Special post: State chart-only number 1 singles July-December 1989

Here is the third and final instalment of a series of special posts taking a look at singles that topped one or more of the ARIA state charts, but not the national chart, between June 1988 (when ARIA began producing the chart in-house) and December 1989 (before this information was available via subscription to The ARIA Report).  This post takes a look at singles that topped the state charts only, between July 1989 and December 1989.  You can read Part 1, covering June 1988-December 1988, and Part 2, covering January 1989-June 1989, on the hyperlinks embedded here.

 

Jive Bunny was what Western Australians liked in late 1989.

 

State chart-only number one singles - July 1989 to December 1989:

1. "Telephone Booth" by Ian Moss

State(s) that it went to number one in: South Australia/Northern Territory

Known dates it was number one: 7 August 1989

National chart peak: number 7

National chart debut: 19 June 1989

National chart run: 40-20-17-19-22-17-14-12-7-11-17-21-34-51-58-71-98-108

 

We saw 'Mossy' in part 2 of this series of posts, with "Tucker's Daughter", which also topped the South Australia/Northern Territory state chart.  I liked this one more than "Tucker's Daughter" at the time, but now I'd say they're neck and neck.  One thing probably few people would have predicted at the time, though, was that this would be Ian's final top 10 solo single in Australia, after kicking off his solo career with back-to-back top 10 hits and a number one album Matchbook (number 1 for three weeks in August 1989), which actually debuted at number 148 on the national albums chart before climbing to the top spot the following week.

 

Another interesting statistic about "Telephone Booth" is that it peaked outside the top 10 on the two most-populous state charts (NSW/ACT and VIC/TAS), but still went top 10 nationally on the strength of its sales in QLD, SA/NT and WA.

 

 

2. "Right Back Where We Started From" by Sinitta

State(s) that it went to number one in: Victoria/Tasmania

Known dates it was number one: 21 August 1989

National chart peak: number 7

National chart debut: 10 July 1989

National chart run: 130-48-35-24-15-13-10-7-9-7-7-11-13-15-24-34-50-46-52-93-94

 

Despite being thought of as a Stock Aitken Waterman-produced artist, none of Sinitta's singles produced by them peaked higher than number 49 in Australia, that being "Toy Boy" (number 49, December 1987). Instead, her two biggest hits in Australia, "So Macho" (number 14, October 1986) and "Right Back Where We Started From" (number 7 for three non-consecutive weeks in August-September 1989) were produced by others.  Although this one was produced by Pete Hammond, who was part of the Stock Aitken Waterman 'Hit Factory' team.  Almost conversely to "Telephone Booth" above, "Right Back..." peaked within the top 5 in the three most-populous states, and in the teens in SA/NT and WA.

 

3. "Baby I Don't Care" by Transvision Vamp

State(s) that it went to number one in: Western Australia

Known dates it was number one: 21 August 1989

National chart peak: number 3

National chart debut: 29 May 1989

National chart run: 137-54-40-29-24-13-14-8-10-6-5-5-3-4-7-9-17-20-24-42-43-50-68-74-98-98

 

Despite liking Transvision Vamp, and this one being their biggest hit in Australia, "Baby I Don't Care" would not rank among my favourite songs of theirs, though I do like it.  Released in Australia a mere three weeks after the final single from their debut album, "Sister Moon" (number 95, June 1989), "Baby I Don't Care" led the band's second album Velveteen (number 2, July 1989), ripping off the chord structure of The Troggs' "Wild Thing" (number 1 for two weeks in 1966).  Roxette had also recently used the same chord structure with "Dressed for Success" (number 3 for four weeks in September 1989).  It seemed like Transvision Vamp were going to be huge and stick around for some time when this was out - or so I thought - but that was not to be, with the band achieving only one further top 20 single in Australia after this point, before splitting in 1992.

 

 

4. "All I Want Is You" by U2

State(s) that it went to number one in: Victoria/Tasmania and Queensland

Known dates it was number one: 28 August 1989 (VIC/TAS); 9 October 1989 (QLD)

National chart peak: number 2

National chart debut: 21 August 1989

National chart run: 17-12-11-6-2-2-2-4-6-9-9-11-17-22-30-35-48-59-(2 week Xmas break)-47-70-89-78

 

"All I Want Is You" was issued as the fourth and final single from U2's hybrid/live studio album Rattle and Hum (number 1 for five weeks in October-November 1988).  While lead single "Desire" (number 1 for three weeks in October 1988) topped the chart, the second and third singles stalled in the low teens/20s.  The success of "All I Want Is You" was probably helped by the striking video, and also the new B-side, "Everlasting Love", which received so much airplay in Melbourne that I assumed it was their 'new' single.  "All I Want Is You" peaked at number two on the state charts it was not number one on (NSW/ACT, SA/NT, WA).

 

 

5. "I'll Be Loving You (Forever)" by New Kids on the Block

State(s) that it went to number one in: Western Australia

Known dates it was number one: 4 September 1989

National chart peak: number 4

National chart debut: 31 July 1989

National chart run: 131-23-19-7-8-4-5-4-6-12-12-12-22-19-25-27-31-40-43-51-57-(2 week Xmas break)-61-68-83-82-87

 

American boy band New Kids on the Block burst onto the Australian chart earlier in 1989 with the second single from their second album Hangin' Tough (number 7 for four non-consecutive weeks in November 1989 and December 1989-January 1990), "You Got It (The Right Stuff)" (number 1 for three weeks in August 1989).  They almost seemed 'cool' or slightly 'street' to me with that release - that image would be shattered permanently with the incredibly sappy "I'll Be Loving You (Forever)".  Sounding more like a follow-up to Glenn Medeiros' "Nothing's Gonna Change My Love for You" (number 10, February 1988), "I'll Be Loving You (Forever)" was schmaltz in the extreme.

 

It was around this point I realised that I didn't actually like New Kids on the Block.  They would redeem themselves somewhat with the lead single from their next album, "Step by Step" (number 8 for two weeks in June 1990), but the damage had been done.  Any 'cool' factor the group had was further diminished by their hyper-commercialism, with bubblegum cards and an animated TV series - a model that Spice Girls would look to for inspiration later in the 90s.

