REM set to beat Geri to number one

Pop princess Geri Halliwell will miss out on the number one slot with her new album this weekend, sales figures indicated today.

Despite generating publicity by unveiling her high profile support for Labour yesterday - the day her album was released - she is set to lose out to REM.

Like Halliwell, the US rock act also had their own promotional coup to plug new release Reveal as singer Michael Stipe finally announced he was gay, although it had been an open secret for years.

Early sales figures showed REM’s album sold more than three times as many copies as her Scream If You Wanna Go Faster when they both went on sale on Monday.

New releases from Bon Jovi and Depeche Mode also nudged ahead of her, although it is expected she could pull back to make it to number two by the weekend.

When Halliwell kicked off her solo career two years ago, her first album Schizophonic was held off number one by Boyzone.

Chart expert Gennaro Castaldo from HMV said: ‘‘Geri is up against some other very strong album sales this week, so I don’t think it necessarily reflects that she has lost her touch. If anything she’s at the peak of her powers.

‘‘Over the coming weeks she can probably expect to sell fairly well. It will be a slow burner.’’

REM sold 33,119 copies of their album yesterday, compared with Halliwell’s 9,176, which makes them almost certain to take the number one in the official CIN chart on Sunday.

Halliwell may also lose her grip at the top of the singles chart. S Club 7’s former chart-topper Movin’ is narrowly outselling her track It’s Raining Men, which has been at number one for two weeks.