Five of the six new entries on the Kent Music Report's beyond the top 100 list this week in 1981 are from acts we had not seen before. Let's take a look at them.
Christopher Cross: stalling outside the top 100 is sometimes the best that you can do.
Beyond the top 100:
Position 14 "I Loved 'Em Every One" by T.G. Sheppard
Highest rank: 13th
Peak dates: 6 July 1981 and 13 July 1981
Weeks on below list: 3 weeks
American country music singer T.G. Sheppard, real name William Neal Browder, started his recording career in 1974.
"I Loved 'Em Everyone" was the lead single from T.G.'s eighth studio album I Love 'Em All. The single peaked at number 37 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart in May 1981, becoming his only American top 40 hit. T.G. had much greater success on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart, as you would expect, racking up 14 number one county hits between 1974 and 1986, of which this was one.
As a general rule, I don't like country music, but I didn't find "I Love 'Em Every One" too bad, as it was more more-upbeat, and even reminded me a little bit of Little River Band.
"I Loved 'Em Every One" was T.G.'s only release to (sort of) trouble the Australian charts.
Position 15 "Say You'll Be Mine" by Christopher Cross
Highest rank: 14th
Peak dates: 6 July 1981, 13 July 1981 and 20 July 1981
Weeks on below list: 4 weeks
American singer-songwriter Christopher Cross, born Christopher Charles Geppert, placed seven singles on the Australian top 100 between 1980 and 1988. His biggest hit in Australia, "Arthur's Theme (Best That You Can Do)" (number 13, December 1981) was co-written by Australia's own Peter Allen.
"Say You'll Be Mine" was the fourth and final single lifted from Christopher's debut album Christopher Cross (number 6, May 1981). It followed "Ride Like the Wind" (number 25, June 1980), "Sailing" (number 46, March 1981), and "Never Be the Same" (number 42, May 1981).
Internationally, "Say You'll Be Mine" peaked at number 20 in the US in May 1981, and number 33 in Canada.
Position 17 "When I Dream" by Jack Clement
Highest rank: 1st
Peak dates: 20 July 1981, 3 August 1981 and 10 August 1981
Weeks on below list: 7 weeks
Note: this single originally peaked at number 40 in Australia in June 1979.
American singer-songwriter and producer Jack Clement released his first record in 1953, and is credited with discovering or working with several big names before they became famous, including Jerry Lee Lewis, Roy Orbison and Johnny Cash. He has also written songs that were recorded by Dolly Parton, Cliff Richard, Ray Charles and Elvis Presley, to name but a few.
When it came to his own recording career, Jack's success was more modest than many of the acts he worked with. Jack landed only one top 100 single in Australia, with "When I Dream" (number 40, June 1979). Surprisingly, this is one more 'pop' hit than Jack landed in the US! Jack only had minor success on the US Hot Country Songs chart with his own releases.
I am not sure why "When I Dream" (almost) charted again in Australia two years after it nudged the top 40. I can only guess that perhaps the song was used in a TV commercial, and subsequently some minor interest in the track was generated again. Does anybody reading this know the reason why "When I Dream" re-charted?
Jack passed away in 2013, aged 82, from liver cancer.
Position 18 "Night Train" by Steve Winwood
Highest rank: 9th
Peak date: 13 July 1981
Weeks on below list: 4 weeks
English singer-songwriter Steve Winwood released his debut album Steve Winwood (number 78, August 1977) in 1977, but did not land his first Australian top 100 single until 1981, with "While You See a Chance" (number 16, April 1981). Steve notched up 11 top 100 singles in Australia between 1981 and 1991, with "Higher Love" (number 8, September 1986) being the biggest of those.
Steve's voice was prominently featured on an even bigger hit, however, with the chorus from his 1982 single "Valerie" (number 98, January 1983; a remixed version peaked at number 19 in February 1988) forming the basis of Eric Prydz' "Call on Me" (number 2, October 2004).
"Night Train" was the second single released in Australia from Steve's second studio album Arc of a Diver (number 5, April 1981), following "While You See a Chance". Internationally, "Night Train" peaked at number 26 in the Flanders region of Belgium in May 1981, number 42 in the Netherlands in June 1981, and number 24 in New Zealand in July 1981. Oddly, this single did not chart in Steve's native UK.
I cannot find evidence of "Stars Fell on Alabama" charting anywhere else, even on the US Billboard Country Songs chart.
This would be Jimmy's last single to (sort of) register on the Australian chart. However, Jimmy would continue to have top 100 albums in Australia until 1986. Two later albums also peaked within the ARIA top 150 albums chart: Off to See the Lizard (number 131, August 1989) and Feeding Frenzy (number 141, December 1990).
Position 22 "Back to Where We Started" by Maggie McKinney and David McMaster
Highest rank: 15th
Peak date: 13 July 1981
Weeks on below list: 3 weeks
Maggie McKinney and Dave McMaster were both Australian artists, neither of whom landed any solo chart success in Australia, other than this release. Both were in the group Hot City Bump Band, who scored a number 35 hit in Australia with "Do What You Wanna Do" in September 1975; their only top 100 entry.
Maggie went on to record jingles for TV commercials, and was a backing singer for artists such as Renee Geyer and Marcia Hines. Maggie was also Australian girlband Girlfriend's tour manager in 1993.
Next week (6 July): Two new entries on the beyond the top 100 list.
Things this week in 1991's new entries have in common - none of them were huge hits in the country where the artist was based. Before we take a look at them, I have added a newly-uncovered bubbling WAY down under entry from The Party to last week's post.
Whitney Houston: Australia wasn't really buying her r&b jams in the early 90s.
Top 150 debuts:
Number 103 "Only You" by Keith Urban
Peak: number 101
Peak date: 1 July 1991
Weeks in top 150: 8 weeks
Weeks on chart: 11 weeks
Country singer Keith Urban, whose real surname is Urbahn, was born in Whangarei on the North Island of New Zealand. Coincidentally, I lived in Whangarei for about six months as a 5-6 year-old child when my dad relocated there for work. Keith's family moved to Australia when he was two years old.
While "Only You" was Keith's first single to chart anywhere in the world, it was actually his second release. The first single, "I Never Work on a Sunday", was issued in Australia in June 1990, but failed to chart. As you can see on the single sleeve for "I Never Work on a Sunday", Keith was the Westpac (Bank) Star Maker winner for 1990. That is some accolade! (said with no hint of irony...)
Both "I Never Work on a Sunday" and "Only You" were lifted from Keith's debut album Keith Urban (number 98, October 1991) - not to be confused with his 1999 album of the same name, which peaked at number 90 in Australia in February 2001.
Keith would have to wait until 2003 to land his first top 100 single in Australia, with "Raining on Sunday" (number 79, February 2003).
On the state charts, "Only You" performed strongest in Queensland, where it reached number 43. "Only You" peaked at number 93 on the Australian Music Report singles chart.
While still tinged with country, "Only You" is more of a straightforward pop rock track.
British-American rock band Foreigner placed 12 singles on the Australian chart between 1977 and 1988, with three of those reaching the top ten. Power ballad "I Want to Know What Love Is" was their biggest hit in Australia, spending five weeks at number one in February and March of 1985. The group's previous charting single in Australia, and their last to make the top 100, was "I Don't Want to Live without You" (number 24, June 1988).
