Week commencing 30 April 1990

Among the new entries this week in 1990 are three return artists, two artists whom we shall never see again on the chart, and one group whom - as far as I know - only ever placed one single on the Australian chart.  One interesting thing about this week's debuts is that they all enter in the bottom 10 positions of the top 150.  Let's take a look at them.

 

Paul Carrack's about to retire from the battlefield that is the ARIA singles chart.

 

 

Top 150 debuts:

 

Number 141 "Zobi La Mouche" by Les Negresses Vertes

Peak: number 120

Peak date: 7 May 1990

Weeks in top 150: 7 weeks

 

Les Negresses Vertes were a French band whose name translates as either 'Green Black Girls' or 'Fresh Black Girls'.  It was a term of abuse hurled at the band following their first live concert - green is the colour of the garbage collector uniforms in France, and most of the band were people of colour.  "Zobi La Mouche" translates as 'Zobi the fly'.  The band's sound merges accordian with acoustic guitar, and is not the sort of thing you typically find on the Australian singles chart.

Despite hailing from Paris, I cannot find evidence of this single charting in France.  It did, however, make the UK chart, where it peaked at number 93 in July 1989, and the Dutch chart, where it peaked at number 78 in September 1989.

I recall seeing the black and white music video for "Zobi La Mouche" on Video Hits, when they used to play selections from the Australian Music Report top 100 chart, as well as Hit Predictions and Classic flashback clips, on Saturday morning.  "Zobi La Mouch" peaked at number 100 on the Australian Music Report singles chart.  One thing I didn't remember is the open-mouthed kiss between the lead singer and another man 30 seconds into the video.

Les Negresses Vertes lead singer Helno (real name Noël Rota) died in 1993 from a heroin overdose, aged 29.

 

 

Number 146 "Everything" by Jody Watley

Peak: number 143

Peak date: 7 May 1990

Weeks in top 150: 2 weeks

Weeks on chart: 5 weeks

 

Jody graced our presence last August with "Friends", the second single from her Larger Than Life album (number 96, May 1989), and here she is with the third single lifted from it.  As I wrote last time, I can't understand why Jody did not have much greater success on the Australian charts.  Like "Friends", I heard this one on the Top 8 at 8 radio program on Triple M (supposedly voted for by listeners), but I had not seen the music video until now.

 

"Everything" performed much better in Jody's native US, where it peaked at number 4 on the Billboard Hot 100 in January 1990.  The single flopped in the UK, peaking at number 74 in February 1990.  Within Australia, "Everything" performed best on the Western Australian state chart, where it peaked at number 118.

A fourth single from Larger Than Life, "Precious Love", was released in the US, making number 87 there in March 1990, but was not issued in Australia.

Jody will never make the top 150 ARIA singles chart again in her own right, but will bubble WAY down under on a few more occasions, with the next time being in 1994.

 

 

 

Number 147 "True Blue Love" by Lou Gramm

Peak: number 147

Peak date: 30 April 1990

Weeks in top 150: 2 weeks

Weeks on chart: 5 weeks

 

Foreigner lead singer Lou Gramm (real name Louis Grammatico) had placed two solo singles within the Australian top 40: "Midnight Blue" (number 8, May 1987) and "Just Between You and Me" (number 31, March 1990).  "True Blue Love" was released as the second single from his Long Hard Look album (number 56, March 1990).  At this point, Lou was still a member of Foreigner, though not for long, as he would leave the group in May 1990.  Gramm would rejoin Foreigner in May 1992.

"True Blue Love" found greater success on the US Billboard Hot 100, where it peaked at number 40 in March 1990.  The single peaked at number 98 on the Australian Music Report singles chart, 49 places higher than its ARIA peak.  On the state charts, "True Blue Love" performed strongest in South Australia/Northern Territory, where it peaked at number 103.

"True Blue Love" was Lou's final solo single to chart in Australia.

 

Number 148 "In Private" by Dusty Springfield

Peak: number 136

Peak date: 21 May 1990

Weeks in top 150: 6 weeks

Weeks on chart: 6 weeks

 

We saw Dusty bubble under in June 1989, and here she is with the belated second single from her then yet-to-be-released album Reputation (number 144, September 1990).  As with the previous single, "In Private" was another track written and produced by the Pet Shop Boys, together with Julian Mendelsohn on co-producing duties.

