Week commencing 17 February 1992

There is no common thread linking this week in 1992's debuts peaking outside the top 100, so let's just dive straight in.

 

Dire Straits really were in 'dire straits' with their chart position for their latest single.

 

Top 150 debuts:

 

Number 118 "On Every Street" by Dire Straits

Peak: number 109

Peak date: 24 February 1992

Weeks in top 150: 4 weeks 

Top 150 chart run: 118-109-113-123

 

Between 1978 and 1991, English rock band Dire Straits placed 13 singles on the Australian chart, with the Twisting by the Pool EP (number 2, February 1983) being their highest-peaking hit. 

"On Every Street" was the title track from the band's sixth and final studio album On Every Street (number 1, September 1991).  It followed "Calling Elvis" (number 8, September 1991) and "Heavy Fuel" (number 26, December 1991).

 

Internationally, "On Every Street" peaked at number 42 in the UK in February 1992, number 42 in the Netherlands in March 1992, and number 23 in France in April 1992.

 

The single performed stronger on the Australian Music Report singles chart, where it reached number 80.

This would be Dire Straits' only single to peak in the 101-150 region of the ARIA singles chart, although (spoiler alert) they had a 1986 single that made the Kent Music Report beyond the top 100 list.

I don't recall hearing this one before.  It takes over three minutes to reach its crescendo, which probably isn't a great thing for a commercial single.

 

 

Number 122 "In My Life" by Bette Midler

Peak: number 107

Peak date: 2 March 1992

Weeks in top 150: 6 weeks

Chart run: 122-115-107-109-120-117

Weeks on chart: 6 weeks

 

We last saw American singer and actress Bette Midler in 1991. 

"In My Life" was the second and final single lifted from the For the Boys soundtrack (number 44, February 1992); the movie for which Bette also played a starring role in.  The song is a cover version of a track originally recorded by The Beatles in 1965.  It followed "Every Road Leads Back to You" (number 74, February 1992).

 

While I cannot find evidence of "In My Life" charting on any other sales-based chart, it did reach number 20 on the US Billboard Adult Contemporary chart in May 1992.

 

Within Australia, "In My Life" was most popular in Queensland, where it reached number 68.

We'll next see Bette in 1995.

 

 

Number 125 "So Real" by Love Decade

Peak: number 121

Peak date: 9 March 1992

Weeks in top 150: 7 weeks 

Top 150 chart run: 125-122-126-121-126-131-123

English electronic dance group Love Decade formed in 1991, and "So Real" was their second single, though their first Australian release.  It was the group's only release to trouble the ARIA top 150.

Internationally, "Love Decade" peaked at number 14 in the UK in November 1991, becoming their biggest hit there.  It also reached number 25 in Ireland in December 1991.

 

I have heard this one before, though wouldn't have known it at the time.

 

 

Number 135 "Sunless Saturday" by Fishbone

Peak: number 135

Peak date: 17 February 1992

Weeks in top 150: 1 week

Top 150 chart run: 135

 

American rock band Fishbone formed in 1979.  "Sunless Saturday" was issued as a single locally at the start of July 1991, though somehow took seven and a half months to register a place in the top 150 - for one week only, at that.  It was the band's first release to chart in Australia.

 

"Sunless Saturday" is lifted from the band's third studio album The Reality of My Surroundings (number 136, July 1991).

 

I cannot find evidence of this single charting elsewhere, other than on the US Billboard Alternative Airplay chart, where it reached number 7 in May 1991.

 

We shall see Fishbone again next week!

Number 140 "Runaway Bay" by Ghostwriters

Peak: number 117

Peak date: 9 March 1992

Weeks in top 150: 7 weeks

Top 150 chart run: 140-120-131-117-141-140-144

 

Australian band Ghostwriters formed in 1990, as essentially a side project between Midnight Oil's drummer Rob Hirst and Hoodoo Gurus' bassist Richard Grossman.  Neither artist was credited on the liner notes for their debut album Ghostwriters (number 96, January 1992), however, given they wished to initially remain anonymous.  Session musicians on the album were credited by their first name and surname initial.

Ghostwriters' debut single "...Someone's Singing New York New York" (number 29, December 1991) dented the ARIA top 30.  It would become their only single to enter the top 100.

 

We shall next see Ghostwriters in June.

