"Mambo No. 5," a massive worldwide hit for Germany's Lou Bega in 1999, returned to the top of the British chart yesterday (Sept. 9) in a new version on RCA "by" children's TV character Bob the Builder

"Mambo No. 5," a massive worldwide hit for Germany's Lou Bega in 1999, returned to the top of the British chart yesterday (Sept. 9) in a new version on RCA "by" children's TV character Bob the Builder. It's the cartoon construction worker's second straight chart-topper, after "Can We Fix It?" became not only last year's Christmas No. 1 but the U.K.'s biggest-selling single of 2000.



Whereas Bob's first single affixed itself to the top of the chart with little trouble, "Mambo" was involved in a much closer race for No. 1 with Supermen Lovers, the latest French act to work its charms on a British audience. The group's pop-dance single "Starlight," a top-3 hit in France in June on Vogue/BMG, was snapped up by Independiente for the U.K., where it was ahead of Bob the Builder in sales during the first half of the week but ultimately entered at No. 2.



Other highlights of the new singles chart included a No. 6 debut for recently disbanded garage/dance duo Artful Dodger with the London single "24/7," featuring All Saints' Melanie Blatt. Veteran rock experimentalists Spiritualized scored its highest-ever U.K. chart entry with "Baby Stop Your Crying" (BMG) at No.18, while American rock act Staind followed the recent chart-topping debut of its "Break the Cycle" album (East West) with a No. 15 entry for its first U.K. single, "It's Been a While."



Jamiroquai scored an instant No. 1 on the album chart with its latest set, "2001: A Funk Odyssey" (Sony S2), repeating the feat of 1999's "Synkronized." Following the No. 2 success of her single "Take Me Home," Sophie Ellis Bextor's "A Girl Like Me" (Polydor) debuted at No. 4 on the album chart. Modern rock band Embrace opened at No. 9 with "If You've Never Been" (Hut/Virgin).



Meanwhile, there are new No. 1s on both of Music & Media's pan-European charts. "Let Me Blow Ya Mind" by Eve featuring Gwen Stefani (Interscope) climbed 4-1 on the Eurochart Hot 100 Singles tally, while Bjork's "Vespertine" (One Little Indian) went straight to the top of the European Top 100 Albums chart.