Week commencing 28 September 1992

Before we take a look at this week in 1992's new entries peaking outside the top 100, I have updated the following earlier posts:

 

* 3 April 1989 - with a new bubbling WAY down under entry from Chris de Burgh;

* 6 November 1989 - with a new bubbling WAY down under entry from Chris de Burgh;

* 25 June 1990 - with a new bubbling WAY down under entry from Chris de Burgh.

 

Toto: once big in Africa, they were now struggling to scrape into the Australian top 200 in 1992.

 

Top 150 debuts:

 

Number 122 "Tell It Like It T-I-Is!" by The B-52's

Peak: number 120

Peak date: 19 October 1992

Weeks in top 150: 6 weeks

Chart run: 122-126-132-120-130-146

Weeks on chart: 6 weeks

We last saw American band The B-52's in 1989.

"Tell It Like It T-I-Is!" was the second single lifted from the band's sixth studio album Good Stuff (number 36, July 1992), following the title title track "Good Stuff" (number 56, July 1992).  Since their 1989-90 comeback success with the Cosmic Thing (number 1 for three weeks in January 1990) album, band member Cindy Wilson took a break from the group, and would not re-join them until 1996.  Good Stuff was the only B-52's album to be recorded without Cindy.

Internationally, "Tell It Like It T-I-Is!" peaked at number 61 in the UK in September 1992.  The track also reached number 13 on the meaningless US Billboard Alternative Airplay chart in September 1992.

Locally, "Tell It Like It T-I-Is!" performed strongest in Queensland, where it reached number 91 on the state chart.

I recall hearing this one at the time, but not seeing the music video, which is somewhat boring by The B-52's usual standards.

We'll next see The B-52's in 1993.

 

 

 

Number 123 "Uh Huh Oh Yeh" by Paul Weller

Peak: number 121

Peak date: 19 October 1992

Weeks in top 150: 6 weeks

Top 150 chart run: 123-122-124-121-136-148

English singer-songwriter Paul Weller came to fame as the front man of the band The Jam, who placed five singles on the Australian top 100 chart between 1981 and 1983, with "Town Called Malice"/"Precious" (number 15, May 1982) being the biggest of those.  Following The Jam's demise in 1982, Paul then formed and fronted The Style Council, whom we saw bubble under in 1989.  The Style Council landed ten Australian top 100 singles between 1983 and 1988, with "Shout to the Top" (number 8, February 1985) being the biggest of those.  The group split in 1989, and Paul then went solo.

"Uh Huh Oh Yeh" was Paul's debut solo single in Australia, although he released "Into Tomorrow" as The Paul Weller Movement in Europe in 1991.  Paul's debut album, Paul Weller (number 108, October 1992), followed suit.

Internationally, "Uh Huh Oh Yeh" peaked at number 18 in the UK in August 1992.

We shall next see Paul in 1995.

Number 132 "Felt Like a Kiss" by Honeymen

Peak: number 113

Peak date: 19 October 1992

Weeks in top 150: 6 weeks

Top 150 chart run: 132-136-137-113-126-141

 

Honeymen were an Australian group, led by Sean Sennett.  "Felt Like a Kiss" was featured in the Australian soap opera E Street, which I did not watch.  Unlike other E Street spin-off/promoted acts Melissa Tkautz, Euphoria, Teen Queens, Radio Freedom and Toni Pearen, Honeymen were not able to translate the exposure from the show into a hit single, and "Felt Like a Kiss" fell short of the ARIA top 100.  It would be the group's only top 150 entry.  They released another single, "Motorbike of Love", in October 1994.

 

Number 136 "Give U My Heart" by Babyface (featuring Toni Braxton)

Peak: number 110

Peak date: 5 October 1992

Weeks in top 150: 6 weeks

Top 150 chart run: 136-110-113-118-119-130

Weeks on chart: 12 weeks

We last saw American singer-songwriter and producer Babyface in 1990.

 

For this single, Babyface teamed up with Toni Braxton, whom I was not aware of until her first major solo hit in Australia, "Breathe Again" (number 2, April 1994).  "Give U My Heart" was recorded for the Boomerang soundtrack (number 29, October 1992), which also contained Boyz II Men's "End of the Road" (number 1 for four weeks in November-December 1992) and P.M. Dawn's "I'd Die Without You" (number 42, February 1993).

 

Overseas, "Give U My Heart" peaked at number 29 on the US Billboard Hot 100 in September 1992, and number 41 in New Zealand in October 1992.  The single also registered on several pointless Billboard genre-specific charts, reaching number 23 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles Sales chart in August 1992, number 2 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart in August 1992, number 29 on the Radio Songs chart in September 1992, number 8 on the Hip-Hop Airplay chart in September 1992, and number 32 on the Rhythmic Airplay chart in October 1992.

 

Locally, "Give U My Heart" was most popular in Western Australia, where it reached number 61.  The single performed stronger nationally on the Australian Music Report singles chart, where it peaked at number 82.

 

It's quite possible I heard this one on the American Top 40 radio program at the time, but if so, I have no recollection of it.

We'll next see Babyface in 1993.  While we won't see Toni bubble under with any of her solo singles, her first solo charting release in Australia, "Another Sad Love Song", initially entered the chart at number 221 at the end of August 1993, more than six months before its eventual peak of number 57 in March 1994, just as "Breathe Again" was taking off.  Toni had a couple of later low-charting singles in Australia, with "Hurt You" (number 918, September 2013) - on which Babyface also appears - and "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" (number 937, December 2013).  Toni also had a sting of albums that missed the top 100 locally, including Snowflakes (number 382, December 2001), More Than a Woman (number 157, February 2003), Ultimate Toni Braxton (number 207, November 2003), The Essential Toni Braxton (number 346, April 2007), Breathe Again: The Best of Toni Braxton (number 764, August 2009), Pulse (number 228, May 2010), Love, Marriage & Divorce (number 440, February 2014), and Spell My Name (number 466, September 2020).  Phew!

Number 139 "Friends & Lovers" by Clive Young

Peak: number 123

Peak date: 12 October 1992

Weeks in top 150: 4 weeks

Known chart run: 178-139-140-123-140

Weeks on chart: 6 weeks

We last saw Australian singer-songwriter Clive Young in 1991.

