Week commencing 19 October 1992

I cannot identify a common theme among this week's 13 new entries debuting and peaking outside the ARIA top 100, so let's just jump straight in...

Maxi Priest scored a 'mini' hit on the ARIA singles chart this week in 1992.

Top 150 debuts:

Number 106 “So Dangerous” by Lisa Edwards

Peak: number 106

Peak date: 19 October 1992

Weeks in top 150: 6 weeks 

Top 150 chart run: 106-107-121-127-132-124

Weeks on chart: 6 weeks 

Australian songstress Lisa Edwards first came to attention (at least, in my world) as one of John Farnham's live backing singers, following his hugely successful Jack's Back tour in 1987-1988,  Prior to that, she released a couple of singles, both solo and with Short Circuit, in the 1980s that did nothing chart-wise.  Lisa can be spotted as one of John Farnham's backing singers in the music video for “Two Strong Hearts” (number 6, October 1988) - that's her with the blonde crimped hair.

Lisa finally tasted chart success with the release of her single “Cry” (number 5, July 1992), which was originally recorded by Godley & Creme, with their version peaking at number 43 in Australia in August 1985. 

 

"So Dangerous", which I do not recall hearing before, was released as the follow-up to "Cry". and did not perform nearly as well, peaking 101 places lower on the ARIA singles chart than its predecessor.  On the state charts, "So Dangerous" performed equally-strongest in Victoria/Tasmania and South Australia/Northern Territory, where it reached number 92.  The single fared better nationally on the Australian Music Report singles chart, where it reached number 70.

 

"So Dangerous" had a rockier edge than I was expecting, reminding me musically a little bit of Janet Jackson's "Black Cat" (number 6, November 1990).  I also was not expecting to see Lisa writhing about in a sequinned catsuit in the music video.  Skip to 1:35 in the video embedded below if you want to get straight to the song and skip the overly-long dialogue introduction.

 

"So Dangerous" would go on to appear on the album Thru the Hoop (number 120, June 1993).

 

We shall see Lisa again in 1993.

Number 115 “Helpless” by Sugar

Peak: number 111

Peak date: 26 October 1992

Weeks in top 150: 5 weeks 

Top 150 chart run: 115-111-119-123-128

American indie rock band Sugar formed in Austin, Texas in the early 1990s, fronted by singer and guitarist Bob Mould, who previously led the band Hüsker Dü.  "Helpless" was Sugar's debut Australian release, lifted from the band's debut album Copper Blue (number 92, November 1992).

Internationally, "Helpless" peaked at number 5 on the US Billboard Alternative Songs chart in October 1992, and at number 37 in New Zealand in November 1992.

 

I don't recall hearing this one before, but the chorus seems vaguely familiar.  It's not the sort of thing I would normally listen to, but it's not bad.

 

We will next see Sugar in December 1992.

 

Number 127 “Groovin’ in the Midnight” by Maxi Priest

Peak: number 120

Peak date: 26 October 1992

Weeks in top 150: 4 weeks

Top 150 chart run: 127-120-127-132

Weeks on chart: 7 weeks 

We last saw British reggae singer Maxi Priest as a featured artist in October 1991, and on his own a week prior to that.

 

"Groovin' in the Midnight" was issued as the lead single from Maxi's fifth studio album Fe Real (number 130, May 1993).  Internationally, the single peaked at number 50 in the UK in September 1992, number 63 on the US Billboard Hot 100 in November 1992, number 64 in Canada in December 1992, and number 31 in New Zealand in December 1992.

Domestically, "Groovin' in the Midnight" was most popular in Western Australia, where it reached number 94.

 

I don't recall hearing this one before, but quite enjoyed it.  It should have been a much bigger hit.

We shall next see Maxi in 1993.

Number 134 “What Are You Under” by Definition of Sound

Peak: number 116

Peak date: 23 November 1992

Weeks in top 150: 6 weeks 

Top 150 chart run: 134-121-124-122-126-116

Weeks on chart: 10 weeks 

We last saw English dance/rap duo Definition of Sound in April 1992.

 

"What Are You Under" was issued as the lead single from the pair's second album The Lick (number 176, November 1992).  Overseas, the single peaked at number 68 in the UK in September 1992, and number 41 in New Zealand in October 1992.

 

Locally, "What Are You Under" performed strongest in Queensland, where it reached number 92 on the state chart.

 

I did actually hear this one at the time, and caught the music video on M.C. TeeVee.  I like the song and think it should have done much better chart-wise.

