Before diving into this week's posts, I wish to pay tribute to regular blog reader Brad Niemann, who suddenly and unexpectedly passed away on 13 May 2024. Brad is responsible for obtaining about half of the 'bubbling WAY down under' peaks outside the top 150 I include in my blog posts, which is why some of these songs/artists are new to me. Brad and I crossed paths almost a decade ago, and we shared an interest in low-charting/'flop' singles. While there was some overlap in our musical tastes, Brad was more into metal/rock than I am (I am generally more into dance/pop/indie), and so our tastes complemented each other. This blog would showcase a less-diverse range of artists without Brad's input. He will be greatly missed.
I have updated some previous posts with newly-uncovered bubbling WAY down under entries:
* 26 June 1989 - two new bubbling WAY down under entries from Etta James;
* 13 November 1989 - a new bubbling WAY down under entry from Guy Pearce
This week in 1992 sees a bunch of new entries for which I can identify no common theme, so let's just dive straight in...
Kenny Loggins' hair in 1992 definitely belonged in the "danger zone".
Top 150 debuts:
Number 114 "Time to Make You Mine" by Lisa Stansfield
Peak: number 114
Peak date: 25 May 1992
Weeks in top 150: 5 weeks
Weeks on chart: 9 weeks
We last saw English songstress Lisa Stansfield in 1990.
"Time to Make You Mine" was the third single lifted from Lisa's second solo album Real Love (number 40, January 1992), following "Change" (number 21, November 1991) and "All Woman" (number 52, March 1992).
Internationally, "Time to Make You Mine" peaked at number 14 in the UK, number 33 in Switzerland, number 47 in the Netherlands, and number 47 in the Flanders region of Belgium - all in April 1992.
Domestically, "Time to Make You Mine" performed strongest in Victoria/Tasmania, where it reached number 86.
I caught the video for "Time to Make You Mine" once on rage as a new release, before the top 60 chart run started. That was the only time I heard or saw the song at the time. I can't place my finger on it, but "Time to Make You Mine" reminds me of another song, musically.
We will next see Lisa in July 1992.
Number 120 "Never Look Back" by Maybe Dolls
Peak: number 114
Peak date: 1 June 1992
Weeks in top 150: 8 weeks
Weeks on chart: 11 weeks
We saw Australian band The Numbers, formed by siblings Annalisse and Chris Morrow bubble under in 1981. The pair formed Maybe Dolls in 1991, with Annalisse still on lead vocals. Maybe Dolls landed two top 40 hits in Australia, with their debut single "Nervous Kid" (number 32, December 1991), and its follow-up "Cool Jesus" (number 31, March 1992).
"Never Look Back" was the third single lifted from the band's debut, and only, album Propaganda (number 25, March 1992).
On the state charts, "Never Look Back" was most popular in Western Australia, where it reached number 48.
I don't recall hearing this one at the time. Front woman Annalisse hosted an episode of the iconic Australian music TV show Countdown in 1982, which re-aired during rage retro month a few years back - and it's worth checking out for her general awkwardness in hosting, along with her iconic early 80s hair-do.
We'll see Maybe Dolls one more time, in November 1992.
Number 147 "Everybody Pump" by DJ Power
Peak: number 147
Peak date: 25 May 1992
Weeks in top 150: 1 week
I've never heard of this one before, and am listening to it for the first time as I write this post. My first thought is that the chant during the opening is very similar, if not virtually identical, to that which appears at the start of 2 In a Room's "Wiggle It" (number 3, March 1991).
Internationally, "Everybody Pump" peaked at number 46 in the UK in March 1992.
I can't tell you much else about this one, other than the man behind DJ Power is Italian DJ and producer Stefano Gambarelli.
Bubbling WAY down under:
Number 197 "Dragging Me Down" by Inspiral Carpets
Peak: number 197
Peak date: 25 May 1992
Weeks on chart: 2 weeks
We last saw English band Inspiral Carpets in 1991.
"Dragging Me Down" was the lead single from their third studio album Revenge of the Goldfish (number 123, June 1993), which debuted on the ARIA albums chart in November 1992, but did not reach its peak until nearly eight months later.
Internationally, "Dragging Me Down" peaked at number 30 in Ireland in February 1992, and number 12 in the UK in March 1992.
On the state charts, "Dragging Me Down" performed strongest in Western Australia, where it reached number 158.
We'll next see Inspiral Carpets in July 1992.
Number 203 "The Real Thing" by Kenny Loggins
Peak: number 198
Peak date: 13 July 1992
Weeks on chart: 2 weeks
American singer Kenny Loggins made his debut on the Australian charts with "Whenever I Call You "Friend"" (number 26, December 1978) in 1978. Between then and 1986, Kenny racked up six top 100 singles in Australia, with "Footloose" (number 1, May 1984) being the biggest of those, from the Footloose soundtrack (number 2, July 1984). Kenny scored another soundtrack hit with "Danger Zone" (number 14, September 1986), from the Top Gun soundtrack (number 3, October 1986). Kenny (and his beard) also made a memorable contribution to USA for Africa's "We Are the World" (number 1, April 1985) - not counted in the tally of Kenny's hits above.
"The Real Thing" was the second single lifted from Kenny's seventh studio album Leap of Faith, which does not appear to have been released in Australia. It followed the single "Conviction of the Heart", which was released in Australia in December 1991 but failed to chart.
Internationally, "The Real Thing" peaked at number 39 in Canada in April 1992, and number 5 on the meaningless US Billboard Adult Contemporary chart in April 1992.
Within Australia, "The Real Thing" was most popular in Western Australia, where it reached number 162.
Kenny would land one further charting single in Australia, "For the First Time" (number 81, May 1997) - minus beard, from the One Fine Day soundtrack (number 41, April 1997). He would have two further low-charting albums in Australia: The Essential Kenny Loggins (number 428, September 2005) and Playlist: The Rock 'n' Roll Years, 1979-1988 (number 1064, June 2012).
Next week (1 June): Six top 150 entries and three bubbling WAY down under entries.
I don't often comment on here, as nathan is aware, but i do read the blog and it had come to my attention that Brad had passed and while i was not close with him, his contribution to obtaining the lower chart positions will not be forgotten and i will do my best to continue his work if possible . Thanks Brad, wherever you are!
ReplyDeleteVale Brad!
ReplyDeleteReally sad to learn about Brad's passing, please reach out if you have any more information
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