Another week where I can't identify any unifying theme among this week in 1993's new entries peaking outside the top 100... so let's just dive straight in.
Hothouse Flowers wilted on the Australian chart with this release.
Top 150 debuts:
Number 137 “One Tongue” by Hothouse Flowers
Peak: number 117
Peak date: 24 May 1993
Weeks in top 150: 5 weeks
Top 150 chart run: 137-117-131-139-139
Weeks on chart: 6 weeks
Irish band Hothouse Flowers made their debut on the Australian charts in 1988, with the single “Don’t Go” (number 39, August 1988), from their debut album People (number 30, October 1988). Between 1988 and 1993, the band placed nine top 100 singles on the Australian chart with their version of “I Can See Clearly” (number 22, March 1991 - almost six months after its debut) being their biggest hit, from the album Home (number 1 for one week in March 1991).
“One Tongue” was the second single lifted from their third studio album Songs from the Rain (number 19, March 1993). It followed “An Emotional Time” (number 57, February 1993), which would be their last top 100 single in Australia.
Internationally, “One Tongue” peaked at number 45 in the UK in May 1993, and number 55 in Germany in July 1993.
In Australia, “One Tongue” was most popular in Western Australia, where it reached number 89 on the state chart.
We shall see Hothouse Flowers on one more occasion, in 1998.
Number 142 “Start Choppin” by Dinosaur Jr.
Peak: number 137
Peak date: 31 May 1993
Weeks in top 150: 8 weeks
Top 150 chart run: 142-143-137-143-145-143-148-147
Weeks on chart: 10 weeks
American band Dinosaur Jr last joined us in March 1993.
“Start Choppin” (no apostrophe) was the second single lifted from their fourth studio album Where You Been (number 45, May 1993). Internationally, the single peaked at number 20 in the UK in January 1993, number 20 in Ireland in February 1993, and number 40 in Sweden in February 1993. The song also peaked at number 3 on the US Billboard Alternative Airplay chart in March 1993.
Locally, “Start Choppin” performed strongest in Queensland, where it reached number 121 on the state chart.
We’ll next see Dinosaur Jr. in September 1993.
Number 144 “I Got a Man” by Positive K
Peak: number 123
Peak date: 21 June 1993
Weeks in top 150: 8 weeks
Top 150 chart run: 144-128-126-124-126-123-130-132
American rapper Positive K, real name Darryl Gibson, hails from The Bronx, New York. “I Got a Man”, his debut Australian release, was the second single lifted from his debut album The Skillz Dat Pay the Billz (released in Australia in July 1993, missed the top 150). The album was split into two halves, The Skills Side and Pay the Bills Side; “I Got a Man” appears on the latter.
Internationally, “I Got a Man” peaked at number 14 on the US Billboard Hot 100 in March 1993, number 43 in the UK in May 1993, number 41 in New Zealand in June 1993, and number 14 in the Netherlands in February 1994. The song also peaked at number 1 on the US Billboard Rap Songs chart, and number 10 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart in February 1993.
An interesting fact about “I Got a Man” is that the ‘female’ vocals on the track are actually those of Positive K pitch-shifted upwards! A woman lip syncs the female lines in the video, however.
I knew this song at the time, but can’t recall where I first heard it - probably on Triple J. “I Got a Man” would be Positive K’s only top 150 entry in Australia.
Number 149 “Fear of Life” by Sam Brown
Peak: number 135
Peak date: 14 June 1993
Weeks in top 150: 10 weeks
Top 150 chart run: 149-144-139-138-135-(out of top 150 for 3 weeks)-144-148-145-150-150
Weeks on chart: 11 weeks
English singer-songwriter Sam Brown last joined us in 1990.
“Fear of Life” was the only single released from Sam’s third album 43 Minutes (number 132, June 1993). Sam started writing the songs for the album while her mother, singer Vicki Brown, was dying of breast cancer in mid-1991. Sam’s UK label, A&M Records, were not satisfied with the album, and insisted that Sam include sone more-commercial songs that they could release as singles. Sam refused to compromise, and released the album as it was, independently. Both “Fear of Life” and 43 Minutes were distributed in Australia through Festival Records, who distributed her first two albums and the accompanying singles, however.
Australia appears to have been the only country that “Fear of Life” charted in. The single was most popular in Queensland, where it reached number 109 on the state chart.
I didn’t hear this one at the time, but obtained the music video (embedded below) from someone I trade videos with in 2006. It’s a nice song, though perhaps not immediately commercial-sounding.
Sam will join us on one more occasion, in 1997.
Bubbling WAY down under:
Number 195 “Alone” by Big Country
Peak: number 195
Peak date: 17 May 1993
Weeks on chart: 3 weeks
Scottish rock band Big Country last paid us a visit in 1989.
“Alone” was the lead single from their sixth studio album The Buffalo Skinners (number 193, July 1993). Internationally, the single peaked at number 24 in the UK in March 1993.
In Australia, “Alone” performed strongest in Western Australia, reaching number 156 on the state chart.
I hadn’t heard this one before. I liked it, though it’s a bit more guitar-heavy than music I normally listen to.
English singer-songwriter Caron Wheeler previously visited us in 1990.
“In Our Love” was the second single lifted from Caron’s second album Beach of the War Goddess (number 125, June 1993). It followed “I Adore You”, which appeared on the Mo’ Money soundtrack (number 39, January 1993) and was released as a single in Australia in February 1993, but failed to chart. “In Our Love” was issued locally on 19 April 1993, but took four weeks to make a blip on the ARIA singles chart just outside the top 200.
