Week commencing 19 October 1992

I cannot identify a common theme among this week's 13 new entries debuting and peaking outside the ARIA top 100, so let's just jump straight in...

Maxi Priest scored a 'mini' hit on the ARIA singles chart this week in 1992.

Top 150 debuts:

Number 106 “So Dangerous” by Lisa Edwards

Peak: number 106

Peak date: 19 October 1992

Weeks in top 150: 6 weeks 

Chart run: 106-107-121-127-132-124

Weeks on chart: 6 weeks 

Australian songstress Lisa Edwards first came to attention (at least, in my world) as one of John Farnham's live backing singers, following his hugely successful Jack's Back tour in 1987-1988,  Prior to that, she released a couple of singles, both solo and with Short Circuit, in the 1980s that did nothing chart-wise.  Lisa can be spotted as one of John Farnham's backing singers in the music video for “Two Strong Hearts” (number 6, October 1988) - that's her with the blonde crimped hair.

Lisa finally tasted chart success with the release of her single “Cry” (number 5, July 1992), which was originally recorded by Godley & Creme, with their version peaking at number 43 in Australia in August 1985. 

 

"So Dangerous", which I do not recall hearing before, was released as the follow-up to "Cry". and did not perform nearly as well, peaking 101 places lower on the ARIA singles chart than its predecessor.  On the state charts, "So Dangerous" performed equally-strongest in Victoria/Tasmania and South Australia/Northern Territory, where it reached number 92.  The single fared better nationally on the Australian Music Report singles chart, where it reached number 70.

 

"So Dangerous" had a rockier edge than I was expecting, reminding me musically a little bit of Janet Jackson's "Black Cat" (number 6, November 1990).  I also was not expecting to see Lisa writhing about in a sequinned catsuit in the music video.  Skip to 1:35 in the video embedded below if you want to get straight to the song and skip the overly-long dialogue introduction.

 

"So Dangerous" would go on to appear on the album Thru the Hoop (number 120, June 1993).

 

We shall see Lisa again in 1993.

Number 115 “Helpless” by Sugar

Peak: number 111

Peak date: 26 October 1992

Weeks in top 150: 5 weeks 

Top 150 chart run: 115-111-119-123-128

American indie rock band Sugar formed in Austin, Texas in the early 1990s, fronted by singer and guitarist Bob Mould, who previously led the band Hüsker Dü.  "Helpless" was Sugar's debut Australian release, lifted from the band's debut album Copper Blue (number 92, November 1992).

Internationally, "Helpless" peaked at number 5 on the US Billboard Alternative Songs chart in October 1992, and at number 37 in New Zealand in November 1992.

 

I don't recall hearing this one before, but the chorus seems vaguely familiar.  It's not the sort of thing I would normally listen to, but it's not bad.

 

We will next see Sugar in December 1992.

 

Number 127 “Groovin’ in the Midnight” by Maxi Priest

Peak: number 120

Peak date: 26 October 1992

Weeks in top 150: 4 weeks

Top 150 chart run: 127-120-127-132

Weeks on chart: 7 weeks 

We last saw British reggae singer Maxi Priest as a featured artist in October 1991, and on his own a week prior to that.

 

"Groovin' in the Midnight" was issued as the lead single from Maxi's fifth studio album Fe Real (number 130, May 1993).  Internationally, the single peaked at number 50 in the UK in September 1992, number 63 on the US Billboard Hot 100 in November 1992, number 64 in Canada in December 1992, and number 31 in New Zealand in December 1992.

Domestically, "Groovin' in the Midnight" was most popular in Western Australia, where it reached number 94.

 

I don't recall hearing this one before, but quite enjoyed it.  It should have been a much bigger hit.

We shall next see Maxi in 1993.

Number 134 “What Are You Under” by Definition of Sound

Peak: number 116

Peak date: 23 November 1992

Weeks in top 150: 6 weeks 

Known chart run: 165-134-121-124-122-126-116

Weeks on chart: 10 weeks 

We last saw English dance/rap duo Definition of Sound in April 1992.

 

"What Are You Under" was issued as the lead single from the pair's second album The Lick (number 176, November 1992).  Overseas, the single peaked at number 68 in the UK in September 1992, and number 41 in New Zealand in October 1992.

 

Locally, "What Are You Under" performed strongest in Queensland, where it reached number 92 on the state chart.

 

I did actually hear this one at the time, and caught the music video on M.C. TeeVee.  I like the song and think it should have done much better chart-wise.

 

We'll see Definition of Sound next in 1993.

 

Number 136 “Deeper Than a River” by Olivia Newton-John

Peak: number 136

Peak date: 19 October 1992

Weeks in top 150: 3 weeks

Top 150 chart run: 136-142-(out for 1 week)-149

Weeks on chart: 4 weeks

We last saw Australian/English/American (take your pick!) singer Olivia Newton-John in July 1992.

"Deeper Than a River" was released as the second new single from Olivia's Back to Basics: The Essential Collection 1971-1992 (number 15, September 1992) compilation.  The single only received a commercial release in Australia, but peaked at number 20 on the US Billboard Adult Contemporary chart in September 1992.  As Olivia was undergoing chemotherapy treatment for breast cancer at the time, she was unable to film a music video or promote the release.  The song was penned by beige songwriter extraordinaire, Diane Warren.

On the state charts, "Deeper Than a River" performed strongest in Queensland, where it reached number 120.

 

We'll next see Olivia in 1995.

Number 142 “Countdown” by Lindsey Buckingham 

Peak: number 131

Peak date: 26 October 1992

Weeks in top 150: 5 weeks 

Top 150 chart run: 142-131-135-135-136

Weeks on chart: 10 weeks 

American singer-songwriter Lindsey Buckingham came to fame when he joined Fleetwood Mac alongside his then-partner Stevie Nicks in 1975.  He sang lead on their singles "Go Your Own Way" (number 20, April 1977) and "Big Love" (number 16, May 1987).  Lindsey struck out on his own in 1981 with the single "Trouble" topping the Australian singles chart for three weeks in February 1982.  Lindsey was also responsible for the theme song for the movie National Lampoon's Vacation, "Holiday Road", which was released locally in September 1983 but somehow failed to chart in Australia until the streaming era, where it reached number 701 in January 2016.

"Countdown" was issued as the lead single in Australia from Lindsey's third solo studio album Out of the Cradle (number 135, October 1992).  Internationally, the single peaked at number 98 in the UK in July 1992, number 64 in the Netherlands in September 1992, number 66 in Germany in September 1992, and number 29 in Canada in October 1992.  It also registered on a couple of US Billboard genre-specific charts, reaching number 38 on the Mainstream Rock Airplay chart in October 1992, and number 32 on the Adult Contemporary chart in October 1992.

Domestically, “Countdown” was most popular in South Australia/Northern Territory, where it reached number 86 on the state chart.

 

I hadn't heard this one before, but like it.

Lindsey will not 'trouble' the ARIA top 150 again as a solo artist.

Number 147 “Night Calls” by Joe Cocker

Peak: number 133

Peak date: 9 November 1992

Weeks in top 150: 5 weeks 

Top 150 chart run: 147-137-137-133-146

Gravel-voiced English singer Joe Cocker last joined us in July 1992.

