Week commencing 14 December 1992

Welcome to the final chart survey of 1992.  Fittingly, there's a Christmas song among the list of new entries below.  In other news, I have added top 150 chart runs for my posts covering February 1990 to September 1990 inclusive.

Bjӧrn Again: Santa Claus was coming to town, but not the top 100.

Top 150 dubuts:

Number 106 “Santa Claus Is Coming to Town” by Bjӧrn Again

Peak: number 106 (1992-3 chart run); number 105 (1994-5 chart run)

Peak dates: 14 December 1992 (1992-3 chart run); 19 December 1994 (1994-5 chart run)

Weeks in top 150: 8 weeks (4 weeks in 1992-3; 4 weeks in 1994-5)

Top 150 chart run: 106-(chart repeated for 2 week Xmas break)-109

Re-entered 12 December 1994: 130-105-(chart repeated for 1 week Xmas break)-141

Weeks on chart: 9 weeks

The ABBA revival was well and truly underway by the end of 1992, with the ABBA Gold: Greatest Hits compilation atop the ARIA albums chart for Christmas 1992.  It all kicked off with Erasure's Abba-esque EP (number 13, August 1992) topping the UK singles chart in June 1992.  As a response to that, Australian ABBA tribute band Bjӧrn Again, cleverly named after ABBA founding member Bjӧrn Ulvaeus, covered two Erasure singles, "A Little Respect" and "Stop!", in ABBA style, released as the Erasure-ish EP in the UK, where it reached number 25 in October 1992. Oddly, the single was not released in Australia - perhaps because the Erasure originals of those songs were not hits locally.

"Santa Claus Is Coming to Town" did receive a local release, however, just in time for Christmas.  Unlike most tribute acts, Bjӧrn Again did not merely perform ABBA covers, but rather, often re-interpreted others' songs in ABBA style, which was part of their novelty appeal.  Their version of "Santa Claus Is Coming to Town" begins with a "Waterloo" (number 4, August 1974) mash-up, and contains their attempt at a Swedish accent, particularly noticeable on the word "Claus".  A version of "Little Drummer Boy" appeared as the single's B-side.

 

Internationally, "Santa Claus..." peaked at number 55 in the UK in December 1992.

 

Locally, "Santa Claus Is Coming to Town" was most popular in South Australia/Northern Territory, where it reached number 66 on the state chart in December 1994.   The single was re-released for Christmas 1994 after the success of their "Flashdance... What a Feeling" (number 27, August 1994) single and Flashback! (number 40, August 1994) album.  It stalled just outside the top 100 on both occasions, however, with the 1994 release bettering its original chart peak by only one place.

Bjӧrn Again had various line-ups over the years, but the original line-up was by far the best, and most commercially-successful.

We shall see Bjӧrn Again next in 1994.

Number 132 “A Good Idea” by Sugar

Peak: number 108

Peak date: 18 January 1993

Weeks in top 150: 8 weeks 

Top 150 chart run: 132-(chart repeated for 2 week Xmas break)-119-112-108-122-114

We last saw American band Sugar in October 1992.

 

"A Good Idea" was the second single lifted from their debut album Copper Blue (number 92, October 1992).  Internationally, the single peaked at number 62 in the UK in October 1992.

I hadn't heard this one before.  While it's not something I would seek out, it wasn't bad.

This was Sugar's last top 150 single in Australia.

Number 146 “The New Time Warp” by The New Rocky Horror Show (Australian Cast)

Peak: number 106

Peak date: 18 January 1993

Weeks in top 150: 10 weeks

Top 150 chart run: 146-(chart repeated for 2 week Xmas break)-118-109-106-135-127-135-142

 

OK, you know from the song title and artist credit above that this is going to be a (probably bad) version of the famous Rocky Horror Show song, "The Time Warp", from 1973, which originally peaked at number 3 in Australia for 5 non-consecutive weeks in December 1980 and January 1981.  Before that, an Australian cast recording of the same song peaked at number 85 in November 1977.  We also saw Damian's version of the song bubble under in 1989.

The New Rocky Horror Show Australian cast was made up of Ally Fowler (of Chantoozies), Alyssa Jane Cook, Craig McLachlan, Frankie J Holden, Gina Riley (the comedienne), Glenn Butcher, Linda Nagle, Peter Rosethorn, Red Symons, Steve Kearney and Wilbur Wilde.  There was an accompanying album, The New Rocky Horror Show (Australian Cast Recording) (number 124, January 1993). 

I hadn't heard this one before.  It's interesting to see Gina Riley (Kim from Kath & Kim) on the charts.

Number 149 “Love Changes Everything” by Peter Cousens

Peak: number 136

Peak date: 11 January 1993

Weeks in top 150: 8 weeks

Top 150 chart run: 149-(chart repeated for 2 week Xmas break)-137-136-140-150-141

Australian singer and actor Peter Cousens guest-starred in a number of TV soap operas, including Sons and Daughters, which I was too young to have watched the first time around, but viewed the repeats on 7Two starting in 2009.  I had to google who he played, as I couldn't place it, but he portrayed Luke Carlyle, who had a brief stint on the show in 1984.

Peter also landed the role of The Phantom for the Australian leg of the musical theatre production The Phantom of the Opera.  "Love Changes Everything" was recorded for another Andrew Lloyd Webber musical, Aspects of Love, in which Peter performed in for its Australian shows.  The original London Cast recording of Aspects of Love peaked at number 86 on the ARIA albums chart in November 1989.  We saw Michael Ball's recording of “Love Changes Everything” bubble under in 1989.

Bubbling WAY down under:

Number 167 "Morning Has Broken" by Neil Diamond

Peak: number 154

Peak date: 18 January 1993

Wees on chart: 6 weeks

 

Neil Diamond last graced our presence in April 1992.

 

"Morning Has Broken" is lifted from Neil's The Christmas Album (number 30, January 1993).  Neil's version of the Christian hymn was released just in time for the festive season.

Internationally, "Morning Has Broken" peaked at number 36 in the UK in November 1992.  Locally, the single was most popular in South Australia/Northern Territory, where it reached number 38.

