Week commencing 3 May 1993

Before taking a look at this week in 1993’s new entries peaking outside the Australian top 100, I wish to update you on my health situation.  I wrote in early 2024 that my cancer appeared to be in remission, as the review CT, MRI and PET scans I had at that time showed no evidence of disease.  Unfortunately, the scan results were not matched with reality when I underwent a minor procedure to evaluate the primary site.  I continued chemotherapy throughout 2024, completing 36 cycles, and earlier this year switched to oral chemotherapy after the intravenous combinations I had been taking stopped working.  Unfortunately, the oral chemo has also stopped working and I am now out of treatment options, other than clinical trials, which I am unlikely to be eligible for due to my complicated medical history.  Given my current situation, I have thought of accelerating the frequency of my chart recaps (i.e. writing more than one post a week), but am not sure if I want to commit to that… watch this space.  Now onto this week’s new entries.

This single was the kiss of death for Sade on the Australian chart.

Top 150 debuts:

Number 106 “If You Have to Ask” by Red Hot Chili Peppers

Peak: number 106

Peak date: 3 May 1993

Weeks in top 150: 5 weeks

Chart run: 106-121-115-136-120

Weeks on chart: 5 weeks

American band Red Hot Chili Peppers formed in Los Angeles in 1982.  After several years underground, they finally made some ripples on the chart with their fourth album Mother’s Milk (number 33, May 1992 - after originally peaking at number 67 in April 1990), and the single “Higher Ground” (number 45, March 1990), which was a Stevie Wonder cover.

Red Hot Chili Peppers had their major commercial breakthrough with their fifth album, and first release on Warner Bros. Records, Blood Sugar Sex Magik (number 1 for 2 weeks in April 1992). “If You Have to Ask” was the fifth single lifted from Blood Sugar Sex Magik, following “Give It Away” (number 41 for 3 weeks in November 1991), “Under the Bridge” (number 1 for 4 weeks in April-May 1992), “Suck My Kiss” (number 8, May 1992), and “Breaking the Girl” (number 30, October 1992).  It was only released as a single in Australia and Germany, and only charted in Australia.

On the state charts, “If You Have to Ask” performed strongest in Queensland, where it reached number 90.

We’ll next see Red Hot Chili Peppers in 1996.

Number 118 “How I’m Comin” by LL Cool J

Peak: number 101

Peak date: 17 May 1993

Weeks in top 150: 6 weeks

Top 150 chart run: 118-104-101-109-112-116

Weeks on chart: 8 weeks

American rapper LL Cool J last joined us in 1989.

“How I’m Comin” was the lead single from LL Cool J’s fifth studio album 14 Shots to the Dome (number 112, June 1993).  Internationally, the single peaked at number 57 on the US Billboard Hot 100 in April 1993, number 37 in the UK in April 1993, and number 16 in New Zealand in May 1993.  “How I’m Comin” also registered on several US Billboard genre-specific charts, peaking at number 28 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart in April 1993, number 10 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles Sales chart in April 1993, number 55 on the R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay chart in April 1993, number 24 on the Dance Singles Sales chart in May 1993, and number 1 on the Hot Rap Songs chart in May 1993.

In Australia, “How I’m Comin” performed strongest in Western Australia, where it reached number 71 on the state chart.  The single peaked within the top 100 on all state charts except South Australia/Northern Territory.  “How I’m Comin” peaked higher nationally on the Australian Music Report singles chart, where it reached number 98.

We’ll next see LL Cool J in July 1993.

Number 123 “Who Let in the Rain” by Cyndi Lauper

Peak: number 109

Peak date: 10 May 1993

Weeks in top 150: 4 weeks

Top 150 chart run: 123-109-119-129

Weeks on chart: 7 weeks

American singer-songwriter Cyndi Lauper last visited us in 1992.

