Before we take a look at this week in 1993’s new entries peaking outside the top 100, I wish to inform you that I have resumed my series of posts on singles that made the Kent Music Report’s list of singles receiving significant sales reports beyond the top 100, here. Now, back to 1993…
Billy Ray Cyrus: those locks were made for snippin’.
Top 150 debuts:
Number 135 “De-Emphasize” by Blazing Salads
Peak: number 135
Peak date: 19 April 1993
Weeks in top 150: 1 week
Top 150 chart run: 135
We last saw Australian duo Blazing Salads in March 1993. “De-Emphasize” (note the American spelling) was the second single issued from their only album Blazing Salads (number 130, May 1993).
Two further singles were released by the duo, “A Little Ray of Sunshine” and “Out of Time” - neither of which made the top 150.
Number 137 “These Boots Are Made for Walkin’” by Billy Ray Cyrus
Peak: number 115
Peak date: 3 May 1993
Weeks in top 150: 5 weeks
Top 150 chart run: 137-118-115-125-131
Weeks on chart: 6 weeks
Hailing from Kentucky, American country singer Billy Ray Cyrus burst onto the chart in 1992 with his debut single “Achy Breaky Heart”, which was number 1 for seven weeks in September-November 1992, becoming the highest-selling single of the year in Australia. One thing I didn’t realise until writing this post is that “Achy Breaky Heart” was originally recorded by The Marcy Brothers as “Don’t Tell My Heart” in 1991, with the slightly different chorus lyric, “my achy breakin’ heart”. Like most artists who come out of nowhere with a novelty number one hit, Billy never landed a second top 40 single in Australia, with follow-up “Could’ve Been Me” (number 43, February 1993) falling just a few places short.
“These Boots Are Made for Walkin’”, a cover version of the 1966 number one Nancy Sinatra single, was issued as the third single from Billy’s debut album Some Gave All (number 1 for two weeks October 1992) in Australasia and Europe, while the US went with “She’s Not Cryin’ Anymore”.
Internationally, Billy Ray’s version of “These Boots Are Made for Walkin’” peaked at number 63 in the UK in November 1992, number 27 in the Netherlands in February 1993, number 32 in the Flanders region of Belgium in February 1993, and number 42 in New Zealand in April 1993.
In Australia, “These Boots…” was most popular in Queensland, where it reached number 90 on the state chart.
We’ll next see Billy Ray in November 1993.
Number 143 “Hate It When You Leave” by Keith Richards
Peak: number 143
Peak date: 19 April 1993
Weeks in top 150: 1 week
Top 150 chart run: 143
Weeks on chart: 5 weeks
Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards last paid us a visit in 1992.
“Hate It When You Leave” was issued as the second single from Keith’s second solo album Main Offender (number 96, November 1992). While I cannot find evidence of this single charting anywhere else at the time of its release, interestingly, it registered on several UK format-specific charts (which I didn’t know existed until now) in 2020, following a special Record Store Day release. The re-release of “Hate It When You Leave” peaked at number 81 on the Offical Singles Sales Chart (so excluding streaming), number 10 on the Official Physical Singles Chart, and number 8 on the Official Vinyl Singles Chart - all in October 2020. I am thinking that the music video embedded below, although set to the audio of the original 1992 recording, may have been put together for the 2020 re-release, given the ’(2020)’ alongside the title.
In Australia, the 1993 release of “Hate It When You Leave” performed strongest in South Australia/Northern Territory, where it reached number 107.
Keith had six low-charting singles in Australia between 2015 and 2019, with “Amnesia” (number 871, September 2015) being the ‘biggest’ of those.
Number 147 “Sweet Harmony” by The Beloved
Peak: number 147
Peak date: 19 April 1993
Weeks in top 150: 2 weeks
Top 150 chart run: 147-148
Weeks on chart: 8 weeks
We last saw English electronic band The Beloved in 1991. Since then, the group’s lineup had pared back to singer Jon Marsh and his wife Helena.
“Sweet Harmony” was the lead single from the second Beloved studio album Conscience (number 144, April 1993). Internationally, the single peaked at number 8 in the UK in January 1993, number 14 in Ireland, number 3 in Austria in March 1993, number 14 in Sweden in March 1993, number 40 in the Flanders region of Belgium in April 1993, number 6 in Germany in May 1993, number 6 in Switzerland in May 1993, number 21 in the Netherlands in July 1993, and number 16 in France in November 1993. “Sweet Harmony” also peaked at number 14 on the US Billboard Bubbling Under Hot 100 in May 1993, number 23 on the Alternative Airplay chart in May 1993, and number 23 on the Dance Club Songs chart in June 1993. As you might have surmised from all of these stats, “Sweet Harmony” was The Beloved’s biggest international hit, as well as their highest-charting single in their native UK.
In Australia, where The Beloved were criminally underrated, “Sweet Harmony” would be their third biggest ‘hit’. On the state charts, the single performed strongest in Western Australia, where it reached number 122.
Owing to the UK Chart Attack radio show wrapping up in Melbourne in early January 1993, I did not hear “Sweet Harmony” until early 1996, when flipping between radio stations. Triple M, of all stations, were playing it, when they had a brief period of adding dance/pop to their playlist. I thought it was a new release, liked it, and recorded it onto cassette (how quaint). I am thinking that the ‘nude’ (though very well covered up) music video may have not helped “Sweet Harmony” receive exposure on TV. It’s a shame that this song didn’t receive proper promotion in Australia. It’s easily my favourite new entry this week.