 

"Friends & Lovers" was lifted from Clive's only commercially-released solo album  (I have since learnt that that there was a shelved album in 1989, Naturally, which had a promotional release) When the World Goes 'Round (released September 1992, did not chart).  As with Clive's previous three singles, "Friends & Lovers" was most popular in Victoria/Tasmania, where it reached number 96 on the state chart.

I remember this song received some airplay in Melbourne - not that it helped its chart placing much.  This would be Clive's final chart entry.

 

 

Number 141 "Through an Open Window" by Cliffs of Dooneen

Peak: number 123

Peak date: 5 October 1992

Weeks in top 150: 5 weeks

Top 150 chart run: 141-123-129-132-141

 

I can't tell you much about Cliffs of Dooneen, other than they appear to hail from Boston.  This track appeared on their 1991 album The Dog Went East, and God Went West (released in Australia in October 1992, missed the top 150), and was their only release to dent the top 150 in Australia.  I cannot find evidence of this single charting elsewhere.

 

 

Bubbling WAY down under:

 

Number 172 "Hit & Run" by Boxcar

Peak: number 172

Peak date: 28 September 1992

Weeks on chart: 5 weeks

 

Aussie electronic band Boxcar last graced our presence in 1991.

 

The original version of "Hit & Run" appeared on the band's debut album Vertigo (number 118, February 1991).  The track was remixed and released as a single to promote their remix album Revision: The Vertigo Mixes +1 (number 154, November 1992).

 

On the state charts, "Hit & Run" was most popular in New South Wales/Australian Capital Territory, where it reached number 162.  I don't recall hearing this one before - I like it, though prefer the original album version to the 'Euphoric Mix' embedded below, which was the lead track on the CD single.

 

We'll next see Boxcar in the second half of 1993.  Before then, we’ll see a side project from two of the band’s members.

 

 

Number 203 "Look to the Future" by Fortran 5 featuring Larry Graham

Peak: number 203

Peak date: 28 September 1992

Weeks on chart: 3 weeks

Fortran 5 were David Baker and Simon Leonard, who started out as I Start Counting, formed in London in 1982.  As their music evolved to become more dance-orientated, the duo changed their name to Fortran 5.

"Look to the Future" originally appeared on the debut Fortran 5 album Blues, which does not appear to have been released in Australia, in 1991, in quite a different form, with vocals by Nigel Butler.  The track was re-recorded with Larry Graham, who sang and played bass in Sly and The Family Stone, for its single release.

"Look to the Future" peaked at number 104 in the UK in August 1992.  Locally, the single performed strongest in South Australia/Northern Territory, where it reached number 160.

 

This would be the only Fortran 5 release to chart in Australia.

Number 216 "Making the Perfect Man" by Chris de Burgh

Peak: number 208

Peak date: 9 November 1992

Weeks on chart: 3 weeks

We last saw Chris de Burgh in June 1992.

"Making the Perfect Man" was issued as the second single in Australia from Chris' tenth studio album Power of Ten (number 81, June 1992).  This single missed the UK top 75, peaking at number 87 there in August 1992.

Domestically, "Making the Perfect Man" performed strongest in Western Australia, where it reached number 175.

We shall see Chris again on one more occasion, in 1994.

Number 217 "Don't Chain My Heart" by Toto

Peak: number 173

Peak date: 4 January 1993

Weeks on chart: 8 weeks

American rock band Toto formed in Los Angeles in 1977.  Between 1979 and 1985, they placed eight singles on the Australian top 100, with "Africa" (number 5, February 1983) being the biggest of those.  I have a distinct early childhood memory of "Africa" playing on the radio in the taxi on the way to being page boy (which I hated...) at my uncle's wedding in early 1983, when I was four years old.

 

"Don't Chain My Heart" was issued as the lead single from Toto's eighth studio album Kingdom of Desire, which was released in Australia in September 1992 but missed the top 150.  The group had a compilation album that bubbled under in 1990, however, with Past to Present 1977-1990 (number 142, July 1990). 

Internationally, "Don't Chain My Heart" peaked at number 9 in Sweden in September 1992, number 8 in Norway, number 12 in the Netherlands in September 1992, number 38 in Switzerland in October 1992, and number 35 in France in January 1993.

Locally, "Don't Chain My Heart" performed strongest in Queensland, where it reached number 156.  This would be Toto's final single to chart in Australia, although Weezer's rendition of "Africa" would peak at number 602 in June 2018.

I have no recollection of hearing "Don't Chain My Heart" at the time.  I do recall learning of the death of Toto's drummer Jeff Porcaro in August 1992, aged 38, around this time, however, as it was announced on the American Top 40 radio show.

 

 

Next week (5 October): Three top 150 entries and five bubbling WAY down under debuts.

 

< Previous week: 21 September 1992               Next week: 5 October 1992 >

Week commencing 1 June 1992

Five of this week in 1992's six new entries peaking between numbers 101 and 150 climbed no higher than their entry position, which is an unusual occurrence.  Shall we take a look?

Before doing so, I have updated the following post:

* 28 August 1989 - newly-uncovered bubbling WAY down under entry for Eartha Kitt and Bronski Beat.

 

M People: not quite moving on up into the ARIA top 200 yet.

 

Top 150 debuts:

 

Number 123 "Take My Advice" by Kym Sims

Peak: number 123

Peak date: 1 June 1992

Weeks in top 150: 4 weeks

Chart run: 123-126-138-132

Weeks on chart: 4 weeks

We last saw American songstress Kym Sims in March 1992.

 

"Take My Advice" was the second single lifted from Kym's only album Too Blind to See It, which was released in Australia in April 1992 but did not chart.  I wasn't aware of this track until it appeared on a UK VHS compilation I was digitising in the late 2000s.  I am surprised that it was the bigger of Kym's two 'hits' in Australia, given that I knew the other one quite well at the time, thanks to hearing it on the American Top 40 radio show.

Internationally, "Take My Advice" peaked at number 13 in the UK in April 1992, number 18 in Ireland in April 1992, and number 86 on the US Billboard Hot 100 in May 1992.  For what it's worth (not much in my book), "Take My Advice" fared much better on the US Billboard Dance Club Songs chart, matching the number 5 peak of its predecessor in June 1992.