 

 

6. "I Don't Want a Lover" by Texas

State(s) that it went to number one in: Western Australia

Known dates it was number one: 11 September 1989

National chart peak: number 4

National chart debut: 5 June 1989

National chart run: 121-104-86-58-61-42-38-28-17-14-6-9-5-8-4-8-13-14-24-23-27-32-36-45-54-54-65-83-95-(2 week Xmas break)

 

'Texas' is not the name you expect of a band hailing from Glasgow, Scotland.  My dad, who was born in Scotland, was quite the fan of this one, and I'm pretty sure got the Southside (number 14, November 1989) album it's taken from.  Interestingly, "I Don't Want a Lover" peaked at number 5 or lower on the non-Western Australia state charts, but peaked at number 4 nationally.  Texas wouldn't land another decent-sized hit single in Australia for nearly another eight years, with "Say What You Want" (number 11 for two weeks in June 1997), which sounds quite different to "I Don't Want a Lover"... so much so that I was not certain it was the same 'Texas' when I first heard it!

 

 

 

7. "That's What I Like" by Jive Bunny and The Mastermixers

State(s) that it went to number one in: Western Australia

Known dates it was number one: 27 November 1989

National chart peak: number 4

National chart debut: 20 November 1989

National chart run: 62-4-4-4-5-(2 week Xmas break)-7-12-23-33-44-93-92

 

Jive Bunny and The Mastermixers were father and son duo John and Andrew Pickles, fronted by a... cartoon bunny named Jive.  A novelty phenomenon you kind of had to be there at the time to understand.  Their medleys of 'golden oldies', mainly from the 1950s and 1960s - some tracks were re-recorded with the original vocalists, or with soundalikes - were briefly popular in Australia towards the end of 1989.  Their debut single "Swing the Mood" (number 1 for three weeks in October 1989) topped the Australian chart, as did their album The Album (number 1 for four weeks in December 1989-January 1990).  "That's What I Like", their second release, wasn't quite as popular, but a top 5 hit nonetheless.  It would be their last top 50 single in Australia.

 

One interesting piece of trivia about this single's chart run is that it debuted at number 101 on the Western Australia state chart, before climbing to number 1 the following week!  Also, while researching this post, I found an article where the DJ behind Jive Bunny's first hit, "Swing the Mood", who was also involved with several of their later releases, claims he has only ever made £100 from their hits!

 

I lost my first music videos YouTube channel in 2009 after receiving three unexpired (I don't they ever expired back then) copyright strikes, the third of which was from Music Factory, the record label Jive Bunny's releases were on, for uploading one of their videos!  I thought that was a bit rich, coming from an act whose entire body of work was based on sampling other people's songs.

 

 

8. "We Didn't Start the Fire" by Billy Joel

State(s) that it went to number one in: Queensland and Western Australia

Known dates it was number one: 4 December 1989 (QLD and WA)

National chart peak: number 2

National chart debut: 23 October 1989

National chart run: 20-10-5-3-3-2-2-2-2-(2 week Xmas break)-4-6-11-15-25-32-42-44-57-67-86-100

 

"We Didn't Start the Fire" was Billy Joel's first Australian single release since January 1988, preceding his Storm Front (number 1 for two weeks in November 1989) album.  Similar to Ian Moss's Matchbook above, the Storm Front album debuted at number 136 in Australia, before climbing to number 2 the following week.  I was not a fan of this one at all at the time, though I don't mind it now.  It was a weird period, looking back, where artists your parents liked could score major hit singles.  I can't see that happening now.

 

 

You can read part 1 and part 2 of this series of posts on the hyperlinks embedded here.

Week commencing 20 January 1992

There isn't a common thread linking this week in 1992's new entries peaking outside the top 100, so let's just dive straight in.

 

Jo Beth Taylor: you probably don't own this single.

  

Top 150 debuts:

 

Number 129 "Big Sky Country" by Chris Whitley

Peak: number 125

Peak date: 27 January 1992

Weeks in top 150: 5 weeks

Top 150 chart run: 129-125-128-130-127

 

American blues/rock singer-songwriter Chris Whitley is an artist I'd never heard of until researching him for this post.  "Big Sky Country" was the second single released in Australia from Chris' debut album Living with the Law (number 109, November 1991).  It followed the album's title track, which was released locally in August 1991.

 

Internationally, "Big Sky Country" peaked at number 71 in the Netherlands in March 1992.  The song also reached number 35 on the US Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks chart in 1991.

Chris died from lung cancer in 2005, aged 45.

We shall see Chris again in April.

 

 

Number 131 "Pump This House Boy" by Choice

Peak: number 123

Peak date: 17 February 1992

Weeks in top 150: 7 weeks 

Top 150 chart run: 131-(out for 1 week)-140-128-123-126-140-143

 

Unfortunately, I cannot tell you anything about this track, other than it appears to be by an Australian house act.  The single was released in October 1991, and was only available on vinyl and cassette.  I could not find this track anywhere online to listen to.

 

 

Number 133 "Shameless" by Billy Joel

Peak: number 133

Peak dates: 20 January 1992 and 3 February 1992

Weeks in top 150: 5 weeks

Chart run: 133-134-133-134-142

Weeks on chart: 5 weeks

 

We last saw Billy Joel in February 1991.  "Shameless" was the sixth single in a row from Billy's Storm Front (number 1, November 1989) album to miss the top 100.  I am not sure why singles were still being released from the album more than two years after its release.

Internationally, "Shameless" peaked at number 40 on the US Adult Contemporary chart in January 1992.

Domestically, "Shameless" was most successful in Western Australia, where it reached number 99.

 

We'll next see Billy in 1994.

 

 

Number 138 "You Don't Own Me" by Jo Beth Taylor

Peak: number 137

Peak dates: 27 January 1992 and 3 February 1992

Weeks in top 150: 5 weeks 

Top 150 chart run: 138-137-137-141-148

 

Born Joanne Guilfoyle, Jo Beth Taylor hails from Perth, Australia.  Jo Beth's first taste of chart success came as a backing vocalist on Melodian Records' (Molly Meldrum's record label) label mates Indecent Obsession's "Tell Me Something" (number 17, October 1989), on which she also appears in the music video.

Jo Beth's debut single "99 Reasons" dented the lower region of the top 40, peaking at number 31 in September 1991.

"You Don't Own Me", which is not a cover version of the Lesley Gore track of the same name, was the second and final single lifted from Jo Beth's only album 99 Reasons (number 109, August 1991).

 

I remember seeing the video for this one on Coca-Cola Power Cuts towards the end of 1991.  Peter Andre, who was also signed to Melodian Records but had not yet released anything, appears as a dancer in the video, as does actor Simon Baker, who was then known as Simon Denny.

 

Jo Beth released two singles after this, which dented the lower half of the top 100, "A Prayer for Jane" (number 61, September 1993) and "I Love My Dog" (number 95, January 1997).  Jo Beth is probably more known for her TV hosting gigs on Hey Hey It's Saturday and Australia's Funniest Home Video Show than for her music.