"Night Calls" was issued as the third single and title track from Joe's thirteenth studio album Night Calls (number 23, September 1992) in Australia.  Internationally, the single peaked at number 44 in the Netherlands in November 1991, number 37 in Germany in December 1991, and number 11 in France in May 1992.

I don’t recall hearing this one before, and while it’s not something I would seek out, it wasn’t bad.

We will see Joe next in 1994.

Bubbling WAY down under:

Number 180 “Johnny Have You Seen Her?” by The Rembrandts

Peak: number 172

Peak date: 23 November 1992

Weeks on chart: 9 weeks 

American duo The Rembrandts last graced our presence in 1991.

 

"Johnny Have You Seen Her?" was issued as the lead single from the band's second album Untitled (number 158, October 1992).  Overseas, the single peaked at number 53 in Germany in November 1992.

Locally, "Johnny Have You Seen Her?" was most popular in Western Australia, where it reached number 120 on the state chart.

I don’t recall hearing this one before.  I enjoyed it more than I was expecting to, and think it’s better than The Rembrandts’ two Australian hits.

The Rembrandts will join us again in 1997.

 

Number 193 “Double Summer” by The Chills

Peak: number 180

Peak date: 9 November 1992

Weeks on chart: 5 weeks

Kiwi band The Chills last bubbled WAY down under in July 1992.

 

"Double Summer" was issued as the second and final single from The Chills' third studio album Soft Bomb (number 99, August 1992).  The single did not chart in New Zealand.

Locally, "Double Summer" performed strongest in South Australia/Northern Territory, where it reached number 117 on the state chart.

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

One thing I was unaware of until researching this post is that The Chills' lead singer,  Martin Phillipps, passed away unexpectedly in July 2024, aged 61.

While we will not see The Chills again, they had another very low-charting single in Australia with “When the Poor Can Reach the Moon” (number 1229, January 2016).  They also had later charting albums in Australia that peaked outside the top 100: Heavenly Pop Hits: The Best of (number 122, March 1995), Silver Bullets (number 501, November 2015), and Kaleidoscope World (number 1339, September 2016).

Number 195 “A Trip to Trumpton” by Urban Hype

Peak: number 187

Peak date: 26 October 1992

Weeks on chart: 5 weeks

English techno duo Urban Hype formed in Chandler's Ford, Hampshire, in 1988.  "A Trip to Trumpton" was their breakthrough release, and only real hit, in the UK, peaking at number 6 in July 1992.  The single also reached number 21 in Ireland in July 1992.

Domestically, "A Trip to Trumpton" performed strongest in Western Australia, where it reached number 144.  This is another example of Western Australia embracing early rave/breakbeat songs, more than other regions of Australia.

I became familiar with "A Trip to Trumpton" via the UK Chart Attack radio program, where it spent a couple of weeks in their top 5, consisting of songs that had not yet crossed over into international markets.  I also caught the video once on rage as a new release before the top 60 chart aired.

 

Along with tracks like The Prodigy's "Charly" and Smart E's "Sesame's Treet" (number 6, September 1992), "A Trip to Trumpton" belongs to the 'toytown techno' sub-genre, sampling its "Pugh, Pugh, Barney McGrew, Cuthbert, Dibble, Grub" lines from the BBC Trumpton children's television series from the 1960s.

 

Urban Hype would go on to have two further minor 'hits' in the UK with “The Feeling” (number 67 in the UK in October 1992) and “Living in a Fantasy” (number 57 in the UK in January 1993).   They also released an album Conspiracy to Dance, which does not appear to have been released in Australia.  "A Trip to Trumpton" would be the only Urban Hype release to chart locally.

Number 196 “Don’t You Worry ‘bout a Thing” by Incognito 

Peak: number 196

Peak date: 19 October 1992

Weeks on chart: 1 week 

British acid jazz band Incognito formed in London in 1979.  They would have to wait until the early 1990s, however, for major chart success in their homeland.

"Don't You Worry 'bout a Thing", originally recorded by Stevie Wonder in 1973 and released as a single the following year, was the lead single from Incognito's third album Tribes, Vibes and Scribes (number 194, October 1992).  Internationally, Incognito's version peaked at number 19 in the UK in June 1992, number 40 in Sweden in July 1992, number 6 in the Netherlands in August 1992, number 46 in Germany in August 1992, and number 30 in the Flanders region of Belgium in August 1992.

In Australia, "Don't You Worry 'bout a Thing" performed strongest in Western Australia, where it reached number 147.

Incognito would not land a top 100 single in Australia, but two of their albums dented the ARIA top 100:  100° and Rising (number 79, August 1995) and No Time Like the Future (number 84, May 1999).

 

We shall next see Incognito in 1994.

Number 221 “Bulletproof!” by Pop Will Eat Itself

Peak: number 221

Peak date: 19 October 1992

Weeks on chart: 1 week 

English band Pop Will Eat Itself last paid us a visit in July 1992.

"Bulletproof!" was issued as the single from Pop Will Eat Itself's fourth studio album The Looks Or the Lifestyle? (number 165, October 1992).  The single peaked at number 24 in the UK in August 1992.

Within Australia, "Bulletproof!" was most popular in Western Australia, where it reached number 190 on the state chart.

I wasn't aware of this one at the time, but have since caught the music video on rage a few times over the years.  I couldn't remember how the song went though until pressing play on the video embedded below.

 

We shall next see Pop Will Eat Itself in 1993.

Number 223 “Soul Cat Girl” by Grayson Hugh

Peak: number 209

Peak date: 26 October 1992

Weeks on chart: 3 weeks 

American singer-songwriter Grayson Hugh previously visited us in June 1990.

"Soul Cat Girl" was issued as the only commercial single from Grayson's third studio album, and second major label release, Road to Freedom, which was released in Australia in November 1992, but missed the top 150.  "Soul Cat Girl" appears to have only received a commercial release as a single in Australia.

On the state charts, "Soul Cat Girl" performed strongest in Western Australia, where it reached number 165.  This would be Grayson's last charting single in Australia.

 

Next week (26 October): Six top 150 entries and eight bubbling WAY down under debuts.

< Previous week: 12 October 1992                  Next week: 26 October 1992 >

Week commencing 27 July 1992

There's no common theme I can identify linking this week in 1992's new entries peaking outside the top 100.  Before diving in, I have updated the following earlier posts:

* 21 January 1991 - with a new bubbling WAY down under entry from Pop Will Eat Itself;

* 8 July 1991 - with new bubbling WAY down under entries from Pop Will Eat Itself and Soul Family Sensation.

Ce Ce Peniston kept on walkin' in the opposite direction from the top 100 this week in 1992.

Top 150 debuts:

Number 109 “Beds Are Burning” (live) by Midnight Oil

Peak: number 108

Peak date: 3 August 1992

Weeks in top 150: 7 weeks 

Top 150 chart run: 109-108-113-110-117-127-136

 

It's kind of fitting that I would finally lose my hair (after a year of chemotherapy) during the week that Australian band, Midnight Oil, fronted by famous baldie Peter Garrett, would be the first entry I have to write about.  The Oils formed in 1972, though were originally known as The Farm (not to be confused with the UK band of the same name).  This is the first occasion Midnight Oil appear in the below number 100 section of the chart, although we have a seen the band's drummer, Rob Hirst, as a member of Ghostwriters previously.

