Week commencing 24 June 1991

Things this week in 1991's new entries have in common - none of them were huge hits in the country where the artist was based.  Before we take a look at them, I have added a newly-uncovered bubbling WAY down under entry from The Party to last week's post.

 

Whitney Houston: Australia wasn't really buying her r&b jams in the early 90s.

 

Top 150 debuts:

 

Number 103 "Only You" by Keith Urban

Peak: number 101

Peak date: 1 July 1991

Weeks in top 150: 8 weeks

Top 150 chart run: 103-101-114-109-113-115-123

Weeks on chart: 11 weeks

 

Country singer Keith Urban, whose real surname is Urbahn, was born in Whangarei on the North Island of New Zealand.  Coincidentally, I lived in Whangarei for about six months as a 5-6 year-old child when my dad relocated there for work.  Keith's family moved to Australia when he was two years old.

 

While "Only You" was Keith's first single to chart anywhere in the world, it was actually his second release.  The first single, "I Never Work on a Sunday", was issued in Australia in June 1990, but failed to chart.  As you can see on the single sleeve for "I Never Work on a Sunday", Keith was the Westpac (Bank) Star Maker winner for 1990.  That is some accolade! (said with no hint of irony...)

Both "I Never Work on a Sunday" and "Only You" were lifted from Keith's debut album Keith Urban (number 98, October 1991) - not to be confused with his 1999 album of the same name, which peaked at number 90 in Australia in February 2001.

Keith would have to wait until 2003 to land his first top 100 single in Australia, with "Raining on Sunday" (number 79, February 2003).

 

On the state charts, "Only You" performed strongest in Queensland, where it reached number 43.  "Only You" peaked at number 93 on the Australian Music Report singles chart.

While still tinged with country, "Only You" is more of a straightforward pop rock track.

We shall next see Keith in September 1991.

 

 

Number 135 "Lowdown and Dirty" by Foreigner

Peak: number 123

Peak date: 8 July 1991

Weeks in top 150: 8 weeks

Chart run: 135-130-123-128-137-128-129-130

Weeks on chart: 8 weeks

 

British-American rock band Foreigner placed 12 singles on the Australian chart between 1977 and 1988, with three of those reaching the top ten.  Power ballad "I Want to Know What Love Is" was their biggest hit in Australia, spending five weeks at number one in February and March of 1985.  The group's previous charting single in Australia, and their last to make the top 100, was "I Don't Want to Live without You" (number 24, June 1988).

 

Lou Gramm, who had sang lead vocals on all of Foreigner's previous hits, parted ways with the group in May 1990.  He was replaced by Johnny Edwards, who sings lead on "Lowdown and Dirty", the lead single from Foreigner's seventh studio album Unusual Heat (number 102, July 1991).

 

Internationally, "Lowdown and Dirty" peaked at number 50 in Canada.  It also reached number 4 on the US Mainstream Rock Airplay chart in July 1991, for whatever that's worth (not much). 

Within Australia, "Lowdown and Dirty" was most successful in Victoria/Tasmania, where it reached number 91.

A second and final single from Unusual Heat, "I'll Fight for You", was released in Australia in September 1991, but did not chart.

Lou Gramm re-joined Foreigner in 1992, before departing again in 2003.

 

We will next see Foreigner in 1994.

 

 

 

Number 141 "Whenever You Close Your Eyes" by Tommy Page

Peak: number 136

Peak date: 15 July 1991

Weeks in top 150: 5 weeks 

Top 150 chart run: 141-146-138-136-142

 

American singer Tommy Page has joined us previously in April 1989 and in April 1990; and here he is in the ARIA top 150 singles chart for a third and final time.

"Whenever You Close Your Eyes" was the lead single from Tommy's third album From the Heart (number 129, July 1991).  Interestingly, I cannot find evidence of the single charting anywhere else.

I don't recall hearing this one before.  Michael Bolton's distinctive voice can be heard singing backing vocals on the final chorus section.

Slightly amusing story: I recently had the PWL remix of Tommy's "A Zillion Kisses" playing in the car with my mum as a passenger.  As the song was playing, she asked me, "Is this Madonna?"

Number 144 "The Soul Cages" by Sting

Peak: number 135

Peak date: 1 July 1991

Weeks in top 150: 4 weeks

Chart run: 144-135-141-137

Weeks on chart: 4 weeks

We last saw Gordon Sumner, aka Sting, in April 1991.

"The Soul Cages" was the third single and title track from Sting's third solo album The Soul Cages (number 3, February 1991).

 

"The Soul Cages", which I did actually hear at the time (radio loved Sting back then), peaked at number 57 in Sting's native UK in May 1991, and at number 77 in the Netherlands during the same month.  The track also reached number 9 on the US Alternative Airplay chart in April 1991, and number 7 on the US Mainstream Rock Airplay chart in April 1991.

 

Domestically, "The Soul Cages" performed strongest in Queensland, where it reached number 125.

Sting will join us next in 1994.

