Of this week in 1992’s new entries peaking outside the top 100: I only knew one of them at the time. Perhaps these songs are new to you, too? Let’s take a look.
Indecent Obsession could not achieve a ‘decent’ chart position with this release in 1992.
Top 150 debuts:
Number 116 “Domino” by Kiss
Peak: number 110
Peak date: 26 October 1992
Weeks in top 150: 5 weeks
Top 150 chart run: 116-116-110-116-130
Weeks on chart: 6 weeks
We last saw American glam rock band Kiss in 1990.
“Domino” was the second single issued from the band’s sixteenth studio album Revenge (number 5, July 1992), following “God Gave Rock & Roll to You II” (number 18, August 1992). Unlike most Kiss tracks, “Domino” has lead vocals sung by the band’s bassist, Gene Simmons.
Internationally, “Domino” peaked at number 26 on the US Billboard Mainstream Rock Airplay chart in October 1992.
Domestically, the single performed strongest in South Australia/Northern Territory, where it reached number 83.
The song and music video seem very out of touch with what was happening in 1992 - i.e. this kind of rock/metal had been largely replaced with grunge and alternative music. My initial thought upon watching the music video for the first time was… this is bad.
Kiss will not bubble under again on the singles chart, other than with “Hell Or Hallelujah” (number 584, July 2012). I will definitely not be writing these chart recaps for 2012. Several later albums peaked outside the top 100, some of which are older albums listed as though they are new entries on the ARIA database, including Double Platinum (number 175, February 1995), Dynasty (number 186, February 1995), Animalize (number 224, February 1995), Unmasked (number 189, February 1995), Playlist Plus (number 258, March 2009), Love Gun (number 216, November 2014), and Rocks Vegas (number 401, September 2016).
Number 136 “Rebel with a Cause” by Indecent Obsession
Peak: number 122
Peak date: 19 October 1992
Weeks in top 150: 5 weeks
Top 150 chart run: 136-122-125-133-138
Weeks on chart: 6 weeks
Aussie band Indecent Obsession formed in Brisbane in 1987, although one of the band members, guitarist Andrew Coyne (the one with long hair), was from my hometown, Geelong. The group signed with former Countdown host Ian “Molly” Meldrum’s Melodian label, which he set up to promote local, young talent. The group burst onto the scene in mid-1989 with their debut single “Say Goodbye” (number 6, August 1989), which I first became aware of when my sister bought the cassingle for this track. Looking at the single sleeve, they seemed like Australia’s answer to Bros (who my then 15 year-old sister was also a fan of). The trouble with having ‘pin up’ looks (well, the aforementioned Andrew excepted) and appealing to/being marketed as an act that appeals to teenage girls, is that it’s then difficult for other demographics to take your work seriously, even if you’re also a ‘real’ band who write their own songs and play instruments, and that was definitely the case for Indecent Obsession. It didn’t help that the initial pressing of the band’s debut album Spoken Words (number 28, December 1989) depicted them standing on the beach wearing wetsuits. The album’s artwork was later changed, due to them copping so much flack over it.
Indecent Obsession’s second single “Tell Me Something” (number 17, October 1989) gave them some minor international success, reaching number 31 on the US Billboard Hot 100 in September 1990, which is not bad at all for a new pop act from down under.
They received diminishing returns with the third and fourth singles issued from Spoken Words, “Come Back to Me” (number 40, January 1990) and “Never Gonna Stop” (number 72, February 1990). The band were the support act on the Australian leg of Kylie Minogue’s Enjoy Yourself tour in early 1990. I remember a girl from my class went to that show just to see Indecent Obsession.
The band returned in 1992 with their second album Indio (number 39, August 1992), led by the single “Kiss Me” (number 27, May 1992), which topped the singles chart in South Africa. “Rebel with a Cause” was the third release from the album, following “Indio” (number 41, August 1992). I remember seeing “Rebel with a Cause” being reviewed in Smash Hits magazine, but did not hear it until obtaining the VHS compilation I ripped the music video (embedded below) from about ten years ago. I think all of the Indio singles deserved to do much better on the charts.
On the state charts, “Rebel with a Cause” was most popular in Queensland, where it reached number 99.
We shall next see Indecent Obsession in 1993.
Number 146 “Shame Shame Shame” by Sinitta
Peak: number 135
Peak date: 26 October 1992
Weeks in top 150: 146-139-135
Top 150 chart run: 3 weeks
Weeks on chart: 7 weeks
We last saw British-American songstress Sinitta in 1990.
