If I'm being perfectly honest, I'm not too enamoured with any of this week's new entries, but think one, maybe two of them are OK (can you guess which ones from reading my comments below?). But hey, I don't get to choose what the Australian record buying public like, so 'who am I to disagree'? Let's take a look at what was bubbling down under this week in 1989...
On the Ball: Songs about sport are... not my favourite thing.
Top 150 debuts:
Number 126 "Down to London" by Joe Jackson
Peak: number 126
Peak dates: 31 July 1989 and 14 August 1989
Weeks in top 150: 6 weeks
Since 1979, Joe Jackson (not Michael's dad) placed 11 singles in the top 100 in Australia, with the biggest of those being his 1982 hit "Real Men" (number 6), which oddly flopped at number 89 in his native UK. Joe's third charting single down under in 1989, "Down to London" was actually only the second release from his current album Blaze of Glory, as "(He's a) Shape in a Drape" (number 95, February 1989) was from the Tucker soundtrack, for which he performed the music. Interestingly, neither of these tracks nor previous single "Nineteen Forever" (number 80, June 1989) charted in the UK, and "Down to London" did not chart in any other country, as far as I can ascertain. Despite this floppage, at the time of writing, the "Down to London" video embedded below has received almost a quarter of a million views in 6 years, which isn't too bad at all for a 30+ year-old song that was never a 'hit'. Joe will visit us again in 1991.
Number 141 "How Can a Love So Wrong Be Right" by The Seekers
Peak: number 118
Peak date: 21 August 1989
Weeks in top 150: 7 weeks
The Seeekers are best known - at least from my perspective as someone who wasn't yet born when they were 'big' - for their 1966 number 1 hit, "Georgy Girl", when Judith Durham was on lead vocals. At this point in time, Julie Anthony was fronting the group. The last substantial hit The Seekers had in Australia was 1975's "Sparrow Song" (number 7), with yet another lead vocalist, Louisa Wisseling. Their most-recent singles chart entry, "Building Bridges", peaked at number 68 in May 1989. Both that and this track were taken from the band's Live On album, which peaked at number 26.
Number 147 "Let's Go Broncos" by On the Ball
Peak: number 144
Peak date: 28 August 1989
Weeks in top 150: 3 weeks
I have absolutely zero interest in sport. I would literally rather watch paint dry than watch a game of football, rugby or whatever sport this is called, played in Queensland. So you can imagine my enthusiasm when a sporting theme reaches the charts... Thankfully, it didn't happen often. I can only assume that this single sold much better in Queensland than in any other state, if it was even for sale outside of Queensland. Curiously, "Let's Go Broncos" peaked much higher on the Australian Music Report chart, at number 78. I can only assume that they surveyed a wider variety of retail outlets in Queensland than ARIA, or weighted Queensland more heavily.
Number 149 "Make It" by Exploding White Mice
Peak: number 149
Peak: 31 July 1989
Weeks in top 150: 1 week
I don't know what to say about this track other than it's really not my my kind of music. Exploding White Mice hailed from Adelaide, and would go on to score a number 96 'hit' locally in July 1990 with "I Just Want My Fun".
Bubbling WAY down under:
Number 153 "Are You My Baby?" by Wendy & Lisa
Peak: number 153
Peak date: 31 July 1989
Weeks on chart: 1 week
Formerly members of Prince's one-time backing band The Revolution, Wendy Melvoin and Lisa Coleman struck out on their own in 1987. "Are You My Baby?" was the lead single from the duo's second album Fruit at the Bottom, which did not chart in Australia. The single was the pair's first charting release in Australia.
"Are You My Baby?" fared better internationally, reaching the top 20 in the Netherlands and Belgium, and peaking at number 70 in the UK in February 1989.
On the ARIA state charts, "Are You My Baby?" performed strongest in Western Australia, where it reached number 97.
Number 156 "Spirit of the Forest" by Spirit of the Forest
Peak: number 156
Peak date: 31 July 1989
Weeks on chart: 1 week
One thing most music fans can agree on is that charity records are almost without exception bad, particularly when they're umpteen unrelated artists assembled for a particular 'cause'. In this instance, Spirit of the Forest was set up to raise funds for... you guessed it, the rain forest. Well, environmental causes, more broadly.
