Week commencing 30 March 1992

Again there is no easily-identifiable common thread running among this week in 1992's new entries peaking outside the top 100, so let's just dive straight in.

 

Color Me Badd: their first 'badd' chart position in Australia.

 

Top 150 debuts:

 

Number 101 "Heartbreaker" by Color Me Badd

Peak: number 101

Peak dates: 30 March 1992 and 6 April 1992

Weeks in top 150: 5 weeks

Top 150 chart run: 101-101-108-119-129

 

American vocal quartet Color Me Badd formed in 1985.  Coincidentally, I recently watched a YouTube video on the band, whom I did not know much about previously.  To my surprise, the group formed while still at school - I would have assumed that the members auditioned to be in the band.

Color Me Badd burst onto the Australian chart with back-to-back top ten hits "I Wanna Sex You Up" (number 4, August 1991) and "All 4 Love" (number 9, November 1991).  From then, however, it was all downhill for their chart fortunes in Australia, with their third local release "I Adore Mi Amor" (number 27, February 1992) being their only other ARIA top 50 single.  In contrast, all three singles reached the top two on the US Billboard Hot 100.

While the US went with "Thinkin' Back" as the fourth single from the band's debut album C.M.B. (number 17, February 1992), Australasia and Europe went with "Heartbreaker", which was not released as a single in the US.

Internationally, "Heartbreaker" peaked at number 58 in the UK in February 1992, number 32 in New Zealand in April 1992, and number 61 in the Netherlands in April 1992.

 

Without giving much away, if you are interested in what happened to Color Me Badd since their split in 1998, it is well worth viewing this 15 minute video I caught recently on YouTube.

 

We will next see Color Me Badd in 1996.

 

 

Number 112 "Beautiful People" by Freaked Out Flower Children

Peak: number 102

Peak date: 13 April 1992

Weeks in top 150: 6 weeks 

Top 150 chart run: 112-104-102-104-122-123

Freaked Out Flower Children were essentially the two guys (Tricky and Gumpy) behind Mighty Big Crime, whom we last saw in 1991, with Australian TV host of The Bugs Bunny Show and Sex (!), Sophie Lee, plus a few other model-type women.  What contribution the latter group and Sophie had, other than to stand around pouting while looking 'hot' and apparently providing minimal backing vocals, I am not entirely sure.  Though we are led to believe that Sophie played some recorder-type instrument in the music video for the group's debut single, a cover version of Eric Burdon & War's "Spill the Wine" (number 31, February 1992).

"Beautiful People" was issued as the second and final single from the only Freaked Out Flower Children album Love In (number 81, February 1992).  A music video for the track exists, but has not made its way online at the time of writing, and I know of know source for it.

The track was also remixed for single release, but I've had to resort to asking an online contact for a rip of the LP version, as - short of buying the CD single myself and ripping the track - the song is not otherwise online.

This was Freaked Out Flower Children's final release.

Number 122 "Girls on My Mind" by David Byrne

Peak: number 119

Peak date: 6 April 1992

Weeks in top 150: 9 weeks 

Top 150 chart run: 122-119-132-129-135-137-127-129-136

We last saw David Byrne in 1990.

 

"Girls on My Mind" was first single lifted from David's second solo studio album Uh-Oh (number 67, April 1992).   Internationally, "Girls on My Mind" peaked at number 39 in New Zealand in May 1992.

This would be David's last solo single to crack the ARIA top 150, although we will see him as part of Talking Heads in December 1992.

Number 133 "Money Worries" by MC OJ & Rhythm Slave

Peak: number 133

Peak date: 30 March 1992

Weeks in top 150: 2 weeks

Top 150 chart run: 133-144

 

MC OJ & Rhythm Slave were a New Zealand hip-hop duo.  "Money Worries", which I had not heard before, was their only ARIA top 150 entry.  "Money Worries" peaked at number 36 in New Zealand in January 1992.  The track was lifted from the duo's only album What Can We Say.

 

 

Bubbling WAY down under:

 

Number 154 "Steel Bars" by Michael Bolton

Peak: number 154

Peak date: 30 March 1992

Weeks on chart: 10 weeks

 

We last saw Michael Bolton in 1991.

 

"Steel Bars" was released as the fourth single from Michael's seventh studio album Time, Love & Tenderness (number 11, August 1991).  The song, however, was a radio-only single in Michael's native US, rendering it ineligible to chart on the US Billboard Hot 100 at the time.  I first heard this song on the American Top 40 radio show.

Elsewhere, "Steel Bars" peaked at number 17 in the UK in February 1992, number 22 in Ireland in February 1992, and number 57 in Germany in April 1992.

Within Australia, "Steel Bars" performed strongest in South Australia/Northern Territory, where it reached number 116.

 

I don't remember "Steel Bars" receiving any promotion, and never saw the music video at the time, which probably explains its lack of chart success.  While I'm not always a fan of Michael's ballads, I am somewhat partial to his more-upbeat singles from this era, and "Steel Bars" is one I enjoy, and I thought it should have done much better commercially.

 

Unrelated, really, but if you've ever wondered what a Michael Bolton song might sound like with Stock Aitken Waterman-style production, Tee Webb released this version of the song in 2021.

We will next see Michael Bolton in 1993.

 

 

Number 159 "Was It Worth It?" by Pet Shop Boys

Peak: number 153

Peak date: 13 April 1992

Weeks on chart: 5 weeks

Pet Shop Boys last graced our presence in 1991.