 

 

Number 139 "True Companion" by Marc Cohn

Peak: number 117

Peak date: 27 January 1992

Weeks in top 150: 9 weeks

Top 150 chart run: 139-117-118-120-130-124-132-122-131

 

We last saw Marc Cohn in September 1991. 

"True Companion" was issued as the third single from Marc's debut album Marc Cohn (number 31, September 1991).  Internationally, "True Companion" peaked at number 80 on the US Billboard Hot 100 in November 1991.

 

"True Companion" peaked 29 places higher on the Australian Music Report singles chart, reaching number 88.

I hadn't heard this one before.  It's nice.

 

We'll see Marc again in March.

 

 

Number 147 Splinter (EP) by Splinter

Peak: number 135

Peak date: 27 January 1992

Weeks in top 150: 3 weeks 

Top 150 chart run: 147-135-150

 

Splinter were an American band from Ohio.  Unfortunately, this is another release I cannot tell you much about, other than it was a 4-track EP, and the lead track (which is not on YouTube) was titled "225".

 

 

Number 149 "Rhythm Is a Mystery" by K-Klass

Peak: number 130 (in 1994); number 138 (in 1992)

Peak dates: 27 January 1992 (original release); 14 November 1994 (1994 release)

Weeks in top 150: 8 weeks (3 weeks in 1992; 5 weeks in 1994)

Top 150 chart run: 149-138-142.  Re-entry 31 October 1994: 148-144-130-131-148

Weeks on chart: 18 weeks (1992 and 1994 chart runs combined)

 

British electronic music group K-Klass formed in 1988.  "Rhythm Is a Mystery" was their debut Australian release, and would go on to appear on their 1993 album Universal (number 140, May 1994).

 

Internationally, "Rhythm Is a Mystery" peaked at number 3 in the UK in November 1991, after originally peaking at number 61 there in May 1991.  The single also reached number 7 in Ireland in November 1991.

 

In Australia, "Rhythm Is a Mystery" had two separate chart runs, with the single being re-issued in 1994 following the success of "Let Me Show You" (number 18, April 1994) - the band's only top 100 entry in Australia.  "Rhythm Is a Mystery" peaked eight places higher in November 1994.  The single peaked on all of the ARIA state charts in 1994, except Western Australia, where it reached number 98 in 1992.  "Rhythm Is a Mystery" performed strongest in South Australia/Northern Territory, where it reached number 85.

K-Klass will join us next in June 1992.

 

 

Bubbling WAY down under: 

Number 171 "Move to Memphis" by a-ha

Peak: number 171

Peak date: 20 January 1992

Weeks on chart: 1 week

 

Norwegian band a-ha last graced our presence in January 1991. 

"Move to Memphis" was recorded as a new track for a-ha's first compilation album Headlines and Deadlines: The Hits of a-ha (number 162, February 1992).

 

Overseas, "Move to Memphis" peaked at number 2 in Norway, number 29 in Ireland in October 1991, number 47 in the UK in October 1991, number 61 in the Netherlands in November 1991, and number 39 in Germany in December 1991.

 

Domestically, "Move to Memphis" was most popular in New South Wales/Australian Capital Territory, where it reached number 144.

I do not enjoy the little I've heard of a-ha's 90s output in comparison to their 80s hits.

a-ha will join us again in 1993.

Next week (27 January): Four top 150 debuts and one bubbling WAY down under entry.

< Previous week: 13 January 1992                                  Next week: 27 January 1992 >

Week commencing 4 February 1991

Ah, readers, we're into February 2022 and what a joy this year has been so far!  Let's step back in time to 1991 to remember the 'good old days' with another six Australian chart flops served fresh for you here.  Except, one of the six songs is from 1977, and two are from albums released in 1989.  Not exactly '90s', hey?  But here's what the Australian public were buying... or rather, not buying in bucket loads, this week in 1991...

 

Peter Gabriel sporting a hair-don't that looks like it came from the 70s, just like his latest single, in 1990.

 

Top 150 debuts:

 

Number 125 "Storm Front" (live at Yankee Stadium) by Billy Joel

Peak: number 114

Peak date: 11 February 1991

Weeks in top 150: 7 weeks

Chart run: 125-114-118-116-122-122-133

Weeks on chart: 7 weeks

 

Despite Billy Joel's Storm Front (number 1, November 1989) album topping the Australian albums chart, the singles released from it after "We Didn't Start the Fire" (number 2, November 1989) were all flops, with "I Go to Extremes" (number 48, February 1990) being the only other one to crack the top 100.

 

That didn't stop the record company issuing umpteen singles from the album, however, and "Storm Front" - this time, an Australian exclusive live single to coincide with his early 1991 Australian tour - was the fifth (!) in a row to miss the top 100... with still one more single from the album to come!  We last saw Billy bubble under in December 1990.

Technically, this live version of "Storm Front", performed at Yankee Stadium, was taken from disc two of Billy's Australian-only Souvenir: The Ultimate Collection (number 1, February 1991) compilation box set, which contains two Greatest Hits discs, the Storm Front album, a disc with five live tracks at Yankee stadium, an interview disc, and a free set of steak knives.  OK, well, not the last one, but they might as well have include those too.

Still, with both Souvenir and Storm Front topping the ARIA albums charts, I doubt the record company were too bothered by most of the singles flopping... and so they kept churning them out.

"Storm Front" performed strongest in Queensland, where it reached number 72 on the state chart.

 

You can listen to the studio version of the track, for contrast, here.

We will see Billy again in early 1992 with the eighth and final single lifted from Storm Front, and (spoiler alert... though not really, as I wouldn't be writing about this song otherwise), yes, it was another one to miss the ARIA top 100.

Number 133 "Solsbury Hill" by Peter Gabriel (1991 release)

Peak: number 121 (in 1991); number 45 (in 1977)

Peak date: 4 March 1991

Weeks in top 150: 10 weeks (1991 release)

Top 150 chart run: 133-127-135-132-121-133-142-136-142-149

Weeks on chart: 11 weeks (1991 release)

This single originally peaked at number 45 in Australia on 4 July 1977, and spent 12 weeks on the top 100.

Prior to Phil Collins taking over vocal duties, Peter Gabriel was once the lead singer in the English progressive rock band Genesis.  He left the group in 1975, embarking on a solo career.  "Solsbury Hill" was Peter's debut solo single, released in 1977.

 

Surprisingly, "Solsbury Hill" only peaked at number 45 in Australia in July 1977.  I say "surprisingly" because the song was still in high rotation on radio during the 1980s.  I knew the song for years, aged in single digits, before I knew the song's title or who performed it.  That's not something I can say about many singles from 1977 that missed the top 40.