Arists featured on the A-side version of "Spirit of the Forest" include Chris Rea, Mr. Mister, XTC, Dave Gilmour from Pink Floyd, Brian Wilson from The Beach Boys, Joni Mitchell, Ringo Starr, Fish, Belinda Carlisle, Deborah Harry, Bonnie Raitt, Kate Bush, Little Steven, Jon Anderson from Yes, Sam Brown, The Escape Club, Olivia Newton-John and Louise Goffin. While I like several of these artists, I can't say their contribution to this mediocre-at-best song is particularly memorable.
Internationally, "Spirit of the Forest" peaked at number 94 (number 86 on the compressed chart) in the UK in July 1989.
In Australia, "Spirit of the Forest" was most popular in Western Australia, where it reached number 129 on the state chart.
Number 160 "Atomic City" by Holly Johnson
Peak: number 160
Peak date: 31 July 1989
Weeks on chart: 1 week
The third single lifted from his debut solo album Blast, "Atomic City" did not perform nearly as well as the two prior singles, "Love Train" (number 35, March 1989) and "Americanos" (number 77, June 1989), in Australia. It also peaked 14 places lower than the number 4 peaks for the two prior singles in the UK. To my ears, "Atomic City" sounds rather like James Brown's "Living in America", production-wise, but not as good. Unsurprisingly, both tracks were produced by Dan Hartman, who also co-wrote this, I just learned. "Atomic City" had greater success in Ireland, where it peaked at number 9, and in Switzerland, where it peaked at number 10. A fourth single, "Heaven's Here", was lifted from Blast, but was not released locally - presumably due to its low (number 62) UK peak and the lack of chart success "Atomic City" had here. We will see Holly again in 1991.
Number 162 "Voice of Babylon" by The Outfield
Peak: number 162
Peak date: 31 July 1989
Weeks on chart: 1 week
English band The Outfield formed in 1984, but had not, until now, landed a single on the Australian chart, other than bubbling under in May 1986, on the Kent Music Report's list of singles receiving significant sales reports beyond the top 100, with "Your Love".
"Voice of Babylon" was the lead single from The Outfield's third studio album Voices of Babylon (number 145, July 1989). Both the album and single were the band's only releases to chart in Australia.
"Voice of Babylon" had greater success internationally, reaching number 25 in the US, number 39 in Canada in June 1989, and number 57 in Germany in July 1989. Interestingly, the band never scored a hit in their homeland, and "Voices of Babylon" was their biggest 'hit' in the UK, despite only peaking at number 78 in May 1989.
Next week (7 August): A mere three new top 150 entries, and two bubbling WAY down under under entries. Among them, we have two veteran acts, and a remix of a 1983 track that didn't become a hit in Australia until 1985. You can follow my posts on facebook, too.
This week's new entries are split between big names having flop singles and new and upcoming acts struggling to make a dent. Among them are two singles that peaked at number 101, and another that peaked at number 102! Let's take a look...
Kiss: let's put the hair in Cher.
Top 150 debuts:
Number 101 "One" by Bee Gees
Peak: number 101
Peak date: 24 July 1989
Weeks in top 150: 12 weeks
Weeks on chart: 15 weeks
Peaking 100 places lower than the title would suggest, I've written about this "one" previously in my special post on singles peaking at number 101 between 1989 and 1991. "One" was the second single lifted from the album One, and followed up "Ordinary Lives", which we saw in May. "One" was a much bigger hit in the US, where it peaked at number 7. Bee Gees (note: no 'The') will join us again in October.
Number 139 "(You Make Me) Rock Hard" by Kiss
Peak: number 101
Peak date: 14 August 1989
Weeks in top 150: 6 weeks
Coincidentally, here's another single that peaked at number 101, which I have also already written about. The second single lifted from their Smashes, Thrashes & Hits greatest hits compilation, the subtly-titled (!) song failed to register on a reputable national chart anywhere, that I am aware of, other than coming within a whisker of making the ARIA top 100. But, such is the size of their fan-base that the music video (embedded below) currently has over 5.5 million views on YouTube, in spite of being a flop single. Kiss will join us again in 1990.