Internationally, “In Our Love” registered on two US Billboard genre-specific charts, peaking at number 61 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart in March 1993, and number 54 on the R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay chart in April 1993.
Domestically, “In Our Love” was most popular in New South Wales/Australian Capital Territory, where it reached number 186 on the state chart.
I remember seeing the Beach of the War Goddess album reviewed in Smash Hits magazine, but didn’t hear any singles from it at the time.
Caron will join us on one more occasion, in October 1993.
Number 222 “Tetris” by Doctor Spin
Peak: number 222
Peak date: 17 May 1993
Weeks on chart: 2 weeks
Co-written by Andrew Lloyd-Webber, together with producer Nigel Wright under the name of Doctor Spin, “Tetris” was a novelty rave song based on the Nintendo Game Boy game. We saw another one of its ilk late in 1992. While both Nintendo-themed tracks were top 10 hits in the UK, they both languished outside the top 100 in Australia, partly due to receiving zero promotion. The “Tetris” game music is based on Russian folk song “Korobeiniki”.
“Tetris” peaked at number 6 in the UK in October 1992, number 7 in Ireland in October 1992, and number 23 in Austria in December 1992.
In Australia, “Tetris” performed strongest in Western Australia, where it reached number 185 on the state chart.
I first heard “Tetris” on the UK Chart Attack radio show. “Tetris” was released there four weeks before “Supermarioland”. Not being completely averse to novelty records and liking Eurodance, I actually like this one. Jake Canuso, who would go on to become an actor in Benidorm, appears as a dancer in the music video and on the Top of the Pops TV performance.
This was the only Doctor Spin release.
Next week (24 May): Four top 150 entries and six bubbling WAY down under debuts.
In the second instalment of this series of special posts, I will be taking a look at singles that reached number one on one or more of the five Australian state charts that were not national number ones. In case you missed the first part, you can read it here.
The Proclaimers: (not quite) Twin peaks in Australia.
State chart-only number one singles - January 1989 to June 1989:
1. "Teardrops" by Womack & Womack
State(s) that it went to number one in: New South Wales/Australian Capital Territory and Victoria/Tasmania
Known dates it was number one: 6 February 1989 (NSW/ACT and VIC/TAS)
National chart peak: number 2
National chart debut: 7 November 1988
National chart run: 80-56-50-23-21-13-8-(2 week Xmas break)-7-3-3-2-2-2-2-4-4-6-9-11-14-19-34-36-48-48-70-72-106-117
American husband and wife duo Linda and Cecil Womack started out as a songwriters for other artists in the 1970s, before releasing their own recordings in 1983. Despite landing a top 20 hit in the UK with "Love Wars" in 1984, "Teardrops", the lead single from their fourth album Conscience (number 11, February 1989), was their first Australian release. Oddly, "Love Wars" was released in New Zealand, though! "Teardrops" was a national number one on the Australian Music Report singles chart, and often seems to be referred to as a number one hit, but it only peaked at number 2 on the national ARIA chart. At the time, I was convinced that Linda was a man with a high-pitched voice, based on her appearance in the "Teardrops" video, and even had an argument about whether she was a man or a woman with my sister.
One interesting fact is that "Teardrops" was number one in the two most-populous states of Australia, Victoria (and Tasmania) and New South Wales (and Australian Capital Territory) during the same week. Yet, this wasn't enough to dislodge The Beach Boys' "Kokomo" from the number one position, even though another single, The Proclaimers' "I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles)", was number one that week in the third most-populous state, Queensland. The competition must have been tight that week.
Another interesting fact is that the blonde woman singing back-up in the video went on to lip sync in the 1994 video for JX's "Son of a Gun" (number 6, August 1994).
2. "Tucker's Daughter" by Ian Moss
State(s) that it went to number one in: South Australia/Northern Territory
Known dates it was number one: 13 March 1989
National chart peak: number 2
National chart debut: 16 January 1989
National chart run: 94-37-9-8-5-5-2-2-2-4-4-6-6-7-15-17-28-25-35-41-68-66-84-77-72-84-92
Former Cold Chisel guitarist/sometime lead singer Ian Moss launched his solo career with this song, which was an Australian Music Report singles chart number one, but only reached number 2 nationally on the ARIA chart. I didn't like this one at all at the time, but have since grown to not mind it.
3. "I'm on My Way" by The Proclaimers
State(s) that it went to number one in: South Australia/Northern Territory and Western Australia
Known dates it was number one: 24 April 1989 (SA/NT); 17 April 1989 (WA)
National chart peak: number 3
National chart debut: 6 March 1989
National chart run: 36-16-8-6-5-3-4-4-4-7-13-16-30-42-61-75-85-79
In Australia, "I'm on My Way" was the follow-up to Scottish twins The Proclaimers' massive number one hit, "I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles)". In the UK, however, it was the third single released from their second album Sunshine on Leith (number 2, April 1989). "I'm on My Way" saved the twin brothers from one-hit wonder status in Australia; nothing else they released troubled the top 50. With a Scottish-born father (who spoke with an Australian accent) and a Scottish grandmother and great uncle who retained their Scottish accents, The Proclaimers' brogue was somewhat endearing to me. Stupidly, the music video for "I'm on My Way" appears to be blocked on YouTube, so I've had to resort to uploading my own copy of it below:
4. "Stop!" by Sam Brown
State(s) that it went to number one in: South Australia/Northern Territory and Western Australia
Known dates it was number one: 15 May 1989 (SA/NT); 1 May 1989 (WA)
National chart peak: number 4
National chart debut: 7 November 1988
National chart run: 72-94
Re-entered 30 January 1989: 89-83-57-39-37-28-21-17-10-10-8-6-5-5-4-4-7-10-18-25-24-42-45-47-59-61-70-55-75-101-95
Released in Australia in August 1988, Sam Brown's "Stop!" sure took its time to take off, peaking 8 and a half months later at number 4 nationally in May 1989. It was a similar story in Sam's native UK, where "Stop!" originally peaked at number 58 in June 1988 before being re-issued and climbing to number 4 in February 1989, after topping the Flemish chart in Belgium in September 1988. "Stop!" topped two of the ARIA state charts during a turbulent time at the top of the national chart, where there was a different number one every week for 9 consecutive weeks (some were previous number ones returning to the top spot).
