All five of this week in 1992's new top 150-peaking debuts enter between number 142 and number 150, which is an unusual occurrence. Shall we take a look?
Before doing so, I have updated the following earlier posts:
* 21 May 1990 - with new bubbling WAY down under debut from The Smithereens featuring Belinda Carlisle;
* 11 June 1990 - with new bubbling WAY down under entry from 2 Static;
* 25 June 1990 - with new bubbling WAY down under entry from Romi & Jazz.
Wet Wet Wet didn't exactly make a big 'splash' with this single in 1992.
Top 150 debuts:
Number 142 "This Time Tomorrow" by Alex Smith
Peak: number 121
Peak date: 6 July 1992
Weeks in top 150: 11 weeks
Top 150 chart run: 142-138-126-121-126-129-128-123-133-133-144
I had no recollection of this track, and didn't realise until researching it that Alex was the lead singer of Australian band Moving Pictures, who scored a massive hit with "What About Me?" (number 1 for six weeks in March-April 1982). Moving Pictures disbanded in 1987, after landing seven top 100 singles in Australia between 1981 and 1984. Alex then went solo - although "This Time Tomorrow" appears to be his only solo single released.
"This Time Tomorrow" performed much stronger in South Australia/Northern Territory than elsewhere, reaching number 29 on the state chart. The single also fared better on the Australian Music Report singles chart, where it reached number 87.
Listening to "This Time Tomorrow" for the first time, it sounds a bit Meat Loaf-ish (well, like it could have been written by Jim Steinman) in parts, to my ears; perhaps minus some of the more melodramatic/operatic moments.
A solo album from Alex, The Thread, is listed as having been released in 2019 on discogs.com, but "This Time Tomorrow" would be Alex's only solo top 150 entry.
Number 143 "Make It Tonight" by Wet Wet Wet
Peak: number 110
Peak date: 22 June 1992
Weeks in top 150: 5 weeks
Chart run: 143-110-118-124-128
Weeks on chart: 5 weeks
Scottish band Wet Wet Wet formed in 1982, although their first studio recordings were not released until 1987. Their debut single "Wishing I Was Lucky" was initially released in Australia in August 1987, but failed to chart until it was re-issued, eventually spending one week at number 100 in August 1988. Wet Wet Wet's first charting single in Australia, "Sweet Little Mystery" (number 33, May 1988) made minor ripples, as did their debut album Popped In Souled Out (number 60, June 1988).
Wet Wet Wet returned with the single "Sweet Surrender" (number 7, May 1990), which took six months to peak after its Australian release in November 1989. One top 40 single per album in Australia seemed to be a pattern forming for the band, with "Goodnight Girl" (number 21, April 1992) being the only top 100 entry from their third album High on the Happy Side (number 19, May 1992). "Make It Tonight", issued as the album's first single in the UK, where it reached number 37 in September 1991, was released as the second single from High on the Happy Side in Australia.
Within Australia, "Make It Tonight" performed strongest in South Australia/Northern Territory, where it reached number 87. I recall catching the video for this track once on rage as a new release before the top 60 chart countdown commenced, in June 1992.
Of course, Wet Wet Wet would go on to score their biggest hit with "Love Is All Around", which was number 1 for six weeks in June-July 1994, going on to become the highest-selling single of the year in Australia.
One childhood memory I have of Wet Wet Wet is when my paternal grandmother and great uncle returned to Australia from living in Scotland for a couple of years in 1990, and asked if I knew of Wet Wet Wet when they discovered I had gotten into music in a big way since they had been away.
We shall next see Wet Wet Wet in October 1992.
Number 145 "Close but No Cigar" by Thomas Dolby
Peak: number 107
Peak date: 13 July 1992
Weeks in top 150: 7 weeks
Top 150 chart run: 145-128-136-108-107-131-141
Weeks on chart: 12 weeks
English singer-songwriter and producer Thomas Dolby, born Thomas Morgan Robertson, made his chart debut in Australia with the single "She Blinded Me with Science" (number 19, June 1983). However, before that release, Thomas wrote Lene Lovich's "New Toy" (number 29, August 1981) - also appearing in the video and performing on the track, and playing the synthesizer riffs on Foreigner's "Urgent" (number 24, November 1981) and "Waiting for a Girl Like You" (number 3, February 1982).
