Week commencing 30 September 1991

I can't find a theme uniting this week in 1991's new entries that peaked outside the Australian top 100, so let's just dive straight in.

 

The Prodigy: Australia wasn't ready for the Prodigy experience in 1991.

 

Top 150 debuts:

 

Number 122 "I Can't Wait Another Minute" by Hi-Five

Peak: number 112

Peak date: 7 October 1991

Weeks in top 150: 5 weeks

 

American R&B vocal quintet Hi-Five formed in 1989.  Their debut Australian single, "I Like the Way (The Kissing Game)", topped the US Billboard Hot 100 for one week in May 1991, and scraped into the ARIA top 50, peaking at number 47 in July 1991.

 

"I Can't Wait Another Minute" was the follow-up release, lifted from the band's debut album Hi-Five (number 102, July 1991).  The track was written and produced by Eric Foster White, who also wrote Whitney Houston's "My Name Is Not Susan".

Internationally, "I Can't Wait Another Minute" peaked at number 8 on the US Billboard Hot 100 in August 1991.

I heard this one several times on the American Top 40 radio show, and while I don't have a particular fondness for 90s R&B vocal groups, "I Can't Wait Another Minute" is one song from the genre that I enjoy.

 

As too often seems to be the case with teen pop stars, two members of Hi-Five have died at a relatively young age since the band's heyday.

 

The group's lead vocalist Tony Thompson died in 2007, aged 31, after inhaling a fatal amount of freon from an air conditioning unit.

 

Roderick "Pooh" Clark was paralysed from the chest down following a car accident in 1992, soon after the band's second album Keep It Goin' On (number 130, November 1992) was released.  He died in April 2022, aged 49.

 

We will next see Hi-Five in 1992.

 

 

Number 134 "Into the Great Wide Open" by Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers

Peak: number 112

Peak date: 14 October 1991

Weeks in top 150: 7 weeks

Weeks on chart: 8 weeks

 

Tom Petty last joined us in December 1989 as a solo artist, and with side project Traveling Wilburys in April 1991.

Following these releases, Tom regrouped with his regular backing band The Heartbreakers.  "Into the Great Wide Open" was the title track and second single from the band's eighth studio album Into the Great Wide Open (number 28, August 1991).  It followed "Learning to Fly" (number 44, August 1991).

 

Internationally, "Into the Great Wide Open" peaked at number 92 on the US Billboard Hot 100 in November 1991, number 48 in the Flanders region of Belgium in November 1991, and number 54 in Germany in January 1992.  It's interesting - to me, anyway - that "Into the Great Wide Open" peaked almost two months earlier in Australia than anywhere else.

 

Within Australia, "Into the Great Wide Open" was most successful in Western Australia, where it reached number 82.

 

Listening to this track for the first time as I write this post, it's another obvious Jeff Lynne songwriting collaboration/production.  My dad liked Electric Light Orchestra and Traveling Wilburys - though, oddly, did not delve into Tom's separate work that I recall - so, I can pick a Jeff Lynne song anywhere.

 

Tom will next grace our presence in 1993.

 

 

 

Number 136 "The Quiet's Too Loud" by Lamont Dozier and Phil Collins

Peak: number 136

Peak date: 30 September 1991

Weeks in top 150: 4 weeks

 

While researching this track, which I had not heard (or heard of) before, I was intrigued that there was an early 90s Phil Collins single (of sorts) that a. I did not know about (given how much radio loved him at the time), and b. I can find no record of it charting anywhere else!

Lamont Dozier was one third of the legendary Holland-Dozier-Holland songwriting and production trio, who were behind many of the songs released on the Motown record label.

Lamont (since I prefer to be on a first-name basis with others) had previously collaborated with Phil on "Two Hearts" (number 13, February 1989), with its unmistakable Motown sound, for the Buster soundtrack (number 35, March 1989).

 

"The Quiet's Too Loud" appears on Lamont's Inside Seduction album, which was released in Australia in August 1991 but missed the ARIA top 150.

 

Lamont is another one (we seem to be on a roll this week...) who recently died.  He passed on 8 August 2022, aged 81.

 

While Lamont will not have another solo top 150 'hit', we shall next see Phil Collins with Genesis in 1992, and as a solo artist in 1993.

 

 

Number 143 "Silver Thunderbird" by Marc Cohn

Peak: number 107

Peak date: 14 October 1991

Weeks in top 150: 9 weeks

 

American singer-songwriter Marc Cohn released his debut single, "The Heart of the City", on a minor label in 1986, but it failed to chart anywhere.  There is also no trace of it on YouTube.

Skip forward five years, and Marc landed a decent-sized hit with his first major label single "Walking in Memphis" (number 11, August 1991).  I am surprised to learn that "Walking in Memphis" did not top the US Billboard Hot 100, but 'only' peaked at number 13 on it in June 1991.

 

"Silver Thunderbird" was the second single lifted from Marc's debut album Marc Cohn (number 31, September 1991).  It was less-successful than its predecessor, both locally and internationally, peaking at number 28 in Ireland in August 1991, number 54 in the UK in August 1991, number 63 on the US Billboard Hot 100 in September 1991, and number 87 in Germany in March 1992.

 

It's quite possible I heard this one at the time, given how keen radio was to play "Waking in Memphis", but I have no recollection of it.  The song is decent enough, but perhaps not sufficiently different from "Walking to Memphis" to stand out.

 

Marc would never trouble the ARIA top 100 again, but will bubble under it on a few occasions, with the next one being in 1992.

 

Bubbling WAY down under:

 

Number 160 "Feel Every Beat" by Electronic

Peak: number 156

Peak date: 14 October 1991

Weeks on chart: 5 weeks

On paper, English 'supergroup' Electronic should be a band I like a lot.  Its members consist of New Order's Bernard Sumner, Johnny Marr - formerly of The Smiths, and (occasionally) Pet Shop Boy Neil Tennant.  I like all three of those acts to an extent (Pet Shop Boys and New Order more so than The Smiths), but I've never delved into Electronic beyond the singles, and only really know and like the two singles they did with Neil Tennant, "Getting Away with It" (number 40, July 1990) and "Disappointed" (released in Europe in 1992, but oddly not issued in Australia - although I caught the video on rage as a new release, despite being their highest-peaking single in the UK).

