Week commencing 21 June 1993

This week in 1993 we have 11 new entries peaking outside the top 100.  Let’s take a look at them.

A-ha didn’t exactly light up the charts with this release.

Top 150 debuts:

Number 112 “How It Should Be” by Inspiral Carpets

Peak: number 112

Peak date: 21 June 1993

Weeks in top 150: 3 weeks

Known chart run: 162-112-122-123

Weeks on chart: 5 weeks

English indie rock band Inspiral Carpets last paid us a visit in 1992.

“How It Should Be” was an in-between albums single that eventually appeared on their compilation album The Singles (released in Australia in February 1995, did not chart).  Despite not appearing on their previous album Revenge of the Goldfish (number 123, June 1993), that album reached its Australian peak coinciding with this release.  I am thinking that the band may have toured Australia around this time in 1993.  "How It Should Be" would be Inspiral Carpets' highest-charting single in Australia, falling 12 places short of the top 100.

Internationally, “How It Should Be” peaked at number 49 in the UK in May 1993.

Domestically, the single performed strongest on the South Australia/Northern Territory state chart, where it reached number 88.

We will next see Inspiral Carpets in 1994.

 

Number 128 “Hero” by David Crosby & Phil Collins

Peak: number 128

Peak date: 21 June 1993

Weeks in top 150: 7 weeks

Top 150 chart run: 128-138-140-147-(out of top 150 for 6 weeks)-130-140-142

We last saw American singer-songwriter David Crosby in 1989, as both a solo artist and as part of Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young.  Since writing those posts, David passed away in 2023, aged 81.

“Hero”, a duet with Phil Collins - whom we last saw on another collaboration in 1991, was the lead single from David’s third solo studio album Thousand Roads (released in Australia in June 1993, missed the top 150).  Internationally, “Hero” peaked at number 56 in the UK in May 1993, number 5 in Canada in June 1993, number 51 in Germany in June 1993, number 44 on the US Billboard Hot 100 in July 1993, and number 32 in New Zealand in July 1993.  The song also reached number 3 on the US Billboard Adult Contemporary chart in June 1993, and number 31 on the Radio Songs chart in July 1993.

I don’t recall hearing this one before.  The musical backing is very Phil Collins.

None of the uploads of the music video I saw on YouTube are great quality, so here is an audio clip of the song with clearer audio.

We won't see David again, but we shall next see Phil Collins in October 1993.

Number 137 “Parisienne Walkways ‘93” by Gary Moore

Peak: number 137

Peak date: 21 June 1993

Weeks in top 150: 3 weeks

Top 150 chart run: 137-139-149

Weeks on chart: 8 weeks

Northern Irish guitar guru Gary Moore last graced our presence in February 1993.

“Parisienne Walkways” originally appeared on Gary’s debut album Back on the Streets.  As a single, it peaked at number 8 in the UK in May 1979, and number 5 in Ireland.

“Parisienne Walkways ‘93” is a live recording, lifted from the album Blues Alive (number 73, July 1993).  It was recorded live at The Royal Albert Hall in London, in October 1992, rendering the title slightly misleading.  This version peaked at number 32 in the UK in May 1993, and number 9 in France for three non-consecutive weeks in July 1993.

Locally, “Parisienne ‘93” was most popular in Queensland, reaching number 108 on the state chart.

This would be Gary’s last charting single in Australia.  He had later, low-charting albums in Australia, including Ballads & Blues 1982-1994 (number 142, February 1995), Dark Days in Paradise (number 161, August 1997), and Out in the Fields - The Very Best of (number 216, March 1999).

Number 144 “Play That Country Music (Rawhide)” by The Fargone Beauties

Peak: number 137

Peak date: 28 June 1993

Weeks in top 150: 4 weeks

Top 150 chart run: 144-137-143-139

We last saw Australian band The Fargone Beauties in 1992.

“Play That Country Music (Rawhide)” was the second single lifted from the band’s second album It’s Hard When You’re Ugly (number 147, November 1992).  As you might have guessed from the title, the song is a reworked version of Wild Cherry’s “Play That Funky Music” (number 5, January 1977).

This was the band’s last single release to dent the top 150, although a later album Dark Side of the Moo (number 147, March 1995) entered the top 150 albums chart in 1995.

Number 146 “Teacher I Need You” by Stephen Cummings

Peak: number 102

Peak dates: 28 June 1993 and 12 July 1993

Weeks in top 150: 7 weeks

Top 150 chart run: 146-102-105-102-108-118-123

Weeks on chart: 10 weeks

Aussie singer-songwriter and TV ad jingle writer Stephen Cummings last joined us in March 1993.

“Teacher I Need You”, a cover version of the Elton John song from 1972, was recorded for the movie The Heartbreak Kid, and appears on its soundtrack album, which peaked at number 70 in July 1993.  On the state charts, “Teacher I Need You” performed strongest in Queensland, where it reached number 73.

Unfortunately, no-one has uploaded this one to YouTube at the time of writing.

We’ll next see Stephen in November 1993.

 

Number 147 “War Baby” by Tom Robinson

Peak: number 133

Peak date: 28 June 1993

Weeks in top 150: 3 weeks

Top 150 chart run: 147-133-141

English singer-songwriter Tom Robinson first released “War Baby” in 1983.  He wrote the song after visiting a gay sauna.  The 1983 version of “War Baby” peaked at number 6 in the UK in July 1983, number 16 in Ireland in July 1983, and, belatedly, number 73 in Australia in November 1984.