Within Australia, "Take My Advice" was most popular in New South Wales/Australian Capital Territory, where it reached number 99.

"Take My Advice", which has producer Steve "Silk" Hurley's trademark sound, would be Kym's final charting release in Australia.  Another single, "We Gotta Love", was issued locally in July 1996, but did not chart.  Meanwhile, Kym enjoyed middling success with a third single from her Too Blind to See It album, "A Little Bit More", which reached number 30 in the UK in June 1992.

I had wondered whether the male dancer in the "Take My Advice" video was LL Cool J, but apparently it's just a lookalike!

 

While we won't see Kym again, a song she wrote performed by another artist will appear in July 1992.

 

 

Number 124 "Story of the Blues" by Gary Moore

Peak: number 124

Peak date: 1 June 1992

Weeks in top 150: 13 weeks

Chart run: 159-124-130-132-129-144-148-(out for 2 weeks)-145-132-135-138-137-145-148

Weeks on chart: 14 weeks

 

We last saw Northern Irish guitar maestro Gary Moore in 1991.

"Story of the Blues" was the second single lifted from Gary's ninth solo studio album After Hours (number 8, April 1992). It followed "Cold Day in Hell" (number 42, March 1992).

 

Internationally, "Story of the Blues" peaked at number 40 in the UK in May 1992, number 99 in Germany in June 1992, and number 50 in the Netherlands in June 1992.  The track also reached number 37 on the meaningless US Billboard Mainstream Rock Airplay chart in July 1992.

Domestically, "Story of the Blues" performed strongest in South Australia/Northern Territory, where it reached number 106.

In Australia, the chart run for "Story of the Blues" was split in two, falling out of the top 150 after its initial six-week run for two weeks, before returning for another seven weeks and climbing back to number 132.  "Story of the Blues" was still charting in early September 1992.

I don't recall hearing this one before.  It's very reminiscent of Gary's "Still Got the Blues (For You)"; almost as though he was trying to record a sequel to that track.

 

A third single released from After Hours, "Separate Ways", came out in Australia in October 1992 but failed to chart.

 

We will next see Gary in 1993.

 

Number 135 "Word Is Almost At Peace" by Ghostwriters

Peak: number 135

Peak date: 1 June 1992

Weeks in top 150: 3 weeks

Top 150 chart run: 135-146-(out for 1 week)-147

Australian band Ghostwriters last graced our presence in February 1992.

 

"World Almost At Peace" was the third and final single lifted from the group's debut album Ghostwriters (number 96, January 1992).

 

I don't recall hearing this one before.  I quite liked it, and enjoyed it more than their actual one hit in Australia, "...Someone's Singing New York New York" (number 29, December 1991).

We shall next see Ghostwriters in 1996.

 

 

Number 138 "Cold Wind" by The Celibate Rifles

Peak: number 138

Peak date: 1 June 1992

Weeks in top 150: 3 weeks

Top 150 chart run: 138-149-144

Weeks on chart: 6 weeks

 

We last saw Australian band The Celibate Rifles in 1991.

 

"Cold Wind" was the second single lifted from the band's seventh studio album Heaven on a Stick (number 51, March 1992), not counting their contribution of two tracks on a shared EP with Hard-Ons, Where the Wild Things Are (number 51, March 1992).

This would be The Celibate Rifles' last charting single.  They had later charting albums with Yizgarnnoff (number 103, May 1993), Sofa (number 151, January 1994) and Spaceman in a Satin Suit (number 124, May 1994).

 

Number 139 "Separate Tables" by Chris de Burgh

Peak: number 139

Peak date: 1 June 1992

Weeks in top 150: 1 week

Top 150 chart run: 139

Weeks on chart: 12 weeks

We last saw Chris de Burgh in 1991.

 

"Separate Tables" was the lead single from Chris' tenth studio album Power of Ten (number 81, June 1992).

 

Internationally, "Separate Tables" peaked at number 30 in the UK in April 1992, number 14 in Ireland in April 1992, number 39 in Germany in April 1992, and number 25 in Switzerland in May 1992.

 

Locally, "Separate Tables" performed strongest in Western Australia, where it reached number 78 on the state chart.

 

"Separate Tables" would be Chris' final ARIA top 150 single, although he would have later albums denting the top 150, with This Way Up (number 149, August 1994), and Very Best of (number 75, April 1997).

Chris will join us next in September 1992.

 

 

 

Number 144 "Twisterella" by Ride

Peak: number 105

Peak dates: 8 June 1992 and 15 June 1992

Weeks in top 150: 10 weeks

Top 150 chart run: 144-105-105-113-117-118-129-128-124-117

 

English band Ride formed in Oxford in 1988.  Their debut album Nowhere peaked at number 104 in Australia in July 1990, despite yielding no top 150 singles.  It was quickly followed by the compilation album Smile (number 135, July 1990), which combined the band's first two EP's Ride and Play.

 

"Twisterella" was the band's second single to dent the top 150 in Australia, following "Leave Them All Behind" (number 89, April 1992), which I have seen the video for on rage a couple of times in recent years.  Both tracks were lifted from Ride's second album Going Blank Again (number 56, April 1992).

 

Internationally, "Twisterella" peaked at number 36 in the UK in April 1992, and number 15 in Ireland in April 1992.

 

"Twisterella" fared better on the Australian Music Report singles chart, where it reached number 100.

 

We will next see ride in 1994.

 

 

Bubbling WAY down under:

 

Number 166 "Slash 'N' Burn" by Manic Street Preachers

Peak: number 158

Peak date: 6 July 1992

Weeks on chart: 7 weeks

We last saw Welsh band Manic Street Preachers in 1991.

 

"Slash 'N' Burn" was issued as the third single from the Manics' debut album Generation Terrorists (number 182, April 1992) in Australia, although it was only the second to chart.  "Love's Sweet Exile", released locally in March 1992, failed to chart.  Another single, "You Love Us", was released in the UK, but not Australia, before this one.

Internationally, "Slash 'N' Burn" peaked at number 20 in the UK in March 1992.  Within Australia, the single was most popular in Victoria/Tasmania, where it reached number 140.

