Week commencing 19 April 1993

Before we take a look at this week in 1993’s new entries peaking outside the top 100, I wish to inform you that I have resumed my series of posts on singles that made the Kent Music Report’s list of singles receiving significant sales reports beyond the top 100, here.  Now, back to 1993…

Billy Ray Cyrus: those locks were made for snippin’.

Top 150 debuts:

Number 135 “De-Emphasize” by Blazing Salads

Peak: number 135

Peak date: 19 April 1993

Weeks in top 150: 1 week

Top 150 chart run: 135

We last saw Australian duo Blazing Salads in March 1993.  “De-Emphasize” (note the American spelling) was the second single issued from their only album Blazing Salads (number 130, May 1993).

Two further singles were released by the duo, “A Little Ray of Sunshine” and “Out of Time” - neither of which made the top 150.

Number 137 “These Boots Are Made for Walkin’” by Billy Ray Cyrus

Peak: number 115

Peak date: 3 May 1993

Weeks in top 150: 5 weeks

Top 150 chart run: 137-118-115-125-131

Weeks on chart: 6 weeks

Hailing from Kentucky, American country singer Billy Ray Cyrus burst onto the chart in 1992 with his debut single “Achy Breaky Heart”, which was number 1 for seven weeks in September-November 1992, becoming the highest-selling single of the year in Australia.  One thing I didn’t realise until writing this post is that “Achy Breaky Heart” was originally recorded by The Marcy Brothers as “Don’t Tell My Heart” in 1991, with the slightly different chorus lyric, “my achy breakin’ heart”.  Like most artists who come out of nowhere with a novelty number one hit, Billy never landed a second top 40 single in Australia, with follow-up “Could’ve Been Me” (number 43, February 1993) falling just a few places short.

“These Boots Are Made for Walkin’”, a cover version of the 1966 number one Nancy Sinatra single, was issued as the third single from Billy’s debut album Some Gave All (number 1 for two weeks October 1992) in Australasia and Europe, while the US went with “She’s Not Cryin’ Anymore”.

Internationally, Billy Ray’s version of “These Boots Are Made for Walkin’” peaked at number 63 in the UK in November 1992, number 27 in the Netherlands in February 1993, number 32 in the Flanders region of Belgium in February 1993, and number 42 in New Zealand in April 1993.

In Australia, “These Boots…” was most popular in Queensland, where it reached number 90 on the state chart.

We’ll next see Billy Ray in November 1993.

Number 143 “Hate It When You Leave” by Keith Richards

Peak: number 143

Peak date: 19 April 1993

Weeks in top 150: 1 week

Top 150 chart run: 143

Weeks on chart: 5 weeks

Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards last paid us a visit in 1992.

“Hate It When You Leave” was issued as the second single from Keith’s second solo album Main Offender (number 96, November 1992).  While I cannot find evidence of this single charting anywhere else at the time of its release, interestingly, it registered on several UK format-specific charts (which I didn’t know existed until now) in 2020, following a special Record Store Day release.  The re-release of “Hate It When You Leave” peaked at number 81 on the Offical Singles Sales Chart (so excluding streaming), number 10 on the Official Physical Singles Chart, and number 8 on the Official Vinyl Singles Chart - all in October 2020.  I am thinking that the music video embedded below, although set to the audio of the original 1992 recording, may have been put together for the 2020 re-release, given the ’(2020)’ alongside the title.

In Australia, the 1993 release of “Hate It When You Leave” performed strongest in South Australia/Northern Territory, where it reached number 107.

Keith had six low-charting singles in Australia between 2015 and 2019, with “Amnesia” (number 871, September 2015) being the ‘biggest’ of those.

Number 147 “Sweet Harmony” by The Beloved

Peak: number 147

Peak date: 19 April 1993

Weeks in top 150: 2 weeks

Top 150 chart run: 147-148

Weeks on chart: 8 weeks

We last saw English electronic band The Beloved in 1991.  Since then, the group’s lineup had pared back to singer Jon Marsh and his wife Helena.

“Sweet Harmony” was the lead single from the second Beloved studio album Conscience (number 144, April 1993).  Internationally, the single peaked at number 8 in the UK in January 1993, number 14 in Ireland, number 3 in Austria in March 1993, number 14 in Sweden in March 1993, number 40 in the Flanders region of Belgium in April 1993, number 6 in Germany in May 1993, number 6 in Switzerland in May 1993, number 21 in the Netherlands in July 1993, and number 16 in France in November 1993.  “Sweet Harmony” also peaked at number 14 on the US Billboard Bubbling Under Hot 100 in May 1993, number 23 on the Alternative Airplay chart in May 1993, and number 23 on the Dance Club Songs chart in June 1993.  As you might have surmised from all of these stats, “Sweet Harmony” was The Beloved’s biggest international hit, as well as their highest-charting single in their native UK.

In Australia, where The Beloved were criminally underrated, “Sweet Harmony” would be their third biggest ‘hit’.  On the state charts, the single performed strongest in Western Australia, where it reached number 122.

Owing to the UK Chart Attack radio show wrapping up in Melbourne in early January 1993, I did not hear “Sweet Harmony” until early 1996, when flipping between radio stations.  Triple M, of all stations, were playing it, when they had a brief period of adding dance/pop to their playlist.  I thought it was a new release, liked it, and recorded it onto cassette (how quaint).  I am thinking that the ‘nude’ (though very well covered up) music video may have not helped “Sweet Harmony” receive exposure on TV.  It’s a shame that this song didn’t receive proper promotion in Australia.  It’s easily my favourite new entry this week.

We’ll next see The Beloved in June 1993.

Bubbling WAY down under:

Number 166 “Happy Birthday to Me” by Cracker

Peak: number 157

Peak date: 3 May 1993

Weeks on chart: 6 weeks

American rock band Cracker last paid us a visit in 1992.

