Week commencing 17 February 1992

There is no common thread linking this week in 1992's debuts peaking outside the top 100, so let's just dive straight in.

 

Dire Straits really were in 'dire straits' with their chart position for their latest single.

 

Top 150 debuts:

 

Number 118 "On Every Street" by Dire Straits

Peak: number 109

Peak date: 24 February 1992

Weeks in top 150: 4 weeks

 

Between 1978 and 1991, English rock band Dire Straits placed 13 singles on the Australian chart, with the Twisting by the Pool EP (number 2, February 1983) being their highest-peaking hit. 

"On Every Street" was the title track from the band's sixth and final studio album On Every Street (number 1, September 1991).  It followed "Calling Elvis" (number 8, September 1991) and "Heavy Fuel" (number 26, December 1991).

 

Internationally, "On Every Street" peaked at number 42 in the UK in February 1992, number 42 in the Netherlands in March 1992, and number 23 in France in April 1992.

 

The single performed stronger on the Australian Music Report singles chart, where it reached number 80.

This would be Dire Straits' only single to peak in the 101-150 region of the ARIA singles chart, although (spoiler alert) they had a 1986 single that made the Kent Music Report beyond the top 100 list.

I don't recall hearing this one before.  It takes over three minutes to reach its crescendo, which probably isn't a great thing for a commercial single.

 

 

Number 122 "In My Life" by Bette Midler

Peak: number 107

Peak date: 2 March 1992

Weeks in top 150: 6 weeks

Weeks on chart: 6 weeks

 

We last saw American singer and actress Bette Midler in 1991. 

"In My Life" was the second and final single lifted from the For the Boys soundtrack (number 44, February 1992); the movie for which Bette also played a starring role in.  The song is a cover version of a track originally recorded by The Beatles in 1965.  It followed "Every Road Leads Back to You" (number 74, February 1992).

 

While I cannot find evidence of "In My Life" charting on any other sales-based chart, it did reach number 20 on the US Billboard Adult Contemporary chart in May 1992.

 

Within Australia, "In My Life" was most popular in Queensland, where it reached number 68.

We'll next see Bette in 1995.

 

 

Number 125 "So Real" by Love Decade

Peak: number 121

Peak date: 9 March 1992

Weeks in top 150: 7 weeks 

English electronic dance group Love Decade formed in 1991, and "So Real" was their second single, though their first Australian release.  It was the group's only release to trouble the ARIA top 150.

Internationally, "Love Decade" peaked at number 14 in the UK in November 1991, becoming their biggest hit there.  It also reached number 25 in Ireland in December 1991.

 

I have heard this one before, though wouldn't have known it at the time.

 

 

Number 135 "Sunless Saturday" by Fishbone

Peak: number 135

Peak date: 17 February 1992

Weeks in top 150: 1 week

 

American rock band Fishbone formed in 1979.  "Sunless Saturday" was issued as a single locally at the start of July 1991, though somehow took seven and a half months to register a place in the top 150 - for one week only, at that.  It was the band's first release to chart in Australia.

 

"Sunless Saturday" is lifted from the band's third studio album The Reality of My Surroundings (number 136, July 1991).

 

I cannot find evidence of this single charting elsewhere, other than on the US Billboard Alternative Airplay chart, where it reached number 7 in May 1991.

 

We shall see Fishbone again next week!

Number 140 "Runaway Bay" by Ghostwriters

Peak: number 117

Peak date: 9 March 1992

Weeks in top 150: 7 weeks

 

Australian band Ghostwriters formed in 1990, as essentially a side project between Midnight Oil's drummer Rob Hirst and Hoodoo Gurus' bassist Richard Grossman.  Neither artist was credited on the liner notes for their debut album Ghostwriters (number 96, January 1992), however, given they wished to initially remain anonymous.  Session musicians on the album were credited by their first name and surname initial.

Ghostwriters' debut single "...Someone's Singing New York New York" (number 29, December 1991) dented the ARIA top 30.  It would become their only single to enter the top 100.

 

We shall next see Ghostwriters in June.