Number 142 "A Friend Is a Friend" by Pete Townshend
Peak: number 113
Peak date: 7 August 1989
Weeks in top 150: 8 weeks
Former frontman of The Who, Pete Townshend was last on the Australian singles chart in 1986 with "Give Blood", peaking at number 77. Immediately prior to that, he scored his biggest, and only real, solo hit single down under with "Face the Face", which peaked at number 9 in Australia in February 1986. This track was lifted from The Iron Man: The Musical by Pete Townshend, which peaked at number 59 on the ARIA albums chart in July 1989. "A Friend Is a Friend" did not manage to chart anywhere else.
Number 145 "Naturally" by Clive Young
Peak: number 102
Peak date: 7 August 1989
Weeks in top 150: 10 weeks
Weeks on chart: 10 weeks
Follow-up to Australian singer-songwriter Clive Young's single "Something Special" (number 50, June 1989), "Naturally" narrowly missed the top 100. "Naturally" follows in much the same vein as its predecessor. Oddly, Clive did not release an album until 1992, and neither "Something Special" nor "Naturally" appear on it, owing to Clive changing record labels in the interim. The rear sleeve of the "Naturally" single states that the song is from the forthcoming album Naturally, but this does not appear to have ever been released.
On the state charts, "Naturally" performed much stronger in Victoria/Tasmania, where it reached number 50, than elsewhere. A similar feat occurred with "Something Special", which peaked at number 15 on the Victoria/Tasmania state chart vs. its national peak of number 50; although it also reached number 21 in South Australia/Northern Territory.
Britain-based American singer Brix Smith formed Adult Net as a side project after joining The Fall in 1983. "Take Me" peaked at number 78 on the UK singles chart in March 1989, and was lifted from the album The Honey Tangle. Given that nothing released by the group peaked higher than number 66 anywhere in the world, I am pleasantly surprised that this one even registered on the Australian charts - especially since I wasn't aware of it at the time.
"Take Me" performed strongest on the Queensland chart, where it reached number 111. This would be Adult Net's only charting release in Australia.
Number 148 "Youth Gone Wild" by Skid Row
Peak: number 148
Peak date: 24 July 1989
Weeks in top 150: 1 week
Weeks on chart: 2 weeks
When writing the 'next week' preview blurb on last week's post, I was going to write that we would see the arrival of a new hair metal act... except Skid Row weren't exactly 'hair metal', were they? When googling to see what genre the group's music is considered being (Metal? Hair metal? Rock?), I came across a comment that Skid Row were the missing link between 80s hair metal and 90s grunge, and I think that is an apt description. One thing I vividly remember from this period is that the cassette sleeve for their album Skid Row (number 12, May 1990) was one that had been replaced by a photocopy in a record store I visited, "to prevent theft". What that says about their (presumably teenage) fans of the time, I don't know. Now, onto the song itself, this was the group's debut release, peaking at number 99 in the US in June 1989, and number 42 in the UK in November 1989. I am surprised that "Youth Gone Wild" didn't perform better on our chart, as I remember hearing it and seeing the video several times (and I was not a 'metal' kid). Perhaps their fans were stealing the single instead of buying it... We will see Skid Row again in December.
Number 149 "Little Fighter" by White Lion
Peak: number 136
Peak date: 21 August 1989
Weeks in top 150: 5 weeks
Weeks on chart: 7 weeks
Now, for something less-ambiguously glam 'metal', "Little Fighter" was White Lion's second foray onto the Australian singles chart, following their debut in May 1989. "Little Fighter" was the lead single from the band's third album, Big Game (number 119, August 1989). "Little Fighter" peaked at number 52 in the US.
On the ARIA state charts, "Little Lion" performed strongest in Victoria/Tasmania, where it reached number 99.
Number 153 "Little Jackie Wants to Be a Star" by Lisa Lisa & Cult Jam
Peak: number 153
Peak date: 24 July 1989
Weeks on chart: 1 week
Lisa Lisa (real name Liza Velez), Alex "Spanador" Moseley and Mike Hughes together formed Lisa Lisa & Cult Jam. The group formed in New York in 1984, and placed two singles on the Australian top 100 in 1987, "Head to Toe" (number 52, July 1987) and "Lost in Emotion" (number 83, November 1987).
