Special post: State chart-only number 1 singles January-June 1989

In the second instalment of this series of special posts, I will be taking a look at singles that reached number one on one or more of the five Australian state charts that were not national number ones.  In case you missed the first part, you can read it here.

 

The Proclaimers: (not quite) Twin peaks in Australia.

 

State chart-only number one singles - January 1989 to June 1989:

 

1. "Teardrops" by Womack & Womack

State(s) that it went to number one in: New South Wales/Australian Capital Territory and Victoria/Tasmania

Known dates it was number one: 6 February 1989 (NSW/ACT and VIC/TAS)

National chart peak: number 2

National chart debut: 7 November 1988

National chart run: 80-56-50-23-21-13-8-(2 week Xmas break)-7-3-3-2-2-2-2-4-4-6-9-11-14-19-34-36-48-48-70-72-106-117

 

American husband and wife duo Linda and Cecil Womack started out as a songwriters for other artists in the 1970s, before releasing their own recordings in 1983.  Despite landing a top 20 hit in the UK with "Love Wars" in 1984, "Teardrops", the lead single from their fourth album Conscience (number 11, February 1989), was their first Australian release.  Oddly, "Love Wars" was released in New Zealand, though!  "Teardrops" was a national number one on the Australian Music Report singles chart, and often seems to be referred to as a number one hit, but it only peaked at number 2 on the national ARIA chart.  At the time, I was convinced that Linda was a man with a high-pitched voice, based on her appearance in the "Teardrops" video, and even had an argument about whether she was a man or a woman with my sister.

 

One interesting fact is that "Teardrops" was number one in the two most-populous states of Australia, Victoria (and Tasmania) and New South Wales (and Australian Capital Territory) during the same week.  Yet, this wasn't enough to dislodge The Beach Boys' "Kokomo" from the number one position, even though another single, The Proclaimers' "I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles)", was number one that week in the third most-populous state, Queensland.  The competition must have been tight that week.

 

Another interesting fact is that the blonde woman singing back-up in the video went on to lip sync in the 1994 video for JX's "Son of a Gun" (number 6, August 1994).

 

 

2. "Tucker's Daughter" by Ian Moss

State(s) that it went to number one in: South Australia/Northern Territory

Known dates it was number one: 13 March 1989

National chart peak: number 2

National chart debut: 16 January 1989

National chart run: 94-37-9-8-5-5-2-2-2-4-4-6-6-7-15-17-28-25-35-41-68-66-84-77-72-84-92

 

Former Cold Chisel guitarist/sometime lead singer Ian Moss launched his solo career with this song, which was an Australian Music Report singles chart number one, but only reached number 2 nationally on the ARIA chart.  I didn't like this one at all at the time, but have since grown to not mind it.

 

 

3. "I'm on My Way" by The Proclaimers

State(s) that it went to number one in: South Australia/Northern Territory and Western Australia

Known dates it was number one: 24 April 1989 (SA/NT); 17 April 1989 (WA)

National chart peak: number 3

National chart debut: 6 March 1989

National chart run: 36-16-8-6-5-3-4-4-4-7-13-16-30-42-61-75-85-79

 

In Australia, "I'm on My Way" was the follow-up to Scottish twins The Proclaimers' massive number one hit, "I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles)".  In the UK, however, it was the third single released from their second album Sunshine on Leith (number 2, April 1989).  "I'm on My Way" saved the twin brothers from one-hit wonder status in Australia; nothing else they released troubled the top 50.  With a Scottish-born father (who spoke with an Australian accent) and a Scottish grandmother and great uncle who retained their Scottish accents, The Proclaimers' brogue was somewhat endearing to me.  Stupidly, the music video for "I'm on My Way" appears to be blocked on YouTube, so I've had to resort to uploading my own copy of it below:

 

4. "Stop!" by Sam Brown

State(s) that it went to number one in: South Australia/Northern Territory and Western Australia

Known dates it was number one: 15 May 1989 (SA/NT); 1 May 1989 (WA)

National chart peak: number 4

National chart debut: 7 November 1988

National chart run: 72-94

Re-entered 30 January 1989: 89-83-57-39-37-28-21-17-10-10-8-6-5-5-4-4-7-10-18-25-24-42-45-47-59-61-70-55-75-101-95

 

Released in Australia in August 1988, Sam Brown's "Stop!" sure took its time to take off, peaking 8 and a half months later at number 4 nationally in May 1989.  It was a similar story in Sam's native UK, where "Stop!" originally peaked at number 58 in June 1988 before being re-issued and climbing to number 4 in February 1989, after topping the Flemish chart in Belgium in September 1988.  "Stop!" topped two of the ARIA state charts during a turbulent time at the top of the national chart, where there was a different number one every week for 9 consecutive weeks (some were previous number ones returning to the top spot).

 

 

5. "Bedroom Eyes" by Kate Ceberano

State(s) that it went to number one in: New South Wales/Australian Capital Territory, Queensland and Western Australia

Known dates it was number one: 29 May 1989 (NSW/ACT and WA); 12 June 1989 (QLD)

National chart peak: number 2

National chart debut: 24 April 1989

National chart run: 120-56-25-16-11-2-3-3-2-2-2-2-2-4-5-7-8-13-13-20-24-32-44-44-62-80-83-111-99

 

Formerly the lead singer on most of I'm Talking's singles, Kate Ceberano branched out on her own after the band's demise, launching her pop solo career (she had some earlier jazz releases) with "Bedroom Eyes".  As a 10 year-old when this came out, I didn't quite understand what 'bedroom' eyes were.  I wasn't a fan of this one at the time, but it has since grown on me.  Kate would later score a South Australia/Northern Territory state number one in 1992 with "See Right Through", which only peaked at number 33 nationally, in what would have to be one of the largest discrepancies between state and national chart positions (it was number 60 nationally that week).

