Week commencing 5 October 1992

One thing all this week's new entries peaking outside the top 100 have in common is that they all peaked within the month of October 1992.  Let’s take a look.

 

Bananarama: movin' on and out of the ARIA top 100.

 

Top 150 debuts:

 

Number 132 "The Ballad of Peter Pumpkinhead" by XTC

Peak: number 132

Peak date: 5 October 1992

Weeks in top 150: 1 week

Top 150 chart run: 132

Weeks on chart: 7 weeks

English band XTC formed in Swindon in 1972.  Between 1979 and 1992, they placed nine singles on the Australian top 100, with "Senses Working Overtime" (number 12, May 1982) being the biggest of those.  Their only other single to dent the top 40 during the 1980s was "Generals and Majors" (number 24, November 1980).

"The Ballad of Peter Pumpkinhead" was the second single issued from the band's twelfth studio album Nonsuch (number 75, July 1992).  It followed "The Disappointed" (number 32, July 1992), which was the band's third and final top 40 hit in Australia.

Internationally, "The Ballad of Peter Pumpkinhead" peaked at number 71 in the UK in June 1992, and number 48 in Canada in July 1992.  The single also registered on the meaningless US Billboard Mainstream Rock Airplay chart, peaking at number 46 in May 1992, and on the Modern Rock Tracks chart, where it reached number 1 in May 1992.

Locally, "The Ballad of Peter Pumpkinhead" performed strongest in Queensland, where it reached number 91 on the state chart.

I don't recall hearing this one at the time.  My favourite XTC single is probably "Mayor of Simpleton" (number 89, April 1989).

We'll next see XTC in 2000 (if I'm still writing these posts for that year).  Before then, they had two albums bubble under in Australia: Fossil Fuel - The XTC Singles Collection (number 105, November 1996), and Homespun (number 308, November 1999).  We shall also see a cover version of "The Ballad of Peter Pumpkinhead" bubble under in 1995!

Number 144 "Chain of Fools" by Girl Overboard

Peak: number 138

Peak date: 12 October 1992

Weeks in top 150: 4 weeks

Top 150 chart run: 144-138-145-149

Weeks on chart: 13 weeks

We last saw Melbourne band Girl Overboard in 1990.

"Chain of Fools" was the second single released from the band's second - and final - studio album Go (number 91, March 1993), following "Your Love" (number 70, August 1992).

 

On the state charts, "Chain of Fools" performed strongest in New South Wales/Australian Capital Territory, where it reached number 121.

 

I didn't know "Chain of Fools" at the time, but it is my favourite Girl Overboard single.  A fan of theirs sent me the music video on a DVD in the mid-2000s.  I have mentioned before that I participate in a 'song contest' on the Pop Justice music forum, where participants enter a pre-2000 song by an obscure-ish artist that was not a major chart hit in the US or UK, and come up with a list of their ten favourite tracks from the songs submitted, which are assigned points in Eurovision style (you cannot vote for your own submission).  I entered "Chain of Fools" a couple of years ago, not expecting it to do that well, and it came second out of about 30 songs, only missing the top spot by one or two points, so obviously other people liked it!  I think the single would have done better had it been promoted properly.

 

We shall see Girl Overboard on one more occasion, in 1993.

Number 145 "My Destiny" by Lionel Richie

Peak: number 125

Peak date: 12 October 1992

Weeks in top 150: 4 weeks

Top 150 chart run: 145-125-135-133

Weeks on chart: 5 weeks

American singer-songwriter Lionel Richie was the lead singer in The Commodores, who placed nine singles on the Australian top 100 between 1974 and 1982, with "Three Times a Lady" (number 1 for five weeks in October-November 1978) being the biggest one of those.  "Three Times a Lady" was actually number one when I was born!

Lionel left The Commodores in 1982 and embarked on a solo career, although he had already tasted success as a solo artist, dueting with Diana Ross on "Endless Love" (number 1 for four weeks in October 1981).  Between 1981 and 1992, Lionel landed 14 solo top 100 singles in Australia, with the aforementioned "Endless Love", "All Night Long (All Night)" (number 1 for six weeks in December 1983-January 1984), and "Hello" (number 1 for three weeks in June 1984) topping the chart.

Lionel's previous major hit, and last one to make the top 40, in Australia was "Dancing on the Ceiling" (number 2, September 1986).  "My Destiny" was the second new track released as a single to promote Lionel's Back to Front (number 1, June 1992) compilation album.  It followed "Do It to Me" (number 45, June 1992).

Internationally, "My Destiny" peaked at number 1 in the Netherlands in September 1992, number 7 in the UK in September 1992, number 10 in Ireland, number 23 in Canada in October 1992, number 6 in the Flanders region of Belgium in October 1992, number 38 in New Zealand in October 1992, number 18 in France in November 1992, number 23 in Germany in November 1992, number 19 in Switzerland in November 1992, and number 22 in Austria in December 1992.  It also registered on three meaningless US Billboard genre-specific charts, peaking at number 56 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart in September 1992, number 7 on the Adult Contemporary chart in October 1992, and number 75 on the Radio Songs chart in January 1993.

"My Destiny" was a much more-modest 'hit' in Australia, being most popular in Victoria/Tasmania, where it reached number 94 on the state chart.

We'll next see Lionel in December 1992.

Bubbling WAY down under:

Number 175 "Love Hates Stares" by Scarlet

Peak: number 164

Peak date: 19 October 1992

Weeks on chart: 6 weeks

Scarlet were an Australian band, based in Sydney.  I didn't think I had heard this one before, but I may have heard part of it, as it appeared on the free Coca-Cola Australian Music Day 1992 CD compilation, which someone gave me about a year after its release.

"Love Hates Stares" was the band's debut release.  The single performed strongest on the South Australia/Northern Territory state chart, where it reached number 159.  Given that the music video, embedded below, has garnered less than 1200 views in 14 years, I figure that not many people were aware of the band or this release.  Scarlet never landed a top 100 single or album in Australia.

"Love Hates Stares" does not appear on Scarlet's debut, and only, album Magnolia (number 144, October 1995).

We shall next see Scarlet in 1993.

 

 

Number 177 "Movin' On" by Bananarama

Peak: number 177

Peak date: 5 October 1992

Weeks on chart: 4 weeks

We last saw English vocal trio Bananarama in 1991.  Since then, the group had pared down to a duo, with Jacquie O'Sullivan, who joined the group in 1988 following Siobhan Fahey's departure, leaving - or rather, being told her services were no longer required - in the later months of 1991.  Founding members Keren Woodward and Sara Dallin intended to continue as a duo after Siobhan quit the group, but everyone around them insisted they needed a replacement, in keeping with the image of Bananarama as three girls.  Jacquie was essentially treated as an employee/the hired help during her tenure with the band, never having much of a say in the group's decisions or direction.  It didn't help that interviewers continued to refer to her as "the new girl", three years after she had joined the group.

"Movin' On" was the lead single from Bananarama's sixth studio album Please Yourself (number 222, June 1993).  The group had returned to producers Mike Stock and Pete Waterman (of Stock Aitken Waterman - Matt Aitken left the partnership in mid-1991) for the recording of Please Yourself, after largely parting ways with them for their previous album Pop Life (number 146, August 1991), although that album contained two Stock Aitken Waterman compositions.  Bananarama's previous Stock Aitken Waterman-produced album, WOW! (number 1, June 1988), was their most successful in Australia.

 

The sound Stock Waterman were going for with Please Yourself was described as "ABBA Banana", inspired by the Swedish super-group.  It sounded somewhat dated, though, for 1992, even though the ABBA revival was on the cusp of happening.  After the experimental sounds (well, for Bananarama) on Pop Life, the Please Yourself era seemed a step backwards for Bananarama, and the album's lack of commercial success would ultimately cost the duo their 11-year contract with London Records.  Although the pair continued to record, they would not release music again in the UK until an attempted comeback in 2005 with the Drama album (number 334, April 2006).

Internationally, "Movin' On" peaked at number 24 in the UK in August 1992, number 52 in Germany in October 1992, number 34 in the Netherlands in October 1992, and number 33 in the Flanders region of Belgium in November 1992.