 

"Was It Worth It?" was the second new track recorded for Pet Shop Boys' Discography (number 6, December 1991) compilation, and was much better than the other new song, "DJ Culture", which I am not a fan of.  However, "Was It Worth It?" performed equally-bad or worse on the chart than "DJ Culture" almost everywhere it was released!  Sometimes (OK, often...) the record-buying public get it completely wrong.

"Was It Worth It?" peaked at number 24 in the UK - the duo's lowest-peaking single there since the 1985 release of "Opportunities (Let's Make Lots of Money)" - in December 1991.  It also peaked at number 25 in Ireland in December 1991, number 19 in Germany in January 1992, number 50 in the Netherlands in February 1992, and number 23 in Sweden in February 1992.

Locally, "Was It Worth It?" performed strongest in Western Australia, where it reached number 118.

 

We won't see Pet Shop Boys again until 2000 - assuming I am still writing these chart recaps in 2031 (my interest in charts wanes severely in 1999).

Number 167 "Who? Where? Why?" by Jesus Jones

Peak: number 167

Peak date: 30 March 1992

Weeks on chart: 2 weeks

We last saw Jesus Jones in 1991.

 

"Who? Where? Why" was issued as the fourth and final single from Jesus Jones' second studio album Doubt (number 23, June 1991) in Australia.

 

Overseas, "Who? Where? Why?" peaked at number 21 in the UK in March 1991, and number 48 in New Zealand in November 1991.

Domestically, "Who? Where? Why?" was most popular in Victoria/Tasmania, where it reached number 141.

 

We'll next see Jesus Jones in 1993.

Number 185 "Who's Crying Now" by Randy Crawford

Peak: number 175

Peak date: 6 April 1992

Weeks on chart: 2 weeks

We last saw Randy Crawford in 1989.

"Who's Crying Now" was lifted from Randy's tenth studio album Through the Eyes of Love (number 113, August 1992).  The song was originally recorded by American rock band Journey, which peaked at number 65 in Australia in October 1981.

 

Internationally, Randy's rendition of "Who's Crying Now" peaked at number 30 on the US Billboard R&B chart.

 

On the ARIA state charts, "Who's Crying Now" performed strongest in Queensland, where it reached number 160.

 

We shall see Randy again in 1998.

Number 194 "Something 'Bout Love" by Lisa Lisa & Cult Jam

Peak: number 194

Peak date: 30 March 1992

Weeks on chart: 1 week

 

Lisa Lisa & Cult Jam last joined us in 1989. 

"Something 'Bout Love" was lifted from the band's fourth and final studio album Straight Outta Hell's Kitchen (number 129, October 1991).

"Something 'Bout Love" did not chart anywhere else that I can ascertain.  The single performed strongest on the New South Wales/Australian Capital Territory state chart, where it reached number 176.

This was the final Lisa Lisa & Cult Jam release to chart in Australia.

 

 

Next week (6 April): Seven top 150 debuts and two bubbling WAY down under entries.

 

< Previous week: 23 March 1992                                      Next week: 6 April 1992 >

Week commencing 23 March 1992

Another week with no common thread among this week's new entries, other than they all missed the top 100.  Let's take a look at them.

 

Kym Sims: Australia was too deaf to appreciate this track.

 

Top 150 debuts:

 

Number 139 "Ghost Train" by Marc Cohn

Peak: number 121

Peak date: 6 April 1992

Weeks in top 150: 5 weeks

Top 150 chart run: 139-128-121-139-148

 

We last saw Marc Cohn in January.

 

"Ghost Train" was issued as the fourth single in Australia from Marc's debut album Marc Cohn (number 31, September 1991).  Internationally, "Ghost Train" peaked at number 74 in Germany in December 1991.

I hadn't heard this one before.  It's nice.

Marc will join us again in 1993.

 

 

Number 142 "Jesus Built My Hotrod" by Ministry

Peak: number 134

Peak date: 30 March 1992

Weeks in top 150: 6 weeks

Top 150 chart run: 142-134-140-135-(out for 3 weeks)-149-(out for 1 week)-146

 

American industrial metal band Ministry formed in 1981. 

 

"Jesus Built My Hotrod" was the lead single from the band's fifth studio album ΚΕΦΑΛΗΞΘ (number 54, August 1992), which is also known as Psalm 69: The Way to Succeed and the Way to Suck Eggs.  It was Ministry's first single to chart in Australia.

"Jesus Built My Hotrod" peaked at number 19 on the US Billboard Alternative Airplay (known as Modern Rock Tracks at the time) chart in January 1992.

 

To say I do not enjoy this kind of music is an understatement.

 

We will next see Ministry in August.

 

Number 149 "I'm Doing Fine Now" by The Pasadenas

Peak: number 143

Peak date: 13 April 1992

Weeks in top 150: 5 weeks 

Top 150 chart run: 149-(out for 1 week)-146-143-147-146

Weeks on chart: 6 weeks

 

English vocal group The Pasadenas formed in 1988.  "I'm Doing Fine Now" is a cover version of a song originally recorded by New York City in 1973.

The Pasadenas' version of the track was the lead single from their third studio album Yours Sincerely, which was also a covers album.  While "I'm Doing Fine Now" was the group's first ARIA top 150 single, they previously charted with the album To Whom It May Concern (number 149, March 1989).

 

Internationally, "I'm Doing Fine Now" now peaked at number 4 in the UK in January 1992, number 6 in Ireland in February 1992, number 38 in Germany in March 1992, number 6 in the Flanders region of Belgium in April 1992, and number 46 in France in June 1992.

 

In Australia, "I'm Doing Fine Now" performed strongest in Western Australia, where it reached number 112.

I don't recall hearing this one before, but liked it.

We'll see The Pasadenas again in August 1992.