5. "Bedroom Eyes" by Kate Ceberano
State(s) that it went to number one in: New South Wales/Australian Capital Territory, Queensland and Western Australia
Known dates it was number one: 29 May 1989 (NSW/ACT and WA); 12 June 1989 (QLD)
National chart peak: number 2
National chart debut: 24 April 1989
National chart run: 120-56-25-16-11-2-3-3-2-2-2-2-2-4-5-7-8-13-13-20-24-32-44-44-62-80-83-111-99
Formerly the lead singer on most of I'm Talking's singles, Kate Ceberano branched out on her own after the band's demise, launching her pop solo career (she had some earlier jazz releases) with "Bedroom Eyes". As a 10 year-old when this came out, I didn't quite understand what 'bedroom' eyes were. I wasn't a fan of this one at the time, but it has since grown on me. Kate would later score a South Australia/Northern Territory state number one in 1992 with "See Right Through", which only peaked at number 33 nationally, in what would have to be one of the largest discrepancies between state and national chart positions (it was number 60 nationally that week).
6. "Stuck on You" by Paul Norton
State(s) that it went to number one in: South Australia/Northern Territory
Known dates it was number one: 29 May 1989
National chart peak: number 3
National chart debut: 20 February 1989
National chart run: 159-(unknown)-140-120-93-61-49-20-13-11-8-6-3-4-6-5-11-15-15-27-32-40-52-54-62-92-102
"Stuck on You" was Australian singer-songwriter Paul Norton's debut single, although you wouldn't know that from the lyrics, where he mentions making a record that sold 54 (copies, presumably). "Stuck on You" sold considerably more than that. It would be his only major hit, although he had two other later singles that peaked in the 30's.
7. "Hand on Your Heart" by Kylie Minogue
State(s) that it went to number one in: South Australia/Northern Territory
Known dates it was number one: 5 June 1989
National chart peak: number 4
National chart debut: 29 May 1989
National chart run: 4-4-4-5-6-7-7-17-21-34-46-49-84-101-87-148
At the time, a brand new single from Kylie "only" peaking at number 4 in Australia seemed like a bit of a flop for her, given that three of her previous five singles had peaked at number 1, and another at number 2. But, this one did manage to top the South Australia/Northern Territory state chart, which is something. Interestingly, "Hand on Your Heart" peaked at number 2 in Victoria/Tasmania, Queensland and Western Australia, and number 3 in New South Wales/Australian Capital Territory - bettering its national peak in all states. But, as I mentioned earlier, competition at the top of the Australian singles chart was intense during this period.
Part threeof this post will cover the state chart-only number one singles for the second half of 1989. Stay tuned!
The nine new top 150-peaking entries this week cover all bases. Everything from metal to hip-hop to radio station themes to rock ballads to... opera is there. Shall we take a look?
Sam Brown: the hits suddenly 'stopped'.
Top 150 debuts:
Number 108 "Nessun Dorma" by Luciano Pavarotti
Peak: number 108
Peak dates: 22 October 1990 and 29 October 1990
Weeks in top 150: 6 weeks
Top 150 chart run: 108-108-118-113-118-109
Best known - to me, anyway - as one of The Three Tenors, Italian operatic tenor Pavarotti's greatest success in Australia came on the albums chart, where he landed two number ones in 1990 and 1994, alongside José Carreras and Placido Domingo.
When it came to the singles chart, however, it was a different story, and the only single Pavarotti landed on the Australian top 100 was as a guest vocalist on U2 side project Passengers' "Miss Sarajevo" (number 7, December 1995).
"Nessun Dorma", which translates from Italian as "let no-one sleep", is an aria from the opera Turandot. Pavarotti famously performed "Nessun Dorma" at the 1990 FIFA World Cup in Italy, leading to the song becoming known to a wider audience outside of opera-appreciating circles.
Pavarotti's version of "Nessun Dorma" reached number 2 in the UK in June 1990, and number 4 in Ireland. Following Pavarotti's death from pancreatic cancer at age 71 in 2007, "Nessun Dorma" peaked at number 12 in the UK, number 7 in Ireland, and also hit the top 40 in the Netherlands and Switzerland. While the song may not have technically been a hit in Australia, its climactic ending is surely familiar to many more people than its number 108 peak would suggest.
To me, Pavarotti is the kind of music you might hear while browsing in a furniture store, or while waiting to get your hair cut at an Italian barber's (at least, that was my experience in the 1990s).
We will next see Pavarotti bubble under as part of The Three Tenors in 1994.