This live acoustic version of “War Baby” appears on Tom’s 1992 album Living in a Boom Time (released in Australia in April 1993, missed the top 150).  The Australian pressing of the single states that $1 from each sale will be donated to Austcare, and there is also a logo with Austcare/Triple J The Big Day In 20 June 1993 on it.

Number 150 “Waiting for the Sun” by The Jayhawks

Peak: number 150

Peak date: 21 June 1993

Weeks in top 150: 1 week

Top 150 chart run: 150

American band The Jayhawks formed in Minneapolis in 1984.  “Waiting for the Sun” is lifted from their third studio album Hollywood Town Hall (released in Australia in April 1993, missed the top 150).

Internationally, “Waiting for the Sun” peaked at number 116 (number 93 on the truncated chart with exclusions below number 75) in the UK in April 1993.  The song also reached number 20 on the US Billboard Mainstream Rock Airplay chart, and number 29 on the Modern Rock Tracks chart.

It’s not what I would normally listen to, but I didn’t mind this one, which I hadn’t heard before.

“Blue” (number 49, June 1995) would be The Jayhawks’ biggest single in Australia, and their only other single to crack the top 150.

Bubbling WAY down under:

Number 154 “I Should Be Laughing” by Patty Smyth

Peak: number 153

Peak date: 28 June 1993

Weeks on chart: 3 weeks

We last saw American singer-songwriter Patty Smyth in February 1993.

“I Should Be Laughing” was the third and final single issued in Australia from Patty’s second solo studio album Patty Smyth (number 94, November 1992).  Internationally, the single peaked at number 86 on the US Billboard Hot 100 in July 1993, and number 64 in Canada for two consecutive weeks in July-August 1993.

In Australia, “I Should Be Laughing” was most popular in Queensland, where it reached number 131 on the state chart.

I hadn’t heard this one before.  I thought it was OK, but nothing special.

This was Patty’s last charting release in Australia.

Number 165 “Dark Is the Night” by a-ha

Peak: number 165

Peak date: 21 June 1993

Weeks on chart: 6 weeks

Norwegian band a-ha last joined us in 1992.

“Dark Is the Night” was released as the lead single from their fifth studio album Memorial Beach (number 132, July 1993).  Elsewhere, the single peaked at number 4 in Norway, number 19 in the UK in June 1993, number 28 in Ireland in June 1993, number 46 in Germany in July 1993, number 45 in the Flanders region of Belgium for two consecutive weeks in July 1993, and number 70 in Canada in August 1993.  The song also peaked at number 11 on the US Billboard Bubbling Under Hot 100 in July 1993.

Domestically, “Dark Is the Night” performed strongest in Western Australia, where it reached number 157 on the state chart.

As with all post-1988 a-ha singles, I didn’t hear this one at the time.  Watching the video, it seems they’ve given singer Morten Harket a Ken doll makeover, wearing a vest to show off his chest and abs.  The song itself is alright, but didn’t grab me after one listen.

One thing I didn’t know until researching for this post is that Morten Harket, 65, announced that he was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease earlier this month.

Interestingly, “Dark Is the Night” is titled “Dark Is the Night for All” on the Memorial Beach album artwork.

A-ha would have one further, very low-charting single in Australia with “You Are the One” (Dub Mix Edit) (number 1669, April 2016), during the streaming era; a remix of a 1988 single.  They has one further top 200 album in Australia with Minor Earth Major Sky (number 169, June 2000).

Number 200 “Little Miracles (Happen Everyday)” by Luther Vandross

Peak: number 200

Peak date: 21 June 1993

Weeks on chart: 3 weeks

American soul/R&B singer-songwriter Luther Vandross last visited us in 1991.  Since then, Luther finally scored his breakthrough hit in Australia, with “The Best Things in Life Are Free” (number 2 for five weeks in October-November 1992), a duet with Janet Jackson.

“Little Miracles (Happen Everyday)” was the first single lifted from Luther’s eighth studio album Never Let Me Go (number 107, July 1993).  Internationally, the single peaked at number 28 for two weeks in the UK in May 1993, and number 62 on the US Billboard Hot 100 in June 1993.  The song also registered on several US Billboard genre-specific charts, reaching number 10 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart in June 1993, number 8 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay chart in June 1993, number 27 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles Sales chart in June 1993, number 68 on the Radio Songs chart in June 1993, number 30 on the Adult Contemporary chart in June 1993, and number 30 on the Adult R&B Airplay chart in September 1993.

In Australia, “Little Miracles (Happen Everyday)” was most popular in Western Australia, reaching number 162 on the state chart.

We shall next see Luther in October 1993.

Number 207 “Heartbeat” by Nick Berry

Peak: number 207

Peak date: 21 June 1993

Weeks on chart: 1 week

English man Nick Berry is primarily known for being an actor, although he released two albums, both titled Nick Berry, in 1986 and 1992.  Nick landed a minor ‘hit’ in Australia with “Every Loser Wins” (number 93, October 1987), which was played in British soap opera EastEnders, which Nick starred in at the time.