"In Private" gave Dusty back-to-back top 20 hits in the UK, peaking at number 14 there in December 1989.  The single reached the top 10 in Sweden, the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany, and peaked within the top 20 in Ireland.

 

Unfortunately, this excellent track was another flop for Dusty in Australia.  "In Private" performed strongest on the New South Wales/Australian Capital Territory state chart, where it peaked at number 107.

To my ears, it sounds like Pet Shop Boys were going for a Motown-esque sound updated for the late 80s with the instrumental backing track for "In Private", not unlike Brother Beyond's "The Harder I Try" (number 78, May 1989), or indeed the verses of Neil Tennant's side project Electronic's "Getting Away with It" (number 40, July 1990).  Of course, Dusty's unmistakable blue-eyed soul voice gives the song that extra special something.

Dusty will next visit us in August.

 

 

 

Number 149 "Battlefield" by Paul Carrack

Peak: number 141

Peak date: 14 May 1990

Weeks in top 150: 2 weeks

Weeks on chart: 3 weeks

 

Paul Carrack bubbled under back in November 1989, and he returns this week with the second single from his Groove Approved album (number 116, January 1990).  "Battlefield" did not chart anywhere else, and as with Paul's previous single, "Battlefield" performed strongest on the South Australia/Northern Territory state chart, where it peaked at number 114.

 

"Battlefield" would become Paul's last solo single to register on the Australian chart.  He would, however, place another album on the ARIA chart, with Blue Views peaking at number 247 in April 1996.  Paul also provides vocals on a couple of Mike & The Mechanics tracks that we will see in years to come, with the first occasion being in 1991.

"Battlefield" was co-written by Paul with long-time friend Nick Lowe, whose biggest hit in Australia - "Cruel to Be Kind" - interestingly peaked at number 12 in Australia, the UK and the US in 1979.  We shall see Nick bubble under in his own right in June 1990.

 

 

 

Next week (7 May 1990): three new top 150 debuts and two bubbling WAY down under entries.

< Previous week: 23 April 1990                                        Next week: 7 May 1990 >

Week commencing 23 April 1990

This week, there are only two new top 150 debuts; both are from artists we have seen previously in the 101-150 region of the chart.

 

Fine Young Cannibals probably wouldn't be 'satisfied' with their chart placing this week.

 

 

Top 150 debuts:

 

Number 136 "I'll Be Your Everything" by Tommy Page

Peak: number 103

Peak date: 21 May 1990

Weeks in top 150: 7 weeks

 

Nineteen year-old American singer Tommy page never broke into the ARIA top 100, but placed three singles in the 101-150 region of the chart between 1989 and 1991, and "I'll Be Your Everything" was the second of those.  We saw Tommy previously in May 1989.

"I'll Be Your Everything" was the lead single from Tommy's second album, Paintings in My Mind, which missed the top 150 albums chart in Australia.  In the US, however, it was a different story, and "I'll Be Your Everything" topped the US Billboard Hot 100 chart for a solitary week in April 1990.  The album was less-successful there, however, peaking at number 38 during the same month.

 

"I'll Be Your Everything"'s success was no doubt helped by teen idols New Kids on the Block providing backing vocals on this track.  Jordan Knight and Danny Wood from New Kids also co-wrote the track with Tommy, with Jordan and Donnie Wahlberg co-producing it.  To my ears, it sounds like part 2 of New Kids on the Block's sappy "I'll Be Loving You (Forever)".

Tommy had more luck with this single on the Australian Music Report singles chart, where it peaked at number 89.

Tommy left us in 2017, aged 46, leaving behind a husband and three children.  Tommy will bubble under again in 1991.

