Week commencing 30 March 1992

Again there is no easily-identifiable common thread running among this week in 1992's new entries peaking outside the top 100, so let's just dive straight in.

 

Color Me Badd: their first 'badd' chart position in Australia.

 

Top 150 debuts:

 

Number 101 "Heartbreaker" by Color Me Badd

Peak: number 101

Peak dates: 30 March 1992 and 6 April 1992

Weeks in top 150: 5 weeks

Top 150 chart run: 101-101-108-119-129

 

American vocal quartet Color Me Badd formed in 1985.  Coincidentally, I recently watched a YouTube video on the band, whom I did not know much about previously.  To my surprise, the group formed while still at school - I would have assumed that the members auditioned to be in the band.

Color Me Badd burst onto the Australian chart with back-to-back top ten hits "I Wanna Sex You Up" (number 4, August 1991) and "All 4 Love" (number 9, November 1991).  From then, however, it was all downhill for their chart fortunes in Australia, with their third local release "I Adore Mi Amor" (number 27, February 1992) being their only other ARIA top 50 single.  In contrast, all three singles reached the top two on the US Billboard Hot 100.

While the US went with "Thinkin' Back" as the fourth single from the band's debut album C.M.B. (number 17, February 1992), Australasia and Europe went with "Heartbreaker", which was not released as a single in the US.

Internationally, "Heartbreaker" peaked at number 58 in the UK in February 1992, number 32 in New Zealand in April 1992, and number 61 in the Netherlands in April 1992.

 

Without giving much away, if you are interested in what happened to Color Me Badd since their split in 1998, it is well worth viewing this 15 minute video I caught recently on YouTube.

 

We will next see Color Me Badd in 1996.

 

 

Number 112 "Beautiful People" by Freaked Out Flower Children

Peak: number 102

Peak date: 13 April 1992

Weeks in top 150: 6 weeks 

Top 150 chart run: 112-104-102-104-122-123

Freaked Out Flower Children were essentially the two guys (Tricky and Gumpy) behind Mighty Big Crime, whom we last saw in 1991, with Australian TV host of The Bugs Bunny Show and Sex (!), Sophie Lee, plus a few other model-type women.  What contribution the latter group and Sophie had, other than to stand around pouting while looking 'hot' and apparently providing minimal backing vocals, I am not entirely sure.  Though we are led to believe that Sophie played some recorder-type instrument in the music video for the group's debut single, a cover version of Eric Burdon & War's "Spill the Wine" (number 31, February 1992).

"Beautiful People" was issued as the second and final single from the only Freaked Out Flower Children album Love In (number 81, February 1992).  A music video for the track exists, but has not made its way online at the time of writing, and I know of know source for it.

The track was also remixed for single release, but I've had to resort to asking an online contact for a rip of the LP version, as - short of buying the CD single myself and ripping the track - the song is not otherwise online.

This was Freaked Out Flower Children's final release.

Number 122 "Girls on My Mind" by David Byrne

Peak: number 119

Peak date: 6 April 1992

Weeks in top 150: 9 weeks 

Top 150 chart run: 122-119-132-129-135-137-127-129-136

We last saw David Byrne in 1990.

 

"Girls on My Mind" was first single lifted from David's second solo studio album Uh-Oh (number 67, April 1992).   Internationally, "Girls on My Mind" peaked at number 39 in New Zealand in May 1992.

This would be David's last solo single to crack the ARIA top 150, although we will see him as part of Talking Heads in December 1992.

Number 133 "Money Worries" by MC OJ & Rhythm Slave

Peak: number 133

Peak date: 30 March 1992

Weeks in top 150: 2 weeks

Top 150 chart run: 133-144

 

MC OJ & Rhythm Slave were a New Zealand hip-hop duo.  "Money Worries", which I had not heard before, was their only ARIA top 150 entry.  "Money Worries" peaked at number 36 in New Zealand in January 1992.  The track was lifted from the duo's only album What Can We Say.

 

 

Bubbling WAY down under:

 

Number 154 "Steel Bars" by Michael Bolton

Peak: number 154

Peak date: 30 March 1992

Weeks on chart: 10 weeks

 

We last saw Michael Bolton in 1991.

 

"Steel Bars" was released as the fourth single from Michael's seventh studio album Time, Love & Tenderness (number 11, August 1991).  The song, however, was a radio-only single in Michael's native US, rendering it ineligible to chart on the US Billboard Hot 100 at the time.  I first heard this song on the American Top 40 radio show.

Elsewhere, "Steel Bars" peaked at number 17 in the UK in February 1992, number 22 in Ireland in February 1992, and number 57 in Germany in April 1992.

Within Australia, "Steel Bars" performed strongest in South Australia/Northern Territory, where it reached number 116.

 

I don't remember "Steel Bars" receiving any promotion, and never saw the music video at the time, which probably explains its lack of chart success.  While I'm not always a fan of Michael's ballads, I am somewhat partial to his more-upbeat singles from this era, and "Steel Bars" is one I enjoy, and I thought it should have done much better commercially.

 

Unrelated, really, but if you've ever wondered what a Michael Bolton song might sound like with Stock Aitken Waterman-style production, Tee Webb released this version of the song in 2021.

We will next see Michael Bolton in 1993.

 

 

Number 159 "Was It Worth It?" by Pet Shop Boys

Peak: number 153

Peak date: 13 April 1992

Weeks on chart: 5 weeks

Pet Shop Boys last graced our presence in 1991.