 

 

Number 147 "Cruelest Plague" by Helvelln

Peak: number 118

Peak date: 9 March 1992

Weeks in top 150: 8 weeks 

Top 150 chart run: 147-143-130-118-125-125-138-142

Sometimes, the timing of my posts is quite lucky.  The (audio only) video embedded below for this track was uploaded to YouTube just a month ago - without this, I wouldn't be able to hear this track or share it with you.

Helvelln were an Australian band, composed of members Andy Papadopoulos, Jeremy Gronow, and Nick Green.  They released just one album Helvelln (number 136, September 1991), from which this track is lifted.  While it's not the sort of music I'd normally listen to, I didn't mind this one.  It would be the band's only ARIA top 150 single.

A reader has kindly informed me that Helvelln won the national Australian University band competition in 1991, and the prize was a recording session, from which "Cruelest Plague" resulted.

 

 

Number 150 "The Way I Feel About You" by Karyn White

Peak: number 150

Peak date: 17 February 1992

Weeks in top 150: 1 week

Top 150 chart run: 150

Weeks on chart: 5 weeks

 

We last saw American singer Karyn White in her own right in 1989, and as a featured artist in 1991.

"The Way I Feel About You" was the second single lifted from Karyn's second album Ritual of Love (number 152, October 1991).  It followed "Romantic" (number 68, October 1991), which topped the US Billboard Hot 100 in November 1991, and was Karyn's only ARIA top 100 entry.

 

Internationally, "The Way I Feel About You" peaked at number 65 in the UK in January 1992, number 12 on the US Billboard Hot 100 in February 1992, and number 47 in New Zealand in March 1992.

 

Within Australia, "The Way I Feel About You" was most successful in New South Wales/Australian Capital Territory, where it reached number 136.

Karyn will join us for one last visit in 1994.

  

Bubbling WAY down under:

 

Number 162 "Sweet Soul Music" by London Boys

Peak: number 152

Peak date: 2 March 1992

Weeks on chart: 5 weeks

We last saw London Boys in 1989.

 

"Sweet Soul Music", credited to Soul Kitchen featuring London Boys in some markets, was the title track from London Boys' second album Sweet Soul Music, which was released in Australia in February 1992 but did not chart.

 

Internationally, "Sweet Soul Music" peaked at number 11 in Austria in September 1991, and number 81 in Germany in October 1991.

 

Domestically, "Sweet Soul Music" was most successful in Victoria/Tasmania, where it reached number 141.

This was London Boys' last release to chart in Australia.

Number 182 "I Can't Wait" by Stevie Nicks (1992 release)

Peak: number 182

Peak date: 17 February 1992

Weeks on chart: 1 week

This single originally peaked at number 20 in February 1986 and spent 18 weeks in the top 100.

 

We last saw American singer-songwriter Stevie Nicks in 1981.

 

"I Can't Wait" was originally released in Australia in December 1985, as the lead single from Stevie's third solo album Rock a Little (number 5, June 1986).  The single appears to have been issued in Australia before other countries, and we even received an exclusive, earlier edit of the music video, which I have embedded as the second video below, as it is blocked on YouTube.   In other markets, "Talk to Me" (number 22, April 1986) was released as the first Rock a Little single.

"I Can't Wait" was re-issued in Europe in late 1991 as the second single from Stevie's first compilation album Timespace - The Best of Stevie Nicks (number 13, December 1991) - an album I toyed with buying at the time, but did not.  The re-issue of "I Can't Wait" peaked at number 47 in the UK in November 1991, bettering its original peak there of number 54 in February 1986.

 

"I Can't Wait" received a re-release in Australia in January 1992, as the follow-up to "Sometimes It's a Bitch" (number 18, November 1991).  The 1992 issue of the single performed strongest in New South Wales/Australian Capital Territory, where it reached number 163.

One of my favourite Stevie quotes is regarding the "I Can't Wait" music video.  Posting it here in full for you: "I look at that video, I look at my eyes, and I say to myself, 'Could you have laid off the pot, the coke and the tequila for three days, so you could have looked a little better?  It just makes me want to go back into that video and stab myself."

We shall next see Stevie on her own in 1994, but before then, she'll appear as a featured artist in July 1992.

The Australian edit of the "I Can't Wait" music video:

Number 184 "My Town" by Glass Tiger featuring Rod Stewart

Peak: number 184

Peak date: 17 February 1992

Weeks on chart: 2 weeks

We last saw Canadian band Glass Tiger in 1989.

