... Warp Brothers

Phatt Bass by the Warp Brothers vs Aquagen debuts at no 9 on December 3rd.

... Watergate

Heart of Asia debuts at no 3 on May 7th. The music should sound familiar to any David Bowie fan, as it was the theme, in its original version, to Merry Christmas Mr Lawrence in which Bowie played a prisoner of the japanese in World War II. Watergate is the latest project from DJ Quicksilver and an album featuring this track and his other two club hits, Mull of Kintyre and Maid of Orleans called The World Of... is widely available in Europe if not yet in the UK.

... Nikki Webster

Nikki Webster, the cute girl who starred at the opening and closing ceremonies of the Sydney Olympics continues her pop career at home when Strawberry Kisses debuts at no 2 on June 24th. She's recently been to Hollywood although her acting debut in Vanilla Gorilla has thus far been a victim of the acting strike.
Lyrics: Strawberry Kisses (Aus:2)

... Westlife

Westlife debut at no 1 in the UK on November 11th, 2001 with new song Queen Of My Heart and the uptempo When You're Looking Like That. With nine chart-toppers out of ten (What Makes A Man being their only "failure") the group are about to release their third album which should have enough material to break into double figures. Their seventh release My Love was another ballad, but made chart history by making them first group to achieve seven no 1s with seven releases. The band have been trying to break into the US market but so far Bryan, Nicky, Mark, Shane and Kian have failed to reproduce the same hysteria there that they produce in the UK and elsewhere.
Lyrics: Against All Odds, Bop Bop Baby Fool Again, My Love, Queen Of My Heart, Uptown Girl, What Makes A Man, When You're Looking Like That World Of Our Own

... Rebecca Wheatley

Rebecca Wheatley debuted at no 10 on 20th February with the old classic Stay With Me Baby. Rebecca is best-known for her part in medical drama Casualty as Amy Howard, the receptionist who is more than a match for most of the often abusive visitors to the Accident and Emergency ward.

... Wheatus

Long Island boys Wheatus debut at no 3 in the UK with their cover of Erasure's A Little Respect on July 9th, 2001. Their version replaces synths with guitars and takes a couple of listens to really appreciate the changes from the original. Teenage Dirtbag, their debut hit, jumped in at no 2 in the UK on February 11th. The band's singer, composer and guitarist is Brendan B Brown and he's joined by younger brother Peter on drums. Like most of the tracks on their debut album, the title Teenage Dirtbag came first before any of the other song elements. And with titles like "Love Is A Mutt From Hell" and "Wannabe Gangsta" you can see how well this approach works. The album was recorded in the Brown family home which led to complaints from neighbours and impromptu dog barking on some of the tracks but at least Grandma could make them lunch every day...
Lyrics: A Little Respect (UK:3), Teenage Dirtbag (UK:2)

... Robbie Williams

Robbie Williams and australian actress Nicole Kidman debut at no 1 in the UK on December 16th, 2001 with Somethin' Stupid, a track from his "big band" album Swing When You're Winning. The old standard was previously a hit for two father and daughters: Frank and Nancy Sinatra a no 1 in 1967, and Ali and Kibibi Campbell in 1995. Williams summer single, the Double-A Eternity and Road to Mandalay was also a chart-topper on 15th July. Both tracks were used in his short film Rob By Nature showing his aspirations as a Michael Caine for the millenium. Previously Let Love Be Your Energy debuted at no 10 on 15th April while hits in 2000 included the no 1 Rock DJ, Kids with Kylie Minogue and Supreme.
Lyrics: Better Man, Eternity, Kids, Let Love Be Your Energy, Road To Mandalay, Rock DJ, Somethin' Stupid, Supreme

... Kate Winslet

What If by actress Kate Winslet debuts at no 6 in the UK on December 2nd, 2001. Taken from the animated movie version of A Christmas Carol, the song was only released as a single on the insistence by the singer that proceeds should go to charity. Born in Reading in 1975 Kate Winslet comes from a family of actors, a tradition she and her sisters carry on. Her best known role was the female lead in the record-breaking Titanic in 1997, a long way from dancing in a Honey Monster advert at age 11. Winslet is known for being picky about her roles, turning down financially rewarding parts for more interesting characters.
Lyrics: What If (UK:6)

... Wookie featuring Lain

Another garage song, Battle by Wookie debuts at no 10 on August 13th. Wookie is a 27-year-old Londoner and has done remixes for Gabrielle, Brandy and Whitney Houston.
Lyrics: Battle

... Wu-Tang Clan

Picture a Las Vegas gambling casino transported 2 million years into the past to a Gravel Pit, dinosaurs roaming its edges, women in the briefest of leathers tied to stakes, men in huge fur coats in 100 degree heat and you have only the beginning of the video for the Wu-Tang Clan's second UK top 10 which debuts at no 6 on November 19th, 2000. The multi-talented crew is lead on this tune by Method Man, Ghostface Killah, Raekwon and U-God. Despite the heat the boys also manage to get a trade-mark martial art sequence into the video with the appearance of an army of ninja swordsmen. Crazy it is but a more entertaining video is unlikely this year...