Week commencing 15 March 1993

One thing this week in 1993's new entries peaking outside the Australian top 100 have in common is that I was not familiar with any of them at the time.  Perhaps they are new to you too?  Let's take a look.

 

Gyan trying to visualise a second hit that never came.

 

Top 150 debuts:

 

Number 120 "Walking Through Syrup" by Ned's Atomic Dustbin

Peak: number 111

Peak dates: 22 March 1993 and 5 April 1993

Weeks in top 150: 6 weeks

Top 150 chart run: 120-111-113-111-122-121

 

We last saw English rock band Ned's Atomic Dustbin in 1991.

 

"Walking Through Syrup" was the second single released in Australia from the band's second studio album Are You Normal? (number 79, March 1993).  It followed "Not Sleeping Around", which was released locally in October 1992 but missed the top 150.

 

I cannot find evidence of "Walking Through Syrup" charting elsewhere, other than the song reaching number 13 on the US Billboard Alternative Airplay chart.

 

A third single from Are You Normal?, "Intact", was released in Australia in May 1993, but missed the top 150.  "Walking Through Syrup" was the band's final ARIA top 150 single, although they had a later charting album with Brainbloodvolume (number 128, April 1995).  After that album, the band split, before reforming in 2000.

 

 

 

Number 125 "Quality Time" by Hi-Five

Peak: number 114

Peak date: 5 April 1993

Weeks in top 150: 7 weeks

Top 150 chart run: 125-117-123-114-125-120-133

 

American R&B vocal quintet Hi-Five last joined us in 1992.

 

"Quality Time" was the second single lifted from the group's second album Keep It Goin' On (number 130, November 1992).  It followed "She's Playing Hard to Get" (number 46, January 1993), which was Hi-Five's highest-charting single in Australia, and spent 24 weeks in the top 150.

 

Internationally, "Quality Time" peaked at number 38 on the US Billboard Hot 100 in January 1993, and number 36 in New Zealand in March 1993.

 

I wasn't expecting the vocals on this one to be as deep as they are, given the pre-voice breaking vocals heard on some of the group's earlier singles.

 

I remembered that two of the band members had died, one of whom was paralysed in the 90s following a car accident, when looking for information on Hi-Five when they first bubbled under in 1991; but one thing I overlooked was that another member of the group, Russell Neal, was charged with murdering his wife in 2014!  So much tragedy in one group.

 

We'll see Hi-Five one more time, in 1994.

 

 

 

Number 139 "Stay" by Wrecking Crew

Peak: number 117

Peak date: 19 April 1993

Weeks in top 150: 10 weeks

Top 150 chart run: 139-138-122-127-124-117-129-140-142-146

 

Australian band Wrecking Crew formed in Sydney in 1987.  "Stay" was their second release, following their debut single "Welcome to the Circus", which was released in November 1992  but missed the top 150.  Both tracks appear on the band's only album Fun in the Doghouse (number 115, June 1993).

 

I can't find much information about the band online, but can tell you the band members were Dave Wilkins (vocals), Brenton Dehn (guitar), Dave Reynolds (bass), and Gary Synerdahl (drums). 

We'll see Wrecking Crew once more, in July 1993.

 

 

Number 144 "Stop the World" by Extreme

Peak: number 128

Peak date: 12 April 1993

Weeks in top 150: 7 weeks

Top 150 chart run: 144-134-145-142-128-133-150

Weeks on chart: 10 weeks

 

We last saw American band Extreme in 1989.  Since then, the group had their commercial breakthrough in Australia with the acoustic ballad "More Than Words" (number 2 for two weeks in August-September 1991), and its follow-up, "Hole Hearted" (number 24, November 1991).  Neither track was typical of the band's usual rock/metal sound, which is always problematic.

 

"Stop the World" was the second single released from Extreme's third studio album III Sides to Every Story (number 42, October 1992).  It followed "Rest in Peace" (number 76, October 1992).

 

Internationally, "Stop the World" peaked at number 12 in the UK in November 1992, number 19 in Canada in February 1993, and number 95 on the US Billboard Hot 100 in February 1993.

 

Locally, "Stop the World" performed equally-strongest in Queensland and Western Australia, reaching number 116 on both state charts.