"My Town" was the second single issued in Australia from Glass Tiger's third, and final, studio album Simple Mission, which was released in Australia in August 1991 but failed to chart.  It followed the single "Animal Heart", released locally in July 1991, which also did not chart.  On this track, the band teamed up with Rod Stewart - although he does not appear in the music video, and does not perform on the version of the track used in the video!  You can hear the version of "My Town" featuring Rod here.

 

Internationally, "My Town" peaked at number 8 in Canada in November 1991, number 33 in the UK in November 1991, and number 51 in Germany in January 1992.

In Australia, "My Town" performed strongest in Western Australia, where it reached number 153.

 

This would be Glass Tiger's last charting release in Australia.  Rod will join us again in August 1992.

Next week (24 February): Four top 150 debuts, and two bubbling WAY down under entries.

< Previous week: 10 February 1992                                   Next week: 24 February 1992 >

Week commencing 14 October 1991

Of the ten new entries outside the Australian top 100 this week in 1991, I only heard one of them at the time.  Perhaps most of them are new to you, too.  Shall we take a look?

 

Alice Cooper's gun was loaded, but it wouldn't fire on the ARIA chart this week in 1991.

  

Top 150 debuts:

 

Number 120 "Escape" by Gary Clail On-U Sound System

Peak: number 117

Peak date: 21 October 1991

Weeks in top 150: 5 weeks

Chart run: 174-120-117-122-123-126

Weeks on chart: 6 weeks

 

English recording artist (describing him as a 'singer' does not seem accurate) Gary Clail worked as a roofer, then landed a gig as an MC, rapping/talking over dub records at gigs for On-U Records.  Gary joined forces with On-U Records act Tackhead, before going solo in 1990.

"Human Nature", Gary's first Australian release under the Gary Clail On-U Sound System moniker, crept into the top 40, peaking at number 38 in August 1991.  It would become Gary's only ARIA top 100 single.  "Human Nature" also featured vocals from another one-hit wonder in Australia, Lana Pellay, who landed a top 20 hit in 1986 with the hi-NRG "Pistol in My Pocket" (number 17, June 1986).

 

"Escape" was the second single lifted from Gary's second album The Emotional Hooligan (number 95, August 1991).  Internationally, "Escape" peaked at number 44 in the UK in June 1991.

 

On the ARIA state charts, "Escape" performed strongest in South Australia/Northern Territory, where it reached number 73.

 

I don't recall hearing this one at the time, but discovered it via a VHS compilation I got hold of a decade ago (where the video embedded below is ripped from).  Like all of Gary's singles, this is another social commentary song; this time dealing with the subject of (I assume) how prisoners are treated by society once they've completed their sentences.

"The Emotional Hooligan" was issued as the third and final single from The Emotional Hooligan in Australia in January 1992, but did not chart.

 

We will next see Gary at the end of 1992. 

 

 

 

Number 121 "Don't Dream It's Over" by Paul Young

Peak: number 114

Peak date: 21 October 1991

Weeks in top 150: 6 weeks

Top 150 chart run: 121-114-117-126-132-132

Weeks on chart: 7 weeks

We last saw English singer Paul Young on his own in February 1991, and dueting with Zucchero in September 1991.

 

A cover version of Crowded House's "Don't Dream It's Over" (number 8, February 1987), this track was recorded for Paul's From Time to Time: The Singles Collection (number 6, June 1992) compilation.

 

Internationally, Paul's version of "Don't Dream It's Over" peaked at number 67 in the Netherlands in October 1991, number 20 in the UK in November 1991, number 13 in Ireland, number 9 in Germany in November 1991, number 25 in Sweden in November 1991, number 48 in the Flanders region of Belgium in November 1991, number 27 in France in November 1991, and number 6 in Norway.

 

Within Australia, "Don't Dream It's Over" was most popular in Queensland, where it reached number 95.

 

Oddly, Paul's rendition of "Don't Dream It's Over" was released as a single in Australia one week before its UK release.

 

I wasn't aware of this track at the time.  With the superior Crowded House version being so well-known in Australia, its release here was kind of pointless; pleasant though it may be. 

We shall see Paul again before the year is out, in December 1991.