Number 146 "Fastlane" by Urban Dance Squad

Peak Number 146

Peak date: 24 June 1991

Weeks in top 150: 1 week

Top 150 chart run: 146

Dutch rap rock band Urban Dance Squad narrowly missed the ARIA top 50 with their debut single "Deeper Shade of Soul" (number 56, May 1991), which was their only top 100 entry in Australia.

 

"Fastlane", also from the group's debut album Mental Floss for the Globe (released in Australia in May 1991, missed the top 150), was Urban Dance Squad's second single issued locally.

"Fastlane" peaked at number 59 in the Netherlands in June 1991.

This single was the group's last top 150 entry in Australia.

Number 148 "My Name Is Not Susan" by Whitney Houston

Peak: number 118

Peak date: 8 July 1991

Weeks in top 150: 11 weeks

Chart run: 148-133-118-139-134-147-149-125-136-150-139

Weeks on chart: 11 weeks

By this point in 1991, American singer Whitney Houston had placed 12 singles on the Australian chart.  In the US, Whitney had a string of seven consecutive number one singles, and a tally of nine Billboard Hot 100 number ones by mid-1991.  In contrast, despite her first two albums being huge, Whitney had only landed four top 10 singles in Australia at this point in time, with "Greatest Love of All" (number 1, July 1986) and "I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)" (number 1, June 1987) being her only releases to top the singles chart so far.

Whitney's third album I'm Your Baby Tonight (number 10, December 1990) was more r&b-focused and less commercially-successful than its predecessors.  Only one single from the album, "I'm Your Baby Tonight" (number 7, November 1990), reached the top 50 in Australia.  "All the Man That I Need" (number 59, March 1991), the album's second single, stalled outside the top 50.

 

Third single "My Name Is Not Susan" fared even worse, peaking outside the top 100.  Up until now, the only Whitney singles that missed the top 100 in Australia were the duets "I Know Him So Well" (with her mother Cissy Houston, released in Australia in March 1989) and "It Isn't, It Wasn't, It Ain't Never Gonna Be" (with Aretha Franklin, October 1989) - which both failed to chart.

Internationally, "My Name Is Not Susan" peaked at number 43 in the Flanders region of Belgium in 1991, number 29 in the UK in July 1991, number 14 in Ireland in July 1991, number 28 in the Netherlands in July 1991, number 57 in Germany in August 1991, number 31 in Sweden in August 1991, and number 20 in the US in September 1991.

 

The US peak of 'only' number 20 was surely a disappointment, coming off the back of two number one hits.  The I'm Your Baby Tonight album campaign soon wrapped up, following a fourth single issued in North America and Europe - but not in Australia - "I Belong to You", which missed the Billboard Hot 100 and peaked no higher than number 54 (in the UK) anywhere in the world.

 

For reasons I am not sure why, "My Name Is Not Susan" re-entered the chart in Germany in 1998, reaching a slightly higher peak of number 52 there in July 1998.

Within Australia, "My Name Is Not Susan" performed strongest in Western Australia, where it reached number 77.

As with "I'm Your Baby Tonight", there were two different mixes of the single and two different videos for the US and European/Australasian markets.  I have embedded both below, with the earlier European version (made up of clips from other Whitney videos/performances) listed beneath the US 'rap' version, which features Monie Love.

Whitney will next join us in 2001.

 

 

 

Bubbling WAY down under:

 

Number 180 "Tell Me That You Wait" by Culture Beat featuring Lana E. and Jay Supreme

Peak: number 180

Peak date: 24 June 1991

Weeks on chart: 3 weeks

 

We last saw German dance group Culture Beat in March 1991.  "Tell Me That You Wait" was the third single lifted from their debut album Horizon (number 150, April 1991).  Oddly, I cannot find evidence of "Tell Me That You Wait" charting anywhere else.

I have heard this track before, but not until the mid 2010s, when it showed up on a various artists promo VHS compilation I bought on eBay.

On the ARIA state charts, "Tell Me That You Wait" performed strongest in New South Wales/Australian Capital Territory, where it reached number 157.

We'll next see Culture Beat in November 1991, when they finally break into the top 150 singles chart.

 

 

Number 185 "Heartbreak Station" by Cinderella

Peak: number 185

Peak date: 24 June 1991

Weeks on chart: 2 weeks

 

We have seen American rock band Cinderella twice previously, in May and July of 1989.

 

"Heartbreak Station" was the second single and title track from the band's third album Heartbreak Station (number 72, March 1991).  It followed "Shelter Me" (number 48, March 1991), which was their biggest hit in Australia.

 

Internationally, "Heartbreak Station" peaked at number 44 in the US in April 1991, number 51 in Canada, and number 63 in the UK in April 1991.

Within Australia, "Heartbreak Station" was most popular in South Australia/Northern Territory, where it reached number 142.

"Heartbreak Station" was Cinderella's final single to chart in Australia.  They had another charting album, however, with Still Climbing (number 187, January 1995).

 

 

Next week (1 July): Seven top 150 debuts and one bubbling WAY down under entry.  Among them is one of the best (or worst - depending on which side of the fence you sit) song titles of all time!