 

 

Bubbling WAY down under:

 

Number 155 "The Statue Got Me High" by They Might Be Giants

Peak: number 155

Peak date: 23 March 1992

Weeks on chart: 2 weeks

 

We last saw They Might Be Giants in 1990.

 

"The Statue Got Me High" was the lead single from They Might Be Giants' fourth studio album Apollo 18 (number 59, April 1992).  Internationally, the single peaked at number 24 on the US Billboard Alternative Airplay chart.

Domestically, "The Statue Got Me High" performed strongest in Western Australia, where it reached number 135.

I don't recall hearing this one before, but enjoyed it.

They Might Be Giants will next join us in May.

 

 

Number 180 "Keep It in Your Pants" by Young MC

Peak: number 157

Peak date: 4 May 1992

Weeks on chart: 11 weeks

 

We last saw Marvin Young, aka Young MC, in 1991.

"Keep It in Your Pants" was the second and final single lifted from Young MC's second album Brainstorm (number 141, October 1991).  It followed "That's the Way Love Goes" (number 63, September 1991).

Internationally, "Keep It in Your Pants" peaked at number 18 in New Zealand in February 1992.

 

Within Australia, "Keep It in Your Pants" was most successful in Western Australia, where it reached number 131.

I have a vague memory of hearing this one at the time, but am not certain.  One memorable thing I recall about the song is Australian comedian John Safran wanting to include this song, as the anti-"Bust a Move" (in contrast to that song, this one is about how you shouldn't just sleep with someone you met), in his 2010 rage guest programming playlist - but as the video was unavailable, he went with "Bust a Move 2002" (number 96, March 2002) instead, which was Young MC's only later single to chart in Australia.

Number 187 "Don't Let It Show on Your Face" by Adeva

Peak: number 187

Peak date: 23 March 1992

Weeks on chart: 4 weeks

We last saw Patricia Daniels, aka Adeva, in 1990.

"Don't Let It Show on Your Face" was issued as the second single from Adeva's second album Love Or Lust? (number 114, January 1992).  It followed "It Should've Been Me" (number 83, January 1992).  The track underwent a radical reworking by Perfecto for single release, and I much prefer this single mix to the LP version.

 

Internationally, "Don't Let It Show on Your Face" peaked at number 34 in the UK in February 1992.

 

Within Australia, "Don't Let It Show on Your Face" performed strongest in Western Australia, where it reached number 171.

Despite being a casual Adeva fan (I bought several of the singles from her debut album), I didn't hear this one until picking up a VHS compilation of hers in 2006.  It's a pity, as it's probably my favourite Adeva track, with a sensational video to boot.  The song deserved to do much better on the charts.

One thing I wasn't aware of until researching this post is that Adeva underwent treatment for breast cancer in 2021.

A third single from Love Or Lust?, "Until You Come Back to Me", was released in Australia in June 1992, but failed to chart.

While this would be the last occasion Adeva had a charting single in Australia in her own right, she will grace our presence again in 1995, when she collaborates with another artist.  Adeva also charted with the compilation album Hits! (number 251, November 1992).

Number 198 "Too Blind to See It" by Kym Sims

Peak: number 161

Peak date: 27 April 1992

Weeks on chart: 7 weeks

 

American singer-songwriter - although she did not write this track - Kym Sims started out as a jingle writer, before making her foray into dance music.  "Too Blind to See It" was her debut release, and I first became aware of her after hearing the song on the American Top 40 radio show, with the single reaching number 38 on the US Billboard Hot 100 in February 1992.

 

Kym's greatest success came in Europe, however.  "Too Blind to See It" reached number 20 in Ireland in December 1991, number 5 in the UK in January 1992, number 21 in Sweden in February 1992, number 28 in the Netherlands in February 1992, and number 14 in the Flanders region of Belgium in March 1992.  The single also peaked at number 45 in New Zealand in March 1992.

Domestically, "Too Blind to See It" performed strongest in Victoria/Tasmania, where it reached number 127.

The single was lifted from Kym's debut and only album Too Blind to See It, which was released locally in April 1992 but failed to chart.

We will see Kym again in June.  A song she wrote for another artist will also bubble under in July.

 

 

Number 206 "The Jam" by Shabba Ranks featuring KRS-1

Peak: number 206

Peak date: 23 March 1992

Weeks on chart: 1 week

 

We last saw Shabba Ranks in 1991.

 

"The Jam" was the second single released in Australia from Shabba's album As Raw As Ever.  This time, the featured artist in question was New York Rapper KRS-1, also known as KRS-One, real name Lawrence "Kris" Parker... who is also known as Teacha!  KRS-1 stands for 'knowledge reigns supreme over nearly everyone'.

Internationally, "The One" peaked at number 98 (number 88 on the compressed chart) in the UK in December 1991, and number 1 on the meaningless US Billboard Hot Rap Songs chart in April 1992.  It also peaked at number 18 on the US Billboard Dance Singles Sales chart in January 1992, number 52 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart in April 1992, and number 74 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles Sales chart in July 1992.

In Australia, "The Jam" peaked at number 206 on all five of the state charts, as well as nationally, making me think it could actually be at the bottom of the singles chart this week in 1992, as I rarely see a single peak at the same number on every state chart, matching its national peak, unless it is number 1.

Shabba will join us next in June 1992.

 

 

Next week (30 March): Four top 150 debuts and five bubbling WAY down under entries.

 

< Previous week: 16 March 1992                                Next week: 30 March 1992 >

Week commencing 16 March 1992

Once again I cannot identify a common theme linking this week in 1992's debuts peaking outside the top 100, so let's just dive straight in...

 

Take That: this marketing strategy didn't quite work...