“Shame Shame Shame”, co-produced by Phil Harding and Ian Curnow from PWL, was issued as the lead single of what would eventually become Sinitta’s third album in 1995, Naughty Naughty, released only in Spain and several East Asian countries. It was an album of cover versions, and “Shame Shame Shame” was originally recorded by Shirley & Company, with their version peaking at number 16 in Australia in August 1975.
Sinitta’s version of “Shame Shame Shame” peaked at number 28 in the UK in July 1992, and number 30 in Ireland during the same month.
Locally, the single was most successful in South Australia/Northern Territory, where it reached number 103.
I remember catching the video for this one on M.C. TeeVee.
This would be Sinitta’s final release in Australia. She would go on to land a few more low-charting singles, all cover versions, in the UK in 1993, including an EP of Supremes covers. While Sinitta may have landed in cover version hell after parting ways with Stock Aitken Waterman in 1989, her relationship with Simon Cowell continued to pay dividends, providing Snit (as I remember Number One magazine referring to her) with work in the reality TV karaoke contest world this century.
Bubbling WAY down under:
Number 177 “High” by Hyper Go Go
Peak: number 177
Peak date: 12 October 1992
Weeks on chart: 8 weeks
The two founding members of English house act Hyper Go Go met at school in Colchester. “High” was their first release on trendy dance label Deconstruction, giving the band their first taste of commercial success. “High” peaked at number 30 in the UK in August 1992, and number 45 in the Netherlands in November 1992.
Domestically, “High” performed strongest in Western Australia, where it reached number 139. I have noticed before that these early rave/breakbeat tracks seemed to often do best in Western Australia.
“High” would eventually appear on the act’s only album National Anthems, which failed to chart in Australia. A 1996 remix of the single peaked at number 32 in the UK in October 1996.
Although I do not recall hearing this one before, the piano riff sounds very familiar. Update: a reader has kindly informed me that the riff is sampled from Rhythm Is Rhythm’s “Strings of Life”, from 1989.
Number 180 “Come with Me (Tonite)” by Astral Project
Peak: number 179
Peak date: 23 November 1992
Weeks on chart: 7 weeks
Australian house act Astral Project were Arden Godrey and Andy Van Dorsselaer; the latter being better known as Andy Van, who was one half of Madison Avenue. Madison Avenue scored four out of four top 10 hits in Australia with their singles, including “Don’t Call Me Baby” (number 2, November 1999) and “Who the Hell Are You?” (number 1 for two weeks in June 2000).
“Come with Me (Tonite)” was the first of two singles released by the band, and the only one to chart. The single was most popular in Victoria/Tasmania, where it reached number 155.
I first heard this one on the free Australian Music Day 1992 promotional CD compilation, which a friend from school gifted me about a year later. It’s quite ahead of its time for Australian dance music back then.
The pair’s second single, “Feel It”, was released as a double A-side with a new mix of “Come with Me”, in 1994.
Number 199 “Generations” by Inspiral Carpets
Peak: number 199
Peak date: 12 October 1992
Weeks on chart: 4 weeks
English band Inspiral Carpets last graced our presence in July 1992.
“Generations” was the fourth single released from the band’s third album Revenge of the Goldfish (number 123, June 1993), and the fourth consecutive release by the band to peak between number 177 and 199 in Australia. “Generations” performed much better In the band’s homeland, peaking at number 28 in the UK in September 1992.
In Australia, “Generations” performed strongest in Western Australia, where it reached number 157.
While I don’t recall hearing this one before, it’s on a DVD of Inspiral Carpets music videos I own that I haven’t fully watched yet. I quite enjoyed “Generations” and would listen to it again.
We’ll next see Inspiral Carpets in 1993.
Number 220 “Low Life in High Places” by Thunder
Peak: number 220
Peak date: 12 October 1992
Weeks on chart: 1 week
English hard rock band Thunder formed in London in 1989. “Low Life in High Places”, their first and only single to chart in Australia, was the first single issued from the band’s second studio album Laughing on Judgement Day.
Internationally, “Low Life in High Places” peaked at number 22 in the UK in August 1992, number 47 in the Netherlands in October 1992, and number 44 in New Zealand in February 1993.
Locally, “Low Life in High Places” was most popular in Western Australia, where it reached number 193.
I have this peak as it’s an artist late blog reader Brad asked for. He often liked rock/metal acts more than I do, but I quite enjoyed listening to this one, which I otherwise would probably have never heard.
Thunder had five low-charting albums in Australia between 2016 and 2021, with Rip It Up (number 237, March 2017) being the highest-charting of those.
Although we won’t see Thunder again on their own, a cover version they recorded for a charity single, on which multiple artists perform versions of the same track, will bubble under in early 1994.
Next week (19 October): Seven top 150 entries and six bubbling WAY down under debuts.
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