Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

Roy: Perhaps you could shed some light on the subject of Reissues and Re-Entries in the UK Charts.

With regard to re-entries, I note that Gene Vincent made good use of the opportunity, however, to little gain from my viewpoint. By way of example, Vincent released Be Bop A Lula in July 1956 reaching the 30th position in the UK Top 40. Perhaps wanting more, it was released again in August 1956 and referred to as a "Re-Entry." But in September 1956 he released it again as a re-entry. What gives?

Not to belabour the point but Vincent used the same strategy posting re-entries for Wild Cat in January and March 1960 and for My Heart in March and May 1960. Perhaps he refused to take "No" for an answer. These results saw a worse standing on the charts. So why bother?

One final example is Procol Harum's A Whiter Shade Of Pale. It was released in May 1967 reaching number 1. It was "Re-issued" in April 1972 reaching 49 and was a "Re-entery of a Reissue" in May 1972 reaching 13. So sometimes it seems to work somewhat, but clearly never approached number 1 for the group.

I'll answer in more detail but latest issues of British Hit Singles book or the one widely recognised has the definitive one,has started, what for me is an annoying trait. In example you quote what it really means is that this was the first release of the single and the single had entered the charts then dropped out then started to sell again and re-entered the charts but essentially it is the same release.

A re-issue is different this is where the single is issued onto the market again.

A good example would Hollies He ain't heavy etc, initially when released in sixties it did not do that well, but in the 80's due to it being used as background music for a TV advert,it was re-issued and went to number one.

He Ain't Heavy was certainly a huge hit here during the early 70's, it was everywhere.

Actually Bob you are correct I was incorrect, originally released in 1969 it made number 3 in UK charts and number 7 in US, so my statement it did not do that well is clearly inaccurate, picked a bad example.

Thanks for correcting me.

In 1988 though when re-issued it did make number 1 in UK.