“Who Let in the Rain” was the first single released from Cyndi’s fourth studio album Hat Full of Stars (number 102, July 1993).  Internationally, the single peaked at number 12 in New Zealand in June 1993, number 76 in Canada in August 1993, and number 32 in the UK in January 1994.  “Who Let in the Rain” also peaked at number 33 on the US Billboard Adult Contemporary chart in April 1993.

In Australia, “Who Let in the Rain” was most popular in Queensland, where it reached number 96 on the state chart.  Nationally, “Who Let in the Rain” performed slightly better on the Australian Music Report singles chart, where it reached number 100.

I don’t recall hearing this one before.  While it’s nice enough, it doesn’t stand out like Cyndi’s classic singles from the 80s, and doesn’t sound like lead single material to me.  Cyndi’s commercial success after the 1980s waned partly because I think she was too closely associated with that decade, image wise.  Taking a four year hiatus between albums also didn’t help.

We’ll next see Cyndi in 1995.

Number 144 “All About Eve” by Marxman

Peak: number 144

Peak date: 3 May 1993

Weeks in top 150: 3 weeks

Top 150 chart run: 144-146-(out for 1 week)-148

English four-piece hip-hop group Marxman formed in London in 1989.  “All About Eve” was the third single lifted from their debut album 33 Revolutions per Minute, which does not appear to have been released in Australia.  This single peaked at number 28 in the UK in February 1993, and was their only top 150 chart entry in Australia.

Number 145 “Dream On (Kathy’s Song)” by Jenni Forbes

Peak: number 104

Peak date: 14 June 1993

Weeks in top 150: 11 weeks

Top 150 chart run: 145-135-135-141-122-114-104-107-115-137-142

Weeks on chart: 15 weeks

“Dream On (Kathy’s Song)” was Australian singer-songwriter Jenni Forbes’ debut release.  Despite the music video receiving some airplay, the single stalled outside the top 100 nationally, but was more popular in Queensland, where it reached number 45 on the state chart.  “Dream On (Kathy’s Song)” peaked much higher nationally on the Australian Music Report singles chart, where it reached number 62.

Jenni, who would later change her name to Jenn Forbes, co-wrote Toni Pearen’s “I Want You” (number 10, May 1993), which was charting at the same time as this release.  When Toni met Jenni to listen to some of her demo recordings, Jenni told Toni that she could have any song except for “I Want You”, which Jenni wanted to keep for herself.  Obviously, Toni got her way by being permitted to record that one, and landed a hit with it.

“Dream On (Kathy’s Song)” would go on to appear on Jenni’s debut album (released as Jenn Forbes) I, No Y (number 169, October 1995).  We'll see Jenni again (as Jenn) in 1995.

Number 148 “Erotic” by The Exponents

Peak: number 148

Peak date: 3 May 1993

Weeks in top 150: 2 weeks

Top 150 chart run: 148-(out for 5 weeks)-149

New Zealand band The Exponents formed in 1981, and were originally named Dance Exponents.  Their biggest hit in New Zealand as Dance Exponents, was “Victoria”, which reached number 6 there in August 1982.  “Sex and Agriculture” (number 11 in New Zealand in September 1984) was charting in New Zealand when my family relocated there for six months, but I have no recollection of hearing that one before.

Dance Exponents relocated to London in 1987, presumably hoping to gain international success which never came.  They returned to New Zealand in 1991, and renamed themselves The Exponents.  “Erotic” was lifted from the band’s fourth studio album Something Beginning with C, their first as The Exponents, which does not appear to have been released in Australia.  “Erotic” peaked at number 27 in New Zealand in January 1993, where it was their fourteenth top 50 single.  “Erotic” would be their only top 150 entry in Australia.

Number 149 “Slow Dance” by Mark Williams

Peak: number 139

Peak date: 10 May 1993

Weeks in top 150: 5 weeks

Top 150 chart run: 149-139-147-147-144

Weeks on chart: 9 weeks

We last saw New Zealand-but-now-Australia-based singer Mark Williams in 1991.