Neil will next join us in 1993.

 

Number 180 “Love, Oh Love” by Lionel Richie

Peak: number 165

Peak date: 11 January 1993

Weeks on chart: 9 weeks 

We last saw Lionel Richie in October 1992.

"Love, Oh Love" was the third new recording released as a single from Lionel's greatest hits album Back to Front (number 1, June 1992).  Internationally, the single peaked at number 52 in the UK in November 1992, number 25 in Ireland in November 1992, number 15 in the Netherlands in December 1992, number 13 in the Flanders region of Belgium in January 1993, and number 71 in Germany in February 1993.  "Love, Oh Love" does not appear to have been released as a single in North America.

Locally, "Love, Oh Love" performed strongest in Western Australia, reaching number 157 on the state chart.

We shall next see Lionel in 2000 (if I am writing recaps for that year).  Before then, he had an album peak outside the top 100 in Australia with Time (number 174, June 1998).

Number 181 “Slow and Sexy” by Shabba Ranks featuring Johnny Gill

Peak: number 181

Peak date: 14 December 1992 (chart repeated for 2 week Xmas break)

Weeks on chart: 7 weeks 

We last saw Shabba Ranks in June 1992, and Johnny Gill in 1991.  The unlikely pair (given Shabba's stance on homosexuality at the time and Johnny's rumoured sexual orientation) teamed up for this track, lifted from Shabba's X-tra Naked (number 188, February 1993) album.

 

Overseas, "Slow and Sexy" peaked at number 17 in the UK in November 1992, and at number 33 on the US Billboard Hot 100 in January 1993.

 

"Slow and Sexy" also registered on a bunch of genre-specific Billboard charts in the US, reaching number 4 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles Sales chart in November 1992, number 36 on the Rhythmic Airplay chart in November 1992, number 63 on the Radio Songs chart in November 1992, number 4 on the Dance Singles Sales chart in December 1992, number 4 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart in December 1992, and number 7 on the R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay chart in December 1992.

 

Domestically, "Slow and Sexy" was most popular in Western Australia, where it reached number 125 on the state chart.

I don't recall hearing this one before, though probably caught it on the American Top 40 radio show at the time.  Shabba's vocals are a bit too abrasive for my liking on this track.

Johnny would go on to finally land a major hit, his only real one, in Australia with "The Floor" (number 6, October 1993) the next year.

We will see Shabba next as a featured artist in 1993, and Johnny in 1996.

Number 186 “Who Pays the Piper” by Gary Clail On-U Sound System 

Peak: number 177

Peak date: 18 January 1993

Weeks on chart: 7 weeks 

 

English artist (I'm reluctant to call him a singer) Gary Clail last graced our presence in 1991.

 

"Who Pays the Piper" was the lead single from Gary Clail On-U Sound's third album Dreamstealers (number 180, August 1993).  As with his hit "Human Nature" (number 38, August 1991), "Who Pays the Piper" deals with social issues... this time illicit drug use.

Internationally, "Who Pays the Piper" peaked at number 31 in the UK in November 1992.  In Australia, "Who Pays the Piper" was most successful in Western Australia, where it reached number 156 on the state chart.

I first heard this one on the UK Chart Attack radio show, and caught the video as a new release on rage at the time.

We'll next see Gary in 1993.

Number 193 Can't Get Started EP by You Am I

Peak: number 177

Peak date: 22 February 1993

Weeks on chart: 5 weeks

 

Aussie band You Am I formed in Sydney in 1989.  The Can't Get Started EP was the band's second single release, following the Snake Tide EP in May 1991, which did not chart.  Although it was track 3 on this 5-track EP, a music video was made for "Goddamn" (embedded below), and therefore I assume that this was the track used to promote this release.  Confusingly, however, the band earlier released an album titled Goddamn (number 150, June 1992), which does not contain the song "Goddamn"!

 

On the state charts, the Can't Get Started EP performed strongest in New South Wales/Australian Capital Territory, where it reached number 159 on the state chart.

 

We'll next see You Am I in 1993.

 

 

Number 205 “Real Love” by Mary J. Blige

Peak: number 205

Peak date: 14 December 1992 (chart repeated for 2 week Xmas break)

Weeks on chart: 4 weeks 

 

Hailing from New York, "Real Love" was Mary J. Blige's (the J stands for Jane) second single, and first Australian release, from her debut album What's the 411?, which oddly does not appear to have been released in Australia.  It followed "You Remind Me".

Elsewhere, "Real Love" peaked at number 68 in the UK in November 1992, number 7 on the US Billboard Hot 100 in December 1992, and number 34 in Canada in December 1992.

The song also registered on a bunch of US Billboard's subsidiary charts, reaching number 4 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles Sales chart in September 1992, number 2 on the R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay chart in October 1992, number 1 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart in October 1992, number 36 on the Dance Club Songs chart in October 1992, number 5 on the Dance Singles Sales chart in October 1992, number 4 on the Radio Songs chart in November 1992, number 1 on the Rhythmic Airplay chart in November 1992, and number 8 on the Pop Airplay chart in November 1992.

Locally, "Real Love" performed strongest on the New South Wales/Australian Capital Territory state chart, where it reached number 185.

I heard this one several times on the American Top 40 radio show, and knew it quite well.  Although R&B was generally making only small inroads on the Australian chart in 1992, its presence would increase in 1993.  I am surprised this was not a bigger hit, though I don't recall the song receiving any air or video play here at the time.

Mary would have to wait until 2001 to land a breakthrough hit on the Australian chart, with "Family Affair" (number 8, January 2002); a song which I could probably be caught doing some dad dancing to if I was on my own and did such things...

We'll next see Mary in 1993.

Number 217 “To Hell with Love” by Suzanne Rhatigan

Peak: number 195

Peak date: 11 January 1993

Weeks on chart: 5 weeks 

 

Irish songstress Suzanne Rhatigan last paid us a visit in November 1992.

