Before diving into this week's ten new top 150 debuts, in case you missed it, I have started re-capping the Kent Music Report beyond the top 100 lists, commencing in 1981. Now, onto this week in 1990...
Paul Young: wherever he lands a hit, that's his home.
Top 150 debuts:
Number 136 "Psyko Funk" by Boo-Yaa T.R.I.B.E.
Peak: number 136
Peak date: 17 September 1990
Weeks in top 150: 1 week
American hip-hop band Boo-Yaa T.R.I.B.E consisted of five brothers, two of whom (Paul and Ted) have passed in recent years. "Psyko Funk" was the second single lifted from their New Funky Nation (number 131, July 1990) album, following "R.A.I.D.", which was issued in Australia in July 1990, but missed the top 150.
Internationally, "Psyko Funk" peaked at number 43 in the UK in July 1990, and number 43 in the Netherlands in August 1990.
While we won't see Boo-Yaa T.R.I.B.E. again in their own right, we will see them team up with another act in 1993.
Number 137 "Make It Work" by Scrap Metal
Peak: number 126
Peak date: 8 October 1990
Weeks in top 150: 6 weeks
It's almost a given that when I search for a music video/song on YouTube and it's not there in any form that the artist in question will be Australian, and once again, that is the case with Scrap Metal and "Make It Work". How slack/useless are Australian record companies with getting this stuff out there in the age of streaming?!
So, what I've had to resort to doing instead is putting together the 'video' below (which just uses a still image) for you.
The band's bio on discogs.com reveals that the multi-racial group formed in Broome, Western Australia. They were also apparently "the first Aboriginal band to sign an international publishing deal." The ABC shot a documentary about the group, titled From Broome to the Big Smoke, and their Scrap Metal (number 124, November 1990) album was released through ABC Records.
I can tell you that Scrap Metal landed no other top 150 singles on the Australian chart.
Number 140 "Oh Girl" by Paul Young
Peak: number 111
Peak date: 29 October 1990
Weeks in top 150: 9 weeks
Weeks on chart: 10 weeks
We first saw Paul in May 1990 with the lead single from Other Voices (number 102, July 1990), and here he is with the second release from the album. "Oh Girl" is a cover version, originally recorded by The Chi-Lites and released as a single in 1972.
"Oh Girl" registered within the top 100 on four of the five ARIA state charts, only missing out in South Australia/Northern Territory, but could not break into the top 100 nationally. The single performed strongest in Victoria/Tasmania, where it reached number 81.
"Oh Girl" fared better internationally, peaking at number 25 in the UK in July 1990, and number 8 on the US Billboard Hot 100 in October 1990. The single also peaked at number 20 in Ireland, number 73 in the Netherlands, number 4 in Canada, and number 41 in New Zealand.
While Paul would not reach higher than number 42 again on the Australian singles chart, we shall see him bubble under no fewer than four times in 1991, with the next occasion being in February 1991.
Number 141 "Butterfly on a Wheel" by The Mission
Peak: number 141
Peak dates: 17 September 1990 and 24 September 1990
Weeks in top 150: 2 weeks
Between 1986 and 1994, English gothic rock band The Mission landed 12 singles within the UK top 40, with "Wasteland" becoming their biggest hit, peaking at number 11 in January 1987.
In Australia, The Mission never landed a top 100 entry. They did, however, managed to place two singles within the top 150, of which "Butterfly on a Wheel" was the second - we saw them with the first in April 1990. The album both tracks are lifted from, Carved in Sand (number 109, April 1990), also made the ARIA top 150.
"Butterfly on a Wheel" was a much bigger hit in the UK, reaching number 12 in January 1990, though its chart run was brief, only spending four weeks in the top 100 (gotta love the UK charts...). The single peaked at number 13 in Ireland in January 1990, number 48 in the Netherlands in March 1990, and number 36 in New Zealand in March 1990.
It's not the sort of music I normally listen to, but I enjoy "Butterfly on a Wheel". I caught the video once on Countdown Revolution, and remember reading about it in British pop magazine Number One.
Number 143 "Child of the Wild Blue Yonder" by John Hiatt
Peak: number 133
Peak date: 24 September 1990
Weeks in top 150: 7 weeks
American singer-songwriter John Hiatt placed two singles on the Australian top 100: "Have a Little Faith in Me" (number 61, February 1988) and "Slow Turning" (number 83, January 1989). Before those two minor 'hits', John reached sixth place on the Kent Music Report list of singles receiving significant sales reports beyond the top 100 with "Living a Little, Laughing a Little" in July 1985.
