"Masterplan Sales Figures Cock-up"

Oasis have received an apology after a computer cock-up left an estimated 7,000 sales of their album, "The Masterplan", unrecorded in its first week of release.

"The Masterplan" went straight into the album char at number two, behind U2's best-of compilation.

However, a gremlin in the computer link between the Asda supermarket chain and the chart compiler Milward Brown from the Tuesday to the Friday meant that sales of around 20 titles, including "The Masterplan" went unreported. Other titles were unaffected.

Creation's distributors, 3mv, have complained that this "clearly discriminated against Oasis", proposing that chart bosses CIN should have discounted all of Asda's record sales across that week so that no one was at an unfair disadvantage.

Oasis' spokesman said that the figure could have been higher than 7,000 copies, but admitted that the true sales would still have ben unlikely to outdo U2.

He said: "It must have been pretty close, but it's pretty hard to know. At the time they closed for the week, with their wrong figures, there was a difference of about 20,000. It would be very surprising if there were 20,000 missing extra sales lost in Asda."

The spokesman added that since "The Masterplan" was a low-key release, the band had not been expecting a top chart placing. We were thinking it would be good if it got in the Top 10. We were absolutely overkoyed, really, really pleased with the whole thing."

The album has already been certified platinum. CIN had not returned our calls as we went to press.

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c 1998 Andrew Turner

aturner@interalpha.co.uk

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