“Happy Birthday to Me” was the second single released from the band’s debut album Cracker (number 178, November 1992).  The only other chart this single registered on was the US Billboard Alternative Airplay chart, where it reached number 13 in July 1992.

Domestically, “Happy Birthday to Me” was most popular in Western Australia, reaching number 130 on the state chart.

I hadn’t heard this one before; it’s quite good.

Cracker will next join us in 1994.

Number 177 “Never Saw a Miracle” by Curtis Stigers

Peak: number 177

Peak date: 19 April 1993

Weeks on chart: 1 week

American jazz singer Curtis Stigers last joined us in 1992.

“Never Saw a Miracle” was issued as the third single in Australia from Curtis’ debut album Curtis Stigers (number 84, October 1992), in late January 1993.  I’ve got a sneaking suspicion that ARIA have made a boo-boo on their database, as the follow-up single, “You’re All That Matters to Me”, was released in Australia one week prior to this chart survey, on 12 April 1993, and it would make much more sense for that release to be debuting at number 177 one week later than a single that came out twelve weeks’ prior.

Overseas, “Never Saw a Miracle” peaked at number 34 in the UK in October 1992, and number 39 in Canada in November 1992.  The single also peaked at number 7 on the US Billboard Bubbling Under Hot 100 chart in December 1992, and number 5 on the Adult Contemporary chart in November 1992

Locally, “Never Saw a Miracle” performed strongest in Victoria/Tasmania, reaching number 169 on the state chart.

If this listing should actually be “You’re All That Matters to Me”, that release peaked at number 98 on the US Billboard Hot 100 in March 1992, number 6 in the UK in April 1992, number 11 in Ireland in April 1992, number 38 in Canada in April 1992, number 83 in the Netherlands in May 1992, number 32 in the Flanders region of Belgium in June 1992, and number 54 in Germany in July 1992.  The track also reached number 17 on the US Billboard Adult Contemporary chart in April 1992.

I recall hearing “Never Saw a Miracle” at the time, but not “You’re All That Matters to Me”.  Of the two, I prefer “Never Saw a Miracle”.

We shall see Curtis on one more occasion, in 1995.

Number 196 “If I Should Fall Behind” by Bruce Springsteen

Peak: number 196

Peak date: 19 April 1993

Weeks on chart: 2 weeks

American singer-songwriter Bruce Springsteen last paid us a visit in 1992.

“If I Should Fall Behind” was the third single released in Australia from Bruce’s tenth studio album Lucky Town (number 6, April 1992).  It appears that this track was only released as a single in Australia and select continental European countries.  I cannot find evidence of “If I Should Fall Behind” charting elsewhere.  On the state charts, “If I Should Fall Behind” performed strongest in Queensland, where it reached number 173.

No music video appears to have been filmed for this track, although an official live recording (which sounds completely different to the studio version embedded below) has been uploaded to YouTube here.

I hadn’t heard this one before; it’s quite nice.

We’ll next see Bruce in 1995.

Number 203 “Fall from Grace” by Eskimos & Egypt

Peak: number 186

Peak date: 24 May 1993

Weeks on chart: 5 weeks

Hailing from Manchester, UK band Eskimos & Egypt would be best known by Australians for their remix of Headless Chickens’ “Cruise Control” (number 26, November 1994), which was the version that became a hit here.

“Fall from Grace”, lifted from the band’s debut album Perfect Disease (released in Australia in January 1994, did not chart), peaked at number 51 in the UK in February 1993.  Locally, “Fall from Grace” was most popular in Western Australia, where it reached number 167.  The track features vocals from Diane Charlemagne, who went on to front Urban Cookie Collective, who had top 10 hits in Australia with “The Key: The Secret” (number 4 for 5 weeks in November-December 1993) and “Feels Like Heaven” (number 10, January 1994).  Sadly, Diane passed away in 2015, aged 51, from kidney cancer.  We’ll see Urban Cookie Collective bubble under in 1994.

Eskimos & Egypt will join us again in August 1993.

Number 204 “Many Rivers to Cross” by Cher

Peak: number 204

Peak date: 19 April 1993

Weeks on chart: 1 week

American singer/actress Cher last visited us in January 1993.

“Many Rivers to Cross”, a cover of the Jimmy Cliff song from 1969, was the second new single released from Cher’s Greatest Hits 1965-1992 (number 48, December 1992).  To my surprise, it is a live recording, ‘live from The Mirage’.  The song had been performed live by Cher since at least 1975, with a live rendition performed for The Cher Sow in 1975.  The lyric, “’cause I’ve been licked, washed up for years” sounds particularly poignant, coming from Cher.

Internationally, Cher’s version of this track peaked at number 37 in the UK in March 1993.  In Australia, “Many Rivers to Cross” performed strongest in Western Australia, where it reached number 168 on the state chart.

A third new single from Cher’s Greatest Hits 1965-1992, “Whenever You’re Near”, was released in Australia in June 1993, but failed to chart.

Cher will next join us in 1996.

Next week (26 April): Five top 150 entries and eight bubbling WAY down under debuts.

< Previous week: 12 April 1993                    Next week: 26 April 1993 >

Week commencing 4 January 1993

Welcome to 1993!   What were you doing that year?  1993 was an eventful year for me.  I was in year 9 at high school and officially entered adolescence.  At the time, I didn’t think 1993 was that great a year for chart music - there seemed to be many hangover songs from late 1992 clogging up the charts for the first few months of the year, and a dearth of female lead vocal songs in the top 50.  In retrospect, there was a lot of new music I enjoyed from 1993; just most of it didn’t chart so well in Australia!  But that’s what this blog is about: exploring the music that didn’t perform so well on the Australian chart.

The first chart survey of 1993 sees a number of veteran acts who had been around since at least the 1970s debuting.