"Little Jackie Wants to Be a Star" was the first single, and only one released in Australia, from the band's third album Straight to the Sky.
Internationally, "Little Jackie..." peaked at number 29 on the US Billboard Hot 100 in May 1989, number 90 in the UK in May 1989, and peaked within the top 10 in the Netherlands and New Zealand, and the top 20 in the Flanders region of Belgium.
Excluding the original release of one of this week's new entries, 5 of the 6 debuts (not counting the Bubbling WAY down under entry - though that too would qualify) charted no higher than number 61 anywhere in the world. Furthermore, four of the tracks I write about this week didn't chart anywhere else - on a real chart, I mean. Yay for Australia giving these flops a go! Let's take a look at this week's entries:
Yello: Of course I'd be lying if I said I didn't want to wear a bear suit in a music video.
Top 150 debuts:
Number 133 "Shakin' the Tree" by Youssou N'Dour & Peter Gabriel
Peak: number 131
Peak date: 14 August 1989
Weeks in top 150: 7 weeks
Weeks on chart: 7 weeks
Five years before his breakthrough duet hit with Neneh Cherry, Senegalese singer Youssou N'Dour made his Australian singles chart debut with another duet; this time with Peter Gabriel, who we last saw on the chart in 1987. "Shakin' the Tree" was lifted from N'Dour's album The Lion.It would also become the title of Gabriel's 'greatest hits' collection released the following year (albeit as Shaking the Tree) - although the title track wasn't exactly a chart 'hit' anywhere, with number 61 in the UK being its highest chart placing anywhere that I am aware of. Youssou N'Dour will join us again in 1994. Peter Gabriel will next join us in 1991.
Number 136 "Planet Texas" by Kenny Rogers
Peak: number 129
Peak date: 7 August 1989
Weeks in top 150: 6 weeks
Weeks on chart: 7 weeks
The recently-departed Kenny Rogers was last on the Australian singles chart in 1985 with "Real Love", a duet with Dolly Parton. "Planet Texas" was the lead single from his album Something Inside So Strong, which peaked at number 133 on the ARIA albums chart in June 1989. Interestingly, this single did not chart anywhere else (I do not count the US and Canadian Country charts as real charts). We will see Kenny again in 1990.
Number 144 "Crescendo" by Tim Finn
Peak: number 120
Peak date: 24 July 1989
Weeks in top 150: 8 weeks
Weeks on chart: 8 weeks
Tim had scored four solo top 40 singles in Australia; the largest of those being 1983's "Fraction Too Much Friction", which peaked at number 8. The second single from Tim's self-titled album, "Crescendo" followed up his number 27-peaking "How'm I Gonna Sleep" from earlier in the year. "Crescendo" did not chart anywhere else, and Tim would never again score another solo top 40 hit in Australia. Tim will join us again in 1990.
Number 148 "Of Course I'm Lying" by Yello
Peak: number 123
Peak date: 14 August 1989
Weeks in top 150: 12 weeks
Weeks on chart: 13 weeks
Swiss duo Dieter Meier and Boris Blank formed Yello in 1979. The pair landed their first 'hit' on the Australian chart in 1985, when "Vicious Games" reached number 51 in September of that year. "Oh Yeah", Yello's biggest hit by far in Australia, peaked at number 9 in September 1988.
"The Race", the first single lifted from Yello's sixth studio album Flag (number 94, February 1989), spent three consecutive weeks at its peak of number 56 in September 1988. The album's second single, "Tied Up", was issued in Australia in March 1989, but failed to chart.
"Of Course I'm Lying", the third single from Flag, is a song about how much you love when your partner lies to you... and is just the kind of thing only Yello would think of doing.
"Of Course I'm Lying" fared much better in the UK, where it peaked 100 places higher, at number 23. The single also performed stronger on the Australian Music Report chart, where it peaked at number 86.