I did see/hear "Feel Every Beat" at the time, along with the previous Electronic single "Get the Message" (number 71, June 1991), but couldn't tell you how either went if my life depended on it.  Not to say they're necessarily bad songs - they just don't... stick in your mind like most Pet Shop Boys or New Order singles from this era did, and to be honest, I find them a tad boring, and not nearly as good as the collaborations the group did with Neil Tennant.

"Feel Every Beat" appeared on the first Electronic album Electronic (number 42, July 1991).  Internationally, the single peaked at number 39 in the UK in September 1991.

 

Domestically, "Feel Every Beat" performed strongest in Western Australia, where it reached number 130.

 

Electronic will join us again in 1996.  Before then, we'll see New Order again in 1994 and The Smiths in 1992.

Number 161 "Charly" by The Prodigy

Peak: number 161

Peak date: 30 September 1991

Weeks on chart: 6 weeks

Essentially the brainchild of Liam Howlett, English dance/rave band The Prodigy formed in Essex in 1990.  "Charly", their debut single, samples dialogue from a 1970s BBC public information cartoon about not talking to strangers, Charley Says, where the Charley in question is an animated cat.

With 'rave' music spawning several top 10 hits in the UK In 1991, it's little surprise that "Charly" peaked at number 3 there in September 1991.  The single also reached number 9 in Ireland.

Closer to home, "Charly" performed strongest in Western Australia, where it reached number 86.

The commercial success of "Charly" resulted in several 'copycat' rave songs that sampled children's TV shows, including, notably, Smart E's "Sesame's Treet" (number 6, September 1992), which was the first (and really only) of its kind to take off in Australia.  We'll see another one of these 'toytown techno' rave songs bubble WAY down under in 1992.

 

The Prodigy, meanwhile, would have to wait until 1994 for their commercial breakthrough in Australia, with "No Good (Start the Dance)" (number 45, July 1994) and "Voodoo People" (number 24, November 1994) becoming top 50 hits.  The band would land a major, enduring hit in Australia with "Breathe" (number 2, March 1997), which spent 24 consecutive weeks in the top 10 (a mammoth run in the pre-streaming era).

A different mix of "Charly" appears on The Prodigy's debut album Experience (number 163, January 1997), which peaked on the ARIA albums chart more than 4 years after its release.  The album initially debuted at number 245 in December 1992.

I first became aware of The Prodigy through listening to the UK Chart Attack radio show in 1992.  Australia was not ready for their sound in 1991-2, which is a shame, as I quite like the band's early singles.

The Prodigy will next join us in 1992.

 

Number 169 "You Are the Way" by The Primitives

Peak: number 169

Peak date: 30 September 1991

Weeks on chart: 1 week

English indie pop band The Primitives formed in Coventry in 1984.  While the group landed four top 40 singles in the UK, only one of their releases dented the top 100 in Australia - the single "Way Behind Me" (number 91, January 1989).

 

"You Are the Way" was the second and final Primitives singles to dent the ARIA chart.  The track was the lead single from the band's third studio album - their only one to chart in Australia - Galore (number 156, February 1992).

 

"You Are the Way" found greater, though still only modest, success in the UK, where it reached number 58 in August 1991.

 

Within Australia, "You Are the Way" performed strongest in Victoria/Tasmania, where it reached number 152.

I hadn't heard this one before.

Number 173 "Come on and Dance" by Hi Tek 3 featuring MC Shamrock

Peak: number 173

Peak date: 30 September 1991

Weeks on chart: 4 weeks

Belgian production trio Hi Tek 3 landed a top 5 hit in Australia with "Spin That Wheel" (number 5, July 1990), which featured Ya Kid K - who came to fame with Technotronic - on vocals, and was featured in the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie.

"Come on and Dance" was the follow-up release, featuring MC Shamrock on vocals.  The single peaked at number 88 in the UK in December 1990.  I am not sure why the Australian release was delayed for so long.

Domestically, "Come on and Dance" peaked highest in South Australia/Northern Territory, where it reached number 130.

I don't recall hearing this one at the time, though the bassline seems vaguely familiar.  It was Hi Tek 3's final charting entry in Australia.

Next week (7 October): Two new top 150 debuts and six bubbling WAY down under entries.

< Previous week: 23 September 1991                              Next week: 7 October 1991 >

Week commencing 23 September 1991

One thing all of this week in 1991's new entries outside the top 100 have in common is that I did not hear any of them at the time.  Perhaps they are new for you, too?  Let's take a look (or listen) together.

 

George Michael attracted few listeners without prejudice for this single in 1991.

  

Top 150 debuts:

 

Number 131 "Only Time Will Tell" by Nelson

Peak: number 124

Peak date: 14 October 1991

Weeks in top 150: 6 weeks

Weeks on chart: 6 weeks

 

We last saw the Nelson twins in August 1991.  "Only Time Will Tell" was the fourth and final single lifted from the band's debut album After the Rain (number 100, October 1990).

 

Internationally, "Only Time Will Tell" peaked at number 28 on the US Billboard Hot 100 in August 1991.  Wikipedia says it peaked at number 81 in Canada, but no supporting reference has been cited.

Locally, "Only Time Will Tell" performed strongest in Queensland, where it reached number 99.

While I quite enjoyed Nelson's previous single, this one I find a bit lacking.

Nelson will join us for one last time in 1995.

 

 

Number 141 "D.C." by Died Pretty

Peak: number 124

Peak date: 21 October 1991

Weeks in top 150: 7 weeks

Weeks on chart: 10 weeks

 

Australian band Died Pretty last joined us in June 1991.

 

"D.C." was the second single lifted from the band's fourth studio album Doughboy Hollow (number 24, September 1991).  On the state charts, the single was most popular in Western Australia, where it reached number 71.

