I can't identify a theme linking this week in 1992's new entries peaking outside the top 100, other than they all missed the top 100. Let's take a look...
Curve might have been 'horrified' by the chart peak of this single in Australia in 1992.
Top 150 debuts:
Number 123 "Eyes on Fire" by John Schumann
Peak: number 123
Peak date: 31 August 1992
Weeks in top 150: 6 weeks
Top 150 chart run: 123-132-126-132-142-134
Hailing from Adelaide, Australian singer-songwriter and guitarist John Schumann was the front man in Redgum, who landed five Australian top 100 singles between 1983 and 1987. Their biggest hit was the Vietnam War-inspired "I Was Only 19 (A Walk in the Light Green)" (number 1 for 2 weeks in May 1983). Although I probably knew that song at the time, when I was in kindergarten, I was not aware of Redgum until I had to listen to "I've Been to Bali Too" (number 16, May 1984) in Indonesian class in year 10. In 1994, anything from 1984 sounded practically ancient to my ears.
John launched his solo career in 1987, with the single "Borrowed Ground" (number 91, August 1987) and the album Etched in Blue (number 63, November 1987). John landed a second charting solo album with John Schuman Goes Looby Loo - A Collection of Songs for Little Kids (number 116, January 1989), but "Eyes on Fire" was his only other single to trouble the ARIA top 150.
"Eyes on Fire" would eventually appear on John's third solo studio album True Believers, which was released October 1993, but missed the top 150.
John later tried his hand at politics, becoming chief of staff for Australian Democrats' then-leader Meg Lees in 1998, before running for the Division of Mayo in the 1998 Federal election, coming a close second behind then-Foreign Minister Alexander Downer. John decided not to contest the seat at the 2001 Federal election, however, and stepped away from politics.
Number 130 "This Is Not the Way Home" by The Cruel Sea
Peak: number 130
Peak date: 31 August 1992
Weeks in top 150: 8 weeks
Known chart run: 174-130-138-141-142-135-146-149-148
Weeks on chart: 10 weeks
We last saw Sydney band The Cruel Sea in 1991. Since then, the band scored their first top 100 single with "4 x 4" (number 82, May 1992). "This Is Not the Way Home" was issued as the third and final single from the band's second album This Is Not the Way Home (number 62, October 1992).
On the state charts, "This Is Not the Way Home" performed strongest in Victoria/Tasmania, where it reached number 93.
The Cruel Sea would have their commercial breakthrough in 1993 with the single "Black Stick" (number 25, May 1993) and album The Honeymoon Is Over (number 4, June 1993).
We shall next see The Cruel Sea in 1995.
Number 133 "Little Black Book" by Belinda Carlisle
Peak: number 106
Peak date: 28 September 1992
Weeks in top 150: 9 weeks
Top 150 chart run: 133-107-108-115-106-121-141-(out for 5 weeks)-120-142
"Little Black Book" was issued as the fourth and final single from Belinda's fourth solo studio album Live Your Life Be Free (number 27, November 1991). While I wasn't aware of this one being released at the time, I did hear it on her first greatest hits compilation album The Best of Belinda Volume 1 (number 14, November 1992) a few months later, which oddly did not contain any new tracks to promote it. Belinda co-wrote this track with Marcella Detroit (real name Marcy Levy) from Shakespears Sister, and Marcy's songwriting partner at the time, Richard Feldman. This was the first Belinda Carlisle single on which she receives a writing credit.
Internationally, "Little Black Book" peaked at number 28 in the UK in September 1992, and number 69 in Germany in October 1992.
Locally, "Little Black Book" performed strongest in Western Australia, where it reached number 80. The single peaked within the top 100 on four of the five state charts, with South Australia/Northern Territory being the only exception.
I hadn't seen the music video for "Little Black Book" until viewing it while writing this post.
We shall next see Belinda in 1994.
Number 148 "Church of Logic, Sin, & Love" by The Men
Peak: number 143
Peak date: 7 September 1992
Weeks in top 150: 3 weeks
Top 150 chart run: 148-143-148
Here's one I hadn't heard until writing this post. The Men, who contain two female members, hail from Santa Monica, California.
"Church of Logic, Sin, & Love" (yes, the oxford comma followed by the ampersand is part of the title) was lifted from the band's only album The Men, which was released locally in August 1992 but missed the ARIA top 150 albums chart. The single reached number 8 on the meaningless US Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart. I cannot find evidence of the single charting elsewhere.
This was The Men's only single to trouble the ARIA top 150. The group disbanded shortly afterwards.
While "Church of Logic..." is not something I would actively seek out, I didn't mind this one.
Bubbling WAY down under:
Number 182 "Who Do You Think You Are?" by Kim Wilde
Despite Kim having her most-consistent career success in her native UK with her 1988 album Close (number 82, November 1988), the follow-up album Love Moves (number 126, August 1990) and its associated singles pretty much flopped worldwide. As record companies weren't as gung ho with dropping artists after a flop release back in those days, Kim was given a chance to redeem herself commercially, and she experienced greater, although still somewhat middling, success with her eighth studio album Love Is (number 92, July 1992). The album's lead single, "Love Is Holy" (number 29, July 1992), gave Kim her first Australian top 40 hit since "You Came" (number 34, November 1988).
As good as I think "Love Is Holy" - on which Kim sounds more like Belinda Carlisle than herself - is, I suspect the single's chart performance benefited from heavy discounting in Australia, as I was not even aware of its existence until it crept into the lower region of the top 60 on rage, and I am a casual Kim Wilde fan. If I remember correctly, I think I saw the cassingle for sale in Brashs for $0.99, when the standard price at the time was $5.99.
While "Who Do You Think You Are?" was released as the second single from Love Is in Australia, it was the third release from the album in the UK, with "Heart Over Mind" (which I prefer) being the second single there. I am not sure why the Australian record company skipped "Heart Over Mind", considering it performed better than "Who Do You Think You Are?" in the UK.