“Slow Dance” was the second single released from Mark’s sixth, and to date last, studio album Mind Over Matter (number 133, June 1993), following “We Can Dream” (number 95, October 1992).  In between, Mark had a charting single with Tara Morice, covering Cyndi Lauper’s “Time After Time” (number 82, January 1993), from the Strictly Ballroom soundtrack (number 6 for two weeks in August-September 1992).

On the state charts, “Slow Dance” was most popular in South Australia/Northern Territory, where it reached number 120.

This was Mark’s last charting single in Australia.  A third single from Mind Over Matter, “I Can’t Help You Anymore”, was released in August 1993, but failed to chart.

Bubbling WAY down under:

Number 184 “The Right Decision” by Jesus Jones

Peak: number 184

Peak date: 3 May 1993

Weeks on chart: 3 weeks

English band Jesus Jones last paid us a visit in 1992.

“The Right Decision” was the second single lifted from the band’s third studio album Perverse (number 32, February 1993), following “The Devil You Know” (number 54, February 1993).  Internationally, “The Right Decision” peaked at number 36 in the UK in April 1993, and at number 88 in Canada in May 1993.  The song also peaked at number 12 on the US Billboard Alternative Airplay chart.

Domestically, “The Right Decision” performed strongest in Victoria/Tasmania, where it reached number 167.

Jesus Jones will join us on one more occasion, in August 1993.

Number 186 “Kiss of Life” by Sade

Peak: number 186

Peak date: 3 May 1993

Weeks on chart: 2 weeks

English band Sade last joined us in January 1993.

“Kiss of Life” was the third single lifted from Sade’s fourth studio album Love Deluxe (number 13, March 1993).  Internationally, the single peaked at number 44 in the UK in May 1993, number 78 on the US Billboard Hot 100 in May 1993, number 30 in Canada in May 1993, number 88 in Germany in May 1993, and number 33 in New Zealand in May 1993.  “Kiss of Life” also registered on several US Billboard genre-specific charts, peaking at number 46 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles Sales chart in May 1993, number 65 on the Radio Songs chart in May 1993, number 10 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart in May 1993, number 9 on the R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay chart in May 1993, and number 20 on the Adult Contemporary chart in May 1993.

In Australia, “Kiss of Life” was most popular in Queensland, where it reached number 159 on the state chart.

“Kiss of Life” was released in Australia just before the first Love Deluxe single, “No Ordinary Love” (number 21, June 1993, after originally peaking at number 95 in November 1992), was climbing the chart.

We’ll see Sade on one more occasion, in September 1993.

Next week (10 May): Eight top 150 entries and two bubbling WAY down under debuts.

< Previous week: 26 April 1993                   Next week: 10 May 1993 >

Week commencing 28 January 1991

This week's new entries are a mixture of songs from veteran artists and newcomers, songs that I knew at the time and those that I didn't.  Let's take a look at them.

 

Scott Carne: Australians weren't sold on being given these 'freedoms' in 1991.

 

Top 150 debuts:

 

Number 122 "Spell Is Broken" by Mark Williams

Peak: number 115

Peak date: 1 April 1991

Weeks in top 150: 14 weeks 

Chart run: 122-117-119-126-131-128-123-128-126-115-119-132-131-136

Weeks on chart: 14 weeks

 

New Zealand-born Mark Williams' recording career began in the mid 1970s, with two of his singles, 1975's "Yesterday Was Just the Beginning of My Life" and 1977's "It Doesn't Matter Anymore" topping the New Zealand singles chart.

 

Mark's Australian breakthrough would not come until 1990, when "Show No Mercy", written by Harry Vanda and George Young from The Easybeats, reached number 8 in July 1990.  All of the songs on Mark Williams ZNZ (number 45, October 1990), Mark's first studio album since 1979, were penned by Vanda/Young.  Beyond its chart life, "Show No Mercy" became somewhat of a sporting anthem.  The single was credited to Mark Williams ZNZ - I am not sure what the ZNZ means.

