Week commencing 26 October 1992

One thing all of this week in 1992’s new entries peaking between number 101 and 150 have in common is that they are from artists we have not seen peaking in this region of the chart before.  Before we take a look at them, I have updated the following previous posts:

* 2 March 1992 - with new bubbling WAY down under entry from Public Enemy;

* 18 May 1992 - with new bubbling WAY down under entry from Public Enemy.

Cathy Dennis ended her top 100 streak in Australia this week in 1992.

Top 150 debuts:

Number 112 “You Lied to Me” by Cathy Dennis

Peak: number 112

Peak date: 26 October 1992

Weeks in top 150: 4 weeks

Top 150 chart run: 112-129-131-135

Weeks on chart: 6 weeks 

 

Hailing from Norwich, Norfolk, English singer-songwriter Cathy Dennis made her debut appearance on the Australian chart as a chorus member of Band Aid II, with the Stock Aitken Waterman-produced version of "Do They Know It's Christmas?" (number 30, January 1990).  While Cathy would go on to co-write Kylie Minogue's biggest hit "Can't Get You Out of My Head" (number 1 for four weeks in September-October 2001), Kylie amusingly forgot her name, after having met Cathy on the set of the Band Aid II video, when introducing D Mob's “C’mon and Get My Love” (number 35, May 1990), on which Cathy sang lead, on Countdown Revolution, despite it being Kylie's favourite track at the time.  D Mob, who was essentially Daniel Poku, featured Cathy again on their fourth single released in Australia, “That’s the Way of the World” (number 98, July 1990), with both tracks appearing on their debut album A Little Bit of This, A Little Bit of That (number 72, June 1990).

 

Cathy struck it out on her own with “Just Another Dream” (number 14, April 1991), and her debut album Move to This (number 32, August 1991), both of which I bought.  I also bought Cathy's second and third solo singles “Touch Me (All Night Long)” (number 16, July 1991) and “Too Many Walls” (number 57, October 1991) on cassette.  I did not buy the fourth and final single lifted from Move to This, “Everybody Move” (number 85, February 1992).

 

Striking while the iron was hot, Cathy returned with a new single, "You Lied to Me", which I first heard on the UK Chart Attack radio program in August 1992.  While I liked the song, it didn't seem like a significant departure from the sound of the Move to This singles, with Cathy teaming up with Shep Pettibone again.

 

Internationally, "You Lied to Me" under-performed on the chart, peaking at number 34 in the UK in August 1992, number 32 on the US Billboard Hot 100 in October 1992, and at number 46 in Canada in October 1992.  In contrast, "C'mon and Get My Love" and the first three singles from Move to This gave Cathy a string of four US Billboard Hot 100 top 10 hits, which was quite a feat for a British female pop artist at that point in time.

 

"You Lied to Me" registered on several US Billboard genre-specific charts, reaching number 25 on the Radio Songs chart in September 1992, number 28 on the Pop Airplay chart in October 1992, number 32 on the Rhythmic Airplay chart in October 1992, number 6 on the Dance Singles Sales chart in October 1992, and number 12 on the Dance Club Songs chart in November 1992.

In Australia, "You Lied to Me" was most successful in New South Wales/Australian Capital Territory, where it reached number 94 on the state chart.

"You Lied to Me" would go on to appear on Cathy's second album Into the Skyline (number 135, February 1993).  A brief promotional tour to Australia in early 1993 did not do much to boost the album's sales locally.  Cathy would not trouble the ARIA top 100 again, though we will see her bubble under several times over the coming years.

 

We shall next see Cathy in 1993.

 

Number 116 “Hazy Shade of Criminal” by Public Enemy

Peak: number 116

Peak date: 26 October 1992

Weeks in top 150: 4 weeks 

Known chart run: 166-116-128-143-141

Weeks on chart: 6 weeks 

We last saw American hip-hop group Public Enemy in May 1992.

"Hazy Shade of Criminal" was a new track recorded for the compilation album Greatest Misses (number 57, October 1992), which contained six new songs, six remixes of previous singles, and a track recorded live for British TV series The Word.

Internationally, "Hazy Shade of Criminal" peaked at number 179 in the UK in September 1992 as an import, and at number 27 in New Zealand in November 1992.  The track also registered on several US Billboard genre-specific charts, reaching number 58 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart in November 1992, number 12 on the Hot Rap Songs chart in November 1992, and number 31 on the Dance Singles Sales chart in November 1992.

Locally, “Hazy Shade of Criminal” performed strongest in New South Wales/Australian Capital Territory, reaching number 103 on the state chart.  The single performed better nationally on the Australian Music Report singles chart, where it reached number 98.

 

We shall next see Public Enemy in 1994.

 

Number 123 “Temple of Dreams” by Messiah

Peak: number 105

Peak date: 9 November 1992

Weeks in top 150: 10 weeks

Top 150 chart run: 123-122-105-107-111-111-150-(out for 4 weeks)-142-148-148

English duo Messiah formed in London in 1988.  "Temple of Dreams" was their first charting release, peaking at number 20 in the UK in June 1992.

Locally, "Temple of Dreams" was much more successful in South Australia/Northern Territory than elsewhere, where it reached number 26 on the state chart.  The single also performed better nationally on the Australian Music Report singles chart, where it reached number 73.

Messiah would go on to score one ARIA top 100 single, with the follow up, "I Feel Love" (number 66, January 1993), featuring former Eruption singer Precious Wilson on vocals.  Both that track and "Temple of Dreams" appear on Messiah's debut album 21st Century Jesus, which missed the top 150 locally.