 

"Was It Worth It?" was the second new track recorded for Pet Shop Boys' Discography (number 6, December 1991) compilation, and was much better than the other new song, "DJ Culture", which I am not a fan of.  However, "Was It Worth It?" performed equally-bad or worse on the chart than "DJ Culture" almost everywhere it was released!  Sometimes (OK, often...) the record-buying public get it completely wrong.

"Was It Worth It?" peaked at number 24 in the UK - the duo's lowest-peaking single there since the 1985 release of "Opportunities (Let's Make Lots of Money)" - in December 1991.  It also peaked at number 25 in Ireland in December 1991, number 19 in Germany in January 1992, number 50 in the Netherlands in February 1992, and number 23 in Sweden in February 1992.

Locally, "Was It Worth It?" performed strongest in Western Australia, where it reached number 118.

 

We won't see Pet Shop Boys again until 2000 - assuming I am still writing these chart recaps in 2031 (my interest in charts wanes severely in 1999).

Number 167 "Who? Where? Why?" by Jesus Jones

Peak: number 167

Peak date: 30 March 1992

Weeks on chart: 2 weeks

We last saw Jesus Jones in 1991.

 

"Who? Where? Why" was issued as the fourth and final single from Jesus Jones' second studio album Doubt (number 23, June 1991) in Australia.

 

Overseas, "Who? Where? Why?" peaked at number 21 in the UK in March 1991, and number 48 in New Zealand in November 1991.

Domestically, "Who? Where? Why?" was most popular in Victoria/Tasmania, where it reached number 141.

 

We'll next see Jesus Jones in 1993.

Number 185 "Who's Crying Now" by Randy Crawford

Peak: number 175

Peak date: 6 April 1992

Weeks on chart: 2 weeks

We last saw Randy Crawford in 1989.

"Who's Crying Now" was lifted from Randy's tenth studio album Through the Eyes of Love (number 113, August 1992).  The song was originally recorded by American rock band Journey, which peaked at number 65 in Australia in October 1981.

 

Internationally, Randy's rendition of "Who's Crying Now" peaked at number 30 on the US Billboard R&B chart.

 

On the ARIA state charts, "Who's Crying Now" performed strongest in Queensland, where it reached number 160.

 

We shall see Randy again in 1998.

Number 194 "Something 'Bout Love" by Lisa Lisa & Cult Jam

Peak: number 194

Peak date: 30 March 1992

Weeks on chart: 1 week

 

Lisa Lisa & Cult Jam last joined us in 1989. 

"Something 'Bout Love" was lifted from the band's fourth and final studio album Straight Outta Hell's Kitchen (number 129, October 1991).

"Something 'Bout Love" did not chart anywhere else that I can ascertain.  The single performed strongest on the New South Wales/Australian Capital Territory state chart, where it reached number 176.

This was the final Lisa Lisa & Cult Jam release to chart in Australia.

 

 

Next week (6 April): Seven top 150 debuts and two bubbling WAY down under entries.

 

< Previous week: 23 March 1992                                      Next week: 6 April 1992 >

Week commencing 25 November 1991

Before getting onto this week in 1991's new entries peaking outside the ARIA top 100, 25 November 1991 is a memorable day for me, for being the day that Freddie Mercury's (the lead singer from Queen, if you live under a rock) death was announced - in Australian time, anyway.  Although I'm nothing more than a very casual Queen fan, the announcement of Freddie's death was one of those flashbulb memory moments for me, where you remember where you were when you heard the news.

 

November 25 in 1991 was also a curriculum day for me at school (yes, I sometimes remember these things...), and the day I also bought my first various artists compilation album on CD, 100% Hits Volume 2.

 

Now, onto the next batch of singles peaking outside the top 100.  As with last week, they all feature male lead vocals.

 

Pet Shop Boys: an apple a day keeps the... hits at bay?

 

Top 150 debuts:

 

Number 105 "Radio Song" by R.E.M.

Peak: number 105

Peak date: 25 November 1991

Weeks in top 150: 9 weeks

Known chart run: 158-105-116-114-118-(chart repeated for 2 week Xmas break)-123-127-119

Weeks on chart: 11 weeks

American band R.E.M. formed in 1980, but would have to wait until early 1989 to land their first top 50 single in Australia, with "Orange Crush" (number 15, February 1989).

"Radio Song" was issued as the fourth single from R.E.M.'s seventh studio album Out of Time (number 4, April 1991).  It followed "Losing My Religion" (number 11, May 1991), "Shiny Happy People" (number 19, July 1991), and "Near Wild Heaven" (number 65, September 1991).

 

Internationally, "Radio Song" peaked at number 28 in the UK in November 1991, number 5 in Ireland in November 1991, and number 30 in the Netherlands in November 1991.  The song also reached number 43 on the meaningless US Billboard Mainstream Rock Airplay chart in October 1991.

Within Australia, "Radio Song" was most popular in Victoria/Tasmania, where it reached number 87.

We will next see R.E.M. in 1994, and will also see lead singer Michael Stipe as an uncredited featured artist a few months prior.

Number 136 "It's Grim Up North" by The Justified Ancients of Mu Mu

Peak: number 136

Peak date: 25 November 1991

Weeks in top 150: 1 week

Top 150 chart run: 136

Bill Drummond and Jimmy Cauty formed The KLF (possibly short for Kopyright Liberation Front) in 1987.  Under the name The Timelords, they scored a number 2 hit in Australia in 1988 with "Doctorin' the Tardis" (number 2, September 1988).

 

The KLF returned to our charts, under their own name, in November 1990, with "What Time Is Love?", which, after a slow start, peaked at number 76 in February 1991 (it would go on to peak at number 73 in October 1991 when re-issued).  They then landed back-to-back top 5 hits locally with "3 a.m. Eternal" (number 3, May 1991) and "Last Train to Trancentral" (number 5, July 1991).