During the 1980s, Mark had worked successfully as a session singer and also performed backing backing vocals for other artists, both in the studio and on tour.  Among Mark's session singer credits is the original version of the theme to Australian soap opera Home and Away.

Mark followed up "Show No Mercy" with "Fix of Love" (number 28, November 1990).  "Spell Is Broken" was the third and final single lifted from Mark Williams ZNZ.  While "Spell Is Broken" missed the top 100, it spent a respectable 14 weeks in the top 150.

 

On the state charts, "Spell Is Broken" was most popular in South Australia/Northern Territory, where it reached number 56.

Mark released another studio album Mind Over Matter (number 133, June 1993), and we will see him bubble under again with a single from this in 1993.  Mark went on to become a vocal coach on the Australian series of Popstars in the early 2000s, and since 2006 has been the lead singer of the Australian/New Zealand band Dragon.

 

Number 128 "Romeo" by Dino

Peak: number 105

Peak date: 25 February 1991

Weeks in top 150: 8 weeks

Top 150 chart run: 128-109-107-111-105-108-111-127

 

Dino, real name Dean Esposito, began his career as a top 40 radio DJ in Las Vegas.  He then ventured into recording his own music, and his debut single, "Summergirls", was released in 1988, reaching number 50 on the US Billboard Hot 100 in August 1988.

While Dino released three singles in Australia in 1988-89, none of them reached the top 150.  I recall reading about Dino in the Australian edition of Smash Hits, but do not recall hearing "Romeo" before.

Internationally, "Romeo" reached number 6 in the US in October 1990, becoming his biggest hit there.  The single also peaked at number 48 in New Zealand in February 1991.

"Romeo" peaked at number 80 on the Australian Music Report singles chart.

 

We shall see Dino again in 1993.

 

 

Number 138 "Unchained Melody" by Techno-Color featuring Twiggy

Peak: number 102 

Peak date: 11 February 1991

Weeks in top 150: 9 weeks

Top 150 chart run: 138-126-102-125-113-132-132-139-131

As you might have guessed from the song title, and perhaps the artist name too, this track is a dance cover version of The Righteous Brothers' "Unchained Melody" (number 1, November 1990), which had recently topped the chart.  I can't tell you anything else about this one, other than I hadn't heard it before, and there are German, Spanish and Australian pressings of the single listed on discogs.com.

 

 

Number 140 "Freedom" by Scott Carne

Peak: number 110

Peak date: 11 March 1991

Weeks in top 150: 11 weeks 

Top 150 chart run: 140-139-112-120-115-118-110-115-112-118-130

 

Here's one I did hear at the time.  Scott Carne was the lead singer in Australian band Kids in the Kitchen, who placed 9 singles on the Australian chart between 1983 and 1988, with "Change in Mood" (number 10, December 1983) and "Current Stand" (number 12, October 1985) being their biggest hits. 

After Kids in the Kitchen disbanded in 1988, Scott went on to front the Elvis tribute band Priscilla's Nightmare, whom we saw bubble under in 1989.

Scott then embarked on a solo career.  His debut solo single "All I Want to Do" (number 77, October 1990) seemed to gain a reasonable amount of attention, but faltered on the ARIA singles chart.

"Freedom" was issued as Scott's second solo single, and fared even worse on the chart, although it did perform stronger on the Australian Music Report singles chart, where it reached number 84.

If you ask me - and no-one did, but since this is my site, I'll offer my 2 cents' worth anyway - Scott's solo career probably failed due to his new sound/image being too radical a change from his Kids in the Kitchen days.  Scott had moved with the times, adopting a 'Madchester'/'baggy'-type look and sound for these two singles (think Happy Mondays or The Soup Dragons), but this didn't resonate with the Australian record-buying public, as those acts generally didn't do that well here commercially.  It's a shame, as Scott's solo singles were fairly decent.