In Australia, "Movin' On" was most popular in Victoria/Tasmania, where it reached number 170 on the state chart.

I heard "Movin' On" on the UK Chart Attack radio program; I otherwise would not have been aware of its release at the time, though saw the single in the shops here during the term 3 school holidays (though I was looking for it).

 

"Movin' On" was the only single released from Please Yourself in Australia.  Two further singles were issued from the album in the UK/Europe - "Last Thing on My Mind" (number 71 in the UK in November 1992), and a cover version of Andrea True Connection's "More, More, More" (number 24 in the UK in March 1993).  "Last Thing on My Mind" would go on to become a much bigger hit when Steps released their version of the track in 1998, which peaked at number 5 in Australia in August 1998.  Steps also covered "Movin' On" as an album track for their Steptacular (number 25, November 1999) album.

I recall Keren and Sara bagging former band mate Siobhan Fahey's contribution to Shakespears Sister's "Stay" (number 3, May 1992), presumably feeling slighted after Siobhan's admission that she "hated" the music Bananarama were making (with Stock Aitken Waterman) when she left the group, on UK Chart Attack, following the release of "Last Thing on My Mind".  They described Siobhan's part in the song as "a real low point", while expressing fondness for Marcella Detroit's part.  Ooh er!  They made up with Siobhan in 1996, however, and the original line up of Bananarama finally toured in 2017.

We'll next see Bananarama in 1996.

Number 201 "I Was Right" by Underground Lovers

Peak: number 174

Peak date: 19 October 1992

Weeks on chart: 5 weeks

Melbourne band Underground Lovers formed in 1988 as GBVG, changing the band's name in 1990.

"I Was Right" was the band's first major label single, and appears on their second studio album Leaves Me Blind (number 133, March 1993).  The single was most popular in Victoria/Tasmania, where it reached number 142 on the state chart.

I hadn't heard this one before.  The Underground Lovers tracks I was familiar with all have a male lead vocal, while this one doesn't.

 

Underground Lovers only managed to place one single on the ARIA top 100, "Losin' It" (number 93, September 1994).

We'll next see Underground Lovers in 1993.

Number 206 "Give It Up" by Wilson Phillips

Peak: number 206

Peak date: 5 October 1992

Weeks on chart: 3 weeks

We last saw American vocal trio Wilson Phillips in 1991.

"Give It Up" was issued as the second single from the group's second album Shadows and Light (number 30, August 1992), following "You Won't See Me Cry" (number 31, July 1992).

 

Internationally, "Give It Up" peaked at number 36 in the UK in August 1992, number 30 on the US Billboard Hot 100 in September 1992, number 54 in Germany in October 1992, and number 16 in Canada in October 1992.  It also registered on two US Billboard genre-specific charts, peaking at number 40 on the Radio Songs chart in September 1992, and number 12 on the Adult Contemporary chart in October 1992.

 

Domestically, "Give It Up" performed strongest in South Australia/Northern Territory, where it reached number 166 on the state chart.

 

I remember hearing this one on the American Top 40 radio show.  The production sounds quite similar to the album version of Amy Grant's "Every Heartbeat" (number 17, September 1991) to my ears.  I hadn't seen the video before, and forgot that Wendy sang lead vocal on this one instead of Chynna.

 

This would be Wilson Phillips' final single to chart in Australia, although a third single from Shadows and Light, "Flesh & Blood", was released locally in February 1993, with Carnie singing lead on the verses.

Wilson Phillips would split in 1993.  Chynna Phillips would go on to have some solo success in Australia, although, oddly, not much in the rest of the world.  Chynna landed two notable solo hits locally, with "Naked and Sacred" (number 15, June 1996) and "I Live for You" (number 9, November 1996).  She also had a minor 'hit' with "Just to Hear You Say That You Love Me" (number 64, February 1997).  All three singles appear on Chynna's only solo album Naked and Sacred (number 35, November 1996).

Wilson Phillips would reform for a one-off performance in 2001, then again from 2004 to 2006, before reuniting properly in 2010.  They had three later low-charting albums in Australia, with Greatest Hits (number 414, November 2000), California (number 281, November 2004), and Dedicated (number 509, May 2012).

Number 214 "Bell Bottomed Tear" by The Beautiful South

Peak: number 214

Peak date: 5 October 1992

Weeks on chart: 1 week

English band The Beautiful South last visited us in 1991.

 

"Bell Bottomed Tear" was released as the second single in Australia from the band's third studio album 0898 Beautiful South (number 145, June 1992).  It followed "Old Red Eyes Is Back", which was released locally in March 1992 but did not chart.  In the band's homeland, "Bell Bottomed Tear" was the third single form the album, with "We Are Each Other" (not released in Australia) issued in between.

"Bell Bottomed Tear" peaked at number 16 in the UK in June 1992.  In Australia, the single was most successful in Western Australia, where it reached number 185 on the state chart.

 

I hadn't heard this one before.  It's nice enough, but not terribly exciting.

We'll next see The Beautiful South in 1994.

Next week (12 October): Three top 150 entries and four bubbling WAY down under debuts.

< Previous week: 28 September 1992                Next week: 12 October 1992 >

Week commencing 28 September 1992

Before we take a look at this week in 1992's new entries peaking outside the top 100, I have updated the following earlier posts:

 

* 3 April 1989 - with a new bubbling WAY down under entry from Chris de Burgh;

* 6 November 1989 - with a new bubbling WAY down under entry from Chris de Burgh;

* 25 June 1990 - with a new bubbling WAY down under entry from Chris de Burgh.

 

Toto: once big in Africa, they were now struggling to scrape into the Australian top 200 in 1992.

 

Top 150 debuts:

 

Number 122 "Tell It Like It T-I-Is!" by The B-52's

Peak: number 120

Peak date: 19 October 1992

Weeks in top 150: 6 weeks

Top 150 chart run: 122-126-132-120-130-146

Weeks on chart: 6 weeks

We last saw American band The B-52's in 1989.

"Tell It Like It T-I-Is!" was the second single lifted from the band's sixth studio album Good Stuff (number 36, July 1992), following the title title track "Good Stuff" (number 56, July 1992).  Since their 1989-90 comeback success with the Cosmic Thing (number 1 for three weeks in January 1990) album, band member Cindy Wilson took a break from the group, and would not re-join them until 1996.  Good Stuff was the only B-52's album to be recorded without Cindy.

Internationally, "Tell It Like It T-I-Is!" peaked at number 61 in the UK in September 1992.  The track also reached number 13 on the meaningless US Billboard Alternative Airplay chart in September 1992.

Locally, "Tell It Like It T-I-Is!" performed strongest in Queensland, where it reached number 91 on the state chart.

I recall hearing this one at the time, but not seeing the music video, which is somewhat boring by The B-52's usual standards.

We'll next see The B-52's in 1993.

 

 

 

Number 123 "Uh Huh Oh Yeh" by Paul Weller

Peak: number 121

Peak date: 19 October 1992

Weeks in top 150: 6 weeks

Top 150 chart run: 123-122-124-121-136-148

English singer-songwriter Paul Weller came to fame as the front man of the band The Jam, who placed five singles on the Australian top 100 chart between 1981 and 1983, with "Town Called Malice"/"Precious" (number 15, May 1982) being the biggest of those.  Following The Jam's demise in 1982, Paul then formed and fronted The Style Council, whom we saw bubble under in 1989.  The Style Council landed ten Australian top 100 singles between 1983 and 1988, with "Shout to the Top" (number 8, February 1985) being the biggest of those.  The group split in 1989, and Paul then went solo.

"Uh Huh Oh Yeh" was Paul's debut solo single in Australia, although he released "Into Tomorrow" as The Paul Weller Movement in Europe in 1991.  Paul's debut album, Paul Weller (number 108, October 1992), followed suit.

Internationally, "Uh Huh Oh Yeh" peaked at number 18 in the UK in August 1992.

We shall next see Paul in 1995.