 

An interesting, if not rather disturbing, fact I uncovered while researching this track is that the music video features the late British actress and model Kadamba Simmons, who was strangled to death by her ex-boyfriend in June 1998, aged 24.

 

We won't see Extreme again, but they had a final charting single in Australia in 1995 with "Hip Today" (number 99, February 1995).

 

 

Number 145 "Visualize" by Gyan

Peak: number 145

Peak date: 15 March 1993

Weeks in top 150: 1 week

Top 150 chart run: 145

Weeks on chart: 8 weeks

 

Gyan (pronounced 'gee-AHN', with a hard g) - not her real name (she has never revealed what that is) Evans grew up in Belmont, a suburb of Geelong (and where I lived until I was 10), and attended the primary school adjacent to the high school I went to.  She made a splash on the chart with her debut single "Wait" (number 14, October 1989), and a promising recording career seemed to beckon.  Unfortunately, that was not to be the case, and only one other single of hers, second release "It's Alright" (number 49, December 1989), landed within the ARIA top 50.  Both tracks were taken from her gold-certified debut album Gyan (number 27, November 1989), which also contained her third single "Black Wedding Ring" (number 93, February 1990).

 

After a two and a half year hiatus, Gyan returned in the second half of 1992 with her second album Reddest Red (number 105, October 1992), preceded by the single "Something's Gotta Give" (number 80, September 1992).  Neither release set the charts on fire.

 

"Visualize" was the second single lifted from Reddest Red, and took five months after its mid-October 1992 release to crawl into the top 150, after debuting at number 227 on 2 November 1992.  On the state charts, "Visualize" performed strongest in Victoria/Tasmania, where it reached number 99.  I am not sure why there was such belated interest in the single.  I didn't hear this song until obtaining the video in the mid-late 2000s - it's nice enough, but a bit on the unmemorable side.  Gyan's voice is fantastic as always on this track, though.

 

A third single from Reddest Red, "Goodnews", appears to have been released in 1993, though it is not listed among the weekly lists of new release titles in The ARIA Report.  It did not chart.

 

Gyan now lives in Byron Bay.  This was her last charting release.

Bubbling WAY down under:

 

Number 161 "Build" by Innocence

Peak: number 161

Peak date: 15 March 1993

Weeks on chart: 8 weeks

 

We last saw English R&B band Innocence in February 1993, a mere six weeks ago.

 

"Build" was the title track and third single lifted from their second and final studio album Build (number 217, December 1992).  It followed "I'll Be There" (number 174, August 1992) and "One Love in My Lifetime" (number 168, February 1993).

 

Internationally, "Build" peaked at number 72 in the UK in November 1992.  In Australia, the single was most popular in Queensland, where it reached number 145 on the state chart.

 

I first heard "Build" in the early 2010s when it appeared on a VHS compilation I was digitising.  I like the stark piano ballad a lot, and think it should have been a much bigger hit.

 

Innocence disbanded after this single's release.

 

 

 

Number 190 "Paper Doll" by Fleetwood Mac

Peak: number 183

Peak date: 22 March 1993

Weeks on chart: 6 weeks

 

We last saw transatlantic band Fleetwood Mac in 1990.

 

"Paper Doll" was one of four new songs recorded for the compilation album Selections from 25 Years - The Chain (number 2, September 2013), which originally peaked at number 125 in Australia in February 1993.  Stevie Nicks sings lead on this track.

 

At the time of writing this, the Wikipedia page for this single incorrectly claimed that "Paper Doll" was exclusively released as a single in North America.  Last time I checked, Australia was not part of that continent!  It does not, however, appear to have been released in the UK, missing the top 200 singles chart there completely.

 

Internationally, "Paper Doll" peaked at number 8 on the US Billboard Bubbling Under Hot 100 chart (analogous to peaking at number 108, though not quite) in December 1992, and at number 9 in Canada in February 1993.  The song also registered on two US Billboard genre-specific charts, peaking at number 26 on the Mainstream Rock Airplay chart in December 1992, and number 32 on the Adult Contemporary chart in January 1993.

 

In Australia, "Paper Doll" performed strongest in Western Australia, reaching number 133 on the state chart.

 

Despite their Greatest Hits (number 3, January 1989) compilation being seemingly inescapable, I hadn't heard "Paper Doll" until writing this post; granted, the song does not appear on that set.  I wasn't expecting to like the song, given it's an obscure-ish cast-off track of theirs, but it's quite decent.  The music video for "Paper Doll", on the other hand, was quickly thrown together, using footage from earlier Fleetwood Mac videos.