"Solsbury Hill" fared much better in Peter's native UK, reaching number 13 there in May 1977.  The song was an apt choice to launch Peter's solo career, as its lyrics deal with, in Peter's own words, "being prepared to lose what you have for what you might get... It's about letting go."

 

At this point in time, Peter had placed seven singles on the Australian top 100, with his biggest hits being "Sledgehammer" (number 3, June 1986) and "Don't Give Up" (number 5, April 1987); the latter being a duet with Kate Bush.  Both tracks were lifted from Peter's fifth studio album So (number 5, June 1986).  Peter also bubbled under with "Red Rain", another single from So, in August 1987, and we last saw him teaming up with Youssou N'Dour in July 1989.

"Solsbury Hill" originally appeared on Peter's debut album Peter Gabriel (number 25, June 1977).  The single was re-released to promote Peter's greatest hits compilation album Shaking the Tree (Sixteen Golden Greats) (number 41, December 1990).  This time around, a music video was made for the song, although Peter does not appear in it.

 

Internationally, the re-issue of "Solsbury Hill" peaked at number 57 in the UK in December 1990, and number 26 in the Netherlands in January 1991.

On the ARIA state charts, "Solsbury Hill" performed strongest in Victoria/Tasmania, where it reached number 90.

We shall next see Peter in 1993.

 

 

Number 145 "Think" by Information Society

Peak: number 132

Peak date: 18 February 1991

Weeks in top 150: 10 weeks 

Top 150 chart run: 145-143-132-142-138-145-141-139-147-143

 

Information Society hail from Minnesota, and formed in 1982.  "Think" was the lead single from their second studio album Hack, and the band's second single issued in Australia, following "What's on Your Mind (Pure Energy)", released in December 1988.

 

"Think" peaked at number 28 on the US Billboard Hot 100, and number 20 in the Netherlands in March 1991.

I have heard this one before.  Someone on a music forum recommended it to me about a decade ago, but I've got a feeling that I probably heard it on the American Top 40 radio program at the time.  I like the song, but don't love it.

"Think" was Information Society's only single to dent the ARIA top 150.

 

 

 

Number 147 "If I Have to Stand Alone" by Lonnie Gordon

Peak: number 147 

Peak dates: 4 February 1991 and 11 February 1991

Weeks in top 150: 2 weeks

Top 150 chart run: 147-147

Weeks on chart: 4 weeks

American-born though at this point English-produced (hello Stock Aitken Waterman!) Lonnie Gordon graced our presence in September 1990, with her second single released in Australia.  Here she is again, with the third.

 

"If I Have to Stand Alone", the title track from Lonnie's debut album If I Have to Stand Alone (number 173, April 1991), was an uptempo number more akin to "Happenin' All Over Again" (number 33, August 1990) than her previous single, which was a ballad.  Not that it helped Lonnie's chart fortunes - here or in the UK - where the single stalled at number 68 in November 1990, leading to the album being shelved by the much more-fickle/risk averse UK record company.

 

You have to love Australian record companies from this era, seemingly releasing whatever product they could license, regardless of its success on the chart (or were they just clueless, rather than being good-willed?).  I remember seeing loads of copies of Lonnie's album in a bargain bin at JB Hi-Fi, which had just opened in my city, in early 1992 - although I did not purchase the album until the 2009 expanded, remastered re-issue.

Working against "If I Have to Stand Alone"'s favour was the fact that Stock Aitken Waterman were definitely perceived as being 'uncool', if not much worse things, at this time.  Their commercial heyday had well and truly passed.

Speaking of 'uncool', I loved a comment I read on the music video embedded below (which turns out to be one of my YouTube uploads) some years ago, which referred to Lonnie's "office lady look" in the video.

On the ARIA state charts, "If I Have to Stand Alone" performed strongest in Queensland, where it reached number 104.

 

I didn't actually hear this track at the time, though remember seeing the single in the shops.

We will next see Lonnie in July 1991, with a new sound and a radically different look.

Number 150 "Too Tired" by Gary Moore featuring Albert Collins

Peak: number 130

Peak date: 4 March 1991

Weeks in top 150: 7 weeks

Top 150 chart run: 150-137-133-134-130-147-144

Weeks on chart: 9 weeks

 

By this point, Northern Irish singer and guitar maestro Gary Moore had landed two decent-sized hits in Australia, with a cover version of The Easybeats' "Friday on My Mind" (number 25, September 1987), and the original "Still Got the Blues (For You)" (number 18, July 1990).  Gary last joined us in April 1989.  My favourite Gary Moore track that I know is "Over the Hills and Far Away" (number 94, April 1987).

"Too Tired" was the fourth and final single lifted from Gary's eighth studio album Still Got the Blues (number 5, July 1990).  It followed "Oh Pretty Woman" (number 50, June 1990), "Still Got the Blues (For You)", and "Walking by Myself" (number 55, November 1990).  This time, Gary teamed up with American blues guitarist Albert Collins, covering a song originally recorded by Johnny Guitar Watson.

Internationally, "Too Tired" peaked at number 71 in the UK in December 1990.

 

On the ARIA state charts, "Too Tired" performed strongest in South Australia/Northern Territory, where it reached number 87.

Sadly, Albert died from lung cancer in 1993, aged 61.  Gary has also since passed on, aged 58, following a heart attack linked to alcoholism, in 2011.

We will next see Gary in 1992.

 

Bubbling WAY down under:

Number 169 "It's OK (It's Alright)" by Fine Young Cannibals

Peak: number 169

Peak date: 4 February 1991

Weeks on chart: 1 week

British band Fine Young Cannibals have joined us twice previously, in February and April of 1990.  After a ten month gap, "It's OK (It's Alright)" was issued as the sixth and final single from The Raw & The Cooked (number 1, July 1989) in Australia in January 1991.  It came just short of two years since the album's first single "She Drives Me Crazy" (number 1, March 1989) was released in Australia, in early February 1989.

 

"It's OK (It's Alright)" was, however, presumably released as a single at this point to promote the band's remix album The Raw & The Remix (number 114, March 1991).

"It's OK (It's Alright)", while being a decent track, presumably did not chart that well because it was from an already two years-old album that most people who liked the band probably already owned.  I also did not hear the track at the time, so it presumably received very little promotion.

 

No proper music video was filmed for "It's OK...".  In lieu of a video, a live performance was used.  The studio version of the track is embedded below.

 

"It's OK (It's Alright)" did not chart in any other country.  On the state charts, "It's OK (It's Alright)" performed strongest in New South Wales/Australian Capital Territory, where it reached number 154.

 

Fine Young Cannibals quietly disbanded in 1992.  I was unaware of any official announcement of their split happening.

 

The group returned in 1996 for a best-of compilation The Finest (number 56, December 1996) - despite only having released two studio albums.  They also had one further charting single in Australia with "The Flame" (number 85, November 1996).