We'll next see Manic Street Preachers in August 1992.

 

Number 205 "Colour My Life" by M People

Peak: number 205

Peak date: 1 June 1992

Weeks on chart: 1 week

 

English band M People formed in Manchester in 1990.  Although "Colour My Life" is their first single I have written about, their debut single "How Can I Love You More?" entered the ARIA singles chart at number 174 in February 1992 - but it will not reach its peak until a remixed version of it was released in 1993 (the peak for its original chart run, outside the top 150, is unknown).  Both tracks appear on M People's debut album Northern Soul (number 150, April 1993).

 

"Colour My Life" peaked at number 35 in the UK in March 1992.  In Australia, the single performed strongest in New South Wales/Australian Capital Territory, where it reached number 186.

 

"Colour My Life" was released in Australia in April 1992 and took nearly two months to spend a solitary week on the chart just outside the top 200.

 

M People's commercial breakthrough in Australia would not come until late 1993, with "Moving on Up" (number 4, January 1994), the second single from the band's second album Elegant Slumming (number 7, February 1994).

 

We shall next see M People in 1993.

 

 

Number 206 "Memories" by Beverley Craven

Peak: number 195

Peak date: 15 June 1992

Weeks on chart: 2 weeks 

Beverley Craven last graced our presence in 1991.  "Memories" was released as the second single in Australia from her debut album Beverley Craven (number 141, July 1991).

 

Internationally, "Memories" peaked at number 68 in the UK in December 1991.  In Australia, "Memories" performed strongest in New South Wales/Australian Capital Territory, where it reached number 181.

A live performance was used to promote "Memories" as a single, rather than a music video.  The video embedded below is the studio recording of the song.

"Memories" would be Beverley's final charting single in Australia.  She would, however, have one further low-charting charting album with Promise Me: The Best of (number 1062, April 2011).  A third single from Beverley Craven, "Holding On", was released locally in August 1992 but did not chart.

Next week (8 June): Just three new entries, all of which peak within the top 150.

< Previous week: 25 May 1992                                     Next week: 8 June 1992 >

Week commencing 3 June 1991

There isn't a common theme binding this week in 1991's new top 150 debuts together that I can identify, so let's dive straight in.  But before we do, I have updated an earlier post with the following:

• 23 April 1990 - a new bubbling WAY down under entry from Dina Carroll.
  

 

Ya Kid K wasn't the one on the Australian charts with her solo releases.

 

Top 150 debuts:

 

Number 120 "The Simple Truth" by Chris de Burgh

Peak: number 120

Peak date: 3 June 1991

Weeks in top 150: 4 weeks

Top 150 chart run: 120-128-128-132

 

The simple truth is that Argentina-born British-Irish (make of that what you will) singer Chris de Burgh placed seven singles on the Australian top 100 between 1983 and 1989.  The simple truth is that "The Lady in Red" (number 2, December 1986) was the biggest one of those.  The simple truth is that I secretly like that song, along with Chris's other Australian top ten hit "Don't Pay the Ferryman" (number 5, April 1983).  The simple truth is that these two songs were Chris's only top 40 hits in Australia!  We last saw Chris in 1990.

 

"The Simple Truth" was originally released in 1987, titled "The Simple Truth (A Child Is Born)", as an in-between albums single.  The single was re-released in 1991 to raise funds for Kurdish refugees.

"The Simple Truth (A Child Is Born)" originally peaked at number 31 in Germany in December 1987, number 55 in the UK in January 1988, and number 10 in Ireland.  The 1991 re-issue peaked at number 36 in the UK in May 1991, and number 50 in the Netherlands in June 1991.

I wasn't expecting to know this song, but the chorus was familiar to me.  I cannot place where I heard the song, however.  Perhaps some of the video below, showing footage of Kurdish refugees, was used as a TV commercial?

We will see Chris again in 1992.

 

 

Number 140 "Get It Together" by Redhead Kingpin and The F.B.I.

Peak: number 140

Peak date: 3 June 1991

Weeks in top 150: 3 weeks 

Top 150 chart run: 140-148-145

 

American hip-hop/new jack swing group Redhead Kingpin and The F.B.I. landed two singles that peaked in the 50's in Australia in 1990: "Pump It Hottie" (number 58, March 1990) and "Do the Right Thing" (number 56, July 1990).  Their debut album A Shade of Red peaked at number 102 on the ARIA albums chart in July 1990.

"Get It Together" was released as the first single in Australia from the second, and final, Redhead Kingpin and The F.B.I. album titled The Album with No Name (number 141, June 1991).  Internationally, "Get It Together" peaked at number 34 in New Zealand in June 1991.

 

The group split in 1993, and some of its members formed a new group, Private Investigators, which had a harder hip-hop sound.

We will see Redhead Kingpin and The F.B.I. again in August 1991.

 

 

 

Number 142 "Stand Up (Love Is the Greatest)" by Stephen Cummings

Peak: number 142

Peak date: 3 June 1991

Weeks in top 150: 3 weeks

Top 150 chart run: 142-143-149

Weeks on chart: 4 weeks

 

We last saw Australian singer-songwriter Stephen Cummings in April 1991.

 

"Stand Up (Love Is the Greatest)" was the third and final single lifted from Stephen's fifth solo studio album Good Humour (number 40, March 1991).  "Stand Up..." was also the opening track on the album.

On the state charts, "Stand Up (Love Is the Greatest)" performed strongest in Victoria/Tasmania, where it reached number 111.

I hadn't heard this one before.  It's not bad, but I can see why it wasn't a hit.  My then 12 year-old perspective would probably have been that Stephen was too 'old' to release this kind of dance-infused pop, even though he was only 36.

We shall next see Stephen in 1992.

 

 

 

Number 143 "Awesome (You Are My Hero)" by Ya Kid K

Peak: number 111

Peak date: 24 June 1991

Weeks in top 150: 6 weeks 

Top 150 chart run: 143-122-112-111-117-124

Weeks on chart: 7 weeks

 

Congolese (though it was Zaire when she was born) Manuela Kamosi, better known by her stage name Ya Kid K, experienced her first taste of chart success as the vocalist on Belgian dance/house music act Technotronic's "Pump Up the Jam" (number 4, February 1990), at the tender age of 17.  Only, a blue lipstick-wearing model going by the name of Felly lip synced Ya Kid K's vocals in the music video for that track.