 

I have updated a bunch of earlier posts:

 

* 31 July 1989 - with new bubbling WAY down under entry from Baby Ford; 

* 7 August 1989 - with new bubbling WAY down under entry from Carole King;

* 5 March 1990 - with new bubbling WAY down under entry from Van Morrison;

* 12 March 1990 - with new bubbling WAY down under entry from Rita MacNeil;

* 2 July 1990 - with new bubbling WAY down under entry from Eric Clapton;

* 11 February 1991 - with new bubbling WAY down under entry from Grand Plaz; 

* 18 February 1991 - with new bubbling WAY down under entry from Yazoo;

* 16 March 1992 - with new bubbling WAY down under entry from Rita MacNeil.

Deborah Harry would probably feel blue over this chart position.

Top 150 debuts:

Number 135 “That’s the Way God Planned It” by The Party Boys

Peak: number 132

Peak date: 11 January 1993

Weeks in top 150: 5 weeks

Top 150 chart run: 135-132-133-136-140

We last saw Aussie band The Party boys in 1989.  Since then, they scored a minor hit with their version of "Do-Wah-Diddy" (number 81, September 1990).

"That's the Way God Planned It", a cover of the Billy Preston song which peaked at number 22 in Australia on the Go Set chart in September 1969, was recorded to raise money for charity - I remember seeing a TV commercial featuring the song at the time, but can't remember now which charity it was for.  Clearly, not much money was raised, given that this single stalled at number 132!

The single, featuring Jon 'Swanee' Swan - whom we saw bubble under in 1990 - on lead vocal, was released in September 1992 and took almost four months to dent the top 150.

This was The Party Boys' final single.

Number 145 “All Alone on Christmas” by Darlene Love

Peak: number 145

Peak date: 4 January 1993

Weeks in top 150: 1 week

Top 150 chart run: 145

American R&B singer and actress Darlene Love, real name Darlene Wight, was the lead singer in the female vocal trio The Blossoms.  She previously landed one entry on the Australian chart, all the way back in 1963, with "(Today I Met) The Boy I'm Gonna Marry", which peaked at number 78.

"All Alone on Christmas" appears on the soundtrack album for the movie Home Alone 2: Lost in New York, which was also issued as Home Alone Christmas (number 148, January 1993).  The single peaked at number 31 in the UK in December 1992, and at number 83 on the US Billboard Hot 100 in January 1993.  "All Alone on Christmas" also peaked at number 52 on the US Billboard Radio Songs chart in January 1993.

Darlene would finally crack the ARIA top 50 in 2023 with another Christmas song, "Christmas (Baby, Please Come Home)", which was recorded in 1963 and, to date, has peaked at number 26 in December 2024.

Number 148 “Summertime Blues” by Deborah Harry

Peak: number 138

Peak date: 11 January 1993

Weeks in top 150: 5 weeks 

Top 150 chart run: 148-138-141-140-(out for 1 week)-150

Weeks on chart: 11 weeks

We last saw Deborah Harry in 1991.

 

"Summertime Blues" is a cover version of the Eddie Cochran song from 1958, which peaked at number 18 in Australia.  Deborah's version was recorded for the That Night soundtrack, and appears to have only been released as a single in Australia, where it performed strongest on the Queensland state chart, reaching number 109.

I remember catching the music video for this track on rage as a new release in late 1992.

We'll next see Deborah in October 1993.

Number 149 “Happy Valley” by Richard Clapton

Peak: number 110

Peak date: 1 February 1993

Weeks in top 150: 8 weeks 

Top 150 chart run: 149-139-125-137-110-122-125-136

Weeks on chart: 13 weeks

 

We last saw Australian singer-songwriter Richard Clapton in 1989.  "Happy Valley" was the lead single from Richard's tenth studio album Distant Thunder (number 37, July 1993).

 

On the state charts, "Happy Valley" performed strongest in Queensland, where it reached number 81.

I hadn't heard this one before.  I didn't mind it; the female backing vocals were good.

Richard will join us again in August 1993.

Bubbling WAY down under:

Number 186 “I Still Believe in You” by Cliff Richard 

Peak: number 176

Peak date: 25 January 1993

Weeks on chart: 3 weeks 

'Sir' Cliff last joined us in 1991.

 

Christmas time in this era often meant a new Cliff Richard single was released.  "I Still Believe in You" was the lead single from Cliff's imaginatively-titled 31st (!) studio album, The Album (number 72, May 1993).

Internationally, "I Still Believe in You" peaked at number 7 in the UK in December 1992, and at number 18 in Ireland in December 1992.

In Australia, "I Still Believe in You" was most popular in Western Australia, where it reached number 160 on the state chart.

Cliff will join us next in July 1993.

 

Number 188 “Oh No Not My Baby” by Cher

Peak: number 188

Peak date: 4 January 1993

Weeks on chart: 1 week

Pop veteran Cher last paid us a visit in 1991.

 

"Oh No Not My Baby", a cover version of the Maxine Brown song from 1964, was written by Carole King and Geoffrey Goffin, who also wrote "The Loco-Motion" for Little Eva (which was of course later covered by Kylie Minogue, among others).  Cher's version was issued as the first 'new' single to promote her Cher’s Greatest Hits: 1965-1992 (number 48, December 1992) compilation.

 

Internationally, Cher's version of "Oh No Not My Baby" peaked at number 33 in the UK in November 1992, number 52 in Germany in January 1993, number 30 in Austria in January 1993, and number 19 in Switzerland in February 1993.

 

Locally, "Oh No Not My Baby" performed strongest in Western Australia, where it reached number 162 on the state chart.

I recall hearing a snippet of this track as a preview on Take 40 Australia, but hadn't heard the full song until writing this post.  It's not among Cher's best.

Cher will join us next in April 1993.

Next week (11 January): Five top 150 entries and two bubbling WAY down under debuts.

< Previous chart: 14 December 1992                   Next week: 11 January 1993 >

Week commencing 28 October 1991

One thing this week in 1991's debuts peaking outside the ARIA top 100 have in common is that I did not hear any of them at the time.  Perhaps these songs are new to you, too?  Let's take a look (and listen) together.