I assume there was a solo album recorded, but it never saw the light of day - which is an unusual turn of events for Australian record companies, who normally still released these things even if the singles were not hits, in the early 1990s.  In fact, "Freedom" appears to have been Scott's final solo release, full-stop!

Number 142 "Human Work of Art" by Maxi Priest

Peak: number 142

Peak date: 28 January 1991

Weeks in top 150: 1 week

Top 150 chart run: 142

Weeks on chart: 2 weeks

 

English reggae singer Maxi Priest, real name Max Elliott, has the unusual distinction of only landing major hits or flops - with nothing in-between - on the Australian chart.  All three of his ARIA top 50 hits reached the top 10, including, by this point, "Wild World" (number 8, August 1988) and "Close to You" (number 2, September 1990), and his future collaboration with Shaggy, "That Girl" (number 7, August 1996).  None of Maxi's other singles peaked higher than number 80 on the Australian charts.

"Human Work of Art" was the third single lifted from Bonafide (number 25, September 1990). It followed "Close to You" and "Peace Throughout the World" (number 87, October 1990).

Internationally, "Human Work of Art" peaked at number 71 in the UK in December 1990.

On the ARIA state charts, "Human Work of Art" performed strongest in Victoria/Tasmania, where it reached number 128.

Cliff Richard recorded a version of "Human Work of Art", which peaked at number 24 in the UK in June 1993.

We will next see Maxi in October 1991.

 

 

 

Number 144 "Love Shines" by Dave Stewart and The Spiritual Cowboys

Peak: number 144

Peak date: 28 January 1991 

Weeks in top 150: 2 weeks

Known chart run: 169-144-148

Weeks on chart: 7 weeks

 

Dave Stewart's first foray onto the Australian charts came when he was a member of The Tourists.  Their version of Dusty Springfield's "I Only Want to Be with You" reached number 6 in Australia in August 1980.  The band split during a promotional tour to Australia later in 1980, and Dave, together with lead singer Annie Lennox, went on to form Eurythmics (no 'The').

As one half of Eurythmics, Dave scored 15 top 20 singles in Australia between 1983 and 1989, with "Would I Lie to You?" going all the way to number 1 in June 1985.  The duo's working relationship went on hiatus for a decade following the release of their seventh studio album We Too Are One (number 7, September 1989), allowing Dave and Annie to explore solo projects.

Dave's first 'solo' single was the instrumental "Lily Was Here" (number 10, November 1990), on which saxophonist Candy Dulfer received a featuring credit.  "Lily Was Here" was recorded for the soundtrack of the 1989 Dutch movie De Kassière, which translates as 'the cashier', although the film's title in English was Lily Was Here.  The Lily Was Here soundtrack album peaked at number 29 in Australia in November 1990.

 

"Lily Was Here" was a slow burner on the Australian chart, taking 32 weeks to climb to its peak, after debuting at number 139 in April 1990.  "Lily Was Here" reached its local peak almost a year after it topped the Dutch singles chart, and spent a total of 51 weeks on the Australian chart.  Its chart longevity was assisted by the single peaking at different times on the state charts, spanning from June (Western Australia) to December 1990 (South Australia/Northern Territory).

Dave's new band The Spiritual Cowboys landed a number 57 single in Australia with "Jack Talking" in October 1990.  "Love Shines" was issued as the second single from Dave Stewart and The Spiritual Cowboys (number 51, November 1990).

"Love Shines" peaked at number 88 in the UK in October 1990, and number 49 in the Flanders region of Belgium in December 1990.

 

In Australia, "Love Shines" performed strongest in Western Australia, where it reached number 72 on the state chart.  The single peaked higher nationally on the Australian Music Report singles chart, reaching number 94.

 

The only place I heard or saw "Love Shines" at the time was on Video Hits' Saturday morning program, which featured selections from the lower half of the Australian Music Report's top 100 chart.  Listening to this track now, for the first time in many years, it unfortunately highlights Dave's vocal limitations.  While I enjoyed "Jack Talking", and this one too at the time, listening to "Love Shines" now... I don't think it's that great.