 

Ya Kid K was revealed as the real vocalist on the second Technotronic single, "Get Up! (Before the Night Is Over)" (number 7, April 1990), and appeared in the video, together with Felly.  Ya Kid K also provided vocals on Technotronic's "Rockin' Over the Beat" (number 58, October 1990).  The three aforementioned tracks were sampled in Technotronic's "Megamix" (number 13, November 1990).

In addition to these tracks, Ya Kid K scored another hit in 1990 as the featured vocalist on Hi Tek 3's "Spin That Wheel" (number 5, July 1990), which also appeared on the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie soundtrack album (number 7, July 1990).

"Awesome (You Are My Hero)", Ya Kid K's first solo release, was recorded for the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze soundtrack (number 80, June 1991), with Dancin' Danny D, real name Daniel Poku, from D Mob.  Danny D also appears in the music video.

 

It may be partly because I started high school in 1991, but Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - who seemed to be hugely popular and inescapable in 1990 - seemed somewhat passe to me in 1991.  The soundtrack album for the sequel movie peaking 73 places lower than that for the 1990 movie confirms that.  Obviously, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles have since had a revival in popularity, as even my nephews born this century know about them.

 

I never heard "Awesome..." at the time.  I'm not sure that it was a great move for Ya Kid K's solo career to kick off with a song partly about Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.  "Spin That Wheel", in contrast, was lyrically unrelated to the franchise, so you could still enjoy it even if you were not a 10 year-old boy.

Internationally, "Awesome (You Are My Hero)" peaked at number 81 in the UK in July 1991.

 

In Australia, "Awesome..." was most popular in Queensland, where it reached number 83 on the state chart.

 

Ya Kid K returned to Technotronic in 1993, after her solo career was not a commercial success.

Ya Kid K will join us again, on her own, in 1993, and with Technotronic in 1994.

 

 

Number 144 "Only You" by Praise

Peak: number 131

Peak date: 1 July 1991

Weeks in top 150: 5 weeks

Top 150 chart run: 144-136-133-136-131

English new-age group Praise were fronted by Miriam Stockley.  Readers who are fans of Stock Aitken Waterman will recognise her name as one of their often-used backing vocalists.

"Only You" was lifted from the group's only album Praise, although the album version features much sparser instrumentation, with no percussion.  The single reached number 4 in the UK in February 1991, and number 3 in Ireland.  The success of "Only You" stemmed from its use in a British TV commercial for the Fiat Tempra car.  The track was then remixed by Andreas Georgiou, George Michael's cousin, and Peter Lorrimer for the single release.

Despite being a Stock Aitken Waterman fan myself, I had never actually heard this one before.  It's very much in the same vein as Enigma, minus the Gregorian chants, and not at all like a Stock Aitken Waterman production.

 

 

Number 148 "Ooops" by 808 State featuring Björk

Peak: number 143

Peak date: 17 June 1991

Weeks in top 150: 3 weeks

Known chart run: 152-148-150-143

Weeks on chart: 5 weeks

808 State last graced our presence in April 1991.  They roped in Icelandic singer Björk, who then fronted The Sugarcubes, for "Ooops", the third single lifted from 808 State's ex:el (number 109, April 1991) album.  We've seen Björk previously with The Sugarcubes in September 1989.

Internationally, "Ooops" peaked at number 42 in the UK in May 1991, and number 24 in Ireland.

On the ARIA state charts, "Ooops" performed strongest in Victoria/Tasmania, where it reached number 122.

I first heard "Ooops" in mid-1994, when the video was shown as part of a Björk/The Sugarcubes special on Saturday night rage.  I became a fan of Björk in 1993, during a flight to Hong Kong, where they played some tracks from her Debut (number 10, February 1994) album on one of the airline's in-flight radio stations (do they still have those?).  I picked up the album while I was in Hong Kong.

We will next see 808 State in August 1991, while Björk will join us next in 1994.

Number 150 "Dance Invasion" by Rococo

Peak: number 150

Peak date: 3 June 1991

Weeks in top 150: 1 week

Known chart run: 168-150

Weeks on chart: 5 weeks

English duo Rococo were twin sisters Elaine and Evelyn.  The pair hailed from London.  For some reason, they were more successful in Australia than anywhere else, with their Italo house medley covering other artists's songs, "Italo House Mix", peaking at number 13 in Australia in February 1990, achieving gold certification from ARIA.  In contrast, "Italo House Mix" only reached number 54 in the UK in December 1989, and was the pair's only charting release in their home country.

The trouble with the success of "Italo House Mix", however, was that, watching the video, you wouldn't really know who Rococo were, as the video is mostly made up of graphics, the silhouette of a male dancer, and dodgy nightclub footage shot in Sydney.  I assume the video was made by the Australian record company, and that there was no 'real' video made featuring the girls for the UK release.  The video features some brief animated stills of the Rococo twins, but you wouldn't know that they were the singers.

Rococo were more clearly a singing duo in the video for their next single, "Inside Out" (number 64, April 1990).  Despite coming to Australia to promote the song, performing it on Countdown Revolution, "Inside Out" missed the ARIA top 50.

An album, Are You Ready, was belatedly released in Australia in October 1991, containing "Dance Invasion" as an extra track not on the earlier 1990 European release of the album.  The album failed to chart.

Rococo presumably hoped to bottle lightning twice by releasing "Dance Invasion", which was another medley of cover versions of other dance artists' songs.  The songs featured in the medley are Twenty 4 Seven "I Can't Stand It!" (number 130, February 1991), Bass-o-Matic "Fascinating Rhythm" (number 145, December 1990), Deee-Lite "Groove Is in the Heart" (number 1, November 1990), Snap! "Ooops Up" (number 4, November 1990), Technotronic "Rockin' Over the Beat" (number 53, October 1990), The KLF "What Time Is Love?" (number 73, October 1991, after originally peaking at number 76 in February 1991), and "I Can't Get Enough (Get on the Beat)", which appears to be an original composed by one of the songwriters involved with Rococo's Are You Ready album.