Nick played the role of Constable Nick Rowan on the long running British series Heartbeat, which first aired in the UK in 1992, and premiered on Australian TV on 13 June 1993.  “Heartbeat”, as you might have guessed, is the theme song from the show, and is a cover of the Buddy Holly song from 1958.

Internationally, “Heartbeat” peaked at number 2 in the UK for two weeks in June 1992, and number 18 in Ireland in June 1992.

In Australia, Nick’s version of “Heartbeat” performed strongest in Western Australia, where it reached number 174 on the state chart.

Next week (28 June): Six top 150 entries.

< Previous week: 14 June 1993                Next week: 28 June 1993 >

Week commencing 20 January 1992

There isn't a common thread linking this week in 1992's new entries peaking outside the top 100, so let's just dive straight in.

 

Jo Beth Taylor: you probably don't own this single.

  

Top 150 debuts:

 

Number 129 "Big Sky Country" by Chris Whitley

Peak: number 125

Peak date: 27 January 1992

Weeks in top 150: 5 weeks

Top 150 chart run: 129-125-128-130-127

 

American blues/rock singer-songwriter Chris Whitley is an artist I'd never heard of until researching him for this post.  "Big Sky Country" was the second single released in Australia from Chris' debut album Living with the Law (number 109, November 1991).  It followed the album's title track, which was released locally in August 1991.

 

Internationally, "Big Sky Country" peaked at number 71 in the Netherlands in March 1992.  The song also reached number 35 on the US Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks chart in 1991.

Chris died from lung cancer in 2005, aged 45.

We shall see Chris again in April.

 

 

Number 131 "Pump This House Boy" by Choice

Peak: number 123

Peak date: 17 February 1992

Weeks in top 150: 7 weeks 

Top 150 chart run: 131-(out for 1 week)-140-128-123-126-140-143

 

Unfortunately, I cannot tell you anything about this track, other than it appears to be by an Australian house act.  The single was released in October 1991, and was only available on vinyl and cassette.  I could not find this track anywhere online to listen to.

 

 

Number 133 "Shameless" by Billy Joel

Peak: number 133

Peak dates: 20 January 1992 and 3 February 1992

Weeks in top 150: 5 weeks

Chart run: 133-134-133-134-142

Weeks on chart: 5 weeks

 

We last saw Billy Joel in February 1991.  "Shameless" was the sixth single in a row from Billy's Storm Front (number 1, November 1989) album to miss the top 100.  I am not sure why singles were still being released from the album more than two years after its release.

Internationally, "Shameless" peaked at number 40 on the US Adult Contemporary chart in January 1992.

Domestically, "Shameless" was most successful in Western Australia, where it reached number 99.

 

We'll next see Billy in 1994.

 

 

Number 138 "You Don't Own Me" by Jo Beth Taylor

Peak: number 137

Peak dates: 27 January 1992 and 3 February 1992

Weeks in top 150: 5 weeks 

Top 150 chart run: 138-137-137-141-148

 

Born Joanne Guilfoyle, Jo Beth Taylor hails from Perth, Australia.  Jo Beth's first taste of chart success came as a backing vocalist on Melodian Records' (Molly Meldrum's record label) label mates Indecent Obsession's "Tell Me Something" (number 17, October 1989), on which she also appears in the music video.

Jo Beth's debut single "99 Reasons" dented the lower region of the top 40, peaking at number 31 in September 1991.

"You Don't Own Me", which is not a cover version of the Lesley Gore track of the same name, was the second and final single lifted from Jo Beth's only album 99 Reasons (number 109, August 1991).

 

I remember seeing the video for this one on Coca-Cola Power Cuts towards the end of 1991.  Peter Andre, who was also signed to Melodian Records but had not yet released anything, appears as a dancer in the video, as does actor Simon Baker, who was then known as Simon Denny.

 

Jo Beth released two singles after this, which dented the lower half of the top 100, "A Prayer for Jane" (number 61, September 1993) and "I Love My Dog" (number 95, January 1997).  Jo Beth is probably more known for her TV hosting gigs on Hey Hey It's Saturday and Australia's Funniest Home Video Show than for her music.

 

 

Number 139 "True Companion" by Marc Cohn

Peak: number 117

Peak date: 27 January 1992

Weeks in top 150: 9 weeks

Top 150 chart run: 139-117-118-120-130-124-132-122-131

 

We last saw Marc Cohn in September 1991. 

"True Companion" was issued as the third single from Marc's debut album Marc Cohn (number 31, September 1991).  Internationally, "True Companion" peaked at number 80 on the US Billboard Hot 100 in November 1991.

 

"True Companion" peaked 29 places higher on the Australian Music Report singles chart, reaching number 88.

I hadn't heard this one before.  It's nice.

 

We'll see Marc again in March.

 

 

Number 147 Splinter (EP) by Splinter

Peak: number 135

Peak date: 27 January 1992

Weeks in top 150: 3 weeks 

Top 150 chart run: 147-135-150

 

Splinter were an American band from Ohio.  Unfortunately, this is another release I cannot tell you much about, other than it was a 4-track EP, and the lead track (which is not on YouTube) was titled "225".