 

Fleetwood Mac will next join us in 1997.

 

 

Number 200 "Living on Dreams" by Flash and The Pan

Peak: number 200

Peak date: 15 March 1993

Weeks on chart: 1 week

 

We last heard from Australian duo Flash and The Pan in 1992.  "Living on Dreams" was the second and final single from their sixth and final studio album Burning Up the Night (released Australia in September 1992, did not chart).

 

On the state charts, "Living on Dreams" performed strongest in Victoria/Tasmania, where it reached number 176.

 

We will see Flash in the Pan on one more occasion, in 1995.

 

 

Next week (22 March): Eight top 150 entries and one bubbling WAY down under debut.

 

< Previous week: 8 March 1993                               Next week: 22 March 1993 >

Week commencing 8 March 1993

While I have come to know some of this week in 1993’s new entries peaking outside the Australian top 100, I only knew one of these songs at the time.  Perhaps this is your first time hearing most of them, too?  Let’s take a look.

 

Margaret Urlich had to settle for being 132nd best this week in 1993.

 

Top 150 debuts:

 

Number 112 "Angel" by Jon Secada

Peak: number 112

Peak date: 8 March 1993

Weeks in top 150: 5 weeks

Chart run: 112-115-113-116-117

Weeks on chart: 5 weeks

 

Cuban-born American singer-songwriter Juan Francisco Secada Ramírez, better known as Jon Secada, started his career by completing Bachelor and Master degrees in jazz vocal performance at the University of Miami.  Through his university connections, Jon became acquainted with Emilio Estefan, then of Miami Sound Machine, and Gloria Estefan's husband.  He worked as a teacher at a senior high school for some years before co-writing and singing backing vocals on Gloria's "Coming out of the Dark" (number 56, February 1991).

 

Jon launched his solo recording career in 1992, with the single "Just Another Day" (number 12, November 1992), which was a slow burner on the Australian chart, taking 14 weeks to reach the top 40 after debuting at number 186 in mid-June 1992, finally peaking at number 12 on its 25th week on the chart.  Jon followed that up with the less-successful "Do You Believe in Us?" (number 38, January 1993).  "Angel" was the third single lifted from his debut album Jon Secada (number 89, March 1993).

 

Internationally, "Angel" peaked at number 23 in the UK in January 1993, number 35 in the Netherlands in March 1993, number 72 in Germany in April 1993, number 4 in Canada in April 1993, number 18 on the US Billboard Hot 100 in April 1993, and number 45 in New Zealand in May 1993.  "Angel" also registered on several US Billboard genre-specific charts, peaking at number 1 on the Hot Latin Songs chart in October 1992, number 3 on the Adult Contemporary chart in April 1993, number 9 on the Pop Airplay chart in May 1993, number 10 on the Radio Songs chart in May 1993, and number 11 on the Latin Digital Song Sales chart in March 2011 (!).

 

Locally, "Angel" was most popular in Western Australia, where it reached number 86 on the state chart.  "Angel" performed better nationally on the Australian Music Report singles chart, where it reached number 98.

 

A fourth single from Jon Secada, "I'm Free", was released in Australia in August 1993, but did not chart.

 

I hadn't heard "Angel" until listening to it while writing this post.  I can see why it was less successful than the first two singles - it's a bit sappy.

 

I caught a live TV performance Jon did in around 2010 on YouTube some years ago, and it struck me how his voice wasn't nearly as good as it was during the height of his career.  It must be difficult when that happens to artists who can actually sing.

 

We'll next see Jon in 1995.

 

Number 117 "Comes a Time" by Spy V Spy

Peak: number 117

Peak date: 8 March 1993

Weeks in top 150: 5 weeks

Top 150 chart run: 117-126-126-129-135

Weeks on chart: 9 weeks

 

Sydney band (v) Spy V Spy last joined us in January 1993.  "Comes a Time" was the second single lifted from the band's fifth and final studio album Fossil (number 42, May 1993).

On the state charts, "Comes a Time" performed strongest in Western Australia, where it reached number 77.

 

I hadn't heard this one before.  It deals with the subject of alcoholism.  It would be the band's last top 150 single.