Next week (11 February): Six top 150 debuts and five bubbling WAY down under entries.

 

< Previous week: 28 January 1991                                     Next week: 11 February 1991 >

Week commencing 10 December 1990

This week's batch of new entries from 1990 can be broadly split into two categories - artists your parents knew and liked, or would approve of, and newer acts who never took off in Australia.  But before we take a look at them, I have updated last week's post which now contains an audio clip of the Solange song.

 

Caron Wheeler: soul II solo

 

Top 150 debuts:

 

Number 125 "And So It Goes" by Billy Joel

Peak: number 108

Peak dates: 7 January 1991 and 14 January 1991

Weeks in top 150: 7 weeks

Known chart run: 160-125-113-(chart repeated for 2 week Xmas break)-108-108-112

Weeks on chart: 9 weeks

 

"And So It Goes" was the sixth single issued from Billy Joel's Storm Front (number 1, November 1989) album, and his fourth consecutive release to miss the top 100 in Australia.  We last saw Billy bubble under in May 1990 with the fourth single from the album.  The fifth, "That's Not Her Style" (released in Australia in August 1990), failed to chart, which is odd, as it was the only one to miss the ARIA top 100 that I knew at the time.

Internationally, "And So It Goes" peaked at number 30 in Canada in September 1990, and number 37 on the US Billboard Hot 100 in December 1990.

On the ARIA state charts, "And So It Goes" performed strongest in South Australia/Northern Territory, where it reached number 84.  Interestingly, "And So It Goes" peaked within the top 100 on four of the five ARIA state charts, only missing out in New South Wales/Australian Capital Territory, where it peaked at number 101.

 

Believe it or not, there were another two singles to come from Storm Front - both of which peaked outside the ARIA top 100.  We shall see the next one of them in February 1991.

 

 

 

Number 127 "Impulsive" by Wilson Phillips
Peak: number 103

Peak date: 21 January 1991

Weeks in top 150: 10 weeks

Chart run: 127-104-(chart repeated for 2 week Xmas break)-105-106-103-111-118-130

Weeks on chart: 10 weeks

American female vocal trio Wilson Phillips were sisters Carnie and Wendy Wilson (daughters of The Beach Boys' Brian Wilson), and Chynna Phillips (daughter of The Mamas & The Papas' John and Michelle Phillips).  The trio burst onto the charts with their debut single "Hold On", which topped the US Billboard Hot 100 in June 1990, and reached number 2 in Australia the following month.

"Hold On" was to be Wilson Phillips' only major hit in Australia, with no other single they released peaking higher than number 31 (1992's "You Won't See Me Cry").

 

In the US, it was a different story, and the trio notched up three Hot 100 number one singles and a number 4 hit from their debut album Wilson Phillips (number 7, July 1990), which reached number 2 on the Billboard 200 albums chart and spent more than two years on the chart.

 

The trio's success, however, waned when their second album Shadows and Light (number 30, August 1992) was released, yielding no US top 10 hits.  The group split in 1993, and Chynna embarked on a solo career, landing a back-to-back top 15 hits in Australia in 1996 (and nowhere else) with "Naked and Sacred" (number 15, June 1996) and "I Live for You" (number 9, November 1996).

Back to Wilson Phillips' chart success, or lack thereof, in Australia... the group's second single, "Release Me" (number 57, September 1990), stalled outside the top 50, though spent a respectable 16 weeks on the chart.

"Impulsive" was the third single released from Wilson Phillips, and unlike the previous two singles, Wendy Wilson sang the lead vocal.

Internationally, "Impulsive" peaked at number 42 in the UK in November 1990, 4 on the US Billboard Hot 100 in December 1990, and scraped into the top 30 in Switzerland, Austria and New Zealand.  "Impulsive" also registered in the top 40 in the Netherlands, and the top 60 in Germany.

On the ARIA state charts, "Impulsive" performed strongest in South Australia/Northern Territory, where it reached number 55.  "Impulsive" peaked within the top 100 on four of the five state charts, with Victoria/Tasmania being the only exception.

If you ask me, "Impulsive" and some of Wilson Phillips' other singles failed on the Australian chart because they were a bit too bland, safe, and 'American' sounding (squeaky clean, good little 'Christian' girls singing music your parents would approve of) for our tastes at this point in time.  The same observation was presumably made by the writers of the Australian comedy sketch program Fast Forward, at the time, in their parody of "Hold On" as "Wholesome".

Despite only landing one big hit in Australia, "Hold On" has had enduring popularity.  As of December 2017, "Hold On" had spent 249 weeks on the ARIA singles chart.  But yes, over 220 of those weeks are in the digital/streaming era, where anything can chart, and the chart now runs into the thousands.

Wilson Phillips will next join us in April 1991.

 

 

Number 134 "Personal Jesus" by Depeche Mode

Peak: number 134

Peak date: 10 December 1990

Weeks in top 150: 1 week

Top 150 chart run: 134

Weeks on chart: 8 weeks

 

We saw Depeche Mode bubble under in July 1990, and back then I wrote of how criminally underrated the band were on the Australian charts.  And, as if to prove the point, here we have one of Depeche Mode's biggest, most-recognisable hits, languishing in the 130s... on re-release, no less.  Yes, "Personal Jesus" was the first single issued from the band's seventh studio album Violator (number 42, September 1990), back in October 1989.  "Personal Jesus" eventually limped into the ARIA singles chart, at number 166, in December 1989.  I guess the record company decided to give the single another go, after the belated... success of "Enjoy the Silence" - probably the band's signature song, which peaked at number 71 in Australia in September 1990, almost six months after debuting at number 139 in the last week of March.

"Personal Jesus" had greater success internationally.  Despite only peaking at number 28 on the US Billboard Hot 100 in March 1990, "Personal Jesus" was Depeche Mode's first US top 40 hit in almost five years, and kicked off a string of three consecutive top 30 hits there, propelling Violator to number 7 on the Billboard 200 albums chart in May 1990.  The album was certified 3 times platinum in the US, for shipments of over 3 million copies.

In the band's native UK, "Personal Jesus" peaked at number 13 in September 1989.  "Personal Jesus" also reached number 7 in Ireland, number 5 in Germany and Switzerland, top 20 in Sweden, Denmark and New Zealand, and top 30 in France.

On the ARIA state charts, "Personal Jesus" performed strongest in New South Wales/Australian Capital Territory, where it peaked at number 111.

"Personal Jesus" was the first Depeche Mode single to feature prominent use of a guitar, laid on top of their signature electronic sound.  Adding more guitar to their sound no doubt helped the band's music appeal to a new audience.  The guitar would become even more central to Depeche Mode's sound on their next studio album Songs of Faith and Devotion (number 14, April 1993).