Number 132 "Felt Like a Kiss" by Honeymen

Peak: number 113

Peak date: 19 October 1992

Weeks in top 150: 6 weeks

Top 150 chart run: 132-136-137-113-126-141

 

Honeymen were an Australian group, led by Sean Sennett.  "Felt Like a Kiss" was featured in the Australian soap opera E Street, which I did not watch.  Unlike other E Street spin-off/promoted acts Melissa Tkautz, Euphoria, Teen Queens, Radio Freedom and Toni Pearen, Honeymen were not able to translate the exposure from the show into a hit single, and "Felt Like a Kiss" fell short of the ARIA top 100.  It would be the group's only top 150 entry.  They released another single, "Motorbike of Love", in October 1994.

 

Number 136 "Give U My Heart" by Babyface (featuring Toni Braxton)

Peak: number 110

Peak date: 5 October 1992

Weeks in top 150: 6 weeks

Top 150 chart run: 136-110-113-118-119-130

Weeks on chart: 12 weeks

We last saw American singer-songwriter and producer Babyface in 1990.

 

For this single, Babyface teamed up with Toni Braxton, whom I was not aware of until her first major solo hit in Australia, "Breathe Again" (number 2, April 1994).  "Give U My Heart" was recorded for the Boomerang soundtrack (number 29, October 1992), which also contained Boyz II Men's "End of the Road" (number 1 for four weeks in November-December 1992) and P.M. Dawn's "I'd Die Without You" (number 42, February 1993).

 

Overseas, "Give U My Heart" peaked at number 29 on the US Billboard Hot 100 in September 1992, and number 41 in New Zealand in October 1992.  The single also registered on several pointless Billboard genre-specific charts, reaching number 23 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles Sales chart in August 1992, number 2 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart in August 1992, number 29 on the Radio Songs chart in September 1992, number 8 on the Hip-Hop Airplay chart in September 1992, and number 32 on the Rhythmic Airplay chart in October 1992.

 

Locally, "Give U My Heart" was most popular in Western Australia, where it reached number 61.  The single performed stronger nationally on the Australian Music Report singles chart, where it peaked at number 82.

 

It's quite possible I heard this one on the American Top 40 radio program at the time, but if so, I have no recollection of it.

We'll next see Babyface in 1993.  While we won't see Toni bubble under with any of her solo singles, her first solo charting release in Australia, "Another Sad Love Song", initially entered the chart at number 221 at the end of August 1993, more than six months before its eventual peak of number 57 in March 1994, just as "Breathe Again" was taking off.  Toni had a couple of later low-charting singles in Australia, with "Hurt You" (number 918, September 2013) - on which Babyface also appears - and "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" (number 937, December 2013).  Toni also had a sting of albums that missed the top 100 locally, including Snowflakes (number 382, December 2001), More Than a Woman (number 157, February 2003), Ultimate Toni Braxton (number 207, November 2003), The Essential Toni Braxton (number 346, April 2007), Breathe Again: The Best of Toni Braxton (number 764, August 2009), Pulse (number 228, May 2010), Love, Marriage & Divorce (number 440, February 2014), and Spell My Name (number 466, September 2020).  Phew!

Number 139 "Friends & Lovers" by Clive Young

Peak: number 123

Peak date: 12 October 1992

Weeks in top 150: 4 weeks

Top 150 chart run: 139-140-123-140

Weeks on chart: 6 weeks

We last saw Australian singer-songwriter Clive Young in 1991.

 

"Friends & Lovers" was lifted from Clive's only commercially-released solo album  (I have since learnt that that there was a shelved album in 1989, Naturally, which had a promotional release) When the World Goes 'Round (released September 1992, did not chart).  As with Clive's previous three singles, "Friends & Lovers" was most popular in Victoria/Tasmania, where it reached number 96 on the state chart.

I remember this song received some airplay in Melbourne - not that it helped its chart placing much.  This would be Clive's final chart entry.

 

 

Number 141 "Through an Open Window" by Cliffs of Dooneen

Peak: number 123

Peak date: 5 October 1992

Weeks in top 150: 5 weeks

Top 150 chart run: 141-123-129-132-141

 

I can't tell you much about Cliffs of Dooneen, other than they appear to hail from Boston.  This track appeared on their 1991 album The Dog Went East, and God Went West (released in Australia in October 1992, missed the top 150), and was their only release to dent the top 150 in Australia.  I cannot find evidence of this single charting elsewhere.

 

 

Bubbling WAY down under:

 

Number 172 "Hit & Run" by Boxcar

Peak: number 172

Peak date: 28 September 1992

Weeks on chart: 5 weeks

 

Aussie electronic band Boxcar last graced our presence in 1991.

 

The original version of "Hit & Run" appeared on the band's debut album Vertigo (number 118, February 1991).  The track was remixed and released as a single to promote their remix album Revision: The Vertigo Mixes +1 (number 154, November 1992).

 

On the state charts, "Hit & Run" was most popular in New South Wales/Australian Capital Territory, where it reached number 162.  I don't recall hearing this one before - I like it, though prefer the original album version to the 'Euphoric Mix' embedded below, which was the lead track on the CD single.

 

We'll next see Boxcar in 1993.

 

 

Number 203 "Look to the Future" by Fortran 5 featuring Larry Graham

Peak: number 203

Peak date: 28 September 1992

Weeks on chart: 3 weeks

Fortran 5 were David Baker and Simon Leonard, who started out as I Start Counting, formed in London in 1982.  As their music evolved to become more dance-orientated, the duo changed their name to Fortran 5.

"Look to the Future" originally appeared on the debut Fortran 5 album Blues, which does not appear to have been released in Australia, in 1991, in quite a different form, with vocals by Nigel Butler.  The track was re-recorded with Larry Graham, who sang and played bass in Sly and The Family Stone, for its single release.

"Look to the Future" peaked at number 104 in the UK in August 1992.  Locally, the single performed strongest in South Australia/Northern Territory, where it reached number 160.

 

This would be the only Fortran 5 release to chart in Australia.

Number 216 "Making the Perfect Man" by Chris de Burgh

Peak: number 208

Peak date: 9 November 1992

Weeks on chart: 3 weeks

We last saw Chris de Burgh in June 1992.

"Making the Perfect Man" was issued as the second single in Australia from Chris' tenth studio album Power of Ten (number 81, June 1992).  This single missed the UK top 75, peaking at number 87 there in August 1992.

Domestically, "Making the Perfect Man" performed strongest in Western Australia, where it reached number 175.

We shall see Chris again on one more occasion, in 1994.

Number 217 "Don't Chain My Heart" by Toto

Peak: number 173

Peak date: 4 January 1993

Weeks on chart: 8 weeks

American rock band Toto formed in Los Angeles in 1977.  Between 1979 and 1985, they placed eight singles on the Australian top 100, with "Africa" (number 5, February 1983) being the biggest of those.  I have a distinct early childhood memory of "Africa" playing on the radio in the taxi on the way to being page boy (which I hated...) at my uncle's wedding in early 1983, when I was four years old.

 

"Don't Chain My Heart" was issued as the lead single from Toto's eighth studio album Kingdom of Desire, which was released in Australia in September 1992 but missed the top 150.  The group had a compilation album that bubbled under in 1990, however, with Past to Present 1977-1990 (number 142, July 1990). 

Internationally, "Don't Chain My Heart" peaked at number 9 in Sweden in September 1992, number 8 in Norway, number 12 in the Netherlands in September 1992, number 38 in Switzerland in October 1992, and number 35 in France in January 1993.

Locally, "Don't Chain My Heart" performed strongest in Queensland, where it reached number 156.  This would be Toto's final single to chart in Australia, although Weezer's rendition of "Africa" would peak at number 602 in June 2018.

I have no recollection of hearing "Don't Chain My Heart" at the time.  I do recall learning of the death of Toto's drummer Jeff Porcaro in August 1992, aged 38, around this time, however, as it was announced on the American Top 40 radio show.

 

 

Next week (5 October): Three top 150 entries and five bubbling WAY down under debuts.

 

< Previous week: 21 September 1992               Next week: 5 October 1992 >

Week commencing 21 September 1992

Again, I knew none of this week in 1992's new entries peaking outside the top 100 at the time. Before we take a look at them, I have updated the following earlier posts:

 

* 18 February 1991 - with a new bubbling WAY down under entry from Iron Maiden;

* 2 September 1991 - with a new bubbling WAY down under entry from Primal Scream.