 

A further single, "One Way Street", was released in June 1993 but did not chart.  We will see Spy V Spy once more in September 1993.

 

 

Number 128 "Alive & Kicking" by East Side Beat

Peak: number 127

Peak date: 15 March 1993

Weeks in top 150: 5 weeks

Top 150 chart run: 128-127-128-135-132

Weeks on chart: 8 weeks

 

East Side Beat were an Italian dance project, fronted by singer Carl Fanini, who would later go on to front Clubhouse, with a 'featuring Carl' credit, who had a hit here with "Light My Fire" (number 26, August 1994).  Carl was donning a pair of spectacles when he was fronting East Side Beat, in contrast to his later performances with Clubhouse.  As you might have guessed, this song was a cover version of Simple Minds' "Alive & Kicking" (number 21, November 1985), with a K.W.S.-esque backing.

 

Internationally, East Side Beat's version of "Alive & Kicking" peaked at number 26 in the UK in December 1992, number 28 in Ireland in December 1992, number 20 in the Netherlands in February 1993, and number 19 in the Flanders region of Belgium in February 1993.

 

In Australia, "Alive & Kicking" performed strongest in Western Australia, reaching number 96 on the state chart.

 

If a music video exists for "Alive & Kicking", it has not yet found its way onto YouTube.  You can view a(n actually) live vocal performance of the song on Top of the Pops here.  The host mentions at the end that one of the pair was studying to become a lawyer, the other a psychiatrist.  I'm not sure how their career ambitions turned out.

 

"Alive & Kicking" was actually the group's second single, although their first Australian release.  We shall see their first international single, released rather belatedly in Australia, bubble under in May 1993.

 

 

 

Number 129 "Somebody to Shove" by Soul Asylum

Peak: number 123

Peak date: 15 March 1993

Weeks in top 150: 7 weeks

Top 150 chart run: 129-123-135-134-124-126-130

Weeks on chart: 8 weeks

 

Like most people, I first became aware of American band Soul Asylum through their hit "Runaway Train" (number 11, November 1993), which was promoted by a memorable music video containing images of missing children, teenagers and young adults, with different missing people featured in different edits of the video for each country the single was released in.  You can view excerpts of the Australian videos (two different edits were made - it was re-edited after some of Ivan Milat's murder victims, featured in the first edit, were found in the Belanglo State Forest during the song's chart run) here.  Soul Asylum actually formed in 1981, I was surprised to read on their Wikipedia page.  The band did not achieve chart success until their sixth studio album Grave Dancers Union (number 63, February 1994), from which "Somebody to Shove" was the lead single.

 

Internationally, "Somebody to Shove" initially peaked at number 34 the UK in August 1993, before being re-issued after the success of "Runaway Train" and reaching a slightly higher peak of number 32 there in March 1994.  "Somebody to Shove" also registered on two US Billboard genre-specific charts, reaching number 1 on the Alternative Airplay chart in December 1992, and number 9 on the Mainstream Rock chart in February 1993.

Domestically, "Somebody to Shove" was most successful in Queensland, where it reached number 102 on the state chart.

 

I didn't know "Somebody to Shove" at the time, but have caught the video on rage a couple of times in recent years.

 

We'll next see Soul Asylum in June 1993.

 

 

Number 132 "Second Best" by Margaret Urlich

Peak: number 132

Peak date: 8 March 1993

Weeks in top 150: 10 weeks

Top 150 chart run: 132-149-137-143-148-150-146-144-133-148

Weeks on chart: 11 weeks

 

Now, here's the one song from this lot I did know at the time!  The video embedded below is my recording of it from Video Smash Hits, spliced at the beginning and end with some of the missing seconds, sourced from a Video CD (does anyone remember those?) made for nightclub play.

 

Margaret Urlich was born in Auckland, and launched her recording career in New Zealand fronting the band Peking Man, landing a number 1 single there in December 1985-January 1986 with "Room That Echoes".  Peking Man landed three hits in New Zealand before splitting.  Margaret was then part of the Kiwi all-girl group When the Cat's Away, whom we saw bubble under in 1989.  The group scored a number 1 hit in New Zealand with their version of "Melting Pot" in December 1988.