 

 

6. "Stuck on You" by Paul Norton 

State(s) that it went to number one in: South Australia/Northern Territory

Known dates it was number one: 29 May 1989

National chart peak: number 3

National chart debut: 20 February 1989

National chart run: 159-(unknown)-140-120-93-61-49-20-13-11-8-6-3-4-6-5-11-15-15-27-32-40-52-54-62-92-102

 

"Stuck on You" was Australian singer-songwriter Paul Norton's debut single, although you wouldn't know that from the lyrics, where he mentions making a record that sold 54 (copies, presumably).  "Stuck on You" sold considerably more than that.  It would be his only major hit, although he had two other later singles that peaked in the 30's.

 

7. "Hand on Your Heart" by Kylie Minogue

State(s) that it went to number one in: South Australia/Northern Territory

Known dates it was number one: 5 June 1989

National chart peak: number 4

National chart debut: 29 May 1989

National chart run: 4-4-4-5-6-7-7-17-21-34-46-49-84-101-87-148

 

At the time, a brand new single from Kylie "only" peaking at number 4 in Australia seemed like a bit of a flop for her, given that three of her previous five singles had peaked at number 1, and another at number 2.  But, this one did manage to top the South Australia/Northern Territory state chart, which is something.  Interestingly, "Hand on Your Heart" peaked at number 2 in Victoria/Tasmania, Queensland and Western Australia, and number 3 in New South Wales/Australian Capital Territory - bettering its national peak in all states.  But, as I mentioned earlier, competition at the top of the Australian singles chart was intense during this period.

 

 

Part three of this post will cover the state chart-only number one singles for the second half of 1989.  Stay tuned!

 

< Part one: State chart-only number 1 singles June-December 1988

Part three: State chart-only number 1 singles July-December 1989 >

Special post: State chart-only number 1 singles June-December 1988

It has been quite a while since I've made a post outside of the weekly top 150 recaps.  Writing this one has been on my mental 'to do' list for quite a while.  Although this blog normally deals with flops that missed the ARIA top 100, for a change, in this post I will write about singles that went to number one on at least one of the five state charts, but did not top the national chart.

 

Avid collectors of the printed ARIA top 50 charts that used to be available freely in record stores may recall that ARIA started including the state top 10 charts on those on the chart dated week ending 29 April 1990 (which reflects the chart survey conducted 23 April 1990).  Here's a refresher (hopefully it will be at a readable size font if you right click View Image, or open it in a new tab):

 

Then, in December 1991, ARIA switched to posting the state top 50 singles and albums chart on the reverse of the national chart, with each state having their own state chart printed on the back.  I do wonder what happened at/near border towns...  Here's an example I collected at the time, showing the Victoria/Tasmania state chart on the reverse.  I have split the image into two halves so that it (hopefully) displays more clearly below:

 

 

Then, of course the printed top 50 chart underwent a re-design in August 1992.  Here's one with a Queensland state chart, provided by the late Craig MacGregor:

 

 

Top 50 state chart information was also provided in a table within The ARIA Report, with an example below:

 

ARIA state chart data from June 1988 (when ARIA commenced producing the chart in-house) to December 1989 inclusive has never been publicly available.  While I don't have a complete set of state charts, I am reasonably confident that I now have all of the state chart number 1 singles spanning this period.

 

 

State chart-only number one singles - June 1988 to December 1988:

 

1. "Blue Monday 1988" by New Order

State(s) that it went to number one in: Victoria/Tasmania

Known dates it was number one: 6 June 1988

National chart peak: number 3 

National chart debut: 29 May 1988

National chart run: 31-3-4-5-7-7-13-14-14-16-20-28-35-37-54-53-72-75-96

 

Topping the very first Victoria/Tasmania state chart produced by ARIA is New Order's "Blue Monday 1988".  During the same week, it climbed from number 31 to number 3 nationally.  While the English band never scored a national number one single in Australia, "Bizarre Love Triangle" (number 5, March 1987) also topped the Kent Music Report state chart for four weeks in Victoria in 1987.  Excellent taste, Victorians and Tasmanians!

 

 

2. "Underneath the Radar" by Underworld

State(s) that it went to number one in: Western Australia

Known dates it was number one: 6 June 1988

National chart peak: number 5

National chart debut: 11 April 1988

National chart run: 82-68-52-49-40-36-28-26-13-5-16-9-10-7-12-11-10-7-10-10-16-23-28-35-36-44-45-46-46-55-56-60-70-75-90

 

British band Underworld landed a state chart number one in Western Australia on the first chart survey ARIA conducted.  Surprisingly, this one was only really a hit in Australia, where it reached number 5 nationally, and in New Zealand, where it reached number 14.  "Underneath the Radar" crept into the lower region of the US Billboard Hot 100, reaching number 74 in May 1988.  Astonishingly, the single did not even register on the UK top 200, which is quite a travesty!