Number 129 "Stranded" by Heart Peak: number 120
Peak date: 19 November 1990
Weeks in top 150: 5 weeks
Top 150 chart run: 129-132-126-124-120
Weeks on chart: 7 weeks
American band Heart's career can be broadly split into two eras: the 1970s, when they were a hard rock/metal band, and the 1980s/90s, when their music was slickly produced soft rock. The band, fronted by sisters Ann and Nancy Wilson, achieved success in both eras, although were bigger in their second incarnation.
Up until this point, Heart had placed 12 singles on the Australian top 100, with three of those reaching the top 10: "Magic Man" (number 6, March 1977), "Alone" (number 6, August 1987) and "All I Wanna Do Is Make Love to You" (number 1, June 1990). Three of my favourite Heart singles that were US top 10 hits but didn't do quite as well on the Australian charts are "What About Love" (number 28, December 1985), "Never" (number 48, February 1986) and "These Dreams" (number 27, May 1986).
"Stranded" was the third single lifted from Heart's tenth studio album Brigade (number 11, June 1990). It followed "All I Wanna Do Is Make Love to You" and "I Didn't Want To Need You" (number 64, July 1990). Ann sang lead on the majority of Heart's singles, but "Stranded" is one where Nancy sings lead vocals, as she did on "These Dreams" and their 1993 single "Will You Be There (In the Morning)" (number 24, March 1994).
Internationally, "Stranded" peaked at number 60 in the UK in November 1990, and number 13 in the US in December 1990. On the state ARIA charts, "Stranded" performed strongest in South Australia/Northern Territory, where it reached number 92.
I don't believe I had actually heard "Stranded" before viewing the video to write this post, though I saw the single in the shops. I remember at the time finding it odd how little promotion the singles from Brigade received in Australia following the number one success of "All I Wanna Do...". While I heard "I Didn't Want To Need You" on the radio a couple of times in 1990, I didn't see the video until... linking it in this post!
During this era, Ann's physique was deemed 'unmarketable' by the band's record label, and all of the shots of her in the videos from Brigade are from the neck up. In a video podcast interview from earlier this year, Ann details the impact body-shaming from the media had on her during the height of Heart's commercial success, leading to her developing anxiety and stage fright.
A fourth single from Brigade, "Secret", was released in Australia in March 1991, but failed to chart. Again, it received zero promotion, and I had not heard it before now.
We shall next see Heart in 1994.
Number 130 "Once in Your Life" by Sam Brown
Peak: number 125
Peak dates: 5 November 1990 and 12 November 1990
Weeks in top 150: 11 weeks
Chart run: 130-133-125-125-128-138-136-130-131-(chart repeated for 2 week Xmas break)
Weeks on chart: 11 weeks
Since her debut single "Walking Back to Me" was released in Australia in April 1988 (did not chart), English singer-songwriter Sam Brown placed four singles within the ARIA top 100, with her biggest hit being "Stop!" (number 4, May 1989). We also saw Sam bubble under back in September 1989.
"Once in Your Life" was the third single issued from Sam's second album April Moon (number 30, July 1990) in Australia. It followed "With a Little Love" (number 27, June 1990) and "Kissing Gate" (number 89, August 1990).
For reasons I do not know, "Once in Your Life" was not released as a single in Sam's native UK, despite a music video being filmed for the song. Instead, "Mindworks" was issued as the third single from the album there, where it peaked at number 77 in July 1990. "Mindworks" was released as the fourth and final single from April Moon in Australia in February 1991, but failed to chart. One interesting thing about the "Mindworks" music video, if you have not seen it before, is how similar parts of it are to Kylie Minogue's "Put Yourself in My Place" video, recorded four years later.
"Once in Your Life" was issued as a single in continental Europe, though Australia is the only country where it charted. On the ARIA state charts, "Once in Your Life" performed strongest in South Australia/Northern Territory, where it reached number 83. The single also made the top 100 in Western Australia, where it peaked at number 94.
One thing I fondly remember about "Once in Your Life" is the group-singalong-in-the-rain part towards the end of the music video, with Sam bursting into laughter just before the video fades to black.
Following April Moon, Sam parted ways with her record company A&M Records. Her next album, 1993's 43 Minutes (number 132, June 1993), was released independently. We shall see Sam bubble under with a single from it in 1993, but before then, a duet with Black (who we saw bubble under in March 1989), "Fly Up to the Moon" - complete with a claymation video, was released in Australia in October 1991, but failed to chart.
Number 139 "Doowutchyalike" by Digital Underground
Peak: number 139
Peak date: 22 October 1990
Weeks in top 150: 1 week
Top 150 chart run: 139
American hip-hop group Digital Underground are categorised as alternative hip-hop, according to their Wikipedia article. Not knowing what "alternative" hip-hop meant, I read further that it is rap music that does not conform to the conventional styles of rap such as hardcore or gangsta, and that it may also incorporate elements of pop, jazz, soul, reggae, or folk. The first examples of alternative hip-hop I could think of after reading that description were De La Soul, P.M. Dawn and Gang Starr, who were less-concerned with rap clichés such as boasting about how good you are or who you're going to kill...
"Doowutchyalike" was Digital Underground's second single, and their first Australian release. The single did not register on the US Billboard Hot 100, but peaked at number 29 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart in August 1990, and number 20 on the Billboard Dance chart in September 1990 - neither of which is a 'real' chart if you ask me. Elsewhere, "Doowutchyalike" reached number 79 in the UK in September 1989. It is interesting that it charted nearly a year earlier in the UK than in the group's homeland.