Lou Gramm, who had sang lead vocals on all of Foreigner's previous hits, parted ways with the group in May 1990. He was replaced by Johnny Edwards, who sings lead on "Lowdown and Dirty", the lead single from Foreigner's seventh studio album Unusual Heat (number 102, July 1991).
Internationally, "Lowdown and Dirty" peaked at number 50 in Canada. It also reached number 4 on the US Mainstream Rock Airplay chart in July 1991, for whatever that's worth (not much).
Within Australia, "Lowdown and Dirty" was most successful in Victoria/Tasmania, where it reached number 91.
A second and final single from Unusual Heat, "I'll Fight for You", was released in Australia in September 1991, but did not chart.
Lou Gramm re-joined Foreigner in 1992, before departing again in 2003.
We will next see Foreigner in 1994.
Number 141 "Whenever You Close Your Eyes" by Tommy Page
Peak: number 136
Peak date: 15 July 1991
Weeks in top 150: 5 weeks
American singer Tommy Page has joined us previously in April 1989 and in April 1990; and here he is in the ARIA top 150 singles chart for a third and final time.
"Whenever You Close Your Eyes" was the lead single from Tommy's third album From the Heart (number 129, July 1991). Interestingly, I cannot find evidence of the single charting anywhere else.
I don't recall hearing this one before. Michael Bolton's distinctive voice can be heard singing backing vocals on the final chorus section.
Slightly amusing story: I recently had the PWL remix of Tommy's "A Zillion Kisses" playing in the car with my mum as a passenger. As the song was playing, she asked me, "Is this Madonna?"
Number 144 "The Soul Cages" by Sting
Peak: number 135
Peak date: 1 July 1991
Weeks in top 150: 4 weeks
Weeks on chart: 4 weeks
We last saw Gordon Sumner, aka Sting, in April 1991.
"The Soul Cages" was the third single and title track from Sting's third solo album The Soul Cages (number 3, February 1991).
"The Soul Cages", which I did actually hear at the time (radio loved Sting back then), peaked at number 57 in Sting's native UK in May 1991, and at number 77 in the Netherlands during the same month. The track also reached number 9 on the US Alternative Airplay chart in April 1991, and number 7 on the US Mainstream Rock Airplay chart in April 1991.
Domestically, "The Soul Cages" performed strongest in Queensland, where it reached number 125.
Sting will join us next in 1994.
Number 146 "Fastlane" by Urban Dance Squad
Peak Number 146
Peak date: 24 June 1991
Weeks in top 150: 1 week
Dutch rap rock band Urban Dance Squad narrowly missed the ARIA top 50 with their debut single "Deeper Shade of Soul" (number 56, May 1991), which was their only top 100 entry in Australia.
"Fastlane", also from the group's debut album Mental Floss for the Globe (released in Australia in May 1991, missed the top 150), was Urban Dance Squad's second single issued locally.
"Fastlane" peaked at number 59 in the Netherlands in June 1991.
This single was the group's last top 150 entry in Australia.
Number 148 "My Name Is Not Susan" by Whitney Houston
Peak: number 118
Peak date: 8 July 1991
Weeks in top 150: 11 weeks
Weeks on chart: 11 weeks
By this point in 1991, American singer Whitney Houston had placed 12 singles on the Australian chart. In the US, Whitney had a string of seven consecutive number one singles, and a tally of nine Billboard Hot 100 number ones by mid-1991. In contrast, despite her first two albums being huge, Whitney had only landed four top 10 singles in Australia at this point in time, with "Greatest Love of All" (number 1, July 1986) and "I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)" (number 1, June 1987) being her only releases to top the singles chart so far.
Whitney's third album I'm Your Baby Tonight (number 10, December 1990) was more r&b-focused and less commercially-successful than its predecessors. Only one single from the album, "I'm Your Baby Tonight" (number 7, November 1990), reached the top 50 in Australia. "All the Man That I Need" (number 59, March 1991), the album's second single, stalled outside the top 50.
Third single "My Name Is Not Susan" fared even worse, peaking outside the top 100. Up until now, the only Whitney singles that missed the top 100 in Australia were the duets "I Know Him So Well" (with her mother Cissy Houston, released in Australia in March 1989) and "It Isn't, It Wasn't, It Ain't Never Gonna Be" (with Aretha Franklin, October 1989) - which both failed to chart.
Internationally, "My Name Is Not Susan" peaked at number 43 in the Flanders region of Belgium in 1991, number 29 in the UK in July 1991, number 14 in Ireland in July 1991, number 28 in the Netherlands in July 1991, number 57 in Germany in August 1991, number 31 in Sweden in August 1991, and number 20 in the US in September 1991.
The US peak of 'only' number 20 was surely a disappointment, coming off the back of two number one hits. The I'm Your Baby Tonight album campaign soon wrapped up, following a fourth single issued in North America and Europe - but not in Australia - "I Belong to You", which missed the Billboard Hot 100 and peaked no higher than number 54 (in the UK) anywhere in the world.
For reasons I am not sure why, "My Name Is Not Susan" re-entered the chart in Germany in 1998, reaching a slightly higher peak of number 52 there in July 1998.
Within Australia, "My Name Is Not Susan" performed strongest in Western Australia, where it reached number 77.
As with "I'm Your Baby Tonight", there were two different mixes of the single and two different videos for the US and European/Australasian markets. I have embedded both below, with the earlier European version (made up of clips from other Whitney videos/performances) listed beneath the US 'rap' version, which features Monie Love.
Whitney will next join us in 2001.
Bubbling WAY down under:
Number 180 "Tell Me That You Wait" by Culture Beat featuring Lana E. and Jay Supreme
Peak: number 180
Peak date: 24 June 1991
Weeks on chart: 3 weeks
We last saw German dance group Culture Beat in March 1991. "Tell Me That You Wait" was the third single lifted from their debut album Horizon (number 150, April 1991). Oddly, I cannot find evidence of "Tell Me That You Wait" charting anywhere else.
I have heard this track before, but not until the mid 2010s, when it showed up on a various artists promo VHS compilation I bought on eBay.
On the ARIA state charts, "Tell Me That You Wait" performed strongest in New South Wales/Australian Capital Territory, where it reached number 157.
We'll next see Culture Beat in November 1991, when they finally break into the top 150 singles chart.
Number 185 "Heartbreak Station" by Cinderella
Peak: number 185
Peak date: 24 June 1991
Weeks on chart: 2 weeks
We have seen American rock band Cinderella twice previously, in May and July of 1989.
"Heartbreak Station" was the second single and title track from the band's third album Heartbreak Station (number 72, March 1991). It followed "Shelter Me" (number 48, March 1991), which was their biggest hit in Australia.
Internationally, "Heartbreak Station" peaked at number 44 in the US in April 1991, number 51 in Canada, and number 63 in the UK in April 1991.
Within Australia, "Heartbreak Station" was most popular in South Australia/Northern Territory, where it reached number 142.