 

 

Number 149 "Rhythm Is a Mystery" by K-Klass

Peak: number 130 (in 1994); number 138 (in 1992)

Peak dates: 27 January 1992 (original release); 14 November 1994 (1994 release)

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

Top 150 chart run: 149-138-142.  Re-entry 31 October 1994: 148-144-130-131-148

Weeks on chart: 18 weeks (1992 and 1994 chart runs combined)

 

British electronic music group K-Klass formed in 1988.  "Rhythm Is a Mystery" was their debut Australian release, and would go on to appear on their 1993 album Universal (number 140, May 1994).

 

Internationally, "Rhythm Is a Mystery" peaked at number 3 in the UK in November 1991, after originally peaking at number 61 there in May 1991.  The single also reached number 7 in Ireland in November 1991.

 

In Australia, "Rhythm Is a Mystery" had two separate chart runs, with the single being re-issued in 1994 following the success of "Let Me Show You" (number 18, April 1994) - the band's only top 100 entry in Australia.  "Rhythm Is a Mystery" peaked eight places higher in November 1994.  The single peaked on all of the ARIA state charts in 1994, except Western Australia, where it reached number 98 in 1992.  "Rhythm Is a Mystery" performed strongest in South Australia/Northern Territory, where it reached number 85.

K-Klass will join us next in June 1992.

 

 

Bubbling WAY down under: 

Number 171 "Move to Memphis" by a-ha

Peak: number 171

Peak date: 20 January 1992

Weeks on chart: 1 week

 

Norwegian band a-ha last graced our presence in January 1991. 

"Move to Memphis" was recorded as a new track for a-ha's first compilation album Headlines and Deadlines: The Hits of a-ha (number 162, February 1992).

 

Overseas, "Move to Memphis" peaked at number 2 in Norway, number 29 in Ireland in October 1991, number 47 in the UK in October 1991, number 61 in the Netherlands in November 1991, and number 39 in Germany in December 1991.

 

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

I do not enjoy the little I've heard of a-ha's 90s output in comparison to their 80s hits.

a-ha will join us again in 1993.

Next week (27 January): Four top 150 debuts and one bubbling WAY down under entry.

< Previous week: 13 January 1992                                  Next week: 27 January 1992 >

Week commencing 28 January 1991

This week's new entries are a mixture of songs from veteran artists and newcomers, songs that I knew at the time and those that I didn't.  Let's take a look at them.

 

Scott Carne: Australians weren't sold on being given these 'freedoms' in 1991.

 

Top 150 debuts:

 

Number 122 "Spell Is Broken" by Mark Williams

Peak: number 115

Peak date: 1 April 1991

Weeks in top 150: 14 weeks 

Chart run: 122-117-119-126-131-128-123-128-126-115-119-132-131-136

Weeks on chart: 14 weeks

 

New Zealand-born Mark Williams' recording career began in the mid 1970s, with two of his singles, 1975's "Yesterday Was Just the Beginning of My Life" and 1977's "It Doesn't Matter Anymore" topping the New Zealand singles chart.

 

Mark's Australian breakthrough would not come until 1990, when "Show No Mercy", written by Harry Vanda and George Young from The Easybeats, reached number 8 in July 1990.  All of the songs on Mark Williams ZNZ (number 45, October 1990), Mark's first studio album since 1979, were penned by Vanda/Young.  Beyond its chart life, "Show No Mercy" became somewhat of a sporting anthem.  The single was credited to Mark Williams ZNZ - I am not sure what the ZNZ means.

During the 1980s, Mark had worked successfully as a session singer and also performed backing backing vocals for other artists, both in the studio and on tour.  Among Mark's session singer credits is the original version of the theme to Australian soap opera Home and Away.

Mark followed up "Show No Mercy" with "Fix of Love" (number 28, November 1990).  "Spell Is Broken" was the third and final single lifted from Mark Williams ZNZ.  While "Spell Is Broken" missed the top 100, it spent a respectable 14 weeks in the top 150.

 

On the state charts, "Spell Is Broken" was most popular in South Australia/Northern Territory, where it reached number 56.

Mark released another studio album Mind Over Matter (number 133, June 1993), and we will see him bubble under again with a single from this in 1993.  Mark went on to become a vocal coach on the Australian series of Popstars in the early 2000s, and since 2006 has been the lead singer of the Australian/New Zealand band Dragon.

 

Number 128 "Romeo" by Dino

Peak: number 105

Peak date: 25 February 1991

Weeks in top 150: 8 weeks

Top 150 chart run: 128-109-107-111-105-108-111-127

 

Dino, real name Dean Esposito, began his career as a top 40 radio DJ in Las Vegas.  He then ventured into recording his own music, and his debut single, "Summergirls", was released in 1988, reaching number 50 on the US Billboard Hot 100 in August 1988.

While Dino released three singles in Australia in 1988-89, none of them reached the top 150.  I recall reading about Dino in the Australian edition of Smash Hits, but do not recall hearing "Romeo" before.

Internationally, "Romeo" reached number 6 in the US in October 1990, becoming his biggest hit there.  The single also peaked at number 48 in New Zealand in February 1991.

"Romeo" peaked at number 80 on the Australian Music Report singles chart.

 

We shall see Dino again in 1993.

