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
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
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
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.
Number 133 "Money Worries" by MC OJ & Rhythm Slave
Peak: number 133
Peak date: 30 March 1992
Weeks in top 150: 2 weeks
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.
I heard this blog is run by the same guy as the OhNoItsIsNathan YouTube channels, so this message is for you. By any chance, could you upload the original video for Vanessa Amorosi's "Absolutely Everybody”, as there is no good version of it on YouTube, and the only one currently there appears to have text added over the video. Knowing that you like to collect odd music videos, there's a chance you may have a recording somewhere.
ReplyDeleteHere's my upload (my original upload from years and years ago was taken down) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TDeN26isDC0
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