 

Europe's Joey tempest was a prisoner of 80's hair metal-do's.

 

Top 150 debuts:

 

Number 121 "Save Up All Your Tears" by Cher

Peak: number 114

Peak date: 4 November 1991

Weeks in top 150: 5 weeks

Top 150 chart run: 121-114-118-128-124

Weeks on chart: 10 weeks

We last saw pop cockroach Cher in January 1991.  This was Cher's third single to peak outside the ARIA top 100 since the chart extended beyond number 100 in January 1989.

 

"Save Up All Your Tears" was issued as the second single from Cher's twentieth studio album Love Hurts (number 15, September 1991).  It followed "Love and Understanding" (number 23, August 1991).

 

"Save Up All Your Tears", a track written by beige songwriter extraordinaire Diane Warren and Desmond Child, was originally recorded by Bonnie Tyler for her flop 1988 album Hide Your Heart - an album that also contained the original version of Tina Turner's "The Best" (number 4, October 1989).  Poor Bonnie could not land hits with these songs herself.

"Save Up All Your Tears" kicked off a long string of flops for Cher on the singles chart in Australia.  She did not land another top 40 hit here until late 1998, with the mega-hit "Believe" (number 1, January 1999).

 

Internationally, Cher's version of "Save Up All Your Tears" peaked at number 30 in Ireland in October 1991, number 37 in the UK in October 1991, number 56 in Germany in December 1991, number 32 in Canada in December 1991, number 37 on the US Billboard Hot 100 in January 1992, and number 18 in Austria in January 1992.

 

Domestically, "Save Up All Your Tears" performed strongest in New South Wales/Australian Capital Territory, where it reached number 100.

 

Cher will next join us in 1993.

Number 129 "Prisoners in Paradise" by Europe

Peak: number 129

Peak date: 28 October 1991

Weeks in top 150: 5 weeks

Chart run: 161-129-132-136-142-134

Weeks on chart: 6 weeks

Swedish rock band Europe formed in 1979.  They landed their first hit in Australia, and much of the world, with "The Final Countdown" (number 2, April 1987), the title track from their third album The Final Countdown (number 10, April 1987).  Europe landed two more top 50 hits in Australia with "Rock the Night" (number 22, June 1987) and "Superstitious" (number 45, September 1988). 

 

"Prisoners in Paradise" was the title track and lead single from Europe's fifth studio album Prisoners in Paradise (number 197, November 1991).  Internationally, the single peaked at number 8 in Sweden in October 1991.

 

Within Australia, "Prisoners in Paradise" was most popular in Western Australia, where it reached number 94.

 

I hadn't heard this one before; I didn't hear any of Europe's releases at the time after "Superstitious".   Listening to "Prisoners in Paradise" for the first time, it doesn't sound that dissimilar to a Meat Loaf track penned by Jim Steinman - at least to my ears.  It's not bad, but the image of the band was perhaps a tad too '1980s' for them to have wide appeal in the early 1990s.

 

We shall see Europe again in 1992.

 

 

Number 143 "Romantic World" by Dana Dawson

Peak: number 113

Peak date: 2 December 1991

Weeks in top 150: 14 weeks

Top 150 chart run: 143-133-134-137-121-113-117-116-(chart repeated for 2 week Xmas break)-131-126-127-127

Weeks on chart: 19 weeks

American singer Dana Dawson released her first single, "Ready to Follow You", in 1988 at the tender age of 14.  Now a 'mature' 17 years of age, "Romantic World" was the lead single from Dana's debut album Paris New-York and Me (released in Australia in January 1992, did not chart).  Why the album title hyphenates New York, I don't know.

While "Romantic World" did not register a chart placing in Dana's homeland, the single peaked at number 4 in France in March 1991, number 33 in the Flanders region of Belgium in May 1991, and number 33 in Sweden in May 1991.  Dana was 'big in Europe', it seems.

Dana was also much bigger in South Australia/Northern Territory than any other region of Australia, where this single peaked at number 14.  In contrast, "Romantic World" peaked no higher than number 120 on any of the other ARIA state charts.  Does anyone reading this know why "Romantic World" was so much bigger in Adelaide or Darwin (presumably more Adelaide) than anywhere else in Australia?

Dana would finally have her breakthrough - of sorts - in Australia in 1995 when "3 Is Family" (number 54, December 1995) narrowly missed the top 50.

"Romantic World" peaked 49 places higher on the Australian Music Report singles chart, where it reached number 64, than it did on the ARIA singles chart.

I did not hear "Romantic World" until listening to it to write this post.  Musically, the song reminds me a little bit of Jody Watley, which is not a bad thing.  It could have been a national hit had it had a more-uniform promotional push across Australia.  I quite enjoyed this one.

 

A second single from Paris New-York and Me, "Tell Me Bonita", was released in Australia in February 1992, but failed to chart.

Sadly, Dana died in 2010 from colorectal cancer, three days after her 36th birthday.

We will see Dana bubble under again in 1996.

Number 146 "Hey Donna" by Rythm Syndicate

Peak: number 110

Peak date: 18 November 1991

Top 150 chart run: 146-120-120-110-115-126

Weeks in top 150: 7 weeks

 

Connecticut band Rythm (no, that's not a typo) Syndicate scored a hit in Australia with their debut single "P.A.S.S.I.O.N." (number 28, September 1991). 

 

"Hey Donna" was released as the second single from the band's debut album Rythm Syndicate.  Internationally, "Hey Donna" peaked at number 13 on the US Billboard Hot 100 in November 1991.

 

"Hey Donna" would be Rythm Syndicate's final single to dent the ARIA top 150.  Another single, "Blinded by Love", was released in Australia in April 1992.  The band released a second album Sex, Love & Life, in 1992, and added the 'h' back to Rhythm in the band's name.