 

Bob Geldof: there wasn't 'room' for his new single in the ARIA top 100 in 1992.

 

Top 150 debuts:

 

Number 118 "From Here to Eternity" by Iron Maiden

Peak: number 109

Peak date: 28 September 1992

Weeks in top 150: 7 weeks

Top 150 chart run: 118-109-116-128-131-132-132

Weeks on chart: 12 weeks

We last saw English metal band Iron Maiden in 1991.

 

"From Here to Eternity" was issued as the second single from Iron Maiden's ninth studio album Fear of the Dark (number 11, May 1992).  It followed "Be Quick Or Be Dead" (number 47, June 1992), which was the band's final top 50 single in Australia.

Internationally, "From Here to Eternity" peaked at number 21 in the UK in July 1992, number 27 in Ireland in July 1992, number 70 in the Netherlands in August 1992, and number 33 in New Zealand in August 1992.

 

Domestically, "From Here to Eternity" performed strongest on the New South Wales/Australian Capital Territory state chart, where it reached number 55.  The single peaked outside the top 100 on the remaining four state charts.

While I'm generally not a fan of metal, I don't mind Iron Maiden's "Can I Play with Madness" (number 58, May 1988).

 

We will next see Iron Maiden in 1993.

 

 

Number 134 "This Is Australia Calling" by John Williamson

Peak: number 123

Peak date: 19 October 1992

Weeks in top 150: 6 weeks

Top 150 chart run: 134-134-147-126-123-148

Weeks on chart: 7 weeks

We last saw Aussie stalwart John Williamson in November 1991.

 

"This Is Australia Calling", the third of 11 consecutive John Williamson singles to peak outside the top 100 (!), was released to promote the compilation album Australia Calling: All the Best Vol 2 (number 32, December 1992).  The release of this album spawned his previous compilation All the Best! (number 27, August 1986) to re-enter the chart and climb to the dizzy heights of number 246 in November 1992.

 

On the state charts, "This Is Australia Calling" performed strongest in New South Wales/Australian Capital Territory, where it reached number 100.

 

We shall next see John in November 1992.

Number 140 "Stinkin Thinkin" by Happy Mondays

Peak: number 110

Peak date: 28 September 1992

Weeks in top 150: 7 weeks

Top 150 chart run: 140-110-117-130-126-134-136

Weeks on chart: 8 weeks

 

We last saw English 'Madchester' band Happy Mondays in April 1992.

"Stinkin Thinkin" - no apostrophes - was issued as the lead single from the band's fourth studio album ...Yes Please! (number 99, October 1992).  Internationally, the single peaked at number 31 in the UK in September 1992.  "Stinkin Thinkin" also registered on three meaningless US Billboard charts, peaking at number 21 on the Alternative Airplay chart in October 1992, number 1 on the Dance Club Songs chart in October 1992, and number 15 on the Dance Singles Sales chart in December 1992.

Domestically, "Stinkin Thinkin" was most popular in Western Australia, where it reached number 87 on the state chart.

We'll next see Happy Mondays in January 1993.

Number 143 "Room 19 (Sha La La La Lee)" by Bob Geldof

Peak: number 143

Peak date: 21 September 1992

Weeks in top 150: 5 weeks (3 weeks in 1992; 2 weeks in 1993)

Top 150 chart run: 143-144-148.  Re-entered 22 March 1993: 147-(out for 9 weeks)-150

Weeks on chart: 17 weeks

Irish singer-songwriter Bob Geldof is probably better known for being behind Band Aid and Live Aid, and being tangled up in the messy demise of INXS front man Michael Hutchence - via his ex-wife Paula Yates, than his music these days.  Bob started out as the lead singer of Irish new wave band The Boomtown Rats, who scored four Australian top 100 singles between 1979 and 1981, with one of those singles, "I Don't Like Mondays", topping the Australian singles chart for two weeks in November 1979.  The only other Boomtown Rats single to dent the top 40 in Australia was "Banana Republic" (number 18, March 1981), and the band split in 1986.

Bob then launched a solo career, and just crept into the top 100 in Australia with his debut solo single "This Is the World Calling" (number 93, December 1986).  His debut solo album, Deep in the Heart of Nowhere, released locally in December 1986, failed to chart in Australia.

Bob returned in 1990 with his second solo album The Vegetarians of Love (number 43, April 1991), which produced his biggest hit and only solo top 50 single in Australia, "The Great Song of Indifference" (number 25, November 1990).  That single was much more successful in Western Australia, where it reached number 6 on the state chart, than anywhere else.  "Love Or Something" (number 74, April 1991) gave Bob his third and final top 100 single in Australia.

"Room 19 (Sha La La La Lee)" was released as the lead single from Bob's third studio album The Happy Club (number 91, May 1993).  Internationally, the single peaked at number 53 in Germany in August 1992.  It just missed the UK top 75, peaking at number 78 in August 1992.

 

In Australia, "Room 19..." performed strongest in South Australia/Northern Territory, where it reached number 108 in May 1993.  The single also peaked in Victoria/Tasmania in 1993, but in 1992 on the remaining three state charts.

 

"Room 19 (Sha La La La Lee)" was re-released in Australia in January 1993, and returned to the top 150 for one week in March 1993.  I've got an inkling that the later re-entry at the end of May 1993, after 9 weeks out of the top 150, is a mistake on the ARIA database, and it should actually be Bob's next single, which entered the top 150 the following week.

We shall see Bob with that next single in 1993.

 

 

Bubbling WAY down under:

 

Number 194 "Ain't No Man" by Dina Carroll

Peak: number 162

Peak date: 6 September 1993

Weeks on chart: 9 weeks

English singer Dina Carroll last graced our presence in 1990.

"Ain't No Man" was lifted from Dina's debut album So Close (number 208, August 1993).  Internationally, the single peaked at number 16 in the UK in July 1992, number 63 in Germany in October 1992, and number 34 in the Netherlands in May 1993.

In Australia, "Ain't No Man" performed strongest in Western Australia, where it peaked at number 127.  I am not sure why the single peaked almost a year here after its debut, as no re-release is listed in the new releases lists in The ARIA Report, although the music video is listed as a new addition to the rage playlist in July 1993.  The single peaked in South Australia/Northern Territory in October 1992, but in September 1993 on all of the other state charts.

I remember seeing this one reviewed in Smash Hits magazine, but did not hear it at the time.  I did hear a couple of Dina's later singles, one of which we will see in early 1994, when she pays us another visit.

Number 198 "Slip Inside This House" by Primal Scream

Peak: number 152

Peak date: 9 November 1992

Weeks on chart: 16 weeks

 

We last saw Scottish band Primal Scream in 1991.

"Slip Inside This House", lifted from Primal Scream's third studio album Screamadelica (number 102, July 1992), was an Australian-only single.  On the state charts, "Slip Inside This House" performed strongest in Victoria/Tasmania, where it reached number 133.

 

Primal Scream would have their commercial breakthrough in Australia in 1994 with the single "Rocks" (number 43, May 1994), and the album Give Out but Don't Give Up (number 28, April 1994).

 

We'll next see Primal Scream in 1997.

 

 

Next week (28 September): Six top 150 entries and four bubbling WAY down under debuts.

< Previous week: 14 September 1992                Next week: 28 September 1992 >

Week commencing 14 September 1992

I can't identify a common theme linking this week in 1992's new entries peaking outside the top 100, other than all but one of them have male lead vocals.  Let's take a look.

 

Right Said Fred were too sexy for the top 100 this week in 1992, and too stupid for the pandemic in the 2020s.

 

Top 150 debuts:

 

Number 112 "What God Wants, Part I" by Roger Waters

Peak: number 103

Peak dates: 21 September 1992 and 28 September 1992

Weeks in top 150: 6 weeks

Top 150 chart run: 112-103-103-108-117-133

Weeks on chart: 6 weeks

 

English musician Roger Waters was a founding member of Pink Floyd, who formed in 1965, in which he played bass guitar.  Roger left the group in 1985, although he had launched his solo career the year prior, with "5:01AM (The Pros and Cons of Hitchhiking)" (number 74, August 1984), and the album The Pros and Cons of Hitchhiking (number 30, July 1984).