 

 

 

Number 145 "I'm Not Satisfied" by Fine Young Cannibals

Peak: number 145

Peak date: 23 April 1990

Weeks in top 150: 1 week 

Weeks on chart: 3 weeks

We saw Fine Young Cannibals back in February, and here there are again with the the fifth - or sixth, if you count their earlier Something Wild soundtrack release "Ever Fallen in Love" (number 20, May 1987), which was tacked on as the last track - single issued from their triple-platinum album The Raw & The Cooked (number 1, July 1989).  The first two singles from the album, "She Drives Me Crazy" (number 1, March 1989) and "Good Thing" (number 7, June 1989), were top 10 hits, but "Don't Look Back" (number 38, October 1989) just scraped into the top 40, and "I'm Not the Man I Used to Be" (number 109, February 1990) missed the top 100.  "I'm Not Satisfied" continued this downward trajectory.

 

"I'm Not Satisfied" was the first single from The Raw & The Cooked to miss the top 40 in the Cannibals' native UK, peaking at number 46 there in February 1990.  The single also flopped in Germany, where it peaked at number 66 in April 1990, and in the US, where it peaked at number 90 in March 1990.  "I'm Not Satisfied" had more success in Ireland, where it peaked at number 19 in February 1990.  Rather than reflecting a lack of quality with the song, I assume that "I'm Not Satisfied"'s lower peak was due to people already owning the album.

 

On the state charts, "I'm Not Satisfied" performed strongest in Western Australia, where it peaked at number 95.

 

Oddly, as sometimes happened in those days, "I'm Not Satisfied" received heavy rotation on Melbourne FM radio around August 1989, as though it was a contender for third single from the album.  Had it been up to me to make these decisions, I would have released "I'm Not Satisfied" as the second or third single from the album, as it is one of my favourite Fine Young Cannibals tracks.

Fine Young Cannibals will join us again with another track from The Raw & The Cooked in early 1991.

Bubbling WAY down under:

Number 162 "Walk on By" by Dina Carroll

Peak: number 162

Peak date: 23 April 1990

Weeks on chart: 2 weeks

English singer Dina Carroll, born Geraldine Carroll, landed 13 UK top 40 singles between 1991 and 2001, with three of those reaching the top ten.  Her UK chart career began in a more-understated fashion, however, with this cover version of the Burt Bacharach classic made famous by Dionne Warwick reaching number 95 there in February 1989.

Dina's version of "Walk on By" found greater, though still modest, success in the Netherlands, where it reached number 53 in March 1990.

Within Australia, Dina's version of "Walk on By" was most popular in Western Australia, where it reached number 125.

Dina never landed a top 100 single or album in Australia, although she came very close in 1994.

We shall next see Dina in 1992.

Next week (30 April): Five new top 150 debuts, including three artists we have seen bubbling down under previously.

< Previous week: 16 April 1990                                     Next week: 30 April 1990 >

Week commencing 16 April 1990

This week in 1990, both of the top 150 debuts spent 9 weeks in the top 150, and all three of the bubbling WAY down under entries spent a solitary week on the chart.  Let's take a look at them.

 

The Cult had a somewhat 'cult' following when it came to the Australian charts.

 

 

Top 150 debuts:

 

Number 124 "Deliverance" by The Mission

Peak: number 112

Peak date: 14 May 1990

Weeks in top 150: 9 weeks

 

The Mission were a quartet hailing from Leeds in the UK.  "Deliverance" was released in Australia as the lead single from their fourth studio album Carved in Sand (number 109, April 1990), and became their first single to chart locally.

 

In the UK, "Deliverance" was issued as the second single from the album, and reached number 27 in March 1990.  The single that preceded "Deliverance" in the UK will make an appearance in the ARIA top 150 in September.

I hadn't heard "Deliverance" before, though have heard the (Australian) follow-up release.

 

Number 135 "Sweet Soul Sister" by The Cult

Peak: number 109

Peak date: 30 April 1990

Weeks in top 150: 9 weeks

 

 "Sweet Soul Sister" is one of those tracks I heard at the time (seeing the video on Countdown Revolution), but had completely forgotten about until catching it on rage, following The Cult lead singer Ian Astbury's guest programming in 2014.  While I wouldn't call myself a Cult fan, it's one of their singles I enjoy.