Marilyn Manson recorded a pointless cover version "Personal Jesus", which peaked at number 30 in Australia in October 2004.  It's an indictment on the Australian record-buying public, really, that his version peaked over 100 places higher than the Depeche Mode original.

But that would not be the last time "Personal Jesus" made a (very small) ripple on the Australian chart - the Stargate remix of the track peaked at number 571 in June 2011.

We shall next see Depeche Mode in March 1991.

 

 

Number 137 "Type" by Living Colour

Peak: number 121

Peak date: 7 January 1991

Weeks in top 150: 5 weeks 

Chart run: debuted 5 November 1990: 159-(out for 4 weeks)-137-127-(chart repeated for 2 week Xmas break)-121

Weeks on chart: 6 weeks

"Type" was the lead single from American band Living Colour's second album Time's Up (number 15, July 1990).  To date, the band had placed two singles within the ARIA top 150, with "Cult of Personality" (number 54, April 1989) being the bigger of the two.  We saw Living Colour bubble under with their second Australian chart 'hit' in June 1989.  In the interim, the third single from Living Colour's debut album Vivid (number 52, April 1989), "Glamour Boys" (released in Australia in October 1989), missed the top 150.

Internationally, "Type" peaked at number 75 in the UK in October 1990.  None of the band's singles charted on the Billboard Hot 100 after their first album.

 

In Australia, "Type" performed strongest in Victoria/Tasmania, where it reached number 91.  "Type" peaked at number 95 nationally on the Australian Music Report singles chart.

Living Colour's next single, "Love Rears Its Ugly Head" (number 10, July 1991) became their only major hit, and only top 50 single, in Australia.  Released in mid-December 1990, in its original LP version, "Love Rears Its Ugly Head" stalled at number 147 in January 1991.  It was the Soulpower remix that became a hit in Australia and Europe, when the single was re-issued locally in March 1991, climbing gradually to its eventual peak in July.

 

Living Colour placed another five singles in the ARIA top 100, but none of these peaked higher than number 56.

Number 142 "Livin' in the Light" by Caron Wheeler

Peak: number 112

Peak date: 28 January 1991

Weeks in top 150: 10 weeks

Chart run: 153-142-130-(chart repeated for 2 week Xmas break)-126-114-113-112-120-120

Weeks on chart: 11 weeks

English singer Caron Wheeler came to fame as the featured vocalist on Soul II Soul's breakthrough hits "Keep on Movin'" (number 77, September 1989) and "Back to Life (However Do You Want Me)" (number 45, February 1990).  While neither track was a massive hit in Australia, both singles peaked within the top 5 in the UK, and the top 15 in the US.

Before recording with Soul II Soul, Caron was one third of the vocal group Afrodiziak, together with Claudia Fontaine and Naomi Thompson.  The trio performed backing vocals for many British recording artists during the 1980s.

Caron launched a solo recording career following her success with Soul II Soul. "Livin' in the Light" was the lead single from her debut album UK Blak (number 128, January 1991).

Elsewhere, "Livin' in the Light" peaked at number 14 in the UK in September 1990, number 25 in Ireland in September 1990, number 53 on the US Billboard Hot 100 in November 1990, and number 26 in the Netherlands in October 1990.  The single also reached the top 40 in the Flanders region of Belgium, and the top 50 in Germany and New Zealand.

Domestically, "Livin' in the Light" performed strongest on the South Australia/Northern Territory state chart, where it reached number 84.

Caron's next single, "UK Blak", was issued in Australia in January 1991, but failed to chart locally.  Two further singles were released from UK Blak in the UK, but were not released here.

As a fan of Soul II Soul's singles, I somehow never heard "Livin' in the Light" until 2013, despite reading about its release and seeing the single in the shops in 1990.  My first thought upon hearing the track was that it sounded a lot more 1970s-inspired than I was expecting, and, musically at least, is not dissimilar to something Jamiroquai might have put out a few years later.  I was expecting a more-typical 'Soul II Soul'-type sound, but I like this track a lot.

We shall see Caron again in 1993.

Number 145 "Biggest Mountain" by Inspiral Carpets

Peak: number 122

Peak date: 21 January 1991

Weeks in top 150: 11 weeks

Chart run: 145-144-(chart repeated for 2 week Xmas break)-142-128-122-146-136-145-143

Weeks on chart: 11 weeks

Inspiral Carpets bubbled under back in July with their first single issued in Australia, from their debut album Life (number 140, September 1990).  In the interim, "She Comes in the Fall" was issued locally in September 1990, but failed to chart.  "Biggest Mountain" was an in-between-albums single.

In Inspiral Carpets' native UK, "Biggest Mountain" was the lead track on their Island Head E.P., which peaked at number 21 there in November 1990.  The EP also reached number 29 in Ireland during the same month.

As a (very) casual fan of Inspiral Carpets' singles, I bought a DVD of their music videos second hand on eBay some years back, but haven't watched most of it.  Listening to "Biggest Mountain" as I write this post, this is actually the first time I have heard the track.  I like its more-subdued sound, and there is even a harpsichord waltz coda from just after three and a half minutes in - I was not expecting that.

 

This style of slightly 'alternative' music offered by British bands from this era remained largely unappreciated in Australia until Oasis and Blur landed major hits in the second half of the 1990s.

On the ARIA state charts, "Biggest Mountain" performed strongest in South Australia/Northern Territory, where it reached number 101.

We will next see Inspiral Carpets in August 1991.

 

Number 147 "The Anniversary Waltz" by Status Quo

Peak: number 104

Peak date: 7 January 1991

Weeks in top 150: 10 weeks

Top 150 chart run: 147-126-(chart repeated for 2 week Xmas break)-104-113-110-116-124-134

 

British rock band Status Quo formed in 1962.  Originally, they were named The Scorpions (not to be confused with the German band), changing to The Status Quo in 1967 before dropping the 'The' in 1969.  Somehow, the band are still going, although there have been numerous line-up changes, and several members have died in more-recent years.

At this point in 1990, Status Quo had placed 14 singles on the Australian top 100 chart, between 1970 and 1985.  Three of their singles reached the top 10 in Australia during the 1970s.  These days, the song they would likely be best known for here is "Down Down" (number 4, 1975), thanks to its use in supermarket giant Coles' TV commercials (yes, the "down down, prices are down" song).

Not to be outdone by Jive Bunny and The Mastermixers, Status Quo recorded this medley of covers of songs from the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s.  I was going to surmise it was in hope of landing a UK Christmas number one, but the single was released in September 1990 there, peaking at number 2 the following month.