 

This song was the title track from her debut and only album To Hell with Love, which was released locally in February 1993 but did not chart.

 

"To Hell with Love" did not chart anywhere else.  It performed strongest on the Western Australia state chart, where it reached number 159.

 

I think I did hear this one at the time, probably as a new release video on rage.

 

We shall see Suzanne once more in 1993.

Number 220 “The Bitter Pill” by Warrant

Peak: number 220

Peak date: 14 December 1992 (chart repeated for 2 week Xmas break)

Weeks on chart: 3 weeks 

We last saw American glam metal/rock band Warrant in September 1992.

 

"The Bitter Pill" was the second single lifted from the band's third studio album Dog Eat Dog (number 105, October 1992).   I cannot find evidence of this track charting elsewhere.

On the state charts, "The Bitter Pill" peaked highest in New South Wales/Australian Capital Territory, where it reached number 192.

I hadn't heard this one before.  It's not the sort of thing I would seek out, but I didn't mind it.

This would be Warrant's final chart entry in Australia.

Number 221 “Siva”/“Window Paine” by The Smashing Pumpkins 

Peak: number 216

Peak date: 1 March 1993

Weeks on chart: 4 weeks 

American alternative rock band The Smashing Pumpkins formed in Chicago in 1988.  Their first Australian singles chart entry was the Lull EP (number 74, August 1992), led by the track "Rhinoceros".  Both "Siva" and "Window Paine" were lifted from the band's debut album Gish (number 51, March 1996), which initially peaked at number 98 in July 1992.  Like most Australians, I first became aware of The Smashing Pumpkins when their single "Disarm" (number 16, August 1994) became a chart hit.

 

Internationally, "Siva"/"Window Paine" peaked at number 45 in New Zealand in February 1993.

 

Domestically, the single performed strongest on the Western Australian state chart, where it reached number 166.

A random memory I have involving The Smashing Pumpkins is my incredibly uncool audiology lecturer at uni put a question on the exam in 1998 regarding the loudness of the music at a “Roaring Pumpkins” concert.  I don’t know if he was that clueless he didn’t know the correct name of the band, or if he just got it wrong.

 

We'll next see The Smashing Pumpkins in 1995.

Next chart (4 January 1993): The new year kicks off with four new top 150 entries, and two bubbling WAY down under debuts.

< Previous week: 7 December 1992              Next chart: 4 January 1993 >

Week commencing 14 September 1992

I can't identify a common theme linking this week in 1992's new entries peaking outside the top 100, other than all but one of them have male lead vocals.  Let's take a look.

 

Right Said Fred were too sexy for the top 100 this week in 1992, and too stupid for the pandemic in the 2020s.

 

Top 150 debuts:

 

Number 112 "What God Wants, Part I" by Roger Waters

Peak: number 103

Peak dates: 21 September 1992 and 28 September 1992

Weeks in top 150: 6 weeks

Chart run: 112-103-103-108-117-133

Weeks on chart: 6 weeks

 

English musician Roger Waters was a founding member of Pink Floyd, who formed in 1965, in which he played bass guitar.  Roger left the group in 1985, although he had launched his solo career the year prior, with "5:01AM (The Pros and Cons of Hitchhiking)" (number 74, August 1984), and the album The Pros and Cons of Hitchhiking (number 30, July 1984).

I first became aware of Roger when his single "Radio Waves" (number 43, August 1987) appeared on the '87 Hots Up (number 8, October 1987) compilation, which was the first various artists compilation I purchased, aged 8.  Roger landed another minor hit on the Australian singles chart the following year, with "The Tide Is Turning (After Live Aid)" (number 49, March 1988).  Both tracks were lifted from Roger's second album Radio K.A.O.S. (number 33, September 1987).

 

"What God Wants, Part I" was the lead single from Roger's third solo studio album Amused to Death (number 14, September 1992).  Internationally, the single peaked at number 35 in the UK in September 1992, number 9 in Norway, number 26 in New Zealand in October 1992, and number 49 in the Netherlands in October 1992.  It also reached number 4 on the meaningless US Billboard Mainstream Rock Airplay chart in September 1992.

 

In Australia, "What God Wants, Part I" was most popular in New South Wales/Australian Capital Territory, where it reached number 84 on the state chart.

 

While this would be the only occasion we see Roger bubble under in Australia, he had a couple of later albums that missed the top 100, namely Flickering Flame: The Solo Years Volume I (number 139, April 2002), Igor Stravinsky's The Soldier's Tale (number 674, November 2018), and The Lockdown Sessions (number 220, June 2023).

Number 131 "Real Cool World" by David Bowie

Peak: number 131

Peak date: 14 September 1992

Weeks in top 150: 3 weeks

Top 150 chart run: 131-139-146

Weeks on chart: 6 weeks

 

We saw English singer-songwriter David Bowie as a featured artist in 1990, and fronting a band in 1991.  Here he is finally on his own!  Between 1972 and 1990, David placed 31 singles on the Australian top 100, with "Sorrow" (number 1 for 3 weeks in February-March 1974), "Ashes to Ashes" (number 3, October 1980) and "Let's Dance" (number 2, April 1983) being the biggest of those.

"Real Cool World" was recorded for the movie Cool World and appears on the Songs from the Cool World soundtrack album.  It was David's first solo charting single in Australia since "Fame 90" (number 85, May 1990).

 

Internationally, "Real Cool World" peaked at number 53 in the UK in August 1992, number 26 in Sweden in September 1992, number 27 in the Netherlands in September 1992, number 30 in the Flanders region of Belgium in September 1992, and number 83 in Germany in September 1992.  It also reached number 11 on the pointless US Billboard Alternative Airplay chart in August 1992, and number 9 on the US Billboard Dance Club Songs chart in October 1992.

In Australia, "Real Cool World" was most popular in Western Australia, where it reached number 112.

 

Of course, you'd have to be living under a rock (I sometimes do) to not be aware that we lost David Bowie in January 2016, from liver cancer, aged 69.

We shall next see David in 1995.