 

Top 150 debuts:

 

Number 110 "Out of Control (Round and Round)" by Beatfish

Peak: number 110

Peak date: 16 March 1992

Weeks in top 150: 5 weeks

Top 150 chart run: 110-120-127-127-138

Weeks on chart: 9 weeks

Beatfish was a collaboration between James Freud, whom we last saw in 1989, and Martin Plaza from Mental As Anything, whom we saw in 1990.  The pair recorded only one album, Beatfish (number 79, November 1991).  Unlike the pair's previous solo/band work, the Beatfish project was electronic in sound.

"Out of Control (Round and Round)" was the third single lifted from the Beatfish album.  It followed "Wheels of Love" (number 26, September 1991) and "All Around the World" (number 58, November 1991).

 

"Out of Control..." was most successful on the Western Australia state chart, where it reached number 54.

 

Beatfish will join us again in August.

Number 133 "Tell Me What You Want Me to Do" by Tevin Campbell

Peak: number 116

Peak date: 6 April 1992

Weeks in top 150: 6 weeks

Top 150 chart run: 133-126-131-116-126-131

 

American R&B singer Tevin Campbell started his recording career in 1990 as a 13 year-old, when he was the featured vocalist on Quincy Jones' "Tomorrow (A Better You, A Better Me)".  That single was released in Australia in June 1990, but failed to chart.

"Tell Me What You Want Me to Do" was Tevin's solo debut single in Australia, lifted from his debut album T.E.V.I.N., which initially peaked at number 134 in Australia in April 1992, but reached a new peak of number 98 in April 1994, following renewed interest after the success of Tevin's "Can We Talk" (number 12, April 1994).

 

Internationally, "Tell Me What You Want Me to Do" peaked at number 9 in New Zealand in February 1992, number 6 on the US Billboard Hot 100 in February 1992, number 63 in the UK in April 1992, and number 31 in the Netherlands in May 1992.  It was Tevin's best-charting single in both the US and the UK.

I don't recall hearing this one before.  The chorus melody reminds me a little bit of Whitney Houston's "Where Do Broken Hearts Go" (number 48, May 1988) - both tracks were produced by Narada Michael Walden.

Tevin will next join us in 1996.

 

 

 

Number 148 "Not Like That" by Club Hoy

Peak: number 106

Peak date: 27 April 1992

Weeks in top 150: 9 weeks 

Top 150 chart run: 148-137-121-113-115-115-106-127-122

 

We last saw Australian band Club Hoy in 1991.

 

"Not Like That", which became the Club Hoy's biggest 'hit', was lifted from the band's only album Thursday's Fortune (number 96, March 1992).

 

I don't recall hearing this one before.  It has nice harmonies and could have become a hit with better promotion.

 

While we won't see Club Hoy again, lead singer Penny Flanagan will appear in 1994.

 

 

Number 149 Water EP by Def FX

Peak: number 149

Peak date: 16 March 1992

Weeks in top 150: 1 week

Top 150 chart run: 149

Weeks on chart: 14 weeks

 

Australian band Def FX formed in Sydney in 1990.  I became aware of them through seeing them perform "Surfers of the Mind", which is the lead track on the Water EP, on MTV.  To me, their sound seemed to be quite avant-garde for Australia at the time, merging the genres of dance and rock/alternative.  "Surfers of the Mind" samples one of the keyboard riffs used on Black Box's "Ride on Time" (number 2, January 1990), to boot.

The Water EP debuted at number 191 on 22 July 1991, taking almost eight months to dent the ARIA top 150 singles chart for a solitary week.  The EP's chart life was quite protracted, as it was still lurking around in January 1993, when it peaked in Queensland.

On the state charts, the Water EP was most popular in Western Australia, where it reached number 113 in June 1992.

I caught the video for "Surfers of the Mind" several times in 1991 on Coca-Cola Power Cuts, where it seemed to always be featured in the Alternative top 10.  The track does not appear on Def FX's debut album Light Speed Collision (number 96, December 1992).

 

Def FX will next join us in 1996.

 

 

Number 150 "This Is Hip" by John Lee Hooker with Ry Cooder

Peak: number 150

Peak date: 16 March 1992

Weeks in top 150: 1 week

Top 150 chart run: 150

 

We last saw John Lee Hooker in 1990.

 

"This Is Hip" was originally a 1963 song recorded by John Lee Hooker.  He re-recorded the track with Ry Cooder for his 1991 collaborations-with-other-artists album Mr. Lucky (number 22, October 1991).  I cannot find evidence of this single charting elsewhere.

 

We shall next see John Lee Hooker in 1993.

Bubbling WAY down under:

Number 176 "Marilyn Dean and James Monroe" by John Kilzer

Peak: number 176

Peak date: 16 March 1992

Weeks on chart: 2 weeks

American singer-songwriter John Kilzer last graced our presence in 1989.

"Marilyn Dean and James Monroe" was lifted from John's second album Busman's Holiday, which was released in Australia in March 1992 but missed the ARIA top 150.

John's biggest hit in Australia came with "Red Blue Jeans" (number 57, October 1988), which performed much stronger in South Australia/Northern Territory than other states, where it reached number 13.

 

On the state charts, "Marilyn Dean and James Monroe" was most successful in Western Australia, where it reached number 146.

John died from suicide in 2019, aged 62.  John had struggled with alcohol addiction for much of his life.

"Marilyn Dean and James Monroe" was John's final single to chart in Australia.

Number 188 "Once You've Tasted Love" by Take That

Peak: number 188

Peak date: 16 March 1992

Weeks on chart: 1 week

British boy band Take That formed in Manchester in 1990.  I first heard of them in an artists-to-look-out-for article in the Australian edition of Smash Hits at the end of 1991.