We shall next see Dave Stewart and The Spiritual Cowboys in November 1991.

Number 150 "Beautiful People" by Stress

Peak: number 132

Peak date: 25 March 1991

Weeks in top 150: 7 weeks

Top 150 chart run: 150-(out for 2 weeks)-136-138-136-140-138-132

 

As I start writing this, I have no idea who or what Stress is; I've never heard of this track, or group, before.

 

After learning that the band's drummer was later in the group Soul Asylum, I was going to assume that Stress were an American group; but given that this single charted (lowly) in the UK and nowhere else, that would suggest they were probably a British group.  "Beautiful People" peaked at number 74 in the UK in October 1990.

 

The band released two further singles in Australia, "Flowers in the Rain" (May 1991) and "Rosechild" (October 1991), but neither dented the top 150.

Bubbling WAY down under:

Number 155 "I Call Your Name" by a-ha

Peak: number 155

Peak date: 28 January 1991

Weeks on chart: 1 week

We saw a-ha last November with the lead single from their fourth studio album East of the Sun West of the Moon (number 122, November 1990).  "I Call Your Name" was the second - and final, in Australia - single released from the album.

Despite having a copy (shhh!) of a-ha's music videos DVD in my collection, I've never actually listened to or watched "I Call Your Name" before.  I'm a fan of most of a-ha's singles from the 1980s, but as with "Crying in the Rain", I don't enjoy this one much at all, and find it rather dull and boring.  I can see why a-ha were struggling to land hits by this point, if this is what they were releasing.

"I Call Your Name" fared better overseas, though it was still only a minor hit.  The single peaked at number 44 in the UK in December 1990, number 38 in the Netherlands in January 1991, number 37 in Germany in January 1991, and number 45 in France in March 1991.

On the ARIA state charts, "I Call Your Name" performed strongest in New South Wales/Australian Capital Territory, where it reached number 144.

 

A third single from East of the Sun West of the Moon, "Early Morning", was released in Europe, but not in Australia.

We will next see a-ha in 1992.

Number 165 "Mama Help Me" by Edie Brickell & New Bohemians

Peak: number 165

Peak date: 28 January 1991

Weeks on chart: 1 week

 

American band Edie Brickell & New Bohemians burst onto the Australian chart with "What I Am" (number 18, March 1989) in early 1989.  Since then, however, it has all been downhill.  The band's second single "Circle", which is my favourite, stalled at number 80 in May 1989, though spent 17 weeks on the chart.  Their third single, "Love Like We Do", released in Australia in August 1989, failed to chart.

The band landed a third, and final, top 100 single on the ARIA chart with their version of Bob Dylan's "A Hard Rain's a Gonna Fall" (number 85, April 1990), from the Born on the Fourth of July soundtrack (number 83, April 1990).

"Mama Help Me" was the lead single from Edie Brickell & New Bohemians' second studio album Ghost of a Dog (number 148, December 1990).  The single was released in Australia towards the end of November 1990, taking just over two months to register a chart placing.  "Mama Help Me" did not chart anywhere else that I can ascertain.

 

I'm fairly sure I haven't heard "Mama Help Me" until now, despite being a fan of the singles from the band's first album.  While I like the song, I'm not super keen on the chorus "mama mama mama"'s.

A second single from Ghost of a Dog, "Black & Blue", was released in Australia in April 1991 but failed to chart.

 

Edie parted ways with The Bohemians soon after, although they reformed in 1997.  Edie embarked on a solo career, having some minor chart 'success' in the interim.  She is, unfortunately, probably better known these days for her sometimes tumultuous marriage with Paul Simon.

We shall see Edie Brickell again, on her own, in 1994.

Next week (4 February): Five new top 150 debuts and one bubbling WAY down under entry.

< Previous week: 21 January 1991                              Next week: 4 February 1991 >

Week commencing 7 August 1989

This week, I have seven new debuts to talk about, so let's jump straight in:

Bananarama's Jacquie O'Sullivan: since she was effectively left off her own record this week, I thought it only fair for her to represent this week's post.