 

You may be wondering - who or what is "D.C."?   Died Pretty singer Ron Peno revealed to Triple J in 1996 that "the lyric is about the passing of someone, and coming to terms with it."  It was written about a friend named David Cox, who died while the band were touring Europe.

 

"D.C." is a decent song, but not something I would actively seek out.

We'll next see Died Pretty in 1992.

 

 

 

Number 142 "The Last to Know" by Céline Dion

Peak: number 134

Peak date: 14 October 1991

Weeks in top 150: 6 weeks

Weeks on chart: 8 weeks

Hailing from Quebec, Céline Dion commenced her recording career in 1981, at the age of just 13.  During the 1980s, she released eight albums recorded in French.

Céline's English language debut came in 1990, with the release of the album Unison (number 117, April 1991).  Céline's first Australian release was the lead single from it, "Where Does My Heart Beat Now" (number 62, April 1991).

 

"The Last to Know" was the third single lifted from Unison in Australia.  It followed "(If There Was) Any Other Way", which was released locally in June 1991 but failed to chart.  I hadn't heard or seen the music video for "(If There Was) Any Other Way" until now - it's a time capsule of early 90s bad fashion and hair-don'ts!

"The Last to Know" was originally recorded by Sheena Easton for her 1987 album No Sound but a Heart, which did not chart in Australia.

 

Internationally, "The Last to Know" peaked at number 16 in Canada in May 1991.  The song also reached number 22 on the US Billboard Adult Contemporary chart in August 1991.

Within Australia, "The Last to Know" performed strongest in South Australia/Northern Territory, where it reached number 113.

I didn't hear this one at the time, but assume it might have been playlisted on Melbourne's TT FM (pronounced double-T FM), who loved this kind of current but something your mum would like more than 'the kids' music in the 90s.

Céline's commercial breakthrough in Australia came in 1992, with her Disney theme duet with Peabo Bryson, "Beauty and the Beast" (number 17, July 1992).

Céline will next join us in 1993.

 

 

Number 143 "The Sound of Your Voice" by 38 Special

Peak: number 133

Peak date: 21 October 1991

Weeks in top 150: 6 weeks

Weeks on chart: 8 weeks

 

Named after a revolver cartridge (thanks Wikipedia!), American band 38 Special formed in Jacksonville, Florida in 1974.  The band would have to wait 15 years to land their first - and really only - hit in Australia, with "Second Chance" (number 14, September 1989).  I remember "Second Chance" receiving heavy airplay at the time, and while it's a song I like, it seems to be virtually forgotten in Australia now.

38 Special also placed one album on the Australian chart, with Rock & Roll Strategy (number 74, September 1989).

 

"The Sound of Your Voice" was the first, and only, single issued in Australia from 38 Special's ninth studio album Bone Against Steel (released in Australia in July 1991, did not chart).

"The Sound of Your Voice" peaked at number 33 on the US Billboard Hot 100 in September 1991.

Domestically, "The Sound of Your Voice" performed strongest in South Australia/Northern Territory, where it reached number 109.

 

"The Sound of Your Voice" has a rousing chorus, but sounds more '80s' than '90s' musically.  It was the band's final release to chart in Australia.

 

Number 149 "Ordinary Miracles" by Julie Anthony

Peak: number 141

Peak date: 14 October 1991

Weeks in top 150: 2 weeks

 

Australian singer Julie Anthony is known for her theatre, cabaret and variety show performances, as well as for singing the national anthem at the 2000 Olympics in Sydney together with Human Nature.  Well, I care so little about sport that I didn't know that last fact until researching this post.

On the Australian charts, Julie had placed two singles and five albums in the top 100 between 1978 and 1986.  Her biggest single was "China Blue" (number 34, March 1982).

"Ordinary Miracles" was recorded for the soundtrack album for the 1991 Australian animated movie The Magic Riddle.  The soundtrack missed the ARIA top 150.

 

I must thank a kind soul, Thibault, whom I messaged on discogs to obtain a rip of the audio for this track - without which, we would not be able to hear it.

 

 

Number 150 "House on Fire" by Club Hoy

Peak: number 134

Peak date: 28 October 1991

Weeks in top 150: 8 weeks

Australian band Club Hoy formed in Sydney in 1989.  During the band's tenure, they only released one album, Thursday's Fortune (number 96, March 1992).

 

"House on Fire" was Club Hoy's third single release, following "On and On" (February 1990) and "Da Da Da" (January 1991).  It was the band's first release to crack the ARIA top 150. 

Club Hoy would eventually land a top 100 single with the Trumpets EP (number 88, November 1992), led by the track "The Other Side of You".

I didn't hear this one at the time.  It sounds a bit like something you'd hear on Triple J Unearthed rather than a chart 'hit', to me.

We'll see Club Hoy again in 1992.

Bubbling WAY down under:

Number 171 "Cowboys and Angels" by George Michael

Peak: number 164

Peak date: 7 October 1991

Weeks on chart: 3 weeks

 

As the vocalist in Wham!, George Michael (born Georgious Kyriacos Panayiotou) together with Andrew Ridgeley amassed 11 top 100 singles on the Australian chart between 1983 and 1986, with all but two of those reaching the top 10.  "Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go" made it all the way to number 1 in Australia for seven non-consecutive weeks between July and September 1984.

At the height of Wham!'s fame, George launched his solo career with "Careless Whisper", which also went to number 1 in Australia for four weeks in September-October 1984.

Wham! split in 1986, and George released his debut solo album Faith (number 3, March 1988) the following year.  I am surprised that the Faith album did not top the Australian albums chart, though it was eventually certified five times platinum in 2004.

George's second solo album Listen without Prejudice Vol. 1 (number 2, September 1990) came three years later.  Unlike the singles from the Faith era, which were promoted heavily around George's image, George refused to appear in the music videos from Listen without Prejudice Vol. 1.  Perhaps, as a result, the singles were not as successful, overall, as those from Faith.

