It became apparent as I was writing this post that one thing all but one of this week in 1992's new entries have in common is that I did not hear them at the time - at least that I remember! It's quite possible that I heard those that dented the US top 40, as I used to listen to the American Top 40 radio show with Shadoe Stevens back then, but I have no recollection of the songs in question. Perhaps you heard them in 1992? Let's take a look...
Lenny Kravitz: draggin' around just outside the ARIA top 100.
Top 150 debuts:
Number 116 "Stop Draggin' Around" by Lenny Kravitz
Peak: number 101
Peak date: 18 May 1992
Weeks in top 150: 5 weeks
Weeks on chart: 6 weeks
American singer-songwriter Lenny Kravitz, born Leonard Albert Kravitz, burst onto the Australian chart in November 1989 with his debut single "Let Love Rule" (number 36, January 1990), and the Let Love Rule album the following month (number 45, February 1990). He followed it up with the singles "I Build This Garden for Us" (number 83, March 1990) and "Mr. Cab Driver" (released in Australia in May 1990, did not chart).
"Stop Draggin' Around" was issued as the fourth single from Lenny's second album Mama Said (number 10, July 1991). It was preceded by the singles "Always on the Run" (number 43, June 1991), "It Ain't Over 'til It's Over" (number 10, August 1991), and "Stand by My Woman" (number 46, October 1991). Interestingly, this single does not appear to have received a commercial release anywhere other than in Australia and New Zealand. It did not chart elsewhere.
On the state charts, "Stop Draggin' Around" performed strongest in Victoria/Tasmania, where it reached number 89. I don't recall hearing this one at the time, though probably caught the video, which uses a live performance, on rage. You can listen to the studio version here.
We shall next see Lenny in 1996.
Number 131 "Fait Accompli" by Curve
Peak: number 121
Peak dates: 18 May 1992 and 25 May 1992
Weeks in top 150: 6 weeks
Weeks on chart: 6 weeks
We first saw English duo Curve in November 1991. "Fait Accompli" was the lead single from the band's first album Doppelganger (number 136, May 1992). It was the pair's only single to crack the ARIA top 150, performing strongest in New South Wales/Australian Capital Territory, where it reached number 94.
Internationally, "Fait Accompli" peaked at number 29 in Ireland in February 1992, and number 22 in the UK in March 1992. If the Wikipedia page for the single is accurate, this was apparently one of the first singles to chart in the UK without being available on the 7" vinyl format.
I don't recall hearing this one at the time, but have seen the video on rage a couple of times in the interim years.
We will next see Curve in August 1992.
Number 144 "Je T'aime Mélancolie" by Mylène Farmer
Peak: number 142
Peak date: 18 May 1992
Weeks in top 150: 2 weeks
French singer, or should that be chanteuse, Mylène Farmer, born Mylène Jeanne Gautier, released her first single in France in 1984. "Je Taime Mélancolie", which translates as 'I love you melancholy', appears to have been Mylène's first release in Australia, and her only one to crack the ARIA top 150.
I did actually hear/see this one at the time, catching an airing of the video on Video Smash Hits. Internationally, the single peaked at number 3 in France in February 1992, and number 70 in Germany in March 1992. The track was lifted from Mylène's third studio album L'autre..., which translates as 'the other'.
Mylène released another single in Australia in August 1992, "Disénchantée", but that missed the top 150.
Perhaps the most interesting thing I can tell you about this release is that I received a follow request from Mylène (her official account) on Instagram, on my 'personal' account, some years ago, which I found rather... intriguing!
Songs sung in French are a rarity on the Australian chart, though we have seen two singles sung in French bubble under previously, in December 1989 and April 1990. The only other examples from around this time I can think of are Enigma's "Sadeness Part 1" (number 2, March 1991), which was only partly in French, and Vanessa Paradis' "Joe Le Taxi" - which missed the national chart (before it extended beyond number 100), but made number 79 on the Western Australia state chart in July 1988. Of course, Plastic Bertrand scored a number 2 hit here in January 1979 with "Ça Plane Pour Moi". There was also Kylie Minogue's "Je Ne Sais Pas Pourquoi" (number 11, December 1988), but only the title was sung in French.
Edit - a reader reminded me of Jordy's "Dur Dur D'être Bébé!" (number 37, January 1994), another song sung in French that charted in Australia. How could I have forgotten that one?! We will actually see Jordy bubble under at the end of 1993.
Number 147 "Mama I'm Coming Home" by Ozzy Osbourne
Peak: number 127
Peak date: 22 June 1992
Weeks in top 150: 8 weeks
We last saw Ozzy Osbourne bubble under in October 1991. This was his final solo single to crack the ARIA top 150, though he would score several later charting albums. "Mama I'm Coming Home" was lifted from Ozzy's sixth solo studio album No More Tears (number 49, October 1991).
Internationally, "Mama I'm Coming Home" peaked at number 46 in the UK in November 1991, number 27 in Germany in February 1992, number 42 in Austria in February 1992, number 62 in Switzerland, number 28 in the US in April 1992, and number 48 in New Zealand in June 1992.
I don't recall hearing this one before. I actually enjoyed it more than I was expecting to, though it's not something I would actively seek out.
Ozzy was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease, which a family member of mine has also recently been diagnosed with, in 2019.
Bubbling WAY down under:
Number 185 "On a Sunday Afternoon" by Lighter Shade of Brown featuring Shiro and intro by Huggy Boy
Peak: number 162
Peak date: 11 May 1992
Weeks on chart: 6 weeks
American hip-hop duo Lighter Shade of Brown, also known as A Lighter Shade of Brown and LSOB, formed in California in 1989. "On a Sunday Afternoon" was lifted from the group's debut album Brown & Proud, which did not chart in Australia.
Internationally, "On a Sunday Afternoon" peaked at number 39 in the US in February 1992, number 1 in New Zealand for two weeks in April and May 1992, and 49 in the Netherlands in September 1992. I find it interesting that New Zealand seemed much more receptive to hip-hop tracks than Australia in the late 1980s and early 1990s.
Within Australia, "On a Sunday Afternoon" performed strongest in Western Australia, where it reached number 140.
I don't recall hearing "On a Sunday Afternoon" before, but the music sounded familiar to me, as it samples The Rascals' "Groovin'", which peaked at number 4 in Australia in 1967, and I must have heard before.
Lighter Shade of Brown would eventually crack the top 100 in Australia with "Spill the Rhyme" (number 90, July 1993), and landed their biggest hit with "Hey DJ" (number 12, July 1994).
We shall see Lighter Shade of Brown bubble under next in 1993.
Number 192 "Breakin' My Heart (Pretty Brown Eyes)" by Mint Condition
Peak: number 192
Peak date: 4 May 1992
Weeks on chart: 1 week
American r&b group Mint Condition formed in Minneapolis in 1985. Their first recordings, however, were not released until 1991. "Breakin' My Heart (Pretty Brown Eyes)" was the second single, and their first Australian release, from their debut album Meant to Be Mint, which does not appear to have been released locally. This track was the band's only charting release in Australia, performing strongest in New South Wales/Australian Capital Territory, where it reached number 183.
Internationally, "Breakin' My Heart (Pretty Brown Eyes)" peaked at number 6 on the US Billboard Hot 100 in April 1992.
As with Ozzy Osbourne above, I enjoyed this track more than I was expecting to, though it's not something I would actively seek out.
Next week (11 May): Four new top 150 entries and three bubbling WAY down under debuts.
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