 

Margaret finally launched her solo career in 1989 with "Escaping" (number 17, May 1990), giving her another number 1 in New Zealand in December 1989.  While "Escaping" would become Margaret's biggest single in Australia, her solo debut album Safety in Numbers (number 5, December 1990) reached the top 5, achieving triple platinum sales, and four top 100 singles here.  Between 1990 and 1995, Margaret notched up 11 top 100 singles in Australia.

 

"Second Best" - as it's titled on the album and spine and back inlay card on the CD single, was also titled "(I Don't Want to Be) Second Best" on the front cover of the CD single.  Such inconsistencies annoy me!  It was the third single lifted from Margaret's second solo studio album Chameleon Dreams (number 5, September 1992), following "Boy in the Moon" (number 21, September 1992) and "Human Race" (number 55, January 1993).

 

Internationally, "Second Best" peaked at number 39 in New Zealand in May 1993.  In Australia, the single performed strongest in Western Australia, where it reached number 100 on the state chart.

 

Despite being a radio-friendly artist (when Australian radio was rather 'safe'), I don't recall hearing "Second Best" on the radio at the time, which probably hampered its success.

 

Margaret sadly passed away in August 2022, aged 57, after a two and a half year illness with an unspecified type of cancer.  She had worked as a music teacher in a school in New South Wales since abandoning her recording/performing career in the late 1990s.  Margaret said in an interview on being a teacher that she enjoyed being anonymous again.

 

We'll next see Margaret in September 1993.

 

Number 136 "How Does It Feel?" by Electroset

Peak: number 132

Peak date: 22 March 1993

Weeks in top 150: 4 weeks

Top 150 chart run: 136-137-132-138

 

Electroset were Alex Bell and James Diplock, whom we saw under the name of Hyper Go Go in October 1992.  "How Does It Feel?" prominently samples the "how does it feel, tell me now how do I feel" lines from New Order's "Blue Monday" (number 13, August 1983); a version of which we saw bubble under in 1991.  The music video also features snippets of New Order's "Blue Monday 1988" (number 3, June 1988) video.  The song also samples the riff from The Prodigy's "Everybody in the Place", which we saw bubble under in June 1992.

 

Internationally, "How Does It Feel?" peaked at number 27 in the UK in November 1992.

 

I didn't hear this one at the time, but it appeared on a UK VHS compilation I digitised over a decade ago.

 

Electroset released another single, "Sensation", in the UK in 1995, which samples INXS' "New Sensation" (number 8, June 1988), but it did not receive an Australian release.

 

 

Number 147 Seafood EP by Chocolate Starfish

Peak: number 114

Peak date: 15 March 1993

Weeks in top 150: 5 weeks

Top 150 chart run: 147-114-121-121-143

Weeks on chart: 8 weeks

 

Aussie band Chocolate Starfish formed in Melbourne in 1992.  The Seafood EP was their debut release, containing six tracks, one of which is a 12" version of another.  A music video was filmed for "On This Day", the first track on the EP, which I have embedded below.

The EP performed strongest on the Victoria/Tasmania state chart, where it reached number 44; its next-highest state chart peak was number 156, in New South Wales/Australian Capital Territory.  ARIA initially placed the Seafood EP on the albums chart, where it spent a solitary week at number 181 on 8 February 1993, before entering the singles chart the following week at number 178.  The Seafood EP peaked higher nationally on the Australian Music Report singles chart, where it reached number 62.

 

Although I live in Victoria, I wasn't aware of Chocolate Starfish until their next release, a cover version of Carly Simon's "You're So Vain" (number 1 for two weeks in February 1973 on the Go Set chart).  Chocolate Starfish's version of "You're So Vain" (number 11, September 1993) gave them their commercial breakthrough, and highest-charting single.  Only "In Me" from the Seafood EP made its way onto the band's debut album Chocolate Starfish (number 2, April 1994), but the song is 20 seconds shorter on the album than on the EP, so I am guessing it was re-recorded.

 

Somehow, I didn't realise what the band's name meant until several years later...  The band's guitarist, Zoran Romic, died from non-Hodgkin's lymphoma in 2012.

 

We'll next see Chocolate Starfish in 1994.

 

 

Bubbling WAY down under:

 

Number 155 "Nothing Can Bring Me Down" by The Dukes

Peak: number 155

Peak date: 8 March 1993

Weeks on chart: 5 weeks

 

Aussie band The Dukes formed in Sydney in 1991, and were originally called Sean Kelly and The Iron Dukes.  The band's line-up included former Models singer Sean Kelly on lead vocals, and Geoffrey Stapleton of GANGgajang.