Internationally, "Who Do You Think You Are?" peaked at number 66 in the Netherlands in August 1992, number 49 in the UK in September 1992, and number 58 in Germany in September 1992.
Domestically, "Who Do You Think You Are?" was most popular in Queensland, where it reached number 139.
While I heard "Heart Over Mind" at the time on the UK Chart Attack radio show, I didn't hear "Who Do You Think You Are?" until the mid-2000s, though was aware of its release as it was reviewed in the Australian edition of Smash Hits magazine. It has never been my favourite Kim Wilde song - I can barely remember how it goes most of the time.
We'll see Kim next in November 1992 with what I think is a much better single of hers.
"Horror Head" was the second and final single from the band's debut album Doppelgänger (number 136, May 1992). Internationally, "Horror Head" peaked at number 31 in the UK in July 1992. It also reached number 23 on the meaningless US Billboard Alternative Airplay chart.
In Australia, "Horror Head" performed strongest in South Australia/Northern Territory, where it reached number 151.
I think I caught the music video for "Horror Head" on rage some months after its release. Interestingly, the graphic pattern at the start of the video was used as the backdrop for the US and UK top 5 charts displayed on Video Smash Hits.
"Elvis on Velvet" was the lead single from Stray Cats' seventh studio album Choo Choo Hot Fish, which was released locally in September 1992 but missed the ARIA top 150 albums chart. Internationally, the single peaked at number 66 in the Netherlands in July 1992.
Domestically, "Elvis on Velvet" was most popular in Queensland, where it reached number 155 on the state chart.
I hadn't heard this one before. The drum pattern during the intro reminded me of The Cure's "Close to Me" (number 7, February 1986).
This was Stray Cats' final charting single in Australia.
Next week (7 September): A mammoth week, with 11 new top 150 entries and two bubbling WAY down under debuts.
Welcome back readers to this blog! I have missed writing these posts over the last 12 months while I underwent treatment for cancer. While I am still receiving treatment, I decided to resume my posts anyway. There may be times when I am not able to make a post on the expected day, however.
I mentioned in my December 2023 update that I have a stack of peaks below number 150 to add to earlier posts covering January 1989 to April 1992. I haven't gotten around to adding these yet, but will make a note when I do.
Now onto this week in 1992...
P.M. Dawn: the top 100 used to be a friend of theirs.
Top 150 debuts:
Number 116 Theatre of Gnomes E.P. by Tumbleweed
Peak: number 116
Peak date: 27 April 1992
Weeks in top 150: 3 weeks
Top 150 chart run: 116-136-139
Australian band Tumbleweed formed in Woolongong in 1990. Theatre of Gnomes, their first release to crack the top 150, was an extended play consisting of five tracks, led by "Carousel" (embedded below). Two previous singles, "Captain's Log" and "Stoned"/"Holy Moses" were issued in July and December 1991, respectively. The latter two tracks also appeared on this EP.
I was not aware of Tumbleweed until their 1993 single "Sundial" (number 35, April 1993) broke into the rage top 60. Their first taste of top 100 ARIA chart success came with the single "Acid Rain" (number 88, November 1992).
Number 128 "Reality Used to Be a Friend of Mine" by P.M. Dawn
Peak: number 118
Peak date: 4 May 1992
Weeks in top 150: 4 weeks
Chart run: 128-118-121-128
Weeks on chart: 4 weeks
American hip-hop/r&b duo P.M. Dawn, consisting of brothers Attrell (stage name Prince Be) and Jarrett Cordes (known as Eternal or DJ Minutemix), burst onto the scene in 1991 with "Set Adrift on Memory Bliss" (number 7, November 1991), which made heavy use of Spandau Ballet's "True" (number 4, September 1983). When follow-up single "Paper Doll" (number 61, February 1992) stalled on the chart, I had a feeling that the group were destined to become one-hit wonders. While third single "Reality Used to Be a Friend of Mine" - the title of which was mentioned in the lyrics of "Set Adrift..." - did not reverse their chart fortunes, I would be proven wrong.
"Reality..." was remixed by CJ Macintosh for its single release in Europe and Australasia (embedded in the video below). You can hear the original version of the track, used for the video in North America, here. The track was lifted from the duo's debut album Of the Heart, of the Soul and of the Cross: The Utopian Experience (number 89, January 1992).
Internationally, "Reality Used to Be a Friend of Mine" peaked at number 29 in the UK in February 1992. Within Australia, "Reality..." performed strongest in New South Wales/Australian Capital Territory, where it reached number 107.
A fourth track from P.M. Dawn's debut album, "Comatose", received a promotional release in the US later in 1992, and a music video was filmed - but it does not appear to have received a commercial release anywhere, although it was used as a B-side on the "Reality..." single.
Prince Be sadly passed away in 2016, aged 46, due to complications of diabetes. We will next see P.M. Dawn in 1993.
Number 142 "Pressure" by Sunscreem
Peak: number 137
Peak date: 11 May 1992
Weeks in top 150: 5 weeks
Top 150 chart run: 142-142-137-140-150
Weeks on chart: 10 weeks
English band Sunscreem formed in Essex in 1991. "Pressure" was their second UK release, peaking at number 60 there in February 1992. In Australia, "Pressure" was their debut single, falling short of the top 100, peaking at number 137. A remixed version of the track, re-branded "Pressure Us", was released in 1993, peaking at number 19 in the UK in March 1993, and number 64 in Australia in July 1993. "Pressure" appears on Sunscreem's debut album O₃(number 73, March 1993).
Sunscreem's commercial breakthrough, and their only top 50 hit in Australia, would come with their third release, "Love U More" (number 30, March 1993), which took six months to reach its chart peak after being released locally in early September 1992.
Within Australia, "Pressure" performed strongest in New South Wales/Australian Capital Territory, where it reached number 120 on the state chart.
We last saw Belinda Carlisle in 1990. "Half the World" was the third single released from Belinda's fourth solo studio album Live Your Life Be Free (number 27, November 1991). It followed the singles "Live Your Life Be Free" (number 13, November 1991) and "Do You Feel Like I Feel?" (number 42, March 1992).