 

"It's Grim Up North" was released under another KLF alter-ego, The Justified Ancients of Mu Mu... furthermore known as The J.A.M.M.S. - if you were paying attention to the lyrics of "Last Train to Trancentral".

 

The single, which largely just lists cities and towns in the northern region of England, peaked at number 10 in the UK in November 1991, and number 26 in Switzerland in December 1991.

I remember catching the video for this one on Coca-Cola Power Cuts, when it aired as a half-hour program on weekday afternoons.  My first thoughts were... this is a bit weird, not in a great way, and that it's lacking a tune.  I guess that's why this one didn't become a hit in Australia.

The KLF would return with "Justified & Ancient" (number 3, February 1992), released locally in December 1991, with the unlikely pairing of country music legend Tammy Wynette on vocals.

 

We'll next see The KLF, under another guise, in 1997.

Number 137 "Rock It On" by D-Man

Peak: number 118

Peak date: 20 January 1992

Weeks in top 150: 11 weeks

Top 150 chart run: 137-131-138-135-(chart repeated for 2 week Xmas break)-136-130-118-124-129

 

D-Man was an Australian rap artist, who somehow completely passed me by at the time, and I know next to nothing about... other than (after reading the comments on the video embedded below, if they are to be believed) he has since shuffled off this mortal coil, and his name was Damien Lane.

 

Can anyone reading this shed some light on D-Man? 

"Rock It On" was D-Man's only ARIA top 150 entry.

 

 

Number 142 "DJ Culture" by Pet Shop Boys

Peak: number 130

Peak date: 2 December 1991

Weeks in top 150: 6 weeks

Top 150 chart run: 142-130-131-140-(chart repeated for 2 week Xmas break)

Weeks on chart: 8 weeks

 

We last saw Pet Shop Boys a mere three weeks ago. 

"DJ Culture" was one of two new tracks recorded for inclusion on the Pet Shop Boys' first retrospective compilation, Discography: The Complete Singles Collection (number 6, December 1991), which was the fifth CD album I ever bought.

 

Internationally, "DJ Culture" peaked at number 13 in the UK in October 1991, number 7 in Ireland in October 1991, number 17 in Sweden in November 1991, number 19 in Germany in November 1991, and number 21 in Switzerland in November 1991.  The single, when remixed by The Grid, also reached number 13 on the US Billboard Dance Singles Sales chart in December 1991.

 

Domestically, "DJ Culture" performed strongest in Western Australia, where it reached number 92.  The single also crept into the Australian Music Report top 100 singles chart, peaking at number 95 on it.

 

While Discography is one of the best 'greatest hits' albums I own, I've never been much of a fan of "DJ Culture", and would always skip it.  I find the song dull and boring, and a bit of a chore to listen to.

 

We shall next see Pet Shop Boys in 1992.

 

 

 

Number 143 "We Don't Talk Anymore" (Remix) by Cliff Richard

Peak: number 111

Peak date: 9 December 1991

Weeks in top 150: 8 weeks

Top 150 chart run: 143-119-111-126-(chart repeated for 2 week Xmas break)-129-133

Weeks on chart: 9 weeks

 

We last saw Cliff Richard in December 1990.

 

"We Don't Talk Anymore", originally released in 1979, peaked at number 3 in Australia in November of that year.  For this release, the track was remixed by Phil Harding and Ian Curnow for PWL, using a live performance from From a Distance: The Event (number 21, December 1991).

Cliff had, of course, dabbled with PWL in 1989, releasing the Stock Aitken Waterman-produced "I Just Don't Have the Heart" (number 100, October 1989).

Oddly, this remix of "We Don't Talk Anymore" does not appear to have charted anywhere else, missing the UK top 75.  That's because it was not released there - a reader from the UK has kindly let me know.

Within Australia, the remixed "We Don't Talk Anymore" single was most successful in Western Australia, where it reached number 93.

I hadn't heard this one before.  My thoughts are... it's kind of pointless.

We'll next see Cliff in 1993.

 

 

Next week (2 December): Just one new top 150 entry, but five bubbling WAY down under entries to make up for it.

 

< Previous week: 18 November 1991                                      Next week: 2 December 1991 >

Week commencing 4 November 1991

All but two of this week in 1991's eleven new entries debuting and peaking outside the ARIA top 100 are by artists hailing from the UK, which is an unusual occurrence.  Let's take a look at them.

 

EMF scored an 'unbelievably' low peak in Australia with their latest single.

 

Top 150 debuts:

 

Number 110 "You Woke Up My Neighbourhood" by Billy Bragg

Peak: number 107

Peak date: 11 November 1991

Weeks in top 150: 6 weeks 

Chart run: 110-107-114-120-124-121

Weeks on chart: 6 weeks

 

We last saw English singer-songwriter Billy Bragg, born Stephen William Bragg, in March 1989.  Since then, Billy landed his first top 100 single in Australia with "Sexuality" (number 46, September 1991).  Songs with 'sex', or a version thereof, in the title seemed to be big in 1991.

 

"You Woke Up My Neighbourhood" was the second single lifted from Billy's sixth studio album Don't Try This at Home (number 35, October 1991).

 

Internationally, "You Woke Up My Neighbourhood" peaked at number 54 in the UK in September 1991.  it also reached number 25 on the meaningless US Billboard Alternative Airplay chart in November 1991.

 

Domestically, "You Woke Up My Neighbourhood" performed equally-strongest in Victoria/Tasmania and Western Australia, reaching number 81 on both state charts.

 

Billy will next join us in 1996.