 

 

Number 128 "No More Tears" by Ozzy Osbourne

Peak: number 105

Peak date: 21 October 1991

Weeks in top 150: 6 weeks 

Top 150 chart run: 128-105-107-111-119-122

 

English singer-songwriter Ozzy Osbourne, real name John Michael Osbourne, rose to fame as the lead vocalist in 1970s heavy metal band Black Sabbath, though is perhaps best known for biting the head off a bat on stage.

As a solo artist, the only track Ozzy has placed on the ARIA top 100 happens to be the only track of his I will ever enjoy - Was (Not Was)'s "Shake Your Head" (number 47, November 1992), on which Ozzy contributed vocals, along with actress Kim Basinger.  This track was originally released in 1983, with only Ozzy's vocals, as quite a different song.  A pre-fame Madonna auditioned vocals for that track, but she did not make the final cut.

 

Ozzy had last been on the Australian chart with the album No Rest for the Wicked (number 57, December 1988).  "No More Tears" was the lead single and title track from Ozzy's sixth solo studio album No More Tears (number 49, October 1991).

 

Overseas, "No More Tears" peaked at number 32 in the UK in October 1991, number 71 on the US Billboard Hot 100 in January 1992, and number 14 in the Netherlands in May 1992.

 

I wasn't familiar with this song at the time, though caught it on Australian music video TV program rage a few months back.

 

Ozzy will next grace our presence in 1992.

 

Number 131 "Love's a Loaded Gun" by Alice Cooper

Peak: number 125

Peak dates: 21 October 1991 and 4 November 1991

Weeks in top 150: 4 weeks 

Top 150 chart run: 131-125-126-125

Weeks on chart: 7 weeks

 

American rock singer Vincent Damon Furner, better known by his stage name Alice Cooper, had placed 17 singles on the Australian top 100 at this point in 1991, with "You and Me" (number 2, May 1977) being the highest-peaking of those.

After a nearly eight-year absence from the chart, during which Alice overcame alcoholism, Alice returned with a vengeance in 1989 with "Poison" (number 3, October 1989), kicking off the second phase of his career.  "Poison" was the first Alice Cooper song I heard, and 10 year-old me hated it at the time - I think it was the combination of heavy (for me) metal and his scary image; but I have since grown to love the track.  I started warming to Alice with the follow-up, "Bed of Nails" (number 13, January 1990).

"Love's a Loaded Gun" was the second single lifted from Alice's twelfth studio album Hey Stoopid (number 15, July 1991).  It followed the title track, "Hey Stoopid" (number 32, August 1991).

 

Internationally, "Love's a Loaded Gun" peaked at number 38 in the UK in October 1991.

 

In Australia, "Love's a Loaded Gun" was most successful in Queensland, where it reached number 102 on the state chart.

 

I didn't hear this one at the time.  Ironically, given my earlier comment about not liking "Poison" at the time, I prefer Alice with heavier sounds than this. 

We shall see Alice again in 1992.

 

 

Number 139 "Straight to Your Heart" by Bad English

Peak: number 116

Peak date: 4 November 1991

Weeks in top 150: 8 weeks

Top 150 chart run: 139-127-119-116-123-131-131-132

Weeks on chart: 9 weeks

 

We last saw Bad English in June 1990. 

"Straight to Your Heart" was the lead single from the second, and final, Bad English album Backlash (number 159, October 1991).

 

Internationally, "Straight to Your Heart" peaked at number 41 in the Netherlands in October 1991, and number 42 on the US Billboard Hot 100 in October 1991.

On the ARIA state charts, "Straight to Your Heart" was most-successful in Victoria/Tasmania, where it reached number 77.

I don't recall hearing this one at the time.  I enjoyed it more than I was expecting to; I don't mind melodic rock.  "Straight to Your Heart" sounds way more 80s than 90s, however.

 

The band released another single locally, "The Time Alone with You", in January 1992, which failed to chart.  "Straight to Your Heart" would be the final Bad English single to chart in Australia.

 

 

Number 146 "Running Back to You" by Vanessa Williams

Peak: number 102

Peak date: 11 November 1991

Weeks in top 150: 14 weeks (9 weeks in 1991, 5 weeks in 1992)

Top 150 chart run: 146-134-137-135-102-108-103-117-127

Re-entered 31 August 1992: 124-111-117-130-124

Weeks on chart: 18 weeks

 

Here's the one song of this week's 10 new entries I did hear at the time, catching the music video on Coca-Cola Power Cuts, and hearing the song a couple of times on American Top 40.