Top 150 debuts:

Number 123 "Raindrops" by Kool & The Gang

Peak: number 123

Peak date: 7 August 1989

Weeks in top 150: 7 weeks

Top 150 chart run: 123-130-131-137-131-135-134

Despite releasing material since the late 1960s, American group Kool & The Gang waited until 1981 for their first taste of chart success in Australia.  Between 1981 and 1987, the group placed 7 singles in the Australian top 100 singles chart, with the biggest of these being "Cherish", reaching number 8 in November 1985.  Surprisingly, their version (the original) of "Celebration" only peaked at number 33 in Australia in August 1981.  Fast forward to 1989, and "Raindrops" had minor chart success in Germany (number 42) and nowhere else.  Sweat, the album it was listed from, also failed to achieve significant chart success, peaking at number 28 in Germany, and number 103 on the Australian albums chart.  The group even visited Australia for a promotional visit around this time, performing "Celebration" on the then-new program, Countdown Revolution (with live vocals to boot!), rather than this single.

 

Number 140 "Crazy About Her" by Rod Stewart

Peak: number 130

Peak date: 21 August 1989

Weeks in top 150: 7 weeks

Chart run: 151-140-130-131-137-131-135-134

Weeks on chart: 8 weeks

We saw Rod bubble WAY down under back in February with the third single from his 1988 Out of Touch album, and here was the fourth.  While "Crazy About Her" failed to chart in the UK, it peaked at number 11 in the US, and hit the top 10 in the Netherlands and the Flanders region of Belgium (Belgium has separate charts for the Dutch and French-speaking regions).  We will see Rod next as a featured artist in February 1992, and on his own in August 1992.

 

 

Number 148 "I'm That Type of Guy" by L.L. Cool J

Peak: number 148

Peak date: 7 August 1989

Weeks in top 150: 1 week

Top 150 chart run: 148

Weeks on chart: 4 weeks

The lead single from his third album Walking with a Panther (number 85, September 1989), "I'm That Type of Guy" was L.L. Cool J's first release to make the Australian charts.  Up until this point, rap had enjoyed little commercial success on the Australian singles chart, with most of the exceptions being either novelty (Morris Minor and The Majors) or novelty-like (Tone Lōc) tracks.  While that would change in 1990, L.L. Cool J would have to wait until 1996 for his first major hit on the Australian chart.  Across the ditch, New Zealand appreciated this track more, with it reaching number 11 there.  In the US, "I'm That Type of Guy" peaked at number 15 in May 1989.

In Australia, "I'm That Type of Guy" performed strongest in New South Wales/Australian Capital Territory, reaching number 136 on the state chart.

We’ll next see L.L. Cool J in 1993.

 

Bubbling WAY down under:

Number 158 "Cruel Summer '89" by Bananarama

Peak: number 158

Peak: 7 August 1989

Weeks on chart: 1 week

Bananarama were on a roll on the Australian charts in 1988, with back-to-back top 5 singles, and even a number 1 album.  But since then, none of their singles had peaked higher than number 25.  Touring Australia (or anywhere, really) for the first time in April 1989 didn't seem to revive the group's popularity, with their tour-coinciding single "Nathan Jones" peaking at only number 59 in March.  Fast forward a few months to August, and this new version of their number 32 hit from February 1985 landed outside the top 100 - their first Australian single to miss the top 100 since "Do Not Disturb" in 1985.

The original version of "Cruel Summer" was released locally in November 1983, but failed to chart, despite being a number 8 hit in August 1983 in their native UK.  The song went on to peak at number 9 in the US in September 1984, after being used in The Karate Kid; this no doubt prompted the Australian record company to give it another shot.  "Cruel Summer '89" was meant to be the lead single from a greatest hits-type remix album, but plans for that were scrapped after this single barely scraped into the top 20 in the UK (number 19, June 1989).