Internationally, "Half the World" peaked at number 35 in the UK in January 1992, and number 62 in Germany in February 1992. Within Australia, "Half the World" performed strongest in Western Australia, where it reached number 115 on the state chart.
I remember seeing "Half the World" being reviewed in the Australian edition of Smash Hits magazine at the time, but did not actually hear the track until about seven years ago. It's quite a pleasant ballad; its chart success was no doubt hampered from a lack of promotion.
We will see Belinda underperform with another Live Your Life Be Free single in August 1992.
Number 147 "Baby When I Call Your Name" by Corey Hart
Peak: number 139
Peak date: 18 May 1992
Weeks in top 150: 5 weeks
Top 150 chart run: 147-145-147-139-(out for 1 week)-145
Weeks on chart: 7 weeks
Canadian singer Corey Hart scored his biggest hit in Australia with "Sunglasses at Night" (number 16, October 1984) in 1984. He landed another two top 40 hits locally with "It Ain't Enough" (number 37, February 1985) and "Never Surrender" (number 20, September 1985). Corey was last seen on the Australian chart with the single "A Little Love" (number 73, June 1990) and album Bang! (number 150, September 1990).
"Baby When I Call Your Name", which I hadn't heart before, was lifted from Corey's sixth studio album Attitude & Virtue, which failed to chart in Australia - although it does not appear to have been released locally.
In Corey's homeland, "Baby When I Call Your Name" peaked at number 14 in August 1992. I am surprised that it charted some months earlier in Australia!
On the state charts, "Baby When I Call Your Name" performed strongest in South Australia/Northern Territory, where it reached number 113. This was Corey's final charting release in Australia.
Bubbling WAY down under:
Number 197 "Das Boot" by U96
Peak: number 197
Peak date: 27 April 1992
Weeks on chart: 1 week
German techno act U96 hail from Hamburg, forming in 1991. "Das Boot", translating as 'the boat', was their debut release, topping the German singles chart in January 1992, where it remained for a mammoth 13 weeks!
Elsewhere, "Das Boot" peaked at number 1 in Switzerland for 8 weeks, number 1 in Austria for 7 non-consecutive weeks between March and May 1992, number number 5 in Sweden in April 1992, number 1 in Norway, number 11 in the Flanders region of Belgium in June 1992, number 18 in the UK in September 1992, and number 19 in Ireland.
Domestically, "Das Boot" was most popular in South Australia/Northern Territory, where it reached number 156. The track appeared on U96's debut album - their only one to chart in Australia, U96 (number 201, October 1992).
I don't recall hearing this track before, other than when I checked it out on YouTube a couple of years ago.
We will next see U96 in 1994.
Number 198 "Make It on My Own" by Alison Limerick
Peak: number 179
Peak date: 18 May 1992
Weeks on chart: 3 weeks
British singer-songwriter Alison Limerick scored her first hit in the UK with "Where Love Lives" (number 27, April 1991), which was issued in Australia in June 1991 but failed to chart. Alison's second Australian release, "Make It on My Own" scraped into the lower end of the ARIA top 200. The track appears on her debut album And Still I Rise (number 179, June 1992), which was her only album to chart in Australia. In her native UK, "Make It on My Own" peaked at number 16 in March 1992.
I wasn't aware of this track at the time, but it sounds pleasant enough. Within Australia, "Make It on My Own" performed strongest in Western Australia, where it reached number 160 on the state chart.
Alison will join us again once more in 1994.
Next week(4 May): Four top 150 debuts and two bubbling WAY down under entries.
There isn't much I can find linking this week's debuts together, so let's just jump straight in... But, before we do, I want to highlight that I have now added all of the 'peak date' data to my 1989 chart recaps - a reader requested I do that some time ago. Also, I have updated a post from September 1989 with a newly-uncovered bubbling WAY down under entry from Bonnie Raitt.
Belinda Carlisle: the runaway horses have bolted from the ARIA top 100.
Top 150 debuts:
Number 123 "All I'm Missing Is You" by Glenn Medeiros
Peak: number 101
Peak date: 29 October 1990
Weeks in top 150: 7 weeks
Top 150 chart run: 123-102-101-104-108-113-125
Hawaiian singer Glenn Medeiros made an appearance on the first ARIA singles chart that extended beyond number 100, in January 1989. Glenn landed two major hits in Australia, "Nothing's Gonna Change My Love for You" (number 10, February 1988) and "She Ain't Worth It" (number 8, August 1990), which sound quite different to each other. The latter track featured Bobby Brown as a guest rapper, and the former took just over 6 months from its release to reach its eventual peak on the Australian chart.
"All I'm Missing Is You", produced by Ray Parker Jr., was the second single lifted from Glenn's third album Glenn Medeiros (number 69, September 1990), which was actually his second self-titled album! Glenn's 1990 self-titled album performed better in Australia than 1987's Glenn Medeiros (number 98, February 1988) and Not Me (number 124, March 1989).
In the US, "All I'm Missing Is You" peaked at number 32 on the Billboard Hot 100 in October 1990. The single also reached number 70 in Germany in November 1990.
"All I'm Missing Is You" performed slightly better on the Australian Music Report singles chart, where it reached number 95.
This would be Glenn's last ARIA top 150 entry. Glenn is now employed as a school principal in Honolulu.
Number 125 "(We Want) The Same Thing" by Belinda Carlisle
Peak: number 103
Peak date: 29 October 1990
Weeks in top 150: 8 weeks
Chart run: 125-112-103-116-112-112-113-120
Weeks on chart: 8 weeks
We saw Belinda Carlisle appear as a featured artist in May 1990.
Belinda's chart career started when she was the lead singer of Go-Go's (technically there is no 'the' in their name!). Their 1981 single "Our Lips Are Sealed" reached number 2 on the Australian singles chart in January 1982. Three other Go-Go's singles, "We Got the Beat" (number 29, May 1982), "Vacation" (number 43, August 1982) and "Head Over Heels" (number 60, July 1984) registered on the Australian chart.