 

< Previous week: 17 June 1991                                         Next week: 1 July 1991 > 

Week commencing 22 April 1991

Of the twelve new entries I write about from this week in 1991, eight of them did not make the top 40 anywhere that I can ascertain (and none of these are Australian artists).  Before we take a look, I have updated the following earlier posts with the following:

• 10 April 1989 - a new bubbling WAY down under entry from Tony Llewellyn;
  
• 23 October 1989 - new bubbling WAY down under entries from Tony Llewellyn and Scary Bill;
  

 

The Farm: all together in ARIA chart no man's land.

 

Top 150 debuts:

 

Number 118 "Mad About You" by Sting

Peak: number 109

Peak date: 29 April 1991

Weeks in top 150: 6 weeks

Top 150 chart run: 118-109-112-115-125-131

Weeks on chart: 7 weeks

 

We last saw Sting bubble WAY down under in November 1990.  "Mad About You" was the second single issued from Sting's third solo studio album The Soul Cages (number 3, February 1991).  It followed "All This Time" (number 26, February 1991).

Internationally, "Mad About You" peaked at number 56 in Sting's native UK in March 1991, number 44 in the Netherlands in March 1991, and number 59 in Germany in May 1991.

Within Australia, "Mad About You" performed strongest in Western Australia, where it reached number 80.

I don't recall hearing "Mad About You" before, but, presumably it received some airplay, as Australian FM radio loved Sting and his former band The Police during this period.

 

Few would have predicted that "All This Time" would become Sting's final solo (non-collaboration) top 40 hit in Australia, at the time.

"Mad About You" dented the Australian Music Report top 100 singles chart, peaking at number 95.

We'll next see Sting in June 1991.

 

 

 

Number 122 "Melt in Your Mouth" by Candyman

Peak: number 118

Peak dates: 29 April 1991 and 13 May 1991

Weeks in top 150: 6 weeks

Top 150 chart run: 122-118-122-118-127-135

 

American rapper John B. Shaffer III, better known as Candyman, scored a number 9 hit on the US Billboard Hot 100 in November 1990 with "Knockin' Boots", a song I became acquainted with via the American Top 40 radio show.  The single did not perform as well in Australia, peaking at number 58 in January 1991.

 

"Melt in Your Mouth" was the second single from Candyman's debut album Ain't No Shame in My Game (number 142, January 1991).  The single peaked at number 69 in the US in February 1991, and at number 41 in the Netherlands in April 1991.  Candyman effectively became a one-hit wonder, or, in Australia, a not-quite one-hit wonder.

I hadn't heard "Melt in Your Mouth" before.  The song's chorus and melodic hook are lifted from The Spinners' "Could It Be I'm Falling in Love" from 1972.

 

"Melt in Your Mouth" peaked higher on the Australian Music Report singles chart, where it reached number 94.

Number 140 "Loose Fit" by Happy Mondays

Peak: number 117

Peak date: 6 May 1991

Weeks in top 150: 10 weeks

Chart run: 140-132-117-119-119-120-127-124-122-124

Weeks on chart: 10 weeks

We last saw English band Happy Mondays in August 1990.  "Loose Fit" was the third single lifted from the band's third studio album Pills 'n' Thrills and Bellyaches (number 98, March 1991).

 

"Loose Fit" peaked at number 17 the UK in March 1991, and at number 71 in the Netherlands in May 1991.  It's interesting (or so I think) how the peak positions for "Loose Fit" in various countries are all combinations of the numbers one and seven.

Domestically, "Loose Fit" performed strongest in South Australia/Northern Territory, where it reached number 53.

I have heard "Loose Fit" before, and like it, but could not remember how the song went until listening to it again to write this post.

Owing to the Gulf War taking place in early 1991, the "Gonna buy an airforce base, gonna wipe out your race" lyric was edited out of "Loose Fit" for the single's release in the UK.  I remember reading about sillier censorship decisions by the BBC around the time of the Gulf War, such as banning Bangles' "Walk Like an Egyptian" (number 1, February 1987).  That's the kind of censorship you might expect from the US.

Happy Mondays will join us next in 1992.

Number 142 "All Together Now" by The Farm

Peak: number 102

Peak date: 6 May 1991

Weeks in top 150: 7 weeks

Top 150 chart run: 142-110-102-104-113-116-116

Weeks on chart: 11 weeks

English band The Farm last graced us with their presence in January 1991.  "All Together Now" was the second single from the band's first studio album Spartacus (number 106, May 1991).

 

An early version of "All Together Now", titled "No Man's Land", was written after the band's singer Peter Hooton, who had trained as a history teacher, read an article about the unofficial Christmas truce between British and German soldiers during the first World War in 1914.  The troops ditched their weapons to play a game of football on 'no man's land', the space between their trenches.  The song was performed live on John Peel's Radio 1 show in 1983.  When recording the song in 1990, producer Suggs (from Madness) suggested the chorus lyric should be "all together now".  The song interpolates German baroque composer Johann Pachelbel's "Canon in D".

 

The single peaked at number 4 in the UK in December 1990, number 9 in the Netherlands in February 1991, number 13 in the Flanders region of Belgium in February 1991, number 5 in Germany in March 1991, and number 18 in Switzerland in April 1991.
 