On the ARIA state charts, "Of Course I'm Lying" performed strongest in South Australia/Northern Territory, where it reached number 61. The single did not make the top 100 on any of the four other ARIA state charts.
Despite its low peak in Australia, "Of Course I'm Lying" had one of the longer chart runs for a single peaking outside the top 100, spending 12 weeks within the top 150. Yello are still going, and released a new single just recently.
Number 149 "Roadhouse Blues" by The Jeff Healey Band
Peak: number 146
Peak date: 24 July 1989
Weeks in top 150: 2 weeks
Lifted from the movie Road House, starring Patrick Swayze, "Roadhouse Blues" followed up The Jeff Healey Band's top 150 'hit' "Angel Eyes" from a mere month ago. This is another one that doesn't seem to have charted anywhere else, other than on Billboard's Modern Rock Tracks chart (which I don't consider a real chart). "Roadhouse Blues" had greater success on the Australian Music Report chart, where it peaked at number 97. We will see another song from the movie bubble down under in just over a month. The Jeff Healey Band will join us for a third time in October 1990.
Number 150 "Rock On (Shep Pettibone Remix)" by David Essex
Peak: number 150
Peak dates: 17 July 1989 and 31 July 1989
Weeks in top 150: 2 weeks
Later in July 1989, Michael Damian's cover version of this David Essex track from 1973 reached number 55 on the ARIA singles chart. Here we have the original, with a remixed version by Shep Pettibone, to update it for the late 1980s. David's original version of "Rock On" peaked at number 8 on the Kent Music Report chart. This remixed version of "Rock On" also charted in the UK, where it peaked at number 93 in March 1989. David Essex was last on the Australian singles chart in 1987 with "Mywanwy" (number 40, September 1987).
Bubbling WAY down under:
Number 158 "(He's Got) The Look" by Vanessa Williams
Peak: number 158
Peak date: 17 July 1989
Weeks on chart: 1 week
We saw Vanessa Williams back in April, with her first Australian chart 'hit' "Dreamin'", and here she was with the follow-up... locally, anyway. "(He's Got) The Look" was actually released before "Dreamin'" in the US, where it reached number 10 on the R&B chart (again, not a real chart in my book) in October 1988, and seems to have not charted anywhere else. We will see Vanessa next in 1991.
Next week (24 July): Among the seven new top 150-peaking entries next week, we have not one, but two singles that peak at number 101, and one that peaked at number 102! There is also one bubbling WAY down under debut. You can also follow my posts on facebook.
You have to admire the faith Australian record companies had in the late 1980s. Despite numerous flops, the labels down under still (usually) gave flopping artists chance after chance, releasing their product here despite the unlikeliness of it becoming a hit. But hey, without that blind faith, this blog probably wouldn't exist. Among this week's new entries, we have an act who would have seven singles released in Australia in between their 1989 and 1991 hits, despite none of these in-between releases peaking higher than number 52; an artist who never peaked higher than number 45 on the singles chart; and a new artist who couldn't even score a top 50 hit in his own country. Let's take a look at this week's new entries:
Morrissey: nice quiff, shame about the lack of Oz hits!
Top 150 debuts:
Number 121 "I Would Do For You" by UB40
Peak: number 121
Peak date: 10 July 1989
Weeks in top 150: 6 weeks
Weeks on chart: 7 weeks
The fourth and final single from their UB40 album, "I Would Do For You" was the lowest-peaking of the lot in Australia, missing the top 100. It fared better in the UK, where it peaked at number 45 in June 1989. The group would release no fewer than seven consecutive flop singles in Australia, in between their hits "Where Did I Go Wrong" and the 1991 re-issue of "Here I Am (Come and Take Me)", following its belated US chart success. None of the group's in-between releases peaked higher than number 52 on our chart. UB40 will join us twice more in 1990.
Number 123 "This Town" by Elvis Costello
Peak: number 123
Peak date: 10 July 1989
Weeks in top 150: 7 weeks
Since 1978, Elvis Costello, together with his former band The Attractions, had placed five singles in the Australian top 40; the biggest of those being 1979's "Oliver's Army", which peaked at number 24. The follow-up to his recent number 27 hit "Veronica", "This Town" appears to have only charted in Australia (Billboard's Modern Rock and Mainstream Rock charts do not count in my book). "This Town" had greater success on the Australian Music Report singles chart, where it peaked at number 86. We will see Elvis again in 1991.
