Week commencing 17 May 1993

Another week where I can't identify any unifying theme among this week in 1993's new entries peaking outside the top 100... so let's just dive straight in.

Hothouse Flowers wilted on the Australian chart with this release.

Top 150 debuts:

Number 137 “One Tongue” by Hothouse Flowers

Peak: number 117

Peak date: 24 May 1993

Weeks in top 150: 5 weeks

Top 150 chart run: 137-117-131-139-139

Weeks on chart: 6 weeks

Irish band Hothouse Flowers made their debut on the Australian charts in 1988, with the single “Don’t Go” (number 39, August 1988), from their debut album People (number 30, October 1988).  Between 1988 and 1993, the band placed nine top 100 singles on the Australian chart with their version of “I Can See Clearly” (number 22, March 1991 - almost six months after its debut) being their biggest hit, from the album Home (number 1 for one week in March 1991).

“One Tongue” was the second single lifted from their third studio album Songs from the Rain (number 19, March 1993).  It followed “An Emotional Time” (number 57, February 1993), which would be their last top 100 single in Australia.

Internationally, “One Tongue” peaked at number 45 in the UK in May 1993, and number 55 in Germany in July 1993.

In Australia, “One Tongue” was most popular in Western Australia, where it reached number 89 on the state chart.

We shall see Hothouse Flowers on one more occasion, in 1998.

Number 142 “Start Choppin” by Dinosaur Jr.

Peak: number 137

Peak date: 31 May 1993

Weeks in top 150: 8 weeks

Top 150 chart run: 142-143-137-143-145-143-148-147

Weeks on chart: 10 weeks

American band Dinosaur Jr last joined us in March 1993.

“Start Choppin” (no apostrophe) was the second single lifted from their fourth studio album Where You Been (number 45, May 1993).  Internationally, the single peaked at number 20 in the UK in January 1993, number 20 in Ireland in February 1993, and number 40 in Sweden in February 1993.  The song also peaked at number 3 on the US Billboard Alternative Airplay chart in March 1993.

Locally, “Start Choppin” performed strongest in Queensland, where it reached number 121 on the state chart.

We’ll next see Dinosaur Jr. in September 1993.

Number 144 “I Got a Man” by Positive K

Peak: number 123

Peak date: 21 June 1993

Weeks in top 150: 8 weeks

Top 150 chart run: 144-128-126-124-126-123-130-132

American rapper Positive K, real name Darryl Gibson, hails from The Bronx, New York.  “I Got a Man”, his debut Australian release, was the second single lifted from his debut album The Skillz Dat Pay the Billz (released in Australia in July 1993, missed the top 150).  The album was split into two halves, The Skills Side and Pay the Bills Side; “I Got a Man” appears on the latter.

Internationally, “I Got a Man” peaked at number 14 on the US Billboard Hot 100 in March 1993, number 43 in the UK in May 1993, number 41 in New Zealand in June 1993, and number 14 in the Netherlands in February 1994.  The song also peaked at number 1 on the US Billboard Rap Songs chart, and number 10 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart in February 1993.

An interesting fact about “I Got a Man” is that the ‘female’ vocals on the track are actually those of Positive K pitch-shifted upwards!  A woman lip syncs the female lines in the video, however.

I knew this song at the time, but can’t recall where I first heard it - probably on Triple J.  “I Got a Man” would be Positive K’s only top 150 entry in Australia.

Number 149 “Fear of Life” by Sam Brown

Peak: number 135

Peak date: 14 June 1993

Weeks in top 150: 10 weeks

Top 150 chart run: 149-144-139-138-135-(out of top 150 for 3 weeks)-144-148-145-150-150

Weeks on chart: 11 weeks

English singer-songwriter Sam Brown last joined us in 1990.

“Fear of Life” was the only single released from Sam’s third album 43 Minutes (number 132, June 1993).  Sam started writing the songs for the album while her mother, singer Vicki Brown, was dying of breast cancer in mid-1991.  Sam’s UK label, A&M Records, were not satisfied with the album, and insisted that Sam include sone more-commercial songs that they could release as singles.  Sam refused to compromise, and released the album as it was, independently.  Both “Fear of Life” and 43 Minutes were distributed in Australia through Festival Records, who distributed her first two albums and the accompanying singles, however.

Australia appears to have been the only country that “Fear of Life” charted in.  The single was most popular in Queensland, where it reached number 109 on the state chart.

I didn’t hear this one at the time, but obtained the music video (embedded below) from someone I trade videos with in 2006.  It’s a nice song, though perhaps not immediately commercial-sounding.

 

Sam will join us on one more occasion, in 1997.

Bubbling WAY down under:

Number 195 “Alone” by Big Country

Peak: number 195

Peak date: 17 May 1993

Weeks on chart: 3 weeks

Scottish rock band Big Country last paid us a visit in 1989.

“Alone” was the lead single from their sixth studio album The Buffalo Skinners (number 193, July 1993).  Internationally, the single peaked at number 24 in the UK in March 1993.

In Australia, “Alone” performed strongest in Western Australia, reaching number 156 on the state chart.

I hadn’t heard this one before.  I liked it, though it’s a bit more guitar-heavy than music I normally listen to.

We shall see Big Country once more, in July 1993.

Number 203 “In Our Love” by Caron Wheeler

Peak: number 203

Peak date: 17 May 1993

Weeks on chart: 1 week

English singer-songwriter Caron Wheeler previously visited us in 1990.

“In Our Love” was the second single lifted from Caron’s second album Beach of the War Goddess (number 125, June 1993).  It followed “I Adore You”, which appeared on the Mo’ Money soundtrack (number 39, January 1993) and was released as a single in Australia in February 1993, but failed to chart.  “In Our Love” was issued locally on 19 April 1993, but took four weeks to make a blip on the ARIA singles chart just outside the top 200.

Internationally, “In Our Love” registered on two US Billboard genre-specific charts, peaking at number 61 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart in March 1993, and number 54 on the R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay chart in April 1993.

Domestically, “In Our Love” was most popular in New South Wales/Australian Capital Territory, where it reached number 186 on the state chart.

I remember seeing the Beach of the War Goddess album reviewed in Smash Hits magazine, but didn’t hear any singles from it at the time.

Caron will join us on one more occasion, in October 1993.

Number 222 “Tetris” by Doctor Spin

Peak: number 222

Peak date: 17 May 1993

Weeks on chart: 2 weeks

Co-written by Andrew Lloyd-Webber, together with producer Nigel Wright under the name of Doctor Spin, “Tetris” was a novelty rave song based on the Nintendo Game Boy game.  We saw another one of its ilk late in 1992.  While both Nintendo-themed tracks were top 10 hits in the UK, they both languished outside the top 100 in Australia, partly due to receiving zero promotion.  The “Tetris” game music is based on Russian folk song “Korobeiniki”.

“Tetris” peaked at number 6 in the UK in October 1992, number 7 in Ireland in October 1992, and number 23 in Austria in December 1992.

In Australia, “Tetris” performed strongest in Western Australia, where it reached number 185 on the state chart.

I first heard “Tetris” on the UK Chart Attack radio show.  “Tetris” was released there four weeks before “Supermarioland”.  Not being completely averse to novelty records and liking Eurodance, I actually like this one.  Jake Canuso, who would go on to become an actor in Benidorm, appears as a dancer in the music video and on the Top of the Pops TV performance.

This was the only Doctor Spin release.

Next week (24 May): Four top 150 entries and six bubbling WAY down under debuts.

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