 

Number 134 "Machine Gun" by Warrant

Peak: number 124

Peak date: 5 October 1992

Weeks in top 150: 6 weeks

Top 150 chart run: 134-131-129-124-135-138

Weeks on chart: 7 weeks

We last saw American metal band Warrant in 1990.  Since then, Warrant had their commercial breakthrough in Australia with the single "Cherry Pie" (number 6, January 1991) - which I'm thinking was probably the last top 10 glam metal hit in Australia, and the album Cherry Pie (number 13, January 1991).  They also landed a second, minor top 40 hit in Australia with "I Saw Red" (number 36, February 1991), and another top 100 entry with "Uncle Tom's Cabin" (number 85, May 1991).  Then alternative/grunge music took off in 1991 and rendered metal bands virtually obsolete.  Nonetheless, Warrant managed to limp into the top 50 - just - with their cover of Queen's "We Will Rock You" (number 50, June 1992), which was recorded for the Gladiator soundtrack.

 

The success of "Cherry Pie" likely contributed to Warrant front man Jani Lane's demise.  He expressed his regret over writing that song, being pressured by the record label to produce another hit, in this interview, eerily stating he could shoot himself in the head for writing that song.  Jani was found dead in 2011 due to acute alcohol poisoning, aged 47.

"Machine Gun" was released as the lead single from Warrant's third studio album Dog Eat Dog (number 105, October 1992).  Internationally, the single peaked at number 36 on the meaningless US Billboard Mainstream Rock Songs chart in September 1992.

Locally, "Machine Gun" performed strongest in Victoria/Tasmania, where it reached number 105 on the state chart.

We'll see Warrant one more time, in December 1992.

Number 136 "Those Simple Things"/"(What a Day for a) Daydream" by Right Said Fred

Peak: number 121

Peak date: 28 September 1992

Weeks in top 150: 7 weeks

Chart run: 136-128-121-129-134-146-146

Weeks on chart: 7 weeks

 

English pop group Right Said Fred were brothers Richard (the singing one who also plays bass) and Fred (the guitar-playing one) Fairbass, together with guitarist Rob Manzoli.  The brothers are still together, while Rob quit the group in 1997.  The trio came to prominence with their debut single "I'm Too Sexy" (number 1 for 3 weeks in November 1991), which was essentially a novelty hit.  They avoided one-hit wonder status by following that up with the singles "Don't Talk Just Kiss" (number 18, March 1992) and "Deeply Dippy" (number 38, August 1992) - all three of these singles went top 3 in their native UK, with the latter finally giving them a number 1 there.  The group's debut album Up (number 39, July 1992) also topped the UK albums chart.

 

"Those Simple Things" was issued as the fourth single from Up, and was paired with "(What a Day for a) Daydream", a new recording and cover version of a song originally released by The Lovin' Spoonful in 1966 as just "Daydream", as a double A-side release.  Presumably, this was done to entice people to buy the single for the new track, given the album had already performed well in the UK.

The ploy did not exactly work.  "Those Simple Things"/"(What a Day for a) Daydream" under-performed in the UK, peaking at number 29 there in July 1992.  The single also peaked at number 21 in Ireland in July 1992, number 48 in Germany in September 1992, number 29 in Austria in September 1992, and number 18 in Switzerland in October 1992.

In Australia, "Those Simple Things"/"(What a Day for a) Daydream" was most popular in Western Australia, where it reached number 95.  The single fared better nationally on the Australian Music Report singles chart, where it reached number 91.

I recall hearing this single on the UK Chart Attack radio show in 1992, but could barely remember how it went.  At this point, Right Said Fred's novelty appeal was wearing off.  Nonetheless, they continued releasing material into the 2000s, and we shall see Right Said Fred bubble under (or WAY down under) on a couple of occasions over the years, with the next time we see them being in 1994.

While the Fairbrass brothers might have been been blessed with gym-fit bodies, they were clearly much further down the queue when brains were handed out.  The pair became known for downplaying the seriousness of COVID-19 during the pandemic, and expressing skepticism over the vaccines.  In 2022, the brothers were involved with distributing leaflets for anti-climate change UK activist group Not Our Future.  What a charming pair.

 

 

 

Number 150 "Full Term Love" by Monie Love

Peak: number 150

Peak date: 14 September 1992

Weeks in top 150: 1 week

Known chart run: 169-150

Weeks on chart: 12 weeks

We last saw English rapper Monie Love in 1991.

 

"Full Term Love" was recorded for the Class Act soundtrack, and would go on to appear on Monie's second studio album In a Word Or 2 (number 147, May 1993).  As seemed to be common in the early 90s with singles blending rap and dance, a different mix of this track was released in the US (which you can listen to here) to the single version in Europe and Australasia, which I have embedded below.  The US version is much more R&B in style, while the one we got in Australia sounds similar in production to my ears to the European versions of Salt 'N' Pepa's early 1990s singles.

Internationally, "Full Term Love" peaked at number 34 in the UK in July 1992, number 96 on the US Billboard Hot 100 in August 1992, and number 58 in the Netherlands in October 1992.  It also peaked at number 43 on the meaningless US Billboard R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay chart in July 1992, number 47 on the US Billboard Hot R&B/Hip Hop Songs chart in July 1992, number 26 on the US Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles Sales chart in August 1992, and number 7 on the US Billboard Hot Rap Songs chart in August 1992.

Locally, "Full Term Love" performed strongest in Western Australia, where it reached number 120 on the state chart.

I remember catching the video for "Full Term Love" on M.C. TeeVee on SBS on a Sunday afternoon at the time.  I think it deserved to be a bigger hit than it was.

We shall next see Monie in 1993.

Bubbling WAY down under:

Number 155 "I Love You Goodbye" by Thomas Dolby

Peak: number 155

Peak date: 14 September 1992

Weeks on chart: 4 weeks

We last saw English singer-songwriter Thomas Dolby in June 1992.

 

"I Love You Goodbye" was issued as the second single from Thomas' fourth studio album Astronauts & Heretics (number 123, August 1992).  Internationally, the single peaked at number 36 in the UK in July 1992.