 

We last saw American singer Vanessa Williams in July 1989. 

"Running Back to You" was the lead single from Vanessa's second studio album The Comfort Zone (number 29, June 1992).  The single peaked at number 18 on the US Billboard Hot 100 in October 1991, and number 86 in Canada.

Within Australia, "Running Back to You" performed strongest in New South Wales/Australian Capital Territory, where it reached number 65.  The single peaked 33 places higher on the Australian Music Report singles chart, where it reached number 69.

 

Vanessa would not score her commercial breakthrough in Australia until her next single, the smash hit "Save the Best for Last" (number 1, July 1992).  Following the success of that track, "Running Back to You" was re-released in Australia in August 1992, climbing back to number 111 on the national chart the following month.  Despite not matching the peak of its 1991 release, "Running Back to You" peaked on three of the ARIA state charts - Victoria/Tasmania, South Australia/Northern Territory and Queensland - following its 1992 re-release.

I can only guess that "Running Back to You" didn't do so well in Australia because it was a bit too American-sounding for Australia's tastes in the early 90s.  It's a shame, because the song deserved to do much better.  Despite its low peak, "Running Back to You" spent a respectable 18 weeks on the chart all-up, however.

"Running Back to You" would be Vanessa's final single to peak outside the top 100 in Australia, although a later single, "Work to Do" (released November 1992) would make its way onto the Australian Music Report's list of singles receiving significant sales reports beyond the top 100.  While there were sometimes large differences between the AMR and ARIA charts, without giving too much away (spoiler alert!), there is a 'blank title' that made the top 150 on the ARIA database in late 1992, and part of me wonders if could have actually been "Work to Do".  But we'll never know.

I am not sure why the Australian record company did not release The Comfort Zone track "Just for Tonight" as a single locally.  I became familiar with that one via the American Top 40 radio show.

 

 

 

Number 147 "Lifeboat" by Tall Tales and True

Peak: number 129

Peak dates: 18 November 1991, 25 November 1991 and 2 December 1991

Weeks in top 150: 8 weeks

Top 150 chart run: 147-150-142-149-(out for 1 week)-129-129-129-135

Weeks on chart: 10 weeks

 

We last saw Sydney band Tall Tales and True in March 1991. 

"Lifeboat" was the lead single from the band's second studio album Revenge (number 42, June 1992).  I didn't hear this one at the time, but have seen the video a couple of times on rage in recent years.  I don't mind the song, and it could have become a hit with mainstream radio support.

 

On the state charts, "Lifeboat" was most popular in South Australia/Northern Territory, where it reached number 101.

While we won't see Tall Tales and True in the 101-150 region of the ARIA singles chart again, the band's third album Tilt peaked at number 140 in March 1995, and we will see them bubble WAY down under on the singles chart in 1994.

 

Number 150 "5.6.7.8" (1991 Remix) by Shut Up and Dance

Peak: number 142

Peak date: 21 October 1991

Weeks in top 150: 2 weeks 

Top 150 chart run: 150-142

 

Shut Up and Dance are English duo Philip Johnson and Carlton Hyman.  Originally released in 1989, "5.6.7.8" was the pair's debut single, though the original version was quite different to the 1991 remix that charted in Australia.  Interestingly, neither release made the UK top 75.

 

The 1991 remix of "5.6.7.8" prominently samples Whitney Houston's "I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)" (number 1, June 1987).

 

Shut Up and Dance would prominently sample another recent-ish hit in 1992, this time Marc Cohn's "Walking in Memphis" (number 11, August 1991), on "Raving I'm Raving", which peaked at number 2 in the UK in May 1992.  Except they forgot to obtain clearance to use the sample, and the single was subsequently withdrawn from sale, dropping to number 15 in its second week before falling out of the chart.  "Raving I'm Raving" was the first Shut Up and Dance track I heard, on the UK Chart Attack radio show, which I listened to religiously after discovering it in April 1992... until it was cancelled in my state (Victoria) in January 1993.

Another Shut Up and Dance track (my favourite) I was exposed to via UK Chart Attack was "The Art of Moving Butts", which is well worth checking out if you like early 90s dance music and have not heard it before.

"5.6.7.8" would be the only Shut Up and Dance single to trouble the ARIA top 150.

