Once again, I cannot find a common theme among this week in 1993’s new entries peaking outside the top 100, so let’s jump straight in.
Vince Neil was invited to the top 100, but this single couldn’t come.
Top 150 debuts:
Number 135 “Sister of Pain” by Vince Neil
Peak: number 135
Peak date: 5 July 1993
Weeks in top 150: 5 weeks
Top 150 chart run: 135-136-140-140-137
Vince Neil came to fame as the lead singer of American heavy metal band Mötley Crüe, whose biggest hit in Australia was “Dr. Feelgood” (number 26 for two weeks in October-November 1989).
In 1992, Vince quit, or was fired from Mötley Crüe - the story varies according to who is asked (Vince insists that he was fired), after the other band members felt that Vince’s race car driving was increasingly his focus over the band. Vince’s first solo release was “You’re Invited (But Your Friend Can’t Come)” (number 74, September 1992), recorded for the soundtrack album of Encino Man (number 139, October 1992).
“Sister of Pain” was the second single issued from Vince’s debut solo album Exposed (number 84, June 1993). Internationally, the song peaked at number 12 on the US Billboard Mainstream Rock Airplay chart in May 1993.
While we won’t see solo Vince again, we will see Mötley Crüe bubble under in 1997. Vince rejoined the band that year.
Number 142 “She Wants Love” by Wrecking Crew
Peak: number 125
Peak date: 2 August 1993
Weeks in top 150: 7 weeks
Top 150 chart run: 142-129-138-137-125-140-142
Australian band Wrecking Crew previously graced our presence in March 1993.
“She Wants Love” was issued as the third single from the band’s debut and only album Fun in the Doghouse (number 115, June 1993). Unfortunately, the song is not available to listen to online. As I have no recollection of hearing this song before, I cannot tell you what it is like.
This was the band’s final single and last charting release.
Bubbling WAY down under:
Number 192 “Out of Space” by The Prodigy
Peak: number 167
Peak date: 2 August 1993
Weeks on chart: 10 weeks
English electronic group The Prodigy last joined us in January 1993.
“Out of Space” was the fourth single released from The Prodigy’s debut album Experience (number 163, January 1997). The song prominently samples Max Romeo’s “Chase the Devil” from 1976 for its chorus.
Internationally, “Out of Space” peaked at number 5 in the UK in November 1992, number 6 in Ireland, number 3 in the Netherlands in February 1993, number 24 in Sweden in February 1993, number 32 in the Flanders region of Belgium for two non-consecutive weeks in March 1993, number 15 in Germany for two weeks in March 1993, and number 30 in Switzerland in March 1993.
In Australia, “Out of Space” performed strongest in South Australia/Northern Territory, reaching number 104 on the state chart. At least one of the weeks “Out of Space” spent on the chart is from January 1997, when The Prodigy’s early singles were re-issued in Australia, as “Out of Space” reached its state chart peak of number 125 in Queensland on 27 January 1997.
I first heard “Out of Space” on the UK Chart Attack radio program in November 1992. I caught the music video on rage as a new release in late June 1993, and remember being surprised that the single was receiving such a belated release here. “Out of Space” would probably be my favourite single from Experience.
A fifth single from Experience, “Wind It Up (Rewound)”, was released in Europe in 1993, but not in Australia.
We shall next see The Prodigy in December 1993.
Number 193 Inside My Kitchen EP by Tiddas
Peak: number 193
Peak date: 5 July 1993
Weeks on chart: 1 week
Australian female trio Tiddas, which is Koori for the sisters, formed in 1990. The Inside My Kitchen EP was their debut release, containing six tracks, with title track “Inside My Kitchen”, track 4 on the EP, being the lead track.
As we have seen before, ARIA seemed to be in two minds over whether this EP should chart as a single or an album. The EP initially registered on the albums chart, debuting on 23 November 1992 and reaching its peak of number 145 on 8 February 1993, spending 20 weeks on the albums chart in total. Then, for reasons only ARIA staff at the time know, the EP entered the singles chart for a solitary week in July 1993.
On the state charts, Inside My Kitchen performed strongest in Victoria/Tasmania for both its albums and singles chart runs, peaking at number 130 during its album chart run, and number 170 during its singles chart run on the state chart.
“In My Kitchen” would go on to appear on Tiddas’ debut album Sing About Life (number 36, November 1993). The trio would land their first top 100 single with “Waiting” (number 88, November 1993), which would be their biggest hit.
Tiddas will join us next in 1994.
Number 208 “Ships (Where Were You)” by Big Country
Peak: number 208
Peak date: 5 July 1993
Weeks on chart: 2 weeks
Scottish band Big Country last visited us in May 1993.
“Ships (Where Were You)” was the second single from the band’s sixth studio album The Buffalo Skinners (number 193, July 1993). Internationally, “Ships…” peaked at number 29 in the UK for two weeks in April-May 1993, and number 54 in Canada in June 1993.
Domestically, the single was most popular in Queensland, where it reached number 176 on the state chart.
I hadn’t heard this one before. Being somewhat partial to piano-led ballads, I enjoyed this one, though would have liked it more if it was just piano and vocal throughout.
This was the final Big Country release to chart in Australia. Lead singer Stuart Adamson was found dead in hotel room in Hawaii, due to suicide, in December 2001, aged 43.
Next week (12 July): Five top 150 entries and six bubbling WAY down under debuts.
< Previous week: 28 June 1993 Next week: 12 July 1993 >