To my surprise, "Our Lips Are Sealed" was much bigger in Australia than it was in the Go-Go's native US, where it only reached number 20, in December 1981. "Our Lips Are Sealed" also bombed in the UK at number 47 in June 1982. The Fun Boy Three version of the track (the song was co-written with Terry Hall from the group) was a UK number 7 hit, though, in May 1983.
While the group would later reform, Go-Go's disbanded in 1985, and two of its members, Belinda Carlisle and Jane Wiedlin (who wrote "Our Lips Are Sealed" with Terry Hall), launched solo recording careers.
Jane Wiedlin's only solo release to (kind of) register on the Australian chart was her single "Rush Hour", which did not chart nationally, but reached number 88 on the New South Wales/Australian Capital Territory state chart, and number 63 in Western Australia in November 1988. If the ARIA chart extended beyond number 100 in 1988, "Rush Hour" probably would have peaked just outside the top 100.
Belinda's first solo release, "Mad About You", peaked at number 9 on the Australian singles chart in October 1986. A second single from the Belinda (number 42, November 1986) album, "I Feel the Magic" (released in Australia in October 1986), failed to chart.
Belinda achieved greater, and more-consistent, commercial success after switching record labels in 1987. "Heaven Is a Place on Earth" topped both the US (December 1987) and UK (January 1988) singles charts, and also went to number 1 in New Zealand, Norway, Sweden and Switzerland. In Australia,"Heaven..." peaked at number 2 in February 1988.
Subsequent singles from Belinda's second album Heaven on Earth (number 13, March 1988) were less-successful, but both "I Get Weak" (number 34, April 1988) and "Circle in the Sand" were top 10 hits in the US and UK. "Circle in the Sand", issued in Australia in May 1988, missed the national chart (when it ended at number 100), but registered on the Queensland and Western Australia state charts, where it peaked at numbers 97 and 84, respectively, in July 1988. A fourth single from Heaven on Earth, "World without You", was issued in Australia in September 1988, but did not chart.
That brings us to Belinda's third solo album Runaway Horses (number 6, June 1990). While the album was Belinda's most successful in Australia, being certified double platinum, it did not perform as well as Heaven on Earth in the US or UK, and marked the start of Belinda's commercial decline, particularly in the US, where the album peaked at number 37 in December 1989, and only two singles from it charted.
Six singles were issued from Runaway Horses in Australia, with "(We Want) The Same Thing" being the last of those. It followed "Leave a Light On" (number 5, January 1990), "La Luna" (number 21, January 1990), "Summer Rain" (number 6, May 1990), "Runaway Horses" (number 44, July 1990), and "Vision of You" (number 84, August 1990).
Despite its lack of success in Australia, "(We Want) The Same Thing" gave Belinda a career resurgence in the UK, where it peaked at number 6 in November 1990, following a string of underperforming singles that peaked at numbers 38, 40, and 41. The UK follow-up release of "Summer Rain" propelled the Runaway Horses album back into the top 10, more than a year after its release.
"(We Want) The Same Thing" peaked at number 22 in Ireland in November 1990, and number 53 in Germany in December 1990. On the ARIA state charts, "(We Want) The Same Thing" performed strongest in Victoria/Tasmania, where it reached number 69. The single also peaked within the top 100 on the New South Wales/Australian Capital Territory (number 99) and South Australia/Northern Territory (number 83) state charts.
"(We Want) The Same Thing" was remixed for its single release, and sounds quite different to the original album version. The music video for "(We Want) The Same Thing" is a bit of a botched job, using live footage as well as excerpts from earlier Belinda Carlisle videos.
One memory I have regarding this track is that my dad heard it on the radio when moving our car from the driveway into the garage, liked it, and asked me about it - not that this helped the song become a hit in Australia.
Belinda will bubble under four more times between now and 1997, with the next occasion being in 1992.
Number 132 "In the Evening" by Girl Overboard
Peak: number 130
Peak date: 12 November 1990
Weeks in top 150: 6 weeks
Top 150 chart run: 132-133-140-134-130-135
Weeks on chart: 7 weeks
Australian band Girl Overboard formed in 1985, although were named Separate Tables until the second half of 1989. As Separate Tables, the group issued three singles: "When the World Came Down" (number 82, February 1988), "Change My Sex" (released in May 1988, did not chart), and "Wrap Your Arms Around Me" (number 71, April 1989). The latter track ended up on Girl Overboard's debut album Paint a Picture (number 18, March 1990).
Following a name change, the first Girl Overboard single, "I Can't Believe" (number 43, December 1989), was released in October 1989. The second Girl Overboard single, "The Love We Make", became the band's biggest hit, reaching number 23 in March 1990. Then followed "Permanent Friend"/"Some Things Never Change" (number 85, June 1990), which didn't fare as well on the chart.
"In the Evening" was the fourth... or sixth, if you count "Wrap Your Arms Around Me" and the titles from the previous double A-side release separately, single from Paint a Picture, and its final release. "In the Evening" performed strongest in Queensland, where it reached number 95.
Lisa Schouw, the band's lead singer, later became a psychotherapist, but sadly died in October 2020, aged 62, from melanoma.
Number 144 Rollercoaster E.P. by The Jesus and Mary Chain
Peak: number 110
Peak date: 19 November 1990
Weeks in top 150: 9 weeks
Chart run: 144-132-131-122-117-110-128-122-(out for 4 weeks)-144
Weeks on chart: 9 weeks
Led by the title track "Rollercoaster", The Jesus and Mary Chain's Rollercoaster E.P. was the Scottish band's second single to dent the Australian top 150, following "Head On" back in December 1989.
The EP peaked at number 46 in the UK in September 1990, number 25 in Ireland in September 1990, and number 28 in New Zealand in October 1990.
Locally, the Rollercoaster EP performed strongest in South Australia/Northern Territory, where it reached number 84 on the state chart.
"Rollercoaster" eventually appeared on the band's fourth studio album Honey's Dead (number 44, April 1992).