"Cowboys and Angels", George's fourteenth solo single to register a position on the Australian chart, was the fifth and final single lifted from Listen without Prejudice Vol. 1.  It followed "Praying for Time" (number 16, September 1990), "Freedom" (number 18, February 1991), "Waiting for That Day" (number 50, May 1991), and "Soul Free" (number 95, July 1991).

 

Internationally, "Cowboys and Angels" peaked at number 15 in Ireland in March 1991, number 45 in the UK in April 1991, number 20 in the Netherlands in May 1991, number 26 in the Flanders region of Belgium in May 1991, and number 36 in France in July 1991.

On the ARIA state charts, "Cowboys and Angels" performed strongest in Queensland, where it reached number 143.

I've checked out "Cowboys and Angels" on YouTube before, out of curiosity.  It's not terribly exciting, and not at all the kind of thing that would have appealed to George's once gaggle of screaming school girls fan-base.  I guess he tried to deliberately alienate this demographic with the Listen without Prejudice Vol. 1 era.  Fair enough, but, frankly, I find the song a bore.  Mercifully, the single version, embedded below, has been edited down from the 7 minute plus album version.

Of course, we tragically lost George on Christmas day in 2016, from heart disease, aged 53.

 

Given my interest in charts and current music severely wanes by the early 2000s, I doubt I will be writing these chart recaps when it comes to 2009.  But, in the unlikely event that I am, we'll next see George then!

 

Number 175 "I Feel" by The Cruel Sea

Peak: number 175

Peak date: 23 September 1991

Weeks on chart: 1 week

 

Aussie band The Cruel Sea formed in Sydney in late 1987.  Their debut album Down Below (number 133, April 1991) was released in December 1990, but no singles were issued from it.

"I Feel", the lead single from the band's second album This Is Not the Way Home (number 62, October 1992), was The Cruel Sea's first single release.  I didn't hear this one until music video TV program rage aired the video in 2015 as part of their tribute to James Cruickshank (born James Watson), the band's guitarist and keyboard player, who died from bowel cancer that year, aged 53.

 

I imagine that Triple J would have loved this track in 1991.  I like the song.  Lead singer Tex Perkins' (real name Gregory Perkins) vocals on it remind me a little bit of Crash Test Dummies singer Brad Roberts, with his deep voice.

 

I first became aware of The Cruel Sea via their first ARIA top 50 single, "Black Stick" (number 25, May 1993), which was lifted from their breakthrough album The Honeymoon Is Over (number 4, June 1993).

On the state charts, "I Feel" performed strongest in New South Wales/Australian Capital Territory, where it reached number 164.

We shall next see The Cruel Sea in August 1992, but, before then, we'll see Tex Perkins fronting Beasts of Bourbon in February 1992.  Tex was a busy boy, fronting both bands as well as later having his own solo career.

 

 

Number 182 "Dreams to Remember" by Robert Palmer

Peak: number 182

Peak date: 23 September 1991

Weeks on chart: 1 week

 

Robert Palmer last graced our presence in February 1991.

 

"Dreams to Remember", a cover version of Otis Redding's "I've Got Dreams to Remember" from 1968, was released as the fourth and final single in Australia from Robert's tenth studio album Don't Explain (number 29, January 1991).

 

"Dreams to Remember" peaked at number 68 in Robert's native UK in June 1991.

 

Domestically, "Dreams to Remember" was most successful in New South Wales/Australian Capital Territory, where it reached number 168.

 

I half-expected this song to be a cover version of the Milli Vanilli album track "Dreams to Remember".  Unfortunately, the music video embedded below is low quality, and I do not currently have a better source for it.  You can hear the audio more clearly on this official upload.

 

We will next see Robert in 1992.

Next week (30 September): Four top 150 debuts, and four bubbling WAY down under entries.

 

< Previous week: 16 September 1991                                  Next week: 30 September 1991 >

Week commencing 16 September 1991

Three of the eight songs I write about from this week in 1991 had multiple releases in Australia, which is unusual.  Shall we take a look?

 

Gloria Estefan: anything for a re-release.

 

Top 150 debuts:

 

Number 118 "Anything for You" by Gloria Estefan (1991 release)

Peak: number 118

Peak date: 16 September 1991

Weeks in top 150: 2 weeks

This single peaked at number 11 on 29 August 1988 when released a Gloria Estefan and Miami Sound Machine single.  Combining its 1988-89 and 1991 chart runs, "Anything for You" spent 32 weeks on the chart.

 

We last saw Gloria Estefan in May 1991.

I am not sure why "Anything for You" (number 11, August 1988), which was originally credited to Gloria Estefan and Miami Sound Machine, was given a re-release in Australia in 1991 as a solo Gloria Estefan single.  Does anyone reading this know why?  The original release had been a decent-sized hit a mere three years prior, and Gloria had since released two new albums.  Her then-current album, Into the Light (number 9, November 1991), charted reasonably well - although none of the singles from it peaked higher than number 56 locally.  Hmm... maybe I just answered my own question about why "Anything for You" was re-released.

"Anything for You" originally appeared on the Gloria Estefan and Miami Sound Machine album Let It Loose (number 88, November 1988), which was re-issued as Anything for You (number 92, June 1989) after the belated international success of the the latter album's title track.  Three other singles from the Let It Loose album charted in Australia: "Rhythm Is Gonna Get You" (number 54, August 1987), "1-2-3" (number 99, December 1988), and "Can't Stay Away from You" (number 60, June 1989).

The 1991 Australian release of the "Anything for You" single contained two previous Gloria 'hits' as B-sides: "Get on Your Feet" (number 98, October 1990) and "Seal Our Fate" (number 112, May 1991).

 

"Anything for You" peaked at number one on the US Billboard Hot 100 for two weeks in May 1988, number 10 in the UK in October 1988, number 2 in the Netherlands in March 1989, and number 5 in the Flanders region of Belgium in April 1989.

 

Within Australia, the "Anything for You" single was most-successful on the New South Wales/Australian Capital Territory and South Australia/Northern Territory state charts, where it reached number 6 during its original 1988-89 chart run.

 

Gloria will next join us in 1992.