 

Bubbling WAY down under:

 

Number 180 "The Gift of Love" by Bette Midler

Peak: number 180

Peak date: 14 October 1991

Weeks on chart: 2 weeks

 

Bette Midler last graced our presence in January 1991.

 

"The Gift of Love" was the third, and - in Australia - final, single from Bette's seventh studio album Some People's Lives (number 7, April 1991).  It followed "From a Distance" (number 8, January 1991) and "Night and Day" (number 84, April 1991).

Internationally, "The Gift of Love" peaked at number 40 in Canada in October 1991.

On the ARIA state charts, "The Gift of Love" performed strongest in New South Wales/Australian Capital Territory, where it reached number 155.

I hadn't heard this one before.  It's OK, but doesn't stand out.  It sounds somewhat Beatles-esque to me in parts, and also reminds me of Susanna Hoffs' "Unconditional Love" (number 100, May 1991).

Bette will next join us in 1992.

 

 

Number 181 "Just a Little Bit Longer" by Maxi Priest

Peak: number 181

Peak date: 14 October 1991

Weeks on chart: 1 week

 

We last saw Maxi Priest in January 1991.

 

"Just a Little Bit Longer" was the fourth and final single from Maxi's fourth studio album Bonafide (number 25, September 1990).  The single was also released to promote his Best of Me (number 122, January 1992) compilation album - unusually, they did not record a new track instead.

 

"Just a Little Bit Longer" peaked at number 62 in the UK in October 1991.

 
Within Australia, "Just a Little Bit Longer" was most popular in New South Wales/Australian Capital Territory, where it reached number 156.

I hadn't heard this one before; I like it.

 

Maxi shall next join us again as a featured artist next week! 

 

 

Next week (21 October): Four top 150 debuts and seven (!) bubbling WAY down under entries.

< Previous week: 7 October 1991                                    Next week: 21 October 1991 >

Week commencing 14 January 1991

A loose theme tying together some of this week in 1991's new entries is remix albums and re-releases.  Let's take a look.

 

The Beloved, who were sadly not beloved in Australia, contemplate their latest ARIA chart placing.

 

Top 150 debuts:

 

Number 132 "When the Boat Comes In (Lifeboat)" by Chosen Few

Peak: number 126

Peak date: 21 January 1991

Weeks in top 150: 7 weeks

Top 150 chart run: 132-126-127-130-145-134-137

 

We first saw Australian band Chosen Few in May 1989, and again in February 1990.  Here they are for a third and final time, with the fifth and last single from the band's only album Friends, Foe & Firewood (number 128, July 1990).  Two of the album's singles, "Get It Right" (released November 1988) and "Days Like These" (June 1990), missed the ARIA top 150.  Interestingly, all three Chosen Few's singles to register a place in the top 150 peaked in the 120's.

"When the Boat Comes In (Lifeboat)" took more than two months to dent the top 150, having been released on 5 November 1990.

 

 

Number 136 "The Best Thing" (Listen!! Mix) by Boom Crash Opera

Peak: number 112

Peak date: 4 February 1991

Weeks in top 150: 9 weeks

Top 150 chart run: 11 December 1989 entry: 74-78-(chart repeated for 2 week Xmas break)-82-67-80-70-80-98-96

14 January 1991 entry: 136-123-131-112-121-127-125-129-134

Weeks on chart: 26 weeks (1989 original and 1990 remix versions combined)

 

Dance remixes and remix albums from acts you wouldn't immediately think of as being remix aficionados, such as The Cure, were starting to be a thing by late 1990.  Australia's Boom Crash Opera, better known for their guitar-based pop sound, hopped on board with Look! Listen!! (number 47, January 1991), which contained extended versions and remixes of tracks from their first two studio albums Boom Crash Opera (number 19, October 1987) and These Here Are Crazy Times (number 10, May 1990).

"The Best Thing" was originally released as the third single from These Here Are Crazy Times in November 1989.  The single underperformed, reaching a peak of number 67 in January 1990, becoming the lowest-peaking release from the album.  It spent 11 weeks in the top 150, all of which were in the top 100.

 

I don't recall hearing this mix of "The Best Thing" at the time.  I am generally not a huge fan of remixes that stray significantly from the original track, as this does, with a few exceptions.  The beat on this mix I recognised as being the same as that used on Neneh Cherry's "Manchild" (The Old School Mix).