 

3. "The Perfect Day" by Fischer-Z

State(s) that it went to number one in: Western Australia

Known dates it was number one: 13 June 1988

National chart peak: number 12

National chart debut: 2 May 1988

National chart run: 95-90-87-68-60-55-22-82-47-45-37-31-21-18-12-13-16-17-14-21-20-26-33-34-33-57-58-57-96

 

Like Underworld above, English band Fischer-Z were two-hit wonders in Australia, (almost) eight years apart, with "So Long" (number 15, December 1980) and this one.  Also like Underworld, the line-up of the band had completely changed in between the two Australian hits, with the lead singer being the only constant.  Narrowly missing the top 10 nationally, Western Australia had the good sense to make this a number one hit.  The single had a rather yo yo-like chart run for a period, climbing from 55 to 22 on the second ARIA-produced chart (the week it was number one in Western Australia), before dropping back down to 82 then climbing back up the chart slowly again.  I wonder what was going on there.

 

4. "Better Be Home Soon" by Crowded House

State(s) that it went to number one in: Queensland and Western Australia

Known dates it was number one: 4 July 1988 (WA); 11 July 1988 (QLD)

National chart peak: number 2

National chart debut: 13 June 1988

National chart run: 36-3-3-2-2-3-2-2-4-5-6-6-10-17-18-23-37-43-52-62-61-71-84-96-95

 

Probably thought of as a number one hit by most people, "Better Be Home Soon" surprisingly only peaked at number 2.  Having said that, I was not a fan of the song at the time, but have since grown to like it over the years.

 

 

5. "Doctorin' the Tardis" by The Timelords

State(s) that it went to number one in: Victoria/Tasmania and Queensland

Known dates it was number one: 29 August 1988 (VIC/TAS); 19 September 1988 (QLD)

National chart peak: number 2

National chart debut: 1 August 1988

National chart run: 57-8-4-3-3-3-3-2-3-3-7-12-13-25-35-51-52-53-78-83-94-(2 week Xmas break)-98

 

Another one many people probably assume was a number one hit is The Timelords' (an alias of The KLF) novelty hit, "Doctorin' the Tardis".  It seemed there were more Doctor Who fans in Victoria, Tasmania and Queensland than the rest of the country.

 

 

6. "Don't Be Cruel" by Cheap Trick

State(s) that it went to number one in: Victoria/Tasmania and Queensland

Known dates it was number one: 19 September 1988 (VIC/TAS); 12 September 1988 (QLD)

National chart peak: number 4

National chart debut: 27 June 1988

National chart run: 50-29-20-25-16-14-9-8-5-5-4-4-5-5-6-12-19-23-28-44-46-43-74-75-75-97-(2 week Xmas break)-96 

Deciding to follow-up a massive number one hit "The Flame" (number one on the first ARIA-produced national singles chart, no less) with a safe Elvis cover was a choice... but it paid off for Cheap Trick, giving them back-to-back top 5 success in Australia.

 

 

7. "All Fired Up" by Pat Benatar

State(s) that it went to number one in: Queensland and Western Australia

Known dates it was number one: 3 October 1988 (QLD); 26 September 1988 (WA)

National chart peak: number 2

National chart debut: 1 August 1988

National chart run: 70-41-20-15-7-5-5-4-2-2-5-7-9-11-14-19-20-33-50-66-(2 week Xmas break)-71-75-83-95-101

 

American singer Pat Benatar landed a number one hit in Australia in early 1984 with the brilliant "Love Is a Battlefield".  While she never replicated that feat, she came close with "All Fired Up"; another song I wasn't particularly fond of at the time, but has since grown on me.  A little known fact about this track is that it's a cover version of a 1987 single from Australian country band Rattling Sabers, which peaked at number 94 in Australia in November 1987.

 

 

8. "The Only Way Is Up" by Yazz and The Plastic Population

State(s) that it went to number one in: New South Wales/Australian Capital Territory

Known dates it was number one: 17 October 1988 (NSW/ACT)

National chart peak: number 2

National chart debut: 19 September 1988

National chart run: 86-34-14-8-2-5-5-5-6-5-4-4-5-7-(2 week Xmas break)-6-9-8-13-17-21-22-36-46-48-60-65-79-83-84

 

English singer Yazz (born Yasmin Evans) was backed up by Coldcut, for whom she was a featured artist on "Doctorin' the House" (number 45, August 1988), using the pseudonym 'The Plastic Population', for this track, which is another cover of an obscure song, originally recorded by Otis Clay.  Yazz's version spent a respectable 16 weeks in the Australian top 10.  Sometimes incorrectly referred to as a one-hit wonder, Yazz had another top 30 hit in Australia, minus The Plastic Population, with "Stand Up for Your Love Rights" (number 22, December 1988), which I prefer slightly to this one, and, er, another three solo top 100 'hits'.

 

 

9. "A Groovy Kind of Love" by Phil Collins

State(s) that it went to number one in: all except South Australia/Northern Territory!