 

 

Number 120 "Danger" by Candy Harlots (1991 EMI release)

Peak: number 107

Peak date: 21 October 1991

Weeks in top 150: 12 weeks

 

Glam metal/hard rock band Candy Harlots formed in Sydney in 1987.  "Danger" was the band's debut single, released independently in April 1990.  You can view the music video for the 1990 version here.

 

After signing to EMI, "Danger" was re-recorded, with beefier production, and issued as the band's first major label release.  While the single peaked outside the ARIA top 100, it spent a respectable 12 weeks inside the top 150.

To complicate matters further, "Danger" appeared as a track - branded the 'El Dorado Version' - on the EP Foreplay, which became Candy Harlots' first release to break into the ARIA top 50, peaking at number 17 in February 1992.

"Danger" went on to appear on Candy Harlots' debut - and only - studio album Five Wicked Ways (number 31, May 1992).

 

We'll next see Candy Harlots in 1992.

 

 

Number 122 "Do What You Want" by 2 in a Room

Peak: number 120

Peak date: 23 September 1991

Weeks in top 150: 5 weeks 

Another single with a complicated release history (that seems to be the theme this week) is this one from American hip-hop, freestyle, and hip house duo 2 in a Room.  The pair landed a major hit in Australia in early 1991 with "Wiggle It" (number 3, 1991).

 

"Do What You Want" was originally released in Australia, on 12" vinyl only, in April 1990.  You can view the music video filmed for the original release of the single here.  The first release of "Do What You Want" peaked at number 19 in the Netherlands in February 1990.

 

Following the release of "Wiggle It" and "She's Got Me Going Crazy" (number 72, April 1991), "Do What You Want" was remixed and re-issued.  The new single version of "Do What You Want" was remixed by C & C Music Factory, and a video I made by just re-syncing the original video to this mix is embedded below.  This release reached number 9 on the US Billboard Dance Club Songs chart in September 1991.

A version of "Do What You Want" appears on 2 in a Room's album Wiggle It (number 45, March 1991).  It was the only track retained from their earlier The Album Vol. 1 release in the US and some parts of continental Europe in 1989-1990.  However, a primitive instrumental version of "Wiggle It", titled "As It Grooves", also appeared on The Album Vol. 1.

We shall next see 2 in a Room in 1995.

 

 

 

Number 143 "It's a Shame" by S-Witch

Peak: number 105

Peak date: 14 October 1991

Weeks in top 150: 8 weeks

 

Australian group S-Witch were Alston Koch, whom we saw as Alston in November 1990, Michelle Farrugia, and Tambi Fernando.  Their songs were written by Alston and Tambi, and produced by Tambi.  I suspect that Michelle's role was largely to stand there and look pretty/make the visual aspect of the group more palatable, and she doesn't get many lines on the song (if that's even her singing, says cynical me...).

"It's a Shame" was the first of three S-Witch singles released, one per year, between 1991 and 1993.  The single narrowly missed the ARIA top 100, but peaked at number 99 on the Australian Music Report singles chart.  S-Witch did not release an album.

I would not have been aware of S-Witch at the time had it not been for this song's inclusion on the Hitz 4 U '92 compilation album, released in late 1991.  That became the sixth CD I ever purchased, after getting my first CD player for my birthday in November 1991.  Things were getting desperate when these various artists 'hits' compilation albums had to include songs that missed the top 100.

We will next hear from S-Witch in 1992.

 

 

Number 147 "The Dalai Lama" by Damien Lovelock

Peak: number 115 

Peak date: 18 November 1991

Weeks in top 150: 12 weeks

Damien Lovelock sang lead vocals in Australian band The Celibate Rifles, whom we have seen bubble under on three occasions so far, with the most-recent of those being in May 1990.

"The Dalai Lama" was Damien's first solo single... released under his full name!  He had previously released a version of "Disco Inferno" in April 1990, under the name of just Lovelock - it missed the top 150.

"The Dalai Lama" was was the first - and only - single from Damien's second, and last, solo studio album Fishgrass (number 147, December 1991).  I hadn't heard this one before; I don't particularly like it.

 

Damien went on to become a sports journalist and a yoga teacher.  He died from cancer in August 2019, aged 65.

 

While we won't see Damien as a solo artist again, he will return with The Celibate Rifles next in December 1991.

Number 150 "Twist and Shout" by Deacon Blue

Peak: number 130

Peak date: 23 September 1991

Weeks in top 150: 6 weeks

Weeks on chart: 6 weeks

We last saw Scottish band Deacon Blue in June 1991.

 

"Twist and Shout" was the second single lifted from the band's third studio album Fellow Hoodlums (number 148, August 1991).  Internationally, the single peaked at number 10 in the UK in August 1991, and at number 13 in Ireland.

Within Australia, "Twist and Shout" performed strongest in Western Australia, where it reached number 64.  Each Deacon Blue single since "Wages Day" (number 79, May 1989) peaked higher in Western Australia than on the other state charts, up until their next charting release.

 

Deacon Blue's next single "Closing Time" was issued locally in November 1991, but did not chart in Australia.  Following this, their previous charting 'hit', "Your Swaying Arms", was re-issued in February 1992. 

 

We will next see Deacon Blue in 1993.

 

Bubbling WAY down under:

 

Number 163 "This Time Make It Funky" by Tracie Spencer

Peak: number 163

Peak date: 16 September 1991

Weeks on chart: 1 week

 

American singer Tracie Spencer was a mere 14 years old when she landed her biggest hit, and only single to dent the ARIA top 100, "This House" (number 87, June 1991).  But Tracie actually released her first album in 1988, aged just 11.  I became familiar with "This House" through listening to the American Top 40 radio show - it's one of my favourite early 90s r&b/new jack swing tracks.  "This House" reached number 3 on the US Billboard Hot 100 in March 1991.

"This Time Make It Funky" was the second single released in Australia from Tracie's second studio album Make the Difference (number 151, August 1991).  The single peaked at number 54 on the US Billboard Hot 100 in June 1991, and at number 48 in New Zealand in August 1991.