Although the original 1987 studio version of "Beds Are Burning" (number 6, September 1987) was technically not their highest-charting single in Australia, it is without doubt their signature track, and biggest international hit, reaching the top 10 across Europe and the top 20 in the US.

Midnight Oil's biggest Australian hit was their Species Deceases EP (number 1 for 6 non-consecutive weeks in December 1985 and January 1986), which became the first release to debut at number 1 on the Australian singles chart.  My favourite track of theirs would be "The Dead Heart" (number 4, August 1986), which, together with the studio version of "Beds Are Burning", was taken from their sixth studio album Diesel and Dust (number 1 for 6 weeks in August-September 1987).

Fast forward to 1992, the Oils released the live album Scream in Blue - Live (number 3, May 1992).  This live version of "Beds Are Burning" was issued as the second single from it, following "Sometimes" (number 33, May 1992).  The track was recorded in Darlinghurst in 1989, from the Our Common Future concert.  Skip to 1:25 in the video embedded below if you just want to get to the music.  I don't recall hearing this version before.

 

On the state charts, this live version of "Beds Are Burning" performed strongest in Victoria/Tasmania, where it reached number 74.

We shall next see Midnight Oil in 1993.

Number 122 “Boy (Why You Wanna Make Me Blue)” by Deborah Blando

Peak: number 122

Peak date: 27 July 1992

Weeks in top 150: 3 weeks

Chart run: 206-122-127-131

Weeks on chart: 4 weeks

Brazilian songstress Deborah Blando, born in Italy, seemed to come out of nowhere in 1992 with her single "Innocence" (number 31, May 1992), which I rather like, though had not heard until it entered the top 60 on rage.  There were a few curiosities like that around mid-1992; I suspect heavily-discounted singles (of which "Innocence" was one), which was a new marketing strategy in Australia at the time (during a recession), was a factor at play - not to say that I think "Innocence" didn't deserve to do well.  Indeed, I can see a copy of the Australian CD single with a $1.95 price tag on it (as opposed to the regular $7.95 or even $8.95 price of CD singles at that time) on eBay; I am guessing the cassette single was sold for $0.95, as was a Shakespears Sister cassingle I bought in July 1992.  To my eyes, Deborah looked like the new Cyndi Lauper, and even had a similar voice in some ways.

"Boy (Why You Wanna Make Me Blue)" is a cover of a song by The Temptations, originally titled "Girl (Why You Wanna Make Me Blue)", from 1964.  The track was apparently Deborah's debut single overseas, but her second released in Australia, lifted from her debut album A Different Story (number 182, April 1992).

I cannot find evidence of this single charting elsewhere, though it presumably charted in Brazil, assuming they had charts at the time.  In Australia, the single performed strongest in New South Wales/Australian Capital Territory, where it reached number 107.

I don't recall hearing this one at the time, though caught a brief preview of the video (though I think without audio) on Video Smash Hits.  It's OK, but I much prefer the moody eeriness of "Innocence".

This would be Deborah's last foray onto the Australian chart, though I remember seeing her appear on some Rio festival on Hey Hey It's Saturday towards the end of 1993.

Number 130 “Keep on Walkin’” by Ce Ce Peniston

Peak: number 123

Peak dates: 10 August 1992 and 17 August 1992

Weeks in top 150: 6 weeks

Top 150 chart run: 130-126-123-123-141-150

Weeks on chart: 7 weeks

American singer and former beauty pageant winner Ce Ce Peniston, born Cecilia Veronica Peniston, launched her recording career with the enduring "Finally" (number 8, March 1992), which she co-wrote.  I first heard that track while on a family holiday in Canberra just after Christmas 1991.  She followed up that track with "We Got a Love Thang" (number 36, June 1992), which originally peaked at number 68 in May 1992 and dropped out of the top 100 for two weeks before miraculously climbing back up to number 36, and then dropping to number 72 again the following week!  I assume the bounce in sales was due to maybe a short promotional visit to Australia from Ce Ce, heavy discounting (as mentioned for Deborah Blando above), or perhaps the record company just buying up copies themselves?  Whatever the reason, it saved Ce Ce from becoming a one-hit wonder in Australia.

"Keep on Walkin'" was issued as the third single from Ce Ce's debut album Finally (number 95, March 1992).  I first became familiar with the track via the American Top 40 radio show.  This track was co-written by Kym Sims, whom we have seen bubble under twice in 1992 in her own right.  Both she and Ce Ce worked with producer Steve "Silk" Hurley.

 

Internationally, the single peaked at number 10 in the UK in May 1992, number 17 in Ireland in May 1992, number 31 in the Flanders region of Belgium in June 1992, number 41 in the Netherlands in July 1992, number 67 in Canada in August 1992, and 15 on the US Billboard Hot 100 in August 1992.  It also topped the meaningless US Billboard Dance Club Songs chart in June 1992.

In Australia, "Keep on Walkin'" performed strongest in New South Wales/Australian Capital Territory, where it reached number 92.

We shall next see Ce Ce in 1994.

Number 131 “Karmadrome”/“Eat Me Drink Me Love Me Kill Me” by Pop Will Eat Itself

Peak: number 121

Peak date: 3 August 1992

Weeks in top 150: 5 weeks

Top 150 chart run: 131-121-127-136-146

Weeks on chart: 8 weeks

We last saw English band Pop Will Eat Itself in 1991.

 

"Karmadrome"/"Eat Me Drink Me Love Me Kill Me" was issued as the lead single from Pop Will Eat Itself's fourth studio album The Looks Or the Lifestyle? (number 165, October 1992).  Internationally, the single peaked at number 17 in the UK in May 1992.

In Australia, "Karmadrome"/"Eat Me Drink Me Love Me Kill Me" performed strongest in Victoria/Tasmania, where it reached number 106.

 

I don't recall hearing either track before.

We'll next see Pop Will Eat Itself in October 1992.

Number 148 “Galileo” by Indigo Girls

Peak: number 130

Peak date: 10 August 1992

Weeks in top 150: 6 weeks

Top 150 chart run: 148-142-130-134-140-136

Weeks on chart: 11 weeks 

 

Amy Ray and Emily Sailers, better known as Indigo Girls, hail from Atlanta, Georgia.  The pair met in primary school, and began performing as Indigo Girls in 1985, while attending university.

 

Their debut Australian release was the single "Closer to Fine" (number 57, August 1989), lifted from their second album Indigo Girls (number 64, September 1989).  I remember catching that one on rage before the top 50 chart in 1989.  It would be the only Indigo Girls single to dent the top 100 in Australia.

"Galileo" was issued as the first, and in Australia, only, single from the duo's fourth studio album Rites of Passage (number 110, October 1992).

 

Internationally, "Galileo" peaked at number 89 on the US Billboard Hot 100 in August 1992, and number 86 in the UK in November 1992.  It also reached number 10 on the meaningless US Billboard Alternative Airplay chart in June 1992.

 

In Australia, "Galileo" was most popular in Queensland, where it reached number 111.