On the state charts, "All Together Now" performed strongest in South Australia/Northern Territory, where it reached number 66.  The single also crept into the Australian Music Report top 100 singles chart, peaking at number 96.

 

I don't recall hearing "All Together Now" in 1991, but became familiar with the song via a 1995 happy hardcore cover version from German eurodance band Intermission.

We will see The Farm again in July 1991.

Number 149 "Temple of Love" by Harriet

Peak: number 149

Peak date: 22 April 1991

Weeks in top 150: 1 week

Top 150 chart run: 149

Here's one I had never heard of before.  Harriet, whose full name is Harriet Roberts, is a soul singer from Sheffield in the UK.  Interestingly, this track was her only release to dent the UK (compressed) top 100, spending a solitary week at number 100 on the compressed chart (number 129 on the uncompressed chart with no exclusions below number 75) in August 1990.

"Temple of Love" was lifted from the album Woman to Man; Harriet's only album release.  A much dancier version of the track, which I prefer, was released as the single version in Germany and Japan.

Bizarrely, "Temple of Love" was released in Australia in October 1990, taking six months to scrape into the top 150.  In the interim, Harriet released another single locally, "Woman to Man", in January 1991, but it missed the top 150.

Number 150 "Funk Boutique" by The Cover Girls

Peak: number 150

Peak date: 22 April 1991

Weeks in top 150: 1 week

Top 150 chart run: 150

Weeks on chart: 3 weeks

The only song by New York-based freestyle group The Cover Girls I had heard before is one that we will see in 1992.

"Funk Boutique", which is quite sparse in lyrics, appears to have been an in-between albums release that was eventually included on the group's third studio album Here It Is (number 236, September 1992) in 1992.

"Funk Boutique" peaked at number 55 on the US Billboard Hot 100 in March 1991.

Domestically, "Funk Boutique" was most popular in New South Wales/Australian Capital Territory, where it reached number 144.

The Cover Girls will make their second and final appearance on the ARIA singles chart in 1992.

Bubbling WAY down under:

Number 154 "All I Want Is You" by Surface

Peak: number 154

Peak date: 22 April 1991

Weeks on chart: 1 week

You can tell from the first few seconds of this track that it's going to be a slickly-produced r&b lurve ballad... and that's exactly what it is, listening to this track for the first time.

Surface last 'surfaced' (ho ho) on the ARIA top 150 in February 1991.  "All I Want Is You" was another single from the group's third studio album 3 Deep (number 146, April 1991).

 

Surprisingly, "All I Want Is You" did not chart on the US Billboard Hot 100.  It did, however, reach number 8 on the US Billboard R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart in April 1991... for what that's worth.

 

Locally, "All I Want Is You" was most successful in New South Wales/Australian Capital Territory, where it reached number 147.

"All I Want Is You" would be Surface's last single to chart in Australia.

Number 158 "G.L.A.D." by Kim Appleby

Peak: number 158

Peak date: 22 April 1991

Weeks on chart: 2 weeks

We first saw Kim Appleby in January 1991.  "G.L.A.D.", short for good lovin' and devotion, was the second single lifted from Kim's debut solo album Kim Appleby (number 159, April 1991).  The song was co-written with Kim's late sister Melanie, who was the other half of Mel & Kim, and Craig Logan, the former Bros member who Kim was dating at this time.

G.L.A.D. was going to be the title of Mel & Kim's second album, which never eventuated, following F.L.M. (number 2, August 1987) and sticking with the alphabet letters theme.  Kim launched her solo career nine months after Mel's passing in January 1990.  She was driven to showcase the songs she and Mel had written during Mel's illness, as a tribute to her sister.

"G.L.A.D." was remixed from the original album version for its single release by Phil Harding and Ian Curnow, the B-team at Stock Aitken Waterman (who produced the F.L.M. album).  The track features a rap from Aswad's Brinsley Ford.

Internationally, "G.L.A.D." reached number 10 in the UK in February 1991, number 7 in Ireland, number 6 in the Flanders region of Belgium in April 1991, and top 20 in Germany, the Netherlands and Switzerland.

Within Australia, "G.L.A.D." performed strongest in Victoria/Tasmania, where it reached number 138.

Unlike Kim's previous single, I heard "G.L.A.D." at the time, catching the video on Channel 10's short-lived Coca-Cola Power Cuts as a new release.

A third single from the Kim Appleby album, "Mama", was released in Australia in June 1991, but failed to chart.  It did, however, give Kim a third and final solo top 20 hit in the UK, peaking at number 19 there in July 1991.

A fourth single, "If You Cared", was issued from the album in the UK in October 1991, but did not receive a local release.  Mel & Kim performed a live a cappella excerpt from "If You Cared" in their April 1988 interview on UK TV show Wogan.

We shall see Kim Appleby again in 1993.

Number 172 "Couldn't Say Goodbye" by Tom Jones

Peak: number 172

Peak date: 22 April 1991

Weeks on chart: 2 weeks

 

We last saw Welsh singer Tom Jones in 1989.  "Couldn't Say Goodbye" was the lead single from Tom's 32nd studio album Carrying a Torch (released in Australia in July 1991, did not chart).