 

 

 

Number 136 "No Deeper Meaning" by Culture Beat

Peak: number 126

Peak date: 2 December 1991

Weeks in top 150: 11 weeks

Known chart run: 161-136-141-144-128-126-140-134-(chart repeated for 2 week Xmas break)-140-136

Weeks on chart: 13 weeks

 

German eurodance act Culture Beat last joined us in June 1991. 

"No Deeper Meaning" was the fourth and final single released from Culture Beat's debut album Horizon (number 150, August 1991).  It was also their third consecutive single to peak outside the ARIA top 100.

 

Overseas, "No Deeper Meaning" peaked at number 5 in the Netherlands in October 1991, number 30 in the Flanders region of Belgium in October 1991, and number 19 in Finland.

 

Within Australia, "No Deeper Meaning" was much more popular in Western Australia than elsewhere, where it reached number 74.  The next-highest state chart peak "No Deeper Meaning" obtained was number 111, in South Australia/Northern Territory. 

If a music video for "No Deeper Meaning" exists, it has not been uploaded to YouTube (and is not in my collection), but you can view a TV performance of the track here.

 

Culture Beat would finally make their breakthrough in Australia in 1993, when "Mr. Vain" topped the singles chart for one week in October of that year.  A new female singer, Tania Evans, was on board by then, replacing Lana Earl.

Culture Beat followed-up the ARIA platinum-certified "Mr. Vain" with two further gold singles from their second album, the gold-certified Serenity (number 5, March 1994): "Got to Get It" (number 7, December 1993) and "Anything" (number 12, March 1994).

 

We shall next see Culture Beat in 1996.

 

 

 

Number 138 "Always Look on the Bright Side of Life" by Monty Python (1991 release)

Peak: number 119

Peak date: 18 November 1991

Weeks in top 150: 4 weeks

Top 150 chart run: 138-121-119-147

This single peaked at number 9 in Australia in March 1980, spending 14 weeks in the top 100.

 

Being born in 1978, I was exposed to, and enjoyed, numerous British comedy TV programs growing up, including some that were largely filmed before my time, such as George and Mildred and The Benny Hill Show.  Monty Python's Flying Circus, which was originally broadcast between 1969 and 1974, was not one of them, however, and I don't think I had even heard of them until noticing that this track was in the UK top 10 published in the back of the Australian edition of Smash Hits magazine in 1991.  I am pretty sure I caught the video for it once on TV around this time.

"Always Look on the Bright Side of Life" started out as the double A-side on the UK 1979 "Life of Brian" single, with Sonia Jones' "Brian" on the A-side.  The latter track was the theme song from Monty Python's Life of Brian movie, in which "Always..." also featured.  Oddly for the UK, who seemed to lap up any old novelty record no matter how bad it was, this single did not chart there.

In continental Europe, North America and Australasia, this single was released with "Always Look on the Bright Side of Life" as the A-side, and "Brian" as the B-side.  The original release of this single peaked at number 9 in Australia in March 1980, number 34 in the Netherlands in January 1981, and number 30 in the Flanders region of Belgium in January 1981.  This leads me to believe that Monty Python must have been quite big in Australia in the early 1980s, even though I had never heard of them as a toddler.

In 1991, BBC Radio 1 DJ Simon Mayo started playing "Always Look on the Bright Side of Life" on his breakfast radio show, known for resurrecting novelty records, which led to its re-release.  The 1991 release of "Always..."  peaked at number 3 in the UK in October 1991, number 1 in Ireland, number 35 in the Flanders region of Belgium in December 1991, number 3 in Germany in December 1991, number 3 in Switzerland in December 1991, number 5 in Norway in December 1991, and number 2 in Austria in February 1992.

 

 

 

Number 142 "Waratah Street" by John Williamson

Peak: number 142

Peak date: 4 November 1991

Weeks in top 150: 3 weeks

Top 150 chart run: 142-144-148

Weeks on chart: 4 weeks

 

We last saw Australian country legend John Williamson in August 1991. 

 

"Waratah Street" was the second and final single, and almost title track, from John's tenth studio album Waratah St. (number 14, September 1991).

 

On the state charts, "Waratah Street" performed strongest in Western Australia, where it reached number 119.

 

John will join us next in 1992. 

 

 

 

Number 147 "What Can You Do for Me" by Utah Saints (1991 release)

Peak: number 143

Peak date: 11 November 1991

Weeks in top 150: 6 weeks (in 1991-1992); 14 weeks (1991, 1992 and 1993 chart-runs combined)

Top 150 chart run: 147-143-149. Re-entered 27 January 1992: 144-149-148

Re-entered 29 March 1993: 105-104-90-93-99-99-105-126

Weeks on chart: 29 weeks (1991, 1992 and 1993 chart-runs combined)

This single peaked at number 90 in Australia in April 1993 when re-released, spending a further 8 weeks in the top 150.

Despite their name, Utah Saints hail from North Yorkshire in England rather than the American state of Utah.  "What Can You Do for Me" was their debut release.  Vocally, the track is based on samples from Eurythmics' "There Must Be an Angel (Playing with My Heart)" (number 3, August 1985) and Gwen Guthrie's "Ain't Nothin' Goin' on but the Rent" (number 75, November 1986).  The song's title comes from the sample from the Gwen Guthrie track. 

 

Internationally, "What Can You Do for Me" peaked at number 10 in the UK in September 1991, number 16 in Ireland, and number 35 in Sweden in December 1991.

 

Utah Saints made their breakthrough in Australia with their next single, "Something Good" (number 10, November 1992), which used vocal samples from Kate Bush's "Cloudbusting" -  a single that bubbled under in Australia in January and February 1986.