Number 145 "Interesting Drug" by Morrissey
Peak: number 111
Peak date: 31 July 1989
Weeks in top 150: 10 weeks
Weeks on chart: 10 weeks
Morrissey certainly had some interesting song titles, and "Interesting Drug" is another. Interesting lyrics also abound on this one, with lines like "There are some bad people on the right / They're saving their own skins by ruining people's lives" and "a government scheme designed to kill your dreams". Moz never had much success on the Australian singles chart - either as a solo artist, or as part of his former band The Smiths - with his highest-peaking single being 1988's "Suedehead", at number 45 (May 1988). He had much greater success in his native UK, where this single peaked at number 9 in April 1989. Morrissey will pay us several visits over the coming years, with the next occasion being in October 1990.
Number 147 "Deep Water (live)" by Richard Clapton
Peak: number 147
Peak date: 10 July 1989
Weeks in top 150: 1 week
The studio version of "Deep Water" peaked at number 43 in December 1977. Recorded as part of a live show in April 1989, this rendition of "Deep Water" was released to promote Richard's The Best Years of Our Lives live album, which peaked at number 23 on the ARIA albums chart. Richard will join us again later in the year.
Bubbling WAY down under:
Number 152 "Eye of the Storm" by Pseudo Echo
Peak: number 152
Peak date: 10 July 1989
Weeks on chart: 1 week
Pseudo Echo's third studio album, Race (number 32, March 1989), was less commercially-successful than their first two albums, and ultimately led to the band's demise. "Eye of the Storm", in a similar fashion, performed significantly worse on the charts than the first two singles from the album, "Fooled Again" (number 33, November 1988) and "Over Tomorrow" (number 40, April 1989). If you ask me, the main reason for the downturn in Pseudo Echo's success was their transition from being Australia's premiere synth-pop band to becoming something perhaps best described as... Bon Jovi-lite. Blame the failed change in direction on the success of their 'rawk' cover of "Funky Town" (number 1, December 1986), which was the band's biggest hit in Australia, and their only real international hit.
"Eye of the Storm" would be the band's final release before splitting. Singer Brian Canham transitioned into producing records, including Chocolate Starfish's self-titled album (number 2, 1994); although the group reformed (with a different line-up) in the late 90s, once the 80s revival became a thing, and still perform to this day - though I believe Brian Canham is the only original band member.
We will see Pseudo Echo bubble under again in 1999.
Number 155 "The Last Mile" by Cinderella
Peak: number 155
Peak date: 10 July 1989
Weeks on chart: 1 week
We saw Cinderella back in May, with their previous single, a rock ballad. "The Last Mile" was slightly heavier on the guitars, but not that much. "The Last Mile" reached number 36 on the US Billboard Hot 100 in April 1989. Cinderella will join us again in 1991.
Number 163 "Be There" by Clive Griffin
Peak: number 163
Peak date: 10 July 1989
Weeks on chart: 1 week
On paper, Clive Griffin should have been big. He had the voice, the looks, and even recorded a duet with Céline Dion in 1993, which was featured in the movie Sleepless in Seattle. The same year, Clive also released an album containing songs written by Diane Warren, who had penned many big chart hits. Despite all of this, the best Clive could achieve in his native UK, as a solo artist, was number 56, with a track remixed by David Morales, no less. Unfortunately for Clive, after his solo career faltered, he was relegated to becoming a backing singer for the likes of Kylie Minogue and Take That. Things had come full circle for Clive, however, as he once provided the vocals for 'Rick Astley' on a Spitting Image parody of Kylie Minogue's "I Should Be So Lucky"! There were rumours at the time that Kylie's voice was actually Rick's, sped up.
Now, onto the song in question, "Be There" was the third release from Clive's debut album Step by Step, which was released in Australia in August 1989, but did not chart. It followed "The Way We Touch" (August 1988, did not chart) and "Don't Make Me Wait" (October 1988, did not chart). "Be There" peaked at number 76 in the UK in March 1989, and number 36 in the Netherlands in May 1989. In Australia, this was Clive's only solo charting 'hit'.