Known dates it was number one: 24 October 1988 (NSW/ACT); 31 October 1988 (VIC/TAS); 31 October 1988 (QLD); 24 October 1988 (WA)

National chart peak: number 2

National chart debut: 3 October 1988

National chart run: 31-10-5-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-3-5-(2 week Xmas break)-8-11-14-17-23-27-64-47-45-68-81-82

 

Spending a mammoth seven consecutive weeks at number 2, Phil Collins' "A Groovy Kind of Love", recorded for the soundtrack of the film Buster (which Phil also starred in), somehow managed to top four of the five state charts, but not the national chart.  In the odd state chart-out, South Australia/Northern Territory, "A Groovy Kind of Love" only managed to reach number 5.

 

 

10. "When a Man Loves a Woman" by Jimmy Barnes

State(s) that it went to number one in: South Australia/Northern Territory

Known dates it was number one: 14 November 1988

National chart peak: number 3

National chart debut: 31 October 1988

National chart run: 24-6-3-3-3-6-11-(2 week Xmas break)-14-20-27-39-61-63-71-77-109-97

 

I've never been a big fan of Scottish-Australian pub rock legend Jimmy Barnes' screaming vocals, and they're cranked up to 11 on this live rendition of the Percy Sledge song, which South Australia/Northern Territory obviously loved.  The song could alternatively be titled "How to Destroy Your Vocal Cords Permanently in One Easy Lesson".

 

 

11. "Nothing Can Divide Us" by Jason Donovan

State(s) that it went to number one in: South Australia/Northern Territory

Known dates it was number one: 21 November 1988

National chart peak: number 3

National chart debut: 24 October 1988

National chart run: 4-4-4-3-4-6-8-7-10-(2 week Xmas break)-16-15-24-29-29-47-52-73-82-92-82

 

Rejected by Rick Astley, "Nothing Can Divide Us" was recycled by Hit Factory maestros Stock Aitken Waterman to give 'our' Jason his first hit.  It's a bit of a stretch to think that Jason, who could barely hold a note at this point, could manage a song written with Rick Astley in mind, but here it is.  Jason's voice sounds a bit like it came out of a computer, but this was the pre-Auto-Tune era, and the studio wizardry wasn't quite as good.  Having said that, I do like this.

 

For years, I thought this was a legitimate national ARIA chart number one, as it was number one for a week on the chart used (based on what, I don't know) by Take 40 Australia prior to 1989.  They did switch to using the ARIA chart in January 1989.

 

 

12. "If I Could" by 1927

State(s) that it went to number one in: Victoria/Tasmania

Known dates it was number one: 28 November 1988

National chart peak: number 4

National chart debut: 7 November 1988

National chart run: 64-29-9-5-5-4-4-(2 week Xmas break)-4-5-5-6-11-7-10-10-14-16-17-22-25-31-45-38-42-56-65-77-86-97

 

Aussie band 1927's second single seems like it was a national number one; and it indeed was... on the bogus chart used by Take 40 Australia in 1988.  So, yes, it's another one that I thought was a legitimate number one for years.  FM radio in Melbourne certainly loved this one, and it's quite good, if not a little on the sappy side, lyrically.

 

 

13. "Bring Me Some Water" by Melissa Etheridge

State(s) that it went to number one in: South Australia/Northern Territory

Known dates it was number one: 28 November 1988

National chart peak: number 9

National chart debut: 24 October 1988

National chart run: 55-29-24-11-10-10-9-10-13-(2 week Xmas break)-13-14-12-20-19-24-34-33-38-52-53-62-79-74

 

Another one FM radio in Melbourne flogged to death is American singer-songwriter Melissa Etheridge's "Bring Me Some Water".  So much so that I believed for many years that Melissa was an Australian!  Indeed, Australia seems to have given Melissa her first taste of real chart success.  Fox FM were playing this one for weeks before it hit the chart, and it's one of those songs I could never work out the title to, assuming it might be "Sweet Devil's Got My Soul."

 

 

14. "Especially for You" by Kylie Minogue & Jason Donovan

State(s) that it went to number one in: South Australia/Northern Territory

Known dates it was number one: 19 December 1988 (chart repeated 26 December 1988 and 2 January 1989)

National chart peak: number 2

National chart debut: 19 December 1988

National chart run: 2-(2 week Xmas break)-2-2-2-3-4-7-11-15-17-30-29-28-31-42-49-52-58-58-80-86-99

In retrospect, it seems quite shocking that a Kylie Minogue and Jason Donovan duet, considering how big they were at the time, didn't go to number one in Australia.  It did, however, debut at number one on the South Australia/Northern Territory state chart, the only state chart it reached the top.  "Especially for You" was also number one for one week in January 1989 on the chart used by Take 40 Australia before they switched to using the ARIA chart the following week - so it's another one I assumed was a legitimate Australian number one single for years.  I'm sure you've heard/seen "Especially for You" umpteen times before, so here's a parody of the video that's worth checking out (or so I think), from two British comedians who decided to make use of their wig collection during COVID lockdowns by uploading videos to YouTube.

 

 

Part two of this post will cover the state chart-only number one singles for the first half of 1989.  Stay tuned!

 

                                      Part two: State chart-only number 1 singles January-June 1989 >

Week commencing 22 March 1993

This week in 1993's new entries peaking outside the Australian top 100 are a mixed bunch, containing established artists who normally do better, and more-obscure ones you may have never heard of before.  Before we take a look, I have updated the following previous posts:

 

* 4 March 1991 - with a new bubbling WAY down under entry from Was (Not Was); 

* 11 March 1991 - with a new bubbling WAY down under entry from Jellybean featuring Niki Haris;

* 8 April 1991 - with a new bubbling WAY down under entry from Denise Lopez; 

* 6 May 1991 - with a new bubbling WAY down under entry from Lee Aaron; 

* 27 May 1991 - with a new bubbling WAY down under entry from Tongue 'N' Cheek;

* 5 August 1991 - with a new bubbling WAY down under entry from PIL;

* 2 March 1992 - with new bubbling WAY down under entries from Lee Aaron and Yo Yo Honey.