 

Both "What Can You Do for Me" and "Something Good" appear on Utah Saints' debut album Utah Saints (number 111, August 1993).  "Something Good" became a hit again, with Kate's vocals replaced by a sound-a-like singer, in 2008, when "Something Good '08" peaked at number 32 in May of that year.

 

Following the success of "Something Good", "What Can You Do for Me" was re-released in Australia, reaching a new peak of number 90 in April 1993.  On the state charts, the 1993 release of "What Can You Do for Me" performed strongest in Western Australia, where it reached number 49.

 

There was also a US remix of "What Can You Do for Me", with a new music video filmed to promote its release there.

 

As if all of these different versions and releases was not enough, "What Can You Do for Me" had a third lease of life on the Australian chart, when the 2012 remix peaked at number 694 in April 2012.

 

Utah Saints landed a third top 100 single in Australia from their debut album with "Believe in Me" (number 92, August 1993), which prominently sampled The Human League's "Love Action (I Believe in Love)" (number 12, March 1982).

 

We shall next see Utah Saints in 1995.

 

Number 150 "Such a Feeling" by Bizarre Inc

Peak: number 150

Peak date: 4 November 1991

Weeks in top 150: 1 week

Top 150 chart run: 150

Weeks on chart: 5 weeks

 

We last saw English dance act Bizarre Inc in June 1991.  "Such a Feeling" was their second single released in Australia.

 

"Such a Feeling" peaked at number 13 in the UK in October 1991.

 

On the ARIA state charts, "Such a Feeling" performed strongest in Western Australia - where this early rave music seemed to do better than the rest of the country, based on the state chart peaks for this and, recently, The Prodigy - reaching number 80 there.

 

I get this one confused with the similarly-titled "Such a Good Feeling" by Brothers in Rhythm, which was released around the same time, though not in Australia.

 

We will next see Bizarre Inc in 1992, with one of my favourite tracks of the year.

 

 

Bubbling WAY down under:

 

Number 159 "Lies" by EMF

Peak: number 159

Peak date: 4 November 1991

Weeks on chart: 2 weeks

 

One thing I did not know (or had forgotten) about English band EMF is that the band's name is short for Epsom Mad Funkers, which was the name of a New Order fan club.  I had perhaps thought the band's name stood for electromagnetic force.

EMF burst onto the Australian chart in early 1991 with their debut single "Unbelievable" (number 8, April 1991).  Just when it seemed like EMF were going to be the next big thing (a girl in my class at school had EMF written in large letters on her pencil case), their second single, "I Believe" (number 54, July 1991), flopped in Australia, although it did give them a second UK top 10 hit.

EMF's third single "Children" (number 49, September 1991) returned them to the ARIA top 50, if only just.  It looked at this point, to me, like EMF might become one-hit wonders in Australia, and indeed that is what happened.

"Lies", the fourth and final single from the band's debut album Schubert Dip (number 44, June 1991), fared even worse, peaking outside the ARIA top 150.

 

I am not sure why EMF faltered so quickly on the charts.  I can only guess that it was partly due to the band inhabiting that awkward spot between boy band who appeal to teenage girls (see the aforementioned pencil case example) and credible band who write their own songs and play their own instruments.  Having pin-up looks (well, some of the band did) can be both a blessing and a curse.  The teenage girl fans will move on to someone else six months later, and the 'serious music' fans won't take you seriously because of your appeal to teenyboppers.

Internationally, "Lies" peaked at number 18 in Ireland in August 1991, number 28 in the UK in August 1991, number 99 in Germany in September 1991, and number 18 on the US Billboard Hot 100 in November 1991.  "Lies" was the only EMF single other than "Unbelievable" to register on the Billboard Hot 100.

 

Within Australia, "Lies" performed strongest in Queensland, where it reached number 133.

 

EMF split in 1997, though have since had a couple of reunions.  Lead singer James Atkin now works as a school teacher, which seems to be the career of choice for former pop stars.  You can view a video of James teaching on YouTube here.  The band's original bass player, Zac Foley, died in 2002 from a drug overdose, aged 31.

EMF would never trouble the ARIA top 100 again, though we will see them bubble under on a few occasions in the coming years, with the next one being in 1992.

 

 

Number 176 "Pet Shop Boys Mega Mix" by Pet Shop Boys

Peak: number 176

Peak date: 4 November 1991

Weeks on chart: 1 week

 

We last saw Pet Shop Boys in August 1991.

 

This single is a bit of an enigma to me - it is not listed in the weekly lists of new release titles for either The ARIA Report or the Australian Music Report, and only Scandinavian pressings (and promotional ones at that) are listed on discogs.com.  Do any Pet Shop Boys fans reading this know about this single's Australian release?  I am guessing that perhaps it was made available on 12" vinyl in DJ-orientated stores.

Anyway, the megamix contains excerpts from the Pet Shop Boys songs "Being Boring" (number 82, February 1991), "So Hard" (number 27, December 1990), "Heart" (number 18, June 1988), "Suburbia" (bubbled under, November 1986), and "It's a Sin" (number 10, August 1987).  They have not been mixed together in a particularly innovative way.

On the state charts, "Pet Shop Boys Mega Mix" performed strongest in Western Australia, where it reached number 137.

We will see Pet Shop Boys again in a mere three weeks' time.

 

 

Number 186 "Stay Beautiful" by Manic Street Preachers

Peak: number 186

Peak date: 4 November 1991

Weeks on chart: 1 week

 

Welsh band Manic Street Preachers formed in Blackwood in 1986.  While the group released a number of singles independently in the UK between 1988 and 1991, "Stay Beautiful" was their major label debut, and their first Australian release.  The track was also the lead single from Manic Street Preachers' debut album Generation Terrorists (number 182, April 1992).