Digital Underground would score a much bigger hit with their following single in the US, "The Humpty Dance" (US number 11, June 1990), but this missed the ARIA top 150 when issued locally in November 1990.
Digital Underground's biggest 'hit' in Australia would come when "Kiss You Back" reached number 97 in March 1992.
Number 141 "Dr. Dan's Theme" by Dieter Kleeman
Peak: number 126
Peak date: 29 October 1990
Weeks in top 150: 3 weeks
Top 150 chart run: 141-126-131
This song, which is credited as "Doctor Dan's Theme" on the single sleeve and "Dr. Dan's Theme" on the record label and rear sleeve (don't ya love that?), served as the 'theme' song for the Australian radio station Triple M. That being said, although I listened to some Triple M back in the day (mainly for the Top 8 at 8 countdown in 1989-90), I had completely forgotten about this theme song, and only the whispered "triple M" parts really remained in my consciousness. I'm sure it will ring a bell to those who were regular Triple M listeners in the early 90s, though.
Another point of confusion - Dieter Kleeman's name should really be Dieter Kleemann. It has been misspelt with only one N on the single sleeve and record label.
"Dr. Dan's Theme" peaked at number 99 on the Australian Music Report singles chart.
I reached out to Dieter to obtain a copy of this track (embedded below), as only the 1981 and 1984 versions were on YouTube - so thank you Dieter!
December 2021 update: I have found the music video! Now embedded below.
Number 144 "Bonita Applebum" by A Tribe Called Quest
Peak: number 144
Peak date: 22 October 1990
Weeks in top 150: 1 week
Top 150 chart run: 144
American hip-hop group A Tribe Called Quest formed in 1985. "Bonita Applebum" was their first single issued in Australia, lifted from their debut album People's Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm.
Following in the footsteps of Queen's "Fat Bottomed Girls" (number 25, December 1978) and preceding Sir Mix-A-Lot's "Baby Got Back" (number 8, August 1992), "Bonita Applebum" was a song about the appreciation of... women with amply-sized derrieres.
While the original version of "Bonita Applebum" is uploaded on the band's official YouTube channel, the single version of "Bonita Applebum" in Europe and Australasia, which I have embedded below, features a prominent sample of Carly Simon's "Why". Despite being written and produced by Nile Rodgers and Bernard Edwards of Chic, and sounding like something of an early 1980s classic now, "Why" somehow did not chart at all when issued in Australia in August 1982. "Why" was a number 10 hit in the UK in October 1982, however. Coincidentally, Carly will join us next week.
"Bonita Applebum" missed the US Billboard Hot 100, but registered on the following Billboard dubious charts: number 28 on Dance Singles Sales in May 1997 (I'm not sure why this charted 7 years later), number 58 on Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs in October 1990, and number 4 on Hot Rap Songs in October 1990. As to what some of these charts even reflect - your guess is as good as mine.
Elsewhere, "Bonita Applebum" charted at number 47 in the UK in August 1990; a real, sales-based chart.
For some reason, I always mentally associate "Bonita Applebum" with Christina Applegate, as though the song's title was a cute nickname for her or something - even though her figure (I didn't know this at the time, because I pay little attention to US sitcoms) hardly resembles the women this song is an ode to.
To my surprise, A Tribe Called Quest never landed a top 100 entry - single or album - in Australia, until 2016 when the We Got It from Here... Thank You 4 Your Service album peaked at number 13 in November 2016. During the same year, Phife Dawg (real name Malik Taylor) died in March, aged 45, following complications arising from diabetes.
Number 145 "Real Real Gone" by Van Morrison
Peak: number 117
Peak date: 7 January 1991
Weeks in top 150: 12 weeks
Top 150 chart run: 145-(out for 1 week)-135-142-132-126-132-124-125-(chart repeated for 2 week Xmas break)-117-124
Weeks on chart: 13 weeks
Van Morrison - whom we last saw in March 1990, is, in my mind, the kind of artist who has been around forever, who your uncle (back in the day) might have appreciated, and who could just drop an album out there, with no hit single accompanying it, and land in the top 10. Yet, if pressed, you couldn't actually name one of his songs, right? Well, OK, he did that "Gloria" (G-L-O-R-I-A!) song with his band Them in the 1960s, but you didn't know who actually sung that, or that he was involved.
"Real Real Gone" was the lead single from Van's (real name George Ivan Morrison) twentieth studio album Enlightenment (number 39, November 1990). It was his first single since "Have I Told You Lately" (number 93, August 1989) to chart in Australia. Although the song was written by Van for his 1980 album Common One, it was first recorded by Tom Fogerty as an album track for his 1981 album Deal It Out.
Internationally, "Real Real Gone" peaked at number 79 in Van's native UK (well, he's Northern Irish) in October 1990, and number 28 in Canada in February 1991. On the more-dubious US Billboard charts, "Real Real Gone" peaked at number 18 on the Mainstream Rock Airplay chart in December 1990, and number 34 on the Adult Contemporary chart in January 1991.
On the state charts, "Real Real Gone" performed strongest in South Australia/Northern Territory, where it reached number 77.
Although it's not the sort of thing I'd normally listen to, I don't actually mind this track, hearing it now for the first time - perhaps it's because I'm now at that 'uncle who listens to music from the olden days' stage of my life...
Van will next bubble under in 1995.
