Before we take a look at this week in 1992's new entries peaking outside the top 100, I have updated the following earlier posts:
* 3 April 1989 - with a new bubbling WAY down under entry from Chris de Burgh;
* 6 November 1989 - with a new bubbling WAY down under entry from Chris de Burgh;
* 25 June 1990 - with a new bubbling WAY down under entry from Chris de Burgh.
Toto: once big in Africa, they were now struggling to scrape into the Australian top 200 in 1992.
Top 150 debuts:
Number 122 "Tell It Like It T-I-Is!" by The B-52's
Peak: number 120
Peak date: 19 October 1992
Weeks in top 150: 6 weeks
Chart run: 122-126-132-120-130-146
Weeks on chart: 6 weeks
We last saw American band The B-52's in 1989.
"Tell It Like It T-I-Is!" was the second single lifted from the band's sixth studio album Good Stuff (number 36, July 1992), following the title title track "Good Stuff" (number 56, July 1992). Since their 1989-90 comeback success with the Cosmic Thing (number 1 for three weeks in January 1990) album, band member Cindy Wilson took a break from the group, and would not re-join them until 1996. Good Stuff was the only B-52's album to be recorded without Cindy.
Internationally, "Tell It Like It T-I-Is!" peaked at number 61 in the UK in September 1992. The track also reached number 13 on the meaningless US Billboard Alternative Airplay chart in September 1992.
Locally, "Tell It Like It T-I-Is!" performed strongest in Queensland, where it reached number 91 on the state chart.
I recall hearing this one at the time, but not seeing the music video, which is somewhat boring by The B-52's usual standards.
We'll next see The B-52's in 1993.
Number 123 "Uh Huh Oh Yeh" by Paul Weller
Peak: number 121
Peak date: 19 October 1992
Weeks in top 150: 6 weeks
Top 150 chart run: 123-122-124-121-136-148English singer-songwriter Paul Weller came to fame as the front man of the band The Jam, who placed five singles on the Australian top 100 chart between 1981 and 1983, with "Town Called Malice"/"Precious" (number 15, May 1982) being the biggest of those. Following The Jam's demise in 1982, Paul then formed and fronted The Style Council, whom we saw bubble under in 1989. The Style Council landed ten Australian top 100 singles between 1983 and 1988, with "Shout to the Top" (number 8, February 1985) being the biggest of those. The group split in 1989, and Paul then went solo.
"Uh Huh Oh Yeh" was Paul's debut solo single in Australia, although he released "Into Tomorrow" as The Paul Weller Movement in Europe in 1991. Paul's debut album, Paul Weller (number 108, October 1992), followed suit.
Internationally, "Uh Huh Oh Yeh" peaked at number 18 in the UK in August 1992.
We shall next see Paul in 1995.
Number 132 "Felt Like a Kiss" by Honeymen
Peak: number 113
Peak date: 19 October 1992
Weeks in top 150: 6 weeks
Top 150 chart run: 132-136-137-113-126-141Honeymen were an Australian group, led by Sean Sennett. "Felt Like a Kiss" was featured in the Australian soap opera E Street, which I did not watch. Unlike other E Street spin-off/promoted acts Melissa Tkautz, Euphoria, Teen Queens, Radio Freedom and Toni Pearen, Honeymen were not able to translate the exposure from the show into a hit single, and "Felt Like a Kiss" fell short of the ARIA top 100. It would be the group's only top 150 entry. They released another single, "Motorbike of Love", in October 1994.
Number 136 "Give U My Heart" by Babyface (featuring Toni Braxton)
Peak: number 110
Peak date: 5 October 1992
Weeks in top 150: 6 weeks
Top 150 chart run: 136-110-113-118-119-130Weeks on chart: 12 weeks
We last saw American singer-songwriter and producer Babyface in 1990.
For this single, Babyface teamed up with Toni Braxton, whom I was not aware of until her first major solo hit in Australia, "Breathe Again" (number 2, April 1994). "Give U My Heart" was recorded for the Boomerang soundtrack (number 29, October 1992), which also contained Boyz II Men's "End of the Road" (number 1 for four weeks in November-December 1992) and P.M. Dawn's "I'd Die Without You" (number 42, February 1993).
Overseas, "Give U My Heart" peaked at number 29 on the US Billboard Hot 100 in September 1992, and number 41 in New Zealand in October 1992. The single also registered on several pointless Billboard genre-specific charts, reaching number 23 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles Sales chart in August 1992, number 2 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart in August 1992, number 29 on the Radio Songs chart in September 1992, number 8 on the Hip-Hop Airplay chart in September 1992, and number 32 on the Rhythmic Airplay chart in October 1992.
Locally, "Give U My Heart" was most popular in Western Australia, where it reached number 61. The single performed stronger nationally on the Australian Music Report singles chart, where it peaked at number 82.
It's quite possible I heard this one on the American Top 40 radio program at the time, but if so, I have no recollection of it.
We'll next see Babyface in 1993. While we won't see Toni bubble under with any of her solo singles, her first solo charting release in Australia, "Another Sad Love Song", initially entered the chart at number 221 at the end of August 1993, more than six months before its eventual peak of number 57 in March 1994, just as "Breathe Again" was taking off. Toni had a couple of later low-charting singles in Australia, with "Hurt You" (number 918, September 2013) - on which Babyface also appears - and "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" (number 937, December 2013). Toni also had a sting of albums that missed the top 100 locally, including Snowflakes (number 382, December 2001), More Than a Woman (number 157, February 2003), Ultimate Toni Braxton (number 207, November 2003), The Essential Toni Braxton (number 346, April 2007), Breathe Again: The Best of Toni Braxton (number 764, August 2009), Pulse (number 228, May 2010), Love, Marriage & Divorce (number 440, February 2014), and Spell My Name (number 466, September 2020). Phew!