 

In the UK, "Stay Beautiful" peaked at number 40 in August 1991, becoming the first of the band's 34 UK top 40 singles to date.

 

Domestically, "Stay Beautiful" was most popular in Western Australia, where it reached number 151.

 

I first became aware of Manic Street Preachers when reading about the disappearance, and presumed suicide, of the band's rhythm guitarist Richey Edwards in early 1995, in the British music newspaper N.M.E, which was one of the music publications I graduated to from Smash Hits in the second half of 1994.  The first Manics song I heard, "A Design for Life" (number 50, July 1996), was also their first single to dent the ARIA top 100.

The Manics never really had major chart success in Australia, with only one other top 50 single, "If You Tolerate This Your Children Will Be Next" (number 49, September 1998).  The band have landed two top 20 albums in Australia, however; although both had relatively brief chart runs.

 

Manic Street Preachers sort-of scored their biggest hit in Australia as the backing musicians on Kylie Minogue's "Some Kind of Bliss" (number 27, October 1997), during her 'indie' phase. 

 

At my first ever 'job', standing in an assembly line collating packages for off-campus uni students, I remember a 'colleague' there stating that Manic Street Preachers were her favourite band, when the topic of music came up.  While the job was 'enjoyable' in the sense of getting paid to essentially stand around and talk all day, I declined the offer for more work after 3 days, due to the horrendous paper cuts I'd come home with on my fingers...

 

We shall next see Manic Street Preachers in 1992.

 

 

Number 192 "Crown of Madness" by Dave Stewart and The Spiritual Cowboys

Peak: number 192

Peak date: 4 November 1991

Weeks on chart: 1 week

 

We last saw Dave Stewart in January 1991. 

"Crown of Madness" was released as the lead single from the second Dave Stewart and The Spiritual Cowboys album Honest (number 187, November 1991).  The single peaked at number 96 in the UK (number 84 on the compressed chart) in September 1991; the only other country it charted in.

In Australia, "Crown of Madness" performed strongest in New South Wales/Australian Capital Territory, where it reached number 162.

 

Although Dave Stewart and The Spiritual Cowboys' releases were generally flops, Dave would have still been raking in the cash in 1991 from his former band Eurythmics' Greatest Hits compilation, which spent seven weeks at number 1 in Australia in April and May of 1991, and topped the charts in the UK, Germany, Austria, the Netherlands, and New Zealand.

 

We will next see Dave, on his own, in 1994.

 

 

Number 201 "Jacky" by Marc Almond

Peak: number 201

Peak date: 4 November 1991

Weeks on chart: 1 week

 

We last saw English singer Marc Almond, born Peter Mark Sinclair Almond, in June 1989.

 

"Jacky" was the lead single from Marc's seventh solo studio album Tenement Symphony, which was released in Australia in November 1991 but did not chart.  The track is a cover version of a 1966 song by Belgian singer-songwrister Jacques Brel.  An English language adaptation was released by Scott Walker in 1967.

Overseas, "Jacky" peaked at number 17 in the UK in October 1991, number 14 in Ireland, number 57 in the Netherlands in October 1991, and number 32 in the Flanders region of Belgium in November 1991.

Domestically, "Jacky" was most popular in Western Australia, where it reached number 169.

 

At the time of writing, "Jacky" is the earliest single I have an ARIA singles chart peak for outside the top 200.

 

I hadn't heard "Jackie" before.  Marc's next single, which I have heard before and like, "My Hand over My Heart", was released in Australia in March 1992, but failed to chart.

 

We will next see Marc in 1992.

The music video (if it becomes unblocked):

 

 

Next week (11 November): Four top 150 debuts, and two bubbling WAY down under entries.

< Previous week: 28 October 1991                                 Next week: 11 November 1991 >

Week commencing 19 August 1991

Of the ten debuting artists this week in 1991, only two of them have graced our presence before.  Let's take a look.

 

Susanna Hoffs: Australia was the only country that gave this single some 'love', but not much.

 

Top 150 debuts:

 

Number 111 "Principles of Lust" by Enigma

Peak: number 111

Peak date: 19 August 1991

Weeks in top 150: 4 weeks

Top 150 chart run: 111-124-131-129

Weeks on chart: 5 weeks

Enigma was the brainchild of Romanian-German singer, musician and producer Michael Cretu (born Mihal Cretu).  Their debut single "Sadeness Part 1" (number 2, March 1991) went to number one across Europe, and featured the uncredited vocal contributions of Michael's then-wife Sandra, whom we shall see in her own right in 1995, and... Gregorian chants.

Enigma's second single "Mea Culpa Part II" (number 55, May 1991) did not exactly set the charts alight, but it mattered little, as the album MCMXC a.D. (number 2, March 1991) performed quite well.

The third single, "Principles of Lust", fared even worse on the chart.  Internationally, the single peaked at number 90 in Germany in July 1991, number 43 in the Flanders region of Belgium in July 1991, number 59 in the UK in August 1991, and number 29 in France in August 1991.

Within Australia, "Principles of Lust" performed strongest in South Australia/Northern Territory, where it reached number 89.

As with the previous two singles, "Principles of Lust" featured Sandra's breathy spoken vocals.

We will next see Enigma in December 1991.