In Australia, "I Love You Goodbye" performed strongest in New South Wales/Australian Capital Territory, where it reached number 146.

 

I hadn't heard this one before.  I like it, but doesn't exactly scream 'hit'.

We'll see Thomas on one more occasion, in November 1992.

 

 

Number 182 "Going Home" by The Tyrrel Corporation

Peak: number 182

Peak date: 14 September 1992

Weeks on chart: 2 weeks

 

English duo The Tyrrel Corporation last graced our presence in May 1992.

"Going Home" was issued as the third, and in Australia, final, single from The Tyrrel Corporation's debut album North East of Eden (number 273, December 1992).  The song tells the tale of the pair returning to their small seaside hometown (population 37,000 in 2021) Redcar, in North East England, after having been away for some time, and being shocked at how run-down and stagnant the place had become, during the Thatcher government years of neglect ("expect that everything has changed, strange to find things just the same").

"Going Home" peaked at number 58 in the UK in August 1992.  Domestically, the single was most popular in South Australia/Northern Territory, where it reached number 169.

I didn't know this one at the time, but quite like it, particularly that bass line.

A fourth single from North East of Eden, the double A-side "Waking with a Stranger"/"One Day", was released in the UK at the end of September 1992, peaking at number 59 there the following month.

We will see The Tyrrel Corporation on one more occasion, in 1995.

 

Number 203 "Hangin' on a String" (Frankie Knuckles Remix) by Loose Ends

Peak: number 203

Peak date: 14 September 1992

Weeks on chart: 2 weeks

 

British R&B band Loose Ends formed in London in the early 1980s.  While they never landed a charting release in Australia - until now - they amassed six UK top 40 singles between 1985 and 1992.  The original 1985 release of "Hangin' on a String (Contemplating)" was the equal-best charting of those, reaching number 13 in the UK in March 1985.  The single also peaked at number 26 in Ireland in March 1985, number 33 in the Netherlands in April 1985, number 40 in the Flanders region of Belgium in June 1985, number 12 in New Zealand in June 1985, and number 43 on the US Billboard Hot 100 in August 1985.

This Frankie Knuckles remix of "Hangin' on a String", minus the subtitle, was released to promote Loose Ends' Tighten Up Vol. 1 compilation, which contained remixed versions of their hits.  The 1992 remixed single peaked at number 25 in the UK in June 1992.

In Australia, the 1992 mix of "Hangin' on a String" performed strongest in South Australia/Northern Territory, where it reached number 153 on the state singles chart.

 

While we won't see Loose Ends again, we will see Frankie Knuckles in 1995.

 

 

Next week (21 September): Four top 150 entries and two bubbling WAY down under debuts.

 

< Previous week: 7 September 1992                   Next week: 21 September 1992 >

Week commencing 26 March 1990

After last week's mammoth post containing ten new debuts, this week is a more sedate affair, with only two new top 150 entries.   A common thread running through this week's debuts is that three of the four songs are from artists whom we have already seen this year.  Let's take a look at them.

 

Warrant: Dirty rotten filthy stinking rich?  Not with these Australian chart placings.

 

Top 150 debuts:

 

Number 127 "Beautiful Love" by Adeva

Peak: number 109

Peak date: 23 April 1990

Weeks in top 150: 7 weeks

Top 150 chart run: 127-121-110-114-109-121-115

Weeks on chart: 8 weeks

Adeva, real name Patricia Daniels, has previously bubbled under twice, with "Respect" and "Musical Freedom (Free At Last)", and here she is again, with the fifth single from her debut album Adeva! (number 14, February 1990).

 

Unusually for a dance artist, Adeva's album charted much better than the singles lifted from it - a feat that was replicated in the UK, where the album peaked at number 6 in September 1989 - 11 places higher than any of the singles lifted from it.

 

Unlike the previous four uptempo singles, "Beautiful Love" is a ballad.  This soulful song about lurve was quite a change in style for Adeva, but she pulled it off convincingly.  Not that the record-buying public was sold on it, however, as this single also majorly underperformed in the American diva's prime market, the UK, where it stalled at number 57 in December 1989.  Perhaps most people who liked the song already owned the album.

Frustratingly, "Beautiful Love" missed the national top 100 despite reaching the top 100 on four of the five state charts, peaking highest at number 84 in South Australia/Northern Territory.  "Beautiful Love" also performed better on the Australian Music Report singles chart, where it reached number 88.

A sixth single from Adeva!, "Treat Me Right", was issued locally in July 1990, but failed to chart.  It did manage to peak at number 62 in the UK, however, in April 1990.

We will see Adeva again in 1992.

Number 148 "Tender Lover" by Babyface
Peak: number 144

Peak date: 9 April 1990

Weeks in top 150: 2 weeks

Chart run: 154-(off chart for 1 week)-148-(off chart for 1 week)-144

Weeks on chart: 3 weeks

Babyface, real name Kenneth Brian Edmonds, bubbled WAY down under in February with "It's No Crime", and here he is with the second single and title track from the Tender Lover album (number 143, May 1990).  Bobby Brown, who Babyface had written and produced for, appears as the featured rapper on this track, to boot.

"Tender Lover" performed much stronger in Babyface's native US, where it peaked at number 14 in February 1990.

We will next see Babyface (as the performing artist) in 1992.

 

 

 

Bubbling WAY down under:

 

Number 159 "Get Busy" by Mr. Lee

Peak: number 159

Peak date: 26 March 1990

Weeks on chart: 1 week

 

Although I was only 12, had I been living in Sydney and a regular reader of The Sydney Morning Herald newspaper at the time, I might have seen this article from 21 December 1990, written by Helen Marie Dickenson, reviewing her top 10 favourite dance tracks of 1990.  In it, this song by Mr. Lee is listed, along with its ARIA chart peak of number 159 (Spoiler alert: there is a peak outside the top 100 listed for another song from later in the year in the article).  Had I seen this article at the time, I would have been clued in to the fact that the ARIA chart extended beyond number 100 - something I did not discover until 2014!