 

It took Take That four single releases to land a proper hit in their native UK.  "Once You've Tasted Love", their third UK release, was the group's Australian debut.  I hadn't actually heard this one until listening to it to write this post.  Gary Barlow's fright peroxide hair really stands out (in a not good way) from this era...  If you haven't seen it before, it's worth checking out the trying-desperately-to-appeal-to-the-gay-market video for Take That's first UK release "Do What U Like".

"Once You've Tasted Love" was lifted from Take That's debut album Take That & Party (number 104, May 1993).  The single peaked at number 47 in the UK in February 1992.

 

Domestically, "Once You've Tasted Love" performed strongest in New South Wales/Australian Capital Territory, where it reached number 178.

 

Take That would eventually go on to land some chart success in Australia, but before then, we'll see them again in July.

Number 191 "Am I Right?" by Erasure

Peak: number 185

Peak date: 23 March 1992

Weeks on chart: 3 weeks

We last saw synthpop duo Erasure in 1990.

"Am I Right?" was the third single from Erasure's fifth studio album Chorus (number 93, November 1991) in their native UK, but was the second single in Australia, following the title track "Chorus" (number 77, October 1991).  It appears that we skipped the "Love to Hate You" single.

 

Internationally, "Am I Right?" peaked at number 15 in the UK in December 1991, number 9 in Ireland in December 1991, number 46 in the Flanders region of Belgium in December 1991, and number 21 in Austria in January 1992.

 

In Australia, "Am I Right?" performed strongest in Western Australia, where it reached number 162 on the state chart.

 

Erasure scored a major (for them, in Australia) hit later in the year with Abba-esque (number 13, August 1992), an EP of four ABBA cover versions, from which "Lay All Your Love on Me" is my favourite.

We shall next see Erasure in November.

Number 193 "Every Kinda People" by Robert Palmer

Peak: number 157

Peak date: 23 March 1992

Weeks on chart: 6 weeks

We last saw Robert Palmer in 1991.

 

"Every Kinda People" is a track that originally appeared on Robert's 1978 album Double Fun (number 75, June 1978).  The single peaked at number 82 in Australia in August 1978.

 

"Every Kinda People" was remixed for inclusion on Robert's "Addictions" Volume 2 (number 167, April 1992) compilation album.  The 1992 remixed version of "Every Kinda People" peaked at number 43 in the UK in March 1992, and number 26 in Canada in July 1992.

Within Australia, the 1992 remix of "Every Kinda People" was most popular in Western Australia, where it reached number 124.

Robert will next join us in 1994.  Before then, he had another studio album, Ridin' High (number 175, January 1993), which peaked outside the ARIA top 100.

Next week (23 March): Three new top 150 entries, and five bubbling WAY down under debuts.

< Previous week: 9 March 1992                                     Next week: 23 March 1992 >

Week commencing 9 March 1992

This week in 1992's new entries peaking outside the top 100 are an eclectic bunch, with everything from a 60's rocker your parents might have been fans of to a young big band crooner and pioneering electronic acts.  Shall we take a look?

 

Blue Pearl: passion for playing with knives.

 

Top 150 debuts:

 

Number 103 "You Didn't Know Me When" by Harry Connick, Jr.

Peak: number 103

Peak date: 9 March 1992

Weeks in top 150: 5 weeks

Top 150 chart run: 103-105-116-117-125

 

American singer Harry Connick, Jr. made his Australian chart debut with the album We Are in Love (number 120, July 1991).  His ARIA top 150 singles debut came with "It Had to Be You" (number 70, June 1992), which was first released locally in November 1989, and initially peaked at number 76 in October 1991.  That song was the title track to an Australian-only compilation of some of Harry's earlier recordings, It Had to Be You (number 4, March 1992), which became his commercial breakthrough in Australia.

"You Didn't Know Me When" was lifted from Harry's third studio album Blue Light, Red Light (number 10, March 1992).

Harry's biggest hit in Australia came with "(I Could Only) Whisper Your Name" (number 15, December 1994), which I always associate with the Hey Hey It's Saturday band playing before heading to an ad break.

Last I was aware, Harry was currently a judge on the reboot of Australian Idol - I would not encourage any readers to watch that rubbish.

Number 130 "Don't Turn Around" by Neil Diamond

Peak: number 117

Peak date: 13 April 1992

Weeks in top 150: 6 weeks

Top 150 chart run: 130-124-132-120-124-117

American singer-songwriter Neil Diamond is someone I'd never heard of until his albums started appearing in the ARIA top 50 in the early 90s, but he landed 28 charting singles in Australia between 1969 and 1982.  If I remember correctly (I can't really be bothered looking it up), Neil's renewed popularity in the early 90s was due to him touring Australia - I recall seeing TV commercials for his shows.  In particular, I remember hearing Neil's 1966 song "Cherry, Cherry", with its "she got the way to move me" chorus, in the adverts.  We have seen Neil previously in 1981.

As I suspected from the title, "Don't Turn Around" is a cover version of the song written by Albert Hammond and Diane Warren that was originally recorded by Tina Turner, as the B-side to "Typical Male" (number 20, November 1986), in 1986.  Aswad's version of "Don't Turn Around" peaked at number 34 in June 1988, and it would go on to become a number 19 hit for Ace of Base in August 1994.

"Don't Turn Around" was lifted from Neil's Lovescape (number 15, March 1992) album.  Internationally, the single peaked at number 79 in Canada in March 1992.

Neil's rendition of "Don't Turn Around" took six weeks to climb to its peak of number 117 in Australia, before falling out of the top 150 the following week.