One thing I always remember about The Jesus and Mary Chain is that Australian Democrats senator Natasha Stott Despoja said they were her favourite band, though I don't remember where I read or heard this... perhaps during a Triple J radio interview.
We shall next see The Jesus and Mary Chain in 1993.
Number 148 "Your Love Takes Me Higher" by The Beloved
Peak: number 148
Peak date: 15 October 1990
Weeks in top 150: 1 week
Chart run: 148
Weeks on chart: 1 week
There are artists who are underrated, and then there are artists who are criminally underrated. British group The Beloved fall into the latter category when it comes to the Australian charts. Nothing the band released locally - and they did try, with 10 singles and 4 albums issued locally between 1990 and 1996 - peaked higher than number 88 on Australian charts.
The Beloved formed in 1983, and had been releasing music independently in the UK since 1986. Their first major label album Happiness (number 104, June 1990) landed them three top 40 hits in their homeland.
The first release of "Your Love Takes Me Higher" in the UK, promoted with an earlier music video showcasing singer Jon Marsh's dancing... talents, peaked at number 91 there in February 1989. The track achieved a new peak of number 39 in the UK in March 1990 when re-issued, with a higher budget video (embedded below).
In Australia, "Your Love Takes Me Higher" was the third single released from Happiness, following "Hello" (number 94, May 1990) and "Time After Time" (released in Australia in June 1990, did not chart). I am surprised that "Time After Time", one of my favourite Beloved singles, did not chart at all in Australia, given that the music video received at least two airings on Countdown Revolution during prime-time viewing. I also feel that "Your Love...", which received exposure via Countdown Revolution too, should have done much better.
On the state charts, "Your Love Take Me Higher" performed strongest in South Australia/Northern Territory, where it reached number 124.
The Beloved bubbled under on the Australian singles chart no fewer than seven times between 1990 and 1996. We will next see The Beloved in January 1991.
Number 149 "Dr. Dynamite" by Mighty Big Crime
Peak: number 121
Peak date: 29 October 1990
Weeks in top 150: 6 weeks
Chart run: 151-149-(off chart for 1 week)-121-127-122-124-133
Weeks on chart: 7 weeks
Mighty Big Crime were the Melbourne-based hip-hop duo Tricky J (real name Julien Lodge) and Gumpy (Andrew Phillips). Between 1987 and 1991, the pair released six singles, although none of these made the top 100. Their cover of Alice Cooper's "School's Out"did, however, make the Australian Music Report's list of singles receiving significant sales reports beyond the top 100, reaching fourth place on the list in December 1988.
The Wikipedia page for the group mentions a 1989 album titled Get Outta My Face, but this is not listed in the weekly Australian Music Report or The ARIA Report lists of new release titles I have, and there does not seem to be any trace of the album's existence online. Similarly, at the time of writing this, there is no trace of "Dr. Dynamite" online either, other than vinyl copies of the single listed for sale (I don't care for vinyl at all). This sort of thing seems to happen a lot to Australian artists, unfortunately.
I do, however, remember the song, as from memory it made the voted-for-by-listeners Top 8 at 8 radio show hosted by John Peters, which aired on Triple M in Melbourne. A music video for "Dr. Dynamite" does exist, and was nominated for best video at the 1991 ARIA Awards. Just, it hasn't made its way onto YouTube or other video streaming sites... yet!
On the state charts, "Dr. Dynamite" performed strongest in Queensland, where it reached number 81.
Tricky and Gumpy went on to form Freaked Out Flower Children, who scored a top 40 hit with "Spill the Wine" (number 31, February 1992); but before then, we will see Mighty Big Crime bubble under again in 1991.
Number 150 "To Sir with Love" by Ngaire
Peak: number 150
Peak date: 15 October 1990
Weeks in top 150: 1 week
Top 150 chart run: 150
Ngaire Fuata, not to be confused with the second series of Australian Idol contestant Ngaiire, was a New Zealand-based soul-pop singer who was born in the UK. I say 'was' because she now works as a television producer for TVNZ, New Zealand's public broadcasting station.
"To Sir with Love", a cover of the Lulu song, was released as Ngaire's (pronounced ny-ree) debut single, and went to number 1 in New Zealand for five weeks in October and November of 1990. In Australia, Ngaire wasn't so fortunate, and the single just scraped into the top 150 for a solitary week.
While "To Sir with Love" was Ngaire's only foray into the Australian top 150, she landed another five top 50 singles in New Zealand between 1991 and 1996 - although none of these peaked higher than number 18.
Bubbling WAY down under:
Number 155 "Rebel Music" by Rebel MC
Peak: number 155
Peak date: 15 October 1990
Weeks on chart: 2 weeks
UK rapper Rebel MC has visited us on two prior occasions, in March 1990 with Double Trouble, and in July 1990 on his own. Here he is for the third, and final, time, on his own again.
"Rebel Music" was the fourth and final single issued from the Rebel Music (number 98, July 1990) album. The track features guest vocals on the chorus from Jenni Evans, who became the female vocalist in Matt Bianco after Basia left. Jenni died around five years ago if what I am reading on discogs.com is correct.
In the UK, "Rebel Music" peaked at number 53 in June 1990. On the ARIA state charts, "Rebel Music" performed strongest in South Australia/Northern Territory, where it reached number 139.
I don't remember hearing this track at the time, but veteran Australian music video program rage aired the clip in 2020 during a dance music from 1990-themed vault episode.
"Rebel Music" would be Rebel MC's last release to chart in Australia, although another single, "Tribal Base", was released locally in September 1991. We will see his former collaborative partners Double Trouble next week.
Next week (22 October): A bumper week with nine new top 150-peaking debuts.
This week is the second in a three-way tie for the most top 150-peaking debuts in 1990, tied with 19 March 1990 and 17 September 1990, with ten new top 150 entries. Of the ten new debuts, six of them are at their peak position next week, which is an unusual occurrence. There are also three debuts that spent more than one week at their highest position. Seven of this week's debuting acts contain artists who are no longer with us. Let's take a look at them.
