Ben Folds Five - Battle Of Who Could Care Less
34.(19) Mark Owen - Clementine
35.(20) LL Cool J - Ain't Nobody
36.(23) White Town - Your Woman
37.(16) OTT - Let Me In
38.(NE) Armand Van Helden - The Funk Phenomena
From the record contract he got off the back of the Tori Amos remix. They may have been expecting something a bit more popular than this. 
39.(34) Barbra Streisand And Bryan Adams - I Finally Found Someone
40.(29) Eels - Novocaine For The Soul

42.(NE) Section X - Atlantis
51.(NE) Energy 52 - Cafe Del Mar
A bigger hit in 1998.
52.(NE) De La Soul - 4 More ft Zhane
53.(NE) Sharkey - Revolutions EP
[Revolution Part One; Revolution Part Two; Revolution Part Two remix]
60.(NE) Feeder - Tangerine
Their first Top 75 hit. Apparently it really is about a citrus fruit. 
61.(NE) The Carter Twins - Twelfth Of Never/Too Right To Be Wrong
63.(NE) Mombassa - Cry Freedom '97
66.(NE) Sybil - When I'm Good And Ready {1997 remix}