This one is for Dixie!

Very interesting. And, as you know, JK, our views do differ on this issue. In fact it was after a piece you published in the Tip Sheet, that I suggested having lunch, (at an Italian close to your George Street office). At the same time, you received correspondence from Denton Hall. (Not the country health hydro you were hoping, but from CIN’s solicitors). I believe that it was at the time of your interview that chart hyping was in massive decline. In fact, it was because the free records were drying up and buying-in diminishing that was probably the single biggest factor in the decline of the indie record shop that took place in the mid/late 1990s. In the 1990s “chart shops” (those that submitted their sales to the Chart Compilers) increased from around 1,000 to over 5,000, making it expensive to target chart return shops. I believe records from both independents and majors were removed from the charts without any prejudice either way.

If the record of Mike Stock’s you talk about is the same one I’m thinking of, then I believe a legal representative visited the Chart Compilers and was shown the evidence to why the record was removed from the charts. That appeared to be the end of the matter, I believe.

Ah yes; all those years ago. Times certainly changed and I suspect these days, sadly because the chart means so much less, there is less hype going on. The industry damaged the power of the chart by making it a list of major corporate priorities rather than a genuine reflection of popularity. As a result, Top of the Pops featured fewer and fewer genuinely popular sounds, audiences declined and we reached the stage we are at today.

Again, I beg to differ. I believe hyping declined because it was getting too expensive, and becoming less effective. Once Home delivery was included, the hypers thought they could just buy in without a team of people going around in estate cars, but buy on-line. It didn't work.

But, JK, It's nothing to do with the chart for the reason it tends to be dominated by the majors. The chart is just reflecting who is buying and listening (by choice) to the songs. If the majors have the best songs, and/or are the best at promoting those titles which is influencing people to buy/listen to them, that the chart is doing its job. (I'm deliberately avoiding going into the discussion of why they may be "the best" at promoting!).

Top Of The Pops got it all wrong when it STOPPED reflecting the charts and was hell bent on playing exclusives 8 or so weeks prior to release. The job of TOTP should have stayed at giving the wider public the opportunity to see the songs they had bought/heard being performed.

Strongly disagree Dixie (as you know) and I did "start" hype! Because they became good at hype (copying me) but without the backup of hyping only tracks with true crossover appeal, the majors concentrated on non popular singles by high priority signings which therefore charted and were featured on TOTP, programmed by brain dead deaf people who simply obeyed instructions. Ratings declined as a direct result.