Conqueror Keating spares EMI blushes over Pet Shop Boys.

EMI's blushes have been spared by Ronan Keating after strong sales of his Songs For My Mother album rendered a slip-up over the release of the Pet Shop Boys' new album Yes largely irrelevant to the duo's chart fortunes.

The Pet Shop Boys' album, Yes, sold 27,639 copies last week to secure it a number four chart position, some 9,208 copies behind Keating's Polydor-released Songs For My Mother. That sold 36,847 to secure a second week at number one.

Yes's number four position beats the number five chart peak of the band's last studio album, Fundamental, released in 2006.

However, at points last week it looked as if Yes stood a good chance of topping the chart, giving the band their first number one album since 1993's Very and the second of their 25-year chart career.

This came despite the album being mistakenly released on iTunes.co.uk on Friday, March 20 - three days before its official release date.

In those three days it sold 2,557 copies ...