On the state charts, "Dance Invasion" peaked highest in Western Australia, where it reached number 124.

I didn't hear, and was not even aware of, "Dance Invasion" at the time.  Information on the twins online is scant, but I remember a short interview article in the Australian edition of Smash Hits where the twins declared emphatically that they were not the new Mel & Kim.  While there may be some slight visual similarity to Mel & Kim, who were not twins, vocally, Rococo remind me more of Mozaic - they of "Nothing in the World" (number 20, February 1995).

Rococo released a further single in Australia, "Are You Ready", in October 1991, but it failed to chart.  "Dance Invasion" was the duo's final charting entry in Australia.

 

 

 

Bubbling WAY down under:

 

Number 181 "Too Late (True Love)" by The Real Milli Vanilli

Peak: number 181

Peak date: 3 June 1991

Weeks on chart: 1 week

 

For anyone who was around in the early 90s and not living under a rock, you would know that German group Milli Vanilli were a laughing stock, synonymous with lip syncing, once it was revealed in November 1990 that the two guys fronting the group, Fabrice Morvan and Rob Pilatus, were not singing a note on the records or in their 'live' performances.

To cut a long story short(-ish), Rob and Fab, were dancers/models spotted by German studio producer boffin Frank Farian (who was behind Boney M. and the real voice of that group's male vocals - notice a pattern emerging?).  They had dreams of becoming famous, and pop stardom was one way to achieve that, but they were close to being broke.  Frank offered Rob and Fab a sum of money, which they wrongly assumed was a gift.  Frank later advised the pair that the advance he had given them was to be recouped, and coerced them into signing a contract where they agreed to be the front of a musically-talented-but-not-photogenic studio group - or else be forced to pay the money back.  Too young, dumb and poor to fight back, Rob and Fab felt they had no choice but to agree to Frank's terms.

And so the short-lived pop phenomenon that was Milli Vanilli happened.  Top 5 singles across Europe, North America and Australasia, a number one album in the US and Australia - among other countries - a successful worldwide tour, and even a Grammy Award for Best New Artist (which they later returned, after being exposed); it seemed that the pair had the world at their feet, before it all came horribly crashing down.

In Australia, Milli Vanilli landed two top 5 singles - "Girl I'm Gonna Miss You" (number 3, March 1990) and "Blame It on the Rain" (number 5, April 1990), a number 1 album in March 1990 with All Or Nothing: The U.S. Remix Album.  Another top 20 single, "Baby Don't Forget My Number" (number 17, November 1989), spent 45 weeks on the chart - 38 of those inside the top 50.

 

My favourite Milli Vanilli single was, as you might guess, the one that flopped the hardest in Australia, "Girl You Know It's True" (number 88, February 1989).  Despite its low peak, it managed to reach number 29 on the South Australia/Northern Territory state chart.

I was one of the 140,000 or so Australians who bought All Or Nothing: The U.S. Remix album.  I copied the cassette album for about 6 or 7 people from my class in grade 6 in 1990.

The scandal around Milli Vanilli not singing on the albums broke just as the first single and title track from what was to be the duo's second album Keep on Running was being released in Europe.  By revealing they were not the actual singers, Frank Farian effectively fired Rob and Fab from the group, and 'The Real Milli Vanilli' emerged.

Brad Howell and John Davis, who were the real voices on the All Or Nothing album, were part of the group, along with some new, younger, and conventionally better looking members who were, I assume, there to look pretty and take the focus off the older, plain looking ones with the actual musical talent.  The new younger guy even looked a bit like Rob and Fab.  I suspect that one, if not both, of the new members did not perform any vocals on "Keep on Running", with Frank continuing his 'let's fool the public by hiring models who can perform and dance' modus operandi.

With the single release of "Keep on Running" (number 62, March 1991) delayed in Australia until February 1991, it was issued here under the band name of The Real Milli Vanilli.  An album, The Moment of Truth (number 128, April 1991), was released, form which "Too Late (True Love)" was the second single.

Internationally, "Too Late (True Love)" peaked at number 26 in Austria in April 1991, number 36 in the Flanders region of Belgium in April 1991, number 54 in the Netherlands in May 1991, and number 65 in Germany in May 1991.

 

Within Australia, "Too Late (True Love)" performed strongest in Victoria/Tasmania, where it reached number 155.

I hadn't heard "Too Late (True Love)" before.  This one more-heavily features the two new group members on the verses, with the chorus sung by the studio musician who performed Rob's vocals in Milli Vanilli.  It's hard to take this seriously, though, when you see the Rob/Fab look-a-like mouth lines that obviously aren't his in the music video, embedded below.

 

While The Moment of Truth was a flop in comparison to the success of the All Or Nothing album (which was titled Girl You Know It's True in North America), the album contains the original version of "When I Die", a song that would go on to be a number 2 hit in Australia for fellow Frank Farian-produced act No Mercy in 1997.

Milli Vanilli - real or otherwise - would not bother the Australian singles chart again, but had one further charting album.  Their Greatest Hits compilation peaked at number 410 on the ARIA albums chart in April 2007.

Sadly, Rob Pilatus died in 1998, aged 32, from an alcohol and prescription drug overdose.  More-recently, John Davis, one of the studio artists behind Milli Vanilli, died from COVID-19 in 2021, aged 66.

 

Number 186 "Lelore" by Boxcar

Peak: number 186

Peak date: 3 June 1991

Weeks on chart: 1 week

 

We last saw Australian electronic band Boxcar in February 1990.  Since then, they landed their biggest hit and only ARIA top 100 entry with the rather good "Gas Stop (Who Do You Think You Are)" (number 82, January 1991), and had released their debut album Vertigo (number 118, February 1991).

 

"Gas Stop" also gave the band a second US Billboard Dance Club Songs hit.  While I would normally say that doesn't count for much, it kind of does when you're an Australian band who had limited chart success.

 

The mostly-instrumental "Lelore" has obvious ahead-of-its-time, especially for Australia, production from Robert Racic, who was associated with many artists on Volition Records, such as Severed Heads.  The vocal samples are not dissimilar to something Enigma or Deep Forest might have used; again, very avant-garde.  Unfortunately, this pioneering approach to Australian dance music did not yield significant commercial success.