 

 

Number 138 "Unchained Melody" by Techno-Color featuring Twiggy

Peak: number 102 

Peak date: 11 February 1991

Weeks in top 150: 9 weeks

Top 150 chart run: 138-126-102-125-113-132-132-139-131

As you might have guessed from the song title, and perhaps the artist name too, this track is a dance cover version of The Righteous Brothers' "Unchained Melody" (number 1, November 1990), which had recently topped the chart.  I can't tell you anything else about this one, other than I hadn't heard it before, and there are German, Spanish and Australian pressings of the single listed on discogs.com.

 

 

Number 140 "Freedom" by Scott Carne

Peak: number 110

Peak date: 11 March 1991

Weeks in top 150: 11 weeks 

Top 150 chart run: 140-139-112-120-115-118-110-115-112-118-130

 

Here's one I did hear at the time.  Scott Carne was the lead singer in Australian band Kids in the Kitchen, who placed 9 singles on the Australian chart between 1983 and 1988, with "Change in Mood" (number 10, December 1983) and "Current Stand" (number 12, October 1985) being their biggest hits. 

After Kids in the Kitchen disbanded in 1988, Scott went on to front the Elvis tribute band Priscilla's Nightmare, whom we saw bubble under in 1989.

Scott then embarked on a solo career.  His debut solo single "All I Want to Do" (number 77, October 1990) seemed to gain a reasonable amount of attention, but faltered on the ARIA singles chart.

"Freedom" was issued as Scott's second solo single, and fared even worse on the chart, although it did perform stronger on the Australian Music Report singles chart, where it reached number 84.

If you ask me - and no-one did, but since this is my site, I'll offer my 2 cents' worth anyway - Scott's solo career probably failed due to his new sound/image being too radical a change from his Kids in the Kitchen days.  Scott had moved with the times, adopting a 'Madchester'/'baggy'-type look and sound for these two singles (think Happy Mondays or The Soup Dragons), but this didn't resonate with the Australian record-buying public, as those acts generally didn't do that well here commercially.  It's a shame, as Scott's solo singles were fairly decent.

I assume there was a solo album recorded, but it never saw the light of day - which is an unusual turn of events for Australian record companies, who normally still released these things even if the singles were not hits, in the early 1990s.  In fact, "Freedom" appears to have been Scott's final solo release, full-stop!

Number 142 "Human Work of Art" by Maxi Priest

Peak: number 142

Peak date: 28 January 1991

Weeks in top 150: 1 week

Top 150 chart run: 142

Weeks on chart: 2 weeks

 

English reggae singer Maxi Priest, real name Max Elliott, has the unusual distinction of only landing major hits or flops - with nothing in-between - on the Australian chart.  All three of his ARIA top 50 hits reached the top 10, including, by this point, "Wild World" (number 8, August 1988) and "Close to You" (number 2, September 1990), and his future collaboration with Shaggy, "That Girl" (number 7, August 1996).  None of Maxi's other singles peaked higher than number 80 on the Australian charts.

"Human Work of Art" was the third single lifted from Bonafide (number 25, September 1990). It followed "Close to You" and "Peace Throughout the World" (number 87, October 1990).

Internationally, "Human Work of Art" peaked at number 71 in the UK in December 1990.

On the ARIA state charts, "Human Work of Art" performed strongest in Victoria/Tasmania, where it reached number 128.

Cliff Richard recorded a version of "Human Work of Art", which peaked at number 24 in the UK in June 1993.

We will next see Maxi in October 1991.

 

 

 

Number 144 "Love Shines" by Dave Stewart and The Spiritual Cowboys

Peak: number 144

Peak date: 28 January 1991 

Weeks in top 150: 2 weeks

Known chart run: 169-144-148

Weeks on chart: 7 weeks

 

Dave Stewart's first foray onto the Australian charts came when he was a member of The Tourists.  Their version of Dusty Springfield's "I Only Want to Be with You" reached number 6 in Australia in August 1980.  The band split during a promotional tour to Australia later in 1980, and Dave, together with lead singer Annie Lennox, went on to form Eurythmics (no 'The').

As one half of Eurythmics, Dave scored 15 top 20 singles in Australia between 1983 and 1989, with "Would I Lie to You?" going all the way to number 1 in June 1985.  The duo's working relationship went on hiatus for a decade following the release of their seventh studio album We Too Are One (number 7, September 1989), allowing Dave and Annie to explore solo projects.

Dave's first 'solo' single was the instrumental "Lily Was Here" (number 10, November 1990), on which saxophonist Candy Dulfer received a featuring credit.  "Lily Was Here" was recorded for the soundtrack of the 1989 Dutch movie De Kassière, which translates as 'the cashier', although the film's title in English was Lily Was Here.  The Lily Was Here soundtrack album peaked at number 29 in Australia in November 1990.

 

"Lily Was Here" was a slow burner on the Australian chart, taking 32 weeks to climb to its peak, after debuting at number 139 in April 1990.  "Lily Was Here" reached its local peak almost a year after it topped the Dutch singles chart, and spent a total of 51 weeks on the Australian chart.  Its chart longevity was assisted by the single peaking at different times on the state charts, spanning from June (Western Australia) to December 1990 (South Australia/Northern Territory).

Dave's new band The Spiritual Cowboys landed a number 57 single in Australia with "Jack Talking" in October 1990.  "Love Shines" was issued as the second single from Dave Stewart and The Spiritual Cowboys (number 51, November 1990).