 

Cleopatra Wong lamenting on their lack of chart success.

 

Top 150 debuts:

 

Number 116 "Riders on the Storm" by The Doors (90s re-release)

Peak: number 116

Peak date: 22 March 1993

Weeks in top 150: 7 weeks

Top 150 chart run: 116-132-134-129-124-140-150

 

We last saw American rock band The Doors in 1991.

 

"Riders on the Storm" originally appeared on the band's sixth studio album L.A. Woman, and reached number 10 in Australia on the Go Set singles chart in November 1971.  Internationally, the 1971 release of "Riders on the Storm" peaked at number 7 in the Netherlands in August 1971, number 14 on the US Billboard Hot 100 in September 1971, number 5 in Canada in September 1971, number 22 in the UK in November 1971, and number 28 in West Germany.

 

"Riders on the Storm" was the third Doors single re-released in Europe in 1991 to promote The Doors (number 11, June 1991) soundtrack album.  In Australia, we got the first two re-releases, "Break on Through" (number 97, June 1991) and "Light My Fire" (number 130, July 1991), but, for reasons unknown, the re-release of "Riders on the Storm" was postponed to February 1993.  I am guessing that maybe the movie premiered on TV around that time?  In any case, there was a renewed interest in The Doors on the ARIA albums chart in early 1993, with The Best of The Doors (number 3, March 1993) peaking within the top five, and The Doors soundtrack rebounding to number 44 in March 1993.

 

Internationally, the 1991 release of "Riders on the Storm" peaked at number 68 in the UK in August 1991, and number 12 in Ireland in August 1991.

 

I don't recall exactly when I heard "Riders on the Storm" for the first time, but have a vivid memory of hearing it on an AM radio station in the early 1990s.

 

 

Number 119 "Megamix" by Gloria Estefan

Peak: number 119

Peak date: 22 March 1993

Weeks in top 150: 6 weeks

Chart run: 119-142-133-149-148-130

Weeks on chart: 6 weeks

 

Gloria Estefan last graced our presence in 1992. 

 

As you may have guessed from the title, "Megamix" is a megamix of Gloria/Miami Sound Machine's earlier uptempo hits, including "Dr. Beat" (number 11, February 1985), "Conga" (number 37, March 1986), "Rhythm Is Gonna Get You" (number 54, August 1987), "1-2-3" (number 99, December 1988), and "Get on Your Feet" (number 98, October 1990).  The megamix was released to promote Gloria's Greatest Hits (number 21, November 1992) compilation, which was re-packaged (at least in Australia) with a second disc containing this track.

 

Internationally, this single was titled "Miami Hit Mix" in Europe and Colombia.  The single peaked at number 8 in the UK in December 1992, number 12 in Ireland in December 1992, and number 92 in Germany in March 1993.

 

In Australia, "Megamix" performed strongest in Queensland, where it reached number 92 on the state chart.

 

Watching the music video for "Megamix", rather than recycle footage from Gloria's earlier music videos, they have instead used new footage.  Both the song and video are a bit of a hot mess, in my view; I would much rather listen to the original tracks.

 

Gloria will next join us in July 1993.

 

 

Number 130 "Courage" by The Tragically Hip

Peak: number 127

Peak date: 29 March 1993

Weeks in top 150: 5 weeks

Top 150 chart run: 130-127-131-134-136

 

Canadian band The Tragically Hip formed in Kingston, Ontario in 1984.  "Courage", titled "Courage (For Hugh MacLennan)" on the album and rear of the single, was the first single released in Australia from the band's third studio album Fully Completely (number 96, March 1993).

 

Internationally, "Courage" peaked at number 94 (number 85 on the compressed chart) in the UK in March 1993, and number 10 in Canada in April 1993.  The song also registered on two US Billboard genre-specific charts, peaking at number 16 on the Mainstream Rock Airplay chart in March 1993, and number 16 on the Alternative Airplay chart in March 1993.

 

"Courage" would be the band's only ARIA top 150 single, though they had another top 150 album, with Day for Night (number 145, February 1995).  The band's lead singer, Gord Downie, passed away in October 2017, aged 53, from brain cancer.

 

 

Number 144 Cleopatra's Lament EP by Cleopatra Wong

Peak: number 132

Peak date: 10 May 1993

Weeks in top 150: 9 weeks

Top 150 chart run: 144-137-137-137-141-136-138-132-150

 

Australian duo Cleopatra Wong were former Go-Betweens members Amanda Brown (violin, oboe, guitar, keyboards, backing vocals) and Lindy Morrison (drums, backing vocals).  They formed Cleopatra Wong, named after a female James Bond-like character in the 1979 film They Call Her Cleopatra Wong, after the demise of The Go-Betweens in 1989.