"Heartbreak Station" was Cinderella's final single to chart in Australia. They had another charting album, however, with Still Climbing (number 187, January 1995).
Next week (1 July): Seven top 150 debuts and one bubbling WAY down under entry. Among them is one of the best (or worst - depending on which side of the fence you sit) song titles of all time!
Nine of the eleven new entries this week in 1991 are from artists we have never seen before, which makes a refreshing change. Let's take a look at them.
Rick Astley: moving right out of the ARIA top 100.
Top 150 debuts:
Number 113 "Droppin' Like Flies" by Sheila E.
Peak: number 113
Peak date: 17 June 1991
Weeks in top 150: 7 weeks
Sheila Escovedo, better known by her stage name Sheila E., first landed on the Australian chart in 1984 with the Prince-written "The Glamorous Life", which spent three weeks at number 11 in November of that year. She followed it up with the less well-remembered but equally-good "The Belle of St. Mark" (number 16, February 1985).
Unfortunately for Sheila, those two tracks were her only big hits in Australia, and she only placed two other singles in the lower half of the top 100. Sheila's previous single, "Sex Cymbal" (number 88, May 1991), was one of those. It was her first top 100 entry in Australia since 1985.
"Droppin' Like Flies" was the second single lifted from Sheila's fourth studio album Sex Cymbal (number 117, June 1991). "Droppin' Like Flies" did not chart on any other national chart that I can establish. The track registered on three of the US Billboard subsidiary (and largely meaningless) charts, however: it reached number 77 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart in June 1991, number 23 on the Billboard Dance Club Songs chart in July 1991, and number 15 on the Dance Singles Sales chart in August 1991.
"Droppin' Like Flies" was Sheila's last single to enter the ARIA top 150.
Number 116 "Move Right Out" by Rick Astley
Peak: number 110
Peak date: 24 June 1991
Weeks in top 150: 6 weeks
Weeks on chart: 7 weeks
Rick Astley burst onto the Australian chart in October 1987 with the Stock Aitken Waterman written and produced "Never Gonna Give You Up", which spent seven consecutive weeks at number one between November 1987 and January 1988, and a mammoth 21 weeks in the top 10. Rick followed up that release with another seven top 100 singles in Australia, five of which made the top 20.
While Rick penned the lead single from his second album, "She Wants to Dance with Me" (number 15, October 1988), he didn't gain the creative control he desired until his third album Free (number 20, April 1991). Things looked promising with Rick's post-Stock Aitken Waterman career when "Cry for Help" (number 13, May 1991) reached the top 20 locally, and peaked at number 7 in both the UK and US.
"Cry for Help", which Rick co-wrote with Rob Fisher from Climie Fisher, was a radical departure in sound, with real instruments and a choir, and image (the long hair) for Rick. Unfortunately, Rick could not sustain the initial success of his third album, and "Cry for Help" was his final top 100 single in Australia.
"Move Right Out", the second single from Free, only made the top 40 in Canada, where it peaked at number 36. The single stalled at number 58 in the UK in March 1991, number 66 in the Netherlands in May 1991, number 52 in Germany in June 1991, and number 81 in the US in July 1991.
Within Australia, "Move Right Out" performed strongest in Victoria/Tasmania, where it reached number 83. The single peaked at number 96 on the Australian Music Report chart.
I have a memory of Rick performing this song on Hey Hey It's Saturday. Coming to Australia to promote the single obviously did not work.
One thing I was not aware of until now is that there are two different edits of the music video for "Move Right Out" - a UK version and an international version, both of which I have embedded below. However, I watched them side by side and could not spot a single difference between the two videos! I then thought perhaps there is a slight difference in the audio mix used in both videos, but I couldn't detect one.
A third single from Free, "Never Knew Love", was issued in Europe but was not released in Australia.
Rick will join us next in 1993.
Number 123 "Make Out Alright" by Divinyls
Peak: number 105
Peak date: 24 June 1991
Weeks in top 150: 8 weeks
Weeks on chart: 9 weeks
Divinyls lead singer Christina Amphlett is surely the most-famous (and legendary) person to have ever attended my high school - a fact I like to repeat. "I Touch Myself" (number 1, January 1991) was the number one single in Australia during the week I started attending there, coincidentally; yet that achievement was not announced at school assembly. Instead, the principal would often mention some former student who went on to become an astronaut. Big deal!
At this point in 1991, Divinyls had placed 13 singles on the Australian top 100, with "I Touch Myself" obviously being the biggest one of those. Somehow, the band only ever landed one other top 10 single in Australia, with their debut release "Boys in Town" (number 8, November 1981). "Pleasure and Pain" (number 11, November 1985) narrowly missed the top ten.
"I Touch Myself" gave Divinyls their first major international hit outside of Australasia. Unfortunately, it was to be their only real hit in Europe and North America, and the band are largely thought of as being one-hit wonders outside of Australia.
"Make Out Alright" was Divinyls' second single to miss the top 100 in Australia, following "Punxsie" (released in October 1988). "Make Out Alright" was the third release from the Divinyls (number 5, February 1991) album, following "Love School" (number 43, April 1991).
"Make Out Alright" did not chart on any other 'real' chart, to my knowledge, but reached number 19 on the US Billboard Alternative Songs chart.
On the ARIA state charts, "Make Out Alright" performed equally-strongest in New South Wales/Australian Capital Territory and South Australia/Northern Territory, where it reached number 91.
I am not sure why "Make Out Alright" flopped so badly. It sounds to me like it could have been a much bigger hit.
A fourth and final single from Divinyls, "I'm on Your Side", which is my favourite from the album, peaked at number 92 in October 1991.
We lost Christina Amphlett in 2013, following a long illness with breast cancer and multiple sclerosis, aged 53.
We shall next see Divinyls in 1993.
Number 125 "Hunger" by Red Not Blue
Peak: number 125
Peak date: 17 June 1991
Weeks in top 150: 10 weeks
We have seen Sydney band Red Not Blue previously in April 1991. "Hunger" was the second single from the band's only album Red Not Blue, which missed the ARIA top 150. "Hunger", which I had not heard before, was the band's final single.
Number 135 "Waiting for Love" by Alias
Peak: number 135
Peak date: 17 June 1991
Weeks in top 150: 2 weeks
Canadian supergroup Alias formed in 1988. Freddy Curci from Sheriff, whom we saw in March 1989, sang lead vocals in the band.
Alias landed a sleeper hit in Australia with "More Than Words Can Say", which took twenty weeks to reach its peak of number 30 in April 1991. Despite its modest peak, the single was the 98th highest-selling single of 1991 in Australia, owing to its chart longevity.
"Waiting for Love" was Alias' second and final single release in Australia. The single peaked at number 4 in Canada, number 13 in the US, and at number 87 in the UK in March 1991.
Both "Waiting for Love" and "More Than Words Can Say" were lifted from Alias' debut album Alias (number 121, June 1991). The band recorded a second album that was due to be released in 1992, but it was shelved due to changing music styles and the rising popularity of grunge. Freddy Curci released a solo album in 1994. Never Say Never, the album recorded in 1992, was eventually released in 2009.