I first became aware of Roger when his single "Radio Waves" (number 43, August 1987) appeared on the '87 Hots Up (number 8, October 1987) compilation, which was the first various artists compilation I purchased, aged 8.  Roger landed another minor hit on the Australian singles chart the following year, with "The Tide Is Turning (After Live Aid)" (number 49, March 1988).  Both tracks were lifted from Roger's second album Radio K.A.O.S. (number 33, September 1987).

 

"What God Wants, Part I" was the lead single from Roger's third solo studio album Amused to Death (number 14, September 1992).  Internationally, the single peaked at number 35 in the UK in September 1992, number 9 in Norway, number 26 in New Zealand in October 1992, and number 49 in the Netherlands in October 1992.  It also reached number 4 on the meaningless US Billboard Mainstream Rock Airplay chart in September 1992.

 

In Australia, "What God Wants, Part I" was most popular in New South Wales/Australian Capital Territory, where it reached number 84 on the state chart.

 

While this would be the only occasion we see Roger bubble under in Australia, he had a couple of later albums that missed the top 100, namely Flickering Flame: The Solo Years Volume I (number 139, April 2002), Igor Stravinsky's The Soldier's Tale (number 674, November 2018), and The Lockdown Sessions (number 220, June 2023).

Number 131 "Real Cool World" by David Bowie

Peak: number 131

Peak date: 14 September 1992

Weeks in top 150: 3 weeks

Top 150 chart run: 131-139-146

Weeks on chart: 6 weeks

 

We saw English singer-songwriter David Bowie as a featured artist in 1990, and fronting a band in 1991.  Here he is finally on his own!  Between 1972 and 1990, David placed 31 singles on the Australian top 100, with "Sorrow" (number 1 for 3 weeks in February-March 1974), "Ashes to Ashes" (number 3, October 1980) and "Let's Dance" (number 2, April 1983) being the biggest of those.

"Real Cool World" was recorded for the movie Cool World and appears on the Songs from the Cool World soundtrack album.  It was David's first solo charting single in Australia since "Fame 90" (number 85, May 1990).

 

Internationally, "Real Cool World" peaked at number 53 in the UK in August 1992, number 26 in Sweden in September 1992, number 27 in the Netherlands in September 1992, number 30 in the Flanders region of Belgium in September 1992, and number 83 in Germany in September 1992.  It also reached number 11 on the pointless US Billboard Alternative Airplay chart in August 1992, and number 9 on the US Billboard Dance Club Songs chart in October 1992.

In Australia, "Real Cool World" was most popular in Western Australia, where it reached number 112.

 

Of course, you'd have to be living under a rock (I sometimes do) to not be aware that we lost David Bowie in January 2016, from liver cancer, aged 69.

We shall next see David in 1995.

 

Number 134 "Machine Gun" by Warrant

Peak: number 124

Peak date: 5 October 1992

Weeks in top 150: 6 weeks

Top 150 chart run: 134-131-129-124-135-138

Weeks on chart: 7 weeks

We last saw American metal band Warrant in 1990.  Since then, Warrant had their commercial breakthrough in Australia with the single "Cherry Pie" (number 6, January 1991) - which I'm thinking was probably the last top 10 glam metal hit in Australia, and the album Cherry Pie (number 13, January 1991).  They also landed a second, minor top 40 hit in Australia with "I Saw Red" (number 36, February 1991), and another top 100 entry with "Uncle Tom's Cabin" (number 85, May 1991).  Then alternative/grunge music took off in 1991 and rendered metal bands virtually obsolete.  Nonetheless, Warrant managed to limp into the top 50 - just - with their cover of Queen's "We Will Rock You" (number 50, June 1992), which was recorded for the Gladiator soundtrack.

 

The success of "Cherry Pie" likely contributed to Warrant front man Jani Lane's demise.  He expressed his regret over writing that song, being pressured by the record label to produce another hit, in this interview, eerily stating he could shoot himself in the head for writing that song.  Jani was found dead in 2011 due to acute alcohol poisoning, aged 47.

"Machine Gun" was released as the lead single from Warrant's third studio album Dog Eat Dog (number 105, October 1992).  Internationally, the single peaked at number 36 on the meaningless US Billboard Mainstream Rock Songs chart in September 1992.

Locally, "Machine Gun" performed strongest in Victoria/Tasmania, where it reached number 105 on the state chart.

We'll see Warrant one more time, in December 1992.

Number 136 "Those Simple Things"/"(What a Day for a) Daydream" by Right Said Fred

Peak: number 121

Peak date: 28 September 1992

Weeks in top 150: 7 weeks

Top 150 chart run: 136-128-121-129-134-146-146

Weeks on chart: 7 weeks

 

English pop group Right Said Fred were brothers Richard (the singing one who also plays bass) and Fred (the guitar-playing one) Fairbass, together with guitarist Rob Manzoli.  The brothers are still together, while Rob quit the group in 1997.  The trio came to prominence with their debut single "I'm Too Sexy" (number 1 for 3 weeks in November 1991), which was essentially a novelty hit.  They avoided one-hit wonder status by following that up with the singles "Don't Talk Just Kiss" (number 18, March 1992) and "Deeply Dippy" (number 38, August 1992) - all three of these singles went top 3 in their native UK, with the latter finally giving them a number 1 there.  The group's debut album Up (number 39, July 1992) also topped the UK albums chart.

 

"Those Simple Things" was issued as the fourth single from Up, and was paired with "(What a Day for a) Daydream", a new recording and cover version of a song originally released by The Lovin' Spoonful in 1966 as just "Daydream", as a double A-side release.  Presumably, this was done to entice people to buy the single for the new track, given the album had already performed well in the UK.

The ploy did not exactly work.  "Those Simple Things"/"(What a Day for a) Daydream" under-performed in the UK, peaking at number 29 there in July 1992.  The single also peaked at number 21 in Ireland in July 1992, number 48 in Germany in September 1992, number 29 in Austria in September 1992, and number 18 in Switzerland in October 1992.

In Australia, "Those Simple Things"/"(What a Day for a) Daydream" was most popular in Western Australia, where it reached number 95.  The single fared better nationally on the Australian Music Report singles chart, where it reached number 91.

I recall hearing this single on the UK Chart Attack radio show in 1992, but could barely remember how it went.  At this point, Right Said Fred's novelty appeal was wearing off.  Nonetheless, they continued releasing material into the 2000s, and we shall see Right Said Fred bubble under (or WAY down under) on a couple of occasions over the years, with the next time we see them being in 1994.

While the Fairbrass brothers might have been been blessed with gym-fit bodies, they were clearly much further down the queue when brains were handed out.  The pair became known for downplaying the seriousness of COVID-19 during the pandemic, and expressing skepticism over the vaccines.  In 2022, the brothers were involved with distributing leaflets for anti-climate change UK activist group Not Our Future.  What a charming pair.

 

 

 

Number 150 "Full Term Love" by Monie Love

Peak: number 150

Peak date: 14 September 1992

Weeks in top 150: 1 week

Top 150 chart run: 150

Weeks on chart: 12 weeks

We last saw English rapper Monie Love in 1991.

 

"Full Term Love" was recorded for the Class Act soundtrack, and would go on to appear on Monie's second studio album In a Word Or 2 (number 147, May 1993).  As seemed to be common in the early 90s with singles blending rap and dance, a different mix of this track was released in the US (which you can listen to here) to the single version in Europe and Australasia, which I have embedded below.  The US version is much more R&B in style, while the one we got in Australia sounds similar in production to my ears to the European versions of Salt 'N' Pepa's early 1990s singles.

Internationally, "Full Term Love" peaked at number 34 in the UK in July 1992, number 96 on the US Billboard Hot 100 in August 1992, and number 58 in the Netherlands in October 1992.  It also peaked at number 43 on the meaningless US Billboard R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay chart in July 1992, number 47 on the US Billboard Hot R&B/Hip Hop Songs chart in July 1992, number 26 on the US Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles Sales chart in August 1992, and number 7 on the US Billboard Hot Rap Songs chart in August 1992.

Locally, "Full Term Love" performed strongest in Western Australia, where it reached number 120 on the state chart.

I remember catching the video for "Full Term Love" on M.C. TeeVee on SBS on a Sunday afternoon at the time.  I think it deserved to be a bigger hit than it was.

