... Gabrielle

Taken from her Greatest Hits compilation Don't Need The Sun To Shine is an untypical uptempo Gabrielle hit, debuting at no 9 on October 28th, 2001 in the UK. Recent hits have included Out Of Reach from the soundtrack of the film adaption of Bridget Jones' Diary. Her acclaimed album Rise spawned more hits in 2000 including another UK no 1 in the title track. Born Louise Gabrielle Bobb in 1970, Gabrielle was an overnight success in the UK in 1993 with her first release Dreams which topped the charts, and which also became a US Top 30 hit.
Lyrics: Don't Need The Sun To Shine (UK:9), Out Of Reach (UK:4, Aus:9), Rise (UK:1), When A Woman (UK:6)

... Stephen Gately

Well, the Battle of Boyzone has proved to be less exciting than expected with Mikey Graham's plodding country rock song missing the Top 10 altogether and Stephen Gately's more chart friendly New Beginning debuting at No 3 on June 4th. It's not a bad song by any means although the lyrics suggest that Gately is more than a little pleased at being on his own without the Irish boyband (something which Boyzone fans desperately holding on to the hope that their favourites haven't disbanded might resent). Stephen's coming out last year may have lost him a few fans but still, this is a good start to his solo career...
Lyrics: New Beginning (UK:3)

... Ginuwine

Ginuwine climbs to no 4 in the US with Differences on 27th October, 2001. Born Elgin Baylor Lumpkin in October 1975, the Washington DC boy began his singing career at age twelve with his neighbourhood band Finesse Five. Later he went solo as a Michael Jackson impersonator. However his success was assured when teaming up with a relatively unknown Timbaland, the pair produced Pony which went on to be a major top 10 hit. Differences is taken from Ginuwine's third album The Life.
Lyrics: Differences (US:4)

... Girl Thing

Who says that if you throw enough money into a project you can make anyone number one? The record buyers still make the choice and so despite a launch reputed to be in excess of 1.5 million, Last Ones Standing by Girl Thing only makes no 8 on June 25th. Any kid who watches the Box or reads Smash Hits will have been suffering from the all-out attack on their senses that the marketing people have been inflicting upon for weeks now. It's not that the song is bad, or that the group don't look cool, but the claim in the lyrics No matter how many times you hear this, You'll wanna hear it some more sadly just isn't true. Too much of even a good Girl Thing can make you sick...
Lyrics: Last Ones Standing (UK:8)

... Goldtrix presents Andrea Brown

Goldtrix debut in the UK at no 6 on January 14th, 2002 with It's Love Trippin'. The production team are Dan Goldstein and Jamie Quynn AKA Matrix who first collaborated on projects for Goldie. Looking to produce vocal-led tracks they auditioned a variety of singers but it was a demo of Brooklyn-born Andrea Brown singing the Jill Scott number It's Love which caught their ear. They cut-up the recording, laid their own instrumentals and without even meeting Andrea the track was released to radio and dance-floors.
Lyrics: It's Love Trippin' (UK:6)

... Gorillaz

The cartoon maniacs 2-D, Noodle, Russel and Murdoc collectively known as Gorillaz return to the top 10 on July 1st with 19/2000, another fusion of hip-hop, rock and pop, complete with another Jamie "Tank Girl" Hewlett animation. They first charted on March 11th at no 4 with the strangely titled Clint Eastwood. Both videos are a delight, the music interesting and with Damon Albarn of Blur on the chorus vocals and the "ghost" of a gangsta rapper on the Clint Eastwood verses it's great to see something of this quality reach the top ten...
Lyrics: Clint Eastwood (UK:4), 19/2000 (UK:6)

... Eddy Grant

Born in Guyana in 1948 Eddy Grant was a founding member of the Equals who had a British no 1 with Baby Come Back in 1968. Leaving the group in the early seventies he created his own record label Ice, built his own studio (where incidently The Police first recorded) and had a string of UK hits including no 1 I Don't Wanna Dance in 1982. On first release Electric Avenue was a no 2 hit in both the UK and the US. Remixed but accompanied by more or less the original video, the song debuts at no 5 on June 3rd, 2001. His greatest hits is currently a big seller.
Lyrics: Electric Avenue (UK:2001-5/1983-2)

... David Gray

Born in Manchester and brought up in Wales, David Gray has had to wait a long time for his success in the UK although in Ireland he is already a major artist. His first album was released in 1993 and despite critical acclaim for his work, lack of financial success forced him to fund the recording of his fourth and latest album, White Ladders, himself. Recorded in a London room with the windows open, the album contains the sublime track Babylon which debuts at no 5 on June 25th, 2000, the same week the album rises into the UK Top 10. His appearances at this year's Glastonbury festival should propel the album higher...
Lyrics: Babylon (UK:5)