On the ARIA state charts, "This Time Make It Funky" was most successful in New South Wales/Australian Capital Territory, where it reached number 155.

 

I think I heard this one at the time, possibly catching the video on Coca-Cola Power Cuts, but it was a bit different to how I remembered it.

Tracie will join us one more time, but not until 1999.

 

 

 

Number 185 "Step to Me (Do Me)" by Mantronix

Peak: number 185

Peak date: 16 September 1991

Weeks on chart: 1 week

 

Mantronix last graced our presence in February 1990.  Since then, they released two singles in Australia that did not chart: "Take Your Time" (released in July 1990) and "Don't Go Messin' with My Heart" (May 1991).

"Step to Me (Do Me)", with Angie Stone on vocals, was the second single lifted from the group's fifth and final studio album The Incredible Sound Machine (released in Australia in July 1991, did not chart).  Internationally, the single peaked at number 59 in the UK in June 1991.

Domestically, "Step to Me..." peaked highest in New South Wales/Australian Capital Territory, where it reached number 165.

 

I hadn't heard this one before.  It's not bad.

 

This was the last Mantronix single to chart in Australia.

 

 

Next week (23 September): Another six top 150 debuts, and three bubbling WAY down under entries.

< Previous week: 9 September 1991                                    Next week: 23 September 1991 >

Week commencing 9 September 1991

This week in 1991's new batch of songs peaking outside the ARIA top 100 are an interesting bunch.  Among them we have a 'hit single' that wasn't, a song that spent 30 weeks (!) on the chart despite climbing no higher than number 147, and two singles that had two separate chart lives, with slightly different artist credits each time.  We also have two artist names beginning with the letter Z.  Shall we take a look?

 

Zoë trip trip tripped away for 30 weeks outside the ARIA top 100.

  

Top 150 debuts:

 

Number 115 "The Eve of the War" (Ben Liebrand Remix) by Jeff Wayne

Peak: number 112

Peak date: 30 September 1991

Weeks in top 150: 4 weeks

This single peaked at number 118 on 19 March 1990 and spent 8 weeks in the top 150 then, when credited to Ben Liebrand.

 

We saw Dutch DJ and remixer Ben Liebrand chart with this track, where he received the sole artist credit, in February 1990.   This time, for reasons I cannot ascertain, "The Eve of the War" was credited to Jeff Wayne, with a Ben Liebrand Remix tag, although the song is exactly the same as the previous Ben Liebrand release.  The re-release of this track presumably had something to do with the War of the Worlds soundtrack, from which the song is lifted, peaking at number 4 on the ARIA albums chart in September 1991, after originally peaking at number 1 for 7 weeks in October-November 1978.  One thing I just learnt is that this soundtrack was number 1 on the Australian charts when I was born.

The Ben Liebrand remix of "The Eve of the War" peaked at number 9 in the Netherlands in June 1989, number 38 in the Flanders region of Belgium in June 1989, number 3 in the UK in December 1989, and number 3 in Ireland.

To me, this mix of "The Eve of the War" sounds very much like Rock Eisteddfod music.

 

 

Number 117 "Miles to Go" by Nick Barker and The Reptiles

Peak: number 103

Peak date: 23 September 1991

Weeks in top 150: 5 weeks

 

Between 1989 and 1991, Australian rock band Nick Barker and The Reptiles placed six singles on the ARIA top 100.  Their version of Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel's "Make Me Smile (Come Up and See Me)" was the only one to dent the top 50, however, reaching number 30 in November 1989.

 

"Miles to Go" was the third single lifted from Nick and the gang's second studio album After the Show (number 33, April 1991).  It followed "Won't Get You Loved" (number 53, April 1991) and "Can't Hold On" (number 84, May 1991).

I don't recall hearing this one before.

We'll next see Nick, solo and credited as just 'Barker' (taking a leaf out of Diesel's book?), in 1994.

 

Number 126 "Promise Me" by Beverley Craven

Peak: number 117

Peak dates: 23 September 1991 and 30 September 1991

Weeks in top 150: 5 weeks

 

Sri Lankan-born British singer-songwriter Beverley Craven released her debut album Beverley Craven (number 141, July 1991) in Europe in 1990.  Initially, the album was not a success in the UK, but her debut single "Promise Me" became a top 10 hit in the Netherlands (number 7, October 1990) and the Flanders region of Belgium (number 2, November 1990).

 

After continental European success, "Promise Me" eventually peaked at number 3 in the UK in May 1991, and the album reached number 3 the following month, spending a year on the chart and selling over 600,000 copies.  "Promise Me" would also go on to peak at number 6 in France in June 1991.

In Australia, Beverley's chart success was much more subdued, and "Promise Me" would become her only single to dent the ARIA top 150.  I don't recall hearing this one at the time, but it could have been a hit if it had radio support (which I am assuming it didn't).  "Promise Me" peaked at number 98 on the Australian Music Report singles chart.

"Promise Me" was re-issued in Australia in March 1992, but did not re-enter the top 150.  Two other singles, "Memories" (May 1992) and "Holding On" (August 1992), were released locally, but missed the top 150.

Beverley released her last album in 2018, and was also treated for breast cancer in the same year.

 

 

 

Number 137 "Hit Single" by Joe Jackson

Peak: number 129

Peak date: 23 September 1991

Weeks in top 150: 6 weeks

 

We last saw English singer-songwriter Joe Jackson in April 1991. 

The ironically titled "Hit Single", which only charted in Australia - and outside the top 100 at that - was the second release from Joe's eleventh studio album Laughter & Lust (number 57, September 1991).

 

While "Hit Single" may not have become a hit, Joe embarked on a tour of Australia in September 1991, prompting his 1990 compilation Stepping Out - The Very Best of Joe Jackson (number 13, September 1991) to re-enter the chart and reach a new peak.

"Hit Single" would be Joe's last single to dent the ARIA top 150.

 

 

Number 147 "Senza Una Donna (Without a Woman)" by Zucchero & Paul Young

Peak: number 113

Peak date: 23 September 1991

Weeks in top 150: 8 weeks 

This single peaked at number 42 on 22 June 1992, and spent 17 weeks on the chart, when re-released as a Paul Young single in 1992.