 

Number 129 “How Does It Feel?” by Ren

Peak: number 112

Peak date: 2 November 1992

Weeks in top 150: 5 weeks

Top 150 chart run: 129-112-129-133-134

Weeks on chart: 9 weeks 

 

Every now and then, we encounter an artist I have never heard of before bubbling under the ARIA top 100; this is one such example.  From the limited information I can find, 'Ren' was Ren Warmuž, who was also known as Ren & Darkness.  "How Does It Feel?" was an unusual CD single, with the first track on it being a 30-second interlude titled "The Things You Do", followed by four mixes of the title track and a 1:19 minute "Outro".  The track appeared on the album Prophecy, which only has Australian and Czech Republic pressings listed on Discogs.  I assume, therefore, that Ren was an Australian artist, possibly of a Czech background.  I say 'was' because if what I read on his Discogs profile is correct, Ren died from cancer in October 2013, aged 45.

 

The other piece of information I can tell you, thanks to the ARIA database conflating Ren's chart history with that of Ren & Stimpy (!), is that "How Does It Feel?" was much more popular in Victoria/Tasmania than elsewhere, where it reached number 56 on the state chart.  The single missed the top 100 on the remaining four state charts, and its next-highest state chart peak was number 122.  Despite being from Victoria, I was not aware of this track previously, however.  The song is decent, and could have been a hit had it received better promotion.

Number 144 “Talking to a Stranger” by Filthy Lucre featuring Hunters & Collectors

Peak: number 141

Peak date: 9 November 1992

Weeks in top 150: 3 weeks

Top 150 chart run: 144-150-141

Weeks on chart: 5 weeks 

Australian band Hunters & Collectors formed in Melbourne in 1981.  Originally released as their second single in June 1982, "Talking to a Stranger" peaked at number 59 in August of that year.  The track appeared on the band's debut album Hunters & Collectors (number 21, September 1982).  Despite the modest chart peak, the music video directed by Richard Lowenstein received attention due to his elaborate filming/post-production techniques.

 

By this point in 1992, Hunters & Collectors had placed 15 singles on the Australian top 100, with "When the River Runs Dry" (number 23, December 1989) being the best-charting of those... so far!  The Hunters would actually score their highest-peaking single early in 1993 with "True Tears of Joy" (number 14, February 1993), though they are probably best known for its follow-up, "Holy Grail" (number 20, July 1993) and "Throw Your Arms Around Me" (number 49, June 1986; a later, re-recorded version peaked at number 34 in February 1991).

Gavin Campbell, Paul Main and Robert Goodge, aka Filthy Lucre, came to prominence after remixing Yothu Yindi's "Treaty" (number 11, September 1991) for the version that became a hit.  I assume they were approached to remix "Talking to a Stranger" with the hope of turning another Australian 'classic' into a hit - only, this time, it wasn't to be.

On the state charts, this version of “Talking to a Stranger” was most popular in Queensland and South Australia/Northern Territory, where it reached number 115 on both charts.

We shall see another older track remixed by Filthy Lucre bubble under in November 1992.  We will see Hunters & Collectors on their own in 1994.

 

Number 145 “My Girl” by Madness (1992 re-issue)

Peak: number 145

Peak date: 26 October 1992

Weeks in top 150: 1 week

Top 150 chart run: 145

Weeks on chart: 4 weeks 

English ska/pop group Madness formed in Camden Town, London in 1976.  Their first chart entry in Australia was their debut album One Step Beyond... in  January 1980, which peaked at number 29 in April of that year.  The group would not land a charting single in Australia until December 1980, with "Baggy Trousers" (number 30, March 1981), the lead single from their second album Absolutely (number 56, May 1981).  Between 1980 and 1985, Madness placed nine singles on the Australian top 100, with "It Must Be Love" (number 6, June 1982) and "House of Fun" (number 5, August 1982) being the biggest of those.  The band split up in 1986, before reforming in 1992.

"My Girl" was issued as Madness's third single, appearing on One Step Beyond..., and was originally released in Australia in February 1980, failing to chart.  The original release peaked at number 3 in the UK in January 1980, number 3 in Ireland, and at number 46 in New Zealand in May 1980.

A best-of compilation album, Divine Madness (number 37, June 1992), was released in early 1992, topping the UK albums chart for three weeks in March 1992.   The popularity of this release led to the band reforming for a series of live shows titled Madstock! in August 1992.  The compilation was preceded by re-issues of the singles “It Must Be Love” (number 48, June 1992) and “House of Fun” (number 73, July 1992), the former of which went to number 6 in the UK.

"My Girl" was issued as the third re-release from Divine Madness, and this time managed to chart in Australia... albeit outside the top 100.  The 1992 re-issue of "My Girl" peaked at number 27 in the UK in August 1992.  Locally, the single performed strongest in Queensland, where it reached number 118 on the state chart.

I first heard/saw the video for "My Girl" on a Madness special rage aired on a Saturday night in July 1992.  I wasn't overly familiar with their work at that point, but enjoyed the quirkiness and silliness of the songs/videos.  The music video embedded below is the 1992 re-edit, containing clips from other Madness videos.  You can view the original 1979 music video for "My Girl" here.  Madness performed the song live on Top of the Pops in July 1992, ahead of the Madstock! gigs.  You can view that performance here.

We will see Madness next in 1993.

 

Bubbling WAY down under:

Number 160 “Just Right” by Soul II Soul

Peak: number 160

Peak date: 26 October 1992

Weeks on chart: 4 weeks

We last saw English musical collective Soul II Soul at the end of 1990.  Since then, they released another album Volume III Just Right (number 17, May 1992), and landed another two Australian top 100 singles from it: “Joy” (number 41, June 1992) and “Move Me No Mountain” (number 96, July 1992).  That run was broken with the release of the album's third and final single, "Just Right", which featured Rick Clarke on vocal duties.

 

Internationally, "Just Right" peaked at number 38 in the UK in September 1992.  In Australia, the single performed strongest in New South Wales/Australian Capital Territory, where it reached number 150 on the state chart.

 

I recall catching the music video for "Just Right" as a new release on SBS music video TV program M.C. TeeVee.  It seems like a missed opportunity that they didn't use this song to promote the breakfast cereal...