Number 139 "Friends & Lovers" by Clive Young
Peak: number 123
Peak date: 12 October 1992
Weeks in top 150: 4 weeks
Known chart run: 178-139-140-123-140Weeks on chart: 6 weeks
We last saw Australian singer-songwriter Clive Young in 1991.
"Friends & Lovers" was lifted from Clive's only commercially-released solo album (I have since learnt that that there was a shelved album in 1989, Naturally, which had a promotional release) When the World Goes 'Round (released September 1992, did not chart). As with Clive's previous three singles, "Friends & Lovers" was most popular in Victoria/Tasmania, where it reached number 96 on the state chart.
I remember this song received some airplay in Melbourne - not that it helped its chart placing much. This would be Clive's final chart entry.
Number 141 "Through an Open Window" by Cliffs of Dooneen
Peak: number 123
Peak date: 5 October 1992
Weeks in top 150: 5 weeks
Top 150 chart run: 141-123-129-132-141I can't tell you much about Cliffs of Dooneen, other than they appear to hail from Boston. This track appeared on their 1991 album The Dog Went East, and God Went West (released in Australia in October 1992, missed the top 150), and was their only release to dent the top 150 in Australia. I cannot find evidence of this single charting elsewhere.
Bubbling WAY down under:
Number 172 "Hit & Run" by Boxcar
Peak: number 172
Peak date: 28 September 1992
Weeks on chart: 5 weeks
Aussie electronic band Boxcar last graced our presence in 1991.
The original version of "Hit & Run" appeared on the band's debut album Vertigo (number 118, February 1991). The track was remixed and released as a single to promote their remix album Revision: The Vertigo Mixes +1 (number 154, November 1992).
On the state charts, "Hit & Run" was most popular in New South Wales/Australian Capital Territory, where it reached number 162. I don't recall hearing this one before - I like it, though prefer the original album version to the 'Euphoric Mix' embedded below, which was the lead track on the CD single.
We'll next see Boxcar in 1993.
Number 203 "Look to the Future" by Fortran 5 featuring Larry Graham
Peak: number 203
Peak date: 28 September 1992
Weeks on chart: 3 weeks
Fortran 5 were David Baker and Simon Leonard, who started out as I Start Counting, formed in London in 1982. As their music evolved to become more dance-orientated, the duo changed their name to Fortran 5.
"Look to the Future" originally appeared on the debut Fortran 5 album Blues, which does not appear to have been released in Australia, in 1991, in quite a different form, with vocals by Nigel Butler. The track was re-recorded with Larry Graham, who sang and played bass in Sly and The Family Stone, for its single release.
"Look to the Future" peaked at number 104 in the UK in August 1992. Locally, the single performed strongest in South Australia/Northern Territory, where it reached number 160.
This would be the only Fortran 5 release to chart in Australia.
Number 216 "Making the Perfect Man" by Chris de Burgh
Peak: number 208
Peak date: 9 November 1992
Weeks on chart: 3 weeks
We last saw Chris de Burgh in June 1992.
"Making the Perfect Man" was issued as the second single in Australia from Chris' tenth studio album Power of Ten (number 81, June 1992). This single missed the UK top 75, peaking at number 87 there in August 1992.
Domestically, "Making the Perfect Man" performed strongest in Western Australia, where it reached number 175.
We shall see Chris again on one more occasion, in 1994.
Number 217 "Don't Chain My Heart" by Toto
Peak: number 173
Peak date: 4 January 1993
Weeks on chart: 8 weeks
American rock band Toto formed in Los Angeles in 1977. Between 1979 and 1985, they placed eight singles on the Australian top 100, with "Africa" (number 5, February 1983) being the biggest of those. I have a distinct early childhood memory of "Africa" playing on the radio in the taxi on the way to being page boy (which I hated...) at my uncle's wedding in early 1983, when I was four years old.
"Don't Chain My Heart" was issued as the lead single from Toto's eighth studio album Kingdom of Desire, which was released in Australia in September 1992 but missed the top 150. The group had a compilation album that bubbled under in 1990, however, with Past to Present 1977-1990 (number 142, July 1990).
Internationally, "Don't Chain My Heart" peaked at number 9 in Sweden in September 1992, number 8 in Norway, number 12 in the Netherlands in September 1992, number 38 in Switzerland in October 1992, and number 35 in France in January 1993.
Locally, "Don't Chain My Heart" performed strongest in Queensland, where it reached number 156. This would be Toto's final single to chart in Australia, although Weezer's rendition of "Africa" would peak at number 602 in June 2018.
I have no recollection of hearing "Don't Chain My Heart" at the time. I do recall learning of the death of Toto's drummer Jeff Porcaro in August 1992, aged 38, around this time, however, as it was announced on the American Top 40 radio show.
Next week (5 October): Three top 150 entries and five bubbling WAY down under debuts.
I waa an avid E-Street viewer. A lot of Australian talent was given a leg up through the show. The producers even launched a record label named for the mythical suburb E-Street was aer. Oh and I have since worked alongside Sean Sennett's wife Melanie when I served on the board of a Brisbane based NGO. I also have copies of all E-Street soundtrack care of a second hand store bargain bin (the CD spine has a distinctive notch cut into it. Oh and a copy of the Motorbike Of Love found me at a local Lifeline store. Been meaning to tease Mrs Sennett with it ever since - lol. Did she ever ride that bike?
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