 

Internationally, "Couldn't Say Goodbye" peaked at number 51 in the UK in January 1991.  In Australia, the single performed strongest in New South Wales/Australian Capital Territory, where it reached number 161 on the state chart.

 

I hadn't heard "Couldn't Say Goodbye" until listening to it while writing this post.  I actually chuckled to myself when I saw that the song was co-written by beige songwriter extraordinaire Diane Warren, as it's exactly the kind of schmaltz she is responsible for.  I did think to myself "I bet this one was written by Diane Warren" before checking the credits.

 

Tom will join us next in 1995.

 

 

Number 180 "Now That We've Found Love" by Love in Effect featuring Jazzie B

Peak: number 180

Peak date: 22 April 1991

Weeks on chart: 2 weeks

 

This track is a cover version of The O'Jays' "Now That We've Found Love" from 1973.   Another version of the song, by Heavy D. & The Boyz, peaked at number 6 in Australia in September 1991.

Love in Effect was an ensemble of artists who came together to release this single and nothing else.  I assume the track was recorded for charity, as these things usually are, but cannot find any evidence of such.

 

The artists featured in Love in Effect include Soul II Soul's Jazzie B (the only one to receive a featuring credit), Ben Vopeliere-Pierrot from Curiosity Killed the Cat, Ruby Turner, Diana Brown and Barry K. Sharpe, The Wee Papa Girl Rappers, Jeninne Levy, and Jay Williamson.

This version of "Now That We've Found Love" missed the UK top 75, and peaked at number 80 in the Netherlands in March 1991.  The single was most-successful in New Zealand, where it reached number 25 in May 1991.

Within Australia, "Now That We've Found Love" performed strongest in New South Wales/Australian Capital Territory, where it reached number 167.

Number 191 "Don't Hold Back Your Love" by Daryl Hall & John Oates

Peak: number 161

Peak date: 29 April 1991

Weeks on chart: 5 weeks

We last saw Daryl Hall & John Oates in December 1990, with the lead single from the duo's fourteenth studio album Change of Season (number 137, February 1991).  "Don't Hold Back Your Love" was the second and final single released from the album in Australia.

Internationally, "Don't Hold Back Your Love" peaked at number 41 on the US Billboard Hot 100 in February 1991.

In Australia, "Don't Hold Back Your Love" performed strongest in Western Australia, where it reached number 108.

Australian singer Daryl Braithwaite would go on to score a bigger 'hit' with this song later in 1991.  His version of "Don't Hold Back Your Love" peaked at number 55 in October 1991, and spent 23 weeks on the chart.

As it is unlikely I will be writing these chart recaps by the time it gets to 2010 (as my interest in new music drops off sharply by the turn of the century), I can reveal now that Hall and Oates landed one further charting single in Australia - "You Make My Dreams", which originally peaked at number 40 in October 1981, re-entered the ARIA singles chart in March 2010, peaking at number 106 during the same month.  Despite the low peak, "You Make My Dreams" has gone on to spend 167 weeks on the chart and has been certified triple platinum by ARIA in December 2019.  Don't you just love these anomalies of the streaming era?

We will next see Daryl Hall, sans John Oates, in 1994.

Number 194 "Deal for Life" by John Waite

Peak: number 194

Peak date: 22 April 1991

Weeks on chart: 1 week

 

English rock singer John Waite has joined us previously, fronting the band Bad English, in 1990.  John first came to fame as the lead singer of British rock group The Babys, whose biggest hit in Australia was "Isn't It Time" (number 1, March 1978).  The Babys scored a second top 10 hit in Australia, with "Every Time I Think of You" (number 6, April 1979).

 

John then embarked on a solo career, and landed a major hit with "Missing You" (number 5 for five weeks in October 1984).  However, it would be his only solo top 50 single in Australia.  John then fronted Bad English, who had a top 5 hit with "When I See You Smile" (number 4 for two weeks in January-February 1990).

 

John returned to his solo career to record "Deal for Life" for the Days of Thunder soundtrack (number 31, September 1990), which also contained Maria McKee's "Show Me Heaven" (number 3 for five weeks in December 1990-January 1991), Elton John's "You Gotta Love Someone" (number 32, November 1990), and Guns N' Roses' "Knockin' on Heaven's Door" (number 12, August 1992).

 

Internationally, "Deal for Life" peaked at number 83 (number 80 on the compressed chart) in the UK in December 1990.

 

In Australia, "Deal for Life" was most popular in Western Australia, reaching number 156 on the state chart.

 

We'll next see John on his own in 1994.

 

 

Next week (29 April): Two top 150 debuts and four bubbling WAY down under entries.  Also, my 1981 Kent Music Report beyond the top 100 recaps will resume on Wednesday (27 April) next week.