 

 

 

Number 124 "Pray" by Third Eye

Peak: number 117

Peak date: 26 August 1991

Weeks in top 150: 5 weeks 

Chart run: 167-124-117-124-133-140

Weeks on chart: 6 weeks

 

Australian Ollie Olsen, who is behind Third Eye, was the other half of the Michael Hutchence side-project Max Q, whom we saw in March 1990.  Coincidentally, the Max Q (number 13, October 1989) album has recently - finally - been added to streaming platforms, in a 2022 remaster.

"Pray" was the second Third Eye single, following "The Real Thing" (number 76, October 1990), which was a radical remake of the Russell Morris song from 1969.  In another coincidence, Russell appears among this week's debuts.  Both "Pray" and "The Real Thing" appear on the debut Third Eye album Third Eye (number 163, February 1992).

On the state charts, "Pray" performed strongest in New South Wales/Australian Capital Territory, where it reached number 87.

I vaguely recall hearing "Pray" at the time.  Its sound is quite avant garde for Australia in 1991, proving that we could produce cutting-edge electronic music as good as that coming out of Europe - only, it wasn't often commercially successful.

 

 

 

Number 134 "We Want the Funk" by Gerardo

Peak: number 128

Peak date: 26 August 1991

Weeks in top 150: 5 weeks 

Top 150 chart run: 134-128-136-143-138

 

Ecuadorian-American rapper Gerardo, born Gerardo Mejía, landed a US Billboard Hot 100 number 7 hit with "Rico Suave" in April 1991.  That single limped to number 87 in Australia in May 1991.

 

"We Want the Funk" was the second single form Gerardo's debut album Mo' Ritmo, which was released in Australia in April 1991, but missed the top 150.  The track was produced by Michael Sembello, who scored a number 2 hit in Australia with "Maniac" in August 1983.

 

"We Want the Funk" became Gerardo's second, and final, US Billboard Hot 100 hit, peaking at number 16 in June 1991.

 

 

 

Number 139 "Only Love" by Susanna Hoffs

Peak: number 135

Peak date: 2 September 1991

Weeks in top 150: 3 weeks

Chart run: 139-142-135

Weeks on chart: 3 weeks

 

Susanna Hoffs was one quarter of the group Bangles, who usually did not have a 'The' in front of the band's name on their releases (at least, not during their most commercially-successful period), but everyone seems to refer to them as 'The Bangles', regardless.

 

Bangles scored four top 10 singles in Australia, one for each of the years 1986, 1987, 1988 and 1989.  Two of their singles went all the way to number one - "Walk Like an Egyptian" (number one for two non-consecutive weeks in February 1987) and "Eternal Flame" (number one for three non-consecutive weeks in May and June 1989).  Oddly, neither number one Bangles single spent more than one week at the summit at a time.

While Bangles had no official 'lead singer', with all four members contributing lead vocals to different tracks, the songs that Susanna sang lead on were often chosen as singles, which led to tensions within the group.  Bangles disbanded in 1989, although they would eventually reform in 1998.

 

Following the demise of the band, Susanna launched a solo career, to a surprisingly (for me, anyway) lukewarm response.  Her debut solo single "My Side of the Bed" (number 54, March 1991) peaked outside the top 50 in Australia, and only reached number 30 on the US Billboard Hot 100 in March 1991.  "My Side of the Bed" did not peak higher than number 20 (in Austria) anywhere in the world.

Susanna's second single "Unconditional Love" (number 100, May 1991) fared even worse, with its highest peak being number 65 in the UK in May 1991.  Not even a promotional trip to Australia helped matters, and Susanna's first solo album When You're a Boy peaked at number 67 here in April 1991.

 

"Only Love" was issued as the third, and final, single from When You're a Boy.  Susanna co-wrote the track with beige songwriter extraordinaire Diane Warren - not that this collaboration helped the song become a hit.

"Only Love" did not chart anywhere else in the world.  On the ARIA state charts, the single was most popular in Queensland, where it reached number 117.

I did not hear "Only Love" at the time, and was not aware of its release as a single.  I can only guess that Susanna's solo career was not a success because she was too strongly-associated with the 1980s, as many 80s acts seemed to struggle on the charts once 1990 clocked over.  If Bangles had stayed together, it would have been interesting to see how they fared on the chart during the 1990s.

Susanna will next join us in 1996.

 

 

Number 145 "She Needs to Get Some" by Ray Parker Jr.

Peak: number 145

Peak date: 19 August 1991

Weeks in top 150: 1 week

Top 150 chart run: 145

 

American singer, songwriter and producer Ray Parker Jr. started out his chart career as a member of the band Raydio, who landed top 10 hits in Australia with "Jack and Jill" (number 4, July 1978) and "You Can't Change That" (number 6, September 1979).

Ray embarked on a solo career following Raydio's demise in 1981.  His debut solo single, "The Other Woman", topped the Australian singles chart for one week in August 1982.  Ray landed another major hit in Australia with "Ghostbusters" (number 2, September 1984), which spent 17 weeks in the top 10, and has retained its cultural currency (my nephews born in the 2010s know it).

 

Aside from those two big hits, the only other solo Ray Parker Jr. single that troubled the Australian top 50 was "Bad Boy" (number 37, March 1983).

"She Needs to Get Some" was Ray's first single to chart in Australia since "Ghostbusters", although he produced Glenn Medeiros' "All I'm Missing Is You", which we saw in October 1990.

 

"She Needs to Get Some" did not register a place on any other sales-based singles chart that I can ascertain, but reached number 34 on the meaningless US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart in July 1991.

 

 

Number 146 "A Thousand Suns" by Russell Morris

Peak: number 118

Peak date: 9 September 1991

Weeks in top 150: 12 weeks

Top 150 chart run: 146-(out for 2 weeks)-118-124-128-123-124-123-122-125-124-128-124

 

We last saw Australian Russell Morris in December 1990.  "A Thousand Suns" was the third single and title track from Russell's first solo studio album since 1976, A Thousand Suns (number 98, November 1991).