"Child of the Wild Blue Yonder" was the lead single from John's tenth studio album Stolen Moments (number 92, August 1990). The single peaked at number 48 in Canada.
While John did not make the top 150 again with his single releases, one more album, Perfectly Good Guitar (number 83, September 1993), made the top 100.
Number 145 "I Wish" by Ben Liebrand featuring Nasty Chat
Peak: number 145
Peak date: 17 September 1990
Weeks in top 150: 1 week
Weeks on chart: 2 weeks
Dutch DJ and remixer Ben Liebrand graced our presence in February 1990, and here he teams up with Dutch rapper Nasty Chat (real name Bianca Boid), whose rap style reminds me a little bit of Betty Boo.
"I Wish" peaked at number 84 in the UK in August 1990.
We shall next see Ben in his own right in March 1991; but, before then, another artist's song he remixed will appear in November 1990.
Number 146 "I Need Rhythm" by Splash
Peak: number 105
Peak date: 22 October 1990
Weeks in top 150: 9 weeks
Splash were a German eurodance group, and this track features Aimee McCoy on vocals. "I Need Rhythm" peaked at number 88 in the UK in September 1990, and number 41in Germany in October 1990. I don't recall hearing this one before.
Splash issued two further singles in Australia: "Set the Groove on Fire" (released locally in May 1991) and "Joy and Pain" (August 1991), but neither made the top 150.
Number 147 "I've Been Waiting for Your Love" by Hithouse featuring Reggie
Peak: number 147
Peak date: 17 September 1990
Weeks in top 150: 1 week
We saw Hithouse back in February 1989. In the interim, they released "Move Your Feet to the Rhythm of the Beat", which missed the top 150.
"I've Been Waiting for Your Love" peaked at number 91 in the UK in May 1990, and features Congolese-American singer Reggie (real name Réjane Magloire) on vocals. Reggie would go on to be the featured artist on Technotronic's "Move That Body" (number 27, September 1991). Interestingly, she also released a cover of Madonna's "Into the Groove" in 1985.
In Australia, "I've Been Waiting for Your Love" was most popular in Western Australia, where it reached number 118 on the state chart.
This was Hithouse's final single to chart in Australia, although I do wonder if the 1994 remix of "Jack to the Sound of the Underground" - which I am rather partial to, charted for a week or two outside the top 150. We'll likely never know, as the ARIA database usually conflates releases of the same title, including later remixes/re-releases, unfortunately.
Number 148 "Flying on Your Own" by Rita MacNeil
Peak: number 142
Peak date: 24 September 1990
Weeks in top 150: 2 weeks
Canadian songstress Rita MacNeil landed a minor hit in Australia with "Working Man" (number 56, February 1990), which spent 25 weeks in the top 150 despite peaking outside the top 50. Two further singles were released locally from Rita's Reason to Believe (number 17, May 1990) album - "The Music's Going Round Again" (February 1990) and "When the Loving Is Through" (April 1990) - but neither made the top 150.
"Flying on Your Own" was a track from Rita's 1987 album Flying on Your Own (number 57, November 1990). The song was issued as her debut single in Canada in 1986, where it peaked at number 42.
Truth be told, I don't enjoy any of these Rita MacNeil songs, listening to them now for the first time... They also don't sound like the sort of thing that was making the singles chart here in 1990.
Rita passed away in 2013, aged 68, following an infection.
Number 149 "Calypso" by Jean-Michel Jarre
Peak: number 149
Peak date: 17 September 1990
Weeks in top 150: 1 week
French electronic music pioneer Jean-Michel Jarre placed three singles on the Australian top 100 between 1977 and 1986. The biggest of those, "Oxygène IV", reached number 26 in November 1977.
"Calyspo" was the only single lifted from Jean-Michel's tenth studio album Waiting for Cousteau (number 112, October 1990), which was titled En attendant Cousteau in Francophone markets. The single peaked at number 91 in the UK in July 1990, and number 34 in France in September 1990.
I hadn't heard this one before, but enjoyed both the song and its animated music video. I can't help but think, though, that it sounds more like the theme to a children's television program or background music in a TV commercial than a song registering on the charts.
Next week (24 September): Seven new top 150 debuts.
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