THE CHARTS: So Solid Crew Headed For U.K. No. 1

London, UK (AP) - The U.K. is heading for its next dance crossover No. 1 single, if initial sales yesterday (Aug. 6) are reflected across the entire chart week. Early data had "21 Seconds" by Relentless act So Solid Crew, a recent favorite at BBC Radio 1 and on TV outlets including The Box and Kiss TV, outselling the current chart-topper, Atomic Kitten's "Eternal Flame" (Innocent/Virgin) by three to one. Jennifer Lopez's new U.K. release "Ain't It Funny" (Epic) is in the third spot.

If So Solid Crew -- which features plus MCs such as Megaman and Romeo plus DJs such as Oxide and Dan the Man -- continues to outsell all rivals this week as expected, it will mark the latest in a long line of club-friendly major sellers in the ever dance-conscious U.K. singles market. It follows swiftly behind DJ Roger Sanchez's No. 1 smash "Another Chance" (Defected), which is at No. 13 this week and is now certified silver for sales of more than 200,000 copies. Sanchez's "First Contact" album, released July 30, entered the U.K. album chart on Sunday at No. 34.

Meanwhile, opening day sales information provided a big consolation for Atomic Kitten. The group's revamped "Right Now" album, released yesterday in the wake of the group's latest singles success, is ahead of the current chart-topper on the full weekly chart, David Gray's "White Ladder" (iht/East West). As previously reported, Atomic Kitten's cover of the Bangles' "Eternal Flame" is No. 1 on the U.K. for a second straight week.