Anyway, back to the song at hand... Mr. Lee, real name Leeroy Haggard Jr., is an American rapper, hailing from Chicago, who was one of the pioneers of hip-house, merging rap and house music together.  While Mr. Lee had released a string of singles on minor labels dating back to 1986, "Get Busy" was his debut release for Jive Records, and the title track from his debut album Get Busy.

"Get Busy" was a top 20 hit in Germany, the Netherlands and Belgium, and also registered in the top 50 in the UK and New Zealand.  It also peaked at number 2 on the very dubious US Billboard Dance chart.

While Mr. Lee never scored a top 100 hit in Australia, he will dent the top 150 in September 1990.

 

 

 

Number 161 "Sometimes She Cries" by Warrant

Peak: number 161

Peak date: 26 March 1990

Weeks on chart: 1 week

 

Warrant have graced our presence twice previously, with "Down Boys" and "Big Talk".   "Sometimes She Cries" was the fourth and final single lifted from Warrant's debut album, Dirty Rotten Filthy Stinking Rich (number 72, November 1989).  As you might have guessed from the title, it's not one of their more 'rockin'' tracks, though it still has some trademark late 80s hair metal guitar licks on it.

"Somtimes She Cried" performed much better in the band's native US, where it peaked at number 20 in March 1990.

Warrant will next pay us a visit in 1992.

 

 

 

Number 170 "I Believe" by Joe Satriani

Peak: number 170

Peak date: 26 March 1990

Weeks on chart: 1 week

 

American guitar maestro Joe Satriani made his debut on the Australian singles chart in 1988 with "Always with Me, Always with You" (number 37, November 1988), from his second album Surfing with the Alien (number 10, November 1988).  "I Believe" was the second single lifted from his third album Flying in a Blue Dream (number 21, February 1990), following "Big Bad Moon" (number 100, February 1990).

 

While I cannot find evidence of "I Believe" charting on any other sales-based charts, it peaked at number 36 on the US Billboard Mainstream Rock Airplay chart in May 1990.

 

In Australia, "I Believe" was most popular in Western Australia, where it reached number 123 on the state chart.

 

A third single from Flying in a Blue Dream, the title track "Flying in a Blue Dream", was released in Australia in October 1990, but failed to chart.

 

We'll next see Joe in 1992.

 

Next week (2 April): four new top 150 debuts, including one from a band who've been around since the 60's, and another from a band who would have to wait until 1996 to score their only real hit in Australia.  There is also one bubbling WAY down under entry.  You can also follow my posts on instagram, facebook and twitter.

< Previous week: 19 March 1990                                              Next week: 2 April 1990 >

Week commencing 22 January 1990

One thing I can tell you about all of the songs I write about this week is that I didn't hear any of them at the time... and there are a few tragic stories about the artists in question!  Let's take a look.

 

Natalie Cole: Wild women... sometimes take their time to peak, and sometimes they miss the top 150 altogether.

 

 

Top 150 debuts:

 

Number 127 "Fever" by Joe Cocker

Peak: number 112

Peak date: 5 February 1990

Weeks in top 150: 8 weeks 

Chart run: 127-116-112-134-132-131-137-135

Weeks on chart: 8 weeks

 

I wasn't aware until now that Joe had covered this song, which was originally recorded by Little Willie John in 1956, with the most-famous version recorded by Peggy Lee in 1958.

 

Released as the second single from Joe's One Night of Sin album (number 32, October 1989), following "When the Night Comes" (number 39, November 1989), "Fever" only charted in Australia and New Zealand, where it peaked at number 46 in February 1990.

 

On the state charts, "Fever" performed strongest in South Australia/Northern Territory, where it reached number 82.

We lost Joe Cocker in December 2014 from lung cancer, aged 70.

Joe will be a regular visitor to this region of the chart in the coming years, notching up no fewer than five singles that peaked between numbers 101 and 150 in the coming three years.  We will see Joe again twice this year, with the next occasion being in May.

 

 

Number 136 "That's What They Always Say" by Chris Rea

Peak: number 123

Peak date: 5 February 1990

Weeks in top 150: 6 weeks 

Chart run: 136-136-123-139-137-140 

Weeks on chart: 6 weeks

A quick aside - the title of this track, which I hadn't heard before, makes me think of Mary Roach's legendary American Idol audition, where she says "'that's what they always say in theatre" in response to someone saying 'break a leg' to her, before she entered the audition room.  If you haven't seen that audition, it's worth checking out...  Ah, bless Mary and her white flares.

Now onto the Chris Rea song.  "That's What They Always Say" was the second single lifted from Chris's The Road to Hell album (number 35, November 1989), following "The Road to Hell (Part 2)" (number 78, November 1989).  "That's What They Always Say" peaked at number 83 in the UK in December 1989, and number 35 in France in May 1990.

 

In Australia, "That's What They Always Say" performed strongest in Western Australia, reaching number 78 on the state chart.

Sadly, 69 year-old Chris has endured a number of major health problems over the years, including multiple surgeries for pancreatic cancer, diagnosed in 2000, and a stroke in 2016.  In a Daily Mirror article in 2014, Chris revealed that he takes thirty-four tablets and has seven injections a day, following the complete removal of his pancreas and part of his digestive tract.

We will see Chris again in 1991, where he narrowly misses the top 100.

Number 145 "Big Talk" by Warrant

Peak: number 111

Peak date: 19 February 1990

Weeks in top 150: 10 weeks

Chart run: 145-113-121-130-111-134-128-112-127-134

Weeks on chart: 10 weeks

 

Warrant first bubbled WAY down under in July 1989, and hadn't had much chart success in Australia with any of the singles from their debut album, Dirty Rotten Filthy Stinking Rich (number 72, November 1989).  "Heaven" was the biggest of the bunch, peaking at number 54 in October 1989.  "Big Talk" had marginally more success in the band's native US, where it peaked at number 93 on the Billboard Hot 100 in November 1989.

 

On the state charts, "Big Talk" performed strongest on the Victoria/Tasmania state chart, where it peaked at number 70.

