4 May 2011
It’s the month we celebrate our music. So it's fitting that 40 per cent of the week’s new entries are local. And, in fact, more than 25 per cent of the spots on the Official Top40 Album Chart this week are occupied by Kiwis.
Legendary local crooner, the Kawerau Kid John Rowles is currently in Australia rehearsing for gigs there, prior to commencing his farewell tour here with the North Island leg kicking off in June. JR has three #1 singles under his belt, but his 1978 #6 This Is My Life remains his highest-placed album thus far. Hits And Love Songs is the biggest new album of the week at #10, bettering the #30 peak of 2008’s The Singer And The Songs.
Newcomer Janice Bateman proves age no barrier to making a chart debut as the 49-year-old’s debut Here I Am inks at #13. Janice is a previous winner of TV2’s Opportunity Knocks talent show back in the day.
The Harbour Union is a collaborative set for a group of Lyttelton musicians led by duo The Eastern which was recorded at home in the Port town and launched at the Wunderbar (which reopened post-quake this past weekend). It’s new at #18.
Former Clean mainman David Kilgour teaming with the Heavy Eights and places Left By Soft at #31, higher than either of his mid-90s albums.