"Lelore" was most-successful in Western Australia, where it reached number 146.

While I am not sure if a music video was made for the regular, album/single version of "Lelore", embedded below (as some of Boxcar's videos are blocked on YouTube), a video exists for a remix of the track, which you can view here.

 

We will next see Boxcar in 1992.

 

 

 

Number 187 "Playing with Knives" by Bizarre Inc

Peak: number 158

Peak date: 10 June 1991

Weeks on chart: 17 weeks

English group Bizarre Inc started out as a duo between DJ's Dean Meredith and Mark "Aaron" Archer, but Archer left and was replaced by Andrew Meecham and Carl Turner in 1990.  While they had a couple of underground releases in 1989 and 1990, "Playing with Knives" was the group's first Australian release.

 

"Playing with Knives" initially peaked at number 43 in the UK in March 1991, before being re-issued and reaching a much higher peak of number 4 in November 1991.

 

In Australia, "Playing with Knives" spent an impressive - especially for a single that did not even make the top 150 - 17 weeks on chart.  I do not have evidence of the single receiving a second, later release in Australia, following its UK success.  On the state charts, "Playing with Knives" performed strongest in Western Australia, where it reached number 103.

I wasn't aware of "Playing with Knives" at the time, but I am sure that it must have been big in the clubs and at raves.  The song is definitely what generations younger than me would call a "banger".

Bizarre Inc never landed a top 100 single or album in Australia, but we will see them again on a few occasions, with the next one being in November 1991.  We will also see a song from another artist that was a spin-off of "Playing with Knives" in 1992.

 

 

 

Next week (10 June): Three top 150 debuts and four bubbling WAY down under entries.

 

< Previous week: 27 May 1991                                         Next week: 10 June 1991 >

Week commencing 25 June 1990

Of the ten songs I write about this week, two of them are from artists who had their greatest period of success in the early 1980s, and one is a medley of songs from a band who were massive in the 1970s.  In addition, there are two tracks from artists who had much greater success overseas.  Shall we take a look?

 

Adam Ant: there is always room for a flop!

 

Top 150 debuts:

 

Number 126 "Abbacadabra" by The Flares

Peak: number 102

Peak date: 9 July 1990

Weeks in top 150: 6 weeks

Top 150 chart run: 126-115-102-136-136-136

 

Just a fortnight ago an ABBA-tinged dance track by an Australian act who only released one single and nothing else graced the top 150... and here we are with another of those!  What was it with Australia and ABBA in the 90s?  Though the ABBA revival didn't really kick off until Erasure's (who also debut this week!) Abba-esque EP (number 13, August 1992) in 1992.

 

I have no idea who was behind The Flares, but "Abbacadabra" (a name adopted by a 90s Australian ABBA tribute band, not to be confused with Björn Again) was their only release.  Stewart Peters, who wrote the single's B-side "The Old Songs" and was in Australian band The Colonial Boys, presumably had something to do with this.

 

The track in question is a megamix/medley of covered ABBA songs, including "Mamma Mia" (number 1, November 1975), "Ring Ring" (number 7, March 1976), "S.O.S." (number 1, January 1975), "Money Money Money" (number 1, November 1976), and "Waterloo" (number 4, August 1974).

 

But that's not all!  The track also contains covered excerpts of LaBelle's "Lady Marmalade" (number 13, July 1975), Amii Stewart's "Knock on Wood" (number 2, May 1979), K.C. & The Sunshine Band's "That's the Way (I Like It)" (number 5, February 1975), Earth, Wind & Fire's "Boogie Wonderland" (number 5, July 1979), Village People's "Y.M.C.A." (number 1, December 1978) and The Trammps' "Disco Inferno" (number 32, June 1978).  In other words, it's a total 1970s-fest.

 

If you ask me, the best ABBA 'tribute' Australia did during the 1990s was this hilarious ABBA parody sung by Gina Riley on sketch comedy TV show Fast Forward.

 

 

 

Number 137 "Room at the Top" by Adam Ant

Peak: number 116

Peak date: 2 July 1990

Weeks in top 150: 5 weeks

Chart run: 153-137-116-124-140-139

Weeks on chart: 6 weeks

English singer Adam Ant, real name Stuart Leslie Goddard, fronted Adam and the Ants, who scored five top 50 hits in Australia in 1981-2, with the first one of those, "Antmusic", going all the way to number 1 in March 1981.

 

'Adam' then launched a solo career, with his first single "Goody Two Shoes" topping the Australian singles chart in August 1982.  Follow-up releases "Friend Or Foe" (number 49, November 1982) and "Puss'n Boots" (number 84, December 1983), Adam's only other solo singles to enter the top 100, were much less successful.

The American-sounding "Room at the Top", co-written and produced by Prince's former bass guitarist André Cymone, was the lead single from Adam's fourth solo album Manners & Physique (number 138, March 1990).  It was Adam's first single released in Australia since "Vive Le Rock" (released August 1985, did not chart).  The Australian record company made the curious decision to release the album (12 March 1990) nearly two months before the first single (7 May 1990) - I wonder if this may have hampered "Room at the Top"'s chance of becoming a hit.

"Room at the Top" had greater chart success in Adam's native UK, where it peaked at number 13 in March 1990, giving him his first top 20 entry since 1984.  The single also reached the top 20 in the US, peaking at number 17 in May 1990, and gave Adam his second biggest hit there.  "Room at the Top" also peaked at number 21 in Ireland.

On the state charts, "Room at the Top" was most successful in Western Australia, where it reached number 72.

We shall next see Adam in October 1990.

Number 141 "High Hopes" by The Havalinas

Peak: number 102

Peak date: 16 July 1990

Weeks in top 150: 6 weeks

Top 150 chart run: 141-136-131-102-141-137

 

The Havalinas were a Californian band fronted by Tim Scott McConnell.  "High Hopes", which does not seem to have charted anywhere else, was lifted from the album The Havalinas (number 130, July 1990).  Tim originally recorded the song for his 1987 solo album High Lonesome Sound.

 

"High Hopes" is probably better known via its Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band cover version, recorded during the sessions for Bruce's Greatest Hits (number 1, March 1995) but ending up on the 1996 Blood Brothers EP.  Bruce later recorded a version with Tom Morello in 2013, becoming the title track of his High Hopes (number 1, January 2014) album.