Thomas also performed as a session musician on Def Leppard's Pyromania (number 70, February 1984) and Joni Mitchell's Dog Eat Dog (number 86, January 1986) albums.
Thomas landed two further top 100 singles in Australia, with "Hyperactive!" (number 26, April 1984) and "Airhead" (number 69, June 1988). He also scored charting albums with The Golden Age of Wireless (number 72, July 1983), The Flat Earth (number 71, May 1984) and Aliens Ate My Buick (number 76, June 1988).
"Close but No Cigar" was the lead single from Thomas' fourth studio album Astronauts & Heretics (number 123, August 1992). Internationally, the single peaked at number 22 in the UK in May 1992, number 88 in Germany in July 1992, and number 14 in New Zealand in September 1992.
Within Australia, "Close but No Cigar" was much more popular in Western Australia, where it reached number 41, than in any other state. The next-highest state chart peak "Close but No Cigar" reached was number 94 in New South Wales/Australian Capital Territory.
"Close but No Cigar" entered the Australian Music Report top 100 singles chart, where it peaked at number 80.
We will next see Thomas in September 1992.
Number 147 "Big Love" by BB Steal
Peak: number 145
Peak date: 22 June 1992
Weeks in top 150: 2 weeks
Top 150 chart run: 147-145
We last saw Australian band BB Steal back in 1989. "Big Love" was the band's second, and final, top 150 single. The track was lifted from their debut album On the Edge (number 144, July 1992). To my ears, this track sounds a bit Def Leppard/Mutt Lange in the chorus and the bridge leading into it.
Number 150 "Shameless" by Garth Brooks
Peak: number 103
Peak date: 6 July 1992
Weeks in top 150: 6 weeks
Top 150 chart run: 150-121-127-103-120-120
American country singer Garth Brooks released his first album Garth Brooks in 1989. However, his first album to dent the ARIA top 150 was his third studio release, Ropin' the Wind (number 21, July 1992), from which the single "Shameless" was lifted. A previous single, "The Thunder Rolls", from Garth's second album No Fences (number 11, August 1994), was issued locally in November 1991, but missed the top 150.
"Shameless" is a cover version of a song written and originally recorded by Billy Joel, which we saw bubble under in January 1992.
Garth's version of "Shameless" peaked at number 1 for two weeks on the meaningless US Billboard Hot Country Songs and Country Airplay charts in November 1991, number 71 in the UK in January 1992, and number 43 in the Netherlands in March 1992.
Garth would land his first top 100 single in Australia with "Standing Outside the Fire" (number 45, September 1994), which was quickly followed by his highest-charting single here with "One Night a Day" (number 35, September 1994). Both tracks were lifted from Garth's sixth studio album In Pieces (number 1, August 1994), which was his major commercial breakthrough in Australia.
We will next see Garth in 1994.
Bubbling WAY down under:
Number 163 "Dunno What It Is (About You)" by The Beatmasters featuring Elaine Vassell
Peak: number 162
Peak date: 6 July 1992
Weeks on chart: 4 weeks
We last saw English dance act The Beatmasters in 1990.
"Dunno What It Is (About You)" was released as the first single from their second album Life & Soul (number 162, August 1992) in the UK in early 1991, when it originally peaked at number 82 in February 1991. Following "Boulevard of Broken Dreams" (number 93, February 1992), the single was remixed and re-released, achieving a higher peak of number 43 in the UK in May 1992.
Within Australia, "Dunno What It Is (About You)" performed strongest in Western Australia, where it reached number 140.
You can view the original 1991 video for "Dunno What It Is (About You)" here, and the video for the 1992 remixed version is embedded below.
