This week in 1981's new entries bubbling under the top 100 are certainly an odd bunch. Among them we have a group who never landed a top 100 hit in Australia, a single for which the A and B-sides were switched in Australia only, and a song from a German-American country artist that only 'charted' in Australia. Let's take a look.
The Teardrop Explodes did not quite 'explode' on the Australian charts.
Beyond the top 100:
Position 22 "When I Dream" by The Teardrop Explodes
Highest rank: 2nd
Peak dates: 31 August 1981 and 21 September 1981
Weeks on below list: 13 weeks
British band The Teardrop Explodes formed in Liverpool in 1978. "When I Dream", their debut single, peaked at number 47 in the UK in October 1980, and was lifted from the band's first album Kilimanjaro (number 92, June 1981). This track was the band's only release to make a (very small) ripple on the Australian chart. Despite missing the top 100, "When I Dream" hung around on the beyond number 100 list for several months. The group disbanded in 1982.
The Teardrop Explodes' lead singer Julian Cope will, however, land a top 60 solo 'hit' in Australia with "World Shut Your Mouth" (number 51, March 1987). We will see Julian bubble under in 1987 and 1995.
Position 25 "Diddy Doo Wop (I Hear the Voices)" by Daryl Hall & John Oates
Highest rank: 15th
Peak date: 25 May 1981
Weeks on below list: 3 weeks At this point in 1981, American duo Daryl Hall & John Oates had placed six singles on the Australian top 100 chart, with "Rich Girl" (number 6, June 1977) being the biggest of those.
From what I can gather, "Diddy Doo Wop (I Hear the Voices)" was the B-side of the Daryl Hall & John Oates single "You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'" in the rest of the world. In Australia, however, the sides were flipped, and "Diddy Doo..." was the A-side on the single, with "...Lovin' Feelin'" relegated to being the B-side. I am guessing this might have happened as another version of The Righteous Brothers' "You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'", performed by Long John Baldry with Kathi McDonald, was a major hit in Australia in 1980, reaching number 2 in July 1980. Hall and Oates' Australian record company probably thought it was too soon for another version of the same song to become a hit; not that their strategy of flipping the sides for this single worked either.
Both "Diddy Doo Wop..." and "You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'" were lifted from Hall and Oates' ninth studio album Voices (number 19, November 1980).
The "You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'"-led version of this single peaked at number 55 in the UK in September 1980, and at number 12 on the US Billboard Hot 100 in November 1980.
Hall and Oates would next bubble under in Australia in 1990.
Position 28 "I Just Wonder Where He Could Be Tonight" by Hilka
Highest rank: 3rd
Peak date: 1 June 1981
Weeks on below list: 6 weeks Thankfully, the rear sleeve of German singer Hilka Cornelius' one and only studio album Hilka contains a short biography on her, as I couldn't otherwise find much information online. Hilka's family emigrated to Salt Lake City in Utah when she was 13 years old. She trained as a school teacher in Texas, teaching German, Russian and Spanish, before realising that her passion lied with singing. Hilka was one half of singing comedy duo Denim and Lace.
"I Just Wonder Where He Could Be Tonight" does not appear to have charted anywhere else. Hilka landed a minor 'hit' on the US Billboard Hot Country Songs chart, however, with "(I'm Just the) Cuddle Up Kind" reaching number 96 in February 1980.
Hilka landed a top 50 'hit' in Australia with "Who Were You Thinking of" (number 47, February 1981), credited to Hilka and The Doolittle Band - although I cannot hear Hilka's voice on this, and the lead vocal is sung by a man.
Next post (1 June): The next Kent Music Report beyond the top 100 post will not be until 1 June, owing to there being no new singles bubbling under on 18 May or 25 May 1981 that missed the top 100. On the next post, there will be three new entries.
< Previous week: 4 May 1981 Next post: 1 June 1981 >
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