 

"Sweet Soul Sister" was lifted from the Sonic Temple album (number 13, April 1989), and followed "Fire Woman" (number 24, May 1989) and "Edie (Ciao Baby)" (number 77, August 1989).  In between "Edie" and this single, "Sun King" was released in the band's native UK, but I cannot find evidence of this being issued locally.

 

"Sweet Soul Sister" peaked at number 42 in the UK in March 1990.

The Cult will join us again in 1993.

 

Bubbling WAY down under:

 

Number 152 "Words" by The Christians

Peak: number 152

Peak date: 16 April 1990

Weeks on chart: 1 week

 

We saw English band The Christians bubble WAY down under in February 1989, and here they are again, in the same region of the chart.

 

"Words" was the lead single from the band's second album Colour (number 138, May 1990). 

Before recording the album, founding band member Roger Christian left the group in 1987, due to a reluctance to tour.  Roger died from a brain tumour in 1998, aged 48.

"Words" peaked at number 18 in the UK in December 1989, number 6 in Ireland, number 5 in the Netherlands in February 1990, number 10 in the Flanders region of Belgium in February 1990, number 18 in Sweden in February 1990, and number 1 in France for two weeks in May 1990.  The Colour album topped the UK albums chart for one week in January 1990.

On the state charts, "Words" performed strongest in Western Australia, where it reached number 122.

Clocking in at just over 7 minutes on the album, "Words" was edited down to just under 5 and a half minutes for its single release, but does not seem to outstay its welcome.  To my ears, "Words" sounds like the sort of track that could have done well in Australia - or rather, the album could have, if it had received more exposure.  I am thinking that maybe the band's name, giving the impression that it is 'Christian' music, worked against them.

We shall see The Christians again in November 1990.

 

 

Number 158 "Just a Friend" by Biz Markie

Peak: number 158

Peak date: 16 April 1990

Weeks on chart: 1 week

 

Biz Markie, real name Marcel Hall, hails from New York City.  "Just a Friend" was his sole US Billboard Hot 100 hit, peaking at number 9 in March 1990.  It was via the American Top 40 radio show that I became acquainted with this song.

 

"Just a Friend" is based on the 1968 Freddie Scott song, "(You) Got What I Need", and would be Biz Markie's only ARIA singles chart entry.  Biz would, however, score a charting album in Australia in 2004 with Weekend Warrior (number 434, April 2004).  On the state charts, "Just a Friend" performed strongest in Queensland, where it peaked at number 134.

Despite - or perhaps because of - being a one-hit wonder, Biz Markie appears to be remembered fondly, as "Just a Friend" seems to get chosen regularly by guest programmers hosting the Australian music video program rage.

 

 

 

Number 159 "Passion" by Kandu

Peak: number 159

Peak date: 16 April 1990

Weeks on chart: 1 week

 

Odds are, you've never heard of Kandu (pronounced 'can do' as in can-do attitude) before.  Kandu were an Australian female vocal quartet, who happened to all be airline hostesses, moonlighting as a pop group.  Given that this single - their sole release - failed to break the top 150, it's probably for the best that they (presumably) kept their day-jobs.

 

This track was released on DSK Records, which appears to have been an independent label, on which this is the only release listed on discogs.com.  Kandu were biggest in Queensland, where this single reached number 138 on the state chart.

 

 

Next week (23 April): A mere two new top 150 entries debut next week.  One of them is the second of three singles from an artist who never cracked the ARIA top 100, and the other is the fifth single from a number 1 album from 1989.  In addition, there is one bubbling WAY down under entry.

 

< Previous week: 9 April 1990                                     Next week: 23 April 1990 > 

Week commencing 9 April 1990

I can't identify a common thread running through this week's new entries, so let's just jump straight in.

 

They Might Be Giants roost on the charts this week.

 

Top 150 debuts:

 

Number  135 "Into My Life" by Colin Hay Band

Peak: number 117

Peak date: 23 April 1990

Weeks in top 150: 8 weeks

 

Formerly the lead singer of Men At Work, whose biggest hit "Down Under" (number 1, December 1981) remains an iconic song about Australia, Colin Hay embarked on a solo career following the band's demise in 1986.  Released under the name of Colin James Hay (why, I am not sure), Colin's first - and only - solo foray into the Australian top 100 singles chart came in 1987, with his debut solo release "Hold Me" (number 40, March 1987).