 

We'll see Definition of Sound next in 1993.

 

Number 136 “Deeper Than a River” by Olivia Newton-John

Peak: number 136

Peak date: 19 October 1992

Weeks in top 150: 3 weeks

Top 150 chart run: 136-142-(out for 1 week)-149

Weeks on chart: 4 weeks

We last saw Australian/English/American (take your pick!) singer Olivia Newton-John in July 1992.

"Deeper Than a River" was released as the second new single from Olivia's Back to Basics: The Essential Collection 1971-1992 (number 15, September 1992) compilation.  The single only received a commercial release in Australia, but peaked at number 20 on the US Billboard Adult Contemporary chart in September 1992.  As Olivia was undergoing chemotherapy treatment for breast cancer at the time, she was unable to film a music video or promote the release.  The song was penned by beige songwriter extraordinaire, Diane Warren.

On the state charts, "Deeper Than a River" performed strongest in Queensland, where it reached number 120.

 

We'll next see Olivia in 1995.

Number 142 “Countdown” by Lindsey Buckingham 

Peak: number 131

Peak date: 26 October 1992

Weeks in top 150: 5 weeks 

Top 150 chart run: 142-131-135-135-136

American singer-songwriter Lindsey Buckingham came to fame when he joined Fleetwood Mac alongside his then-partner Stevie Nicks in 1975.  He sang lead on their singles "Go Your Own Way" (number 20, April 1977) and "Big Love" (number 16, May 1987).  Lindsey struck out on his own in 1981 with the single "Trouble" topping the Australian singles chart for three weeks in February 1982.  Lindsey was also responsible for the theme song for the movie National Lampoon's Vacation, "Holiday Road", which was released locally in September 1983 but somehow failed to chart in Australia.

"Countdown" was issued as the lead single in Australia from Lindsey's third solo studio album Out of the Cradle (number 135, October 1992).  Internationally, the single peaked at number 98 in the UK in July 1992, number 64 in the Netherlands in September 1992, number 66 in Germany in September 1992, and number 29 in Canada in October 1992.  It also registered on a couple of US Billboard genre-specific charts, reaching number 38 on the Mainstream Rock Airplay chart in October 1992, and number 32 on the Adult Contemporary chart in October 1992.

 

I hadn't heard this one before, but like it.

Lindsey will not 'trouble' the ARIA top 150 again as a solo artist.

Number 147 “Night Calls” by Joe Cocker

Peak: number 133

Peak date: 9 November 1992

Weeks in top 150: 5 weeks 

Top 150 chart run: 147-137-137-133-146

Gravel-voiced English singer Joe Cocker last joined us in July 1992.

"Night Calls" was issued as the third single and title track from Joe's thirteenth studio album Night Calls (number 23, September 1992) in Australia.  Internationally, the single peaked at number 44 in the Netherlands in November 1991, number 37 in Germany in December 1991, and number 11 in France in May 1992.

I don’t recall hearing this one before, and while it’s not something I would seek out, it wasn’t bad.

We will see Joe next in 1994.

Bubbling WAY down under:

Number 180 “Johnny Have You Seen Her?” by The Rembrandts

Peak: number 172

Peak date: 23 November 1992

Weeks on chart: 9 weeks 

American duo The Rembrandts last graced our presence in 1991.

 

"Johnny Have You Seen Her?" was issued as the lead single from the band's second album Untitled (number 158, October 1992).  Overseas, the single peaked at number 53 in Germany in November 1992.

Locally, "Johnny Have You Seen Her?" was most popular in Western Australia, where it reached number 120 on the state chart.

I don’t recall hearing this one before.  I enjoyed it more than I was expecting to, and think it’s better than The Rembrandts’ two Australian hits.

The Rembrandts will join us again in 1997.

 

Number 193 “Double Summer” by The Chills

Peak: number 180

Peak date: 9 November 1992

Weeks on chart: 5 weeks

Kiwi band The Chills last bubbled WAY down under in July 1992.

 

"Double Summer" was issued as the second and final single from The Chills' third studio album Soft Bomb (number 99, August 1992).  The single did not chart in New Zealand.

Locally, "Double Summer" performed strongest in South Australia/Northern Territory, where it reached number 117 on the state chart.

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

One thing I was unaware of until researching this post is that The Chills' lead singer,  Martin Phillipps, passed away unexpectedly in July 2024, aged 61.