We will next see Neil in April.

Number 146 "Never Stop" by The Brand New Heavies featuring N'Dea Davenport

Peak: number 140

Peak date: 13 April 1992

Weeks in top 150: 6 weeks

Top 150 chart run: 146-(out for 1 week)-141-145-145-140-(out for 1 week)-149

Weeks on chart: 8 weeks

British acid jazz and funk band The Brand New Heavies formed in 1985.  American singer N'Dea Davenport, who receives a featuring credit on this release, was the band's lead singer between 1990 and 1995, before rejoining them in 2005.  "Never Stop", lifted from the brand's debut album The Brand New Heavies (number 139, August 1992), was their first Australian release.

Internationally, "Never Stop" peaked at number 43 in the UK in October 1991, and number 54 on the US Billboard Hot 100 in October 1991.

 

Locally, "Never Stop" was most popular in New South Wales/Australian Capital Territory, where it reached number 101.

The Brand New Heavies never landed an ARIA top 100 single, but we shall see them bubble under on several occasions in the coming years, with the next instance being in 1993.

Number 148 "When I First Met Your Ma" by Paul Kelly and The Messengers

Peak: number 131

Peak date: 6 April 1992

Weeks in top 150: 6 weeks

Top 150 chart run: 148-145-145-142-131-144

Weeks on chart: 10 weeks

 

We last saw Paul Kelly and The Messengers in 1991.

 

"When I First Met Your Ma" was the only single released from the Hidden Things (number 29, April 1992) compilation album, which collated non-album tracks recorded by Paul Kelly and The Messengers (formerly Paul Kelly and The Coloured Girls) between 1986 and 1991.

On the state charts, "When I First Met Your Ma" performed strongest in Western Australia, where it reached number 89.

We shall next see Paul Kelly and The Messengers in 1994, but before then, Paul will appear on his own as part of a collaboration with other artists in 1993.

 

 

Bubbling WAY down under:

 

Number 176 "Instruments of Darkness (All of Us Are One People)" by The Art of Noise

Peak: number 170

Peak date: 16 March 1992

Weeks on chart: 6 weeks

 

We last saw English syth-pop act The Art of Noise in 1989.

 

"Instruments of Darkness..." originally appeared as a largely instrumental track on the 1986 album In Visible Silence (number 55, July 1986).  This remixed version was lifted from the compilation The FON Mixes (number 180, March 1992).  Internationally, the single peaked at number 45 in the UK in January 1992.

Domestically, "Instruments of Darkness..." was most popular in Western Australia, where it reached number 121.

Listening to this track for the first time, my initial impression was that it sounds very much like The Prodigy.  Then I discovered that The Prodigy's Liam Howlett co-produced this version of the track.

 

We shall next see The Art of Noise in 1995.

 

 

Number 180 "(Can You) Feel the Passion" by Blue Pearl

Peak: number 166

Peak date: 16 March 1992

Weeks on chart: 4 weeks

Blue Pearl were English producer Youth (real name Martin Glover) and American singer Durga McBroom, who had been a long term backing singer for Pink Floyd - both on their studio recordings and their live concerts.

The pair released their debut single "Naked in the Rain" in 1990, which reached number 4 in the UK, but failed to chart in Australia upon its local release in September of that year.  A second single, "Little Brother", was issued in Australia in June 1991, but similarly failed to chart, as did the album both singles were lifted from, Naked, which was released locally in June 1991.

The duo's third single, "(Can You) Feel the Passion", finally registered Blue Pearl a placing on the ARIA singles chart, albeit a rather low one.  The single fared better internationally, where it reached number 14 in the UK in January 1992, number 24 in Ireland, number 32 in Sweden in February 1992, number 34 in the Flanders region of Belgium in March 1992, and number 49 in the Netherlands in March 1992.  "(Can You) Feel the Passion" also topped the US Billboard Dance Club Songs chart in May 1992.

Locally, "(Can You) Feel the Passion" performed strongest in South Australia/Northern Territory, where it reached number 134.

 

"(Can You) Feel the Passion" lyrically references Bizarre Inc's "Playing with Knives", which we saw bubble WAY down under in 1991.

 

We will see Blue Pearl again in 1998.

Number 189 "In My Dreams" by The Party

Peak: number 186

Peak date: 23 March 1992

Weeks on chart: 2 weeks

We last saw The Party in 1991.

 

While "In My Dreams" was the lead single from the band's second album In the Meantime, In Between Time, curiously their debut album The Party (number 189, June 1992) peaked a few months after this in 1992 - although it is possible that this track was added to the Australian pressing.

 

Internationally, "In My Dreams" peaked at number 34 on the US Billboard Hot 100 in January 1992.

 

Within Australia, "In My Dreams" performed strongest in New South Wales/Australian Capital Territory, where it reached number 172.

 

I don't recall hearing this one before.  I wasn't expecting to like it, but it's actually quite decent.

 

This was The Party's final single to chart in Australia.

 

 

Next week (16 March): Five top 150 debuts, and four bubbling WAY down under entries.

< Previous week: 2 March 1992                                      Next week: 16 March 1992 >

Kent Music Report beyond the top 100: 7 March 1983

Two of the three singles bubbling under the top 100 this week in 1983 are follow-ups to the artists in question's biggest hits in Australia.  The other is a song that doesn't appear to have charted anywhere else.  Let's take a look at them.

 

Supertramp: when I was young it seemed this band was always on the radio.