Somehow, Seal's 'killer' song flopped not once, but twice in Australia.
Top 150 debuts:
Number 131 "Counting Every Minute" by Sonia
Peak: number 118
Peak date: 28 May 1990
Weeks in top 150: 8 weeks
Top 150 chart run: 131-118-123-126-129-128-124-136
Weeks on chart: 10 weeks
"Counting Every Minute" was another Stock Aitken Waterman composition/production for Sonia, and another single of hers to flop in Australia, peaking one place higher than the last one, which we saw back in February. "Counting Every Minute" was also the fourth release from her then-yet-to-be-released-in-Australia album Everybody Knows (number 144, September 1990).
This single was also the fourth in a string of top 20 hits in the UK for the Liverpudlian songstress and future Eurovision Song Contest entrant, peaking at number 16 in April 1990. "Counting Every Minute" also dented the top 20 in Ireland, peaking at number 18. Within Australia, "Counting Every Minute" performed strongest on the Victoria/Tasmania state chart, where it reached number 88.
I'm not sure why, but 'single' (as in the chorus lyric "counting every single minute") has been omitted from the song's title, just as 'from' was omitted from the title of Sonia's "You'll Never Stop Me Loving You" (number 29, October 1989). These little things bother me! I suppose you can understand 'from' being omitted from the title of the latter, though, as it is a longer title already.
Peak dates: 4 June 1990, 25 June 1990 and 9 July 1990
Weeks in top 150: 9 weeks
Top 150 chart run: 137-128-110-114-117-110-111-110-122
I am a little bit confused, and there doesn't seem to be a clear answer online (please help me out if you know), but Ecco Homo were an Australian collective of musicians, centred around Peter "Troy" Davies, who was a close friend of Richard Lowenstein, director of many INXS music videos. Over the years, Troy had appeared in a couple of film clips for other artists, including Flame Fortune's "Sex Symbol" (number 76, June 1985) and Frente!'s' "No Time" (number 50, March 1993).
I don't believe Troy performed much of the vocals on the two Ecco Homo singles released, however. The 'group' also contained Ollie Olsen - whose Max Q project was fronted by Michael Hutchence of INXS - Gus Till (who I think performed the majority of the vocals), Bill McDonald and Michael Sheridan.
Whatever Ecco Homo were, they managed to place one single within the ARIA top 100, "Motorcycle Baby" (number 66, March 1989), which featured Michael Hutchence and Sherine Abeyratne from Big Pig (who also performed vocals on the track) in the music video.
"New York, New York" was the second and final Ecco Homo release, and features Bono from U2 singing a few lines and appearing in the music video (!). U2's The Edge also performs on the track. Apparently, Bono and U2 happened to drop by the recording studio where Ollie Olsen and Michael Hutchence were jamming, after a live show in Melbourne; it was not a planned collaboration.
Despite featuring two members of U2, "New York, New York" flew under the radar, peaking outside the ARIA top 100. It did, however, manage to spend three non-consecutive weeks at its peak of number 110, which is not bad for a single that missed the top 100. "New York, New York" crept into the Australian Music Report top 100 singles chart, reaching number 85.
Big Fun were another Stock Aitken Waterman-produced act, consisting of Mark Gillespie, Phil Creswick, and Jason John (real name Jason Herbert). Although a trio, the group's vocals were mostly performed by Mark, with the other two providing occasional backing vocals, rather than singing in unison or sharing lead vocal duties. Yet we see all three of them mouthing the words to Mark's vocals in the videos... Hmmm.
Following a low-key single release in early 1989 with "Living for Your Love", Big Fun recorded a cover version of Carole King's "I Feel the Earth Move", produced by Phil Harding and Ian Curnow, the Stock Aitken Waterman Hit Factory 'B' team. Their version of "I Feel the Earth Move" was set to be released in the UK in June 1989, and a music video was filmed to promote it. However, it was pulled from released after Pete Waterman saw the favourable reaction the group were receiving from the audience on tour with the Hitman Roadshow (for SAW-related acts). Pete instead wanted to launch the group with a Stock Aitken Waterman-produced track - a cover version of The Jacksons' "Blame It on the Boogie". Martika, of course, released her own version of "I Feel the Earth Move" (number 2, January 1990) later in 1989.
Big Fun crept into the lower region of the Australian top 40 with "Blame It on the Boogie" (number 37, December 1989), and into the top 100 with "Can't Shake the Feeling" (number 97, February 1990). These singles, in contrast, peaked at numbers 4 and 8, respectively, in the UK.
"Handful of Promises" was the third release from the group's only album A Pocketful of Dreams (released in Australia in July 1990, failed to chart), and peaked at number 21 in the UK in March 1990. The album - which takes its title from a chorus lyric of "Handful of Promises" - performed much better in the UK, where it reached number 7 in May 1990, and sold over 100,000 copies.
On the state charts, "Handful of Promises" performed best in South Australia/Northern Territory, where it peaked at number 85.
As with Sonia above, this track makes use of the James Brown "woo! yeah!" sample throughout. Big Fun will join forces with Sonia for a charity single, which we will see in September.
The group released one final single from the album in the UK - but not in Australia - "Hey There Lonely Girl", which peaked at number 62 in the UK in August 1990. This track was originally recorded by Ruby and The Romantics as "Hey There Lonely Boy". Following this release, the group parted ways with Jive Records.
One thing that was kept hush at the time - so as to not potentially alienate their target teen/tween girl audience - was that Mark and Phil were a couple. The pair would later release a cover version of The Brothers Johnson's "Stomp!", minus Jason, as Big Fun II. Their version of "Stomp!" reached number 12 on the US Billboard Dance Chart in May 1994.
Something I didn't know until a few years ago is that Mark is originally from Australia! Someone I have been in contact with via a music
forum lived next door to Mark in Canberra when he was growing up. Small world...
Following the demise of Big Fun and Big Fun II, Jason went into music management, managing the likes of Geri Halliwell from the Spice Girls during her solo career. Mark and Phil split, and Phil became a painter and decorator, before running into some legal troubles involving drugs in 2017. I have no idea what Mark is doing these days.