 

During their existence, Cleopatra Wong only released two EPs, Egg (number 77 on the ARIA albums chart, June 1992), which contained the rather nice "Thank You", and this one, Cleopatra's Lament.  The five-track Cleopatra's Lament EP was led by the song "Baby for You", for which I have embedded an audio clip below.  A music video was filmed, but only a snippet of this appears on YouTube, here.

 

Lindy left the band in 1993, after a deal fell through to release their two EPs in the US.  This was the final Cleopatra Wong release.

 

The Go-Betweens reformed in 2000, minus Amanda and Lindy, until 2006, when G. W. MacLennan died.  More-recently, I have spotted Lindy doing TV commercials for APIA, Australian Pensioners' Insurance Agency.

 

 

Number 145 "Naturally" by Living Daylights

Peak: number 126

Peak date: 19 April 1993

Weeks in top 150: 7 weeks

Top 150 chart run: 145-148-149-147-126-143-137

 

Aussie band Living Daylights last paid us a visit in 1992.  I hadn't heard this one before; it's not bad.  "Naturally" appears on the duo's only album Living Daylights, which does not appear to have received an Australian release.  One thing I can confirm since their last entry is that lead singer Denise DeMarchi is indeed the sister of Baby Animals' front woman Suze DeMarchi.

 

Living Daylights will join us once more, in May 1993.

 

 

Number 146 "Boys from the Bush" by Lee Kernaghan

Peak: number 130

Peak date: 5 April 1993

Weeks in top 150: 2 weeks

Top 150 chart run: 146-(out for 1 week)-130

 

Australian country artist Lee Kernaghan released a couple of singles during the 1980s, none of which troubled the charts.  That would change with this single, taken from his debut solo studio album The Outback Club (number 58, May 1994), which debuted in the ARIA top 150 albums chart in May 1992 and initially peaked at number 86 in February 1993.

 

Lee would land his first ARIA top 100 single in 1997 with "This Is the Outback" (number 84, September 1997).  His biggest hit would come with "Spirit of the Bush", a collaboration with Adam Brand and Steve Forde (number 11, July 2007).

 

To say I am not a fan of country music would be putting it mildly...

 

Lee will next join us in 1994.

 

 

Number 148 "Pleasure" by The Soup Dragons

Peak: number 148

Peak date: 22 March 1993

Weeks in top 150: 2 weeks

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

Weeks on chart: 5 weeks

 

Scottish band The Soup Dragons last joined us in 1992.

 

"Pleasure" was the second and final single lifted from the band's third studio album Hotwired (number 177, July 1992).  Internationally, "Pleasure" peaked at number 78 (number 77 on the compressed chart) in the UK in September 1992.

 

Locally, "Pleasure" performed strongest in South Australia/Northern Territory, where it reached number 136 on the state chart.

 

"Pleasure" has quite a catchy chorus, and sounds like a hit to me.  I am surprised that it didn't do better on the charts.  This would be The Soup Dragons' final release to chart in Australia.

 

 

Number 149 "Sunshine" by Vincent Stone

Peak: number 109

Peak date: 28 June 1993

Weeks in top 150: 15 weeks

Top 150 chart run: 149-147-(out for 1 week)-146-(out for 1 week)-139-135-133-122-122-117-122-119-113-109-118-137

 

Australian artist Vincent Stone hails from Sydney.  While his recording career only consists of one album and three singles, he later went into acting, landing the role of Grant in the film Superman Returns (2006).

 

"Sunshine" was the first single lifted from the album Vincent Stone (number 65, April 1994).  It was produced by former Noiseworks members Justin Stanley and Steve Balbi, who would form Electric Hippies - we'll see them bubble under in November 1993.

 

On the state charts, "Sunshine" performed strongest in Western Australia, where it reached number 47.

 

Vincent was nominated for Best New Talent and Breakthrough Artist - Single at the 1994 ARIA Awards.

 

Perhaps, though, "Sunshine"'s biggest accolade is making its way onto the McDonalds 4-track Hot Hits Vol 1 cassette, which if I remember correctly, was available for a couple of dollars (maybe $4.95?) with the purchase of any meal in early 1994.

 

A music video exists for this track, but has not yet made its way onto YouTube. 

We shall next see Vincent in October 1993.

 

Bubbling WAY down under:

 

Number 177 "I Will Always Love You" by Tears N’ Joy

Peak: number 159

Peak date: 29 March 1993

Weeks on chart: 8 weeks

As you might have guessed from the title, this one is a cover of Dolly Parton’s "I Will Always Love You", which at this point in 1993, Whitney Houston’s version of it recently spent 10 weeks at number one.  It was inevitable that a cheaply-produced dance version of the song would be released, and here it is.  Production-wise, this version, which I hadn’t heard before, sounds more than a little bit inspired by K.W.S.’s "Please Don’t Go" (number 2 for 4 non-consecutive weeks in July-August 1992).  The singer, German Josephine Hiebel (credited as ‘Joy’ here), has competent, if not quite Whitney-level, vocals, which is something these thrown-together dance version cash-ins often lack.

 

Internationally, this version of "I Will Always Love You" peaked at number 9 in the Netherlands in March 1993, number 11 in the Flanders region of Belgium in April 1993, and number 47 in New Zealand in May 1993.

 

Domestically, "I Will Always Love You" performed strongest in South Australia/Northern Territory, where it reached number 124 on the state chart.  The single peaked higher nationally on the Australian Music Report singles chart, where it reached number 94.