We shall next see Monie in 1993.

Bubbling WAY down under:

Number 155 "I Love You Goodbye" by Thomas Dolby

Peak: number 155

Peak date: 14 September 1992

Weeks on chart: 4 weeks

We last saw English singer-songwriter Thomas Dolby in June 1992.

 

"I Love You Goodbye" was issued as the second single from Thomas' fourth studio album Astronauts & Heretics (number 123, August 1992).  Internationally, the single peaked at number 36 in the UK in July 1992.

In Australia, "I Love You Goodbye" performed strongest in New South Wales/Australian Capital Territory, where it reached number 146.

 

I hadn't heard this one before.  I like it, but doesn't exactly scream 'hit'.

We'll see Thomas on one more occasion, in November 1992.

 

 

Number 182 "Going Home" by The Tyrrel Corporation

Peak: number 182

Peak date: 14 September 1992

Weeks on chart: 2 weeks

 

English duo The Tyrrel Corporation last graced our presence in May 1992.

"Going Home" was issued as the third, and in Australia, final, single from The Tyrrel Corporation's debut album North East of Eden (number 273, December 1992).  The song tells the tale of the pair returning to their small seaside hometown (population 37,000 in 2021) Redcar, in North East England, after having been away for some time, and being shocked at how run-down and stagnant the place had become, during the Thatcher government years of neglect ("expect that everything has changed, strange to find things just the same").

"Going Home" peaked at number 58 in the UK in August 1992.  Domestically, the single was most popular in South Australia/Northern Territory, where it reached number 169.

I didn't know this one at the time, but quite like it, particularly that bass line.

A fourth single from North East of Eden, the double A-side "Waking with a Stranger"/"One Day", was released in the UK at the end of September 1992, peaking at number 59 there the following month.

We will see The Tyrrel Corporation on one more occasion, in 1995.

 

Number 203 "Hangin' on a String" (Frankie Knuckles Remix) by Loose Ends

Peak: number 203

Peak date: 14 September 1992

Weeks on chart: 2 weeks

 

British R&B band Loose Ends formed in London in the early 1980s.  While they never landed a charting release in Australia - until now - they amassed six UK top 40 singles between 1985 and 1992.  The original 1985 release of "Hangin' on a String (Contemplating)" was the equal-best charting of those, reaching number 13 in the UK in March 1985.  The single also peaked at number 26 in Ireland in March 1985, number 33 in the Netherlands in April 1985, number 40 in the Flanders region of Belgium in June 1985, number 12 in New Zealand in June 1985, and number 43 on the US Billboard Hot 100 in August 1985.

This Frankie Knuckles remix of "Hangin' on a String", minus the subtitle, was released to promote Loose Ends' Tighten Up Vol. 1 compilation, which contained remixed versions of their hits.  The 1992 remixed single peaked at number 25 in the UK in June 1992.

In Australia, the 1992 mix of "Hangin' on a String" performed strongest in South Australia/Northern Territory, where it reached number 153 on the state singles chart.

 

While we won't see Loose Ends again, we will see Frankie Knuckles in 1995.

 

 

Next week (21 September): Four top 150 entries and two bubbling WAY down under debuts.

 

< Previous week: 7 September 1992                   Next week: 21 September 1992 >

Week commencing 7 September 1992

This week in 1992 saw the second-highest number of new top 150 entries peaking between number 101 and 150 for the year, with 11; although the only week that beats it, in November, contains a single that would later go on to peak within the top 40, and a combined re-release of two singles that also peaked within the top 40.  To be fair, this week in 1992 contains a single that peaked within the top 60 in 1984.  It also contains four singles that dented the Australian Music Report top 100 singles chart.

 

Before taking a look at this week's new entries, I wish to bring to your attention that there's a new electronic Australian singles chart book out authored by bulion from the australian-charts.com forum.  The book, which is a large Excel spreadsheet file sold on a USB stick, contains Australian chart peaks dating back to 1940, covering through to the end of 2020, including peaks from the Go-Set charts, the Australian Music Report charts (through to 1998), and the ARIA-produced charts (June 1988 onwards).  For the first time, this book contains ARIA top 100 singles chart peaks between numbers 51-100 from June 1988-December 1989 inclusive, as well as ARIA top 150 singles chart peaks from January 1989 through to December 1998.  That's right - you can skip ahead a few years on my chart recaps if you are so inclined, to find out whether some of your favourite 90s flops charted locally!  Also included are week by week chart runs for each release, as well as hyperlinks to where you can listen to each single/view the music video online.  If you are interested in purchasing this book, scroll down to the bottom of this thread on the australian-charts.com forum, and send a private message to bulion (you may need to register an account there).

I have also updated the following earlier post:

* 27 July 1992 - with new bubbling WAY down under entry from Delbert McClinton.

Now, onto this week from 1992...

 

Dannii Minogue showed us the way not to go on the ARIA charts in 1992.

 

Top 150 debuts:

 

Number 104 "Show You the Way to Go" by Dannii Minogue

Peak: number 104

Peak date: 7 September 1992

Weeks in top 150: 6 weeks

Top 150 chart run: 104-113-107-105-125-127

Weeks on chart: 8 weeks

Danielle Jane Minogue, better known as Dannii, first came to the attention of Australia when she appeared as one of the young singers on the TV program Young Talent Time between 1982 and 1988.  It seemed inevitable that she would launch a recording career, and that turned out to be the case, although older sister Kylie, who initially gained fame as an actress on The Henderson Kids and Neighbours, beat her to it by three years, with the release of "Locomotion" (number 1 for seven weeks in August-September 1987).  Due to Kylie's sustained international success, Dannii's recording career always seemed to be in the shadow of Kylie's, even though Dannii is the more-gifted vocalist of the two.

After leaving Young Talent Time, Dannii launched a range of children's clothing and landed an acting gig on Home and Away as the rebellious Emma Jackson.  Dannii launched her recording career in 1990 with "Love and Kisses" (number 4, April 1990), which would oddly be her only top 10 hit in Australia, although she scored 20 ARIA top 100 singles between 1990 and 2007.  "Love and Kisses" reached number 1 on the South Australia/Northern Territory state chart, which was the only time Dannii achieved a number 1 single anywhere in the world.

Dannii followed up "Love and Kisses" with "Success" (number 28, October 1990).  I will always remember a comment about that single in the Australian edition of Smash Hits magazine: "After not having much success with, er... Success...".  Her debut album Dannii (number 24, November 1990) achieved moderate success in Australia, but had a short chart life, spending 11 weeks on the chart, with only two of those in the top 50.  A third single from the album, "I Don't Wanna Take This Pain" (number 92, December 1990), barely scraped into the top 100.

Dannii launched her music career in the UK in 1991, with a remix of "Love and Kisses" reaching number 8 there in April of that year.  For her European releases, Dannii would regain the Minogue surname - something that did not happen with her Australian releases until 2001.  I guess she didn't want to be forever known as Kylie's little sister.  A reworked version of the Dannii album, Love and Kisses, was released in Europe, containing two new recordings - which were both covers - that were released as singles: "Jump to the Beat" (number 48, October 1991) and "Baby Love" (number 26, April 1992). A slightly different version of this album, with some 12" mixes tacked on to the end, titled Love and Kisses and... was released locally in February 1992 and reached number 98 on the ARIA albums chart in May 1992.

"Show You the Way to Go", a cover version of a song originally recorded by The Jacksons in 1977, was recorded for UK music newspaper NME's Ruby Trax (The NME's Roaring Forty) compilation, to raise funds for The Spastics Society (a somewhat politically incorrect name now).  Forty artists recorded cover versions of 40 different UK number 1 singles to contribute to the compilation.  I bought this 3-CD compilation in the late 90s from the now defunct Au Go Go bricks and mortar store (they still have an online presence) in the Melbourne CBD for Tori Amos' version of "Ring My Bell", which was exclusive to this release.  If my memory serves me correctly, the mix of "Show You the Way to Go" used on Ruby Trax is slightly different to that released on the single. Another track recorded for Ruby Trax will bubble under in November 1992.

Internationally, Dannii's version of "Show You the Way to Go" peaked at number 30 in the UK in July 1992.