< Previous week: 15 April 1991                                         Next week: 29 April 1991 >

Week commencing 12 November 1990

This week in 1990's new batch of top 150-peaking debuts is unusual, in that all but one of the singles spent at least 7 weeks on the chart.  As I have posted before, the average single peaking in the 101-150 region of the chart in 1990 spent between 5 and 6 weeks in the top 150, which means 7 of this week's 8 top 150 debuts had more chart longevity than normal.  You may be thinking that this could be because of the upcoming two-week Christmas break, where ARIA repeated the final chart of the year, artificially adding to the weeks in tally - but only one of this week's longer-charting debuts does not extend its chart run in 1991.

Before we take a look at this week's new entries, I have updated the following posts with newly-uncovered bubbling WAY down under singles:

* 2 July 1990 - with a new entry from Damn Yankees

* 30 July 1990 - with a new entry from Damn Yankees

* 13 August 1990 - with a new entry from Kate Ceberano and Her Sextet

 

Sting didn't generate much 'buzz' with his latest release.

 

Top 150 debuts:

 

Number 131 "Never Felt This Way Before" by Alston

Peak: number 131

Peak date: 12 November 1990

Weeks in top 150: 1 week

Top 150 chart run: 131

 

Alston Koch, known at this point in time as just Alston, was born in Sri Lanka, but emigrated to Sydney.  His recording career started in the mid-1970s, as part of the group Dark Tan.  Dark Tan placed three singles on the Australian top 100 between 1976 and 1979, with the biggest of those being "Disco Lady" (number 70, May 1978).

Alston then embarked on a solo career, releasing two non-charting singles during the 1980s, "20 Miles" (October 1983) and "Try Again" (November 1984).  Alston recorded Australia's theme song for the 1987 America's Cup, "Kookaburra", which was credited to Alston and The Fremantle Doctor, but it too did not chart, surprisingly.

 

"Never Felt This Way Before" was Alston's latest attempt at landing a solo hit.  While it charted, thanks to the ARIA chart now extending beyond number 100, it also did not achieve major success.  The track was remixed by Robert Racic, who was instrumental in shaping the sound of Australian electronic/dance music in the 1990s.

Alston reportedly achieved greater success with his music in Asia, although it is difficult to verify this claim, owing to Asian charts from the 1980s (if they were published) not being archived online to my knowledge.  Nonetheless, here is a video of Alston performing "Try Again" on Singaporean TV.

Alston had more success as a producer on the Australian charts, co-producing Melissa Tkautz's three biggest hits, "Read My Lips" (number 1, July 1991), "Sexy (Is the Word)" (number 3, September 1991) and "Skin to Skin" (number 16, May 1992).

Sporting a hairstyle and shades look not dissimilar to that of Eurythmics' Dave Stewart at this point in time, the record company seem to have felt that Alston might land a hit if they paired him with a 'hot' woman with model looks, and did just that, with Alston essentially being re-branded as S-Witch, who will see bubble under in 1991.

Alston eventually scored top 50 success in Australia with his Don't Funk with Me album, peaking at number 16 in June 2012.

 

 

Number 133 "Birthday" by Paul McCartney

Peak: number 102

Peak date: 26 November 1990

Weeks in top 150: 11 weeks

Chart run: 133-109-102-111-109-118-(chart repeated for 2 week Xmas break)-122-125-124

Weeks on chart: 11 weeks

As one of The Beatles, Paul McCartney needs no introduction.  We saw Paul bubbling under in August 1989, and here he is again, with the lead single from his Tripping the Live Fantastic (number 86, November 1990) album.  As you might have guessed from the album's title, this song is a live performance.  It is a solo rendition of a track from The Beatles' 1968 The Beatles (White Album).

Internationally, "Birthday" reached number 29 in the UK in October 1990, number 22 in Ireland in October 1990, and number 68 in the Netherlands in November 1990.

On the ARIA state charts, "Birthday" performed strongest in Queensland, where it reached number 79.  "Birthday" entered the top 100 on four of the five state charts, only missing out in Western Australia, where it peaked at number 101.  The single performed stronger on the Australian Music Report singles chart, where it reached number 100.

We shall next see Paul in 1993.

 

 

Number 134 "Sense of Purpose" by Pretenders

Peak: number 129

Peak date: 3 December 1990

Weeks in top 150: 5 weeks

Top 150 chart run: 134-136-141-129-140

Weeks on chart: 10 weeks

 

Pretenders are quickly becoming Bubbling Down Under royalty - this is the fourth time I have written about a song of theirs in under two years since starting these chart recaps.  To date, we have seen Pretenders in October 1981, March 1989, and June 1990.

"Sense of Purpose" was the second single lifted from Pretenders' fifth studio album Packed! (number 55, June 1990).  The single did not even chart in the UK, and appears to have only otherwise charted in Canada, reaching number 72.

 

On the state charts, "Sense of Purpose" performed strongest in Western Australia, where it reached number 113.

I hadn't heard this song before, but enjoyed it.  To me, although Chrissie Hynde maintained name recognition, it seemed like Pretenders disappeared off the face of the earth between 1988 and 1993.

Pretenders will join us again in 1994.  Before then, we'll see Chrissie as a featured artist in 1991.