A fourth and final single from Step by Step, "Head Above Water", was issued in Australia in July 1989, but failed to chart. None of Clive's singles after 1989 were even released in Australia, aside from the Céline duet, "When I Fall in Love", which peaked at number 93 in September 1993.
Number 164 "Broken Heart (Thirteen Valleys)" by Big Country
Peak: number 164
Peak date: 10 July 1989
Weeks on chart: 1 week
Up until now, Big Country had placed six singles within the Australian top 100 singles chart, with the biggest of those being 1983's "In a Big Country" (number 7, January 1984). "Broken Heart (Thirteen Valleys)" was the second single lifted from the Scottish band's fourth studio album, Peace in Our Time (number 150, December 1988), and followed up "King of Emotion" (number 79, December 1988). Curiously, "Broken Heart..." was released in Australia on 23 January 1989, and took almost six months to (barely) register on the chart! The single fared a little bit better in the UK, peaking at number 47 in November 1988. Big Country's lead singer, Stuart Adamson, sadly took his own life in December 2001, aged 43.
We will next hear from Big Country in 1993.
Next week (17 July): Six new top 150 entries, including a duet chart entry for an artist who went on to score a big hit five years later with... another duet. Also, there is one bubbling WAY down under entry, from an artist we met a few months ago. You can also follow my posts on facebook.
Think you can name Warrant's, Natalie Merchant's and Adeva's first chart 'hits' in Australia? Depending on your definition of what counts as a charting hit, you could be wrong, as we'll see this week, with these acts bubbling under with earlier releases before they went on to bigger things on the Australian chart. Also among this week's debuts we have a band releasing their first new material after re-uniting earlier in the decade, and a remix of a number 52 'hit' from 1986. Let's take a look at this week's batch of new entries.
Adeva: No, that's not one of the Village People.
Top 150 debuts:
Number 109 "Paranoimia '89" by The Art of Noise
Peak: number 103
Peak date: 17 July 1989
Weeks in top 150: 6 weeks
Weeks on chart: 8 weeks
The Art of Noise scored a top 10 hit in early 1989 with their collaboration with Tom Jones. Their original version of this track, featuring the animated robot character Max Headroom on 'vocals', peaked at number 52 on the Australian singles chart in September 1986. This remixed version, sans Max, peaked 51 places lower, and also flopped in the group's native UK, where it peaked at number 88.
On the state charts, "Paranoimia '89" performed strongest in South Australia/Northern Territory, where it reached number 54. We will next see The Art of Noise in 1992.
Number 113 "Bring It Back Again" by Stray Cats
Peak: number 109
Peak date: 10 July 1989
Weeks in top 150: 5 weeks
Weeks on chart: 9 weeks
Peaking at number 95 on the Australian Music Report singles chart, "Bring It Back Again" fell slightly short of the ARIA top 100. Between 1981 and 1983, Stray Cats placed four singles within the Kent Music Report top 100, before splitting up in 1984. The most-successful of their singles on our charts was 1981's "Runaway Boys", peaking at number 15. The group re-formed in 1986, and this was the lead single from their first post-reunion album, BlastOff, which peaked at number 90 in June 1989. Stray Cats will visit us again in 1991.
Number 129 "Trouble Me" by 10,000 Maniacs
Peak: number 102
Peak dates: 17 July 1989, 31 July 1989 and 14 August 1989
Weeks in top 150: 17 weeks
Weeks on chart: 18 weeks
10,000 Maniacs were a band I had heard of - by the early-mid 90s - but never gave their music the time of day, after rather incorrectly assuming they would be some kind of thrash metal act, given the band's name. How wrong I was! Accordingly, this excellent song passed me - and most of the Australian record-buying public too, it seems, going by its peak - by at the time. But, just like the band name, sometimes appearances (and chart peaks) can be deceiving. Despite only peaking at number 102 - on three separate, non-consecutive weeks, no less - "Trouble Me" spent a whopping 17 weeks hovering in the number 101-150 region of the chart! Yes, this single was still charting in late October. This gives "Trouble Me" the accolade (?) of being the single peaking outside the top 100 that spent the most weeks on the chart in 1989, beating its nearest rival, When in Rome's "The Promise", by three whole weeks. I've raised the question before: when is a flop almost a hit? The line between 'hit' and 'flop' can sometimes be blurred, indeed. As impressive as "Trouble Me"'s longevity in the 101-150 region of the chart is, it will be surpassed in later years.