Number 147 "Love Don't Live Here Anymore" by Double Trouble
Peak: number 147
Peak date: 22 October 1990
Weeks in top 150: 2 weeks
Chart run: 147-149
Weeks on chart: 2 weeks
You might have guessed from the title that this track is a cover version of Rose Royce's "Love Don't Live Here Anymore" (number 10, July 1979), which is one of those songs that seems to be a standard to cover. A few other covers of the song that immediately spring to mind are those by I'm Talking (number 21, October 1985), Jimmy Nail (UK number 3, May 1985), Madonna (number 27, June 1996), and Yazz (recorded for her 1997 covers album The Natural Life).
Despite the name, Double Trouble were actually a trio of dance music producers and remixers. They scored a minor hit in Australia with "Street Tuff" (number 85, February 1990), featuring Rebel MC, whom we saw again last week, on vocals. Pairing up again with Rebel MC, we saw Double Trouble bubble under previously in March 1990.
"Love Don't Live Here Anymore" featured the vocals of Janette Sewell, who sang back-up vocals on "Street Tuff". Janette's backing vocal credits also include Simply Red's Men and Women album and The Beloved's Happiness album, among others.
In the UK, "Love Don't Live Anymore" peaked at number 21 in July 1990. The single also reached number 29 in Ireland in July 1990, number 35 in Germany in September 1990, and number 11 in New Zealand in October 1990 (yet another example of the Kiwis being more evolved than us).
Tragically, one third of Double Trouble, Michael Menson, died in 1997, aged 30, succumbing to injuries two weeks after being set alight in a racially-motivated street attack. Family and friends felt that the police did not adequately investigate the attack, treating Michael's death as though it was a suicide instsead. Following campaigning and a public outcry, a fresh investigation team was assigned and one man was charged with murder in December 1999, and another with manslaughter.
This would be Double Trouble's final release to chart in Australia.
Number 150 "Empire" by Queensrÿche
Peak: number 150
Peak date: 22 October 1990
Weeks in top 150: 1 week
Chart run: 150
Weeks on chart: 1 week
Queensrÿche (pronounced kweenz-rike) are an American heavy metal/hard rock band, formed in 1980. "Empire" was the title track and lead single from their fourth studio album Empire (number 127, November 1990). It was also the band's first single to chart in Australia. An earlier album, Rage for Order, spent one week on the Kent Music Report top 100 albums chart in August 1986, at number 94.
Internationally, "Empire" peaked at number 61 in the UK in November 1990, and at number 22 on the questionable US Billboard Mainstream Rock Airplay chart in November 1990.
In Australia, "Empire" performed strongest in Victoria/Tasmania, where it reached number 134.
The song deals with the subject matter of illicit drug trafficking in the United States, and the detrimental effect this has on society. As of 2016, the band have played the song over 1,000 times at live concerts.
This week in 1989 there were nine new entries peaking between number 101 and number 150. This would hold the record for the largest number of debuts for any week of 1989, if not for the first top 150 singles chart ever produced, on 30 January 1989, which saw 23 new entries.
A loose lyrical theme running through this week's debuts is being free with your 'love'. Whether that's busting moves at your best friend's wedding, being flippant about the name of the person you're writing a love song about, or stating explicitly (in quite a literal sense!) what you want to do to your 'lover', it's all here this week. Let's take a look...
Young MC was not quite 'bustin'' on the ARIA chart in 1989.
Top 150 debuts:
Number 119 "This Feeling" by Sam Brown
Peak: number 115
Peak date: 25 September 1989
Weeks in top 150: 6 weeks
Chart run: 119-115-125-124-138-136
Weeks on chart: 6 weeks
Released as the third single from Sam's debut album Stop! in Europe, "This Feeling" stalled at number 91 in the UK in August 1988. The single had greater, albeit moderate, success in the Dutch-speaking Flanders region of Belgium, and the Netherlands, where it peaked at numbers 23 and 32, respectively, in November 1988. Sam then scored her biggest hit with the re-issue issue of "Stop!" in early 1989.
In Australia, "This Feeling" was Sam's fourth single, following "Walking Back to Me" (released April 1988, failed to chart), "Stop!" (number 4, May 1989) and "Can I Get a Witness?" (number 17, August 1989). The track features a guitar solo from David Gilmour of Pink Floyd.
I remember seeing the "This Feeling" single in the shops, but never heard the song or caught the video anywhere at the time; so, presumably, its success was hindered by a lack of promotion. It's a shame, as "This Feeling" is actually my favourite Sam Brown song, and I think it deserved a lot better. "This Feeling" performed strongest on the South Australia/Northern Territory state chart, where it peaked at number 86. Sam will pay us another visit in 1990.
Number 127 "Be Free with Your Love" by Spandau Ballet
Peak: number 110
Peak date: 25 September 1989
Weeks in top 150: 7 weeks
Chart run: 152-127-110-115-115-124-122-124
Weeks on chart: 8 weeks
In Australia, Spandau Ballet's greatest success came in 1983, where they scored back-to-back top 10 hits with "True" (number 4, September 1983) and "Gold" (number 9, November 1983). In total, the group amassed ten top 40 hits in Australia between 1981 and 1986, with their final top 100 chart entry being "Raw" (number 79, October 1988). "Be Free with Your Love" was the belated follow-up to "Raw", and was the second single lifted from their Heart Like a Sky album (number 115, October 1989). The single had greater, albeit modest, success in their native UK, where it peaked at number 42 in September 1989.
In Australia, "Be Free with Your Love" was most popular in Western Australia, where it reached number 91 on the state chart. The single peaked within the top 100 on all of the state charts other than New South Wales/Australian Capital Territory, where it peaked at number 106.
I don't recall hearing this one before, but I like it.