Number 136 "American Music" by Violent Femmes
Peak: number 118
Peak date: 1 July 1991
Weeks in top 150: 6 weeks
We last saw American rock band Violent Femmes in May 1989, and here they are again with some more... American music.
"American Music" was the lead single from the Femmes' fifth studio album Why Do Birds Sing? (number 26, July 1991). The single did not chart anywhere else that I can ascertain, though peaked at number 2 on the US Billboard Alternative Songs chart.
I remember hearing this one quite a bit at the time, probably catching the video on rage or hearing the song on Triple J when switching stations. I am surprised it did not chart better in Australia; although I guess they're the kind of act for whom you would buy the album instead of the single, if you wanted the track.
We will next see Violent Femmes in 1993.
Number 140 "Soul Reason" by Mondo Rock
Peak: number 140
Peak date: 17 June 1991
Weeks in top 150: 3 weeks
Between 1978 and 1991, Melbourne band Mondo Rock placed 17 singles on the Australian chart, with three of those reaching the top ten. Their Aus rock classic "Come Said the Boy" (number 2, February 1984), which reminds me vividly of starting primary school, was the band's biggest hit.
"Soul Reason" was the third single released from Mondo Rock's sixth and final studio album Why Fight It (number 102, April 1991). It followed title track "Why Fight It" (number 96, October 1990) and "I Had You in Mind" (number 94, March 1991).
"Soul Reason" would be Mondo Rock's final single, as the band split soon afterwards, although they reformed in 2006. Mondo Rock would land one further charting single, however, when "Come Said the Boy" formed the basis of Damon Boyd vs Mondo Rock's "The First Time" (number 79, May 2004).
I don't recall hearing this one before; it's nice.
While we won't see Mondo Rock again, we will see front man Ross Wilson's earlier band Daddy Cool in 1992.
Number 146 "Down in Splendour" by Straitjacket Fits
Peak: number 146
Peak date: 17 June 1991
Weeks in top 150: 2 weeks
Dunedin band Straitjacket Fits were signed to New Zealand independent label Flying Nun Records, which has been in the news recently, due to New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern exchanging some Kiwi records on the Flying Nun label with new Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese. We have previously seen The Chills and The Bats, who were also signed to the same label.
While Straitjacket Fits placed five singles on the New Zealand chart between 1988 and 1993, curiously, "Down in Splendour" was not one of them. The single did not chart anywhere else, and was the band's only release to enter the ARIA top 150.
Commercial success, however, is not everything, and while "Down in Splendour" may not have been a big chart hit, it placed 32nd on the Australasian Performing Right Association's (APRA) 75th anniversary poll of the best New Zealand songs of all time in 2001.
I have actually heard/seen "Down in Splendour" before, as rage have aired the music video several times; usually during a New Zealand artists/Flying Nun Records special.
Number 147 "No Woman No Cry" by Londonbeat
Peak: number 109
Peak date: 1 July 1991
Weeks in top 150: 7 weeks
Weeks on chart: 7 weeks
British band Londonbeat formed in 1988. Neither their debut album Speak (released in Australia in February 1989) nor the three singles released from it locally - "There's a Beat Going on" (September 1988), "9 A.M." (February 1989), "Falling in Love Again" (April 1989) - charted in Australia.
The band experienced their commercial peak with "I've Been Thinking About You", the lead single from their second album In the Blood (number 12, March 1991), which topped the Australian singles chart for four weeks in February and March 1991. Oddly, "I've Been Thinking About You" only reached number 2 in the UK, despite topping the charts in many European countries and in the US and Canada.
Jimmy Helms, who sang lead on most Londonbeat singles, was 44 years old when "I've Been Thinking About You" was released, and 45 when it hit number one in Australia, which seems unbelievable now. Just as Mondo Rock's "Come Said the Boy" mentioned above reminds me of starting primary school, Londonbeat's "I've Been Thinking About You" takes me back to the time when I was starting high school.
The follow-up to "I've Been Thinking About You", "A Better Love" (number 25, April 1991), was a much smaller hit. Londonbeat's rendition of Bob Marley and The Wailers' "No Woman, No Cry", minus the comma, was issued as the third and final single from In the Blood.
Londonbeat's version of the track peaked at number 64 in the UK in March 1991, number 25 in the Netherlands in March 1991, number 24 in the Flanders region of Belgium in March 1991, number 23 in Germany in April 1991, and number 41 in New Zealand in June 1991.
Within Australia, "No Woman No Cry" performed equally-strongest in Victoria/Tasmania and Western Australia, where it reached number 89.
I thought I had heard Londonbeat's version of "No Woman No Cry" before, but I hadn't. In my mind, their version was a straightforward cover of the song, but they have reworked it substantially. While the sound is updated for the early 90s, I am not sure that it works.
We shall next see Londonbeat in 1992.
Bubbling WAY down under:
Number 167 "That's Why" by The Party
Peak: number 155
Peak date: 29 July 1991
Weeks on chart: 12 weeks
The Party are an act I recall reading about in one of those 'next big thing' articles in the Australian edition of Smash Hits magazine, but have never, until now, heard any of their music. What I remember about the band are the serious early 90s hair styles they were sporting, and that they were part of The All New Mickey Mouse Club - not that I have ever seen that (I don't think it aired in Australia). "That's Why", co-written and produced by Stephen Bray, was The Party's first single released in Australia, although it was their third single in their native US.
Despite having a clean-cut image that you would think appealed to younger teens, if not tweens, The Party did not achieve much commercial success. "That's Why" peaked at number 55 in the US, and I cannot find evidence of it charting anywhere else. The group seemed to me like very much a 'big in Japan'-type act, except I don't know that they were actually big there.
Within Australia, "That's Why" performed strongest in Western Australia, where it reached number 108.
"That's Why" is lifted from the band's debut album The Party (number 189, June 1992).
Scottish band Deacon Blue's commercial breakthrough in Australia came with the lead single from their second album When the World Knows Your Name (number 39, July 1989), "Real Gone Kid" (number 18, February 1989). That song was to become the only Deacon Blue top 50 hit in Australia, although three other singles of theirs registered a place in the lower half of the top 100 between 1987 and 1989.
"Your Swaying Arms" was the lead single from Deacon Blue's third studio album Fellow Hoodlums (number 148, August 1991). In the gap between their second and third albums, a compilation album of B-sides and unreleased tracks, Ooh Las Vegas (number 149, November 1990), was released and dented the lower end of the ARIA top 150.
"Your Swaying Arms" peaked at number 23 in the UK in May 1991, and at number 6 in Ireland during the same month.
Within Australia, "Your Swaying Arms" was most popular in Western Australia, where it reached number 144.
While Deacon Blue would never make the Australian top 100 again, they had several more singles and albums peak outside the ARIA top 100. The band split in 1994, before reforming in 1999.
The band's guitarist during their most commercially-successful period, Graeme Kelling, passed away in 2004, aged 47, following a four year illness with pancreatic cancer.
Another week in 1981 where there is only one new single to write about, so let's just jump in.
Visage faded to grey on the Australian chart after just one single.