"Love Shines" peaked at number 88 in the UK in October 1990, and number 49 in the Flanders region of Belgium in December 1990.

 

In Australia, "Love Shines" performed strongest in Western Australia, where it reached number 72 on the state chart.  The single peaked higher nationally on the Australian Music Report singles chart, reaching number 94.

 

The only place I heard or saw "Love Shines" at the time was on Video Hits' Saturday morning program, which featured selections from the lower half of the Australian Music Report's top 100 chart.  Listening to this track now, for the first time in many years, it unfortunately highlights Dave's vocal limitations.  While I enjoyed "Jack Talking", and this one too at the time, listening to "Love Shines" now... I don't think it's that great.

We shall next see Dave Stewart and The Spiritual Cowboys in November 1991.

Number 150 "Beautiful People" by Stress

Peak: number 132

Peak date: 25 March 1991

Weeks in top 150: 7 weeks

Top 150 chart run: 150-(out for 2 weeks)-136-138-136-140-138-132

 

As I start writing this, I have no idea who or what Stress is; I've never heard of this track, or group, before.

 

After learning that the band's drummer was later in the group Soul Asylum, I was going to assume that Stress were an American group; but given that this single charted (lowly) in the UK and nowhere else, that would suggest they were probably a British group.  "Beautiful People" peaked at number 74 in the UK in October 1990.

 

The band released two further singles in Australia, "Flowers in the Rain" (May 1991) and "Rosechild" (October 1991), but neither dented the top 150.

Bubbling WAY down under:

Number 155 "I Call Your Name" by a-ha

Peak: number 155

Peak date: 28 January 1991

Weeks on chart: 1 week

We saw a-ha last November with the lead single from their fourth studio album East of the Sun West of the Moon (number 122, November 1990).  "I Call Your Name" was the second - and final, in Australia - single released from the album.

Despite having a copy (shhh!) of a-ha's music videos DVD in my collection, I've never actually listened to or watched "I Call Your Name" before.  I'm a fan of most of a-ha's singles from the 1980s, but as with "Crying in the Rain", I don't enjoy this one much at all, and find it rather dull and boring.  I can see why a-ha were struggling to land hits by this point, if this is what they were releasing.

"I Call Your Name" fared better overseas, though it was still only a minor hit.  The single peaked at number 44 in the UK in December 1990, number 38 in the Netherlands in January 1991, number 37 in Germany in January 1991, and number 45 in France in March 1991.

On the ARIA state charts, "I Call Your Name" performed strongest in New South Wales/Australian Capital Territory, where it reached number 144.

 

A third single from East of the Sun West of the Moon, "Early Morning", was released in Europe, but not in Australia.

We will next see a-ha in 1992.

Number 165 "Mama Help Me" by Edie Brickell & New Bohemians

Peak: number 165

Peak date: 28 January 1991

Weeks on chart: 1 week

 

American band Edie Brickell & New Bohemians burst onto the Australian chart with "What I Am" (number 18, March 1989) in early 1989.  Since then, however, it has all been downhill.  The band's second single "Circle", which is my favourite, stalled at number 80 in May 1989, though spent 17 weeks on the chart.  Their third single, "Love Like We Do", released in Australia in August 1989, failed to chart.

The band landed a third, and final, top 100 single on the ARIA chart with their version of Bob Dylan's "A Hard Rain's a Gonna Fall" (number 85, April 1990), from the Born on the Fourth of July soundtrack (number 83, April 1990).

"Mama Help Me" was the lead single from Edie Brickell & New Bohemians' second studio album Ghost of a Dog (number 148, December 1990).  The single was released in Australia towards the end of November 1990, taking just over two months to register a chart placing.  "Mama Help Me" did not chart anywhere else that I can ascertain.

 

I'm fairly sure I haven't heard "Mama Help Me" until now, despite being a fan of the singles from the band's first album.  While I like the song, I'm not super keen on the chorus "mama mama mama"'s.

A second single from Ghost of a Dog, "Black & Blue", was released in Australia in April 1991 but failed to chart.

 

Edie parted ways with The Bohemians soon after, although they reformed in 1997.  Edie embarked on a solo career, having some minor chart 'success' in the interim.  She is, unfortunately, probably better known these days for her sometimes tumultuous marriage with Paul Simon.

We shall see Edie Brickell again, on her own, in 1994.

Next week (4 February): Five new top 150 debuts and one bubbling WAY down under entry.

< Previous week: 21 January 1991                              Next week: 4 February 1991 >

Week commencing 5 November 1990

The top 150-peaking debuts this week in 1990 were another diverse lot, with metal, rock ballads, country, and... children's television puppets among them.  But before diving in, let me bring to your attention that I have updated last week's post with a newly uncovered bubbling WAY down under entry from Carly Simon.  Let's take a look at this week's debuts.

 

Agro's... chart connection?

 

Top 150 debuts:

 

Number 138 "Holy Wars... The Punishment Due" by Megadeth

Peak: number 138

Peak date: 5 November 1990

Weeks in top 150: 1 week

Chart run: 138

Weeks on chart: 1 week 

 

For some reason, I had thought until now that Megadeth were British, but they actually formed in Los Angeles in 1983.  The band had to wait until 1990 to land their first Australian chart entry, when their version of Alice Cooper's "No More Mr. Nice Guy" reached number 48 in March 1990.