While we will not see The Chills again, they had another very low-charting single in Australia with “When the Poor Can Reach the Moon” (number 1229, January 2016).  They also had later charting albums in Australia that peaked outside the top 100: Heavenly Pop Hits: The Best of (number 122, March 1995), Silver Bullets (number 501, November 2015), and Kaleidoscope World (number 1339, September 2016).

Number 195 “A Trip to Trumpton” by Urban Hype

Peak: number 187

Peak date: 26 October 1992

Weeks on chart: 5 weeks

English techno duo Urban Hype formed in Chandler's Ford, Hampshire, in 1988.  "A Trip to Trumpton" was their breakthrough release, and only real hit, in the UK, peaking at number 6 in July 1992.  The single also reached number 21 in Ireland in July 1992.

Domestically, "A Trip to Trumpton" performed strongest in Western Australia, where it reached number 144.  This is another example of Western Australia embracing early rave/breakbeat songs, more than other regions of Australia.

I became familiar with "A Trip to Trumpton" via the UK Chart Attack radio program, where it spent a couple of weeks in their top 5, consisting of songs that had not yet crossed over into international markets.  I also caught the video once on rage as a new release before the top 60 chart aired.

 

Along with tracks like The Prodigy's "Charly" and Smart E's "Sesame's Treet" (number 6, September 1992), "A Trip to Trumpton" belongs to the 'toytown techno' sub-genre, sampling its "Pugh, Pugh, Barney McGrew, Cuthbert, Dibble, Grub" lines from the BBC Trumpton children's television series from the 1960s.

 

Urban Hype would go on to have two further minor 'hits' in the UK with “The Feeling” (number 67 in the UK in October 1992) and “Living in a Fantasy” (number 57 in the UK in January 1993).   They also released an album Conspiracy to Dance, which does not appear to have been released in Australia.  "A Trip to Trumpton" would be the only Urban Hype release to chart locally.

Number 196 “Don’t You Worry ‘bout a Thing” by Incognito 

Peak: number 196

Peak date: 19 October 1992

Weeks on chart: 1 week 

British acid jazz band Incognito formed in London in 1979.  They would have to wait until the early 1990s, however, for major chart success in their homeland.

"Don't You Worry 'bout a Thing", originally recorded by Stevie Wonder in 1973 and released as a single the following year, was the lead single from Incognito's third album Tribes, Vibes and Scribes (number 194, October 1992).  Internationally, Incognito's version peaked at number 19 in the UK in June 1992, number 40 in Sweden in July 1992, number 6 in the Netherlands in August 1992, number 46 in Germany in August 1992, and number 30 in the Flanders region of Belgium in August 1992.

In Australia, "Don't You Worry 'bout a Thing" performed strongest in Western Australia, where it reached number 147.

Incognito would not land a top 100 single in Australia, but two of their albums dented the ARIA top 100:  100° and Rising (number 79, August 1995) and No Time Like the Future (number 84, May 1999).

 

We shall next see Incognito in 1994.

Number 221 “Bulletproof!” by Pop Will Eat Itself

Peak: number 221

Peak date: 19 October 1992

Weeks on chart: 1 week 

English band Pop Will Eat Itself last paid us a visit in July 1992.

"Bulletproof!" was issued as the single from Pop Will Eat Itself's fourth studio album The Looks Or the Lifestyle? (number 165, October 1992).  The single peaked at number 24 in the UK in August 1992.

Within Australia, "Bulletproof!" was most popular in Western Australia, where it reached number 190 on the state chart.

I wasn't aware of this one at the time, but have since caught the music video on rage a few times over the years.  I couldn't remember how the song went though until pressing play on the video embedded below.

 

We shall next see Pop Will Eat Itself in 1993.

Number 223 “Soul Cat Girl” by Grayson Hugh

Peak: number 209

Peak date: 26 October 1992

Weeks on chart: 3 weeks 

American singer-songwriter Grayson Hugh previously visited us in June 1990.

"Soul Cat Girl" was issued as the only commercial single from Grayson's third studio album, and second major label release, Road to Freedom, which was released in Australia in November 1992, but missed the top 150.  "Soul Cat Girl" appears to have only received a commercial release as a single in Australia.

On the state charts, "Soul Cat Girl" performed strongest in Western Australia, where it reached number 165.  This would be Grayson's last charting single in Australia.

 

Next week (26 October): Six top 150 entries and eight bubbling WAY down under debuts.

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