Beyond the top 100:
Position 28 "Mind of a Toy" by Visage
Highest rank: 1st
Peak date: 13 July 1981
Weeks on below list: 7 weeks
British synth-pop band Visage, fronted by Steve Strange (real name Stephen Harrington), formed in 1978. Their first Australian single, "Fade to Grey" (number 6, May 1981), reached the top ten locally, and was also Visage's first hit in the UK, where it reached number 8 in February 1981. "Fade to Grey", co-written and produced by Midge Ure from Ultravox, remains a pioneering piece of early 80s electronic music.
The follow-up single, "Mind of a Toy", was less successful than its predecessor. In the UK, "Mind of a Toy" peaked at number 13 in April 1981, and also reached number 16 in Ireland, number 42 in the Netherlands in May 1981, and number 10 in Germany in June 1981 ("Fade to Grey" spent seven non-consecutive weeks at number 1 in Germany between March and May 1981).
In Australia, "Mind of a Toy" came within a whisker of the top 100, reaching first position on the Kent Music Report beyond the top 100 list. "Fade to Grey", however, was to be Visage's only sizeable hit in Australia, with only one other single, "The Damned Don't Cry" (number 94, June 1982), making the top 100.
Both "Fade to Grey" and "Mind of a Toy" were lifted from the band's debut album Visage (number 17, June 1981); their only LP to register a top 100 position in Australia.
I have heard/seen "Mind of a Toy" before, on a repeat of Countdown during rage retro month. It's OK, but doesn't really hold a candle to "Fade to Grey"; I can see why it was not as big a hit. Of the few other Visage singles I am familiar with, "Love Glove" (released in Australia in October 1984, did not chart) is my favourite.
Visage would not trouble the beyond top 100 list again. Steve Strange died in February 2015, aged 55, following a heart attack while in Egypt.
Next post (29 June 1981): There were no singles debuting on the beyond the top 100 list next week that missed the top 100. In a fortnight's time, there will be six new entries on the below top 100 list.
I have no amazing insight into what connects this week in 1991's debuts peaking outside the top 100, so let's just dive straight in. But before we do, I have updated last week's 1991 post with the following:
3 June 1991 - a new bubbling WAY down under entry from The Real Milli Vanilli.
Pat Benatar: she used to be somebody's rock chick.
Top 150 debuts:
Number 121 "True Love" by Pat Benatar
Peak: number 107
Peak date: 17 June 1991
Weeks in top 150: 4 weeks
Weeks on chart: 5 weeks
American singer Pat Benatar placed fourteen singles on the Australian chart during the 1980s, with three of those making the top ten. Of these, "Love Is a Battlefield" (number 1, February 1984) was the biggest, with "All Fired Up" (number 2, September 1988) coming a close second. We last saw Pat in April 1989.
"True Love" was the title track and only single issued in Australia from Pat's eighth studio album True Love (number 53, June 1991). Known for her powerful rock voice, "True Love" was a radical departure from Pat's usual sound, dipping her toe into the jump blues genre. Pat also had a make-over, displaying a softer image than typical for her (an evening dress!) in the music video.
"True Love" was only a hit in the Netherlands, where it reached number 21 in June 1991. I cannot find evidence of this single registering on any other chart outside of Australia.
I hadn't heard "True Love" until writing this post, and was not aware of this album's existence at the time. Pat seemed to disappear off the radar after "All Fired Up", with that song being her last major hit anywhere. I have written before - and I am by no means the only person to make this observation - that a lot of artists associated with the 1980s fell on commercial hard times once the 1990s clocked over.
Within Australia, "True Love" performed strongest on the South Australia/Northern Territory state chart, where it reached number 77.
Pat would only land one further charting single in Australia, with "Somebody's Baby" (number 90, September 1993) in 1993. That song deserved to do much better, and was as good as any of Pat's 80s hits in my view, but I guess Pat's time as an artist with hit singles was well and truly over by that point.
Pat placed a number of later albums on the ARIA albums chart - although all of them missed the top 100. Her 1987 compilation Best Shots (number 19, February 1988) re-entered the chart in February 1992, reaching number 155. Pat's next studio album Gravity's Rainbow peaked at number 130 in September 1993, Greatest Hits reached number 345 in January 2006, and 2 Classic Albums - Best Shots/Wide Awake in Dreamland peaked at number 344 in August 2011.
Number 135 "Falling" by One-Eyed Jacks
Peak: number 135
Peak date: 10 June 1991
Weeks in top 150: 2 weeks
I didn't watch Twin Peaks when it aired in Australia in early 1991, but you couldn't escape it. Even my great uncle used to repeat the "she's wrapped in plastic!" line from the TV ads promoting the series. Then, Julee Cruise's "Falling" topped the ARIA singles chart in April 1991.
It seemed obligatory for any big ballad hit in the 90s to have a cheap dance cover version recorded somewhere in continental Europe, featuring a singer whose primary language was probably not English, and here is the one for "Falling".
You can almost check the items off a list. Cheap music video - check. Woman with 'model' looks who may or may not be the actual singer (although surely they would have selected a better vocalist if she is only lip syncing) - check. Sample from a recent dance/pop hit to give it a contemporary sound - check (in this instance, it's George Michael's "Freedom! '90").
Despite having said all of the above, I don't actually mind this version of "Falling". I had not heard it before.
Danish DJ Kjeld Tolstrup was behind One-Eyed Jacks. This track was their only release. Oddly, I cannot find evidence of the single charting anywhere else. Kjeld died in 2011, aged 45.
Number 146 "Keep It to Yourself" by Paul Kelly and The Messengers
Peak: number 146
Peak date: 10 June 1991
Weeks in top 150: 1 week
Weeks on chart: 4 weeks
We last saw Australian singer-songwriter Paul Kelly, with his then backing band The Messengers, in March 1991. Here he is again, his fourth appearance in the 101-150 region of the ARIA singles chart in the space of twenty months. While Paul might have snagged airplay and critical acclaim, commercial success usually eluded him on the Australian singles chart.
"Keep It to Yourself" was the second single lifted from the album Comedy (number 12, May 1991). The single was most popular in Western Australia, where it reached number 121.
We shall next see Paul Kelly and The Messengers in October 1991.
Bubbling WAY down under:
Number 176 "What Is This Thing Called Love?" by Alexander O'Neal
Peak: number 176
Peak date: 10 June 1991
Weeks on chart: 1 week
American singer Alexander O'Neal last joined us in March 1991. "What Is This Thing Called Love?" was the second and final single released in Australia from Alex's All True Man (number 108, April 1991) album.
Internationally, "What Is This Thing Called Love?" peaked at number 53 in the UK in March 1991, and number 81 in the Netherlands in April 1991.
Within Australia, "What Is This Thing Called Love?" performed strongest on the New South Wales/Australian Capital Territory state chart, where it reached number 160.
I hadn't heard this one before, but enjoyed it. I think with a greater promotional push, Alex could have landed some commercial success in Australia during the late 1980s and early 1990s.
Alex will pay us another visit in 1997. Before then, he placed another two albums on the ARIA albums chart: the compilation This Thing Called Love (number 214, July 1992), which took its name from this song despite it not being one of Alex's bigger hits, and Alex's next studio album Love Makes No Sense (number 192, April 1993), from which no singles charted in Australia.