 

We will next see Indigo Girls in 1994.

Bubbling WAY down under:

Number 174 "Every Time I Roll the Dice" by Delbert McClinton featuring Bonnie Raitt & Melissa Etheridge

Peak: number 160

Peak date: 3 August 1992

Weeks on chart: 11 weeks

 

American blues singer-songwriter Delbert McClinton hails from Lubbock, Texas.  His recording career began in 1972, although "Every Time I Roll the Dice" would be his only single to chart in Australia.  The Australian pressing of this release lists Bonnie Raitt and Melissa Etheridge as featured vocalists (presumably as a selling point) on the cover artwork, although they are really just providing backing vocals on the track.  This track is lifted from Delbert's twelfth studio album Never Been Rocked Enough (number 123, September 1992), which was also his first album to chart locally.

Delbert's biggest and only top 40 hit in his homeland was the 1980 single "Giving It Up for Love", which reached number 8 on the US Billboard Hot 100 in February 1981.

Internationally, "Every Time I Roll the Dice" peaked at number 13 on the meaningless US Billboard Mainstream Rock Airplay chart in July 1992, and number 40 in Canada in July 1992.

In Australia, "Every Time I Roll the Dice" was most popular in South Australia/Northern Territory, where it reached number 95.  The Never Been Rocked Enough album was also much more popular in South Australia/Northern Territory than elsewhere, where it reached number 33 on the state albums chart.

 

"Every Time I Roll the Dice" fared better on the Australian Music Report singles chart, where it reached number 90 nationally.

Although we will not see Delbert again, he had two later low-charting albums in Australia with the combined Second Wind/Keeper of the Flame set (number 414, June 2002) - these albums were originally released in 1978 and 1979, respectively, and Outdated Emotion (number 1234, May 2022).

Number 196 "It Only Takes a Minute" by Take That

Peak: number 191

Peak date: 3 August 1992

Weeks on chart: 4 weeks

We last saw British boy band Take That in March 1992.

 

"It Only Takes a Minute" is a cover version of a track originally performed by Tavares in 1975, which did not chart in Australia.  Take That's version was released as the fourth single in their homeland from their debut album Take That & Party (number 104, May 1993), where it became their first major hit, and first release to peak within the top ten.  In Australia, "It Only Takes a Minute" was Take That's second release.

Internationally, "It Only Takes a Minute" peaked at number 7 in the UK in June 1992, and at number 11 in Ireland during the same month.

Domestically, "It Only Takes a Minute" was most popular in New South Wales/Australian Capital Territory, where it reached number 172.

I first heard this one on the UK Chart Attack radio show, where it was played for several weeks, appearing in their top 5 (songs charting in the UK that had not yet crossed over or been released in the US).  The song is catchy and probably one of my favourite Take That singles, although I do not consider myself a fan of theirs.  I did not realise until researching this post that "It Only Take a Minute" was a cover.

Given that my interest in the charts wanes significantly towards the end of the 1990s, and subsequently I will almost certainly not be writing posts about 2007 charts here, I can tell you that Take That had further singles peaking outside the top 200 here from 2007 onwards, following their reformation in 2006 - but I have zero interest in those tracks.  If you really want to know, they are: "Rule the World" (number 209, November 2007), "Greatest Day" (number 202, December 2008), "The Flood" (number 300, November 2010), and several lower-charting singles I care even less about in the 2010s.

 

Take That also had later low-charting albums in Australia with The Circus (number 180, December 2008), The Greatest Day - Take That Present: The Circus Live (number 820, January 2010), Progress Live (number 524, December 2011), and III (number 263, December 2014).

Number 197 "Best of You" by Kenny Thomas

Peak: number 197

Peak date: 27 July 1992

Weeks on chart: 1 week

We last saw English singer Kenny Thomas in April 1992.

 

"Best of You" was issued as the third single from Kenny's debut album Voices (number 133, May 1992).  Internationally, "Best of You" peaked at number 11 in the UK in October 1991, number 27 in Ireland in October 1991, number 66 in Germany in December 1991, number 87 in the Netherlands in December 1991, number 31 in New Zealand in May 1992, and number 23 in France in July 1992.

Locally, "Best of You" performed 'best' in New South Wales/Australian Capital Territory, where it reached number 179.

Kenny will join us one more time, in 1994.

 

 

Next week (3 August): Six top 150 entries and five bubbling WAY down under debuts.

< Previous week: 20 July 1992                                Next week: 3 August 1992 >

Week commencing 8 July 1991

Only three of the eleven artists debuting and peaking outside the ARIA top 100 this week in 1991 we have seen before.  Before we take a look at them, I have updated some earlier posts with the following:

• 6 March 1989 - a new bubbling WAY down under entry from Schnell Fenster;
• 25 June 1990 - a new bubbling WAY down under entry from Peter Wolf;
  
• 29 October 1990 - a new bubbling WAY down under entry from John Williamson.
  

Chris Isaak: dancin' just outside the ARIA top 150.

 

Top 150 debuts:

 

Number 135 "Sugar Daddy" by Mighty Big Crime

Peak: number 135

Peak date: 8 July 1991

Weeks in top 150: 8 weeks

Top 150 chart run: 135-144-138-142-137-140-149-147

Weeks on chart: 10 weeks

 

We last saw Melbourne hip-hop duo Mighty Big Crime in October 1990 - although no video or audio was available for that track, and that continues to be the case.  This time, however, someone has thankfully uploaded the music video to YouTube.

"Sugar Daddy" was Mighty Big Crime's fifth and final single, and their second ARIA top 150 entry.  I remember hearing this one at the time, but could not remember how the song went.

On the state charts, "Sugar Daddy" was most popular in Victoria/Tasmania, where it reached number 90.

 

Mighty Big Crime roped in a few new 'hot' female members - Sophie Lee notably among them - and rebranded themselves as Freaked Out Flower Children later in 1991.  They landed a top 40 hit with their version of Eric Burdon & War's "Spill the Wine" (number 31, February 1992).

We will see Freaked Out Flower Children bubble under in 1992.

 

 

 

Number 142 "Power of Love/Love Power" by Luther Vandross

Peak: number 109

Peak date: 12 August 1991

Weeks in top 150: 9 weeks

Top 150 chart run: 142-127-125-114-130-109-132-138-138

Weeks on chart: 13 weeks

 

Despite having notched up a decade of charting singles and albums in his native US at this point, smooth-voiced American singer Luther Vandross had not yet made any major impact in Australia, with "Power of Love/Love Power" (which is one song and not a double A-side) being his first single to chart down under.  Luther had earlier placed an album on the ARIA chart, however, with his sixth studio album Any Love peaking at number 103 in April 1989, despite there being no charting singles from it.

"Power of Love/Love Power" was the lead single from Luther's seventh studio album Power of Love (number 110, July 1991).  Internationally, the single peaked at number 46 in the UK in May 1991, number 4 on the US Billboard Hot 100 in June 1991, and number 45 in New Zealand in August 1991.

 

Within Australia, "Power of Love/Love Power" was most popular in New South Wales/Australian Capital Territory, where it reached number 86.

 

I don't recall hearing this one at the time, though probably caught it on the American Top 40 radio show.  I first became aware of Luther via hearing "Here and Now" on American Top 40 in early 1990.

