Gray Celebrates Big 'Day' On U.K. Album Chart

David Gray swept to No. 1 on the U.K. album chart yesterday (Nov. 3) with "A New Day at Midnight" (iht/East West), while a Eurodance version of Bryan Adams' "Heaven" by DJ Sammy & Yanou featuring Do (Data/MoS) debuted at No. 1 on the singles survey.

Gray's instant success is in sharp contrast to the performance of his previous album, "White Ladder," which is now certified seven-times platinum in the U.K. (for shipments of 2.1 million copies) but took almost two and-a-half years from its original March 1999 release to reach the top of the album chart in August 2001. Now in its 128th chart week, "White Ladder" climbed 64-41.

Elsewhere on the album chart, teenage popster Gareth Gates was new at No. 2 with "What My Heart Wants To Say" (S/BMG), while Nirvana's self-titled Geffen retrospective arrived at No. 3 and Manic Street Preachers' hits collection "Forever Delayed" (Epic) landed at No. 4.

As for the new version of "Heaven," the track was already a hit in several European countries at the beginning of 2002, including DJ Sammy's native Spain. He was born on the Balearic island of Mallorca and has been DJing in clubs and on radio for almost two decades. Last night on BBC Radio 1's Top 40 Chart show, he said Adams has heard the new club version of his song and approves of it. "I loved the song and I love all of Bryan Adams too," said Sammy. "I think he's also very proud of it."

The single beat some stiff competition to hit No. 1, restricting Madonna's "Die Another Day" (Warner Bros.) to a No. 3 entry. Craig David's "What's Your Flava?" (Wildstar), the lead track from his upcoming sophomore album "Slicker Than Your Average," debuted at a somewhat disappointing No. 8. So Solid Crew rapper Romeo entered at No. 9 with "It's All Gravy" (Relentless), which features Christina Milian, while Shaggy's "Hey Sexy Lady" featuring Brian and Tony Gold (MCA) opened at No. 10.

As DJ Sammy flies the Spanish flag over Great Britain, Las Ketchup is still doing the same over Europe, as the group is now in its eighth week atop Music & Media's Eurochart Hot 100 Singles survey with "Asereje/The Ketchup Song" (Columbia). Forty years to the week since the Rolling Stones' first-ever studio recordings, in north London on Oct. 26, 1962, the group's "Forty Licks" (Virgin/ABKCO/Decca) moves 2-1 on the European Top 100 Albums chart, after waiting three weeks at No. 2.