 

Now recording under the name of Colin Hay Band, "Into My Life" was the first release from the album Wayfaring Sons (number 118, April 1990).  In case you were wondering, the other members of the Colin Hay Band were Gerry Hale, Paul Gadsby, and Robert Dillon.  The band released two other singles from the album, "Wayfaring Sons" in July 1990, and "Storm in My Heart" six weeks later in August 1990, but neither single dented the top 150.

 

 

Number 138 "Darlin' Please" by Weddings, Parties, Anything

Peak: number  136

Peak date: 7 May 1990

Weeks in top 150: 5 weeks

Weeks on chart: 5 weeks

 

We saw Weddings, Parties, Anything back in September 1989 with "Streets of Forbes", and here they are with the third single from their The Big Don't Argue album (number 58, October 1989).  In between "Streets of Forbes" and this one, "The Wind and the Rain" was issued as a single in November 1989, but failed to chart.  Unfortunately, whoever is behind the band's official YouTube channel has done a total botch job, and the (audio only) video uploaded to it titled "Darlin' Please" actually contains the audio for "The Wind and the Rain"... and (you guessed it) the video titled "The Wind and the Rain" is actually something else.  Oh dear.

So, instead, I have had to go to the drastic lengths of creating my own (audio only) 'video' for "Darlin' Please", after sourcing the audio from... shall we say, 'elsewhere', just so you (and I, for the first time) can hear it.

We will next see Weddings, Parties, Anything in November 1990.

Number 139 "Birdhouse in Your Soul" by They Might Be Giants

Peak: number 125

Peak date: 30 April 1990

Weeks in top 150: 7 weeks

Weeks on chart: 7 weeks

 

We saw They Might Be Giants back in April 1989 with their first single to chart nationally in Australia, and here they are a year later with the lead single from their third album, Flood (number 99, May 1990).  Probably a bit too quirky for mainstream US success, "Birdhouse in Your Soul" became a major hit for the American group in the UK, where it peaked at number 6 in April 1990.  The single also peaked at number 12 in Ireland, but, unfortunately, this success was not replicated elsewhere.

Bordering on novelty (but hey, there's nothing wrong with that in my book), I tend to agree with a description of They Might Be Giants I read many years ago - that they make kindergarten music for adults.  Music nerds might be interested to know that this song contains no fewer than 18 (!) key changes.

I first learnt of this song's existence through seeing it listed on the UK chart in British pop magazine Number One, which would arrive in Australia about 3 months after its publication date.  I remember thinking to myself, "That's an interesting song title."  I am not 100% certain, but I think I may have caught the video once on rage before the top 50 started, early one Saturday morning.  To my ears, it sounds like "Birdhouse in Your Soul" should have been a much bigger hit locally - it probably suffered from a lack of mainstream exposure.

 

On the State charts, "Birdhouse in Your Soul" performed strongest in South Australia/Northern Territory, where it peaked at number 73.  It also reached number 76 in Western Australia, but missed the top 100 on the remaining three state charts.

They Might Be Giants will grace us with their presence again in 1992.

 

 

 

Number 140 "Stronger Than That" by Cliff Richard

Peak: number 140

Peak date: 9 April 1990

Weeks in top 150: 2 weeks

Weeks on chart: 2 weeks

 

"Stronger Than That" was the fourth and final single released from Cliff's Stronger album (number 16, April 1990), and the second, following "Lean on You" in January 1990, to peak within the 101-150 region of the ARIA singles chart.  None of the singles lifted from the album peaked higher than number 59 in Australia.

"Stronger Than That", as you might expect, fared much 'stronger' in Cliff's native UK, where it peaked at number 14 in March 1990.

 

On the state charts, "Stronger Than That" performed equally-strongest in Victoria/Tasmania and Queensland, where it reached number 125.

Cliff, who is now 80, was a mere 49 when this energetic music video - showing him performing some choreographed moves with an ensemble of back-up dancers (one of which I think I've spotted in a Sinitta video) - was shot.  The video also displays some nifty shoulder-dancing by the backing dancers, from 0:11 to 0:16, which is well worth checking out.