 

"Nothing Can Bring Me Down" was the third single released from the band's only album Harbour City (number 88, December 1992).  It followed "Gonna Get High" (number 60, July 1992) and "Faith" (number 29, November 1992), which were moderate chart hits.  Although "Gonna Get High" only managed to creep into the national top 60, it was quite popular in Western Australia, reaching number 9 on the state chart.  Its next-highest state chart peak was number 42 in South Australia/Northern Territory.

 

"Nothing Can Bring Me Down" was most popular in South Australia/Northern Territory, where it reached number 123 on the state chart.

 

The band's trumpet player, Kevin Dubber, fortunately uploaded the music video for "Nothing Can Bring Me Down" to YouTube, but was certain that the single did not receive a commercial release, as he posted in the comments on the video.  Well, sometimes artists get it wrong, and this did actually receive a commercial release, or else it would not have been able to chart (back when our chart was 100% based on sales).

 

The Dukes managed one further minor 'hit' with their version of "I Fought the Law" (number 88, May 1993), recorded for the Reckless Kelly soundtrack album (number 22, April 1993) - not to be confused with Australian former political advisor and probable rapist Bruce Lerhmann's karaoke rendition of the song.  The song was added to a re-released version of the Harbour City album.

 

The Dukes disbanded in early 1994.

 

 

Number 158 "Will You Be There" by Fischer-Z

Peak: number 153

Peak date: 22 March 1993

Weeks on chart: 6 weeks

 

We saw English band Fischer-Z (pronounced 'fish's head') in 1989.

 

"Will You Be There" was the lead single in Australia from the sixth Fischer-Z studio album Destination Paradise (released in Australia in May 1993, did not chart).  Internationally, "Will You Be There" peaked at number 95 in Germany in November 1992.  In Australia, the single performed strongest in Queensland, where it reached number 135 on the state chart.

 

I hadn't heard this one before, but liked it.  "Will You Be There" was the last Fischer-Z single to chart in Australia, although they had one later low-charting album with The Best (number 172, June 1996).

 

Number 193 "What's in a Word" by The Christians

Peak: number 193

Peak date: 8 March 1993

Weeks on chart: 1 week

 

We last saw English band The Christians in 1990.

 

"What's in a Word" was the lead single from the band's third studio album Happy in Hell (number 143, March 1993).  Internationally, the single peaked at number 33 in the UK in September 1992, number 38 in the Netherlands in October 1992, number 60 in Germany in November 1992, and number 17 in France in December 1992.

 

In Australia, "What's in a World" was most popular in New South Wales/Australian Capital Territory, where it reached number 174 on the state chart.  The single was released locally on 25 January 1993, and took more than a month to register on the chart.

 

I hadn't heard "What's in a Word" until writing this post, but liked it a lot.  I think this could have done much better on the chart if it had received decent promotion.

 

"What's in a Word" appears to have been The Christians' last single released in Australia.  The band released a compilation album The Best of the Christians in late 1993, but it does not appear to have been released in Australia.  The band's lead singer, Garry Christian, released a solo album Your Cool Mystery in 1997, which was not released locally.  Founding member Roger Christian died from a brain tumour in 1998, aged 38.  The Christians have continued recording and releasing music, with their most-recent studio album We being released in 2015.

 

Number 194 "Understand This Groove" by Frankë

Peak: number 194

Peak date: 8 March 1993

Weeks on chart: 1 week

 

Now this release has a convoluted history.  Originally released in 1990 under the name of "Understand This Groove (I Really Love You)", credited to UFI or The U.F.I. (short for Universal Funk Industry) featuring Franke (no umlaut), this single peaked at number 148 (number 113 on the compressed chart) in the UK in March 1990.

 

The single was remixed and re-released in 1992, as separate UFI (no featuring credit) and Frankë (note the umlaut) releases, as just "Understand This Groove".  The Frankë in question was American singer Frankë Pharoah, who hailed from Arkansas.  The 1992 UFI version peaked at number 131 (number 97 on the compressed chart) in the UK in October 1992, while the Frankë release peaked at number 60 in the UK in November 1992.