A sequel to "The Anniversary Waltz", Part 2 - another covers medley - was released in the UK just in time for Christmas; however, it only reached number 16 on the Christmas chart.  Thankfully, Australia was spared part two.

Elsewhere, part 1 of "The Anniversary Waltz" reached the top 10 in Ireland, Austria, the Netherlands and Sweden; and the top 20 in Germany, Switzerland, and the Flanders region of Belgium.  Surprisingly, "The Anniversary Waltz" reached number 30 in New Zealand in January 1991 - a rare instance of our Kiwi brethren displaying worse musical taste than us.

"The Anniversary Waltz" peaked higher on the Australian Music Report singles chart, where it reached number 74.

Bubbling WAY down under:

Number 165 "I Like the Girls" by Mr. Lee

Peak: number 165

Peak date: 10 December 1990

Weeks on chart: 1 week

American rapper Mr. Lee has bubbled under on two previous occasions earlier in 1990, most recently in September.

"I Like the Girls" was the third single from his Get Busy album - released in Australia in August 1990 but did not chart.

Internationally, "I Like the Girls" peaked at number 34 in the Netherlands in August 1990, and number 36 in the Flanders region of Belgium in September 1990.

Domestically, "I Like the Girls" performed strongest on the New South Wales/Australian Capital Territory state chart, where it reached number 153.

 

Despite being uploaded on an official Vevo channel, the music video for "I Like the Girls", embedded below, has distracting de-interlacing lines (those horizontal lines) throughout, making it almost unwatchable.  Record companies really ought to do better than this with official uploads!

Mr. Lee will join us for one last visit in 1992.

Next week (17 December): The chart year draws to a close, with seven top 150 debuts and five bubbling WAY down under entries.  Among them is the single that spent more weeks on the top 150 than any other single peaking between number 101 and 150 from the first half of the 1990s.

< Previous week: 3 December 1990                                    Next week: 17 December 1990 >

Week commencing 28 May 1990

All six of this week's top 150-debuting artists scored top 40 hits on the Australian charts during the 1980s, whether on their own or as part of a group.  Early into the 1990s, however, their latest releases were flopping on the Australian chart.  Let's take a look at these under-appreciated by the Australian record-buying public songs.

 

Kate Bush: those who love her music might be 'angered' with her chart placing this week.

 

 

Top 150 debuts:

 

Number 117 "Softly Whispering I Love You" by Paul Young

Peak: number 105

Peak date:  2 July 1990

Weeks in top 150: 11 weeks

Chart run: 117-122-121-124-116-105-126-121-115-126-132

Weeks on chart: 11 weeks

Frog-voiced Paul Young placed nine singles within the Australian top 100 chart between 1983 and 1987, with two of those reaching the top 10: "Wherever I Lay My Hat (That's My Home)" (number 9, September 1983) and "Love of the Common People" (number 8, April 1984).  Paul additionally had one single register on the Kent Music Report's 'singles receiving significant sales reports beyond the top 100' list, with "Bite the Hand That Feeds" reaching fourth place on the list in October 1985.

"Softly Whispering I Love You" was the first single issued from the English singer's fourth studio album Other Voices (number 102, July 1990).  The song is a cover version of a David and Jonathan track, which reached number 23 on the Australian Go-Set chart (which pre-dates the Kent Music Report and was Australia's official chart at the time).

Paul's version of "Softly Whispering I Love You" peaked at number 21 for two weeks in the UK in May 1990, number 16 in Ireland, and reached the top 50 on the Dutch and Flemish charts.  Within Australia, the single performed strongest in Western Australia, where it reached number 52.

We shall see Paul again in September.

Number 133 "The Downeaster "Alexa"" by Billy Joel

Peak: number 126

Peak date: 2 July 1990

Weeks in top 150: 8 weeks

Chart run: 160-133-134-145-133-133-126-133-139

Weeks on chart: 9 weeks

 

We saw Billy Joel bubble under with the third single from his Storm Front album (number 1, November 1989) in March 1990, and here he is this week with the fourth.

"The Downeaster "Alexia"" peaked at number 57 in Billy's native US on the Billboard Hot 100 in June 1990, and number 76 in the UK during the same month.

Billy will join us again in December, but in between he released "That's Not Her Style" in August 1990, which surprisingly failed to chart.  I say 'surprisingly' because it was the only one of his Storm Front singles that missed the top 100 in Australia that I knew at the time.

Number 140 "Our House" by v. Spy v. Spy

Peak: number 119

Peak date: 11 June 1990

Weeks in top 150: 7 weeks

Chart run: 140-127-119-130-130-132-140

Weeks on chart: 7 weeks

 

We saw Aussie band v. Spy v. Spy back in February with the second single from Trash the Planet (number 22, November 1989), and here they are with the third.  I don't recall hearing this one before.

On the state charts, “Our House” performed strongest in South Australia/Northern Territory, where it reached number 70.

A fourth single from Trash the Planet, "Oceania", was released in August 1990, but failed to chart.

We shall see v. Spy v. Spy again in 1993.

Number 141 "Sophisticated Lady" by Grace Knight

Peak: number 141

Peak date: 28 May 1990

Weeks in top 150: 1 week

Top 150 chart run: 141

Grace Knight fronted Perth band Eurogliders before they split in 1989.  Between 1982 and 1988, Eurogliders placed 12 singles within the Australian top 100, with three of those reaching the top 10.  "Heaven (Must Be There)" was their biggest hit, peaking at number 2 in July 1984.

 

Two Eurogliders singles bubbled under on the Australian Music Report's list of 'singles receiving significant sales reports beyond the top 100': "Listen" reached seventh place on this list (when the ARIA chart stopped at number 100) in October 1988, and "Precious" reached tenth place on this list in April 1989 (did not chart on the ARIA chart).  On the ARIA charts, "Listen" peaked at number 91 on the Western Australia state chart in September 1988, but did not chart nationally or register on any other state chart.

In a recent interview with Chart Beats: A Journey Through Pop, who recap the Australian weekly top 100 charts from the 80s and 90s, Grace revealed that she was in a financially perilous situation following the demise of Eurogliders.  As a single parent struggling to make ends meet, as luck would have it, Grace received a call from the ABC, who asked if she would be interested in recording some jazzy numbers for a TV series they were producing, Come in Spinner.  Grace jumped at the opportunity, and the soundtrack album for the series reached number 4 on the ARIA albums chart in April 1990.  The move paid off, as the album went double platinum and led to Grace recording further jazz albums.

"Sophisticated Lady", a version of the 1930s jazz standard - originally an instrumental by Duke Ellington, was not quite as successful, languishing in the lower part of the top 150, but no doubt helped promote sales of the soundtrack album.