 

We shall next see Soul II Soul in 1993.

 

Number 162 “Lip Service” by Wet Wet Wet

Peak: number 154

Peak date: 16 November 1992

Weeks on chart: 4 weeks 

Scottish band Wet Wet Wet last graced our presence in June 1992.

 

"Lip Service" was issued as the fifth and final single from Wet Wet Wet's third studio album High on the Happy Side (number 19, May 1992) in the UK.  In Australia, it was released as the third and final single from the album.

Internationally, "Lip Service" peaked at number 15 in the UK in July 1992, and at number 24 in Ireland during the same month.

Domestically, "Lip Service" was most popular in South Australia/Northern Territory, where it reached number 142 on the state chart.

I don’t recall hearing this one before.  It was more uptempo/poppy than I was expecting for Wet Wet Wet, and probably could have crept into the top 50 here if it had received better promotion.

Wet Wet Wet will join us next in 1994.

Number 181 “Six Blocks Away” by Lucinda Williams

Peak: number 170

Peak date: 9 November 1992

Weeks on chart: 4 weeks 

We last saw American singer-songwriter Lucinda Williams in 1989.

 

"Six Blocks Away" was issued as the lead single from Lucinda's fourth studio album Sweet Old World (number 134, July 1993), which she later re-issued as This Sweet Old World (number 297, October 2017).

I cannot find evidence of 'Six Blocks Away" charting elsewhere.  On the state charts, the single performed strongest in Queensland, where it reached number 146.

We'll next see Lucinda in 1993.

 

Number 190 “Hey Love (Can I Have a Word)” by Mr. Lee featuring R. Kelly

Peak: number 183

Peak date: 9 November 1992

Weeks on chart: 9 weeks 

We last saw American hip-house rapper Mr. Lee in late 1990.  For “Hey Love (Can I Have a Word)”, which is a cover version of Stevie Wonder’s “Hey Love” from 1966, Mr. Lee teamed up with now-disgraced R&B singer Robert “R.” Kelly.  The track is lifted from Mr. Lee’s second and final album I Wanna Rock Right Now.

Internationally, “Hey Love…” peaked at number 23 in New Zealand in March 1993.

Locally, “Hey Love…” was most popular in Victoria/Tasmania, where it reached number 172.

This would be Mr. Lee’s final chart entry in Australia.

Number 191 “Face to Face” by Siouxsie & The Banshees

Peak: number 184

Peak date: 18 January 1993

Weeks on chart: 11 weeks 

We last saw English band Siouxsie & The Banshees in late 1991.

“Face to Face” was recorded for the movie Batman Returns, in which Catwoman made her debut in the movie series, played by Michelle Pfeiffer.  The track was included on the Siouxsie & The Banshees compilation album Twice Upon a Time - The Singles (number 133, October 1992).

“Face to Face” peaked at number 21 in the UK in July 1992, and at number 32 in Sweden in August 1992.

Within Australia, “Face to Face” performed strongest in Western Australia, reaching number 151 on the state chart.

I recall seeing the video for “Face to Face” on TV a couple of times, in which Siouxsie appears in a Catwoman-esque outfit, as a new release.  I am surprised it flopped so badly, given the Batman movie connection.

We’ll see Siouxsie & The Banshees again in 1995.

Number 197 “I’ve Been Watchin’” by Joe Public

Peak: number 167

Peak date: 2 November 1992

Weeks on chart: 6 weeks 

American new jack swing group Joe Public landed a top 50 hit in Australia with their debut single “Live and Learn” (number 45, August 1992).  “I’ve Been Watchin’” was issued as the second single in Australia from their debut album Joe Public (number 137, July 1992).  Their homeland went with “I Miss You” instead.

Internationally, “I’ve Been Watchin’” peaked at number 75 in the UK in November 1992.  Locally, the single performed strongest in Victoria/Tasmania, reaching number 156.

The Eastside Mix, embedded below, was the single version in Australia, the US, and continental Europe.  The UK went with the Dance 7” mix instead.

This would be Joe Public’s final charting release in Australia.

Number 200 Gastanked EP by Custard

Peak: number 200

Peak date: 26 October 1992

Weeks on chart: 2 weeks 

Australian band Custard formed in Brisbane in 1989.  The six-track Gastanked EP, led by the track “Edie” (embedded below), was their first charting release, scraping into the ARIA top 200.  The band would not land an ARIA top 100 single until their fourteenth singles chart entry, “Music Is Crap” (number 73, April 1998), landing a string of top 200 ‘hits’ before then.  Their biggest hit in Australia was “Girls Like That (Don’t Go for Guys Like Us)” (number 52, January 1999), which spent 24 weeks in the top 100 despite its modest peak.

The Gastanked EP performed strongest in Western Australia, where it reached number 173 on the state chart.

Custard will next join us in 1993.

Number 212 “Someone to Hold” by Trey Lorenz

Peak: number 177

Peak date: 2 November 1992

Weeks on chart: 8 weeks 

American R&B singer-songwriter Trey Lorenz, born Lloyd Lorenz Smith, first came to mainstream attention as the featured male vocalist on Mariah Carey’s MTV Unplugged live rendition of  “I’ll Be There” (number 9, August 1992).

“Someone to Hold” was Trey’s debut solo release, and was co-written and co-produced by Mariah Carey.  It appeared on his debut album Trey Lorenz.  Internationally, the single peaked at number 19 on the US Billboard Hot 100 in November 1992, number 29 in Canada in November 1992, number 65 in the UK in November 1992, number 47 in the Netherlands in December 1992, and number 11 in New Zealand in December 1992.  The song also reached number 27 on the US Billboard Radio songs chart in October 1992, number 21 on the Rhythmic Airplay chart in October 1992, number 21 on the Pop Airplay chart in November 1992, number 5 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart in November 1992, number 18 on the Adult Contemporary chart in November 1992, number 29 on the R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay chart in November 1992, and number 14 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles Sales chart in December 1992.  Phew!