 

This was the only Tears N' Joy release to chart in Australia.

Number 207 "Highland" by One More Time

Peak: number 181

Peak date: 29 March 1993

Weeks on chart: 2 weeks

 

Swedish group One More Time formed in Stockholm in 1991.  "Highland", which has somewhat of a Celtic feel to my half-Scottish ears, was their debut single, lifted from their debut album Highland, which does not appear to have received a release in Australia.

 

Internationally, "Highland" peaked at number 20 in the Netherlands in November 1992, number 2 in Sweden in December 1992, number 1 in the Flanders region of Belgium in December 1992, number 89 (number 80 on the compressed chart) in the UK in January 1993, and number 39 in Germany in March 1993.

 

In Australia, "Highland" was most popular in Victoria/Tasmania, where it reached number 165 on the state chart.

 

I didn't know this one at the time, but it's yet another song I discovered via a UK VHS compilation I digitised more than a decade ago.  It's quite a nice song.

 

"Highland" was One More Time's only charting release in Australia.  They went on to enter a song "Den Vilda" in the 1996 Eurovision Song Contest.

 

 

Next week (29 March): Seven top 150 entries and three bubbling WAY down under debuts.

 

< Previous week: 15 March 1993                      Next week: 29 March 1993 >

Week commencing 15 March 1993

One thing this week in 1993's new entries peaking outside the Australian top 100 have in common is that I was not familiar with any of them at the time.  Perhaps they are new to you too?  Let's take a look.

 

Gyan trying to visualise a second hit that never came.

 

Top 150 debuts:

 

Number 120 "Walking Through Syrup" by Ned's Atomic Dustbin

Peak: number 111

Peak dates: 22 March 1993 and 5 April 1993

Weeks in top 150: 6 weeks

Top 150 chart run: 120-111-113-111-122-121

 

We last saw English rock band Ned's Atomic Dustbin in 1991.

 

"Walking Through Syrup" was the second single released in Australia from the band's second studio album Are You Normal? (number 79, March 1993).  It followed "Not Sleeping Around", which was released locally in October 1992 but missed the top 150.

 

I cannot find evidence of "Walking Through Syrup" charting elsewhere, other than the song reaching number 13 on the US Billboard Alternative Airplay chart.

 

A third single from Are You Normal?, "Intact", was released in Australia in May 1993, but missed the top 150.  "Walking Through Syrup" was the band's final ARIA top 150 single, although they had a later charting album with Brainbloodvolume (number 128, April 1995).  After that album, the band split, before reforming in 2000.

 

 

 

Number 125 "Quality Time" by Hi-Five

Peak: number 114

Peak date: 5 April 1993

Weeks in top 150: 7 weeks

Top 150 chart run: 125-117-123-114-125-120-133

 

American R&B vocal quintet Hi-Five last joined us in 1992.

 

"Quality Time" was the second single lifted from the group's second album Keep It Goin' On (number 130, November 1992).  It followed "She's Playing Hard to Get" (number 46, January 1993), which was Hi-Five's highest-charting single in Australia, and spent 24 weeks in the top 150.

 

Internationally, "Quality Time" peaked at number 38 on the US Billboard Hot 100 in January 1993, and number 36 in New Zealand in March 1993.

 

I wasn't expecting the vocals on this one to be as deep as they are, given the pre-voice breaking vocals heard on some of the group's earlier singles.

 

I remembered that two of the band members had died, one of whom was paralysed in the 90s following a car accident, when looking for information on Hi-Five when they first bubbled under in 1991; but one thing I overlooked was that another member of the group, Russell Neal, was charged with murdering his wife in 2014!  So much tragedy in one group.

 

We'll see Hi-Five one more time, in 1994.

 

 

 

Number 139 "Stay" by Wrecking Crew

Peak: number 117

Peak date: 19 April 1993

Weeks in top 150: 10 weeks

Top 150 chart run: 139-138-122-127-124-117-129-140-142-146

 

Australian band Wrecking Crew formed in Sydney in 1987.  "Stay" was their second release, following their debut single "Welcome to the Circus", which was released in November 1992  but missed the top 150.  Both tracks appear on the band's only album Fun in the Doghouse (number 115, June 1993).

 

I can't find much information about the band online, but can tell you the band members were Dave Wilkins (vocals), Brenton Dehn (guitar), Dave Reynolds (bass), and Gary Synerdahl (drums). 

We'll see Wrecking Crew once more, in July 1993.

 

 

Number 144 "Stop the World" by Extreme

Peak: number 128

Peak date: 12 April 1993

Weeks in top 150: 7 weeks

Top 150 chart run: 144-134-145-142-128-133-150

Weeks on chart: 10 weeks

 

We last saw American band Extreme in 1989.  Since then, the group had their commercial breakthrough in Australia with the acoustic ballad "More Than Words" (number 2 for two weeks in August-September 1991), and its follow-up, "Hole Hearted" (number 24, November 1991).  Neither track was typical of the band's usual rock/metal sound, which is always problematic.

 

"Stop the World" was the second single released from Extreme's third studio album III Sides to Every Story (number 42, October 1992).  It followed "Rest in Peace" (number 76, October 1992).

 

Internationally, "Stop the World" peaked at number 12 in the UK in November 1992, number 19 in Canada in February 1993, and number 95 on the US Billboard Hot 100 in February 1993.

