Eight of this week in 1992's new entries peaking outside the ARIA top 100 have lead male vocals. Let's take a look at them.
Marky Mark: so skint he had to make do without a shirt.
Top 150 debuts:
Number 128 "I Need Money" by Marky Mark & The Funky Bunch
Peak: number 121
Peak date: 13 April 1992
Weeks in top 150: 5 weeks
Top 150 chart run: 128-121-123-127-133
Mark Wahlberg, known in the early 90s as Marky Mark, was an original member of New Kids on the Block, at age 13, alongside his older brother Donnie. Mark soon quit the group, however, and launched his 'solo' musical career (of sorts) in 1991 together with The Funky Bunch.
Marky Mark's debut single "Good Vibrations" (number 4, October 1991) was an international hit, followed up by the more moderately-successful "Wildside" (number 28, January 1992). "I Need Money" was the third and final single lifted from the debut Marky Mark & The Funky Bunch album Music for the People (number 67, November 1991).
Internationally, "I Need Money" peaked at number 61 on the US Billboard Hot 100 in March 1992.
I did not hear this one at the time, but remember it being reviewed in Smash Hits magazine.
Number 134 "Poison Girl" by Chris Whitley
Peak: number 133
Peak date: 22 June 1992
Weeks in top 150: 8 weeks
Top 150 chart run: 134-142-144-(out for 5 weeks)-134-142-146-133-150
We last saw American blues/rock singer-songwriter Chris Whitley in January.
"Poison Girl" was the third and final single lifted from Chris' debut album Living with the Law (number 109, November 1991). I cannot find evidence of this single charting elsewhere, even on the subsidiary genre-specific Billboard charts. It was his final ARIA top 150 entry.
Number 135 "Laid So Low (Tears Roll Down)" by Tears for Fears
Peak: number 130
Peak date: 27 April 1992
Weeks in top 150: 7 weeks
Known chart run: 153-135-136-(out of the top 150 for 1 week)-130-138-138-137-137
Weeks on chart: 9 weeks
We last saw Tears for Fears, who were now essentially just Roland Orzabal, in 1990. We also saw a side project of theirs in 1991.
"Laid So Low (Tears Roll Down)" originally appeared as a largely instrumental B-side on the "Sowing the Seeds of Love" (number 13, October 1989) single in 1989, titled "Tears Roll Down". This version of the track was recorded for the Tears Roll Down (Greatest Hits 82-92) (number 101, July 1992) compilation. Although that album curiously just missed the top 100 in Australia, it performed considerably better in Western Australia, where it reached number 16 on the state chart.
Internationally, "Laid So Low..." peaked at number 17 in the UK in February 1992, number 40 in Germany in March 1992, number 27 in the Netherlands in April 1992, number 15 in France in May 1992, and number 49 in the Flanders region of Belgium in May 1992.
Domestically, "Laid So Low..." was most popular in Western Australia, where it reached number 95.
I remember seeing this single in the shops, but never actually heard the track until listening to it to write this post. While I think the song is OK, it does not rank among Tears for Fears' best.
Number 136 Covers E.P. by Everything but the Girl
Peak: number 136
Peak date: 6 April 1992
Weeks in top 150: 3 weeks
Top 150 chart run: 136-149-138
Weeks on chart: 7 weeks
We last saw English duo Everything but the Girl in 1990.
As you might expect from the title of the E.P., Covers consists of cover versions of other artists' songs. The four cover versions on this E.P. are "Love Is Strange" (originally recorded by Mickey & Sylvia), "Tougher Than the Rest" (originally recorded by Bruce Springsteen), "Time After Time" (originally recorded by Cyndi Lauper), and "Alison" (originally recorded by Elvis Costello).
None of the above tracks appear on the then-current Everything but the Girl album Worldwide (number 164, December 1991).
Internationally, the Covers E.P. peaked at number 13 in the UK in March 1992, and number 18 in Ireland during the same month.