 

In Australia, we only got the Frankë version.  The single performed strongest in New South Wales/Australian Capital Territory, where it reached number 175 on the state chart.

 

I wasn't aware of this track in 1993, but caught the video in the last quarter of 1994 on the short-lived Hitz TV, a spin-off of the Melbourne dance music youth-orientated temporary licence radio station Hitz FM.

 

We'll see Frankë again in May 1993.

 

 

Number 200 "Heartbeat" by The Grid

Peak: number 188

Peak date: 22 March 1993

Weeks on chart: 3 weeks

 

English duo The Grid last joined us in 1990.

 

"Heartbeat" was the third single released from The Grid's second studio album 456 (number 199, March 1993).  It followed "Boom!" (released locally in October 1991) and "Figure of Eight" (released locally in September 1992), neither of which charted in Australia.

 

Internationally, "Heartbeat" peaked at number 72 in the UK in October 1992.  In Australia, the single performed strongest in Western Australia, where it reached number 165 on the state chart.

 

We shall see The Grid bubble under once more, in 1995.  Before then, The Grid had their commercial breakthrough in Australia with "Swamp Thing" (number 3, September 1994), and followed it up with two further top 100 singles, "Rollercoaster" (number 59, October 1994) and "Texas Cowboys" (number 74, January 1995).  "Texas Cowboys" was originally released in Australia in November 1993, and entered the chart at number 186 on 15 November 1993.  It was re-issued locally in November 1994, after the success of "Swamp Thing".

 

We shall see The Grid once more, in 1995.

 

 

Next week (15 March): Five top 150 entries and three bubbling WAY down under debuts.

 

< Previous week: 1 March 1993                    Next week: 15 March 1993 >

Week commencing 1 March 1993

A loose theme running through this week's new entries peaking outside the top 100 in 1993 is that several of the acts only had one real 'hit' in Australia... during their lifetimes, anyway (read on to see what I mean) - whether that means one top 40 hit or one top 100 'hit'.  Of course, as usual, there are also a couple of acts who never landed a top 100 single in Australia.  Before we take a look, I have updated the following previous post:

 

* 20 May 1991: with new bubbling WAY down under entries from Not Drowning, Waving and Bob Marley and The Wailers.

 

Bob Marley: exodus from the top 100.

 

Top 150 debuts:

 

Number 110 "Get Me" by Dinosaur Jr.

Peak: number 106

Peak date: 8 March 1993

Weeks in top 150: 4 weeks

Top 150 chart run: 110-106-112-112

Weeks on chart: 13 weeks

 

American rock band Dinosaur Jr. formed in Massachusetts in 1984.  The band were originally named Dinosaur, but had to change their name for legal reasons.  The group first hit the Australian chart with their fourth studio album, and first major label release, Green Mind (number 108, April 1991).

 

"Get Me" was the lead single from the fifth Dinosaur Jr. album Where You Been (number 45, May 1993).  Internationally, "Get Me" peaked at number 44 in the UK in November 1992, and number 39 in Sweden in December 1992.

 

In Australia, "Get Me" was most popular in South Australia/Northern Territory, where it reached number 77 on the state chart.

 

I don't recall hearing this one before, but see that I have a copy of the video recorded from rage in my collection, so I must have heard it previously.

 

Dinosaur Jr. would only land one top 100 single in Australia, "Feel the Pain" (number 61, September 1994).

 

We'll next see Dinosaur Jr. in May 1993.

 

 

Number 121 "Hell Hoping" by The Welcome Mat

Peak: number 121

Peak dates: 1 March 1993 and 8 March 1993

Weeks in top 150: 4 weeks

Top 150 chart run: 121-121-141-141

 

We last saw Sydney band The Welcome Mat in 1991.  Since then, they placed the 6-track EP Spare (number 81 on the albums chart, June 1992) within the ARIA top 100 albums chart.

 

"Hell Hoping" was the lead single from the band's debut album Gram (number 107, April 1993).  I didn't recognise this one by title, but the chorus sounds familiar.

 

Like Dinosaur Jr. above, The Welcome Mat would only score one top 100 single in Australia, with "Hey! Illusion" (number 91, June 1996).

 

We shall next 'welcome' The Welcome Mat to the 101-150 region of the chart in May 1993.