Jason sadly passed away in Brazil in April 2019, aged 51, although there is not much information available about this.
Number 142 "54-46 (That's My Number)" by Partners Rime Syndicate
Peak: number 142
Peak date: 21 May 1990
Weeks in top 150: 1 week
Top 150 chart run: 142
Here's a track I had never heard of before getting hold of these below #100 charts. Unfortunately, I cannot tell you much about this song, other than the chorus is a reworked version of "54-46 Was My Number" by Toots & The Maytals, from 1969. Elsewhere, this single peaked at number 119 (number 103 on the compressed chart) in the UK in November 1989.
Number 143 "Dançando Lambada" by Kaoma
Peak: number 143
Peak date: 21 May 1990
Weeks in top 150: 1 week
Top 150 chart run: 143
I'm guessing you thought French-Brazilian band Kaoma were one-hit wonders with "Lambada" (number 5, April 1990), right? Well, they did manage to place a second single on the ARIA chart... at number 143. The song in question, which translates from Portuguese as 'dancing Lambada', also imaginatively contains 'lambada' in the title...
"Dançando Lambada" was a hit across Europe, reaching the top 10 in Switzerland, France and the Netherlands, and the top 20 in Germany, Austria, Ireland, and the Flanders region of Belgium. The single flopped in the UK, however, where it only reached number 62. According to Wikipedia (no supporting reference is cited), "Dançando Lambada" topped the Brazilian chart.
This would be the last chart entry for Kaoma in Australia. Vocalist Loalwa Braz was sadly murdered in Brazil in 2017, aged 63; her body was discovered inside a burnt-out car.
Number 144 "I Will Live for You" by Joe Cocker
Peak: number 134
Peak dates: 28 May 1990 and 11 June 1990
Weeks in top 150: 4 weeks
Chart run: 144-134-140-134
Weeks on chart: 4 weeks
We saw the late Joe Cocker in January this year, and he returned to the 101-150 region of the Australian chart with this track, the third single from his One Night of Sin (number 32, October 1989) album. "I Will Live for You" does not appear to have charted anywhere else.
On the state charts, "I Will Live for You" was most popular in South Australia/Northern Territory, where it reached number 101.
Joe will next join us in July, with a third single to peak in the 101-150 region of the ARIA chart in 1990.
Number 146 "Killer" by Adamski
Peak: number 112
Peak date: 2 July 1990
Weeks in top 150: 8 weeks
Chart run: 154-146-124-113-124-115-127-112-(off chart for 8 weeks)-145
Weeks on chart: 9 weeks
As much as I like Sonia, I have to concede that this track is the best song debuting this week - in my opinion, anyway. It seems the record-buying public in the UK held a similar view, as this track stopped Kylie Minogue's iconic "Better the Devil You Know" from reaching number 1 there.
"Killer" spent 4 weeks on top of the UK singles chart, and 16 weeks in the top 40, which was quite a long chart run for a single there at this point time. "Killer" also topped the Flemish chart in Belgium, and was a top 5 hit in Germany, the Netherlands, Sweden and Ireland. On this side of the globe, "Killer" nudged into the New Zealand top 30, peaking at number 29 there in August 1990.
In Australia, "Killer" was most popular in Western Australia, where it reached number 62.
"Killer" started out as an instrumental track by keyboard whizz Adamski (real name Adam Tinley), originally titled "The Killer", as he felt it sounded like the soundtrack to a murder scene in a movie. Following a chance meeting with Seal (real name Henry Samuel) at a nightclub on New Year's Eve 1989, Seal was invited to lay down vocals to some of Adamski's instrumental tracks he had been playing as a DJ.
Although Seal sang and co-wrote the song, he is not credited as a featured artist, due to Adamski's record company wanting to promote the single as solely an Adamski release. Seal's working relationship with Adamski subsequently soured.
Seal would go on to have a successful solo career, placing two singles within the Australian top 10 - "Crazy" (number 9, April 1991), and "Kiss from a Rose" (number 1, August 1995). Adamski placed one single within the ARIA top 100, "The Space Jungle" (number 70, November 1990), on which he performed vocals.
The Adamski album in which "Killer" and "The Space Jungle" are lifted from, Doctor Adamski's Musical Pharmacy, peaked at number 144 in November 1990.
Seal would re-record "Killer" for his debut album Seal (number 22, June 1991). It was released as the album's fourth single, peaking at number 8 in the UK in November 1991, and number 95 in Australia in December 1991. Seal also recycled the "racism in among future kings can only lead to no good, and besides, all our sons and daughters already know how that feels" lyric from "Killer" in "Future Love Paradise" (number 46, July 1991).
"Killer" would eventually become a top 40 hit in Australia, when ATB released a version of it titled "Killer 2000" (number 33, March 2000).
British pop group Five Star were five siblings from the same family, all with the surname Pearson. The group placed 15 singles within the UK top 40 between 1985 and 1988, with six of those reaching the top 10. In Australia, it was a different story, with only "System Addict" (number 66, May 1986) registering within the top 100.
It is quite surprising, then, to see that "Treat Me Like a Lady" dented the top 150, particularly considering it only reached number 54 in their homeland, in March 1990.
"Treat Me Like a Lady" was the first single - and only Australian release - from the album Five Star.
The group would release another single in Australia, "Shine", in 1992, but it did not make the top 150.
Number 149 "Have a Heart" by Bonnie Raitt
Peak: number 149
Peak dates: 21 May 1990 and 28 May 1990
Weeks in top 150: 2 weeks
Top 150 chart run: 149-149
Weeks on chart: 3 weeks
Last week, Bonnie Raitt made her first appearance in the top 150, and here she is a mere week later with the third single from her Nick of Time (number 58, April 1990) album.
"Have a Heart" was a middling success for Bonnie in her native US, where it peaked at number 49 on the Billboard Hot 100 in July 1990. "Have a Heart" was the theme song for the 1990 movie Heart Condition, from which several clips are used in the music video below.
