One Direction top British album chart for second time

LONDON (Reuters) - Anglo-Irish boy band One Direction secured their second number one in the UK album chart with their new release "Midnight Memories", sales figures showed on Sunday. The five-strong band's third studio album beat Take That singer Gary Barlow's latest solo offering, "Since I Saw You Last", in the race to the top spot. The Official Charts Company, which compiles the figures, said "Midnight Memories" had sold 237,000 copies in the last week, making it the fastest selling album of 2013. One Direction have enjoyed global success since coming third in the 2010 series of "The X Factor", the British television talent show on which Barlow is currently a judge. Their debut album, "Up All Night", reached number two in Britain in 2011 and their follow-up, "Take Me Home", went to number one last year. Both topped the U.S. album chart. Barlow had to settle for second place, while his Take That partner Robbie Williams slipped from first position to third with "Swings Both Ways". In the singles chart, Scottish singer Calvin Harris and Swedish DJ Alesso were a new entry at number one with "Under Control", a collaboration with the English band Hurts. Last week's number one, "Somewhere Only We Know", by English singer Lily Allen, slipped to fourth place. (Reporting by Peter Griffiths; Editing by Kevin Liffey)