Cliff will visit us again in December.

 

 

 

Number 143 "Natural Thing" by Innocence

Peak: number 116 

Peak date: 9 July 1990

Weeks in top 150: 6 weeks

Weeks on chart: 9 weeks

 

Innocence were a British quartet consisting of production trio Jolley/Harris/Jolley and frontwoman Gee Davis.   The group's sound - based on my impression from listening to their singles - was at the more laid-back or 'downtempo' end of electronic music.  The kind of thing you might put on at the end of the day to help you unwind and relax, rather than to get you boogieing on the dance floor.

The group released two studio albums and notched up six UK top 40 singles between 1990 and 1992, with "Natural Thing" being the biggest of those, peaking at number 16 in the UK in March 1990.  In Australia, Innocence peaked 100 places lower with this, their debut single.  Sadly, the group would never dent the ARIA top 100.  That being said, Innocence would achieve consistent top 200 'success' locally throughout their brief recording career.  While that may sound unimpressive, it's not too bad, considering that I - someone who has a penchant for music that flopped in Australia from this period - had never heard any of their music at the time.

While "Natural Thing" spent an unremarkable six weeks in the top 150 (which is about average for a single that missed the top 100), those six weeks were spread across three and a half months.  The single did not peak in Australia until July 1990.

"Natural Thing" was lifted from the album Belief (number 115, February 1991).  Despite its low peak, Belief performed a similar feat to "Natural Thing", racking up 24 weeks in the top 150 over a seven-month span, between December 1990 and July 1991, and spending 26 weeks on the chart in total.

On the ARIA state charts, "Natural Thing" performed strongest in New South Wales/Australian Capital Territory, where it reached number 84.

We shall next see Innocence in 1991.

Number 147 "The Heart of the Matter" by Don Henley

Peak: number 127

Peak date: 16 April 1990

Weeks in top 150: 7 weeks

Weeks on chart: 7 weeks

Eagles singer-gone-solo Don Henley visited us back in November 1989, and returns with either the third or fourth single from his The End of the Innocence album (number 40, August 1989).  I say 'either' the third or fourth single because "New York Minute" is listed in the Australian Music Report new releases schedule in November 1989 - a mere three weeks after the "The Last Worthless Evening" single - and on CD single format only, which is highly unusual for 1989.  I don't know what to make of that.

I also don't know what to make of this song, as it seems that all studio versions of it are blocked on YouTube (so I have resorted to embedding a live version).

 

"The Heart of the Matter" peaked at number 21 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart in May 1990. 

On the ARIA state charts, "The Heart of the Matter" performed strongest in Queensland, where it reached number 98.

 

We will see Don again in 2000.

Number 148 "Women" by Def Leppard

Peak: number 148

Peak date: 9 April 1990

Weeks in top 150: 1 week

Weeks on chart: 5 weeks

 

Now we come to the final single released in Australia from a now almost-three-year-old album, Hysteria (number 1, July 1989).

 

Hysteria was released in Australia on 7 September 1987, and was something of a textbook definition of a 'slow burner', debuting at number 59 on the albums chart, and initially peaking at number 33 in October 1987.  The album took almost two years to reach its eventual peak.

The singles lifted from Hysteria in Australia were "Animal" (September 1987, peaked at number 46 in December 1987), "Hysteria" (January 1988, failed to chart), "Pour Some Sugar on Me" (May 1988, failed to chart), "Love Bites" (September 1988, peaked at number 21 in November 1988), "Armageddon It" (January 1989, peaked at number 34 in February 1989), "Rocket" (May 1989, peaked at number 15 in July 1989), "Pour Some Sugar on Me" (re-issued August 1989, peaked at number 26 in September 1989), "Hysteria" (re-issued October 1989, peaked at number 77 in November 1989), "Animal" (re-issued January 1990, peaked at number 83 in February 1990), and finally, "Women", which was released on 19 March 1990 but made its top 150 debut now.  Phew!  That's a total of ten single releases for seven different tracks from the album.  Eat your heart out Michael and Janet Jackson!