"Holy Wars... The Punishment Due" was the lead single from Megadeth's fourth studio album Rust in Peace (number 47, November 1990).  Internationally, the single peaked at number 24 in the UK in September 1990, and number 12 in Ireland.  "Holy Wars..." did not chart in the band's native US.

 

In Australia, "Holy Wars..." performed strongest in Western Australia, where it reached number 105 on the state chart.

 

Clocking in at over 6 and a half minutes, "Holy Wars..." doesn't exactly scream 'single' to my ears.

Despite forming devil horns above his head in the "No More Mr. Nice Guy" music video, Megadeth lead singer Dave Mustaine is now a born-again Christian, and refuses to perform at festivals where there are bands who may be perceived as being satanic.

 

We shall see Megadeth next in 1995.

 

 

 

Number 140 "I Found Out" by The Christians

Peak: number 140

Peak date: 5 November 1990

Weeks in top 150: 1 week

Chart run: 140

Weeks on chart: 1 week

From born-again Christians, we now go to a band named The Christians; although it is due to the founding members of the band being brothers, with the surname Christian.  We last saw the British band in April 1990.

"I Found Out" was the second single issued from The Christians' second album Colour (number 138, May 1990).  The single peaked at number 56 in the UK in April 1990, number 69 in the Netherlands in May 1990, number 42 in the Flanders region of Belgium in May 1990, and number 22 in France in August 1990.

 

On the ARIA state charts, "I Found Out" performed strongest in Western Australia, where it reached number 115.

 

"I Found Out" was The Christians' highest-peaking single on the Australian chart, if we ignore their contribution to the Hillsborough disaster charity single "Ferry Cross the Mersey" (number 45, June 1989).  I remember seeing the band in the UK pop magazine Number One, but never heard any of their music at the time; so, presumably, their Australian success was hindered by a lack of promotion.

We shall next see The Christians in 1993.

 

 

Number 142 "Got the Time" by Anthrax

Peak: number 142

Peak date: 5 November 1990

Weeks in top 150: 1 week

Top 150 chart run: 142

Anthrax formed in New York City in 1981.  Their fourth studio album State of Euphoria peaked at number 82 on the ARIA albums chart in late 1988.  "Got the Time", the first release from the band's fifth album Persistence of Time (number 30, September 1990), was their first single to land within the Australian top 150.

Elsewhere, "Got the Time" peaked at number 16 in the UK in January 1991.

To my surprise, "Got the Time" is a cover version of a song written and originally recorded by Joe Jackson for his 1979 album Look Sharp! (number 20, July 1979).  Joe doesn't seem like the kind of artist a metal band would cover.

Anthrax will join us again in 1993.

Number 143 "I'll See You in My Dreams" by Giant

Peak: number 115

Peak date: 8 April 1991

Weeks in top 150: 15 weeks

Known chart run: 158-143-121-129-142-134.  Re-entered 4 March 1991: 141-137-129-129-127-115-122-126-139-144

Weeks on chart: 18 weeks

American band Giant formed in 1987.  "I'll See You in My Dreams" was their second single released in Australia, following "I'm a Believer" (June 1990, did not chart).  Both tracks are lifted from the band's debut album Last of the Runaways.

 

"I'll See You in My Dreams" was released in Australia in mid-August 1990, and took two and a half months to break into the top 150.  The single had two separate chart runs in Australia, initially peaking at number 121 in November 1990 and spending 5 weeks in the top 150, before re-entering in March 1991, climbing to a new peak of number 115 the following month, and spending another 10 weeks in the top 150.  A reader has informed me that the second chart-run coincided with the song featuring in a scene in the TV series Twin Peaks.

In the band's native US, "I'll See You in My Dreams" reached number 20 in June 1990.  The single also peaked at number 96 in the UK during the same month.

 

In Australia, "I'll See You in My Dreams" performed much stronger in Victoria/Tasmania than elsewhere, where it reached number 56 in April 1991.  Its next-highest state chart peak was number 100 in South Australia/Northern Territory in November 1990.  The single peaked on the remaining three state charts in November 1990, indicating the higher peak reached in 1991 was largely led by sales in Victoria/Tasmania.  On the Australian Music Report singles chart, "I'll See You in My Dreams" peaked at number 82.

 

"I'll See You in My Dreams" was Giant's only charting release in Australia.

 

Number 145 "Love Is Strange" by Kenny Rogers Duet with Dolly Parton

Peak: number 145

Peak date: 5 November 1990

Weeks in top 150: 1 week

Chart run: 145

Weeks on chart: 1 week

Country music legends Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton teamed up for a Bee Gees-penned duet, "Islands in the Stream", which went all the way to number 1 on the Australian chart in December 1983.  Kenny and Dolly paired up again on "Real Love" (number 45, December 1985), with much less success.

 

"Love Is Strange" was the third Kenny and Dolly duet single, and was a cover version of the Mickey & Sylvia song from 1956.  The song was the title track from Kenny's Love Is Strange (number 155, November 1990) album.  While the single was not a commercial success anywhere, it did reach number 21 on the US Billboard Hot Country Songs chart in September 1990 - if that counts for anything.

 

On the ARIA state charts, "Love Is Strange" peaked highest in Queensland, where it reached number 124.