On the ARIA state charts, "Have a Heart" performed strongest in South Australia/Northern Territory, where it reached number 58.
Listening to this track for the first time as I write this, I can't help but hear a similarity in the backing music to James Reyne's "One More River" (number 22, August 1989), though I am sure it is coincidental.
Bonnie will join us next in 1994.
Number 150 "Message" by Go 101
Peak: number 131
Peak date: 28 May 1990
Weeks in top 150: 8 weeks
Chart run: 150-131-132-135-139-138-141-138
Weeks on chart: 8 weeks
Australian band Go 101 scored minor success in 1988 when their debut single "Build It Up" reached number 55 in September 1988. Two further singles also made the ARIA top 100: "Room for Love" (number 88, March 1989) and "Jealous Heart" (number 66, November 1989).
"Message" was the fourth and final single from the band's only album Tempting Fate (number 73, November 1989). Interestingly, the song was titled "Message (To a Broken Heart)" on the album, but not on the single sleeve. The song was remixed for its single release, but only the album version, embedded below, is available on YouTube. On the state charts, "Message" performed strongest in Victoria/Tasmania, where it reached number 102.
I didn't think I knew this song, but it sounds familiar listening to it as I write this week's post.
Although we won't see Go 101 again, their lead singer David Wilson will front another band we shall see bubble under in 1992.
Bubbling WAY down under:
Number 159 "Moonlight on Water" by Laura Branigan
Peak: number 159
Peak date: 21 May 1990
Weeks on chart: 2 weeks
As hinted in the blurb for this week's post last week, the first album I ever bought was recorded by one of this week's debuting artists. The artist in question was Laura Branigan, and the album was Self Control (number 29, August 1984).
Between 1982 and 1988, Laura placed 9 singles within the Australian top 100, with 4 of those reaching the top 10. "Gloria" (number 1, February 1983) went all the way to number one, for 7 weeks, becoming the third best-charting single of 1983.
Laura's last single to reach the top 40 in Australia was "Spanish Eddie" (number 24, October 1985). Like many recording artists strongly associated with the 1980s, Laura struggled to achieve major commercial success once the 90s clocked over; although her chart career had been on the decline for most of the second half of the 80s.
"Moonlight on Water" was an exception to this usual pattern of others scoring hits with Laura's flops - instead, it was a cover version of a song originally released by Kevin Raleigh in 1989. Kevin's version peaked at number 81 in Australia in July 1989, and at number 60 on the US Billboard Hot 100 in June 1989. The song was co-written by Steve Kipner, who co-wrote Olivia Newton-John's "Physical" (number 1, November 1981).
In Laura's native US, "Moonlight on Water" peaked 100 places higher than it did in Australia, at number 59, in April 1990, although it would be her last Billboard Hot 100 entry. Within Australia, "Moonlight on Water" performed strongest on the Western Australia state chart, where it reached number 132.
The album "Moonlight on Water" is lifted from, Laura Branigan, peaked at number 143 in Australia in June 1990. Although Laura would have no further ARIA singles chart success, two later albums charted in Australia: Over My Heart (number 151, September 1993) and Greatest Hits (number 476, October 2007).
Laura sadly died from a brain aneurysm in her sleep in 2004, aged 52.
Number 162 "Blue Period" by The Smithereens featuring Belinda Carlisle
"Blue Period" was issued as the second and final single in Australia from their third studio album 11 (number 96, April 1990). On this track, the band teamed up with Belinda Carlisle, whom we will see bubbling under on her own in October 1990.
Internationally, "Blue Period" peaked at number 99 in the UK in May 1990. On the state charts, "Blue Period" performed strongest in Western Australia, where it reached number 125.
This would be The Smithereens' final single to peak outside the top 100 in Australia. They would go on to land two further ARIA top 100 singles, with "Top of the Pops" (number 77, February 1992) and "Too Much Passion" (number 87, March 1992). Later charting albums in Australia from The Smithereens include Blow Up (number 68, February 1992), A Date with The Smithereens (number 210, July 1994) and The Smithereens Play "Tommy"! (number 1041, June 2009).
Number 165 "96 Tears" by The Stranglers
Peak: number 165
Peak date: 21 May 1990
Weeks on chart: 1 week
Between 1978 and 1986, English band The Stranglers placed five singles on the Australian top 100. Three of those made the top 40: "Golden Brown" (number 10, May 1982), "Skin Deep" (number 11, February 1985), and "Always the Sun" (number 21, March 1987). "Big in America" also bubbled under on the Kent Music Report's list of singles receiving significant sales reports beyond the top 100, reaching fifth place on the list in April 1987.
"96 Tears" was the lead single from The Stranglers' tenth studio album 10 (number 142, April 1990). The single reached number 17 in the UK in February 1990, and number 9 in Ireland during the same month.
I don't recall hearing this song before, and while I think it's OK (not brilliant), it's not a patch on "Always the Sun", which is one of my favourite songs of all time, even though I only know a few Stranglers singles. I've also had a crack at trying to play "Golden Brown" on the piano, not being in possession of a harpsichord.
A second and final single from 10, "Sweet Smell of Success", was issued in Australia in May 1990, but failed to chart. It did, however, peak at number 65 in the UK in April 1990.
Following the release of the compilation Greatest Hits 1977-1990, which oddly did not chart in Australia, the group were dropped by their record label. The band's lead singer, Hugh Cornwell, also quit the group. The Stranglers continued on, however, with new vocalist Paul Roberts on vocals.
Since it's extremely unlikely that I will be writing these chart recap posts once I get around to 2014 (2004 is probably a stretch, though you never know), I might as well reveal the spoiler now that The Stranglers had one later 'charting' single in Australia: "Peaches", which originally peaked at number 54 in February 1978, re-charted at number 947 (!) in April 2014. Yes, the chart is really calculated that low... and lower, in the digital era.
Next week (28 May): Next week we have six new top 150-peaking debuts, and three bubbling WAY down under entries.