Number 143 "Brave Young Boy" by Money Talks

Peak: number 143

Peak date: 25 June 1990

Weeks in top 150: 1 week

Top 150 chart run: 143

 

Norwegian band Money Talks were duo Sverre (guitar, vocals) and Harald Wiik (drums), presumably brothers.  Unusually, for a band hailing form Norway, the pair were signed to American record label Curb Records.

 

"Brave Young Boy" was lifted from the album Money Talks, and reached number 4 on the Norwegian singles chart.  Oddly, both the album and single appear to have been the band's only release.

Assuming the text in the description of the video uploaded to YouTube below is correct, Harald Wilk is now the manager of fellow Norwegian band a-ha, whom we shall see in November 1990.

Number 149 "Hungry" by Lita Ford

Peak: number 137 

Peak date: 13 August 1990

Weeks in top 150: 4 weeks

Top 150 chart run: 149-(out for 2 weeks)-149-(out for 2 weeks)-145-137

Weeks on chart: 8 weeks

 

English-born but US-based metal singer-songwriter and guitarist Lita Ford previously landed a number 97 'hit' on the ARIA singles chart in June 1988 (on the first ARIA-produced top 100 singles chart, no less) with "Kiss Me Deadly", her first single to register on the Australian chart.

"Hungry" was the lead single from Lita's fourth studio album Stiletto (number 77, August 1990).  "Hungry" peaked at number 76 in the UK in July 1990, and number 98 on the US Billboard Hot 100 during the same month.  On the state charts, "Hungry" performed strongest in South Australia/Northern Territory, where it reached number 114.

"Hungry" would be Lita's second and final single to register on the Australian singles chart.

Bubbling WAY down under:

Number 152 "Star" by Erasure

Peak: number 152

Peak date: 25 June 1990

Weeks on chart: 1 week

 

We saw Erasure bubble WAY down under a mere seven weeks ago, and here they are with the fourth and final single from their Wild! album (number 107, January 1990) - and the third release from it to stall in the 150s on the ARIA singles chart.  Nonetheless, "Star" was the highest-peaking single from the album in Australia.

 

"Star" had much greater success in Erasure's native UK, where it peaked at number 11 in June 1990.  The single also peaked at number 11 in Ireland, and number 33 in Germany in July 1990.

 

On the state charts, "Star" performed strongest in Western Australia - as did the previous two charting singles from Wild!, reaching number 107.

 

Erasure will join us next in 1992.

Number 153 "One Love One World" by Romi & Jazz

Peak: number 153

Peak date: 25 June 1990

Weeks on chart: 1 week

 

British duo Romi & Jazz released four singles in the UK between 1988 and 1990, with "One Love One World" being the last.  The track, written and produced by Stock Aitken Waterman, was their only release in Australia.

In the UK, where Stock Aitken Waterman-produced singles had started to falter on the charts, following their massively-successful run in the late 1980s, "One Love One World" peaked at number 109 (number 98 on the compressed chart) in June 1990.

Locally, "One Love One World" performed strongest in New South Wales/Australian Capital Territory, where it reached number 141.

 

 

Number 154 "Diamond in the Dark" by Chris de Burgh

Peak: number 154

Peak date: 25 June 1990

Weeks on chart: 1 week

 

We last saw Chris in November 1989 with the lead single from his compilation Spark to a Flame: The Very Best of Chris de Burgh (number 90, December 1989).  "Diamond in the Dark" was released as the second new single from that release.

Internationally, "Diamond in the Dark" peaked at number 14 in Ireland in November 1989, number 95 in the UK in November 1989.

Locally, "Diamond in the Dark" was most popular in Western Australia, where it reached number 133.

We shall next see Chris in 1991.

 

 

Number 156 "The Look of Love" (1990 Mix) by ABC

Peak: number 156

Peak date: 25 June 1990

Weeks on chart: 1 week

 

We saw English band ABC, now pared down to a duo, bubble under in September 1989.  Their first compilation Absolutely (number 133, June 1990) had just been released, and their 1982 single "The Look of Love" (number 7, October 1982) was remixed by Paul Staveley O'Duffy - without the band's oversight or approval - for inclusion on the album.

 

Of course, this remix is not a patch on the original, which is a classic, thanks in part to Trevor Horn's production.  One slightly interesting thing about this version, however, is its interpolation with some of the melody of Kraftwerk's "Computer Love" from 1981, which was the B-side of their single "The Model" (number 33, May 1982).

The 1990 remix of "The Look of Love" peaked at number 68 in the UK in April 1990, number 31 in Germany in June 1990, and number 44 in New Zealand in June 1990.  On the state charts, the single performed strongest in Queensland, where it reached number 133.

While this version of "The Look of Love" would be ABC's final charting single in Australia, they later registered two compilations on the albums chart, albeit rather lowly.  Look of Love: The Very Best of ABC peaked at number 404 in January 2002, and Very Best of peaked at number 529 in November 2005 - although I'm not sure what the latter compilation is, as no album of theirs with that specific title is listed on discogs.

Number 162 "99 Worlds" by Peter Wolf

Peak: number 162

Peak date: 25 June 1990

Weeks on chart: 1 week

American singer Peter Wolf was the lead singer in The J. Geils Band, who scored a number 1 single in Australia in March 1982 with "Centerfold", from 1967 to 1983.

 

After going solo, Peter landed two top 100 'hits' in Australia, with "Lights Out" (number 46, October 1984) and "Come As You Are" (number 72, June 1987). 

"99 Worlds" was the lead, and only, single from Peter's third studio album Up to No Good.

Internationally, the single peaked at number 78 on the US Billboard Hot 100 in March 1990.

Within Australia, "99 Worlds" was most successful in Western Australia, where it reached number 126.

Next week (2 July): a bumper week with 9 new top 150 debuts and two bubbling WAY down under entries.  Among them, we have a flop from an artist who will go on to score a top 10 single later in 1990 as a featured artist, and a re-release of a song that no doubt inspired one of the biggest hits of 1990.

< Previous week: 18 June 1990                                          Next week: 2 July 1990 >