 

 

Number 149 "Big Secret" by Big Secret

Peak: number 141

Peak date: 4 November 1991

Weeks in top 150: 5 weeks

Top 150 chart run: 149-141-148-150-(out for 1 week)-144

Unfortunately, I could find no trace of this single's existence online, so cannot tell you anything about it, or how it sounds.  I assume that the band are Australian.  Has anyone reading heard this track?

Next week (4 November): Six top 150 debuts and five bubbling WAY down under entries.

< Previous week: 21 October 1991                                  Next week: 4 November 1991 >

Week commencing 7 January 1991

Welcome to 1991!  When 1991 clocked over, I was 12 years old and about to start high school, which in my state (Victoria) is years 7 to 12.  It marked a big change for me, moving from a small primary school of approximately 120 students, where you knew all of the other students and teachers, to a secondary school with an enrolment of over 1,000 students, where you felt like a grain of sand.  It didn't help that I was placed in a form (or 'home group') where I didn't know anyone else.

 

Interestingly, Divinyls' "I Touch Myself" was number one on the ARIA singles chart the week I started high school.  I later discovered that Christina Amphlett, the band's lead singer, went to my high school, yet no mention of her impressive achievement of landing a number one single was made at school assembly.  I didn't learn that Chrissy attended my school until the art teacher casually mentioned it a couple of months later.

 

My other memories of January 1991 are that the Gulf War was starting, and that Def Leppard guitarist Steve Clark had died, unexpectedly.  It wasn't exactly a great start to the new year.  But the music, on the other hand, was still pretty decent, as we'll see this week and over the remaining months of the year.

What are your recollections of 1991?

Of the seven singles debuting in the top 150 this week, five them spent a solitary week in the top 150, which is unusual.

 

But before we dive into the first chart of 1991, I have updated the following post from last year:

 

* 5 February 1990 - an audio clip has been added for the Club Veg track.

 

Let's take a look at this week's batch of new entries.

 

Kim Appleby wasn't worried, but would she be happy with this chart placing?

 

Top 150 debuts:

 

Number 139 "Let's Get Busy (Pump It Up)" by Clubland featuring Quartz

Peak: number 139

Peak date: 7 January 1991

Weeks in top 150: 1 week 

Top 150 chart run: 139

 

Clubland was a collaboration between Swedish producer Jan Ekholm and British duo Dave Rawlings and Ronnie Herel from Quartz.  They featured various vocalists on the tracks they recorded, and "Let's Get Busy (Pump It Up)" features rapper King Bee.

Listening to this track for the first time as I write this post, I can't help but notice the bass line's similarity to Snap!'s "Mary Had a Little Boy" (number 18, March 1991).  That is probably because Snap! remixed this track.

Internationally, "Let's Get Busy (Pump It Up)" peaked at number 86 in the UK in August 1990, and number 32 in the Netherlands in November 1990.  The track also topped the US Billboard dance chart.  I'm guessing this song might have performed better on the chart if there had been a music video for it - well, if one exists, it hasn't yet made its way onto YouTube.

 

 

Number 140 "Where Did She Come From?" by Hard-Ons

Peak: number 130

Peak date: 21 January 1991

Weeks in top 150: 3 weeks

Top 150 chart run: 140-(out for one week)-130-137

Weeks on chart: 5 weeks

 

As I wrote in my last chart recap for 1990, alternative music was starting to make small ripples on the Australian chart, and would continue to have greater impact throughout 1991.

I can't really explain why - something to do with the guitar riff, probably - but you just know this band are Australian, listening to this track for the first time.  Hard-Ons were, indeed, from Sydney, and formed in 1981.

 

"Where Did She Come From?", the lead single from the band's fourth studio album Yummy! (number 93, January 1991), was Hard-Ons' first single to register on the top 150.  They would break into the top 100 later in the year with "Let There Be Rock" (number 65, August 1991), a collaboration with Henry Rollins.

"Where Did She Come From?" was released in Australia in November 1990, but took almost two months to reach the top 150.  The single performed best in New South Wales/Australian Capital Territory, where it reached number 122.

We shall see Hard-Ons again next in March 1991.

 

 

 

Number 141 "Tricky Disco" by Tricky Disco

Peak: number 141 

Peak date: 7 January 1991

Weeks in top 150: 1 week

Top 150 chart run: 141

 

Here's one I didn't know at the time, but discovered a few years ago.  Tricky Disco were husband and wife couple Lee Newman and Michael Wells, whom you might know of under a name they later used, Technohead.  Technohead scored a number 20 single in Australia in September 1995 with "I Wanna Be a Hippy" (and I want to get stoned on mara, marijuana).

Lee and Michael used different names for their various projects, as they felt that new acts gained more attention with their releases than artists who were following up previous hits.  The pair also released singles under the names G.T.O. (Greater Than One), John + Julie, Church of Extacy, Salami Brothers (!), and L.E.D., among others.

Sadly, Lee Newman died from melanoma in August 1995, just as "I Wanna Be a Hippy" was taking off across the globe.  "I Wanna Be a Hippy" spent a four-week stint at number one in the Netherlands just before she passed, and went on to top the German, Austrian, and Flemish charts following her death.  The single belatedly reached the top 10 in the UK and Ireland in early 1996.

As for "Tricky Disco", that single peaked at number 14 in the UK in August 1990, and number 11 in Ireland during the same month.

"Tricky Disco" seems to make light of the ubiquitous James Brown "woo! yeah!" sample, being reproduced here in almost comedic style with its high pitch, in combination with the song's trippy video.

Number 145 "Hear the Drummer (Get Wicked)" by Chad Jackson

Peak: number 145

Peak date: 7 January 1991

Weeks in top 150: 1 week

Top 150 chart run: 145

Weeks on chart: 2 weeks

 

Here's a single that took even longer than Hard-Ons to register a place in the ARIA top 150.  "Hear the Drummer (Get Wicked)" was released in Australia on 30 July 1990, but took more than five months to crack the top 150!