 

Luther would finally land a major hit in Australia with his duet with Janet Jackson, "The Best Things in Life Are Free", which spent five weeks at number 2 in October and November 1992, becoming the sixth highest-selling single of 1992 in Australia.  Luther's only other ARIA top 50 single "Endless Love" (number 2, September 1994), coincidentally, was another duet, this time with Mariah Carey, and also peaked at number 2.

Luther passed away in 2005, aged 54, following a heart attack.  Just over two years earlier, Luther had a major stroke, which affected his mobility and his ability to both speak and sing.

We will next see Luther in 1993.

 

 

Number 144 "Light My Fire" by The Doors (1991 release)

Peak: number 130

Peak date: 15 July 1991

Weeks in top 150: 4 weeks

Top 150 chart run: 144-130-139-141

The original release of "Light My Fire" peaked at number 16 in Australia on the Go Set singles chart in September 1967.

 

American rock band The Doors formed in Los Angeles in 1965.  Front man Jim Morrison died unexpectedly in Paris in 1971, aged 27, in uncertain circumstances (French law did not require an autopsy to be conducted) - though drugs and/or alcohol were probably involved.  The band continued, however, until 1973, reforming for another album in 1978.

"Light My Fire" was recorded in August 1966, and was released on the band's debut album The Doors in January 1967.  The track was issued as the second single from the album a few months later.  "Light My Fire" reached number 1 on the US Billboard Hot 100 in July 1967, spending three weeks at the summit.  "Light My Fire" also peaked at number 2 in Canada, number 49 in the UK in August 1967, and number 16 in Australia in September 1967.

The Doors, a biographical film directed by Oliver Stone, premiered in March 1991, with Val Kilmer playing the role of Jim Morrison.  The Doors soundtrack album (number 11, June 1991), consisting largely of Doors' songs, was promoted by a re-issue of the band's debut single "Break on Through (To the Other Side)", which reached number 97 on the ARIA singles chart in June 1991.

"Light My Fire" was re-released as the second single from The Doors soundtrack.  The 1991 issue of the single peaked at number 7 in the UK in June 1991, number 1 in Ireland, number 27 in the Netherlands in July 1991, and number 41 in the Flanders region of Belgium in July 1991.

We will see The Doors again in 1993.

 

Number 145 "Johnny's Gone" by Catfish

Peak: number 129

Peak date: 29 July 1991

Weeks in top 150: 8 weeks 

Top 150 chart run: 145-142-140-129-131-132-138-135

 

We saw Australian band Catfish, fronted by Don Walker from Cold Chisel, back in March 1989.

 

"Johnny's Gone" was the lead single from the second, and final, Catfish album Ruby (number 98, September 1991).

A second single from Ruby, "Crooked Smile", was released in November 1991, but missed the ARIA top 150.

 

If you can't make it through one of Richard Wilkins' inane interviews, skip to 1:09 in the video embedded below.  Alternatively, you can listen to the song (without the music video visuals) here.

 

Number 147 "Save Some Love" by Keedy

Peak: number 145

Peak date: 15 July 1991

Weeks in top 150: 2 weeks

Top 150 chart run: 147-145

Weeks on chart: 11 weeks

 

American freestyle singer Keedy, who uses her surname as her stage name (her first name is Kelly Ann), launched her recording career with this track, which was the lead single from her only album Chase the Clouds (released in Australia in July 1991, did not chart).  "Save Some Love" was co-produced by Michael Jay, who produced Martika's debut album Martika (number 2, January 1990).

 

"Save Some Love" reached number 15 in the US.  Within Australia, "Save Some Love" performed strongest in New South Wales/Australian Capital Territory, where it reached number 117.

I probably heard "Save Some Love" on the American Top 40 radio show at the time, but have no recollection of it.  The song and video capture that early 90s look/sound so well.  I think this would have been a bigger hit locally if it had a promotional tie-in with Blossom, Beverly Hills 90210, Baywatch or a similar American program from this era that appealed to teens and young adults.  "Save Some Love" is my favourite track among this week's debuts.

 

Keedy's second single, the Diane Warren-penned "Wishing on the Same Star" (released in Australia in August 1991, did not chart), peaked at number 86 in the US in August 1991.  Australian girl group Girlfriend released a cover version of "Wishing on the Same Star", which peaked at number 44 on the ARIA singles chart in January 1994. 

"Save Some Love" was Keedy's only release to chart in Australia.

 

 

 

Number 148 "Place with No Love" by Choirboys

Peak: number 110

Peak date: 29 July 1991

Weeks in top 150: 6 weeks 

Top 150 chart run: 148-118-121-110-123-127

 

Sydney pub rock band Choirboys (no 'The') formed in 1979.  They would have to wait until 1983 for their first taste of chart success, with "Never Gonna Die" peaking at number 30 on the Kent Music Report singles chart in August 1983.  Their biggest hit was, of course, "Run to Paradise" (number 3, November 1987).  The band placed seven singles on the top 100 between 1983 and 1991.

"Place with No Love" was the third and final single lifted from Choirboys' third studio album Midnight Sun (number 30, May 1991).  It followed "Empire" (number 65, December 1989) [re-titled "Our Empire Falls" on the album] and "Rendezvous" (number 40, April 1991).

I don't recall hearing this one before.  It would become the band's last release of new material to make the ARIA top 150, although a Nick Skitz remix of "Run to Paradise" (which I hadn't heard before and am kind of awestruck at how awful it is) would reach number 16 in July 2004.

Choirboys drummer Lindsay Tebbutt died in December 2021, following an illness with mesothelioma.

 

Bubbling WAY down under:

  

Number 162 "Dancin'" by Chris Isaak (1991 release)

Peak: number 151

Peak date: 15 July 1991

Weeks on chart: 3 weeks 

This single originally peaked at number 46 on 12 May 1986, and spent 14 weeks in the top 100.

 

American singer and occasional actor Chris Isaak made his understated Australian chart debut in 1986 with his first single "Dancin'", which reached number 46 in May of that year.  The track is lifted from Chris' debut album Silvertone (number 77, June 1986).  As I was 7 years old for most of 1986 and not yet properly into music and charts, I was not aware of "Dancin'"'s first Australian release.

Chris landed his first proper Australian hit with "Wicked Game" (number 15, April 1991), which appeared on his third album Heart Shaped World (number 117, August 1989).  "Wicked Game" was featured in the 1990 David Lynch film Wild at Heart.  While the single was released in Australia in early November 1990, it did not enter the chart until mid-January 1991, climbing into the top 50 in March.  I am guessing the single's belated success was due to there being renewed interest in all things related to David Lynch, following the success of his Twin Peaks TV series.

"Blue Hotel" (number 23, May 1991), which originally appeared on Chris' second album Chris Isaak (number 148, August 1999) released in 1987, was re-issued as a follow-up to "Wicked Game".  "Blue Hotel" had originally been released in Australia as a single in July 1987, but failed to chart.  Both tracks were lifted from the compilation album Wicked Game (number 8, May 1991), containing a mixture of tracks from Chris' first three albums.  The Wicked Game compilation was released only in Europe and Australasia, as a way of introducing Chris' new fans to his body of work.