"A Thousand Suns" had an interesting chart run, spending 11 of its 12 weeks in the top 150 hovering between numbers 118 and 128.  The single fared better on the Australian Music Report singles chart, where it reached number 84.

 

 

Number 147 "Jealousy" by Pet Shop Boys

Peak: number 147

Peak dates: 19 August 1991 and 2 September 1991

Weeks in top 150: 3 weeks

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

Weeks on chart: 8 weeks

 

At this point in 1991, English electronic pop duo Pet Shop Boys had placed 14 singles on the Australian top 100, with only "Suburbia" (which bubbled under in November 1986) falling short.  Four of their singles had peaked within the top 10 in Australia, so far, with "West End Girls" (number 5, June 1986) being the biggest of those.  Always stanning for the flops, "It's Alright" (number 70, August 1989) and "Left to My Own Devices" (number 48, February 1989) are probably my favourite Pet Shop Boys singles.

"Jealousy" was the third single lifted from Pet Shop Boys' fourth studio album Behaviour (number 27, November 1990).  It followed "So Hard" (number 27, December 1990) and "Being Boring" (number 82, February 1991).

 

In the interim, the duo released the non-album single "Where the Streets Have No Name (I Can't Take My Eyes off You)" (number 9, May 1991), which was a cover of the U2 song merged with Frankie Valli.  That single was technically a double A-side release, paired with the Behaviour track "How Can You Expect to Be Taken Seriously?"   The latter track, which was possibly written about Transvision Vamp's Wendy James, received no promotion in Australia, despite there being a music video available for the song.

"Jealousy" also received next to no promotion in Australia.  As a casual fan, I didn't hear the song until buying Pet Shop Boys' Discography: The Complete Singles Collection (number 6, December 1991) compilation towards the end of 1991.  "Jealousy" was a song I always skipped on the album, and didn't give it a proper listen until possibly the early 2000s, when I discovered that I liked it.  "Jealousy" is definitely not an immediate song, like most of the duo's singles.

Internationally, "Jealousy" peaked at number 12 in the UK in June 1991, number 8 in Ireland in June 1991, number 20 in Germany in July 1991, and number 14 in Switzerland in July 1991.

Domestically, "Jealousy" performed strongest in Victoria/Tasmania, where it reached number 123.

Pet Shop Boys will next join us - twice! - in November 1991.

 

Number 148 "Love Thang" by Redhead Kingpin and The F.B.I.

Peak: number 148

Peak date: 19 August 1991

Weeks in top 150: 1 week

Top 150 chart run: 148

We last saw American hip-hop/new jack swing group Redhead Kingpin and The F.B.I. in June 1991.  "Love Thang", titled "It's a Love Thang (Word)" in North America, was issued as the second single from The Album with No Name (number 141, June 1991).

 

While a music video exists for the track, it uses a different mix than the single version we received in Europe/Australasia, which I have embedded below.

I cannot find evidence of "Love Thang" charting on any other sales-based chart.

Number 150 "Get Up" by Mike & The Mechanics

Peak: number 150

Peak date: 19 August 1991

Weeks in top 150: 1 week

Top 150 chart run: 150

Weeks on chart: 2 weeks

 

English supergroup Mike & The Mechanics had placed six singles on the Australian chart at this point in 1991, with "The Living Years" being the highest peaking of those, spending one week at number one in May 1989.  That track, and this one, feature Paul Carrack - whom we've seen bubble under a couple of times as a solo artist, most-recently in April 1990 - on lead vocals.

 

"Get Up" was the second single released in Australia from Mike & The Mechanics' third studio album Word of Mouth (number 55, June 1991).  It followed the title track, "Word of Mouth" (number 33, June 1991), which was sung by Paul Young - not to be confused with the English solo artist sharing the same name.

In the band's homeland, "A Time and Place" was issued as the second single from Word of Mouth.  That single was not released in Australia.

I cannot find evidence of "Get Up" charting elsewhere.  Within Australia, the single was most-popular in New South Wales/Australian Capital Territory, where it reached number 147.

We'll next see Mike & The Mechanics in 1995.

 

Bubbling WAY down under:

 

Number 151 "She's Dope!" by Bell Biv DeVoe

Peak: number 151

Peak date: 19 August 1991

Weeks on chart: 3 weeks

 

The American trio of Ricky Bell, Michael Bivins and Ronnie DeVoe - better known as Bell Biv DeVoe - started out as part of teen pop group New Edition, who landed a number 10 hit in Australia in August 1983 with "Candy Girl".

Striking out on their own in 1990, the trio placed three singles in the lower half of the ARIA top 100, with "Poison" (number 64, August 1990), "Do Me!" (number 60, October 1990), and "B.B.D. (I Thought It Was Me)" (number 100, March 1991).

 

"She's Dope!" was the fourth single lifted from the trio's debut album Poison (number 83, October 1990) in Australia.

 

"She's Dope!" did not register on any other sales-based chart, but peaked at number 9 on the US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart in May 1991.

Domestically, "She's Dope!" performed strongest in Victoria/Tasmania, where it reached number 141.

The group did not achieve their major commercial breakthrough in Australia until 1993, when "Gangsta" peaked at number 17 in February of that year.

Bell Biv DeVoe will next join us in 1992.

Next week (26 August): Eight new top 150 entries, and three bubbling WAY down under entries.

< Previous week: 12 August 1991                                   Next week: 26 August 1991 >