Chad, real name Mark Jackson, is an English DJ, remixer and producer.  In 1987, he won the DMC (Disco Mix Club) World Championships, a competition for DJ's.  Accordingly, "Hear the Drummer (Get Wicked)", his debut Australian release, is a track containing samples of more than one dozen songs by other artists.

 

The main riff on "Hear the Drummer (Get Wicked)" is sampled from The 45 King's "The 900 Number" from 1989, which uses a slowed-down sample from Marva Whitney's "Unwind Yourself" from 1968.  DJ Kool had a bigger hit in Australia using the same sample on "Let Me Clear My Throat" (number 50, June 1997).

"Hear the Drummer (Get Wicked)" peaked at number 3 in the UK in June 1990, number 5 in the Netherlands in August 1990, and number 10 in the Flanders region of Belgium in September 1990.

Locally, "Hear the Drummer..." performed strongest on the Western Australia state chart, where it reached number 108.

This would be Chad's only charting release in Australia.

Number 146 "Baby I'm Yours" by Cher

Peak: number 146

Peak date: 7 January 1991

Weeks in top 150: 1 week

Top 150 chart run: 146

Weeks on chart: 5 weeks

We last saw Cher in August 1990, with the final single from her Heart of Stone album.  "Baby I'm Yours" was the first single issued from the Mermaids soundtrack (number 53, June 1991); Cher plays a leading role in the movie.  Despite featuring on the soundtrack, "Baby I'm Yours", a cover version of a song written by Van McKoy and originally recorded by Barbara Lewis in 1965, was not used in the film.

Cher is an artist who can have both massive hits and massive flops, often from the same album.  She, of course, had a much bigger hit with the second single from the Mermaids soundtrack, "The Shoop Shoop Song (It's in His Kiss)" (number 4, April 1991).  I don't recall hearing "Baby I'm Yours" before.

The only other country "Baby I'm Yours" charted in was the UK, where it reached number 89 in October 1990.

On the ARIA state charts, "Baby I'm Yours" performed strongest in Queensland, where it reached number 127.

We shall next see Cher in October 1991.

Number 147 "Don't Worry" by Kim Appleby

Peak: number 119

Peak date: 28 January 1991

Weeks in top 150: 6 weeks

Known chart run: 167-(chart repeated for 2 week Xmas break)-147-122-120-119-122-123

Weeks on chart: 11 weeks

 

Together with her five years-junior sister Melanie, Kim Appleby was one half of the British recording duo Mel & Kim.  The sisters' first single, "Showing Out (Get Fresh at the Weekend)" (number 12, July 1987) took seven months to reach its peak on the Australian chart.  The pair landed four top 30 singles in Australia in 1987 and 1988, with their second single, "Respectable" (number 1, July 1987), giving producers Stock Aitken Waterman their first number one hit that they had also written.

 

Mel & Kim's only studio album F.L.M., officially short for 'fun, love and money' but really standing for "fucking lovely mate" - an expression the sisters used frequently in the studio, reached number 2 on the Australian albums chart in August 1987, and was the fifteenth biggest album of the year.

Mel & Kim's career came to a grinding halt, just as it was taking off, in June 1987 when Mel was diagnosed with cancer, a disease she had dealt with two years prior, before the duo's rise to fame.  In 1985, Mel underwent surgery for an extremely rare form of cancer, malignant paraganglioma, on her liver, when she was 19 years old.

 

In early 1987, Mel was experiencing back pain, which delayed the filming of the "Respectable" music video.  Her symptoms, however, were put down to the duo's energetic dance routines.  It was not until Mel returned from a promotional visit to Japan in a wheelchair in June 1987 that the cancer she had fought previously was found to have returned, this time in her spine.

 

Mel disappeared from the public eye while she underwent months of chemotherapy, leaving Kim to promote their "F.L.M." (number 19, September 1987) single alone.  Both sisters told the story that Mel had crushed several vertebrae following a fall, and required an extended period of rest.  That didn't quash speculation that Mel was seriously ill, however, and journalists went to the lengths of dressing up as doctors to attempt to gain access to Melanie's hospital room, and paid porters to let them know when Kim was visiting the hospital, to uncover the real story.

 

The truth eventually came out in March 1988, when Kim's then-boyfriend sold pictures of Mel, wearing a halo brace (a spinal orthotic) and appearing bald and bloated, to the press.  The sisters then appeared on British chat show Wogan to give their side of the story, while Mel was still undergoing treatment.

While Mel's health seemed to be improving later in 1988, the duo vanished from the spotlight in 1989, despite signing a new record deal with EMI.  Sadly, Mel never fully recovered from her illness, and she died in January 1990, aged 23, after contracting pneumonia.

 

Mel's death was the first time a celebrity I was a big fan of had died, and for it to happen at such a young age was a complete shock.  I found it difficult to listen to Mel & Kim's music for many years afterwards.

During Melanie's illness, she and Kim started to write songs together, to keep themselves occupied.  The B-side to the duo's final single "That's the Way It Is" (number 28, April 1988), "You Changed My Life", was written by the sisters (with later musical input from Stock Aitken Waterman), and sounds like it could have been a single.

With assistance from former Bros member Craig Logan, whom Kim was dating at the time, the pair wrote an album's worth of material, but it never saw the light of day before Mel's untimely passing.  Kim Appleby's debut solo album Kim Appleby (number 159, April 1991) consisted of the songs she had written together with Mel and Craig, except for "Don't Worry", which was the last song written for the album, after Mel's death.

 

"Don't Worry" launched Kim's solo career in a big way, reaching number 2 in the UK in November 1990; top 5 in the Netherlands, Belgium and Ireland; and top 10 in Germany, Switzerland and Austria.