 

"Dancin'" was released as the third single from Wicked Game.  It did not repeat the success of the previous two singles, stalling just outside the ARIA top 150.

Internationally, the 1991 re-release of "Dancin'" peaked at number 100 in the UK in April 1991, number 29 in Ireland in April 1991, and number 64 in the Netherlands in July 1991.

 

Domestically, the 1991 issue of "Dancin'" performed strongest in Queensland, where it reached number 139.

We shall next see Chris in 1993.

Number 164 "Gotta Have You" by Stevie Wonder

Peak: number 164

Peak: 8 July 1991

Weeks on chart: 2 weeks

 

Stevie Wonder needs no introduction.  During the 1970s and 1980s, Stevie placed 26 singles on the Australian top 100, with "I Just Called to Say I Love You" reaching number 1 for eight weeks between October and December 1984.  Stevie's last big solo (not duet or a featured artist) song in Australia was "Part Time Lover" (number 3, October 1985).

"Gotta Have You" was recorded for the Jungle Fever soundtrack (number 109, July 1991), which was also a Stevie Wonder album.  The single peaked at number 92 on the US Billboard Hot 100 in July 1991.

Within Australia, "Gotta Have You" was most popular in Queensland, where it reached number 143.

I don't recall hearing this track before.  It somehow seems a bit jarring hearing Stevie singing over an early 90s r&b sound.

Stevie will next join us in 1995.

 

 

Number 180 "I Don't Even Know If I Should Call You Baby" by Soul Family Sensation

Peak: number 180

Peak date: 8 July 1991

Weeks on chart: 2 weeks

British trio Soul Family Sensation consisted of members Johnny Male, Guy Batson and Jhelisa Anderson.  "I Don't Even Know If I Should Call You Baby" was their debut, and in Australia, only, single release.  Internationally, the single peaked at number 49 in the UK in May 1991, and was lifted from their only album New Wave (released in Australia in October 1991, did not chart).

In Australia, "I Don't Even Know..." performed strongest in New South Wales/Australian Capital Territory, where it reached number 160.

I was not aware of this one at the time.  Vocalist Jhelisa Anderson would go on to perform on The Shamen's "LSI (Love Sex Intelligence)" (number 53, January 1993) and "Phorever People" (number 63, February 1993).

 

Another track from New Wave, "The Day You Went Away", would go on to become a number 2 hit in Australia in November 1992 when covered by Canadian-Australian singer Wendy Matthews.  Soul Family Sensation’s version of this track stalled at number 142 (number 101 on the compressed chart) in the UK in March 1992.

While we will not see Soul Family Sensation again, a cover version of this song will bubble WAY down under in 1995.

 

Number 185 "Place in This World" by Michael W. Smith

Peak: number 184

Peak date: 12 August 1991

Weeks on chart: 2 weeks

 

Michael W. Smith - the W. stands for Whitaker (I think he was wise to use an initial instead) - is an American artist whom I knew nothing about prior to writing this post.  I was watching the music video embedded below as I wrote this, and my first thought, before I consulted Wikipedia, is that "this sounds a bit like a male Amy Grant."  Lo and behold, Amy actually co-wrote this track with Michael W. and Wayne Kikpatrick.  Like Amy, Michael W. dabbled in both 'contemporary Christian' music and the mainstream charts (in the US).  Michael has been releasing music since 1983.

 

"Place in This World" was issued as the second single (the first in Australia) from Michael W.'s sixth studio album Go West Young Man (released in Australia in July 1991, did not chart).  The single reached number 6 on the US Billboard Hot 100 in July 1991, becoming his biggest 'pop' hit there.

 

Within Australia, "Place in This World" performed strongest in New South Wales/Australian Capital Territory, where it reached number 165.

Like Keedy and Luther Vandross above, I don't recall hearing this one at the time, despite being a casual listener of American Top 40.  Perhaps I tuned out for a couple of months?

Michael W. never landed a top 100 single or album in Australia, and did not have a charting album here until 1998.  We will see him again in December 1991.

 

Number 187 "92° F"/"The Incredible PWEI vs Dirty Harry" by Pop Will Eat Itself

Peak: number 187

Peak date: 8 July 1991

Weeks on chart: 2 weeks

We last saw Pop Will Eat Itself in January 1991.

"92° F"/"The Incredible PWEI vs Dirty Harry" was issued as the fourth and final single from the band's third studio album Cure for Sanity (number 51, February 1991).  Internationally, the single peaked at number 23 in the UK in June 1991.

In Australia, "92° F"/"The Incredible PWEI vs Dirty Harry" performed strongest in Western Australia where it reached number 146.

We'll next see Pop Will Eat Itself in 1992.

 

Next week (15 July): Three top 150 debuts and five bubbling WAY down under entries.  Among them is, surprisingly, a single from one of the biggest artists in the world in 1991.

 

< Previous week: 1 July 1991                                      Next week: 15 July 1991 >

Week commencing 21 January 1991

This week in 1991 saw nine new top 150-peaking debuts, and all but one of them happened to peak during the same week!  This week also sees the highest number of bubbling WAY down under entries to date, with eight.  Phew!  Let's take a look at them.

 

Innocence: they are that innocent!

  

Top 150 debuts:

 

Number 132 "Here and Now" by Shane Howard

Peak: number 132

Peak date: 21 January 1991

Weeks in top 150: 2 weeks

Known chart run: 153-132-148

Weeks on chart: 5 weeks

 

Shane Howard came to fame as the frontman for Australian band Goanna, who scored a massive hit in 1982 with "Solid Rock" (number 3, December 1982).  Surprisingly, the band only landed one other top 40 hit, with "Razor's Edge" (number 35, May 1983).

Goanna disbanded in 1985, and Shane launched a solo career.  We saw Shane bubble under with his debut solo single in March 1989.  "Here and Now" was the third single issued from Shane's second solo album River (number 68, November 1990), following "Walk on Fire" (number 48, July 1990) and "If the Well Runs Dry" (number 83, October 1990).

 

On the ARIA state charts, "Here and Now" performed strongest in Western Australia, where it reached number 43. 

"Here and Now" peaked higher on the Australian Music Report singles chart, reaching number 93.

 

Shane's biggest solo hit on the Australian chart, and my favourite of his, "Escape from Reality" (number 40, August 1991), was a new track recorded with Hothouse Flowers frontman Liam Ó Maonlaí.  "Escape from Reality" was tacked onto a re-issue of the River album.

 

We will see Shane again in 1993.

 

 

Number 133 "Groovy Train" by The Farm

Peak: number 113

Peak dates: 18 February 1991, 11 March 1991 and 18 March 1991

Weeks in top 150: 11 weeks 

Top 150 chart run: 133-133-142-126-113-114-115-113-113-120-123

Weeks on chart: 13 weeks

 

The Farm formed in Liverpool, England, in 1983.  "Groovy Train", their debut Australian single, was the lead release from the band's first studio album Spartacus (number 106, May 1991).  The track was produced by Madness lead singer Suggs, together with Terry Farley.

In their homeland, "Groovy Train" reached number 6 in September 1990.  The single also peaked at number 41 in the Netherlands in December 1990.