 

Number 137 "Billy Billy" by Paul Norton

Peak: number 114

Peak date: 19 November 1990

Weeks in top 150: 9 weeks 

Chart run: 137-114-130-124-132-139-(chart repeated for 2 week Xmas break)-132

Weeks on chart: 9 weeks

Before launching a solo career, Australian singer-songwriter Paul Norton played bass in the band The Runners, who scored a minor hit with "Sure Fire Thing" (number 43, June 1982) in 1982.

Paul burst onto the charts in 1989 with his debut solo single "Stuck on You", which went all the way to number 3 in May 1989.  Unfortunately for Paul, it was all downhill for him, chart-wise, after that release.  Paul's second and third singles, "I Got You" (number 31, November 1989) and "Southern Sky" (number 37, August 1990), languished in the 30's on the chart, and he would never land another top 50 hit again.

"Billy Billy" was the fourth release from Paul's debut album Under a Southern Sky (number 44, September 1990).  I probably heard this at the time, given radio's penchant for playing his music back then, but have no recollection of it.

 

On the state charts, "Billy Billy" performed strongest in Victoria/Tasmania, where it reached number 103.

If a music video for "Billy Billy" exists, it has not been uploaded to YouTube.  Australian record company indifference to their archive strikes again...

Paul released a fifth single from Under a Southern Sky, "Shake That Devil", in February 1991, but it failed to chart.

We shall next see Paul in 1993.

Number 139 "Carry Me" by Ray Lyell and The Storm

Peak: number 117

Peak dates: 21 January 1991 and 28 January 1991

Weeks in top 150: 7 weeks

Top 150 chart run: 139-(out for 8 weeks)-135-117-117-123-128-137

 

Canadian band Ray Lyell and The Storm landed a hit, of sorts, on the Australian charts with the double A-side single "(Running from) Another Man's Gun"/"Colour of Money" (number 57, August 1990).  Despite its low peak, the single spent 18 weeks in the top 150, and "Colour of Money" received decent radio airplay - at least in Melbourne, and made its way onto the U Can't Touch This various artists compilation album.

"Carry Me" was the second, or third depending on how you count them, single from the band's only album, Ray Lyell and The Storm (number 44, August 1990).  Oddly, the single to seems to have only been commercially released in Australia, despite a music video being filmed to promote it.

"Carry Me" spent just one of its 7-week top 150 chart-run on the chart in 1990.  It re-entered in January 1991, reaching its peak of 117 later that month.

On the Australian Music Report singles chart, "Carry Me" peaked at number 91.

The band presumably split soon after this release, as Ray launched a solo career in 1992.  Ray will bubble under with his solo material on the Australian chart in 1993.

 

Number 146 "Rhythm of the Rain" by Dan Fogelberg

Peak: number 129

Peak date: 17 December 1990 (chart repeated 24 December 1990 and 31 December 1990)

Weeks in top 150: 7 weeks

Top 150 chart run: 146-(out for 2 weeks)-133-131-129-(chart repeated for 2 week Xmas break)-(out for 1 week)-149

 

Between 1975 and 1983, American Dan Fogelberg placed four singles on the Australian top 100, with the biggest of those, "Longer", peaking at number 41 in March 1980.  Dan had more success on the Australian albums chart, with seven top 100 albums, and Phoenix peaking at number 27 in April 1980.  Dan was much bigger in the US, where he scored four Billboart Hot 100 top 10 hits between 1979 and 1981.

 

"Rhythm of the Rain" was a cover of a song recorded in 1962 by The Cascades.  "Rhythm of the Rain" had also recently been covered by Jason Donovan (number 44, November 1990).  Dan's version of the track also charted in Canada, where it peaked at number 39.  For what it's worth (not much, if you ask me), Dan's rendition of "Rhythm of the Rain" reached number 3 on the US Billboard Adult Contemporary chart in November 1990.

 

Sadly, Dan died in December 2007, aged 56, following a three and a half year illness with prostate cancer.

Number 147 "Nature Boy" by Kate Ceberano

Peak: number 121

Peak date: 26 November 1990

Weeks in top 150: 10 weeks

Chart run: 147-137-121-128-135-135-(chart repeated for 2 week Xmas break)-129-130

Weeks on chart: 10 weeks

Kate Ceberano shared lead vocal duties - although she sang lead on all but one of their singles - with Zan Abeyratne in Australian band I'm Talking between 1983 and 1987.  I'm Talking landed five top 40 singles in Australia, with three of those reaching the top 10.  "Do You Wanna Be" (number 8, June 1986) was their highest-peaking single.  I'm Talking bubbled under with their final single in November 1986.

 

If you're a fan of I'm Talking and have not seen it before, check out the UK video for "Do You Wanna Be" which... I discovered on a VHS tape I'd bought, but which sat in an unopened parcel in my wardrobe for 4 and a half years (don't ask), back in June this year.  No-one in the band had a copy in their possession!

After I'm Talking split, Kate Ceberano released a jazz album, Kate Ceberano & Her Septet Live (number 29, April 1987), and a soundtrack album with Wendy Matthews, You've Always Got the Blues (number 7, June 1988).

