Before writing this post, I had only heard one of this week in 1992’s new entries peaking in the 101-150 region of the chart. Perhaps they are new to you, too? Let’s take a look.
The Cure could only ‘wish’ their latest single made the ARIA top 100 in 1992.
Top 150 debuts:
Number 120 “Always Tomorrow” by Gloria Estefan
Peak: number 107
Peak date: 23 November 1992
Weeks in top 150: 8 weeks
Chart run: 174-120-117-107-113-121-131-(chart repeated for 2 week Xmas break)
Weeks on chart: 9 weeks
Gloria Estefan last graced our presence in 1991.
“Always Tomorrow” was issued as a new track to promote Gloria Estefan’s Greatest Hits (number 21, November 1992) compilation album, which also contained singles released as Miami Sound Machine or Gloria Estefan and Miami Sound Machine. The track is somewhat different from Gloria’s other singles that I am familiar with, in that it is acoustic guitar-based, and Gloria is shown playing the guitar (I was not aware that she played an instrument) in the music video.
Internationally, “Always Tomorrow” peaked at number 24 in the UK in October 1992, number 27 in Ireland in October 1992, number 15 in the Netherlands in November 1992, and number 81 on the US Billboard Hot 100 in November 1992. The song also reached number 5 on the US Billboard Adult Contemporary chart in November 1992.
Locally, “Always Tomorrow” was most popular in Victoria/Tasmania, where it reached number 90 on the state chart.
I remember seeing this single reviewed in Smash Hits magazine at the time, but did not hear it until writing this post.
We will next see Gloria in 1993.
Number 128 “A Letter to Elise” by The Cure
Peak: number 103
Peak date: 30 November 1992
Weeks in top 150: 8 weeks
Known chart run: 161-128-138-105-103-112-117-(chart repeated for 2 week Xmas break)
Weeks on chart: 11 weeks
English band The Cure formed in 1976. Up until this point in 1992, they had placed 19 singles on the Australian top 100, including two different versions of "Boys Don't Cry" (number 26, August 1986). Their highest-charting single in Australia was "High" (number 5, March 1992), although "The Lovecats" (number 6, March 1984) and "Close to Me" (number 7, February 1986) are probably better-known. My favourite Cure singles are probably "Lovesong" (number 82, October 1989), "Just Like Heaven" (number 89, November 1987) and "Never Enough" (number 22, October 1990).
"A Letter to Elise" was issued as the third single from The Cure's ninth studio album Wish (number 1, May 1992), following the aforementioned "High" and "Friday I'm in Love" (number 39, June 1992), which surprisingly only scraped into the top 40 here.
Internationally, "A Letter to Elise" peaked at number 28 in the UK in October 1992, number 23 in Ireland in October 1992, number 39 in Sweden in October 1992, and number 13 in New Zealand in November 1992. The song also registered on the US Billboard Alternative Airplay chart, where it reached number 2 in August 1992.
Within Australia, "A Letter to Elise" performed strongest on the New South Wales/Australian Capital Territory state chart, where it reached number 76. The single also peaked 36 places higher nationally on the Australian Music Report singles chart, where it reached number 67.
I don't think I heard this one until buying The Cure's Galore: The Singles 1987-1997 (number 45, November 1997) compilation album. I don't mind it, but it's not one of their best.
We'll next see The Cure in 1996.
Number 134 “Shuffle It All” by Izzy Stradlin and The Ju Ju Hounds
Peak: number 117
Peak date: 23 November 1992
Weeks in top 150: 5 weeks
Top 150 chart run: 134-123-117-139-141
Born Jeffrey Dean Isbell, Izzy Stradlin came to fame as Guns N' Roses' rhythm guitarist. Izzy quit the group in November 1991 at the height of their fame, forming Izzy Stradlin and The Ju Ju Hounds. Their debut single "Pressure Drop" (number 47, October 1992), crept into the lower region of the ARIA top 50. I hadn't actually heard that song until writing this post - it did not air during the rage top 60 chart, as no music video was filmed for the track.