 

The Spartacus album topped the UK albums chart in March 1991, but, oddly, was The Farm's only album to chart within the top 75 there, despite the band notching up 8 top 40 singles.

 

On the state charts, "Groovy Train" performed strongest in New South Wales/Australian Capital Territory, where it reached number 79.  The single peaked higher on the Australian Music Report singles chart, where it reached number 90.

 

The Farm never managed to land a top 100 single or album on the ARIA chart, but we shall see them bubble under on a few more occasions, with the next one being in April 1991.

 

Number 136 "Total Confusion" by A Homeboy, A Hippie & A Funki Dredd

Peak: number 136

Peak date: 21 January 1991

Weeks in top 150: 4 weeks 

Top 150 chart run: 136-143-146-138

I don't recall hearing this one, or even of this one, before.  'Funki Dredd' in the group's name makes me think of Soul II Soul, but their sound is nothing like Soul II Soul.

 

A Homeboy, a Hippie & A Funki Dredd were British trio Caspar Pound, Marc Williams and Tony Winter.  "Total Confusion" peaked at number 56 in the UK in October 1990.

A Homeboy, A Hippie & A Funki Dredd would not release another single in Australia until 1996, with the rather different-to-"Total Confusion"-sounding "U Know".  Caspar Pound, whom I could not spot in the music video, died from cancer in 2004, aged 33.

Number 137 "Missunderstanding" by Al B. Sure!

Peak: number 137

Peak date: 21 January 1991

Weeks in top 150: 1 week

Top 150 chart run: 137

"Missunderstanding" - that's not a typo - was the lead single from American Al B. Sure!'s (real name Albert Joseph Brown III) second album Private Times... and the Whole 9!  Al B. Sure had previously remixed Robert Palmer's "Tell Me I'm Not Dreaming", which we saw bubble under in November 1989, for its single release.

 

"Missunderstanding" peaked at number 42 on the US Billboard Hot 100 in November 1990, and at number 30 in New Zealand during the same month.

While "Missunderstanding" appears to have been Al B. Sure's only solo single released in Australia, he was credited as a featured artist on David Bowie's "Black Tie White Noise" (number 74, June 1993) single from 1993.  He also later produced for other artists, including Tevin Campbell and Usher.

 

 

Number 138 "Feel the Rhythm" by Jazzi P

Peak: number 138

Peak date: 21 January 1991

Weeks in top 150: 2 weeks 

Top 150 chart run: 138-149

 

Jazzi P, real name Pauline Bennett, is most famous for being the guest rap artist on Kylie Minogue's "Shocked" (number 7, July 1991).  "Feel the Rhythm", issued in Australia in August 1990, was Jazzi's only solo single.  The track heavily samples the music from Chic's "Le Freak" (number 1, February 1979).

Internationally, "Feel the Rhythm" peaked at number 51 in the UK in June 1990, and number 35 in New Zealand in August 1990.

Jazzi's Wikipedia article states that she bought herself out of her record deal in 1991, and returned to being a dance instructor.  She also appeared as a contestant in the 2014 season of Big Brother UK.

 

Number 140 "Headline News" by Everyday People

Peak: number 140

Peak date: 21 January 1991

Weeks in top 150: 2 weeks 

Top 150 chart run: 140-(out for 1 week)-143

 

English band Everyday People were Desi Campbell (vocals), Shaun Ward (bass) and Lloyd Richards (guitar).  They recorded and released one album You Wash... I'll Dry, from which this was the lead single.

The band did not achieve much chart success anywhere, with only their second single, "I Guess It Doesn't Matter" registering a top 40 placement in Germany and Switzerland.

Nothing the band released dented the top 90 in their homeland, with "Headline News" reaching number 99 in the UK in April 1990.  "Headline News" also peaked at number 83 in the Netherlands in May 1990, and number 53 in Germany in October 1990.

Listening to "Headline News" for the first time as I write this post, I am not sure why the band did not have greater success.  This track makes me think of a more-soulful Roachford, and sounds like the kind of thing that might have done better later in the decade.

 

The band's singer, Desi Campbell - also known as Desny Campbell, was the frontman in Floy Joy, who scored a number 29 hit in Australia in June 1986 with "Weak in the Presence of Beauty".  Alison Moyet took her version of the same song to number 30 in Australia in May 1987.

Despite their local lack of success, the ever-faithful Australian record company issued two further singles from the group: "I Guess It Doesn't Matter" (March 1991) and "Place in the Sun" (July 1991), neither of which troubled the top 150.

Number 141 "Back to Boom" by Kid Sensation

Peak: number 141

Peak date: 21 January 1991

Weeks in top 150: 1 week

Top 150 chart run: 141

 

Kid Sensation, real name Xola Malik (originally Stephen Spence), is a rapper hailing from Seattle.  "Back to Boom" appears on his debut album Rollin' with Number One.  I cannot find evidence of this track, or any of Kid Sensation's other releases, charting anywhere else.

 

This track was produced and mixed by Sir Mix-A-Lot, who is (in)famous for "Baby Got Back" (number 8, August 1992).

Number 144 "Rodeo Clown" by Louie Louie

Peak: number 144

Peak date: 21 January 1991

Weeks in top 150: 1 week

Top 150 chart run: 144

Puerto Rican/American singer Louie Louie, real name Louis Cordero, landed a number 51 'hit' in Australia with "Sittin' in the Lap of Luxury" in August 1990.  "Rodeo Clown" was the third single lifted from Louie's debut album The State I'm In (number 117, September 1990).  In the interim, "I Wanna Get Back with You" was issued as a single in Australia in October 1990, but missed the top 150.

I didn't hear "Rodeo Clown" at the time.  It does not appear to have charted anywhere else.

 

Prior to launching his recording career, Louie appeared as Madonna's boyfriend in the music video for her 1984 single "Borderline" (number 12, August 1984).

Louie released one further single in Australia, "The Thought of It", in April 1993, but it missed the top 150.

Number 147 "Where Has Love Gone?" by Holly Johnson

Peak: number 147

Peak date: 21 January 1991

Weeks in top 150: 1 week

Top 150 chart run: 147
Weeks on chart: 2 weeks

Holly Johnson, full name William Holly Johnson, was the lead singer of Frankie Goes to Hollywood, who landed five top 100 singles and one bubbling under single in Australia between 1984 and 1987.  Their biggest and most-enduring hit was, of course, "Relax" (number 5, March 1984).  We saw Holly bubble WAY down under back in July 1989.

"Where Has Love Gone?" was the lead single from Holly's second solo album Dreams That Money Can't Buy.  The single also flopped in Holly's native UK, peaking at number 73 in December 1990.

On the ARIA state charts, "Where Has Love Gone?" performed strongest in New South Wales/Australian Capital Territory, where it reached number 135.

I don't recall hearing this song at the time, so it must have received next to zero promotion.

A second single from Dreams That Money Can't Buy, "Across the Universe", was released in Australia in May 1991, but failed to chart.

"Where Has Love Gone?" was Holly's final solo single to chart in Australia.