We’ll next see The Beloved in June 1993.
Bubbling WAY down under:
Number 166 “Happy Birthday to Me” by Cracker
Peak: number 157
Peak date: 3 May 1993
Weeks on chart: 6 weeks
American rock band Cracker last paid us a visit in 1992.
“Happy Birthday to Me” was the second single released from the band’s debut album Cracker (number 178, November 1992). The only other chart this single registered on was the US Billboard Alternative Airplay chart, where it reached number 13 in July 1992.
Domestically, “Happy Birthday to Me” was most popular in Western Australia, reaching number 130 on the state chart.
I hadn’t heard this one before; it’s quite good.
Cracker will next join us in 1994.
Number 177 “Never Saw a Miracle” by Curtis Stigers
Peak: number 177
Peak date: 19 April 1993
Weeks on chart: 1 week
American jazz singer Curtis Stigers last joined us in 1992.
“Never Saw a Miracle” was issued as the third single in Australia from Curtis’ debut album Curtis Stigers (number 84, October 1992), in late January 1993. I’ve got a sneaking suspicion that ARIA have made a boo-boo on their database, as the follow-up single, “You’re All That Matters to Me”, was released in Australia one week prior to this chart survey, on 12 April 1993, and it would make much more sense for that release to be debuting at number 177 one week later than a single that came out twelve weeks’ prior.
Overseas, “Never Saw a Miracle” peaked at number 34 in the UK in October 1992, and number 39 in Canada in November 1992. The single also peaked at number 7 on the US Billboard Bubbling Under Hot 100 chart in December 1992, and number 5 on the Adult Contemporary chart in November 1992
Locally, “Never Saw a Miracle” performed strongest in Victoria/Tasmania, reaching number 169 on the state chart.
If this listing should actually be “You’re All That Matters to Me”, that release peaked at number 98 on the US Billboard Hot 100 in March 1992, number 6 in the UK in April 1992, number 11 in Ireland in April 1992, number 38 in Canada in April 1992, number 83 in the Netherlands in May 1992, number 32 in the Flanders region of Belgium in June 1992, and number 54 in Germany in July 1992. The track also reached number 17 on the US Billboard Adult Contemporary chart in April 1992.
I recall hearing “Never Saw a Miracle” at the time, but not “You’re All That Matters to Me”. Of the two, I prefer “Never Saw a Miracle”.
We shall see Curtis on one more occasion, in 1995.
Number 196 “If I Should Fall Behind” by Bruce Springsteen
Peak: number 196
Peak date: 19 April 1993
Weeks on chart: 2 weeks
American singer-songwriter Bruce Springsteen last paid us a visit in 1992.
“If I Should Fall Behind” was the third single released in Australia from Bruce’s tenth studio album Lucky Town (number 6, April 1992). It appears that this track was only released as a single in Australia and select continental European countries. I cannot find evidence of “If I Should Fall Behind” charting elsewhere. On the state charts, “If I Should Fall Behind” performed strongest in Queensland, where it reached number 173.
No music video appears to have been filmed for this track, although an official live recording (which sounds completely different to the studio version embedded below) has been uploaded to YouTube here.
I hadn’t heard this one before; it’s quite nice.
We’ll next see Bruce in 1995.
Number 203 “Fall from Grace” by Eskimos & Egypt
Peak: number 186
Peak date: 24 May 1993
Weeks on chart: 5 weeks
Hailing from Manchester, UK band Eskimos & Egypt would be best known by Australians for their remix of Headless Chickens’ “Cruise Control” (number 26, November 1994), which was the version that became a hit here.
“Fall from Grace”, lifted from the band’s debut album Perfect Disease (released in Australia in January 1994, did not chart), peaked at number 51 in the UK in February 1993. Locally, “Fall from Grace” was most popular in Western Australia, where it reached number 167. The track features vocals from Diane Charlemagne, who went on to front Urban Cookie Collective, who had top 10 hits in Australia with “The Key: The Secret” (number 4 for 5 weeks in November-December 1993) and “Feels Like Heaven” (number 10, January 1994). Sadly, Diane passed away in 2015, aged 51, from kidney cancer. We’ll see Urban Cookie Collective bubble under in 1994.
Eskimos & Egypt will join us again in August 1993.
Number 204 “Many Rivers to Cross” by Cher
Peak: number 204
Peak date: 19 April 1993
Weeks on chart: 1 week
American singer/actress Cher last visited us in January 1993.
“Many Rivers to Cross”, a cover of the Jimmy Cliff song from 1969, was the second new single released from Cher’s Greatest Hits 1965-1992 (number 48, December 1992). To my surprise, it is a live recording, ‘live from The Mirage’. The song had been performed live by Cher since at least 1975, with a live rendition performed for The Cher Sow in 1975. The lyric, “’cause I’ve been licked, washed up for years” sounds particularly poignant, coming from Cher.
Internationally, Cher’s version of this track peaked at number 37 in the UK in March 1993. In Australia, “Many Rivers to Cross” performed strongest in Western Australia, where it reached number 168 on the state chart.
A third new single from Cher’s Greatest Hits 1965-1992, “Whenever You’re Near”, was released in Australia in June 1993, but failed to chart.
Cher will next join us in 1996.
Next week (26 April): Five top 150 entries and eight bubbling WAY down under debuts.