Locally, “Someone to Hold” was most popular in Victoria/Tasmania, where it reached number 164 on the state chart.

I no doubt heard this one on the American Top 40 radio show, but had no recollection of it.  Elements of the production, which sound like they came from a late 80s New Kids on the Block ballad, sound rather dated for late 1992.

We shall see Trey again in 1993.

Next week (2 November): Four top 150 entries and five bubbling WAY down under debuts.

< Previous week: 19 October 1992               Next week: 2 November 1992 >

Week commencing 18 May 1992

This week in 1992 sees a bumper ten new top 150 entries, with a further four bubbling WAY down under.  A theme running through this week's new entries is that quite a few of them did a bit better, landing within the top 100, on the rival Australian Music Report singles chart.

 

In other news, I have updated some earlier posts (a work in progress...) with newly-uncovered singles peaking outside the top 150, namely:

 

* 13 March 1989 - new bubbling WAY down under entry from Glass Tiger;

* 20 March 1989 - new bubbling WAY down under entry from The Smithereens;

* 24 April 1989 - new bubbling WAY down under entry from Not Drowning, Waving;

* 8 May 1989 - new bubbling WAY down under entry from Amy Grant;

* 5 June 1989 - new bubbling WAY down under entries from Tom Jones, Ten City, Cameo and Keith Richards;

* 13 May 1991 - new bubbling WAY down under entry from Shawn Christopher;

* 9 September 1991 - new bubbling WAY down under entry from Peabo Bryson.

 

Jenny Morris landed a break in her hit-run this week in 1992.

 

Top 150 debuts:

 

Number 120 "What a Lover" by Eve

Peak: number 120

Peak date: 18 May 1992

Weeks in top 150: 4 weeks

Top 150 chart run: 120-133-141-144

 

I wasn't aware of this track at the time, and can't tell you much about it, other than Eve was probably an Australian artist, as only an Australian pressing is listed on discogs.com.  This is the only release listed under that artist on the site.

"What a Lover" performed strongest on the South Australia/Northern Territory state chart, where it reached number 42.  "What a Lover" also peaked higher on the Australian Music Report singles chart, where it reached number 85.

Number 124 "Don't Lose the Magic" by Shawn Christopher

Peak: number 124

Peak date: 18 May 1992

Weeks in top 150: 4 weeks

Chart run: 194-(out for 2 weeks)-124-127-132-147

Weeks on chart: 5 weeks

We last saw American house singer Shawn Christopher in 1991.  "Don't Lose the Magic" was her second and final single to chart in Australia.  I didn't know this song at the time, but it was on a various artists music video compilation I recently picked up.  I like it.

Internationally, "Don't Lose the Magic" peaked at number 30 in the UK in March 1992, number 71 on the US Billboard Hot 100 in March 1992, number 27 in the Netherlands in May 1992, and number 30 in the Flanders region of Belgium in June 1992.

Domestically, "Don't Lose the Magic" performed strongest in New South Wales/Australian Capital Territory, where it reached number 104.

To my ears, "Don't Lose the Magic" has that Steve "Silk" Hurley sound that was popular in 1991-2, though he was not involved in its production.

Number 125 "Crackerjack Man" by Jenny Morris

Peak: number 125

Peak date: 18 May 1992

Weeks in top 150: 3 weeks

Known chart run: 204-125-139-150

Weeks on chart: 8 weeks

 

New Zealand singer Jenny Morris made her first appearance on the Australian chart in 1982 with the single "Puberty Blues" (number 88, February 1982), title track of the Australian film of the same name.  Jenny returned in November 1983 as the lead singer of QED, with the track "Everywhere I Go" (number 19, April 1984); a song I remember vividly from the time, when I was in Grade Prep at school.

Jenny then launched her solo career proper with the single "Get Some Humour" (number 82, February 1986).  Between 1986 and 1992, Jenny amassed seven top 40 singles in Australia, with the highest-peaking of those being "Break in the Weather" (number 2, October 1991).

 

"Crackerjack Man" was the fourth and final single from Jenny's third solo album Honeychild (number 5, October 1991). It followed "Break in the Weather", "I've Had You" (number 39, January 1992), and "Zero" (number 89, March 1992).

On the state charts, "Crackerjack Man" performed strongest in New South Wales/Australian Capital Territory, where it reached number 116.

I don't recall hearing "Crackerjack Man" at the time, but became familiar with it when digitising Jenny's The Best of Jenny Morris: The Story So Far VHS tape in 2005.  I had forgotten how the song went prior to listening to it again when writing this post, though I do like it.

"Crackerjack Man" fared better on the Australian Music Report singles chart, where it peaked at number 98.

 

Unfortunately, Jenny has had the neurological voice disorder spasmodic dysphonia for some time, making it difficult for her to speak let alone sing, as it gives the voice a strangled-strained quality, resulting in voice breaks.  I first became aware of spasmodic dysphonia at university, where I studied speech pathology, in the late 1990s.  Coincidentally, that's also where I first heard of BoTox (it can be injected into the vocal cords to treat spasmodic dysphonia, often giving relief for several months before needing to be injected again) - before it became widely known in association with cosmetic procedures, although Jenny has opted not to undergo this treatment when I caught her speaking about the issues she has with speaking/singing on an episode of Australian Story some years ago.

We shall next see Jenny in 1994.

Number 131 "Lift Me Up" by Howard Jones

Peak: number 131

Peak date: 18 May 1992

Weeks in top 150: 5 weeks

Known chart run: 202-131-140-140-145-149

Weeks on chart: 9 weeks

British singer-songwriter Howard Jones, born John Howard Jones, first appeared on the Australian chart with "New Song" (number 60, December 1983) in November 1983. He scored six top 40 hits in Australia between 1984 and 1986, with the biggest of those being "No One Is to Blame" (number 9, June 1986).  Somehow, I wasn't aware of Howard Jones at the time (I didn't start following music properly until 1987), but knew "No One Is to Blame" then, though not who it was by or what the song was called.