 

Locally, "Stop the World" performed equally-strongest in Queensland and Western Australia, reaching number 116 on both state charts.

 

An interesting, if not rather disturbing, fact I uncovered while researching this track is that the music video features the late British actress and model Kadamba Simmons, who was strangled to death by her ex-boyfriend in June 1998, aged 24.

 

We won't see Extreme again, but they had a final charting single in Australia in 1995 with "Hip Today" (number 99, February 1995).

 

 

Number 145 "Visualize" by Gyan

Peak: number 145

Peak date: 15 March 1993

Weeks in top 150: 1 week

Top 150 chart run: 145

Weeks on chart: 8 weeks

 

Gyan (pronounced 'gee-AHN', with a hard g) - not her real name (she has never revealed what that is) Evans grew up in Belmont, a suburb of Geelong (and where I lived until I was 10), and attended the primary school adjacent to the high school I went to.  She made a splash on the chart with her debut single "Wait" (number 14, October 1989), and a promising recording career seemed to beckon.  Unfortunately, that was not to be the case, and only one other single of hers, second release "It's Alright" (number 49, December 1989), landed within the ARIA top 50.  Both tracks were taken from her gold-certified debut album Gyan (number 27, November 1989), which also contained her third single "Black Wedding Ring" (number 93, February 1990).

 

After a two and a half year hiatus, Gyan returned in the second half of 1992 with her second album Reddest Red (number 105, October 1992), preceded by the single "Something's Gotta Give" (number 80, September 1992).  Neither release set the charts on fire.

 

"Visualize" was the second single lifted from Reddest Red, and took five months after its mid-October 1992 release to crawl into the top 150, after debuting at number 227 on 2 November 1992.  On the state charts, "Visualize" performed strongest in Victoria/Tasmania, where it reached number 99.  I am not sure why there was such belated interest in the single.  I didn't hear this song until obtaining the video in the mid-late 2000s - it's nice enough, but a bit on the unmemorable side.  Gyan's voice is fantastic as always on this track, though.

 

A third single from Reddest Red, "Goodnews", appears to have been released in 1993, though it is not listed among the weekly lists of new release titles in The ARIA Report.  It did not chart.

 

Gyan now lives in Byron Bay.  This was her last charting release.

Bubbling WAY down under:

 

Number 161 "Build" by Innocence

Peak: number 161

Peak date: 15 March 1993

Weeks on chart: 8 weeks

 

We last saw English R&B band Innocence in February 1993, a mere six weeks ago.

 

"Build" was the title track and third single lifted from their second and final studio album Build (number 217, December 1992).  It followed "I'll Be There" (number 174, August 1992) and "One Love in My Lifetime" (number 168, February 1993).

 

Internationally, "Build" peaked at number 72 in the UK in November 1992.  In Australia, the single was most popular in Queensland, where it reached number 145 on the state chart.

 

I first heard "Build" in the early 2010s when it appeared on a VHS compilation I was digitising.  I like the stark piano ballad a lot, and think it should have been a much bigger hit.

 

Innocence disbanded after this single's release.

 

 

 

Number 190 "Paper Doll" by Fleetwood Mac

Peak: number 183

Peak date: 22 March 1993

Weeks on chart: 6 weeks

 

We last saw transatlantic band Fleetwood Mac in 1990.

 

"Paper Doll" was one of four new songs recorded for the compilation album Selections from 25 Years - The Chain (number 2, September 2013), which originally peaked at number 125 in Australia in February 1993.  Stevie Nicks sings lead on this track.

 

At the time of writing this, the Wikipedia page for this single incorrectly claimed that "Paper Doll" was exclusively released as a single in North America.  Last time I checked, Australia was not part of that continent!  It does not, however, appear to have been released in the UK, missing the top 200 singles chart there completely.

 

Internationally, "Paper Doll" peaked at number 8 on the US Billboard Bubbling Under Hot 100 chart (analogous to peaking at number 108, though not quite) in December 1992, and at number 9 in Canada in February 1993.  The song also registered on two US Billboard genre-specific charts, peaking at number 26 on the Mainstream Rock Airplay chart in December 1992, and number 32 on the Adult Contemporary chart in January 1993.

 

In Australia, "Paper Doll" performed strongest in Western Australia, reaching number 133 on the state chart.

 

Despite their Greatest Hits (number 3, January 1989) compilation being seemingly inescapable, I hadn't heard "Paper Doll" until writing this post; granted, the song does not appear on that set.  I wasn't expecting to like the song, given it's an obscure-ish cast-off track of theirs, but it's quite decent.  The music video for "Paper Doll", on the other hand, was quickly thrown together, using footage from earlier Fleetwood Mac videos.

 

Fleetwood Mac will next join us in 1997.

 

 

Number 200 "Living on Dreams" by Flash and The Pan

Peak: number 200

Peak date: 15 March 1993

Weeks on chart: 1 week

 

We last heard from Australian duo Flash and The Pan in 1992.  "Living on Dreams" was the second and final single from their sixth and final studio album Burning Up the Night (released Australia in September 1992, did not chart).

 

On the state charts, "Living on Dreams" performed strongest in Victoria/Tasmania, where it reached number 176.

 

We will see Flash in the Pan on one more occasion, in 1995.

 

 

Next week (22 March): Eight top 150 entries and two bubbling WAY down under debuts.

 

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