Delta Goodrem's 'Mistaken Identity' has debuted at number one on the Australian album chart with one of the fastest selling albums of 2004 so far.

The album sold more than 54,000 units last week.

That makes 'Mistaken Identity' the second fastest selling album of 2004, behind Shannon Noll's 'That's What I'm Talking About' which debuted on February 16 after selling 131,000 units in the first week.

Delta has knocked Robbie Williams from the top in his forth week but the Williams album still managed a healthy 29,000 sales bringing his total tally to more than 140,000 units or legitimate double platinum.

Williams has the third fastest selling album of 2004 so far 'Greatest Hits' sold 46,000 units. Norah Jones is in 4th place with first week sales of 37,200 and Kasey Chambers is 5th with 25,800 units in week one.

Although the year is coming to a close, there are other contenders who may creep into the Top 5. Next week we will be watching Eminem's 'Encore' enter the chart. U2's 'How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb' should be big and Kylie Minogue's 'The Ultimate Kylie' also

Since the ARIA Awards, the Australian Record Industry has had a vigorous turn around in sales with the Top 6 albums this week all selling more than 10,000 units. In the week before the ARIA Awards, the number one album sold just 7,400 copies.

The Top 10 albums sold around 159,000 units last week, up 43,160 on the previous week.

A MILLION-dollar bidding war is looming over a secret album by Delta
Goodrem.
Goodrem recorded the album, Delta with Collingwood-based producers
Trevor Carter and Paul Higgins, from June 1999 to September 2000. But
it was shelved when Goodrem signed a label deal with Sony Music.
To date, Goodrem has distanced herself from Delta.
But this week Higgins will ask Goodrem to release the album, which
was buried in favour of her breakthrough million-seller Innocent
Eyes.
Higgins will then put Delta on the market and ask for record company
bids.
"When it is shopped around, every label would want a piece of it,"
Higgins said. "Then it is fair to assume if we released it, it would
be very successful. It would sell."
Industry experts predict bidding for the album would top $1 million.
"It'll top that easily," one record company boss said.
"Look at the numbers Innocent Eyes did, then look at the egos in this
business who want a Delta record in their catalogue.
"At the end of the day, there will be a fierce bidding war."
Goodrem was a development artist, with a two-album deal, contracted
to Higgins and Carter's label, Empire, when she recorded Delta.
Goodrem was then an ambitious 15-year-old keen to emulate the pop
sound of the Spice Girls, Britney Spears and Mandy Moore. According
to the Empire deal, the Delta album is co-owned by Higgins, Carter,
Goodrem and her parents, Lea and Dennis.
Goodrem wrote two songs on Delta: a power ballad, Love, and light
rocker Just Blame Me. She filmed a video for a ballad, Say. Carter
wrote 11 tracks.
"Technically, this record can be released and it cannot be stopped by
Sony," Higgins said.
"Obviously, we can't act alone, but we don't think there is any good
reason not to release it.
"It's a great album and it doesn't say bad things about Delta.
"The point is, this record was always meant to be released. The whole
purpose was to record a finished album that would see the light of
day."
Sony Music is aware of Delta. Those recordings were partly
responsible for Goodrem being noticed and signed to the company.
Higgins said Sony shortlisted five tracks to be used on Innocent
Eyes, but then decided to use other songwriters and producers.
"We didn't get a look in ever again. It was the classic case of a
record company reinventing the artist, going back to the drawing
board and throwing out all the groundwork that had been done," said
Higgins, who has approached Sony to release Delta. Sony has said he
should discuss the matter with Lea Goodrem.
That stance confuses Higgins and Carter. Is Delta the album Goodrem
and Sony want nobody to hear?
"I would hope not. Then, she was very proud of it. It showed off her
determination, ability and talent from a young age," Carter said.
Higgins added: "It needs to be appraised and appreciated for what it
is. These were Delta's early years. Now, she might have political
reasons, or reasons to do with her future career, that may sway her
attitude to this album. She may see it as something from her past and
not relevant now.
"But there is nothing to ashamed of. It deserves to be heard."