One notable thing about the music video for "Big Talk" is that the 'dirty rotten filthy stinking rich' record company fat cat type depicted on the album sleeve comes to life.  The video is worth watching for that alone.

Warrant singer Jani Lane sadly passed away from acute alcohol poisoning in August 2011, aged 47.  Jani was never comfortable with being known as "the 'Cherry Pie' guy" - after Warrant's biggest hit (number 6, January 1991), as evident in this interview on YouTube, in which he ominously says, "I could shoot myself in the f**king head for writing that song."

Warrant will join us again in March.

Number 150 "Call It Love" by Poco

Peak: number 150

Peak date: 22 January 1990 and 5 February 1990

Weeks in top 150: 2 weeks

Top 150 chart run: 150-(out for 1 week)-150

 

Poco are (they are still active, according to Wikipedia) an American country rock band formed in 1968 (!).  Although I'd never heard of them before, they actually placed two singles on the Australian chart in the 1970s, with the biggest one being "Rose of Cimarron" (number 51, February 1977).  They also had six charting albums in Australia between 1971 and 1980.

"Call It Love", as you might expect, performed much better in the US, where it peaked at number 18 in April 1989.  Released in Australia on 6 November 1989, "Call It Love" took over two months to dent the top 150, where it spent two non-consecutive weeks at number 150.  While it's not the usual sort of thing I listen to, I did enjoy the minor chord (or perhaps it's just a key change - I'm not quite musically-gifted enough to know for sure) guitar bridge leading into the chorus.

To my surprise, this song was also a hit of sorts in the Dutch-speaking world, peaking at number 20 in the Netherlands in November 1989, and number 38 in the Flanders region of Belgium (Belgium has two separate charts: one each for the Dutch and French-speaking regions) in December 1989.

"Call It Love" was lifted from the band's Legacy album (number 136, February 1990).  Another single from the album, "Nothin' to Hide", was released locally in February 1990, but missed the top 150.

Bubbling WAY down under:

Number 162 "As a Matter of Fact" by Natalie Cole

Peak: number 162

Peak date: 22 January 1990

Weeks on chart: 1 week

Natalie's previous single, "Miss You Like Crazy" (number 34, October 1989), was a slow burner on the Australian chart, taking six weeks to crack the top 100, 13 weeks to break the top 50, and 20 weeks to reach its peak.  Nat would perform a similar feat with subsequent single, "Wild Women Do" (number 37, September 1990), which took 5 weeks to crack the top 100, and 24 weeks to both break the top 50 and reach its peak.

Released as the second single from her Good to Be Back album (number 87, September 1989) in Australia, "As a Matter of Fact" had a much shorter chart life, spending just one week on the chart, outside the top 150.  Curiously, the single took two months to dent the charts, being released locally on 20 November 1989.  "As a Matter of Fact" failed to chart elsewhere.

Poor Nat had inconsistent success on the Australian charts, with each of her seven top 100 singles in Australia being from a different album.  To add insult to injury, her 1988 single "Everlasting" made each of the state top 100 charts at different times in September-October 1988, but failed to dent the national top 100 (this was before ARIA extended the chart beyond number 100).

Unfortunately, Natalie is no longer with us, having passed away from heart failure at the end of 2015, aged 65.

Natalie will join us again in 1991.

Next week (29 January): Five new top 150 entries, including the belated appearance of the debut solo single from a new act who had a big hit on their hands, and one bubbling WAY down under debut.  You can also follow my posts on instagram and facebook.

< Previous week: 15 January 1990                               Next week: 29 January 1990 >

Week commencing 3 July 1989

Think you can name Warrant's, Natalie Merchant's and Adeva's first chart 'hits' in Australia?  Depending on your definition of what counts as a charting hit, you could be wrong, as we'll see this week, with these acts bubbling under with earlier releases before they went on to bigger things on the Australian chart.  Also among this week's debuts we have a band releasing their first new material after re-uniting earlier in the decade, and a remix of a number 52 'hit' from 1986.  Let's take a look at this week's batch of new entries.

Adeva: No, that's not one of the Village People.

Top 150 debuts:

Number 109 "Paranoimia '89" by The Art of Noise

Peak: number 103

Peak date: 17 July 1989

Weeks in top 150: 6 weeks 

Top 150 chart run: 109-120-103-119-130-132

Weeks on chart: 8 weeks

The Art of Noise scored a top 10 hit in early 1989 with their collaboration with Tom Jones.  Their original version of this track, featuring the animated robot character Max Headroom on 'vocals', peaked at number 52 on the Australian singles chart in September 1986.  This remixed version, sans Max, peaked 51 places lower, and also flopped in the group's native UK, where it peaked at number 88.

 

On the state charts, "Paranoimia '89" performed strongest in South Australia/Northern Territory, where it reached number 54.  We will next see The Art of Noise in 1992.

 

Number 113 "Bring It Back Again" by Stray Cats

Peak: number 109

Peak date: 10 July 1989

Weeks in top 150: 5 weeks

Top 150 chart run: 113-109-118-124-123

Weeks on chart: 9 weeks

Peaking at number 95 on the Australian Music Report singles chart, "Bring It Back Again" fell slightly short of the ARIA top 100.  Between 1981 and 1983, Stray Cats placed four singles within the Kent Music Report top 100, before splitting up in 1984.  The most-successful of their singles on our charts was 1981's "Runaway Boys", peaking at number 15.  The group re-formed in 1986, and this was the lead single from their first post-reunion album, Blast Off, which peaked at number 90 in June 1989.

 

Internationally, "Bring It Back Again" peaked at number 64 in the UK in February 1989.

In Australia, the single performed strongest in Western Australia, where it reached number 76.  "Bring It Back Again" peaked within the top 100 on all state charts except New South Wales/Australian Capital Territory.

Stray Cats will visit us again in 1991.