 

Italian singer-songwriter Adelmo Fornaciari, better known by his stage name Zucchero Fornaciari - or just Zucchero, began his musical career in 1970, after abandoning his studies to become a veterinarian.  He was part of several bands before launching a solo career in 1982.  We last saw English singer-songwriter Paul Young in February 1991.

"Senza Una Donna", which translates as 'without a woman', was originally recorded solo in Italian for Zucchero's fourth album Blue in 1987.  The track was re-recorded with Paul Young in 1990, with additional lyrics in English, and released as a single the following year.

"Senza Una Donna (Without a Woman)" peaked at number 4 in the UK in May 1991, number 2 in Ireland, number 2 in Germany in June 1991, number 2 in the Netherlands in June 1991, number 1 in the Flanders region of Belgium in June 1991, number 1 in Sweden in July 1991, number 1 in Norway, number 2 in Switzerland in July 1991, number 8 in Austria in July 1991, number 2 in France in August 1991, and number 14 in Canada in December 1991.

"Senza Una Donna..." was initially released as a Zucchero single in Australia, with a solo Zucchero track on the B-side.  The single crept into the Australian Music Report top 100 singles chart, reaching number 97 for one week in September 1991.

The single was re-issued locally in May 1992 to coincide with Paul Young's promotional visit to Australia to promote his best of compilation album From Time to Time: The Singles Collection (number 6, June 1992).  This time, it was treated as a Paul Young release, with two previous Paul Young hits on the CD single: "Everything Must Change" (number 27, February 1985) and "Wherever I Lay My Hat (That's My Home)" (number 9, September 1983).  This mini-Greatest Hits EP, combined with a special $1.95 price for the CD single, enticed enough people to buy "Senza Una Donna (Without a Woman)" for it to reach a much higher peak of number 42, in June 1992.

The re-release of "Senza Una Donna..." also resulted in the Zucchero album peaking at number 141 in July 1992.  On the state charts, "Senza Una Donna..." performed strongest in New South Wales/Australian Capital Territory, where it reached number 32.

We shall next see Paul Young in October 1991.

 

 

Number 149 "Sunshine on a Rainy Day" by Zoë

Peak: number 147

Peak date: 6 January 1992

Weeks in top 150: 4 weeks

Weeks on chart: 30 weeks

 

English singer-songwriter Zoë Pollock, known professionally as just Zoë, launched her recording career with "Sunshine on a Rainy Day", a track produced by and co-written with her then-partner Martin Glover (better known as Youth), in 1990.  The 1990 version of the track stalled at number 53 in the UK in December 1990.

 

Following a remix by Mark 'Spike' Stent, "Sunshine on a Rainy Day" was re-released in 1991, together with a new music video (embedded below).  The 1991 release peaked at number 4 in the UK in September 1991, number 9 in Ireland, and number 40 in Sweden in November 1991.  The track was lifted from Zoë's debut album Scarlet Red and Blue (number 193, May 1992).

 

In Australia, "Sunshine on a Rainy Day" had quite a protracted chart life for a single that barely crept into the top 150.  Debuting at number 161 on 27 May 1991, the single took more than seven months to reach its eventual peak of number 147 in early 1992.  Even more unusually, during that time, the single only spent 4 of its 30 weeks on the chart within the top 150, none of which were consecutive.

 

"Sunshine on a Rainy Day" was most-popular in South Australia/Northern Territory, where it reached number 51.  The single's staggered chart run was partly due to it peaking at different times on the state charts, reaching its peak in September 1991 in Queensland and South Australia/Northern Territory, December 1991 in Victoria/Tasmania, and January 1992 in New South Wales/Australian Capital Territory and Western Australia.

On the Australian Music Report chart, "Sunshine on a Rainy Day" crept into the top 100 in September 1991, peaking at number 93; 54 places higher than its ARIA peak.

Zoë's "Sunshine on a Rainy Day" is one of few singles that have three different music videos filmed for it.  There's the original 1990 version, linked in the first paragraph above, the 1991 video linked below, and a third video filmed for the US release in 1992 here.  There's also a video for the 12" version released in the US - take your pick!

I am a bit surprised that "Sunshine on a Rainy Day" was not a hit in Australia, as it received some airplay - at least in Melbourne, on the supposedly-voted-for-by-listeners Hot 30 Countdown, which I think was hosted by Ugly Phil at the time.

While Zoë's version of the song was technically not a hit in Australia (although its chart longevity blurs the lines a bit), the song would have a second lease of life when recorded by other artists.  Naomi Campbell recorded a version for her 1994 album Babywoman, as did Emma Bunton for her debut solo album A Girl Like Me (number 86, May 2001) in 2001.  Christine Anu landed a number 26 hit in Australia with her version of "Sunshine on a Rainy Day" in June 2000.

Zoë will join us again in 1992.

 

Bubbling WAY down under:

 

Number 155 "Got It Bad" by Keith Urban

Peak: number 155

Peak date: 9 September 1991

Weeks on chart: 3 weeks

 

We last saw Keith Urban in June 1991. 

 

Keith's third single "Got It Bad" was the second issued from his debut album Keith Urban (number 98, October 1991).  The single performed strongest in Queensland, where it reached number 108.

Regular readers will know that I am not particularly fond of country music, and "Got It Bad" does not sway me.

Keith will next join us in 1997.

 

 

 

Next week (16 September): Six top 150 debuts and two bubbling WAY down under entries.

 

< Previous week: 2 September 1991                                   Next week: 16 September 1991 >

Kent Music Report beyond the top 100: 7 September 1981

This week in 1981, there were seven new songs bubbling under the Australian top 100 that could not make their way onto the chart.  Let's take a look at them.

 

Carole Bayer Sager was moving out of the top 100 in 1981.