 

In Australia, "Cruel Summer '89" performed strongest in New South Wales/Australian Capital Territory, where it reached number 135.

Two interesting things you probably didn't know about "Cruel Summer '89" are:

1. It's technically the first 'duo' Bananarama single!  Rather than re-record the vocals with then new-ish band member Jacquie O'Sullivan, vocals from a 1983 demo (not the original released recording), where each 'Nana's vocals were captured separately, were used, so they could eliminate ex-group member Siobhan Fahey's vocals from the mix.  Not bothering to add Jacquie's vocals in Siobhan's place was really quite a shady thing to do!  Poor Jacquie - whose face also wasn't included on the art-work for their late 1988 The Greatest Hits Collection album - has revealed in more-recent years that she was effectively treated as a paid employee, rather than an equal member, during her relatively brief (1988-1991) tenure with the group.  Jacquie elaborates on this further in an interesting podcast interview posted in March this year.

2. It contains an extra verse that wasn't on the original!  The "who can I find when I'm trapped here inside these four walls?" lyrics appear on the demo used, but were not included in the final version of the 1983 release.

Bananarama will join us again in 1991 - with Jacquie in tow!

Number 171 "Home and Away" by Mark Williams and Karen Boddington

Peak: number 171

Peak date: 7 August 1989

Weeks on chart: 1 week

 

Australian soap opera Home and Away, which continues to air until this day, first hit our TV screens in January 1988, centred around the lives of the Fletcher family, their caravan park, and the children Tom and Pippa Fletcher fostered.  The theme song, "Home and Away", is one I wouldn't mind receiving a dollar for each time I've heard it.  The original version of the theme song was sung by Kiwi singer Mark Williams, best known for his top 10 hit "Show No Mercy" (number 8, July 1990), and Karen Boddington... whoever she is. 

I'm not sure why it took a good 18 months for the theme song to be released as a single, but here we are.  Internationally, "Home and Away" fared better in the UK, where it peaked at number 73 in August 1989.

 

In Australia, the "Home and Away" theme song performed strongest in Queensland, where it reached number 144 on the state chart.

 

We'll see Mark Williams bubble under on his own next in 1991.

 

 

Number 178 "Someone Who Believes in You" by Carole King

Peak: number 167

Peak date: 14 August 1989

Weeks on chart: 2 weeks

American singer-songwriter Carole King is best known for her 1971 album Tapestry, which was certified 8 times platinum in Australia in 1995, and for being a prolific and successful songwriter for other artists.  Her singles chart achievements as an artist in her own right in Australia are more modest, although she scored nine Australian top 100 singles between 1962 and 1989, with "It's Too Late" (number 5 on the Go Set chart in September 1971) being the biggest of those.

"Someone Who Believes in You" was the second single from Carole's fourteenth studio album City Streets (number 51, June 1989), following the title track, "City Streets" (number 74, May 1989).  I cannot find evidence of this single charting elsewhere.  On the state charts, "Someone Who Believes in You" performed strongest in Western Australia, where it reached number 116.

Carole will join us next in 1993.

Number 180 "Never" by The House of Love"

Peak: number 165

Peak date: 28 August 1989

Weeks on chart: 2 weeks

 

Hailing from England, "Never" was the first single released from The House of Love's second of two albums titled The House of Love (number 134, May 1990).  Yes, you read that correctly: the band released two albums with the same name!

"Never" was also the first of two consecutive singles for the band to peak at number 41 in the UK, where it reached this peak in April 1989.

 

In Australia, "Never" performed strongest in Western Australia, where it reached number 125.

We will see The House of Love again in 1990.

Next week (14 August): Six new top 150 debuts, and another two bubbling WAY down under entries.  Among them is a song credited as being the first instance of a pop song with a featured rapper and one of the first (pre-Madonna) music videos to incorporate vogueing!  You can also follow my posts on facebook.

< Previous week: 31 July 1989                                               Next week: 14 August 1989 >