Locally, "Show You the Way to Go" performed strongest in South Australia/Northern Territory, where it reached number 77.  It also made the Australian Music Report top 100 singles chart, peaking at number 87.

I would not have been aware of this song at the time if not for hearing it on the UK Chart Attack radio show.  The song went on to appear on Dannii's second album proper, Get Into You (number 53, November 1993), which was preceded by another cover version, "This Is It" (number 13, September 1993).  In between these two covers, Dannii released an original track, co-written by Cathy Dennis - whom we'll see next month - and D Mob's Danny D, "Love's on Every Corner".  That single was not released in Australia, however; probably because it bombed in the UK, peaking at number 44 there in December 1992.  Cathy would, of course, go on to co-write Kylie's biggest career hit, "Can't Get You Out of My Head" (number 1 for 4 weeks in September-October 2001).

Because I have no intention of still writing these chart posts when it gets to the 2010s, this will be the only time we see Dannii bubble under.  She had two later low-charting singles, however, with "Holding On" (number 604, August 2017) and "Galaxy" (number 692, November 2017).

 

Even though the 2000s were not really my era musically, my favourite Dannii single is "You Won't Forget About Me" (number 20, November 2004).  Another underappreciated single of hers I quite like is "Rescue Me", a collaboration with Eurogroove in 1995 that was only released in Japan.

Dannii went on to have a sucessful career as a judge on TV 'reality' contest shows, like The X Factor UK (she had the good fortune of seeing X Factor audition reject legend Rachel Lester's verbal tirade uncensored and in person, in 2007 - for which I am extremely envious), Australia's Got Talent and The Masked Singer.

 

 

Number 105 "California Here I Come" by Sophie B. Hawkins

Peak: number 104

Peak date: 14 September 1992

Weeks in top 150: 7 weeks

Top 150 chart run: 105-104-109-115-113-118-117

Weeks on chart: 9 weeks

New York singer-songwriter Sophie Ballentine Hawkins, shortened to Sophie B. Hawkins for her recording career, landed a top 10 hit in Australia with her debut single "Damn I Wish I Was Your Lover" (number 7, August 1992).  Like Dannii above with her debut release, the single reached number 1 on the South Australia/Northern Territory state chart.

"California Here I Come" was issued as the second single from Sophie's debut album Tongues and Tails (number 38, November 1992).  Internationally, the single peaked at number 39 in Canada in September 1992, number 53 in the UK in September 1992, number 43 in New Zealand in September 1992, and number 77 in Germany in November 1992.

In Australia, "California Here I Come" was most popular in South Australia/Northern Territory, where it reached number 67.  The single peaked within the top 100 on all of the state charts, other than New South Wales/Australian Capital Territory.  "California Here I Come" performed stronger nationally on the Australian Music Report top 100 singles chart, where it reached number 99.

I didn't actually hear "California Here I Come" in full until the second half of the 2000s decade, when it appeared on a German VHS compilation I bought.  I only heard a snippet of the song in 1992 as a preview on the Take 40 Australia radio show, so it presumably suffered from a lack of promotion, which seems odd given that it was the follow-up to a top 10 hit and radio staple at the time.  Sophie would have to wait until 1995 to score her second hit proper hit here.  Before then, it seemed like Sophie might end up a one-hit wonder in Australia.

We'll next see Sophie in November 1992.

 

Number 116 "This Charming Man" by The Smiths (1992 re-issue)

Peak: number 108

Peak date: 28 September 1992

Weeks in top 150: 6 weeks

Top 150 chart run: 116-114-119-108-112-122

Weeks on chart: 7 weeks

This single originally peaked at number 52 in Australia in April 1984, spending 12 weeks in the top 100.

 

English band The Smiths formed in Manchester in 1982.  While they accumulated 18 UK top 40 hits during their career, only two of their singles troubled the Australian top 100, with the biggest of those being the 1984 release of "This Charming Man", which peaked at number 52 in Australia in April of that year.  The Smiths had two additional singles that registered on the Australian Music Report's list of singles achieving significant sales reports beyond the top 100.  The band fared slightly better on the albums chart locally, achieving four top 40 albums, though none peaked higher than number 25 - that being The World Won't Listen (number 25, April 1987).

The Smiths split up in 1987, somewhat acrimoniously, with growing tensions between lead singer Morrissey and guitarist/pianist/keyboard and harmonica player Johnny Marr.  The band's other two members at the time of the split, Andy Rourke and Mike Joyce, later sued Morrissey and Marr for their share of the band's royalties.

Morrissey embarked on a solo career after the dissolution of The Smiths, and we last saw him in 1991.  Johnny Marr joined Pretenders in 1987, performing on a 1989 single of theirs, before leaving to join The The from 1989 until 1994.  During 1989, he also formed Electronic with New Order singer Bernard Sumner, with Pet Shop Boys' Neil Tenant occasionally collaborating with them.  We saw Electronic in 1991.

"This Charming Man", which tells the tale of a young male cyclist accepting a ride from an older man he flirts with after puncturing his bicycle tyre, was re-issued in 1992 to promote the release of The Smiths' compilation album Best ...1 (number 64, October 1992).  Internationally, the 1992 release of "This Charming Man" peaked at number 8 in the UK in August 1992, bettering its original peak of number 25 there in November 1983.  It also peaked at number 9 in Ireland in August 1992, where the original 1983 release did not chart.

In Australia, the 1992 release of "This Charming Man" performed strongest in South Australia/Northern Territory, where it reached number 88.

 

The Smiths' bassist Andy Rourke died in May 2023, aged 59, from pancreatic cancer.

We shall next see The Smiths in November 1992.

 

 

Number 127 "Your Mirror" by Simply Red

Peak: number 120

Peak date: 28 September 1992

Weeks in top 150: 7 weeks

Top 150 chart run: 127-133-123-120-127-139-144

Weeks on chart: 7 weeks

 

It was a little over two months ago that English band Simply Red graced our presence, and here they are with the second of three consecutive single releases to fall short of the top 100 in Australia.  "Your Mirror" was issued as the fifth and final single from the band's fourth studio album Stars (number 7, April 1992). Unusually, there does not appear to have been a music video filmed to promote the single, although two live performances have been uploaded to Simply Red's official YouTube channel - one of which, from Hamburg in 1992, you can view here.

Internationally, "Your Mirror" peaked at number 17 in the UK in July 1992, number 28 in Ireland in July 1992, and number 59 in Germany in September 1992.

Locally, "Your Mirror" was most popular in Western Australia, where it reached number 97 on the state chart.

 

I don't recall hearing this one before, although the chorus seemed vaguely familiar.

We will next see Simply Red in 1993.

 

 

Number 130 "Lowdown" by Adore

Peak: number 109

Peak date: 5 October 1992

Weeks in top 150: 7 weeks

Top 150 chart run: 130-110-121-113-109-133-141

Adore were Australian trio David Wilson, Jo Offe, and Susie Ahern.  David had previously been the lead singer in Go 101, whom we saw bubble under in 1990.  "Lowdown", which was the band's only release, was a cover version of the Boz Scaggs song, which surprisingly only peaked at number 94 in Australia in October 1976, before bettering its peak as the AA-side on the "We're All Alone" single, which reached number 54 in October 1977.

I remember seeing Adore perform "Lowdown" live on Hey Hey It's Saturday.  Although I was aware of the song at the time, I had completely forgotten about it until picking up the music video for it on a VHS compilation I bought on eBay about 18 months ago, to upload it to one of my YouTube channels.

"Lowdown" fared better on the Australian Music Report singles chart, where it reached number 95.

Renegade Funktrain would incorporate the chorus of "Lowdown" into their single "I Wonder...", which originally peaked at number 68 in Australia in August 1995, before being re-issued as a AA-side single with  "Renegade Funktrain", reaching number 49 in March 1996.

 

 

Number 131 "Pennies from Heaven" by Inner City

Peak: number 122

Peak date: 21 September 1992

Weeks in top 150: 6 weeks

Top 150 chart run: 131-132-122-128-139-150

Weeks on chart: 8 weeks

We last saw American duo Inner City in October 1990.