Howard was last on the Australian chart in 1989 with the single "Everlasting Love" (number 91, April 1989) and the album Cross That Line (number 97, May 1989).

 

"Lift Me Up" was the lead single from Howard's fifth studio album In the Running (number 158, June 1992).  Internationally, "Lift Me Up" peaked at number 52 in the UK in April 1992, number 6 in Canada in May 1992, and number 32 on the US Billboard Hot 100 in June 1992.

Within Australia, "Lift Me Up" was most popular in South Australia/Northern Territory, where it reached number 106.

We will next see Howard in 1993.

Number 132 "I Drove All Night" by Roy Orbison

Peak: number 132

Peak date: 18 May 1992

Weeks in top 150: 5 weeks (2 weeks in 1992; 3 weeks in 1993)

Top 150 chart run: 132-145.  Re-entry 22 March 1993: 140-149-(out for 1 week)-143

Weeks on chart: 16 weeks (9 weeks in 1992; 7 weeks in 1993)

 

We last saw Roy Orbison in 1989.

I, like most of the world, first became familiar with the song "I Drove All Night" when Cyndi Lauper released her version of it, reaching number 11 for three weeks on the Austalian chart in July 1989.  The song, however, was originally recorded in 1987 by Roy Orbison, though his version was not released as a single until 1992, more than three years after his death at age 52 in December 1988.  I first heard Roy's rendition of "I Drove All Night" on the UK Chart Attack radio show.

 

"I Drove All Night" was written by Billy Steinberg and Tom Kelly, who shared writing credits on hits such as Madonna's "Like a Virgin" (number 1, December 1984), Cyndi Lauper's "True Colors" (number 3, September 1986), Heart's "Alone" (number 6, August 1987), Whitney Houston's "So Emotional" (number 26, February 1988) and Bangles' "Eternal Flame" (number 1, May 1989) to name but a few.

The vocals from Roy's 1987 recording of "I Drove All Night" were used by Jeff Lynne who created a new mix of the track for Roy's posthumous King of Hearts (number 25, November 1992) album.  The track first appeared on the Nintendo: White Knuckle Scorin' album in 1991.

Internationally, Roy's version of "I Drove All Night" peaked at number 52 in Germany in March 1992, number 74 in Canada in May 1992, number 7 in the UK in July 1992, number 6 in Ireland, and number 48 in New Zealand in September 1992.

In Australia, "I Drove All Night" had two separate releases - a cassingle release on BMG in March 1992, and a CD/cassingle release on EMI in March 1993.  The 1992 release contained Sheena Easton's "Forever Friends" and Trixter's "Line of Fire" as B-sides, while the 1993 release contained B-sides from Roy.  The single peaked at number 132 on the ARIA singles chart in May 1992, and at number 140 in March 1993.  "I Drove All Night" performed strongest on the Queensland state chart for both releases, reaching number 87 in May 1992, and number 112 in April 1993.

The music video for "I Drove All Night" features actors Jason Priestley and Jennifer Connelly.

Céline Dion scored a hit with her version of "I Drove All Night" (number 22, March 2003) in 2003, though I prefer the Hex Hector remix of it.

Roy Orbison's recording is my favourite version of "I Drove All Night", though I like Cyndi's version too.  Another version of the song I like was recorded by The Protomen in 2012.  "I Drove All Night" is one of my favourite karaoke songs to sing... when no-one is in the vicinity.

We will next see Roy in November 1992.

Number 136 "Love U Love Me" by Atomic Dining Club

Peak: number 129

Peak date: 1 June 1992

Weeks in top 150: 7 weeks

Top 150 chart run: 136-131-129-140-136-134-149

 

Australian band Atomic Dining Club were Brian Mannix - former lead singer of Uncanny X-Men, Ross McLennon and Steve Harrison.  "Love U Love Me" was their debut single, from their only album Car Crash in Blue, which had three separate release dates listed in The ARIA Report, from May, June and August of 1993.  I am not sure which was the correct release date, or whether the album was even released at all, given that no copies of it are currently listed on discogs.com, and nothing came up when I googled the band name and album title.  Does anyone reading this know whether the album saw the light of day? The album missed the ARIA top 150 albums chart - I can tell you that.

Having not heard this track before, I liked it more than I was expecting to, given that I'm not really a fan of Uncanny X-Men, whose biggest hit was "50 Years" (number 4, June 1985).

"Love U Love Me" found greater success on the Australian Music Report singles chart, where it reached number 87.

 

A music video exists for "Love U Love Me", as it is listed as a new addition on the rage playlists in The ARIA Report, but nobody has yet uploaded it to YouTube.

We shall see Atomic Dining Club again in 1993.

 

Number 143 "The Big One" by Chris Wilson

Peak: number 143

Peak date: 18 May 1992

Weeks in top 150: 1 week

Top 150 chart run: 143

 

"The Big One" was Australian blues musician Chris Wilson's debut single.  The track was lifted from his debut album Landlocked, which originally peaked at number 120 in Australia in August 1992, but the 30th edition re-issue of the album actually peaked higher, reaching number 86 in December 2022.

I first became aware of Chris in 1995, when he sang the male vocal on Merril Bainbridge's "Under the Water" (number 4, August 1992) - the "I'll be your loverrrr, underrrr the waterrrr" bits.  I spelt the lyric that way in jest, as despite being Australian born and bred, Chris seems to rhotacise his r-coloured vowels - that is, pronounce the 'r' in them, like speakers of American, Canadian and Irish English do.  Australian English is non-rhotic, meaning that we do not pronounce the 'r' in vowel sounds, other than in connected speech where the vowel appears at the end of the word and is followed by another word beginning with a vowel sound, as in the phrase "four of those".  My speech pathology degree comes in handy for other things sometimes...

