This week in 1983 sees two singles bubbling under the top 100 on the Kent Music Report singles chart, and, for once, I am actually familiar with both of them! But perhaps they are new to you? Let's take a look.
Orange Juice: looking fresh-faced and freshly-squeezed in 1983.
Beyond the top 100:
Position 6 "Rip It Up" by Orange Juice
Highest rank: 6th
Peak date: 27 June 1983
Weeks on below list: 1 week
Scottish jangle pop band Orange Juice formed in Glasgow in 1976, initially calling themselves Nu-Sonics. The band, fronted by Edwin Collins - whom we shall see bubble under solo in 1995, changed their name to Orange Juice in 1979.
"Rip It Up" was released as the second single and title track from the band's second album Rip It Up in Europe, following "I Can't Help Myself", which does not appear to have been issued as a single in Australia.
Internationally, "Rip It Up" peaked at number 8 in the UK in March 1983, number 23 in Ireland in April 1983, and number 42 in New Zealand in June 1983.
I know this one quite well, as the music video has aired numerous times on rage over the years. I am surprised this one didn't do better in Australia. "Rip It Up" would be Orange Juice's only release to (almost) trouble the top 100 in Australia. Singer Edwyn Collins would, of course, land a major hit single in Australia with "A Girl Like You" (number 6, March 1995) in 1995.
Position 8 "Cattle and Cane" by The Go-Betweens
Highest rank: 8th
Peak date: 27 June 1983
Weeks on below list: 1 week
I have written about Aussie band The Go-Betweens previously in a 1989 post.
"Cattle and Cane" was The Go-Betweens' sixth single, and the only single issued from their second album Before Hollywood, which did not chart in Australia upon its original 1983 release, but peaked at number 397 in August 2006 when re-issued.
Commercial success eluded the band for most of their career, though "Cattle and Cane" peaked at number 4 on the UK Independent Singles chart. Despite the lack of chart interest in this single, "Cattle and Cane" has gone on to become an Australian classic, and was voted one of the 30 best Australian songs of all-time on the Australian Performing Rights Association (APRA) poll of 100 music industry types. The song was also ranked number 11 on the first Triple J Hottest 100 of all time, in 1989, and receives regular airings on rage.
Next post(11 July 1983): Four singles peaking outside the top 100.
These days, it's not that unusual for album tracks to chart if they're from a new album released by a popular artist. Back in late 80s, the charts were the exclusive domain of proper singles, with the occasional EP or double A-side. Flop singles that weren't later re-released in the hope of becoming hits the second time around would sometimes get a second lease of life by being recycled as B-sides for later singles. One such track debuts in the top 150 this week.
Sinéad O'Connor had to make do with modest chart peaks before conquering the world in 1990.
Top 150 debuts:
Number 115 "World to Me" by Huey Lewis & The News
Peak: number 113
Peak date: 13 February 1989
Weeks in top 150: 7 weeks
Chart run: 115-113-116-134-127-134-127
Weeks on chart: 7 weeks
The third consecutive single release by Huey Lewis & The News to contain the word "world" in its title, 'World to Me' followed the number 22-peaking "Perfect World", and "Small World", which failed to chart at all in Australia. I suspect that the latter probably bubbled under, if the chart had gone further than number 100. All three tracks are lifted from the group's fifth studio album Small World (number 21, October 1988).
Internationally, "World to Me" peaked at number 92 (number 84 on the compressed chart) in the UK in December 1988.
In Australia, "World to Me" performed strongest in Queensland, where it reached number 70 on the state chart.
When I wrote this post, the video embedded below (which isn't a music video or live performance) had received just 19 views on YouTube since its upload in September 2017. From that, I can conclude that Martin was Australian, not widely known, and not remembered too well. He doesn't even have a page on discogs.com. Googling "martin kaye" "quit this joint" yields a grand total of three search results. I assume that this post will become the fourth!
I can tell you, however, that "Quit This Joint" was most popular in New South Wales/Australian Capital Territory, where it reached number 84 on the state chart.
Number 139 "Want My Love" by Jabulani
Peak: number 104
Peak date: 20 March 1989
Weeks in top 150: 9 weeks
Chart run: 139-145-120-130-128-116-104-109-114
Weeks on chart: 9 weeks
Unfortunately, I can't tell you much about this one, as it's not on YouTube, and I can't find it anywhere to listen to online. I can post the single sleeve, though, which I have done below. They may be a South African group. "Want My Love" was much more popular in Victoria/Tasmania, where it reached number 45 on the state chart, than elsewhere. The single peaked outside the top 100 on all other state chart.