Peak dates: 18 September 1989 (1989 chart run); 22 October 1990 (1990 chart run)
Weeks in top 150: 2 weeks (in 1989); 29 weeks (1989 and 1990-1991 chart runs combined)
Top 150 chart run: 139-(out for 6 weeks)-149
Re-entered 16 July 1990: 143-95-47-46-40-30-22-25-15-12-7-4-4-2-1-2-3-4-6-18-36-50-66-(chart repeated for 2 week Xmas break)-68-75
Weeks on chart: 33 weeks (1989 and 1990-1991 chart runs combined)
I know some of you reading this might be thinking, "Isn't this blog supposed to be about flops that missed the top 100?" Well, yes, that is its raison d'être, but I will also write about singles that flopped upon their initial release (or later re-release, after once being a hit), such as this one from Young MC.
"Bust a Move" was the second release for Young MC (real name Marvin Young) in Australia, following the 12" vinyl-only release of "Know How" in May 1989. Issued locally in early July 1989, "Bust a Move" took just over two months to dent the top 150. Despite the initial lack of success, Young MC had co-written both of Tone Lōc's 1989 hits, "Wild Thing" (number 15, May 1989) and "Funky Cold Medina" (number 8, August 1989). "Bust a Move" had greater success in the US, where it peaked at number 7 on the Billboard Hot 100 in October 1989.
I caught the "Bust a Move" music video at least twice on Countdown Revolution in 1989, and even recall someone at school reciting the "she's dressed in yellow, she says hello" couplet at the time, so I am not sure why "Bust a Move" flopped the first time around - other than because, as I have previously written, rap generally didn't do that well on the Australian singles chart during its 1980s heyday. Of course, "Bust a Move" would go on to top the ARIA singles chart in October 1990, after being re-released. Young MC will join us again in 1991.
Number 141 "Regina" by The Sugarcubes
Peak: number 141
Peak date: 18 September 1989
Weeks in top 150: 1 week
Top 150 chart run: 141
Weeks on chart: 6 weeks
The Sugarcubes were a group I remember hearing and reading about at the time, but wasn't aware of them until taking note of lead singer Björk's solo career in 1993. Somehow, the group's non-charting single "Birthday" (released in Australia in September 1988) had filtered its way through to me, but I never knew what the song was called or who it was by at the time. The lead single from their Here Today, Tomorrow Next Week! album (number 105, October 1989), "Regina", conversely, completely passed me by. Listening to it now, "Regina" doesn't seem particularly chart-friendly, and indeed, the only other major chart it registered on was in the UK, where it peaked at number 55 in September 1989.
In Australia, "Regina" performed strongest in South Australia/Northern Territory, where it reached number 106 on the state chart.
The only other charting single The Sugarcubes had in Australia was "Hit" (number 76, March 1992).
Number 142 "Hump Music" by No Face
Peak: number 132 (in 1989); number 64 (in 1990)
Peak dates: 2 October 1989 (1989 chart run); 30 April 1990 (1990 chart run)
Weeks in top 150: 4 weeks (in 1989); 13 weeks (1989 and 1990 chart runs combined)
Top 150 chart run: 142-(out for 1 week)-132-(out of chart for 3 weeks)-147-145
Re-entered 12 March 1990: 142-147-138-122-68-73-74-64-72
Another rap track that didn't crossover into the mainstream in 1989, but did a little bit better in 1990, was "Hump Music" by No Face. Although, in this instance, it's understandable why this didn't become a major chart hit (or is it?), given the more... overtly sexual nature of the lyrics, with lines such as "Girl, I'll f**k you, give me p*ssy now", "suck my d*ck all night long" and "I'll f*ck you, I'll dump you, I'll suck you". Ooh er Missus! Nevertheless, "Hump Music" got a second lease of life on the ARIA chart, where it re-entered in March 1990, and peaked at number 64 at the end of April 1990.
Number 143 "Kid Ego" by Extreme
Peak: number 138
Peak date: 25 September 1989
Weeks in top 150: 3 weeks
Top 150 chart run: 143-138-148
Weeks on chart: 7 weeks
Like most Australians, I'd never heard of Extreme until their breakthrough hit, "More Than Words" (number 2, August 1991); an acoustic ballad that was nothing like their typical sound. Released as the band's second single in the US, but their first in Australia, the glam metal "Kid Ego" peaked at number 39 on the US Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks chart (which doesn't count as a real chart in my book), and appears to have not charted anywhere else other than New Zealand, where it peaked at number 13 in August 1989. Lifted from the album Extreme (number 97, August 1989), "Kid Ego" performed better on the Australian Music Report chart, where it peaked at number 93. On the state charts, "Kid Ego" performed strongest in South Australia/Northern Territory, where it peaked at number 79. We will next see Extreme in 1993.
Number 145 "Song for Whoever" by The Beautiful South
Peak: number 145
Peak date: 18 September 1989
Weeks in top 150: 1 week
Top 150 chart run: 145
Weeks on chart: 3 weeks
The Beautiful South were a band I remember reading about in UK Smash Hits-rival magazine Number One, which I read regularly in 1989 and 1990 (before my local newsagent stopped stocking it). I never heard any of their music though until "A Little Time" became a minor hit locally (number 72, May 1991) - and, in fact, their only top 100 single in Australia. Formed from the remnants of The Housemartins, whose biggest and only real hit in Australia was their version of "Caravan of Love" (number 24, June 1987), "Song for Whoever" was The Beautiful South's debut single. The track, lifted from their Welcome to the Beautiful South album, peaked at number 2 in the group's native UK in July 1989.