"Shuffle It All" was released as the second single from the Izzy Stradlin and The Ju Ju Hounds (number 42, November 1992) album. Internationally, the single peaked at number 54 in Canada in December 1992, and at number 85 in the UK during the same month.
This would be the last Izzy Stradlin release to trouble the ARIA top 150.
Number 140 “She’ll Be Right, Mate” by Slim Dusty
Peak: number 129
Peak date: 23 November 1992
Weeks in top 150: 3 weeks
Top 150 chart run: 140-142-129
Aussie country music legend Slim Dusty has previously paid us a visit in 1981.
"She'll Be Right Mate" was lifted from Slim's 83rd (!) album - according to a chronological list on Wikipedia - That's the Song We're Singing (number 123, November 1992). No music video is available for this track on YouTube, but you can view a live performance of it here.
Slim will join us next in 1994.
Number 144 “Sliding” by Living Daylights
Peak: number 144
Peak date: 9 November 1992
Weeks in top 150: 1 week
Top 150 chart run: 144
From what I can gather, Living Daylights were an Australian band, containing members Boyd Wilson and Denise Di Marchi, They released an album Living Daylights in Japan in 1994, but this does not appear to have been released in Australia. I hadn’t heard, or even heard of, this one before.
We will see Living Daylights again in 1993.
Number 146 The Mark Curry EP by Mark Curry
Peak: number 146
Peak date: 9 November 1992
Weeks in top 150: 2 weeks
Top 150 chart run: 146-(out for 1 week)-147
American singer-songwriter Mark Curry started out in the band Crystal Sphere before going solo in 1992. "Sorry About the Weather", the lead track from The Mark Curry EP, reached number 20 on the US Billboard Alternative Songs chart in October 1992. I cannot find evidence of it charting elsewhere.
I had never heard of Mark Curry before writing this post. "Sorry About the Weather" isn't bad, although I find it annoying that the music video (embedded below) plays in the background while a couple talk in front of the television. You can hear the track more clearly here.
Mark's debut solo album It's Only Time was released in Australia in November 1992, but missed the top 150. This EP would be Mark's only ARIA top 150 entry.
Number 150 “Whatcha’ Need” by Bootsauce
Peak: number 150
Peak date: 9 November 1992
Weeks in top 150: 1 week
Top 150 chart run: 150
It seems quite a week for obscure artists I've never heard of before, and here's yet another. Bootsauce were a Canadian band, formed in Montreal in 1989. "Whatcha' Need" was lifted from their second album Bull, which does not appear to have been released in Australia.
Internationally, "Whatcha' Need" peaked at number 50 in Canada in July 1992.
I didn't mind this one. Bootsauce split in 1996, and this would be their only Australian top 150 entry.
Bubbling WAY down under:
Number 189 “Lovin’ You” by Shanice
Peak: number 189
Peak date: 9 November 1992
Weeks on chart: 6 weeks
We last saw American songstress Shanice in July 1992.
"Lovin' You" was issued as the third single from Inner Child (number 111, May 1992) in Australia. The song is a cover version of Minnie Riperton's "Lovin' You" (number 5, May 1975). We saw another cover version of this song bubble under in 1990. Shanice's version updates the song for the early 90s, with an R&B sound.
Internationally, Shanice's version of "Lovin' You" peaked at number 54 in the UK in November 1992. The song also reached number 59 on the US Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart.
Domestically, "Lovin' You" was most popular in Queensland, where it reached number 164 on the state chart.
I hadn't heard Shanice's version of "Lovin' You" before, but liked it. It translates into an early 90s R&B track better than I was expecting it to.
We shall next see Shanice in 1993.
Number 190 “How Soon Is Now?” by The Smiths
Peak: number 190
Peak date: 9 November 1992
Weeks on chart: 3 weeks
The Smiths last graced our presence in September 1992.