 

 

Number 129 "Trouble Me" by 10,000 Maniacs

Peak: number 102

Peak dates: 17 July 1989, 31 July 1989 and 14 August 1989

Weeks in top 150: 17 weeks

Chart run: 156-129-117-102-105-102-111-102-108-122-106-128-123-137-136-135-142-139

Weeks on chart: 18 weeks

10,000 Maniacs were a band I had heard of - by the early-mid 90s - but never gave their music the time of day, after rather incorrectly assuming they would be some kind of thrash metal act, given the band's name.  How wrong I was!  Accordingly, this excellent song passed me - and most of the Australian record-buying public too, it seems, going by its peak - by at the time.  But, just like the band name, sometimes appearances (and chart peaks) can be deceiving.  Despite only peaking at number 102 - on three separate, non-consecutive weeks, no less - "Trouble Me" spent a whopping 17 weeks hovering in the number 101-150 region of the chart!  Yes, this single was still charting in late October.  This gives "Trouble Me" the accolade (?) of being the single peaking outside the top 100 that spent the most weeks on the chart in 1989, beating its nearest rival, When in Rome's "The Promise", by three whole weeks.  I've raised the question before: when is a flop almost a hit?  The line between 'hit' and 'flop' can sometimes be blurred, indeed.  As impressive as "Trouble Me"'s longevity in the 101-150 region of the chart is, it will be surpassed in later years.

Internationally, "Trouble Me" peaked at number 77 in the UK, number 21 in Canada in July 1989, and number 44 on the US Billboard Hot 100 in August 1989.

"Trouble Me", lifted from the album Blind Man's Zoo (number 84, August 1989) is another single that had greater success on the Australian Music Report chart, where it peaked at number 85.  It also reached number 37 on the South Australian/Northern Territory ARIA state chart.  The group eventually scored an Australian top 100 hit, in 1997, with their cover version of Roxy Music's "More Than This" (number 94).  Lead singer Natalie Merchant, of course, would have greater success as a solo artist, placing her debut solo single "Carnival" at number 24 in October 1995.  10,000 Maniacs will join us again in 1993.

 

Number 131 "Cathedral Song" by Tanita Tikaram

Peak: number 120

Peak date: 31 July 1989

Weeks in top 150: 7 weeks

Chart run: 162-(off chart for 1 week)-131-132-138-121-120-138-136

Weeks on chart: 8 weeks

Tanita's top 30 hit "Twist in My Sobriety" would unfortunately be a one-off for her on the Australian charts; no other single she released troubled the top 100.  We've already seen one of Tanita's bubbling under 'hits' in January.  "Cathedral Song" also under-performed in the UK, relative to Tanita's earlier singles, peaking at number 48 back in January 1989.  The single also peaked at number 36 in the Netherlands in February 1989, and number 71 in Germany in June 1989.

In Australia, "Cathedral Song" was most popular in Victoria/Tasmania, reaching number 84 on the state chart.  The single peaked within the top 100 on all state charts except New South Wales/Australian Capital Territory. 

A fourth single from the Ancient Heart album, "World Outside Your Window", was released locally in late July 1989, but failed to chart

Tanita will bubble under for a third time, with a single from her second album, in 1990.

 

Number 137 "Your Love" by Hipsway

Peak: number 103

Peak date: 7 August 1989

Weeks in top 150: 7 weeks 

Top 150 chart run: 137-146-141-143-145-103-148

Hipsway were a Scottish band, formed in 1984, and contained Johnny McElhone from Altered Images on bass.  In 1986, they scored a number 91 'hit' on the Australian singles chart with "The Honeythief".  This track peaked at number 66 in the UK in April 1989.

"Your Love" had a somewhat unusual chart run in Australia.  All but one of its seven weeks in the ARIA top 150 were spent at number 137 or lower, but then it randomly shot up to number 103 for a solitary week in its second-last week, before dropping to number 148 and then out.

Number 150 "Respect" by Adeva

Peak: number 150

Peak date: 3 July 1989

Weeks in top 150: 1 week

Chart run: 158-(off chart for 13 weeks)-150

Weeks on chart: 2 weeks

You'd never guess upon first listen, but this track is a completely re-worked cover version of the song made famous by Aretha Franklin.  I first heard Adeva's rendition of "Respect" when it was used as the B-side to her "Warning!" single - my first musical purchase of the 1990s!  "Respect" has a somewhat interesting chart run in Australia.  Spending just two weeks on the chart, "Respect"'s first charting week was at number 158 back in early April; it took three months to re-enter at its peak of number 150.  Adeva would have greater chart success with later singles from her debut album Adeva!, which, coincidentally, has recently been remastered and re-issued as a 4-CD set (also available to stream on Spotify).  Another thing worth checking out, if Adeva is to your liking, is a recent YouTube interview, where Adeva talks about her career, why she quit the business, and some tragic events that have happened in her life.  

Internationally, "Respect" peaked at number 17 in the UK in January 1989, number 17 in Ireland, number 21 in the Netherlands in March 1989, and number 34 in the Flanders region of Belgium in March 1989.

In Australia, "Respect" was most popular in New South Wales/Australian Capital Territory, where it reached number 131 on the state chart.

Adeva will join us again in 1990.

 

 

Bubbling WAY down under:

Number 151 "Down Boys" by Warrant

Peak: number 151

Peak date: 3 July 1989

Weeks on chart: 1 week

Before Warrant made it big with "Cherry Pie" in 1990, and before they even had moderate success with their Australian number 54 smash "Heaven" later in 1989, they bubbled WAY down under with "Down Boys", their debut release.  "Down Boys", taken from the album Dirty Rotten Filthy Stinking Rich (number 72, November 1989) had greater success on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart, where it peaked at number 27 in July 1989.  It also peaked at number 50 in New Zealand in July 1989.

In Australia, "Down Boys" performed strongest in Victoria/Tasmania, where it reached number 123 on the state chart.

Warrant will bubble down under again in 1990.

Next week (10 July): Four new entries, including a live rendition of a song that peaked just outside the top 40 in 1977; plus another five bubbling WAY down under entries.  Remember, you can also follow my posts on facebook.

< Previous week: 26 June 1989                                            Next week: 10 July 1989 >