 

"Pennies from Heaven" was released as the first and only single in Australia from Inner City's third studio album Praise (number 135, September 1992).   Four other singles from the album were released internationally, including "Let It Reign", "Hallelujah '92", "Praise", and "Follow Your Heart".

Internationally, "Pennies from Heaven" peaked at number 24 in the UK in June 1992, and number 51 in the Netherlands in August 1992.

Within Australia, "Pennies from Heaven" performed strongest in Western Australia, where it reached number 58.

I remember seeing this single being reviewed in the Australian edition of Smash Hits magazine, but don't think I actually heard it until getting hold of the video on a UK VHS compilation in the 2000s.  The song is quite uplifting, and should have had much more commercial success.  Again, a lack of promotion was no doubt at play, at least in Australia.

"Pennies from Heaven" would be Inner City's last single released in Australia until the 1999 version of "Good Life" (number 52, March 1989) - the duo's biggest 'hit' in Australia, re-titled "Good Life (Buena Vida)".  While I assume the 1999 single charted in Australia, based on the weeks in tally listed for "Good Life" (28 weeks, versus the 16 weeks the original spent in the top 150), I am unable to give you a chart peak for it at present, as the ARIA database unfortunately tends to combine separate releases of the 'same' title into one entry, and I do not currently possess the top 150 charts for 1999 to be able to tell you whether or not it made the top 150.

Inner City would have one further charting album in Australia, however, with Testament 93 (number 166, July 1993), which contained remixes of tracks from their first three studio albums.

 

 

Number 133 "I Believe" by Edrenalin

Peak: number 129

Peak date: 21 September 1992

Weeks in top 150: 5 weeks

Top 150 chart run: 133-137-129-148-141

I can't tell you much about Edrenalin, other than they were an Australian act containing Greg Hopping and Jamie White.  "I Believe", which I hadn't heard before, was their only release to trouble the ARIA top 150, and appeared on the album Carpe Diem.

 

 

Number 135 "Bring Me On" by K.I.C.

Peak: number 135

Peak date: 7 September 1992

Weeks in top 150: 3 weeks

Top 150 chart run: 135-139-(out for 2 weeks)-150

K.I.C. was Australian artist Cristian Saliadarre.  "Bring Me On", which I hadn't heard before, was one of two singles he released - the other being "The Right Way", which was released in July 1993 but missed the top 150.  Both videos have been uploaded to Cristian’s YouTube channel, and if he is to be believed, the latter single made the top 10 in both Hong Kong and Singapore, though I have no way of verifying that.

"Bring Me On" performed better on the Australian Music Report singles chart, where it reached number 99.

 

 

Number 137 "River of Dreams" by Glenn Frey

Peak: number 137

Peak date: 7 September

Weeks in top 150: 5 weeks

Top 150 chart run: 137-142-146-145-(out for 1 week)-147

Weeks on chart: 7 weeks

 

Former Eagle Glenn Frey last joined us in July 1992.

"River of Dreams" - another one I hadn't heard before - was issued as the third single from Glenn's fourth solo studio album Strange Weather (number 120, September 1992), and matched the peak of the previous single in Australia.

Internationally, "River of Dreams" peaked at number 59 in Canada in October 1992.

Locally, "River of Dreams" was most popular in South Australia/Northern Territory, where it reached number 105.

We will next see Glenn in November 1992.

 

Number 145 "School" by The Tin Lids with The Yunupingu Kids

Peak: number 131

Peak dates: 28 September 1992 and 5 October 1992

Weeks in top 150: 7 weeks

Top 150 chart run: 145-144-145-131-131-143-143

 

Australian band The Tin Lids - which, despite having Scottish heritage, I didn't know until recently was rhyming slang for 'kids' - were the offspring of Jimmy Barnes; namely, Mahalia, Eliza-Jane, Elly-May and Jackie.  At this point in time, their ages ranged from 3 to 10.  I strongly suspect that Elly-May is the youngest 'artist' to have ever made the ARIA chart - she was a mere 2 years and 6 months old when the group's debut single "Christmas Day" (number 40, December 1991) debuted on the chart in November 1991!

The Tin Lids followed that up with the Christmas-themed album Hey Rudolph! (number 6, December 1991).  A second album Snakes & Ladders (number 54, October 1992) followed, led by the single "Walk the Dinosaur" (number 64, July 1992), which was a cover version of the Was (Not Was) track which peaked at number 9 in Australia in February 1988.  I had forgotten I uploaded the video for The Tin Lids' version on of my YouTube channels.

"School" was issued as the second single from Snakes & Ladders, and was a collaboration with The Yunupingu Kids, which I assume were the offspring of the Yothu Yindi members with that surname.  The track accordingly features some didgeridoo.  I hadn't heard this one before, but liked it more than I was expecting to.  Naturally, I think the song would be better if the vocals were performed by adults and sounded less like a school choir performance.

 

A music video for "School" was made, but has not yet found its way onto YouTube.

While The Tin Lids would not trouble the ARIA top 150 singles chart again, they had a later top 150 album with their final studio album Dinosaur Dreaming (number 128, January 1994).

 

 

Number 150 "The Idol" by W.A.S.P.

Peak: number 126

Peak date: 21 September 1992

Weeks in top 150: 2 weeks

Top 150 chart run: 150-(out for 1 week)-126

 

We last saw American metal band W.A.S.P. in 1990.

"The Idol" appeared on the band's fifth studio album The Crimson Idol (number 104, September 1992).  Internationally, "The Idol" peaked at number 41 in the UK in May 1992.

I hadn't heard this one before.  While I don't mind some metal ballads, this one didn't strike me as anything special.

 

"The Idol" would be the final W.A.S.P. release to dent the ARIA top 150.

 

 

Bubbling WAY down under:

 

Number 163 "Dondé Esta La Pollo" by Headless Chickens

Peak: number 161

Peak date: 14 September 1992

Weeks on chart: 7 weeks

Kiwi band Headless Chickens received a mention previously in December 1991, with the 1991 release of "Cruise Control" - a single I was unable to give a peak for, given the way the ARIA database tends to combine separate releases of the same title.  I cannot ascertain a peak for anything that peaks outside the top 150 (the lowest number a weekly chart can be extracted from their database) in such circumstances.

"Dondé Esta La Pollo", which translates from Spanish as "where's the chicken?", was the third single released from the second Headless Chickens album Body Blow (number 45, July 1993), following "Gaskrankinstation"/"Crash Hot" (released here in April 1990, did not chart) and the aforementioned "Cruise Control" (released August 1991).

 

Overseas, "Dondé Esta La Pollo" peaked at number 4 in New Zealand in July 1992.  In Australia, the single performed strongest in Western Australia, where it reached number 140.

I have seen the music video for this track a couple of times on rage over the years, but couldn't remember how it went until listening to it again to write this post.  It's not bad.

We'll next see Headless Chickens in 1993.

Number 180 "Slowly" by Stacy Earl

Peak: number 180

Peak date: 7 September 1992

Weeks on chart: 4 weeks

 

American singer Stacy Earl hails from Newton, Massachusetts.  "Slowly" was her third single, though her second in Australia, following "Romeo & Juliet" (released May 1992, did not chart), which was a duet with The Wild Pair, who performed on Paula Abdul's "Opposites Attract" (number 1 for two weeks in April 1990).  Stacy's debut single in her homeland, "Love Me All Up", did not receive a local release.  All three tracks would appear on Stacy's debut and only album Stacy Earl (released locally in June 1992, did not chart).

Internationally, "Slowly" - which is another one I had not heard before - peaked at number 52 on the US Billboard Hot 100 in July 1992.

Locally, "Slowly" performed strongest in Western Australia, where it reached number 101.

 

I had heard Stacy's debut single "Love Me All Up" (linked above) before, due to it appearing in a 'song contest' (where participants enter a song from an obscure-ish artist for others to listen to and rate, Eurovision style, where you cannot vote for your own entry) I participate in on the Pop Justice forum, and quite like that one, but "Slowly" does not grab me.  It's a shame the Australian record label didn't release "Love Me All Up", as I believe that one could have been a hit.

This would be Stacy's only release to chart in Australia.

 

 

Next week (14 September): Five top 150 entries and three bubbling WAY down under debuts.

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