Number 184 "Stop Myself"/"Godbless" by Died Pretty
Peak: number 163
Peak date: 5 August 1991
Weeks on chart: 6 weeks
Oh joy. A double A-side single (which means I have to listen to two tracks) from a band I don't really care for: Australia's Died Pretty. Alright, after listening to both tracks, they are not that bad; they're just not something I would intentionally seek out. "Stop Myself" is my pick of the two.
We last saw Died Pretty in March 1990. "Stop Myself" and "Godbless" were both lifted from the band's fourth studio album Doughboy Hollow (number 24, September 1991). The single was most successful in Western Australia, where it reached number 126.
Number 187 "Ruby Tuesday" (live) by The Rolling Stones
Peak: number 157
Peak date: 17 June 1991
Weeks on chart: 2 weeks
If I'm being brutally honest, I find it difficult to think of The Rolling Stones without thinking of how much Mick Jagger resembles The Joker from Batman, in my mind. Why has he never played the role?! OK, that aside and onto their music, we last saw British rock fossils The Rolling Stones in April 1990.
This live rendition of The Stones' 1967 song, recorded in Japan in 1990, appeared on their Flashpoint (number 12, April 1991) album. It followed the single "Highwire" (number 54, April 1991), which was one of two new studio recordings included on the otherwise live album.
Internationally, this release of "Ruby Tuesday" peaked at number 59 in the UK in June 1991, number 34 in the Netherlands in July 1991, and number 27 in Switzerland in July 1991. The original 1967 studio version of "Ruby Tuesday" peaked at number 1 in the US in March 1967, and number 6 in Ireland.
Domestically, this live version of "Ruby Tuesday" peaked highest on the Victoria/Tasmania state chart, where it reached number 141.
We shall next see The Rolling Stones in July 1991.
Number 190 "Sing Your Life" by Morrissey
Peak: number 190
Peak date: 10 June 1991
Weeks on chart: 1 week
English singer-songwriter Steven Morrissey last joined us in March 1991. "Sing Your Life" was the second single lifted from Moz's second solo studio album Kill Uncle (number 45, March 1991). With this track, Morrissey makes his fifth appearance in the 101-150 region of the ARIA singles chart, in the space of just under two years.
"Sing Your Life" found greater success in Moz's native UK, where it peaked at number 33 in April 1991, although it was his lowest-peaking solo single there to date. "Sing Your Life" did even better in Ireland, where it reached number 21 in April 1991.
Within Australia, "Sing Your Life" was most popular in Western Australia, where it reached number 156.
While I enjoy some singles by Morrissey and The Smiths, I am only a casual fan at best, and I hadn't actually heard this one before. I liked it and would listen to it again.
One thing I have in common with Morrissey, which I didn't realise until now (the age when he started), is that we have both been vegetarians since age 11! Well, kind of, for me, since I still ate chicken (I never cared for fish) until I was 15... and then once had a little bit of chicken fillet 'to be polite' at my grandparents' when I was 16. Not eating meat for me is primarily a taste/texture issue - I find the taste and texture revolting.
This week in 1981, there was only one new entry in the Kent Music Report's beyond number 100 list that missed the top 100. Let's take a look at it.
April Wine: big in Canada.
Beyond the top 100:
Position 23 "Just Between You and Me" by April Wine
Highest rank: 11th
Peak dates: 29 June 1981, 6 July 1981 and 13 July 1981
Weeks on below list: 5 weeks
Canadian rock band April Wine formed in Halifax, Nova Scotia in 1969. They never landed a top 100 entry on the Australian chart - single or album - and this was as close as they got.
The group had much greater success in North America, with a string of hit singles in their native Canada dating back to 1971. "Just Between You and Me" was April Wine's seventeenth top 40 hit in their homeland, where it reached number 22. The single also became the band's biggest of three US Billboard Hot 100 top 40 hits, peaking at number 21 in April 1981. In the UK, "Just Between You and Me" peaked at number 52 in April 1981.
"Just Between You and Me" was the fourteenth video shown on MTV on their launch day, on 1 August 1981, making it the first video shown by a Canadian artist on the American (then) dedicated music video channel.
Listening to this track for the first time, I am surprised that it wasn't a hit locally, as it seems like just the sort of thing radio would lap up - easy listening soft rock with a melodic chorus. I can only surmise that it wasn't a hit because, for whatever reason, radio didn't take to it here.
Next week (15 June): Another week with only one new entry on the beyond the top 100 list.
There isn't a common theme binding this week in 1991's new top 150 debuts together that I can identify, so let's dive straight in. But before we do, I have updated an earlier post with the following:
23 April 1990 - a new bubbling WAY down under entry from Dina Carroll.
Ya Kid K wasn't the one on the Australian charts with her solo releases.
Top 150 debuts:
Number 120 "The Simple Truth" by Chris de Burgh
Peak: number 120
Peak date: 3 June 1991
Weeks in top 150: 4 weeks
The simple truth is that Argentina-born British-Irish (make of that what you will) singer Chris de Burgh placed seven singles on the Australian chart between 1983 and 1989. The simple truth is that "The Lady in Red" (number 2, December 1986) was the biggest one of those. The simple truth is that I secretly like that song, along with Chris's other Australian top ten hit "Don't Pay the Ferryman" (number 5, April 1983). The simple truth is that these two songs were Chris's only top 40 hits in Australia! Chris's previous charting single in Australia, his last to reach the top 100, was "Missing You" (number 45, February 1989).
"The Simple Truth" was originally released in 1987, titled "The Simple Truth (A Child Is Born)", as an in-between albums single. The single was re-released in 1991 to raise funds for Kurdish refugees.
"The Simple Truth (A Child Is Born)" originally peaked at number 31 in Germany in December 1987, number 55 in the UK in January 1988, and number 10 in Ireland. The 1991 re-issue peaked at number 36 in the UK in May 1991, and number 50 in the Netherlands in June 1991.
I wasn't expecting to know this song, but the chorus was familiar to me. I cannot place where I heard the song, however. Perhaps some of the video below, showing footage of Kurdish refugees, was used as a TV commercial?
We will see Chris again in 1992.
Number 140 "Get It Together" by Redhead Kingpin and The F.B.I.
Peak: number 140
Peak date: 3 June 1991
Weeks in top 150: 3 weeks
American hip-hop/new jack swing group Redhead Kingpin and The F.B.I. landed two singles that peaked in the 50's in Australia in 1990: "Pump It Hottie" (number 58, March 1990) and "Do the Right Thing" (number 56, July 1990). Their debut album A Shade of Red peaked at number 102 on the ARIA albums chart in July 1990.
"Get It Together" was released as the first single in Australia from the second, and final, Redhead Kingpin and The F.B.I. album titled The Album with No Name (number 141, June 1991). Internationally, "Get It Together" peaked at number 34 in New Zealand in June 1991.
The group split in 1993, and some of its members formed a new group, Private Investigators, which had a harder hip-hop sound.
We will see Redhead Kingpin and The F.B.I. again in August 1991.
Number 142 "Stand Up (Love Is the Greatest)" by Stephen Cummings
Peak: number 142
Peak date: 3 June 1991
Weeks in top 150: 3 weeks
Weeks on chart: 4 weeks
We last saw Australian singer-songwriter Stephen Cummings in April 1991.