Chris followed up this track with the single "Alimony Blues" in October 1992, which missed the top 150.

Sadly, Chris passed away in 2019, aged 62, after being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.

We will next see Chris in 1996, as part of the duo Wilson Diesel.

 

Number 144 "Girl for Me" by The Chevelles

Peak: number 144

Peak date: 18 May 1992

Weeks in top 150: 1 week

Top 150 chart run: 144

Perth band The Chevelles formed in 1989.  The group never landed a top 100 entry, and this was their only release to trouble the top 150.  An earlier EP, The Kids Ain't Hip, curiously spent two weeks at number 8 on the ARIA top 20 Alternative Singles chart in March 1991, before re-appearing on the top 20 Alternative Albums Chart, where it reached number 10 in April 1991.

"Girl for Me" is lifted from The Chevelles' debut album Gigantic, which was released in June 1993.  The single performed better on the Australian Music Report singles chart, where it reached number 97.

Number 145 "The Way I Made You Feel" by Ed Kuepper

Peak: number 144

Peak date: 25 May 1992

Weeks in top 150: 2 weeks

Top 150 chart run: 145-144

 

Born in West Germany, but based in Australia, Ed Kuepper was a founding member and guitarist of seminal punk band The Saints, formed in 1973.  The Saints first appeared on the Australian chart with their debut single "(I'm) Stranded" (number 98, March 1977). Ed left the band in 1979, before The Saints scored their biggest hit with "Just Like Fire Would" (number 29, April 1986).  We previously saw Ed with The Yard Goes On Forever in 1990.

Ed's debut solo album Electrical Storm was released in September 1985, but missed the national top 100.  Ed scored his first charting single with "Nothing Changes in My House" (number 99, January 1988).  His biggest solo 'hit' in Australia was "If I Had a Ticket" (number 72, April 1994).

"The Way I Made You Feel" appeared on Ed's fifth solo studio album Honey Steel's Gold (number 28, March 1992).

We will next see Ed in July 1992.

 

 

Number 147 "Play Dinosaur" by Degenerates

Peak: number 142

Peak date: 1 June 1992

Weeks in top 150: 4 weeks

Top 150 chart run: 147-143-142-(out for 1 week)-148

We last saw Australian band Degenerates in 1991.  "Play Dinosaur" was the title track from the band's debut album Play Dinosaur, which, as with Atomic Dining Club above, had three separate release dates listed in The ARIA Report (June, July and August 1992), and missed the top 150.

 

"Play Dinosaur" performed significantly better on the Australian Music Report singles chart, where it reached number 68.  I have to wonder why a single peaked 74 places higher on the AMR chart...

 

This would be Degenerates' final top 150 entry, though they released a second album Outspoken in March 1993.

Bubbling WAY down under:

 

Number 174 “Nighttrain” by Public Enemy

Peak: number 168

Peak date: 25 May 1992

Weeks on chart: 4 weeks 

We last saw Public Enemy in March 1992.

“Nighttrain” was issued as the third single from Public Enemy’s fourth studio album Apocalypse 91… The Enemy Strikes Black (number 11, October 1991).  Internationally, the single peaked at number 55 in the UK in April 1992, and number 42 in New Zealand in June 1992.  The song also registered on the US Billboard Hot Rap Songs chart, reaching number 17 in May 1992.

Locally, “Nighttrain” performed strongest in Victoria/Tasmania, where it reached number 142.

We shall next see Public Enemy in October 1992.

Number 189 "Bang" by Blur

Peak: number 189

Peak date: 18 May 1992

Weeks on chart: 1 week

 

We last saw English band Blur in 1991.  "Bang" was the second single released from the band's debut album Leisure (number 142, April 1992) in Australia.

Internationally, "Bang" peaked at number 24 in the UK in August 1991, and number 21 in Ireland in August 1991.  The single also peaked at number 40 on the US Billboard Dance Club songs chart in June 1992 - for what that is worth (not much, in my book).  This was classified as dance music in the US?!

Within Australia, "Bang" performed strongest in Victoria/Tasmania, where it reached number 168.

I don't recall hearing "Bang" before, though have a VHS-sourced copy of the video in my collection from a tape I digitised, so have actually heard it before.  Musically, it sounds quite similar to "There's No Other Way" to me.

"Bang" has been virtually disowned by Blur, who wrote the song in response to pressure they were placed under by their record label to produce another hit.  The band's bass player Alex James said in a 1999 interview that he didn't think the band would ever play the song live again.

We will next see Blur in 1993.

 

 

 

Number 209 "Closer Than Close" by Peabo Bryson

Peak: number 209

Peak date: 18 May 1992

Weeks on chart: 1 week

 

We last saw American singer-songwriter Peabo Bryson in 1991.

 

"Closer Than Close" was issued as the second single from Peabo's fifteenth studio album Can You Stop the Rain (number 188, March 1992).  Interestingly, this single was released in Australia in February 1992, but took just over three months to register on the charts.

"Closer Than Close" missed the US Billboard Hot 100, but peaked at number 10 on the pointless Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart in November 1991.

Within Australia, "Closer Than Close" peaked highest in New South Wales/Australian Capital Territory, where it reached number 186.

Peabo would land his final top 100 hits in Australia with the duets "Beauty and the Beast" (number 17, July 1992) with Céline Dion, and "A Whole New World (Aladdin's Theme)" (number 10, June 1993) with Regina Belle.  Both tracks were themes from Disney movies, Beauty and the Beast and Aladdin, respectively.

While we won't see Peabo bubbling under again on his own, we will see him as a featured artist in 1993.  Peabo had further low-charting albums in Australia with Through the Fire (number 193, August 1994) and Missing You (number 619, October 2007).

 

Number 211 "The Guitar (The Lion Sleeps Tonight)" by They Might Be Giants

Peak: number 180

Peak date: 8 June 1992

Weeks on chart: 3 weeks

We last saw American band They Might Be Giants in March 1992.  "The Guitar (The Lion Sleeps Tonight)" was the second single from their fourth studio album Apollo 18 (number 59, April 1992).