In Australia, it was a different story, and "Don't Worry" barely registered a blip.  Although it missed the top 100 nationally, "Don't Worry" peaked within the top 100 on four of the five ARIA state charts, with Victoria/Tasmania being the only exception.  The single performed strongest in South Australia/Northern Territory, where it reached number 84.

Although I am a Mel & Kim fan, was aware of "Don't Worry"'s release and saw the single in the shops, I never actually heard the song until I downloaded it out of curiosity in 2005.  Despite there being at least one article about "Don't Worry" in the Australian edition of pop magazine Smash Hits, Kim's solo releases in Australia seemed to generally suffer from a severe lack of promotion.  I am not sure why.

One, obviously unofficial, explanation is that the Australian branch of EMI Records, which Kim's solo releases were distributed through, apparently viewed Stock Aitken Waterman-related artists (even though the material on Kim's solo debut album was not produced by Stock Aitken Waterman) as appealing only to a gay audience, and did not feel it was worth the bother of promoting them to a wider market.  At least, that's what someone who worked in music retail at the time opined in a post on the now-defunct Hit Factory Forum some years ago.  So, SAW-produced artists signed to EMI, such as Brother Beyond and Sonia, never received the promotional push required to make their singles hits down under.  The explanation fits.

Unfortunately, Kim never landed a solo top 100 single or album in Australia.  We shall see her bubble under again, though, on a few more occasions, with the next one being in April 1991, with a song I did  hear at the time.

If you are a Mel & Kim or Stock Aitken Waterman fan, check out the podcast interview Kim did recently with Chart Beats on this page - scroll down to Episode 15: Showing Out (Get Fresh at the Weekend), where Kim goes into detail on how she and Mel landed a record deal, and the recording process for their first single.  Future episodes of the podcast will deal with Mel & Kim's later singles.

 

 

Number 150 "Next to You" by Hurricane

Peak: number 150

Peak date: 7 January 1991

Weeks in top 150: 1 week 

Top 150 chart run: 150

American metal band Hurricane formed in 1983, and split in 1991, before re-forming in 2000.  "Next to You" was the band's first and only top 150-charting single in Australia, and was lifted from their third studio album Slave to the Thrill.   The single did not chart anywhere else.  Just as alternative music was starting to make inroads, metal was on the way out.

Kelly Hansen, who sung lead on this track, is the current lead singer of Foreigner.  He joined the band in 2005.

 

 

Bubbling WAY down under:

 

Number 162 "Breakdown" by Seduction

Peak: number 162

Peak date: 7 January 1991

Weeks on chart: 1 week

 

We first saw Seduction in July 1990, and here they are with their second and final appearance on the Australian singles chart.

 

"Breakdown", the final single from the Nothing Matters without Love (number 142, September 1990) album, was remixed for single release - ironically titled the Crossover Radio Mix.  It didn't exactly 'cross over'.

"Breakdown" peaked at number 82 on the US Billboard Hot 100 in October 1990.  Australia appears to be the only other country where it registered a chart placing.

On the ARIA state charts, "Breakdown" performed strongest in New South Wales/Australian Capital Territory, where it reached number 147.

Listening to "Breakdown" for the first time, it's a song I could enjoy if not for the awful rapped verses.

Next week (14 January): Five new top 150 entries.  Among them are two singles originally released in 1989!

< Previous chart: 17 December 1990                                      Next week: 14 January 1991 >

Week commencing 27 August 1990

This week we have another mixed bag of new entries, with reggae and freestyle, and two veteran 'rockbirds' (there's a clue there).  Let's take a look.

 

Cher: you probably wouldn't know this song

 

Top 150 debuts:

 

Number 138 "Wear You to the Ball" by UB40

Peak: number 132

Peak date: 24 September 1990

Weeks in top 150: 6 weeks

Chart run: 138-136-140-133-132-143

Weeks on chart: 6 weeks

British reggae band UB40 have joined us on two previous occasions, in July 1989 and June 1990.  This week in 1990, they bubbled under with the fourth single from their Labour of Love II (number 20, January 1990) covers album, which was also UB40's sixth single in a row to miss the top 50 in Australia.  You have to admire the undeterred nature of Australian record companies back then, churning out flop after flop.

"Wear You to the Ball" was originally recorded by The Paragons in 1967.  Unusually for a UB40 single, most of the vocals are sung by trumpet player, rapper and toaster Astro (real name Terence Wilson), with Ali Campbell chiming in only for the chorus.

 

UB40's version of "Wear You to the Ball" peaked at number 35 in the UK in August 1990, and number 28 in New Zealand in November 1990.  On the ARIA state charts, the single performed strongest in Queensland, where it reached number 92.

As with the first Labour of Love II single, "Homely Girl" (number 52, March 1990), "Wear You to the Ball" was not re-issued in Australia following the success of the re-released "Here I Am (Come and Take Me)" (number 3, September 1991).

UB40's next single, "The Way You Do the Things You Do", brought the group back into the ARIA top 100.  It initially peaked at number 78 in February 1991, before reaching a higher peak of number 63 in April 1992 following a re-release.  All up, the Labour of Love II campaign was drawn out over two years in Australia - something only normally reserved for the Jacksons, owing to all of the single re-issues.

We will next see UB40 in 1993, with an updated version of one of their early singles.

Number 148 "Bad of the Heart" by George Lamond

Peak: number 148

Peak date: 27 August 1990

Weeks in top 150: 1 week

Top 150 chart run: 148

 

American freestyle and salsa singer George Lamond's second single, "Bad of the Heart", was his first Australian release.  The title track from George's debut album Bad of the Heart was also his first single to hit the US Billboard Hot 100, and became his biggest hit there, peaking at number 25 in July 1990.  The single does not appear to have charted elsewhere.

"Bad of the Heart" seems to me like the kind of song Australians probably only heard through being exposed to it on the American Top 40 radio show, as local radio would not have touched anything like this at the time.

George released a follow-up single, "No Matter What" - a duet with Brenda K. Starr, in Australia in April 1991, but it missed the top 150.