 

Beyond the top 100:

 

 

Position 3 "My Kind of Lady" by Supertramp

Highest rank: 3rd

Peak date: 7 March 1983

Weeks on below list: 2 weeks

English rock band Supertramp formed in 1969.  At this point in 1983, they had placed five singles on the Australian top 100, with "It's Raining Again" (number 11, December 1982) being the highest-peaking of those.  I recall Supertramp's "Dreamer" (number 47, November 1975) and "The Logical Song" (number 16, June 1979) still being radio staples in the early 1980s.

"My Kind of Lady" was the second single lifted from Supertramp's seventh studio album ...Famous Last Words (number 2, November 1982).  Internationally, the single peaked at number 74 in Germany in March 1983.

Position 5 "Last Night (I Didn't Get to Sleep at All)" by The Reels

Highest rank: 4th

Peak date: 14 March 1983

Weeks on below list: 3 weeks

 

Australian band The Reels formed in 1976.  At this point in 1983, they had placed seven singles on the Australian top 100, with "This Guy's in Love (With You...)" (number 7, December 1982) being their biggest hit.

"Last Night...", a cover version of a song originally recorded by The 5th Dimension, was the second and final single lifted from The Reels' third studio album Beautiful (number 32, January 1983).

We shall see The Reels next in 1985.  I have written about them previously in 1989 and 1991.

 

 

Position 9 "Give Me the Good News" by Crocodile Harris

Highest rank: 9th

Peak date: 7 March 1983

Weeks on below list: 1 week

 

Crocodile Harris was the stage name of South African singer Robin Graham.  Crocodile Harris never landed a top 100 charting single or album in Australia.  "Give Me the Good News" was lifted from the album of the same name.

 

I cannot find evidence of this single charting elsewhere, even in South Africa!

Robin Graham passed away in 2015.

 

 

Next post (18 April): One new entry bubbling under the top 100.

< Previous week: 28 February 1983                                 Next post: 18 April 1983 >

Week commencing 2 March 1992

This week in 1992's new entries peaking outside the top 100 are an eclectic bunch.  Let's take a look at them.

 

Tori Amos: what's so amazing about really low chart positions?

 

Top 150 debuts:

 

Number 135 "After the Watershed (Early Learning the Hard Way)" by Carter the Unstoppable Sex Machine

Peak: number 124

Peak date: 23 March 1992

Weeks in top 150: 8 weeks

Top 150 chart run: 135-140-137-124-132-137-125-141

English indie punk band Carter the Unstoppable Sex Machine formed in 1987.  While "After the Watershed..." was their first single to dent the ARIA top 150, an earlier album 30 Something (number 138, April 1991), had charted in Australia.

"After the Watershed..." was a non-album track, and peaked at number 11 in the UK in November 1991, and number 21 in Ireland.

The single fared better on the Australian Music Report singles chart where it reached number 97.

The Rolling Stones did not approve of the use of the "goodbye Ruby Tuesday" chorus lyrics or bassline resembling "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction", and successfully sued the band... because they didn't already have enough money, right?  They now receive a co-writing credit on this track.

 

We'll next see Carter the Unstoppable Sex Machine in August.

Number 139 "Silent All These Years" by Tori Amos

Peak: number 128

Peak date: 23 March 1992

Weeks in top 150: 6 weeks

Top 150 chart run: 139-135-132-128-135-139

Weeks on chart: 8 weeks

 

Occasionally, though not very often, I write about an artist I almost need to do no research for... because I know all about them already.  Here's one such example.

 

I was an obsessive fan of Tori Amos, born Myra Ellen Amos, between 1994 and about 2002.  I first became aware of her in early 1992 through her appearance on the cover of one of those free monthly Brashs magazines that were available in-store.  I skimmed the article, saw her mention God a few times, and assumed she was a God botherer (i.e. I wouldn't have liked her music).

When Tori's second Australian single, "Winter" (number 49, June 1992), crept into the lower region of the rage top 60 chart, it fell on a week that I had set my VCR to record the chart, rather than watch it live.  Going through the tape, I didn't bother listening to the song, and remember thinking, "Oh, her."

Fast forward a couple of weeks later, I eventually heard "Winter" in full on one of its weeks in the top 60, and realised that I liked it.  I decided that I was going to record it onto a tape where I kept music videos for songs I liked, the following week... except it fell out of the top 60.  I remember sometimes getting the chorus for "Winter" stuck in my head while walking my dog, but other than that, I pretty much forgot about Tori until "Cornflake Girl" (number 19, March 1994) was released.

Taking a chance with a Brashs gift voucher I had, I bought Tori's second album Under the Pink (number 5, March 1994) soon after hearing "Cornflake Girl", and was blown away by the album.  Less than a week later, I decided to buy Tori's debut album Little Earthquakes (number 14, June 1992), from which "Silent All These Years" is lifted, and liked it even more (at the time... Under the Pink nudges it out slightly for me now).

 

Well, strictly speaking, Little Earthquakes was not Tori's debut.  Her band Y Kant Tori Read (pronounced "why can't Tori read?"), containing future Guns N' Roses drummer Matt Sorum, released a self-titled album in the US in 1988 which was a commercial failure, selling only 7000 copies.  Tori's image for this project was rather different to her later solo work - she looks like a metal chick, complete with big hair, pouty lips and skin-tight spandex pants, and she is wielding a sword.  But Y Kant Tori Read is well worth checking out if you like Tori and have not heard it before, with my personal faves from the album being "Fire on the Side" and "Etienne Trilogy".

My mum bought the sheet music book for Under the Pink for me later in 1994, and it contained an illustrated discography of Tori Amos' releases up until March 1994.  My mission in life then became to track down all of her earlier singles with umpteen non-album track B-sides on them, with interesting titles like "Flying Dutchman" and "Ode to the Banana King (Part One)".  It took almost a year, discovering Record Collector magazine, and having my mum telephone the UK at night to buy out of print limited edition CD singles using her credit card, but I succeeded with that quest.