I didn't hear this track until 2007, when it became one of my favourite 'new' music discoveries that year. Known as the "music man" with a stash of music at the ready at a former job, someone once asked me to put some music on when a 'colleague' announced that she eloped on an overseas holiday during a staff meeting. The nearest thing I could grab was a CD-R (how quaint) with this on it as track 1. I'm not sure how well lines like "I love you from the bottom of my pencil case" fit the occasion, but it's not like anyone was really listening. Still, I think it was a more-fitting song than the one the requester had suggested - Billy Idol's "White Wedding" (do people not listen to the lyrics?!).
On the state charts, "Song for Whoever" performed strongest in Western Australia, where it peaked at number 114. We shall see The Beautiful South again in 1990.
Number 147 "I'm Every Woman (Remix)" by Chaka Khan
Peak: number 147
Peak date: 18 September 1989
Weeks in top 150: 1 week
Chart run: 147
Weeks on chart: 1 week
Despite having name recognition, Chaka Khan only had two solo top 100-charting singles in Australia - those being the original version of "I'm Every Woman" (number 27, March 1979), and "I Feel for You" (number 4, December 1984). Even with her group Rufus, they only managed to score one Australian top 100 'hit' - "Tell Me Something Good" (number 64, November 1974). Despite Chaka's relative lack of success, this 1989 remix of "I'm Every Woman", lifted from the remix album Life Is a Dance - The Remix Album (number 143, July 1989), managed to register on our chart - albeit in the lower reaches of the top 150. This version of "I'm Every Woman" performed much better in the UK, where it peaked at number 8 for two weeks in May 1989.
We will next see Chaka as a featured artist in 1990, and on her own in 1992.
Number 150 "Some Hearts" by Marshall Crenshaw
Peak: number 140
Peak date: 16 October 1989
Weeks in top 150: 5 weeks
Top 150 chart run: 150-144-(out for 1 week)-150-140-148
Before getting hold of these charts, I had never heard of Marshall Crenshaw, who hails from the US. Marshall had previously placed one single in the Australian top 100, "Someday, Someway" (number 57, December 1982). "Some Hearts" was written by Diane Warren, and was originally offered to Belinda Carlisle, who recorded a demo for her 1987 Heaven on Earth album, but it did not evolve beyond the demo stage. Interestingly, this song did not chart anywhere else.
Bubbling WAY down under:
Number 152 "Some People" by E.G. Daily
Peak: number 152
Peak date: 18 September 1989
Weeks on chart: 3 weeks
Now here's someone I had heard of before... unknowingly, as the voice of Tommy Pickles on the Nickelodeon cartoon Rugrats - a show I used to sometimes watch in 1996 to wind down from a day of my final year of high school. But long before then, E.G. (real name: Elizabeth Ann Guttman) had a brush with fame playing 'Patti', the 17 year-old teenage runaway who later gave birth to a 10 lb. baby boy, in Rod Stewart's "Young Turks" (number 3, March 1982) music video. In between being a dancer in music videos and a voiceover actress, E.G. tried her hand at being a pop star. While she never achieved massive success in her recording career, E.G. did score a top 20 hit in Belgium, the Netherlands and New Zealand, with "Say It, Say It" in 1986.
Elizabeth also recorded a track with Stock Aitken Waterman, "Mind Over Matter", released overseas in 1987 to promote the film Summer School. In Australia, "Mind Over Matter" had a belated release in July 1988, and whilst it peaked at number 44 on the South Australia/Northern Territory state chart in September 1988, it did not chart nationally on the ARIA chart (probably because the chart ended at number 100 in 1988). "Mind Over Matter" did, however, reach number 84 on the Australian Music Report chart. Interestingly, Stock Aitken Waterman originally recorded "Mind Over Matter" with Deborah Harry, but it was shelved, and remains unreleased to this day.
After that long introduction, let's take a look at the track at hand. "Some People" was released as the lead single from the album Lace Around the World. While it reached number 33 on the US Dance chart (not a real chart, according to me), the single failed to chart anywhere else.
In Australia, "Some People" performed strongest in Western Australia, where it reached number 104.
Number 153 "Thing Called Love" by Bonnie Raitt
Peak: number 153
Peak date: 18 September 1989
Weeks on chart: 2 weeks
American Bonnie Raitt had been releasing albums since 1971, but "Thing Called Love", from her tenth studio album Nick of Time (number 58, April 1990), was her first single to register on the Australian chart.
The Nick of Time album was also Bonnie's major commercial breakthrough in the US, where it topped the chart and was certified quintuple platinum. That being said, "Thing Called Love" did not chart on the Billboard Hot 100, despite later singles from the album doing so.
Elsewhere, "Thing Called Love" peaked at number 86 in the UK in June 1990, and number 66 in the Netherlands in September 1990.
On the ARIA state charts, "Thing Called Love" performed strongest in Western Australia, where it peaked at number 125.
Listening to "Thing Called Love" as I write this, I can't help but think that it might have been a much bigger hit if it had've been released a couple of years later, when the popularity of blues-twinged music seemed to take off in Australia. The song is certainly catchy.
Bonnie will break into the ARIA top 150 single chart in May 1990, twice!
Next week (25 September): Another six new top 150 entries, and two bubbling WAY down under debuts. Among them, we have the first charting song about the drug ecstasy, and the last chart entry from a duo who were nudging the top of the charts earlier in the year. You can also follow my posts on facebook and instagram.