"Stand Up (Love Is the Greatest)" was the third and final single lifted from Stephen's fifth solo studio album Good Humour (number 40, March 1991). "Stand Up..." was also the opening track on the album.
On the state charts, "Stand Up (Love Is the Greatest)" performed strongest in Victoria/Tasmania, where it reached number 111.
I hadn't heard this one before. It's not bad, but I can see why it wasn't a hit. My then 12 year-old perspective would probably have been that Stephen was too 'old' to release this kind of dance-infused pop, even though he was only 36.
We shall next see Stephen in 1992.
Number 143 "Awesome (You Are My Hero)" by Ya Kid K
Peak: number 111
Peak date: 24 June 1991
Weeks in top 150: 6 weeks
Congolese (though it was Zaire when she was born) Manuela Kamosi, better known by her stage name Ya Kid K, experienced her first taste of chart success as the vocalist on Belgian dance/house music act Technotronic's "Pump Up the Jam" (number 4, February 1990), at the tender age of 17. Only, a blue lipstick-wearing model going by the name of Felly lip synced Ya Kid K's vocals in the music video for that track.
Ya Kid K was revealed as the real vocalist on the second Technotronic single, "Get Up! (Before the Night Is Over)" (number 7, April 1990), and appeared in the video, together with Felly. Ya Kid K also provided vocals on Technotronic's "Rockin' Over the Beat" (number 58, October 1990). The three aforementioned tracks were sampled in Technotronic's "Megamix" (number 13, November 1990).
In addition to these tracks, Ya Kid K scored another hit in 1990 as the featured vocalist on Hi Tek 3's "Spin That Wheel" (number 5, July 1990), which also appeared on the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie soundtrack album (number 7, July 1990).
"Awesome (You Are My Hero)", Ya Kid K's first solo release, was recorded for the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze soundtrack (number 80, June 1991), with Dancin' Danny D, real name Daniel Poku, from D Mob. Danny D also appears in the music video.
It may be partly because I started high school in 1991, but Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - who seemed to be hugely popular and inescapable in 1990 - seemed somewhat passe to me in 1991. The soundtrack album for the sequel movie peaking 73 places lower than that for the 1990 movie confirms that. Obviously, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles have since had a revival in popularity, as even my nephews born this century know about them.
I never heard "Awesome..." at the time. I'm not sure that it was a great move for Ya Kid K's solo career to kick off with a song partly about Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. "Spin That Wheel", in contrast, was lyrically unrelated to the franchise, so you could still enjoy it even if you were not a 10 year-old boy.
Interestingly, I cannot find evidence of "Awesome (You Are My Hero)" charting elsewhere.
Ya Kid K returned to Technotronic in 1993, after her solo career was not a commercial success.
Ya Kid K will join us again, on her own, in 1993, and with Technotronic in 1994.
Number 144 "Only You" by Praise
Peak: number 131
Peak date: 1 July 1991
Weeks in top 150: 5 weeks
English new-age group Praise were fronted by Miriam Stockley. Readers who are fans of Stock Aitken Waterman will recognise her name as one of their often-used backing vocalists.
"Only You" was lifted from the group's only album Praise, although the album version features much sparser instrumentation, with no percussion. The single reached number 4 in the UK in February 1991, and number 3 in Ireland. The success of "Only You" stemmed from its use in a British TV commercial for the Fiat Tempra car. The track was then remixed by Andreas Georgiou, George Michael's cousin, and Peter Lorrimer for the single release.
Despite being a Stock Aitken Waterman fan myself, I had never actually heard this one before. It's very much in the same vein as Enigma, minus the Gregorian chants, and not at all like a Stock Aitken Waterman production.
Number 148 "Ooops" by 808 State featuring Björk
Peak: number 143
Peak date: 17 June 1991
Weeks in top 150: 3 weeks
Weeks on chart: 5 weeks
808 State last graced our presence in April 1991. They roped in Icelandic singer Björk, who then fronted The Sugarcubes, for "Ooops", the third single lifted from 808 State's ex:el (number 109, April 1991) album. We've seen Björk previously with The Sugarcubes in September 1989.
Internationally, "Ooops" peaked at number 42 in the UK in May 1991, and number 24 in Ireland.
On the ARIA state charts, "Ooops" performed strongest in Victoria/Tasmania, where it reached number 122.
I first heard "Ooops" in mid-1994, when the video was shown as part of a Björk/The Sugarcubes special on Saturday night rage. I became a fan of Björk in 1993, during a flight to Hong Kong, where they played some tracks from her Debut (number 10, February 1994) album on one of the airline's in-flight radio stations (do they still have those?). I picked up the album while I was in Hong Kong.
We will next see 808 State in August 1991, while Björk will join us next in 1994.
Number 150 "Dance Invasion" by Rococo
Peak: number 150
Peak date: 3 June 1991
Weeks in top 150: 1 week
Weeks on chart: 5 weeks
English duo Rococo were twin sisters Elaine and Evelyn. The pair hailed from London. For some reason, they were more successful in Australia than anywhere else, with their Italo house medley covering other artists's songs, "Italo House Mix", peaking at number 13 in Australia in February 1990, achieving gold certification from ARIA. In contrast, "Italo House Mix" only reached number 54 in the UK in December 1989, and was the pair's only charting release in their home country.
The trouble with the success of "Italo House Mix", however, was that, watching the video, you wouldn't really know who Rococo were, as the video is mostly made up of graphics, the silhouette of a male dancer, and dodgy nightclub footage shot in Sydney. I assume the video was made by the Australian record company, and that there was no 'real' video made featuring the girls for the UK release. The video features some brief animated stills of the Rococo twins, but you wouldn't know that they were the singers.
Rococo were more clearly a singing duo in the video for their next single, "Inside Out" (number 64, April 1990). Despite coming to Australia to promote the song, performing it on Countdown Revolution, "Inside Out" missed the ARIA top 50.
An album, Are You Ready, was belatedly released in Australia in October 1991, containing "Dance Invasion" as an extra track not on the earlier 1990 European release of the album. The album failed to chart.
Rococo presumably hoped to bottle lightning twice by releasing "Dance Invasion", which was another medley of cover versions of other dance artists' songs. The songs featured in the medley are Twenty 4 Seven "I Can't Stand It!" (number 130, February 1991), Bass-o-Matic "Fascinating Rhythm" (number 145, December 1990), Deee-Lite "Groove Is in the Heart" (number 1, November 1990), Snap! "Ooops Up" (number 4, November 1990), Technotronic "Rockin' Over the Beat" (number 53, October 1990), The KLF "What Time Is Love?" (number 73, October 1991, after originally peaking at number 76 in February 1991), and "I Can't Get Enough (Get on the Beat)", which appears to be an original composed by one of the songwriters involved with Rococo's Are You Ready album.
On the state charts, "Dance Invasion" peaked highest in Western Australia, where it reached number 124.