 

While checking to see whether the beats on the Neneh remix were sampled from somewhere else - I was convinced they were, but apparently they are not - I discovered another song from Belgian group The Dinky Toys, 1992's "The Test of Time", which samples the same beat.  I had never heard of The Dinky Toys before, but really like this track.

While I'm not a huge fan of this mix of "The Best Thing", I commend Boom Crash Opera for trying something different.  Another Australian band known for their rock music, Noiseworks, were also experimenting with electronic beats around this time.  Yay for Australia being dragged into the 90s...

We shall next see Boom Crash Opera in 1995.

 

 

Number 144 "Wind Beneath My Wings" by Bette Midler (re-entry)

Peak: number 144 (in 1991); number 1 (in 1989)

Peak date: 14 January 1991 (1991 re-entry); 29 May 1989 and 12 June 1989 (original chart run)

Weeks in top 150: 2 weeks (in 1991); 32 weeks (1989 and 1991 chart runs combined)

Known chart run: 20 March 1989 entry: 162-135-86-56-41-38-22-17-9-6-1-2-1-3-3-3-4-6-5-10-11-15-20-26-35-51-61-79-77-97-94

14 January 1989 entry: 144-146

Weeks on chart: 37 weeks

 

Bette Midler last graced our presence in 1989.

 

"Wind Beneath My Wings", from the Beaches soundtrack (number 1, June 1989), was a number one hit in Australia for Bette in 1989.  I have no idea why it re-entered the chart 15 months after it exited the top 150.  I can only assume that it may have tied in with the TV premiere of Beaches.  However, that seems to be much more a UK phenomenon, when an old single from a movie gets a re-release/re-enters the chart because the movie aired on TV, as happened with Berlin's "Take My Breath Away" and Roxette's "It Must Have Been Love" there.

Bette will join us again in October 1991.

 

Number 146 "Between the Saddle and the Ground" by Peter Wells

Peak: number 131

Peak date: 21 January 1991

Weeks in top 150: 8 weeks 

Top 150 chart run: 146-131-135-137-136-144-150-143

 

Peter Wells was a founding member and the slide guitarist in Australian pub rock band Rose Tattoo, before leaving the band (they later reformed) in 1983.  We saw Rose Tattoo's lead singer last month.

"Between the Saddle and the Ground" was the lead single from Peter's solo debut album Everything You Like Tries to Kill You (number 91, February 1991).  I don't recall hearing this one before.

 

While no music video for "Between the Saddle and the Ground" has been uploaded to YouTube, a live performance on Tonight Live with Steve Vizard has been.

Peter died from prostate cancer in 2006, aged 59.  He was the second of five former members of Rose Tattoo to die of cancer, with four of those deaths occurring between 2006 and 2009.  Yikes!  I think that even beats the cursed record held by Ramones.

Number 150 "It's Alright Now" by The Beloved

Peak: number 150

Peak date: 14 January 1991

Weeks in top 150: 1 week

Chart run: 152-(chart repeated for 2 week Xmas break)-(out of chart for 1 week)-150

Weeks on chart: 4 weeks

We saw The Beloved back in October 1990 with the first of 9 (!) singles to peak outside the top 100 in Australia, and here they are with the second of those.

"It's Alright Now" was a new track recorded for the band's remix album Blissed Out (number 111, January 1991).  It was the album's only single.

Internationally, "It's Alright Now" peaked at number 48 in the UK in November 1990.

On the ARIA state charts, "It's Alright Now" performed strongest in New South Wales/Australian Capital Territory, where it reached number 134.

I didn't hear "It's Alright Now" until the music video aired on rage during retro month in January 2012.  I put that down to Countdown Revolution, where I caught their earlier singles, ending in December 1990, not long after this single was released.  The video is memorable - to me, anyway - for its hot air balloon ride scenes.

"It's Alright Now" and the Blissed Out remix album were the last releases where The Beloved were the duo of Jon Marsh (on vocals) and Steve Waddington.  Steve left the group in 1991, with Jon's wife Helena filling his place.

 

The Beloved will next join us in 1993.

 

Next week (21 January): A mammoth week, with 9 top 150 debuts and 8 bubbling WAY down under entries.

 

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Week commencing 23 October 1989

All three of this week's top 150 debuts are singles that only registered a chart placing in Australia.  What is interesting is that only one of the three acts in question is Australian.  Let's take a look.