The first concert I ever went to was Tori's first show in Melbourne on the Under the Pink tour in December 1994.  In fact, the only concerts I have been to have been Tori Amos ones - the others being her two Melbourne shows in May 2005.  I'm not really one for live music, but Tori's live shows are something else, with the setlist varying wildly each night.

As for "Silent All These Years"... it originally appeared as the lead track on the Me and a Gun EP, which was Tori's debut release in the UK, where her solo career was launched, in October 1991.  The single artwork was altered later with the title changed to "Silent All These Years", and the re-issued single peaked at number 51 in the UK in November 1991.

 

Domestically, on the state charts, "Silent All These Years" performed strongest in Victoria/Tasmania, where it reached number 108.

Following further singles "China" (not released in Australia), "Winter" and "Crucify" (number 83, August 1992), "Silent All These Years" was re-issued as a single in the UK (but not Australia), with new artwork and B-sides, in August 1992.  The re-released single reached a new peak of number 26 in the UK in August 1992.

 

"Silent All These Years" was Tori's debut solo single in her native US, and did not dent the Billboard Hot 100 upon its original release, but reached number 27 on the Alternative Airplay chart in May 1992.  The single was re-issued in 1997, to raise funds for RAINN - the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network anti sexual-assault organisation Tori was involved in setting up.  The 1997 release of "Silent All These Years" peaked at number 65 on the US Billboard Hot 100 in May 1997.

While I like "Silent All These Years", particularly the "years go by, will I still be waiting for somebody else to understand..." middle-8 section, it's not among my top-tier Tori tracks.  The partly animated video, though, is quite striking.

We shall next see Tori in 1994.

 

 

Number 141 "My Girl" by The Temptations (re-issue)

Peak: number 104

Peak date: 13 April 1992

Weeks in top 150: 12 weeks

Top 150 chart run: 141-137-136-136-124-115-104-121-126-110-130-115

 

Originally released in 1964, The Temptations' "My Girl" was re-released as a single as the title track of the late 1991 movie My Girl, starring Macaulay Culkin.  The accompanying soundtrack album peaked at number 4 in Australia in July 1992.  I assume, therefore, that the film had a later cinematic release here.

The 1992 release of "My Girl" peaked at number 2 in the UK in February 1992, number 2 in Ireland, and number 66 in Germany in March 1992.

 

 

Number 147 "Sweetheart" by Died Pretty

Peak: number 129

Peak date: 6 April 1992

Weeks in top 150: 7 weeks 

Top 150 chart run: 147-150-146-(out for 1 week)-130-129-141-140

Weeks on chart: 11 weeks

 

We last saw Australian band Died Pretty in 1991.

 

"Sweetheart" was the third and final single lifted from the band's fourth studio album Doughboy Hollow (number 24, September 1991).

 

On the state charts, "Sweetheart" performed strongest in South Australia/Northern Territory, where it reached number 99.

 

We'll next see Died Pretty in 1994.

  

 

Bubbling WAY down under:

Number 161 “Shut ’em Down” by Public Enemy

Peak: number 161

Peak date: 2 March 1992

Weeks on chart: 3 weeks 

American hip-hop group Public Enemy formed in New York in 1985.  Between 1990 and 1998, they placed nine singles on the ARIA top 100, although only two of those peaked within the top 50; namely, "Give It Up" (number 16, September 1994) and "He Got Game" (number 25, June 1998).  Despite the lack of hits in Australia, a boy two years below me at my small primary school wore a Public Enemy t-shirt to school on a couple of occasions in 1990!

“Shut ’em Down” was issued as the second single from Public Enemy’s fourth studio album, Apocalypse 91… The Enemy Strikes Black (number 11, October 1991), following “Can’t Truss It” (number 55, November 1991).  Internationally, the single peaked at number 21 in the UK in January 1992, and number 30 in New Zealand in March 1992.  The song registered on several of the US Billboard genre-specific charts, reaching number 33 on the Dance Singles Sales chart in February 1992, number 26 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart in March 1992, number 1 on the Hot Rap Songs chart in March 1992, and number 16 on the Dance Club Songs chart in April 1992.

Locally, “ Shut ’em Down” was most popular in Western Australia, where it reached number 155.

We will next see Public Enemy in May 1992.

Number 165 "Driven by You" by Brian May

Peak: number 162

Peak date: 9 March 1992

Weeks on chart: 7 weeks

 

Queen's guitarist Brian May launched his solo career in 1983 with the Brian May + Friends mini-album, though only one single, "Star Fleet", which was released in Australia in February 1984 but did not chart, was issued from it.

 

"Driven by You" was the first single from Brian's first solo album proper, Back to the Light (number 94, December 1992).  Coincidentally, the single was released in the UK the day after Queen frontman Freddie Mercury's death.

Internationally, "Driven by You" peaked at number 6 in the UK in December 1991, number 14 in Ireland in December 1991, number 10 in the Netherlands in February 1992, number 35 in the Flanders region of Belgium in May 1992, and number 70 in Canada in April 1993.

Within Australia, "Driven by You" was most popular in Western Australia, where it reached number 122.

Brian would score a hit in Australia - his only solo one - with his next release, "Too Much Love Will Kill You" (number 18, November 1992); a song he co-wrote but was originally recorded by Queen in 1988 for possible inclusion on The Miracle (number 4, June 1989).

We shall next see Brian in 1993.

 

 

Next week (9 March): Another four top 150 debuts, plus three bubbling WAY down under entries.

 

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