Bubbling WAY down under:

Number 151 "Maybe for Sure" by Deborah Harry

Peak: number 151

Peak date: 27 August 1990

Weeks on chart: 1 week

Deborah Harry, or Debbie Harry - as she was calling herself then, bubbled under on the first ARIA singles chart to extend beyond number 100, in January 1989, and she swiftly repeated that 'feat' with Blondie the following month.

 

One thing I hadn't mentioned on those occasions was that Deborah also bubbled under twice on the Kent Music Report's list of singles receiving significant sales reports beyond the top 100: "Free to Fall" made fourth place on the list in April 1987, and "In Love with Love" reached seventh place in June 1987.  Interestingly, Stock Aitken Waterman remixed "In Love with Love" for the version that was released as the single in Europe and Australasia - not that it helped the song become a hit.

While Deborah scored two major solo hits in Australia with "French Kissin' in the USA" (number 4, February 1987) and "I Want That Man" (number 2, January 1990), no other single she released peaked higher than number 23, and she only landed five Australian top 40 singles overall throughout her solo career.  Nonetheless, that was more success than Deborah achieved in her native US (none of her singles peaked higher than number 43) or the UK (four top 40 hits).  Interestingly, Australia seems to have been solo Deborah's most successful market when it comes to her tally of top 40 singles and top 20 albums.

"Maybe for Sure", from the Def, Dumb & Blonde (number 10, February 1990) album, became the second of five Deborah Harry singles to peak outside the top 100 in Australia between 1989 and 1993.  It followed "I Want That Man" and the double A-side-in-Australia release "Sweet and Low"/"Kiss It Better" (number 30, March 1990).

 

My favourite Def, Dumb & Blonde single, "Brite Side", was not issued in Australia - perhaps because it only peaked at number 59 in the UK, in December 1989.  That being said, "Maybe for Sure" fared even worse there, reaching number 89 in June 1990.  "Maybe for Sure" does not appear to have charted anywhere else.

On the ARIA state charts, "Maybe for Sure" performed strongest in New South Wales/Australian Capital Territory, where it peaked at number 142.

We shall see Deborah again in February 1991.

Number 157 "Easy" by Ice MC

Peak: number 157

Peak date: 27 August 1990

Weeks on chart: 2 weeks

"Easy" was British rapper Ice MC's, real name Ian Campbell, debut single.  Oddly, the single did not chart in the UK, but did in Australia... just.  Nonetheless, "Easy" became a hit across continental Europe, peaking at number 17 in France in November 1989, number 3 in Germany in January 1990, number 4 in Switzerland in February 1990, and number 7 in Austria in March 1990.

Within Australia, "Easy" performed strongest in Western Australia, where it reached number 123.

 

I hadn't heard this one before.  While I liked it, it's very different to the 'hits' Ice MC had in the mid 90s, which were more eurodance/ragga in style.  Ice MC was also sporting dreadlocks then.

We shall next see Ice MC in 1994.

Number 160 "You Wouldn't Know Love" by Cher

Peak: number 153

Peak date: 3 September 1990

Weeks on chart: 2 weeks

 

Although Cher's longevity has been likened to that of the cockroach, her career has certainly been a mixed bag of highs and lows, rather than having consistent success throughout.  But having flop eras - even from an album where you scored one of your biggest hits - makes things that more interesting, right?

 

Since the advent of the Kent Music Report Australian chart in 1974, Cher had landed only nine top 100 singles in Australia between then and now; but two of those - "I Found Someone" (number 8, May 1988) and "If I Could Turn Back Time" (number 1, October 1989) - were quite successful.

Cher also bubbled under twice on the Australian Music Report, with "Skin Deep" reaching thirteenth place on the list of singles receiving significant sales reports beyond the top 100 in August 1988, and "Main Man" reaching fifth place on the list in December 1988.

 

"You Wouldn't Know Love" was the fifth and final single issued from the Heart of Stone (number 1, November 1989) album.  It followed "After All" (number 50, June 1989), "If I Could Turn Back Time", "Just Like Jesse James" (number 14, January 1990), and "Heart of Stone" (number 70, February 1990).

 

Unusually, "You Wouldn't Know Love" was released without an accompanying music video - the third single from the album to not have one, following in the footsteps of "After All" and "Just Like Jesse James".  I guess Cher's infamous "If I Could Turn Back Time" music video is to blame for that... see also Madonna's lack of music videos for a couple of single releases after the controversial "Justify My Love".  Cher did it first!

Like "I Found Someone", Cher's comeback (one of many) single from 1988, "You Wouldn't Know Love" was also co-written by Michael Bolton, collaborating this time with beige songwriter extraordinaire Diane Warren.  Michael recorded his own version of the song for his Soul Provider album (number 1, April 1990).

To me, "You Wouldn't Know Love" seems like it was one of those singles that was just put out there, with next to zero promotion.  I remember seeing the cassingle in the shops, but the only place I heard the song was on a friend from primary school's mum's car cassette player (she had the Heart of Stone album).  Does that date me or what?  Oh, and Smash Hits rival magazine Hit Songwords also published the lyrics.

 

With its rousing chorus, I suspect that "You Wouldn't Know Love" could have been a moderate hit for Cher in Australia - perhaps peaking somewhere between number 25 and 40, if it had a music video and some promotion behind it.

 

Internationally, "You Wouldn't Know Love" peaked at number 55 in the UK in August 1990, and number 29 in Ireland in August 1990.  On the ARIA state charts, "You Wouldn't Know Love" performed strongest in Western Australia, where it reached number 114.

 

"You Wouldn't Know Love" was the first of six Cher singles to peak outside the top 100 in Australia during the 1990s.  We will see Cher next in January 1991.

 

Next week (3 September): Five new top 150 debuts and one bubbling WAY down under entry.

< Previous week: 20 August 1990                                 Next week: 3 September 1990 >