It’s been more than 67 years since the UK album charts began. And today, for the first time, a York band is at the top!
Shed Seven have Britain’s number one album, after their new release ‘A Matter Of Time’ rocketed to the summit.
For the Sheds and their legions of fans, it is a moment to savour: topping the charts for the first time in the band’s 30th anniversary year.
And the band – Rick Witter, Paul Banks, Tom Gladwin, Tim Wills and Rob Maxfield – have set a record: they are the British rock group with the longest gap between their debut album and first Number 1 album.
The Official Charts said: “The group earn the title with 29 years, 3 months between the first Official Albums Chart appearance of their 1994 debut Change Giver (16) and landing at Number 1 with 2024’s A Matter of Time.”
Shed Seven announced the news on social media, saying: “We’ve waited 30 years for this announcement, but the stars have finally aligned, and we’re thrilled to announce that our album ‘A Matter of Time’ is number one on the official UK album charts!
“A huge thank you to all our fans for supporting us; and for everyone who’s bought the record… it really is a dream come true! Finally, we’ve got the gold at the end of the rainbow!”
And one of the first to congratulate them was founder band member, drummer Alan Leach, who left the Sheds in 2021.
He said: “Congrats Shed Seven on the Number 1 album. You’ve earned it! Make sure you party as hard as I’m going to this weekend.”
The Sheds’ lead singer Rick Witter spoke to Victoria Charles on YorkMix Radio earlier this week, and said: “How great is it for York – the first ever act to get a number one record.
“For all of this to be happening in the first couple of weeks of our 30th anniversary, it’s just amazing.”
‘A Matter Of Time’ has garnered rave reviews – and is available to buy via the Shed Seven website.
Victoria told Rick that the YorkMix sculpture in next month’s Ice Trail – a rainbow above clouds – is to be named Chasing Rainbows after one of the band’s biggest hits!
Rick said they finished recording the album last February, so it’s been great to finally share it with the world.
“The album is a thing in its own right and it takes its own journey. So it’s nice for people now to be able to put it on from the beginning and listen to all the way through.
“A good album has to have loads of good songs on it. Every one’s got to be a winner. And it’s got to tell him to tell a story, which I think it does.”