 

Kate's solo 'pop' debut album Brave (number 2, August 1989) was released in 1989.  Brave was certified triple platinum and spawned four top 30 singles, one of which was a double A-side.  "Bedroom Eyes" (number 2, May 1989) was the biggest of those, spending seven non-consecutive weeks at number 2, despite topping the New South Wales/Australian Capital Territory and Victoria/Tasmania state charts.  "Bedroom Eyes" was the seventh highest-selling single of 1989 in Australia.

Following Brave, Kate released another jazz album Like Now (number 18, August 1990), this time with her Sextet.  We saw Kate Ceberano and Her Sextet bubble WAY down under in August 1990.

"Nature Boy", a cover version of a song originally released by Nat King Cole in 1948, appears on the soundtrack album for The Crossing (number 100, November 1990).

On the state charts, "Nature Boy" performed strongest in Western Australia, where it reached number 99.

Kate would return to pop in 1991, but will still explore other genres in between her pop album releases.  We shall see Kate bubble under next in 1994.

Number 148 "Tick Tock" by The Vaughan Brothers

Peak: number 117

Peak date: 17 December 1990 (chart repeated 24 December 1990 and 31 December 1990)

Weeks in top 150: 11 weeks

Top 150 chart date: 148-119-127-135-120-117-(chart repeated for 2 week Xmas break)-119-133-125

 

Brothers Stevie Ray Vaughan and Jimmy Vaughan united to record the album Family Style (number 17, November 1990).  This was the pair's only collaboration, as Stevie perished in a helicopter crash on 27 August 1990, aged 35.

At this point in time, Stevie had landed five charting albums in Australia, with Couldn't Stand the Weather (number 20, October 1984) being the most successful of those.  Stevie had only manged to score one top 100 single on the Australian chart, with "Cold Shot" (number 98, October 1984).  Both the single and album were credited to Stevie Ray Vaughan & Double Trouble, his backing band - though (obviously) not the same Double Trouble we saw a few weeks back.  "Tick Tock" was Jimmie's first foray onto the Australian singles chart.

Elsewhere, "Tick Tock" charted at number 65 on the US Billboard Hot 100 in November 1990, and number 44 in the Netherlands in December 1990.

"Tick Tock" performed stronger on the Australian Music Report singles chart, where it reached number 96 nationally.

 

Bubbling WAY down under:

 

Number 156 "Englishman in New York" (The Ben Liebrand Mix) by Sting

Peak: number 156

Peak date: 12 November 1990

Weeks on chart: 1 week

 

As the lead singer of The Police, Sting landed 14 charting singles in Australia between 1979 and 1986, with six of those reaching the top 10.  "Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic" (number 2, December 1981) and "Every Breath You Take" (number 2, July 1983) were their equal-biggest hits here.

Sting, real name Gordon Sumner, released his first solo single in 1982, with "Spread a Little Happiness" (number 80, October 1982), from the Brimstone & Treacle soundtrack.  While it was not a big success locally, the single reached the top 20 in the UK and Ireland.

Sting's first solo single from a studio album, "If You Love Somebody Set Them Free", peaked at number 18 in Australia in July 1985.  Its parent album The Dream of the Blue Turtles reached number 1 on the Australian albums chart in April 1986, nine months after debuting at number 5.

 

At this point in time, Sting had placed seven singles on the Australian top 100, with "Russians" (number 11, May 1986) being the highest-peaking of those.

"Englishman in New York" was originally issued as a single in Australia in March 1988, as the third release from Sting's second solo album ...Nothing Like the Sun (number 5, November 1987).  Somehow, it failed to chart, despite (I think) being one of Sting's most recognisable solo tracks now.  Its YouTube view count of (at the time of writing this) almost 237 million views would support my opinion.

"Englishman..."'s international chart stats also do not befit the song's enduring popularity, languishing at number 51 in the UK in February 1988, and peaking no higher than number 13 anywhere in the world (in the Netherlands).  The single peaked at just number 84 on the US Billboart Hot 100 in April 1988.

Perhaps it is because it seemed like the song deserved greater success that this remix of "Englishman in New York" was issued as a single.  The track was re-worked by Ben Liebrand, whom we have seen a couple of times in his own right this year, in February and September.

Listening to this version of "Englishman in New York", I can't help but notice the similarity to the 1988 Ben Liebrand remix of The Four Seasons featuring Frankie Valli's "December 1963 (Oh What a Night)", which became a belated hit in Australia, peaking at number 3 in February 1993.

 

Internationally, the Ben Liebrand remix of "Englishman in New York" peaked at number 15 in the UK in August 1990 (beating its original peak of number 51 in February 1988), number 20 in Germany in September 1990 (the original did not chart there), and number 60 in the Netherlands in October 1990.

 

On the ARIA state charts, the "Englishman in New York" remix performed strongest in Western Australia, where it reached number 125.

 

Although the remix was a greater commercial success, surely it is the original version of "Englishman in New York" that is remembered now.  I can't, however, determine why the song seems like it was a much bigger hit than it was.  The song's Wikipedia page does not give any clues.  Does anyone know why?

  

We shall next see Sting in April 1991.

 

 

 

Next week (19 November): Four new entries, and for the only time since the ARIA chart extended beyond number 100, the singles chart ends before number 150.

 

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