I didn't hear, and was not even aware of, "Dance Invasion" at the time. Information on the twins online is scant, but I remember a short interview article in the Australian edition of Smash Hits where the twins declared emphatically that they were not the new Mel & Kim. While there may be some slight visual similarity to Mel & Kim, who were not twins, vocally, Rococo remind me more of Mozaic - they of "Nothing in the World" (number 20, February 1995).
Rococo released a further single in Australia, "Are You Ready", in October 1991, but it failed to chart. "Dance Invasion" was the duo's final charting entry in Australia.
Bubbling WAY down under:
Number 181 "Too Late (True Love)" by The Real Milli Vanilli
Peak: number 181
Peak date: 3 June 1991
Weeks on chart: 1 week
For anyone who was around in the early 90s and not living under a rock, you would know that German group Milli Vanilli were a laughing stock, synonymous with lip syncing, once it was revealed in November 1990 that the two guys fronting the group, Fabrice Morvan and Rob Pilatus, were not singing a note on the records or in their 'live' performances.
To cut a long story short(-ish), Rob and Fab, were dancers/models spotted by German studio producer boffin Frank Farian (who was behind Boney M. and the real voice of that group's male vocals - notice a pattern emerging?). They had dreams of becoming famous, and pop stardom was one way to achieve that, but they were close to being broke. Frank offered Rob and Fab a sum of money, which they wrongly assumed was a gift. Frank later advised the pair that the advance he had given them was to be recouped, and coerced them into signing a contract where they agreed to be the front of a musically-talented-but-not-photogenic studio group - or else be forced to pay the money back. Too young, dumb and poor to fight back, Rob and Fab felt they had no choice but to agree to Frank's terms.
And so the short-lived pop phenomenon that was Milli Vanilli happened. Top 5 singles across Europe, North America and Australasia, a number one album in the US and Australia - among other countries - a successful worldwide tour, and even a Grammy Award for Best New Artist (which they later returned, after being exposed); it seemed that the pair had the world at their feet, before it all came horribly crashing down.
In Australia, Milli Vanilli landed two top 5 singles - "Girl I'm Gonna Miss You" (number 3, March 1990) and "Blame It on the Rain" (number 5, April 1990), a number 1 album in March 1990 with All Or Nothing: The U.S. Remix Album. Another top 20 single, "Baby Don't Forget My Number" (number 17, November 1989), spent 45 weeks on the chart - 38 of those inside the top 50.
My favourite Milli Vanilli single was, as you might guess, the one that flopped the hardest in Australia, "Girl You Know It's True" (number 88, February 1989). Despite its low peak, it managed to reach number 29 on the South Australia/Northern Territory state chart.
I was one of the 140,000 or so Australians who bought All Or Nothing: The U.S. Remix album. I copied the cassette album for about 6 or 7 people from my class in grade 6 in 1990.
The scandal around Milli Vanilli not singing on the albums broke just as the first single and title track from what was to be the duo's second album Keep on Running was being released in Europe. By revealing they were not the actual singers, Frank Farian effectively fired Rob and Fab from the group, and 'The Real Milli Vanilli' emerged.
Brad Howell and John Davis, who were the real voices on the All Or Nothing album, were part of the group, along with some new, younger, and conventionally better looking members who were, I assume, there to look pretty and take the focus off the older, plain looking ones with the actual musical talent. The new younger guy even looked a bit like Rob and Fab. I suspect that one, if not both, of the new members did not perform any vocals on "Keep on Running", with Frank continuing his 'let's fool the public by hiring models who can perform and dance' modus operandi.
With the single release of "Keep on Running" (number 62, March 1991) delayed in Australia until February 1991, it was issued here under the band name of The Real Milli Vanilli. An album, The Moment of Truth (number 128, April 1991), was released, form which "Too Late (True Love)" was the second single.
Internationally, "Too Late (True Love)" peaked at number 26 in Austria in April 1991, number 36 in the Flanders region of Belgium in April 1991, number 54 in the Netherlands in May 1991, and number 65 in Germany in May 1991.
Within Australia, "Too Late (True Love)" performed strongest in Victoria/Tasmania, where it reached number 155.
I hadn't heard "Too Late (True Love)" before. This one more-heavily features the two new group members on the verses, with the chorus sung by the studio musician who performed Rob's vocals in Milli Vanilli. It's hard to take this seriously, though, when you see the Rob/Fab look-a-like mouth lines that obviously aren't his in the music video, embedded below.
Milli Vanilli - real or otherwise - would not bother the Australian singles chart again, but had one further charting album. Their Greatest Hits compilation peaked at number 410 on the ARIA albums chart in April 2007.
Sadly, Rob Pilatus died in 1998, aged 32, from an alcohol and prescription drug overdose. More-recently, John Davis, one of the studio artists behind Milli Vanilli, died from COVID-19 in 2021, aged 66.
Number 186 "Lelore" by Boxcar
Peak: number 186
Peak date: 3 June 1991
Weeks on chart: 1 week
We last saw Australian electronic band Boxcar in February 1990. Since then, they landed their biggest hit and only ARIA top 100 entry with the rather good "Gas Stop (Who Do You Think You Are)" (number 82, January 1991), and had released their debut album Vertigo (number 118, February 1991).
"Gas Stop" also gave the band a second US Billboard Dance Club Songs hit. While I would normally say that doesn't count for much, it kind of does when you're an Australian band who had limited chart success.
The mostly-instrumental "Lelore" has obvious ahead-of-its-time, especially for Australia, production from Robert Racic, who was associated with many artists on Volition Records, such as Severed Heads. The vocal samples are not dissimilar to something Enigma or Deep Forest might have used; again, very avant-garde. Unfortunately, this pioneering approach to Australian dance music did not yield significant commercial success.
"Lelore" was most-successful in Western Australia, where it reached number 146.
While I am not sure if a music video was made for the regular, album/single version of "Lelore", embedded below (as some of Boxcar's videos are blocked on YouTube), a video exists for a remix of the track, which you can view here.
We will next see Boxcar in 1992.
Number 187 "Playing with Knives" by Bizarre Inc
Peak: number 158
Peak date: 10 June 1991
Weeks on chart: 17 weeks
English group Bizarre Inc started out as a duo between DJ's Dean Meredith and Mark "Aaron" Archer, but Archer left and was replaced by Andrew Meecham and Carl Turner in 1990. While they had a couple of underground releases in 1989 and 1990, "Playing with Knives" was the group's first Australian release.
"Playing with Knives" initially peaked at number 43 in the UK in March 1991, before being re-issued and reaching a much higher peak of number 4 in November 1991.
In Australia, "Playing with Knives" spent an impressive - especially for a single that did not even make the top 150 - 17 weeks on chart. I do not have evidence of the single receiving a second, later release in Australia, following its UK success. On the state charts, "Playing with Knives" performed strongest in Western Australia, where it reached number 103.
I wasn't aware of "Playing with Knives" at the time, but I am sure that it must have been big in the clubs and at raves. The song is definitely what generations younger than me would call a "banger".
Bizarre Inc never landed a top 100 single or album in Australia, but we will see them again on a few occasions, with the next one being in November 1991. We will also see a song from another artist that was a spin-off of "Playing with Knives" in 1992.
Next week (10 June): Three top 150 debuts and four bubbling WAY down under entries.