 

We last saw Kenny in July 1989, and he will join us next in 1995.  Dolly will join us before then, in 1992.

 

 

 

Number 146 "Crying in the Rain" by a-ha

Peak: number 131

Peak dates: 19 November 1990 and 26 November 1990

Weeks in top 150: 6 weeks

Chart run: 146-143-131-131-148-150

Weeks on chart: 6 weeks

Norwegian band a-ha burst onto the scene with the international smash hit "Take on Me" (number 1, November) in 1985.  What you may not know, though, is that "Take on Me" had an earlier release, with a different mix and video, in 1984 (though not in Australia).

While a-ha maintained a reasonable level of commercial success in Europe for the better part of a decade, in Australia, they are largely (and inaccurately) considered to be one-hit wonders, with none of their other singles peaking higher than number 19, which "The Sun Always Shines on T.V." reached in February 1986.  A-ha amassed five top 40 singles in Australia, with the last one of those being the Bond theme "The Living Daylights" (number 29, August 1987).  A-ha's last top 100 single in Australia was "Stay on These Roads" (number 56, June 1988).

"Crying in the Rain" was the first single released from a-ha's fourth studio album East of the Sun, West of the Moon (number 122, November 1990).  The song is - unusually, for a lead single from an established act - a cover version, of a song originally recorded by The Everly Brothers.

 

Internationally, "Crying in the Rain" topped the Norwegian singles chart, and peaked within the top 10 in Germany, the Netherlands, and Ireland.  The song was also a top 20 hit in the UK, Austria, France and Belgium.

 

Locally, "Crying in the Rain" performed strongest on the Western Australia state chart, where it reached number 110.

 

I admit that I didn't actually know any of a-ha's songs, other than "Take on Me", until I started following music, and the charts, intently in 1988.  "Touchy!" (released in Australia in October 1988, did not chart) was the second song of theirs I was aware of, after seeing the music video on The Factory.  I didn't hear any of their other music until catching "The Living Daylights" on a repeated episode of Countdown on rage in January 2005.  While I am surprised the band did not enjoy more success in Australia, "Crying in the Rain" is not my favourite song of theirs.

We will next see a-ha in January 1991.

 

 

Number 150 "Living in a Child's Dream" by Agro

Peak: number 150 

Peak date: 5 November 1990

Weeks in top 150: 1 week

Top 150 chart run: 150

For anyone who doesn't know, Agro is/was a puppet, voiced by Jamie Dunn, on Australian children's television during the 1980s and 1990s, on programs such as Wombat and Agro's Cartoon Connection.

 

While sometimes referred to as a talking bathmat, Agro was actually crafted from a puppet of the Muppets character Animal.  Agro's brand of humour was typically more 'adult' than usual for a children's TV show character, as evident in this compilation.  I could not imagine a character like Agro being on children's TV now.

"Living in a Child's Dream" was lifted from the imaginatively-titled The Agro Album (number 44, November 1990).  The song was written by Mick Bower, who was the original guitarist in the Australian band The Masters Apprentices.

My impression is that anyone who bought this single - or the album, for that matter - wasn't getting it for the music itself, but rather, they liked Agro or the single/album sleeve, or thought it might make a nice Christmas present.  I had never heard this song before, or any of Agro's other 'music'.

Despite The Agro Album's modest success, a second Agro album, Agro Too (number 100, December 1990), was released to cash-in on the Christmas market in 1991.

 

Bubbling WAY down under:

 

Number 152 "Feel That Beat" by 2 Static featuring Nasty Cat

Peak: number 152

Peak date: 5 November 1990

Weeks on chart: 1 week

We last saw 2 Static in June 1990.

"Feel That Beat" was the second and final 2 Static single released in Australia, this time featuring Nasty Cat.  This one does not appear to have charted anywhere else.  On the state charts, "Feel That Beat" performed strongest in Western Australia, where it reached number 127.

 

I hadn't heard this one until writing this post.  Interestingly, it appears to be where the "dum, dum da da da dum, that's the way you got to go, now put your hands in the air when I say so" lines from Melodie MC's "Dum Da Dum" (number 5, April 1994) and "yo DJ, let's move those feet!" from DJ Darren Briais vs DJ Peewee Ferris' "I Feel It" (number 20, May 1996) were sampled from.

While we will not see 2 Static again, we shall see Martin Boer, who was behind 2 Static, behind another Dutch act, 2 Brothers on the 4th Floor, in 1994.

 

Number 156 "Reckless" by Weddings, Parties, Anything

Peak: number 151

Peak date: 3 December 1990

Weeks on chart: 3 weeks

 

As I write this post, I am slightly confused.  While "Reckless" was issued as a single in its own right, it was also the lead track on Weddings, Parties, Anything's The Weddings Play Sports (And Falcons) EP, which reached number 93 on the ARIA singles chart in November 1990.  My guess is that, perhaps, the six-track EP was more of a mini-album, from which "Reckless" (with a B-side not on the EP) was the single, and ARIA should have placed the EP on the albums chart instead.  But it's certainly strange to have an EP and a single with the same lead track charting simultaneously on the singles chart.

 

We last saw Weddings, Parties, Anything in April 1990, and will next see them in 1994.

 

 

Next week (12 November): The new entries keep coming, with another eight top 150 debuts and one bubbling WAY down under entry.

 

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