Within Australia, Covers performed strongest in South Australia/Northern Territory, where it reached number 121.
We'll next see Everything but the Girl in 1993.
Number 141 "Lover, Lover, Lover" by Ian McCulloch
Peak: number 141
Peak date: 6 April 1992
Weeks in top 150: 2 weeks
Top 150 chart run: 141-(out for 1 week)-142
English singer-songwriter Ian McCulloch is best known as the lead singer of Echo & The Bunnymen. He launched a solo career in 1984.
"Lover, Lover, Lover" was the lifted from Ian's second solo studio album Mysterio. It was Ian's first solo release to chart in Australia.
Internationally, "Lover, Lover, Lover" peaked at number 47 in the UK in March 1992.
I hadn't heard this one before. I liked it.
We shall see Ian again with Echo & The Bunnymen in 1997.
Number 148 "What My Baby Likes" by Push Push
Peak: number 118
Peak date: 25 May 1992
Weeks in top 150: 12 weeks
Top 150 chart run: 148-133-133-123-132-120-119-118-127-136-124-140
New Zealand rock band Push Push formed in 1985. Their debut single "Trippin'" topped the New Zealand singles chart for six non-consecutive weeks in April-May 1991, and peaked at number 25 locally in July 1991. Their second single "Song 27" (number 62, September 1991) was less-successful.
"What My Baby Likes" was the third and final single released from Push Push's only album A Trillion Shades of Happy (number 105, June 1992). The single peaked at number 4 in New Zealand in March 1992.
Number 149 "James Brown Is Still Alive!!" by Holy Noise featuring The Global Insert Project
Peak: number 148
Peak date: 4 May 1992
Weeks in top 150: 2 weeks
Top 150 chart run: 149-(out for 3 weeks)-148
Not having heard this one before, as I expected from the title, "James Brown Is Still Alive!!" is an answer-song of sorts to L.A. Style's "James Brown Is Dead" (number 7, May 1992).
Internationally, "James Brown Is Still Alive!!" peaked at number 5 in the Netherlands in November 1991, number 7 in the Flanders region of Belgium in December 1991, and number 29 in Germany in February 1992.
"James Brown Is Still Alive!!" performed much better on the Australian Music Report singles chart, reaching number 90.
Of course, James Brown is dead now. He died on Christmas day 2006, aged 73.
Bubbling WAY down under:
Number 171 "Moira Jane's Café" by Definition of Sound
Peak: number 153
Peak date: 25 May 1992
Weeks on chart: 11 weeks
We last saw Definition of Sound in 1991.
"Moira Jane's Café" was the fourth and final single lifted from the duo's debut album Love and Life (number 97, August 1991). The single peaked at number 34 in the UK in February 1992, and at number 50 in the Netherlands in April 1992.
Domestically, "Moira Jane's Café" was most popular in Western Australia, where it reached number 108.
We shall see Definition of Sound next in October.
Number 179 "I'll Cry for You" by Europe
Peak: number 179
Peak date: 6 April 1992
Weeks on chart: 2 weeks
We last saw Swedish rock band Europe in 1991.
"I'll Cry for You" was the second single lifted from the band's fifth studio album Prisoners in Paradise (number 197, November 1991). Internationally, "I'll Cry for You" peaked at number 28 in the UK in February 1992.
Within Australia, "I'll Cry for You" performed strongest in Western Australia, where it reached number 126.
This was Europe's final single to peak outside the ARIA top 100. They landed another chart hit in late 1999 with "The Final Countdown 2000" (number 33, January 2000).
Europe had three further albums peak outside the top 100 in Australia: Last Look at Eden (number 926, August 2010), War of Kings (number 646, January 2016), and The Final Countdown 30th Anniversary Show - Live at The Roundhouse (number 839, January 2018).
I just looked up Push Push on Discogs and they released a single in 2019. Flippin' 'eck lad! The cover art is godawful, though.
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