Unusually, "Women" was not issued as a single in Def Leppard's native UK, but was released in the US, Canada, and locally.  It seems that "Women" was chosen as the lead single from Hysteria in North America, as it peaked at number 80 on the US Billboard Hot 100 in September 1987, prior to "Animal" peaking at number 19 there in December 1987.

 

On the state charts, "Women" performed strongest in Western Australia, where it reached number 118.  "Women" also peaked on the Australian Music Report singles chart, where it peaked at number 100.

With the Hysteria album campaign finally drawing to a close, the group had one more re-release in Australia up their sleeve before their next album was released in 1992.  "Photograph", a track from their Pyromania album (number 70, February 1984) and originally issued as a single in Australia in May 1983, was re-issued in June 1990, but missed the top 150.  "Photograph" narrowly missed the Kent Music Report top 100 singles chart in June 1983, where it placed fourth for one week on the 'singles receiving significant sales reports beyond the top 100' list.

Def Leppard will join us again in 1994.

 

Bubbling WAY down under:

 

Number 151 "The Miracle" by Queen

Peak: number 151

Peak date: 9 April 1990

Weeks on chart: 1 week

 

The fifth and final single and title track from Queen's The Miracle album (number 4, June 1989) had a less-than-miraculous run on the ARIA singles chart, peaking just outside the top 150.  "The Miracle" became the third consecutive single released from the album to miss the top 100.  I suspect that a lack of promotion was largely to blame - as I hadn't heard any of the post-"Breakthru" singles from the album at the time - combined with Queen being more of an 'albums' act.

As usual, "The Miracle" performed better in the band's homeland of the UK, where it peaked at number 21 in December 1989.

One interesting thing about "The Miracle" is the music video, where the band are replaced by child imitators, and there are several different Freddie Mercury characters portrayed.  My initial thought was that this decision was probably made for the video due to Freddie's declining health, but the band appear on stage just before 4 minutes into the video to perform with their replacements.  Hmmm.

Queen will join us again in 1991.

 

 

 

Next week (16 April): Next week there are only two new top 150 debuts, but they will be joined by three new bubbling WAY down under entries.   You can also follow my posts on instagram, facebook and twitter.

 

< Previous week: 2 April 1990                                        Next week: 16 April 1990 >

Week commencing 2 April 1990

This week, there are four new singles debuting and peaking within the number 101-150 region of the chart, and one bubbling WAY down under entry for me to write about.  Given that I can't find a common thread among them, let's jump straight in.

 

But before we do that, here are couple of earlier posts I have updated recently, with newly-uncovered bubbling WAY down under entries:

 

* 6 November 1989 - with a new bubbling WAY down under entry from Exposé; 

* 29 January 1990 - with a new bubbling WAY down under entry from Liza Minnelli.

 

Tim Finn comes... not even close to making the top 100 this week.

 

 

Top 150 debuts:

 

Number 124 "Not Even Close" by Tim Finn

Peak: number 124

Peak date: 2 April 1990

Weeks in top 150: 5 weeks

Weeks on chart: 6 weeks

 

Coming not even close (ho ho ho... that pun was begging to be made) to making the top 100, ex-Split Enz band member Tim Finn's latest single, "Not Even Close", was the third release from his third album, Tim Finn (number 47, May 1989).  It followed "How'm I Gonna Sleep" (number 27, May 1989) and "Crescendo" (number 120, July 1989).  Tim's biggest solo success in Australia was his debut solo single, "Fraction Too Much Friction" (number 8, July 1983).

Tim would go on to join Crowded House for their third album, Woodface (number 2, July 1991), though only stuck around long enough for the first three of the five singles lifted from the album.  Following this, Tim returned to his solo career, and would again score top 100 success in 1993.

Tim will bubble under again in 1993, and would continue to score occasional bubbling under 'hits' until 2006.

 

 

 

Number 143 "I Feel Love" by Fan Club

Peak: number 105

Peak date: 14 May 1990

Weeks in top 150: 9 weeks

 

Not a Donna Summer cover version, "I Feel Love" was an original track from New Zealand band Fan Club (no 'the').  "I Feel Love" was the first release from their second album, Respect the Beat (number 139, September 1990), and peaked at number 8 in the band's native New Zealand in November 1989, becoming their biggest hit there by one place.