Number 142 "Talk to Your Daughter" by Robben Ford
Peak: number 108
Peak date: 27 February 1989
Weeks in top 150: 9 weeks
Chart run: 152-142-135-(off chart for 1 week)-108-110-121-115-115-134-130
Weeks on chart: 10 weeks
I was expecting this to be a female artist, going by the name. The sleeve below and higher-register-for-a-man voice didn't make it clearer to me, but Wikipedia tells me that Robben is indeed a man. It also tells me that he has collaborated with lots of big, important artists - everyone from George Harrison, to Joni Mitchell, and even Rick Springfield and Kiss! This track is from Robben's Talk to Your Daughter (number 79, January 1989) album.
On the state charts, "Talk to Your Daughter" performed strongest in Western Australia, where it reached number 63.
Number 145 "Walk on Water" by Eddie Money
Peak: number 126
Peak date: 20 February 1989
Weeks in top 150: 8 weeks
Chart run: 154-145-144-126-127-137-131-136-129
Weeks on chart: 9 weeks
The recently-departed Eddie Money didn't have a whole lot of chart success in Australia, with 1978's "Baby Hold On" (number 19, August 1978) being his only top 40 hit. The closest he came again was in 1986 with "Take Me Home Tonight" (number 46, November 1986).
Internationally, "Walk on Water" peaked at number 9 on the US Billboard Hot 100 in December 1988, number 10 in Canada, and number 157 (number 128 on the compressed chart) in the UK in January 1989.
Locally, "Walk on Water" was much more popular in South Australia/Northern Territory, where it peaked at number 32 on the state chart, than elsewhere. The single peaked outside the top 100 on the other four state charts.
Top 150 chart run: 148-(out for 6 weeks)-143-141-134-139-142-135
Weeks on chart: 9 weeks
Sinéad had her first taste of Oz chart success in 1988 with "Mandinka", but follow-up single "I Want Your (Hands on Me)" failed to chart. Released locally on 12 December 1988, 'Jump in the River' didn't appear on the first chart that extended beyond number 150, last week. Sinéad was quite prolific with side-projects such as soundtracks and duets during this era, and this track was lifted from the Married to the Mob soundtrack - coincidentally, the same album from which the Debbie Harry track that debuted last week was taken. "Jump in the River" was included on Sinéad's second album, I Do Not Want What I Haven't Got (number 1, March 1990), over a year later. 'Jump in the River' was also used as the B-side for her 1990 mega-hit, "Nothing Compares 2 U".
Internationally, "Jump in the River" peaked at number 29 in Ireland in October 1988, and number 86 (number 81 on the compressed chart) in the UK in October 1988.
Domestically, "Jump in the River" performed strongest in New South Wales/Australian Capital Territory, where it reached number 108 on the state chart.
Number 149 "Twins" by Philip Bailey/Little Richard
Peak: number 116
Peak date: 6 March 1989
Weeks in top 150: 6 weeks
Top 150 chart run: 149-(out for 3 weeks)-116-133-133-127-128
Weeks on chart: 8 weeks
From the soundtrack to the 1988 movie of the same name, Twins (number 115, March 1989), starring Danny DeVito and Arnold Schwarzenegger, this track has that classic mid-late 80s 'soundtrack' sound to it.
Internationally, "Twins" peaked at number 95 (number 82 on the compressed chart) in the UK in March 1989, number 16 in the Netherlands in April 1989, and number 30 in the Flanders region of Belgium in May 1989.
On the state charts, "Twins" performed strongest in Western Australia, where it reached number 81.
Bubbling WAY down under:
Number 159 "Was There Anything I Could Do?" by The Go-Betweens
Peak: number 159
Peak date: 6 February 1989
Weeks on chart: 2 weeks
Aussie band The Go-Betweens formed in Brisbane in 1977. Despite being fawned over by critics, the band never landed major commercial success in Australia, with "Streets of Your Town" (number 68, October 1988) being their highest-charting single and its parent album 16 Lovers Lane (number 48, October 1988) being their highest-charting album. They almost experienced their first taste of chart success in Australia in 1983.
"Was There Anything I Could Do?" was the second single issued from The Go-Betweens' sixth studio album, the aforementioned 16 Lovers Lane.
Internationally, "Was There Anything I Could Do?" peaked at number 193 (number 143 on the compressed chart) in the UK in October 1988.
Domestically, the single performed strongest in Western Australia, where it reached number 83 on the state chart in December 1988 (debuting before the national chart extended beyond number 100).
The Go-Betweens split in December 1989, and eventually reformed in 2000, before splitting again in 2006. We will see them again in 2000. But before then, co-lead vocalist Grant McLennan will bubble under in 1993, and the female members of the group will form a band which we'll also see bubbling under in 1993.
Next week (13 February): there areunusually no new top 150 debuts for singles peaking within the 101-150 region of the chart! There are, however, three bubbling WAY down under entries to write about.