 

Beyond the top 100:

 

Position 27 "Spellbound" by Siouxsie & The Banshees

Highest rank: 17th

Peak date: 21 September 1981

Weeks on below list: 3 weeks

British band Siouxsie & The Banshees, led by Siouxsie Sioux (real name Susie Ballion), formed in 1976.  The group landed two top 40 singles in Australia, 12 years apart, with "Hong Kong Garden" (number 38, September 1979) and "Kiss Them for Me" (number 40, September 1991).  Only one other Siouxsie & The Banshees single troubled the Australian top 100 - "Dear Prudence" (number 44, January 1984).

"Spellbound" was the lead single from Siouxsie & The Banshee's fourth studio album Juju, which did not chart in Australia.  Internationally, the single peaked at number 22 in the UK in June 1981, and at number 47 in New Zealand in August 1981.

Siouxsie & The Banshees will next join us in 1989.

 

Position 28 "She Made a Monkey out of Me" by Allniters

Highest rank: 8th

Peak date: 5 October 1981

Weeks on below list: 5 weeks

 

Sydney ska band Allniters formed in 1980.  "She Made a Monkey out of Me" was the band's first single.  The track did not appear on their debut album D-D-D-Dance (number 18, October 1983), though made its way onto the compilation Rarities & B-Sides.

 

Allniters' commercial breakthrough came in 1983, when their fourth single "Hold On" peaked at number 40 in May of that year.  Their next single, a cover version of Bobby Bloom's "Montego Bay", peaked at number 19 in October 1983, becoming Allniters' biggest hit.

We shall next see Allniters in 1984.

 

Position 31 "One Track Mind" by The Swingers

Highest rank: 7th

Peak dates: 28 September 1981 and 5 October 1981

Weeks on below list: 7 weeks

 

New Zealand band The Swingers formed in 1979.  Led by Phil Judd, who was a founding member of Split Enz, The Swingers landed the best-charting single of 1981 (the Kent Music Report-era year-end charts were based on chart runs rather than sales) in Australia with "Counting the Beat", which spent three weeks at number 1 in March 1981.

 

The only other single The Swingers placed in the top 100 in Australia was "It Ain't What You Dance, It's the Way You Dance It" (number 43, July 1981).

"One Track Mind" was the third and final single from The Swingers' only album Practical Jokers (number 70, October 1981).  The single peaked at number 27 in New Zealand in October 1981.

The Swingers split in 1982.  Two of the original band members, Buster Stiggs (real name Mark Hough) and Bones Hillman (real name Wayne Stevens) have since died from cancer, in 2018 and 2020, respectively, aged 63 and 62.  Bones went on to join Midnight Oil in 1987.

 

 

 

Position 33 "Anyone Who Had a Heart" by Gillian Eastoe

Highest rank: 22nd

Peak date: 21 September 1981

Weeks on below list: 3 weeks

 

Written by Burt Bacharach and Hal David, "Anyone Who Had a Heart" was originally recorded by Dionne Warwick in 1963.  This version, performed by Australian singer Gillian Eastoe, was Gillian's only single to (almost) chart in Australia.  Gillian later went on to record several children's albums for the ABC.

 

 

Position 34 "Stronger Than Before" by Carole Bayer Sager

Highest rank: 24th

Peak date: 14 September 1981

Weeks on below list: 2 weeks

 

Speaking of Burt Bacharach, American singer-songwriter Carole Bayer Sager was married to him between 1982 and 1991!

Carole scored a major hit in Australia with "You're Moving out Today", which was number 1 for four weeks in September-October 1977.  "You're Moving Out Today" was more-successful in Australia than in any other country.  While two other singles of hers dented the Australian top 100, neither of these peaked higher than number 82.

 

Carole may not have had an enduring solo recording career of her own, but she shares writing credits on many songs that became big hits for other artists.  Among them are Christopher Cross' "Arthur's Theme (The Best That You Can Do)" (number 13, December 1981), Carly Simon "Nobody Does It Better" (number 8, February 1978), Phil Collins' "A Groovy Kind of Love" (number 2, October 1988), and Dionne Warwick & Friends' "That's What Friends Are For" (number 1, March 1986) - to name but a few!

  

"Stronger Than Before" was lifted from Carole's third and final solo studio album Sometimes Late at Night.  I cannot find evidence of the single charting elsewhere.

 

Position 36 "Don't Call Us" by The Eighty Eights

Highest rank: 20th

Peak date: 28 September 1981

Weeks on below list: 5 weeks

 

The Eighty Eights were an Australian band, formed in Newcastle in New South Wales.  The band placed one single on the Australian top 100, "(She Fell in) Love with James Bond" (number 82, June 1981).  Larry Van Kriedt, who performed vocals and played guitar for the band, was the original bass player for AC/DC in 1973-4.

"Don't Call Us", produced by Dragon's Todd Hunter, was the band's third single.  It appears on their only album Top of the World (number 79, September 1981).

Unfortunately, there is nowhere to listen to this song - which I have not heard before - online that I could find.

 

 

Position 37 "Missing Person" by Mi-Sex

Highest rank: 2nd

Peak dates: 28 September 1981 and 5 October 1981

Weeks on below list: 9 weeks

 

New Zealand band Mi-Sex formed in 1978.  Their second single, "Computer Games", went to number 1 in Australia for one week in November 1979.  Between 1979 and 1984, Mi-Sex placed 11 singles on the Australian top 100.  My favourite Mi-Sex single is, of course, one that did not chart - or even make the bubbling under list - in Australia, "5 O'Clock (In the Morning)", which was released locally in May 1984.

 

"Missing Person" was the second single from Mi-Sex's third album Shanghaied (number 28, November 1981).  It followed "Falling in and out" (number 20, July 1981).  "Missing Person" did not chart elsewhere.

 

Mi-Sex front man Steve Gilpin died in January 1992, aged 42, after spending seven weeks in a coma following a car accident in November 1991, while driving home from a gig.

 

 

Next week (14 September): This post concludes my 1981 Kent Music Report beyond the top 100 chart recaps.  You can read my post for the next week, which I wrote in 2021, here.

 

< Previous week: 31 August 1981                                        Next week: 14 September 1981 >