"I Feel Love" was Fan Club's second single released in Australia, following the title track from their debut album Sensation in June 1988.  The "Sensation" single was also re-issued locally in August 1989, but missed the top 150.

 

"I Feel Love" would become the only Fan Club single to dent the top 150 in Australia.

 

 

 

Number 147 "Almost Hear You Sigh" by The Rolling Stones

Peak: number 118

Peak date: 16 April 1990

Weeks in top 150: 8 weeks

Weeks on chart: 9 weeks

 

Now onto a band with a 'the' at the start of their name... except they seem to have dropped it from their album and single artwork during this era.  You can almost hear me sigh, right?

 

I wouldn't call myself a Stones fan, but don't mind some of their songs that I am familiar with.  "Almost Hear You Sigh" is one that I like; so, naturally, it flopped in Australia.

"Almost Hear You Sigh" was the third single lifted from the veteran British rockers' nineteenth studio album (or twenty-first American album - thanks Wikipedia!), Steel Wheels (number 7, September 1989).  It followed "Mixed Emotions" (number 25, September 1989) and "Rock and a Hard Place" (number 99, January 1990).

Going by its chart entry date in the UK, it appears that "Almost Hear You Sigh" was released in Australia some months prior to its UK release, where it peaked at number 31 in July 1990.  The single peaked at number 50 on the US Billboard Hot 100 in March 1990.

OK, as an aside, while researching this week's new entries, I stumbled upon this on the Billboard website, and had to write something about it:

Um... what the heck?  'Google's Top Hummed Songs 2020'.  Is this an April Fool's joke?  (It can't be, as I wrote this post on Monday 29 March 2021.)  And I thought Billboard/today's charts were generally meaningless.

We shall see The Rolling Stones again in 1991.

 

 

 

Number 148 "Good Things" by BoDeans

Peak: number 148

Peak date: 2 April 1990

Weeks in top 150: 1 week

 

The first I, and probably most other Australians, had heard of American band BoDeans was when their 1993 single, first released in Australia in April 1994, "Closer to Free" was used as the theme for the TV drama Party of Five.  It became a belated number 11 hit here in September 1996, as a result.  But, a decade prior to that, BoDeans scored their first chart 'hit' in Australia, with "Fadeaway" (number 76, September 1986), which I like a lot more.  The group also landed another top 100 single in Australia in 1988 with "Only Love" (number 95, April 1988).

"Good Things", which isn't even listed on their Wikipedia discography, was lifted from the band's fourth album, Black and White (number 101, August 1991), which was not released until 1991.  "Good Things" does not appear to have charted in any other country.

 

 

 

Bubbling WAY down under:

 

Number 171 "Shine On" by The House of Love

Peak: number 171

Peak date: 2 April 1990

Weeks on chart: 1 week

 

At the time of writing this post, number 171 is the lowest ARIA chart peak - or position, for that matter - I have from 1990.  Given that I have (again, at the time of writing this) 19 singles from 1989 that debuted at number 170 or lower, with the lowest of those being number 181, my impression is that the ARIA singles chart generally did not extend as low during 1990 as it did in 1989.  There is even one week in November 1990 when the singles chart stops at number 140.

 

We saw The House of Love bubble WAY down under back in August 1989, and here they are in the same region of the chart again, with the third single (though apparently only the second one in Australia) from their (second album with the same title!) The House of Love album (number 134, May 1990).

"Shine On" performed much better in the band's native UK, where it peaked at number 20 in February 1990, becoming their biggest hit.

I caught the video for "Shine On" on Video Smash Hits once, at the time, and its catchy "she-she-she shine on" chorus stuck with me.  Something I didn't know until now is that the band released an earlier version of this track in 1987.

The House of Love would not trouble the ARIA singles chart again after this, although they had a couple of top 250 (!) albums in 1992 and 1993.

 

 

Next week (9 April): Seven top 150 debuts, and one bubbling WAY down under entry.  Among them we have the final single from an almost three year-old album (and no, it's not one of the Jacksons).  You can also follow my posts on instagram, facebook and twitter.

 

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