A Sussex record company is set to knock Robbie Williams off the number one slot in the album chart.

According to midweek record sales, Hot Records could achieve its third number one album this weekend with tracks recorded by the late Eva Cassidy, who died from cancer aged 33 in 1996.

Eva's first album Songbird reached number one in 2001, and is still in the chart today at 61.

Her second album Imagine knocked the Red Hot Chilli Peppers' By The Way off the top album spot when it was released the following year.

Now her album American Tune is expected to top the chart on Sunday, overtaking Robbie's Escapology, which shot back up the charts to number one after his Knebworth gigs.

Coolham-based Hot Records have shipped more than 120,000 American Tune albums out across the country and early sales suggest it could top the chart by a very clear margin.

Eva's music has been described as a mixture of soul and jazz, which, after receiving Radio 2 airplay, captured the hearts of the nation.

Andrew Bowles, UK manager of Hot Records, said: "We could be set to knock Robbie Williams off the top. We're crashing towards our third number one album, which is very unusual for a small company such as this."

Andrew and owner Martin Jennings ran the independent label with a third employee when, in 1998, Martin returned from America with a recording of Eva's singing.

Martin was introduced to Eva's music by his friend Bill Straw, the owner of Los Angeles-based record label Blix Street.

Martin was mesmerised by Eva's voice, so he obtained the European and Australian rights to her music.

Hot Records once employed just three people. Now, 20 years after the record label was first established, it has 30 staff working to meet demand for Eva's music.

Mr Bowles said: "I never got to meet Eva but I know her mum quite well.

"She is just a normal person, unlike us in the music business. She is overwhelmed really by her daughter's success."

Friday August 15, 2003