Christmas Number One 2004

[stereoman]

Well the battle's already underway and it's never to early to try and steal a march on the bookies or those in the know. Those of us who took The Darkness at 66/1 with Coral Eurobet back in September/October 2003 know damn well the pain of succumbing to another well-planned sting as some people were supporting Gary Jules at equally outrageous odds. The difference? Their plan actually went off as planned. ....beaten on the final Saturday that mattered as Gary Jules outsold The Darkness by a staggering 20,000 singles (pundits suggest his performance on Friday Night with Jonathan Ross sealed the deal as viewers rushed out the next day to get a copy. Me? I suggest a fail-safe approach by those who had already bet on Gary Jules actually went out and bought some singles just to make ever so sure the gamble was landed). Who we got at this stage that are going to be releasing Christmas singles? * The X Factor winner * Joss Stone and Mick Jagger * Girls Aloud The latest reality show winner will have a huge amount of publicity built up for them from the past two weeks up until 11th December where the winner will release a single in time for Christmas. William Hill had it at 7/1 this morning and now it's down to 9/2. No idea what the single will be like though. Joss Stone and Mick Jagger are planning to release a cover version of Mud's Lonely This Christmas. William Hill say it's an 8/1 shot (Skybet have 'Joss Stone' at 125/1). Girls Aloud are releasing a cover version of Frankie Goes To Hollywood's The Power of Love. Anything from 16/1 to 33/1 is available depending who you look at. Me? I'm looking to hedge but I've put £100 on the winner of The X Factor over at Bet Direct at odds of 6/1. The last thing I want is a Gary Jules to stop the manufactured pop act from getting the Christmas number one single. Only indifference, a really awful single or indeed a Gary Jules can probably stop it at this early stage. Any facts, other contenders we should know about or opinions, fellas? Winner will be announced on Sunday 19th December.

[jeffers]

Re: Christmas Number One 2004 Aren't the charts based on records ordered by the shops, and not actual number of copies sold? :unsure That's what someone told me anyway :unsure

[mrmuzeman]

Charts Ths singles charts are based on selected samples from certain pre known shops across the UK. For instance the HMV in Brighton or the V-Shop in you local high street or wherever. If youre in the know (you know which shops are being sampled) you can buy loads of singles of the same song from a shop you know is going to be counted. This is why a lot of the chart is bullshit cos people actually do this and buy like 50 copies of the same @#%$ song to make it perform well in the charts. Also why a lot of good bands who actually sell a decent lot of records in independent chains dont ever chart because these shops are not in the running for the charts.

[jeffers]

Re: Charts

people actually do this and buy like 50 copies of the same @#%$ song to make it perform well in the charts.

Why? :\

[mrmuzeman]

singles I dont mean you or I Jeffers, people doing promo for a band or act so their band or act then does well in the chart. Gets them publicity and stuff. It definitely happens.

[stereoman]

Re: singles Hmmm....more potential contenders: * Ronan Keating and Cat Stevens possibly doing a duet of Father and Son (apparently some people have been punting on it, dropping it's odds from 50/1 to around the 20/1 mark). * Ricky Gervais and Noel Gallagher singing Freelove Freeway (that song off The Office DVD. They've said they won't release it as a single but there's been demand since it's been playing on BBC Radio One. It's around the 20/1 mark as well if it gets released in time for Christmas).

[stereoman]

Re: Christmas Number One 2004 Well I'd like to state I'm officially ill (or at the very least becoming increasingly mentally disturbed). I've had a very bad week with 'travellers' conning my family twice in the space of a month and the news that the winner of The X Factor is not releasing a single in time to even have a go at Christmas Number One compounds it even more. I don't even fooking care any more (hell, Bet Direct at least you got back some of the money I took off you last year when the fat gal Michelle McManus won Pop Idol 2). :puke :banghead Good news elsewhere? I've almost recouped back all the money that Sporting Odds gave only half back to me in an act of goodwill (slowly, slowly, catchy monkey but I'm only £67.86 away from getting back all £350). Good luck to folk having a pop at nailing who's going to get Christmas Number One, though as I'm not going to have a go. :ok

[Guest kiko1983]

Re: Christmas Number One 2004 After reading todays paper i would say the favorite to go to number 1 will probably be the new band aid thats being put together for charity and doing a remix of "do they know its xmas time". Firstly obviously its a charity song which usually tend to do well, and with people expected such as chris martin, robbie williams, dido etc i cant see anyone else making it to number 1!

[Guest abookiesworstnightmare]

Re: Christmas Number One 2004 A little birdie told me band aid will be odds on when its officially announced they are releasing it. ;)

[Sir Puntalot]

Christmas Number One 2004 Band Aid ? For Sudan I presume ? It would be an absolute stick on if they did do it. :ok

[Winrew]

Re: Christmas Number One 2004 Bookmakers have begun taking bets on a new version of Band Aid being Christmas number one even before an official announcement it is being re-recorded. There are reports the likes of Coldplay and Travis want to be involved with a third version the charity hit Do They Know It's Christmas?. Midge Ure, who co-wrote the track, is expected to reveal plans for the song on Thursday. Coldplay's Chris Martin confirmed he had been approached by Ure. Ladbrokes reports a surge in people placing bets on Band Aid III being the 2004 festive chart-topper, making it odds-on at 4/6 favourite. The bookmakers said one punter had even tried to place a £10,000 stake on it.

[Guest abookiesworstnightmare]

Re: Christmas Number One 2004 365 go 1/8, betdirect 1/7 and ladbrokes only 1/3 maybe worth taking a look at 1/3 with the other 2 being so ridiculously low. :)

[2damnhype]

Re: Christmas Number One 2004 Don't the bookies usually exclude Charity singles from the Xmas number 1 and in effect pay out on second? I know its one of the dangers of backing in such a market but you are gonna be a bit p1ssed if you have a bet and then a few weeks later they decide to do something like this.

[stereoman]

Christmas Number One 2004 Yeah, do ask for or read the rules if you're backing anything in this one. Paddy Power, Skybet and William Hill will be betting without 'Band Aid 3', for example. In essence because they know it's almost a dead cert to happen but also because the likes of William Hill think it's in bad taste to bet on charity singles. Last time around it was in 1996 with the Dunblane kids singing Knockin' On Heaven's Door that got this treatment (the Spice Girls won with 2 Becomes 1). ....I won't be buying the Band Aid single. It's an awful song the first two times and I'd rather put my money in a charity box.

[Winrew]

Re: Christmas Number One 2004 Just out of curiosity.......what was Band Aid 2 ?

[stereoman]

Christmas Number One 2004 1989, the likes of Bros, Kylie Minogue, Rick Astley, Jason Donovan and Bananarama did another version of Do They Know It's Christmas?.

[Guest Ell Ess Dee 0]

Band Aid 3? Everyone has heard it way too many times and its getting very tiresome. How the hell they price it at odds-on (secially 1/8 and 1/7) is a mystery to me. Can't see it myself even though it's for charity. Certainly can't see the teenie-boppers who have never heard of it appealing to them.