Continuing the re-release campaign to promote their Best ...1 (number 64, October 1992) compilation, "How Soon Is Now?" was originally released in Australia in March 1985, but failed to chart. The 1985 release of the single peaked at number 24 in the UK in February 1985, number 5 in Ireland in February 1985, and number 39 in New Zealand in June 1985. It also reached number 36 on the US Billboard Dance Singles Sales chart in March 1985.
The 1992 release of "How Soon Is Now?" peaked at number 16 in the UK in September 1992, and at number 16 in Ireland during the same month. Domestically, the single performed strongest in Queensland, reaching number 174 on the state chart.
I first heard "How Soon Is Now?" when catching the music video on rage among the new releases airing before the top 60 chart began, in late 1992. My first encounter with the song was via it being sampled prominently on Soho's "Hippychick" (number 21, January 1991).
I concur with the comments on YouTube, where people state that the "I am human and I need to be loved, just like everybody else does" chorus lyrics on this song hit hard. I also like to think I can do a quite reasonable impression of Morrissey's voice on the chorus of this track.
It's a testament to "How Soon Is Now?"'s enduring popularity that the track reached number 4 on the US Billboard Alternative Digital Song Sales chart in November 2023.
We shall see The Smiths with another re-release in early 1993.
Number 206 “Soul Inspiration” by Simon Climie
Peak: number 206
Peak date: 9 November 1992
Weeks on chart: 1 week
Simon Climie came to fame as one half of English duo Climie Fisher, whom we last saw in February 1989; although they were essentially one-hit wonders in Australia, with "Love Changes (Everything)" (number 23, October 1988). Before that, Simon had some success as a songwriter for other artists, co-writing Pat Benatar's "Invincible" (number 23, October 1985) and Aretha Franklin & George Michael's "I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me)" (number 1 for 4 weeks in March-April 1987).
"Soul Inspiration" was Simon's debut solo single, lifted from the Soul Inspiration album, which does not appear to have been released in Australia. Internationally, the single peaked at number 60 in the UK in September 1992, number 44 in the Netherlands in November 1992, and number 60 in Germany in December 1992. The track was later remixed by Phil Harding and Ian Curnow, formerly of PWL, and re-released as "Shine a Light (Soul Inspiration)", peaking at number 87 in the UK in July 1993.
Locally, "Soul Inspiration" performed strongest in New South Wales/Australian Capital Territory, where it reached number 188 on the state chart.
I wasn't familiar with this track until ripping the music video from a German VHS compilation about 15 year ago. It could have become a hit with better promotion, I think.
This would be Simon's only solo charting release in Australia.
Number 207 “Only Love” by Maybe Dolls
Peak: number 207
Peak date: 9 November 1992
Weeks on chart: 1 week
We last saw Aussie band Maybe Dolls in May 1992.
"Only Love" was issued as the fourth and final single from the band's debut - and only - album Propaganda (number 25, March 1992). The single was most popular in New South Wales/Australian Capital Territory, where it reached number 189 on the state chart.
I hadn't heard this one before, but like it. If a music video exists, it has not yet made its way onto YouTube.
This would be Maybe Dolls' final chart entry. They released another single, "Goodbye", in August 1993, but it seems to have disappeared without a trace, and cannot be found anywhere to listen to online.
Number 210 “Strange Weather” by Glenn Frey
Peak: number 210
Peak date: 9 November 1992
Weeks on chart: 1 week
We last saw Glenn Frey in September 1992.
"Strange Weather" was issued as the fourth and final single in Australia from Glenn's fourth solo album Strange Weather (number 120. September 1992). I cannot find evidence of the single charting elsewhere. In Australia, "Strange Weather" was most popular in Western Australia, where it reached number 179 on the state chart.
No music video appears for this track on YouTube, but you can view a live TV performance of the song here.
This would be Glenn's last charting single in Australia. He had later low-charting albums with Live (number 224, August 1993), After Hours (number 180, October 2012), and Above the Clouds: The Very Best of (number 769, June 2018).
Next week (16 November): Six top 150 entries and three bubbling WAY down under debuts.
< Previous week: 2 November 1992 Next week: 16 November 1992 >
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