 

Bubbling WAY down under:

 

Number 151 "Miles Away" by Winger

Peak: number 151

Peak date: 21 January 1991

Weeks on chart: 1 week

 

American metal band Winger, named after lead singer Kip Winger, formed in New York City in 1987.  "Miles Away" was the second single issued from the band's second album In the Heart of the Young (number 135, September 1990).  It was Winger's first single to chart in Australia, and followed "Can't Get Enuff" (released in Australia in September 1990), which failed to chart.  Winger's debut album Winger (number 153, June 1989), despite containing no singles that charted locally, managed to register a place on the ARIA albums chart.

 

"Miles Away" had much greater success in the US, where it reached number 12 in January 1991, becoming Winger's biggest hit.  "Miles Away" also peaked at number 56 in the UK in January 1991.

 

In Australia, "Miles Away" was most popular in New South Wales/Australian Capital Territory, where it reached number 140 on the state chart.

 

I probably heard "Miles Away" on the American Top 40 radio program at the time, but have only a vague recollection of this.  I became properly-acquainted with the song when it appeared among the list of music videos satirical metal band Steel Panther chose when programming the Australian music video TV show rage on the eve of the Australian 2016 Federal election.

 

Although I am not generally a 'metal' fan, I like "Miles Away".  It reminds me more of Europe, the band responsible for "The Final Countdown" (number 2, April 1987), than the 'hair metal' sound typical of the early 90s.

We shall see Winger again in April 1991.

 

 

 

Number 152 "Liberty!" by Kon Kan

Peak: number 152

Peak date: 21 January 1991

Weeks on chart: 1 week

 

Canadian band Kon Kan have bubbled under twice previously, with the most recent prior occasion being in November 1989.

"Liberty!" was the lead single from Kon Kan's second album Syntonic (number 182, January 1991), and the group's final single released in Australia.

Elsewhere, "Liberty!" peaked at number 91 in Canada.

On the ARIA state charts, "Liberty!" performed strongest in Western Australia, where it reached number 128.

 

 

Number 156 "Let's Push It" by Innocence

Peak: number 153

Peak date: 25 March 1991

Weeks on chart: 2 weeks

 

We saw Innocence back in April 1990, and here they are with the third single from their debut album Belief (number 115, February 1991).  In the interim, "Silent Voice" was released as a single in Australia in August 1990, but failed to chart.  "Let's Push It" was issued locally in mid-November 1990, but took more than two months to register a chart placing.

"Let's Push It" had greater success in Innocence's native UK, where it reached number 25 in October 1990.  The single also peaked at number 37 in Germany in January 1991.

On the ARIA state charts, "Let's Push It" performed strongest in New South Wales/Australian Capital Territory, where it reached number 143.

I've said this before, but you have to admire the persistence of Australian record companies from this era.  Nothing Innocence released in Australia cracked the top 100, yet both of their albums and all eight singles lifted from them were released locally.

 

We will see Innocence again next month!

 

 

Number 157 "Love Comes to Mind" by The Chimes

Peak: number 152

Peak date: 11 February 1991

Weeks on chart: 2 weeks

 

We saw The Chimes bubble under in September 1990 and in November 1990, and here they are for a third and final time.

"Love Comes to Mind" was the fifth (not counting the re-release of "Heaven") and final single lifted from the band's only album The Chimes (number 16, August 1990).  The track was remixed for its single release.

 

In The Chimes' native UK, "Love Comes to Mind" peaked at number 49 in December 1990; the only other place it charted.

 

While we will not see The Chimes again, as they split in 1991, we will see lead singer Pauline Henry again in 1994.

 

 

 

Number 159 "Dance of the Mad" by Pop Will Eat Itself

Peak: number 159

Peak date: 21 January 1991

Weeks on chart: 1 week

We last saw Pop Will Eat Itself in 1990.

 

"Dance of the Mad" was the second single lifted from the band's third studio album Cure for Sanity (number 51, February 1991), where it was titled "Dance of the Mad Bastards".

 

Internationally, the single peaked at number 32 in the UK in October 1990.

 

In Australia, "Dance of the Mad" performed best in New South Wales/Australian Capital Territory, where it reached number 147.

 

We'll next see PWEI in July 1991.

Number 160 "Make It Easy on Me" by Sybil

Peak: number 160

Peak date: 21 January 1991

Weeks on chart: 1 week 

American singer Sybil Lynch has joined us on two previous occasions, in February 1990 and October 1990.

"Make It Easy on Me" was the lead single from Sybil's second album Sybilization.  This track was written and produced by Stock Aitken Waterman, although they were past their commercial peak at this point in time.  The US received a different mix of the track, mixed by Tony King.

"Make It Easy on Me" peaked at number 99 in the UK in November 1990, and at number 76 in the Netherlands in December 1990.

On the ARIA state charts, "Make It Easy on Me" performed strongest in New South Wales/Australian Capital Territory, where it reached number 143.

 

We will next see Sybil in 1993.

 

 

Number 174 "Hanging Tree" by Big Pig

Peak: number 174

Peak date: 21 January 1991

Weeks on chart: 1 week

 

Australian band Big Pig placed five singles on the Australian top 100 between 1986 and 1990, with "Breakaway" (number 8, May 1988) and "Hungry Town" (number 18, December 1986) being the biggest two of those.

 

"Hanging Tree" was the second single lifted from Big Pig's second, and final, album You Lucky People (number 104, January 1991).  It followed "Justifier" (number 73, October 1990).  The band's second album was not nearly as successful as their debut, Bonk (number 6, June 1988), which was certified platinum.

 

On the state charts, "Hanging Tree" was most successful in South Australia/Northern Territory, where it reached number 124.

It's probably just a 'me' thing, but I can't help but notice the similarity between the hair style Big Pig frontwoman Sherine Abeyratne - sister of Zan, no less - was sporting during this era and the wig Freddie Mercury wears in Queen's "I Want to Break Free" (number 8, June 1984) music video.

A third single from You Lucky People, "King of Nothing", was released in March 1991, but failed to chart.  "Hanging Tree" would be Big Pig's final charting release before the group split.

 

 

Number 180 "Me So Horny" by The 2 Live Crew

Peak: number 180

Peak date: 21 January 1991

Weeks on chart: 2 weeks

 

The 2 Live Crew, hailing from Miami, were famous, or rather, infamous, for their explicit rap music, with song titles like "Pop That Pussy" (number 97, January 1992).

"Me So Horny", continuing the theme, was released in Australia in June 1990, but somehow took more than seven months to enter the chart - I am not sure why.  I also recall hearing the song on Triple M's Top 8 at 8 radio program (supposedly voted for by listeners), hosted by John Peters, around September 1989.  I am not sure what went on with the single's release chronology in Australia.

"Me So Horny" was lifted from the group's third studio album, 1989's As Nasty As They Wanna Be.  Internationally, the single topped the Dutch singles chart (only in the Netherlands...) in February 1990, and peaked at number 26 in the US, number 9 in the Flanders region of Belgium in March 1990, and number 31 in New Zealand in August 1990.

 

On the ARIA state charts, "Me So Horny" performed strongest in Western Australia, where it reached number 130. 

 

We will next see The 2 Live Crew in April 1991.

 

 

 

Next week (28 January): Seven new top 150 debuts and two bubbling WAY down under entries.

< Previous week: 14 January 1991                                     Next week: 28 January 1991 >