 

 

Number 147 "Cruelest Plague" by Helvelln

Peak: number 118

Peak date: 9 March 1992

Weeks in top 150: 8 weeks 

Sometimes, the timing of my posts is quite lucky.  The (audio only) video embedded below for this track was uploaded to YouTube just a month ago - without this, I wouldn't be able to hear this track or share it with you.

Helvelln were an Australian band, composed of members Andy Papadopoulos, Jeremy Gronow, and Nick Green.  They released just one album Helvelln (number 136, September 1991), from which this track is lifted.  While it's not the sort of music I'd normally listen to, I didn't mind this one.  It would be the band's only ARIA top 150 single.

A reader has kindly informed me that Helvelln won the national Australian University band competition in 1991, and the prize was a recording session, from which "Cruelest Plague" resulted.

 

 

Number 150 "The Way I Feel About You" by Karyn White

Peak: number 150

Peak date: 17 February 1992

Weeks in top 150: 1 week

Weeks on chart: 5 weeks

 

We last saw American singer Karyn White in her own right in 1989, and as a featured artist in 1991.

"The Way I Feel About You" was the second single lifted from Karyn's second album Ritual of Love (number 152, October 1991).  It followed "Romantic" (number 68, October 1991), which topped the US Billboard Hot 100 in November 1991, and was Karyn's only ARIA top 100 entry.

 

Internationally, "The Way I Feel About You" peaked at number 65 in the UK in January 1992, number 12 on the US Billboard Hot 100 in February 1992, and number 47 in New Zealand in March 1992.

 

Within Australia, "The Way I Feel About You" was most successful in New South Wales/Australian Capital Territory, where it reached number 136.

Karyn will join us for one last visit in 1994.

  

Bubbling WAY down under:

 

Number 162 "Sweet Soul Music" by London Boys

Peak: number 152

Peak date: 2 March 1992

Weeks on chart: 5 weeks

We last saw London Boys in 1989.

 

"Sweet Soul Music", credited to Soul Kitchen featuring London Boys in some markets, was the title track from London Boys' second album Sweet Soul Music, which was released in Australia in February 1992 but did not chart.

 

Internationally, "Sweet Soul Music" peaked at number 11 in Austria in September 1991, and number 81 in Germany in October 1991.

 

Domestically, "Sweet Soul Music" was most successful in Victoria/Tasmania, where it reached number 141.

This was London Boys' last release to chart in Australia.

Number 182 "I Can't Wait" by Stevie Nicks (1992 release)

Peak: number 182

Peak date: 17 February 1992

Weeks on chart: 1 week

This single originally peaked at number 20 in February 1986 and spent 18 weeks in the top 100.

 

We last saw American singer-songwriter Stevie Nicks in 1981.

 

"I Can't Wait" was originally released in Australia in December 1985, as the lead single from Stevie's third solo album Rock a Little (number 5, June 1986).  The single appears to have been issued in Australia before other countries, and we even received an exclusive, earlier edit of the music video, which I have embedded as the second video below, as it is blocked on YouTube.   In other markets, "Talk to Me" (number 22, April 1986) was released as the first Rock a Little single.

"I Can't Wait" was re-issued in Europe in late 1991 as the second single from Stevie's first compilation album Timespace - The Best of Stevie Nicks (number 13, December 1991) - an album I toyed with buying at the time, but did not.  The re-issue of "I Can't Wait" peaked at number 47 in the UK in November 1991, bettering its original peak there of number 54 in February 1986.

 

"I Can't Wait" received a re-release in Australia in January 1992, as the follow-up to "Sometimes It's a Bitch" (number 18, November 1991).  The 1992 issue of the single performed strongest in New South Wales/Australian Capital Territory, where it reached number 163.

One of my favourite Stevie quotes is regarding the "I Can't Wait" music video.  Posting it here in full for you: "I look at that video, I look at my eyes, and I say to myself, 'Could you have laid off the pot, the coke and the tequila for three days, so you could have looked a little better?  It just makes me want to go back into that video and stab myself."

We shall next see Stevie in 1994.

The Australian edit of the "I Can't Wait" music video:

Next week (24 February): Four top 150 debuts, and two bubbling WAY down under entries.

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