 

"The Guitar (The Lion Sleeps Tonight)" came together in a jam session based around The Tokens' "The Lion Sleeps Tonight". The song's chorus is sung by country singer Laura Cantrell.

I cannot find evidence of "The Guitar..." charting anywhere else.  Within Australia, the single performed strongest in Queensland, where it reached number 156.

We shall next see They Might Be Giants in 1994.

Next week (25 May): A quieter week, with three top 150 entries and two bubbling WAY down under debuts.

< Previous week: 11 May 1992                                         Next week: 25 May 1992 >

Week commencing 2 March 1992

This week in 1992's new entries peaking outside the top 100 are an eclectic bunch.  Let's take a look at them.

 

Tori Amos: what's so amazing about really low chart positions?

 

Top 150 debuts:

 

Number 135 "After the Watershed (Early Learning the Hard Way)" by Carter the Unstoppable Sex Machine

Peak: number 124

Peak date: 23 March 1992

Weeks in top 150: 8 weeks

Top 150 chart run: 135-140-137-124-132-137-125-141

English indie punk band Carter the Unstoppable Sex Machine formed in 1987.  While "After the Watershed..." was their first single to dent the ARIA top 150, an earlier album 30 Something (number 138, April 1991), had charted in Australia.

"After the Watershed..." was a non-album track, and peaked at number 11 in the UK in November 1991, and number 21 in Ireland.

The single fared better on the Australian Music Report singles chart where it reached number 97.

The Rolling Stones did not approve of the use of the "goodbye Ruby Tuesday" chorus lyrics or bassline resembling "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction", and successfully sued the band... because they didn't already have enough money, right?  They now receive a co-writing credit on this track.

 

We'll next see Carter the Unstoppable Sex Machine in August.

Number 139 "Silent All These Years" by Tori Amos

Peak: number 128

Peak date: 23 March 1992

Weeks in top 150: 6 weeks

Top 150 chart run: 139-135-132-128-135-139

Weeks on chart: 8 weeks

 

Occasionally, though not very often, I write about an artist I almost need to do no research for... because I know all about them already.  Here's one such example.

 

I was an obsessive fan of Tori Amos, born Myra Ellen Amos, between 1994 and about 2002.  I first became aware of her in early 1992 through her appearance on the cover of one of those free monthly Brashs magazines that were available in-store.  I skimmed the article, saw her mention God a few times, and assumed she was a God botherer (i.e. I wouldn't have liked her music).

When Tori's second Australian single, "Winter" (number 49, June 1992), crept into the lower region of the rage top 60 chart, it fell on a week that I had set my VCR to record the chart, rather than watch it live.  Going through the tape, I didn't bother listening to the song, and remember thinking, "Oh, her."

Fast forward a couple of weeks later, I eventually heard "Winter" in full on one of its weeks in the top 60, and realised that I liked it.  I decided that I was going to record it onto a tape where I kept music videos for songs I liked, the following week... except it fell out of the top 60.  I remember sometimes getting the chorus for "Winter" stuck in my head while walking my dog, but other than that, I pretty much forgot about Tori until "Cornflake Girl" (number 19, March 1994) was released.

Taking a chance with a Brashs gift voucher I had, I bought Tori's second album Under the Pink (number 5, March 1994) soon after hearing "Cornflake Girl", and was blown away by the album.  Less than a week later, I decided to buy Tori's debut album Little Earthquakes (number 14, June 1992), from which "Silent All These Years" is lifted, and liked it even more (at the time... Under the Pink nudges it out slightly for me now).

 

Well, strictly speaking, Little Earthquakes was not Tori's debut.  Her band Y Kant Tori Read (pronounced "why can't Tori read?"), containing future Guns N' Roses drummer Matt Sorum, released a self-titled album in the US in 1988 which was a commercial failure, selling only 7000 copies.  Tori's image for this project was rather different to her later solo work - she looks like a metal chick, complete with big hair, pouty lips and skin-tight spandex pants, and she is wielding a sword.  But Y Kant Tori Read is well worth checking out if you like Tori and have not heard it before, with my personal faves from the album being "Fire on the Side" and "Etienne Trilogy".

My mum bought the sheet music book for Under the Pink for me later in 1994, and it contained an illustrated discography of Tori Amos' releases up until March 1994.  My mission in life then became to track down all of her earlier singles with umpteen non-album track B-sides on them, with interesting titles like "Flying Dutchman" and "Ode to the Banana King (Part One)".  It took almost a year, discovering Record Collector magazine, and having my mum telephone the UK at night to buy out of print limited edition CD singles using her credit card, but I succeeded with that quest.

The first concert I ever went to was Tori's first show in Melbourne on the Under the Pink tour in December 1994.  In fact, the only concerts I have been to have been Tori Amos ones - the others being her two Melbourne shows in May 2005.  I'm not really one for live music, but Tori's live shows are something else, with the setlist varying wildly each night.

As for "Silent All These Years"... it originally appeared as the lead track on the Me and a Gun EP, which was Tori's debut release in the UK, where her solo career was launched, in October 1991.  The single artwork was altered later with the title changed to "Silent All These Years", and the re-issued single peaked at number 51 in the UK in November 1991.

 

Domestically, on the state charts, "Silent All These Years" performed strongest in Victoria/Tasmania, where it reached number 108.

Following further singles "China" (not released in Australia), "Winter" and "Crucify" (number 83, August 1992), "Silent All These Years" was re-issued as a single in the UK (but not Australia), with new artwork and B-sides, in August 1992.  The re-released single reached a new peak of number 26 in the UK in August 1992.