 

Cyndi Lauper: A chart position to forget

 

Top 150 debuts:

 

Number 127 "I Know You by Heart" by Bette Midler featuring David Pack

Peak: number 118

Peak date: 30 October 1989

Weeks in top 150: 7 weeks

Chart run: 127-118-126-134-135-135-138

Weeks on chart: 7 weeks

"I Know You by Heart" was an Australian-only single, and the third release from the Beaches soundtrack (number 1, June 1989), following "Wind Beneath My Wings" (number 1, May 1989) and "Under the Boardwalk" (number 26, August 1989).  Quite why this single was an exclusive release to Australia, I don't know - other than, possibly, because previous single "Under the Boardwalk" does not appear to have charted anywhere else.

"I Know You by Heart" was a duet with David Pack, who was the lead singer of the rock group Ambrosia.  While Ambrosia only managed to score one top 100 single in Australia ("How Much I Feel" - number 30, February 1979), this was Bette's thirteenth single to register on our chart.  "I Know You by Heart" was co-written by George Merrill and Shannon Rubicam, who as Boy Meets Girl scored a number 35 hit in Australia with "Waiting for a Star to Fall" in March 1989, and had penned big hits for Whitney Houston with "How Will I Know" (number 2, April 1986) and "I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)" (number 1, June 1987).

 

On the state charts, "I Know You by Heart" performed strongest in Western Australia, where it reached number 58.

 

We will see Bette again in 1991.

 

 

 

Number 140 "Running in the Shadows" by The Bombers

Peak: number 130

Peak date: 13 November 1989

Weeks in top 150: 7 weeks 

Top 150 chart run: 140-136-144-130-138-142-143

 

The Bombers were an Australian band, hailing from Sydney.  Going by their facebook page bio, the group morphed out of The Party Boys, and included members of The Angels and Status Quo.  This track appears on their Aim High album, which peaked at number 93 in April 1990.  This was their only single to enter the top 150.  That's about all I can tell you.

 

 

 

Number 145 "A Night to Remember" by Cyndi Lauper

Peak: number 145

Peak date: 23 October 1989

Weeks in top 150: 1 week

Known chart run: 157-145

Weeks on chart: 4 weeks

Things started off reasonably well on the singles charts with Cyndi's third album, A Night to Remember (number 17, June 1989), with "I Drove All Night" peaking at number 11 for four weeks in July 1989.  Second single, "My First Night without You" (number 47, September 1989), didn't perform nearly as well, and now poor Cyndi was relegated to peaking outside the top 100 with the third release and title track from the album.  Unfortunately for Cyndi, this would become the new norm for her on the Australian chart, and she would not see inside the top 100 again until 1994, despite two studio albums being released in the interim.

"A Night to Remember" appears to have only received a commercial single release in Australia, the United States, and Canada, with Australia being the only country it registered a chart placing in.

 

On the state charts, "A Night to Remember" performed strongest in Queensland, where it reached number 127.  The single performed stronger nationally on the Australian Music Report chart, where it peaked at number 96.

We will see Cyndi bubble under again before the year is out.

 

Bubbling WAY down under:

Number 153 "Heart of America" by Tony Llewellyn

Peak: number 153

Peak date: 23 October 1989

Weeks on chart: 2 weeks

We saw Tony Llewellyn in April 1989 with the second single from The News (number 135, November 1989), and here he is with the third and final single lifted from the album.  Although "Heart of America" missed the top 150, it was Tony's highest-charting single.  On the state charts, "Heart of America" performed strongest in New South Wales/Australian Capital Territory, where it reached number 135.

Number 164 "Fine Time" by Scary Bill

Peak: number 160

Peak date: 30 October 1989

Weeks on chart: 2 weeks

We saw Australian band Scary Bill in June 1989, and here they are with their second, and final, single to make the national chart.  "Fine Time" was the third single lifted from the band's only album Scary Bill (number 107, August 1989).  The first release from the album, "Crossroads", missed the national chart (when it stopped at number 100), but peaked at number 42 on the South Australia/Northern Territory state chart, where Scary Bill seemed to be most popular, in December 1988.

On the state charts, "Fine Time" performed strongest in South Australia/Northern Territory, where it reached number 108 on the state chart.

A fourth single, "Planet X", was issued locally in January 1990, but failed to chart.  The band then split up.

Next week (30 October): A bumper week with 7 new top 150 debuts and 2 singles bubbling WAY down under.  You can also follow my posts on instagram and facebook.

 

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