"Trouble Me", lifted from the album Blind Man's Zoo (number 84, August 1989) is another single that had greater success on the Australian Music Report chart, where it peaked at number 85. It also reached number 37 on the South Australian/Northern Territory ARIA state chart. The group eventually scored an Australian top 100 hit, in 1997, with their cover version of Roxy Music's "More Than This" (number 94). Lead singer Natalie Merchant, of course, would have greater success as a solo artist, placing her debut solo single "Carnival" at number 24 in October 1995. 10,000 Maniacs will join us again in 1993.
Number 131 "Cathedral Song" by Tanita Tikaram
Peak: number 120
Peak date: 31 July 1989
Weeks in top 150: 7 weeks
Weeks on chart: 8 weeks
Tanita's top 30 hit "Twist in My Sobriety" would unfortunately be a one-off for her on the Australian charts; no other single she released troubled the top 100. We've already seen one of Tanita's bubbling under 'hits' in January. "Cathedral Song" also under-performed in the UK, relative to Tanita's earlier singles, peaking at number 48 back in January 1989. A fourth single from the Ancient Heart album, "World Outside Your Window", was released locally in late July 1989, but failed to chart. Tanita will bubble under for a third time, with a single from her second album, in 1990.
Number 137 "Your Love" by Hipsway
Peak: number 103
Peak date: 7 August 1989
Weeks in top 150: 7 weeks
Hipsway were a Scottish band, formed in 1984, and contained Johnny McElhone from Altered Images on bass. In 1986, they scored a number 91 'hit' on the Australian singles chart with "The Honeythief". This track peaked at number 66 in the UK in April 1989.
"Your Love" had a somewhat unusual chart run in Australia. All but one of its seven weeks in the ARIA top 150 were spent at number 137 or lower, but then it randomly shot up to number 103 for a solitary week in its second-last week, before dropping to number 148 and then out.
Number 150 "Respect" by Adeva
Peak: number 150
Peak date: 3 July 1989
Weeks in top 150: 1 week
Weeks on chart: 2 weeks
You'd never guess upon first listen, but this track is a completely re-worked cover version of the song made famous by Aretha Franklin. I first heard Adeva's rendition of "Respect" when it was used as the B-side to her "Warning!" single - my first musical purchase of the 1990s! "Respect" has a somewhat interesting chart run in Australia. Spending just two weeks on the chart, "Respect"'s first charting week was at number 158 back in early April; it took three months to re-enter at its peak of number 150. Adeva would have greater chart success with later singles from her debut album Adeva!, which, coincidentally, has recently been remastered and re-issued as a 4-CD set (also available to stream on Spotify). Another thing worth checking out, if Adeva is to your liking, is a recent YouTube interview, where Adeva talks about her career, why she quit the business, and some tragic events that have happened in her life. Adeva will join us again in 1990.
Bubbling WAY down under:
Number 151 "Down Boys" by Warrant
Peak: number 151
Peak date: 3 July 1989
Weeks on chart: 1 week
Before Warrant made it big with "Cherry Pie" in 1990, and before they even had moderate success with their Australian number 54 smash "Heaven" later in 1989, they bubbled WAY down under with "Down Boys", their debut release. "Down Boys", taken from the album Dirty Rotten Filthy Stinking Rich (number 72, November 1989) had greater success on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart, where it peaked at number 27 in July 1989. It also peaked at number 50 in New Zealand. Warrant will bubble down under again in 1990.
Next week(10 July): Four new entries, including a live rendition of a song that peaked just outside the top 40 in 1977; plus another four bubbling WAY down under entries. Remember, you can also follow my posts on facebook.