In keeping with each of The Beatmasters' previous singles, this one features a different vocalist, Elaine Vassell, who would later go on to be part of UK soul act FreeSpirit, with the single "No More Rainy Days" peaking at number 68 in the UK in May 1995.
"Dunno What It Is (About You)" would be The Beatmasters' final charting single.
Number 182 "Grow Or Pay" by D.A.D.
Peak: number 182
Peak date: 15 June 1992
Weeks on chart: 1 week
D.A.D, short for Disneyland After Dark, are a Danish rock/metal band who burst onto the Australian chart in October 1989 with "Sleeping My Day Away" (number 63, March 1990), which I like, despite generally not being a huge metal fan. They followed it up with "Girl Nation" (number 52, March 1990), "Jihad" (number 89, July 1990), and the album No Fuel Left for the Pilgrims (number 29, April 1990), which was actually the band's third studio album.
The band returned with their fourth album Riskin' It All (number 80, June 1992), led by the single "Bad Craziness" (number 86, March 1992). "Grow Or Pay" was the second single lifted from the album. I cannot find evidence of the single charting anywhere else.
In Australia, "Grow Or Pay" performed strongest in Victoria/Tasmania, where it reached number 162.
A funny memory of D.A.D. I have is when they appeared on Countdown Revolution in 1990, and co-hosted some segments. One of the band members erroneously announced Nick Barker and The Reptiles' "Resurrection Time" (number 86, February 1990) as "Erection Time". Oh dear.
We shall see D.A.D. one more time, in 1995.
Number 191 "Ride the Bullet" by Army of Lovers
Peak: number 191
Peak date: 15 June 1992
Weeks on chart: 1 week
Still in Scandinavia, we last saw Swedish group Army of Lovers in February 1992.
"Ride the Bullet" originally appeared on the band's debut album Disco Extravaganza, which was not released in Australia. A remixed version of the track appeared on the band's second album, which contained a couple of tracks from their debut, Massive Luxury Overdose (number 126, March 1992).
Internationally, "Ride the Bullet" peaked at number 32 in Sweden in April 1992, number 67 in the UK in April 1992, number 40 in Switzerland in April 1992, number 22 in Germany in May 1992, number 34 in the Netherlands in May 1992, number 12 in the Flanders region of Belgium in May 1992, and number 4 in Austria in June 1992.
In Australia, "Ride the Bullet" performed strongest in Victoria/Tasmania, where it reached number 176.
Two different videos were filmed for "Ride the Bullet". The original version, which you can view here, features original band member La Camilla, who left Army of Lovers in late 1991 and was replaced by Michaela de la Cour, who appears in the second video, embedded below, despite 'her' vocals not being re-recorded. You can view an amusing TV interview here, where La Camilla is a 'surprise' guest on the show featuring the band's new line-up. La Camilla enters the screen at 2 minutes 30 seconds in. Turn on the subtitles.
This would be Army of Lover's final charting release in Australia. We would see band member Alexander Bard appear as the video director (and speaking a few lines) in Alcazar's "Crying at the Discotheque" (number 14, March 2002), which he co-produced.
Number 200 "Sleeping with the Lights On" by Curtis Stigers
Peak: number 200
Peak date: 15 June 1992
Weeks on chart: 2 weeks
American jazz singer Curtis Stigers made small ripples on the Australian chart in early 1992 with his debut single "I Wonder Why" (number 92, March 1992), which would go on to greater success when re-issued as the I Wonder Why EP (number 43, November 1992) to coincide with his Australian tour later in the year.
"Sleeping with the Lights On" was issued as the second single from Curtis' debut album Curtis Stigers (number 84, October 1992) in Australia. The track peaked at number 96 on the US Billboard Hot 100 in June 1992, and number 53 in the UK in July 1992.
Domestically, "Sleeping with the Lights On" was most-popular in South Australia/Northern Territory, where it reached number 182.
We shall next see Curtis in 1993.
Next week (22 June): Eight top 150 debuts, including the first appearance of a single that would chart again in 1993 and 1994; plus two bubbling WAY down under entries.