 

"Silent All These Years" was Tori's debut solo single in her native US, and did not dent the Billboard Hot 100 upon its original release, but reached number 27 on the Alternative Airplay chart in May 1992.  The single was re-issued in 1997, to raise funds for RAINN - the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network anti sexual-assault organisation Tori was involved in setting up.  The 1997 release of "Silent All These Years" peaked at number 65 on the US Billboard Hot 100 in May 1997.

While I like "Silent All These Years", particularly the "years go by, will I still be waiting for somebody else to understand..." middle-8 section, it's not among my top-tier Tori tracks.  The partly animated video, though, is quite striking.

We shall next see Tori in 1994.

 

 

Number 141 "My Girl" by The Temptations (re-issue)

Peak: number 104

Peak date: 13 April 1992

Weeks in top 150: 12 weeks

Top 150 chart run: 141-137-136-136-124-115-104-121-126-110-130-115

 

Originally released in 1964, The Temptations' "My Girl" was re-released as a single as the title track of the late 1991 movie My Girl, starring Macaulay Culkin.  The accompanying soundtrack album peaked at number 4 in Australia in July 1992.  I assume, therefore, that the film had a later cinematic release here.

The 1992 release of "My Girl" peaked at number 2 in the UK in February 1992, number 2 in Ireland, and number 66 in Germany in March 1992.

 

 

Number 147 "Sweetheart" by Died Pretty

Peak: number 129

Peak date: 6 April 1992

Weeks in top 150: 7 weeks 

Top 150 chart run: 147-150-146-(out for 1 week)-130-129-141-140

Weeks on chart: 11 weeks

 

We last saw Australian band Died Pretty in 1991.

 

"Sweetheart" was the third and final single lifted from the band's fourth studio album Doughboy Hollow (number 24, September 1991).

 

On the state charts, "Sweetheart" performed strongest in South Australia/Northern Territory, where it reached number 99.

 

We'll next see Died Pretty in 1994.

  

 

Bubbling WAY down under:

Number 161 “Shut ’em Down” by Public Enemy

Peak: number 161

Peak date: 2 March 1992

Weeks on chart: 3 weeks 

American hip-hop group Public Enemy formed in New York in 1985.  Between 1990 and 1998, they placed nine singles on the ARIA top 100, although only two of those peaked within the top 50; namely, "Give It Up" (number 16, September 1994) and "He Got Game" (number 25, June 1998).  Despite the lack of hits in Australia, a boy two years below me at my small primary school wore a Public Enemy t-shirt to school on a couple of occasions in 1990!

“Shut ’em Down” was issued as the second single from Public Enemy’s fourth studio album, Apocalypse 91… The Enemy Strikes Black (number 11, October 1991), following “Can’t Truss It” (number 55, November 1991).  Internationally, the single peaked at number 21 in the UK in January 1992, and number 30 in New Zealand in March 1992.  The song registered on several of the US Billboard genre-specific charts, reaching number 33 on the Dance Singles Sales chart in February 1992, number 26 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart in March 1992, number 1 on the Hot Rap Songs chart in March 1992, and number 16 on the Dance Club Songs chart in April 1992.

Locally, “ Shut ’em Down” was most popular in Western Australia, where it reached number 155.

We will next see Public Enemy in May 1992.

Number 165 "Driven by You" by Brian May

Peak: number 162

Peak date: 9 March 1992

Weeks on chart: 7 weeks

 

Queen's guitarist Brian May launched his solo career in 1983 with the Brian May + Friends mini-album, though only one single, "Star Fleet", which was released in Australia in February 1984 but did not chart, was issued from it.

 

"Driven by You" was the first single from Brian's first solo album proper, Back to the Light (number 94, December 1992).  Coincidentally, the single was released in the UK the day after Queen frontman Freddie Mercury's death.

Internationally, "Driven by You" peaked at number 6 in the UK in December 1991, number 14 in Ireland in December 1991, number 10 in the Netherlands in February 1992, number 35 in the Flanders region of Belgium in May 1992, and number 70 in Canada in April 1993.

Within Australia, "Driven by You" was most popular in Western Australia, where it reached number 122.

Brian would score a hit in Australia - his only solo one - with his next release, "Too Much Love Will Kill You" (number 18, November 1992); a song he co-wrote but was originally recorded by Queen in 1988 for possible inclusion on The Miracle (number 4, June 1989).

We shall next see Brian in 1993.

 

 

Number 178 "Sex with Love" by Lee Aaron

Peak: number 164

Peak date: 6 April 1992

Weeks on chart: 7 weeks

 

Canadian rock chick Lee Aaron last paid us a visit in 1991.  "Sex with Love" was the lead single from her sixth studio album Some Girls Do (number 189, April 1992).

 

Internationally, "Sex with Love" peaked at number 55 in Canada in October 1991.

 

In Australia, "Sex with Love" was most popular in South Australia/Northern Territory, where it reached number 137 on the state chart.

 

This would be Lee's final single to chart in Australia.

 

 

Number 184 "Groove On" by Yo Yo Honey

Peak: number 184

Peak date: 2 March 1992

Weeks on chart: 2 weeks

 

Yo Yo Honey were a UK R&B/Soul band, containing Anna Ross, Mani Shoniwa, and Anita Jarrett on vocals.  "Groove On" was their debut single, lifted from their only album Voodoo Soul (number 173, October 1992).

 

Internationally, "Groove On" peaked at number 108 (number 83 on the compressed chart) in the UK in November 1991, and number 51 in the Netherlands in February 1992.

 

Locally, "Groove On" performed strongest in New South Wales/Australian Capital Territory, where it reached number 168 on the state chart.

 

This was Yo Yo Honey's only charting single in Australia.  I cannot find any details about it, but vocalist Anita Jarrett has apparently since passed away.

 

"Groove On" received a second lease of life in 1997, where a remixed version peaked at number 81 (number 77 on the compressed chart) in the UK in July 1997.

 

 

Next week (9 March): Another four top 150 debuts, plus three bubbling WAY down under entries.

 

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