Eurogliders would eventually reform, in 2005, recording new material.

Number 145 "Love and Anger" by Kate Bush

Peak: number 145

Peak date: 28 May 1990

Weeks in top 150: 1 week

Chart run: 145

Weeks on chart: 1 week

Since bursting onto the charts with a bang in 1978 with "Wuthering Heights" (number 1, May 1978), Kate Bush had placed 10 singles within the Australian top 100 up until this point, with four of those reaching the top 10.

"Love and Anger" was issued as the third and final single from Kate's sixth studio album The Sensual World (number 30, November 1989) in her native UK, where it peaked at number 38 in March 1990, and in Australia.  It followed "The Sensual World" (number 44, November 1989) and "This Woman's Work" (number 89, February 1990).  In the US, "Love and Anger" was released as the lead single from the album.

Kate had previously bubbled under on the Australian chart, with "Cloudbusting" reaching seventh place on the Kent Music Report's 'singles receiving significant sales reports beyond the top 100' list in January 1986, and "Experiment IV" reaching fifth place on the list in December 1986.  Some excellent Kate Bush singles released locally that didn't do a thing on the Australian charts and are well worth checking out include "Suspended in Gaffa" (released in Australia in January 1983), "Breathing" (released in Australia in May 1980), and "Hounds of Love" (released in Australia in March 1986).

I caught the music video for "Love and Anger" once on rage before the top 50 in 1990, and remember seeing the cassingle in the shops; but other than that, it didn't seem to receive any promotion.  On the state charts, "Love and Anger" performed best in Western Australia, where it reached number 100.

One thing missing from the music video is Kate's laugh, which appears at the end of the track on European and Australasian pressings of The Sensual World (it is part of the following track, "The Fog" on US pressings, I believe), and at 4:38 in this video.  I recall reading that Kate had always wanted her laugh - without any musical accompaniment - to appear on an album; obviously, she had enough clout at this point to fulfill this wish.

In between "Love and Anger" and her next single "Rocket Man" (number 2, March 1992), Kate released a box-set of all her studio albums to date, plus two extra discs of B-sides and 12" versions, titled This Woman's Work: Anthology 1978-1990.  The set peaked at number 143 on the ARIA albums chart in February 1991.  Curiously, it did not chart anywhere else.

We will next see Kate in 1994.

Number 148 "Far Far Cry" by Jon Anderson

Peak: number  148

Peak date: 28 May 1990

Weeks in top 150: 1 week

Top 150 chart run: 148

 

Jon (real name John) Anderson was the frontman of Yes, whose "Owner of a Lonely Heart" single reached number 14 in February 1984.  Yes placed one other single within the Australian top 100 during the 1980s, "Love Will Find a Way" (number 80, December 1987).  A further single, "Leave It", reached tenth place on the Kent Music Report list of singles receiving significant sales reports beyond the top 100 in April 1984.

As a solo artist, Jon's single "Hold on to Love" reached number 86 on the Australian Music Report singles chart in July 1988, but did not make the ARIA chart.

"Far Far Cry" was recorded for Jonathan Elias' Requiem for The Americas: Songs from the Lost World album (number 145, June 1990), which featured collaborations with several artists, including members of Duran Duran, Grace Jones, Toni Childs, Michael Bolton, and Susanna Hoffs from the Bangles.

Interestingly, "Far Far Cry" did not chart in Jon's native UK, or anywhere else, for that matter.

Bubbling WAY down under:

Number 157 "Rhythm of Life" by Oleta Adams

Peak: number 157

Peak date: 28 May 1990

Weeks on chart: 1 week

I've mentioned previously that Oleta was discovered by Tears for Fears, and collaborated with them for several tracks on their The Seeds of Love album (number 18, October 1989), notably on their single "Woman in Chains" (number 39, January 1990).

While Oleta released two albums in the early 1980s, "Rhythm of Life" was the lead single from her major label debut, Circle of One (number 131, September 1990).  The single crept into the Dutch top 40 at number 39 in June 1990, and initially peaked at number 52 in the UK in March 1990.  A later remixed version of the track would reach number 38 in the UK in December 1995.  In her native US, "Rhythm of Life" missed the Billboard Hot 100, but peaked at number 21 on the Adult Contemporary chart (a meaningless chart, if you ask me) in September 1990.

Within Australia, "Rhythm of Life" performed strongest on the Queensland state chart, where it reached number 140.

The album's title track, "Circle of One", was not issued as a single in Australia, but is my favourite Oleta Adams track that I know.  This track reached number 73 in the UK in June 1991, after originally peaking at number 95 in July 1990.

Oleta never landed a top 100 solo single or album in Australia, but will join us a couple of times over the coming years, with the next occasion being in February 1991.

Number 161 "Tell Me Why" by Exposé

Peak: number 157

Peak date: 4 June 1990

Weeks on chart: 2 weeks

Exposé bubbled WAY down under in November 1989 with the second single from their What You Don't Know album (number 117, November 1989) album, and here they are in the same region of the chart with the follow-up release.

 

"Tell Me Why" was the last in a string of seven consecutive US Billboard Hot 100 top 10 hits for the American group, reaching number 9 there in February 1990.  "Tell Me Why" had much less success internationally, only registering within the top 40 (at number 34) in Canada.

On the state charts, "Tell Me Why" performed strongest in Western Australia, where it peaked at number 122.  Exposé released one further single from the What You Don't Know album locally - "Your Baby Never Looked Good in Blue", in July 1990, but it failed to chart.

 

Exposé would place one more single on the ARIA singles chart, which we will see in 1993.

Number 167 "What Kind of Man Would I Be?" by Chicago

Peak: number 167

Peak date: 28 May 1990

Weeks on chart: 1 week

 

Throughout the 1970s and 1980s, American band Chicago placed 18 singles within the Australian top 100.  Their biggest hits in Australia were "If You Leave Me Now" (number 1, December 1976) and "Hard To Say I'm Sorry" (number 4, September 1982).  The singer of both of those tracks, Peter Cetera, left the band in 1985, and lead vocal duties were taken over by Robert Lamm, who had been with the group since its inception in 1967.

"What Kind of Man Would I Be?" originally appeared on the Chicago 19 album (number 97, August 1988), but was subtly remixed for inclusion on their Greatest Hits 1982-1989 compilation, titled The Heart of Chicago in Europe and Australasia (number 92, January 1990).

Chicago will visit us next in 1991.

Next week (4 June 1990): Just two new top 150 entries, one of which is a song that will go on to reach the top 20 when re-issued in late 1991.

< Previous week: 21 May 1990                                       Next week: 4 June 1990 >