 

 

Number 129 "The Great Pretender" (Malouf Mix) by Freddie Mercury

Peak: number 127

Peak date: 22 March 1993

Weeks in top 150: 6 weeks

Chart run: 129-133-129-127-136-136

Weeks on chart: 6 weeks

 

Zanzibar-born but England-based singer Freddie Mercury needs no introduction, as the front man of the band Queen, whom we last saw in 1992.  Freddie's solo work, however, is less well-known.  Freddie landed his first 'hit' on the Australian chart with his first solo single "Love Kills" (number 56, November 1984), which he recorded with Giorgio Moroder for the Metropolis soundtrack album.

 

"I Was Born to Love You" (number 19, June 1985), the lead single from Freddie's first and only solo album proper released during his lifetime, Mr. Bad Guy (number 38, June 1985), was his biggest solo hit in Australia, and his only solo single to dent the top 40 here.  Freddie's duet with Spanish opera singer Montserrat, "Barcelona" (number 42, August 1992), came close, following its re-release to coincide with the 1992 Olympics held in Barcelona.  That single originally peaked at number 85 in Australia in December 1987.  Its parent album Barcelona (number 200, August 1992) also charted, albeit very lowly, in Australia following its re-release.

 

"The Great Pretender" (number 54, May 1987) was originally released in 1987, as a non-album single, peaking just outside the top 50 in Australia.  The song was originally recorded by The Platters in 1955.  Elsewhere, the 1987 release of "The Great Pretender" peaked at number 4 in the UK in March 1987, number 2 in Ireland in March 1987, number 11 in the Netherlands in April 1987, number 5 in New Zealand in April 1987, number 6 in the Flanders region of Belgium in April 1987, number 26 in West Germany in May 1987, and number 14 in Sweden in May 1987.

 

Freddie first displayed symptoms of HIV infection in 1982, and was diagnosed with AIDS in April 1987, shortly after the original release of "The Great Pretender".  Due to the negative stigma carriers of the disease face, and not wanting media intrusion into his life, Freddie kept his diagnosis secret until shortly before his death from AIDS-related illness in November 1991, aged 45.  The press, however, had already begun to speculate that he might have the disease in 1986.

 

"The Great Pretender" was remixed by Brian Malouf for inclusion in the film Night and the City.  The track also appeared on a compilation of Freddie's solo material, The Freddie Mercury Album (number 114, January 1993), released posthumously.  Internationally, the 1992 remix of "The Great Pretender" peaked at number 15 in Switzerland in December 1992, number 21 in the Netherlands in January 1993, number 38 in Germany January 1993, number 36 in New Zealand in January 1993, number 28 in the Flanders region of Belgium in January 1993, number 26 in Austria in January 1993, number 29 in the UK in January 1993, and number 13 in France in February 1993.

 

Domestically, the remix of "The Great Pretender" performed strongest in Queensland, where it reached number 107 on the state chart.

 

We'll next see Freddie in October 1993.

 

 

 

Number 134 "Honey Love" by R. Kelly and Public Announcement

Peak: number 123

Peak date: 8 March 1993

Weeks in top 150: 6 weeks

Top 150 chart run: 134-123-133-129-131-126

 

American R&B group Public Announcement were formed by Chicago-born Robert Kelly in 1991.  Their debut single, "She's Got That Vibe" (number 28, July 1992), credited to R. Kelly and Public Announcement, spent 36 weeks in the ARIA top 150, despite its modest peak of number 28.  "Honey Love" was the second single lifted from their debut album Born into the 90's (number 146, June 1992).

 

As you were probably aware, "R." was convicted for sex trafficking involving minors in 2019, and was sentenced to 31 years in jail.  If you listen closely to the lyrics of "She's Got That Vibe", you will hear the lyric 'Little cute Aaliyah's got it', in the section where "R." lists off the names of a bunch of different girls who have 'got it'.  Aaliyah, whose debut album Age Ain't Nothing but a Number (number 148, August 1994) was produced by R. Kelly, would have been all of 12 years old when "...Vibe" was recorded.  Charming.  Aaliyah was illegally married to Robert in August 1994, when she was 15 years old.  Of course, the 'marriage' did not last long.

 

Now, back to the music, internationally, "Honey Love" peaked at number 52 in the Netherlands in May 1992, number 39 on the US Billboard Hot 100 in July 1992, and number 146 (number 97 on the compressed chart) in the UK in August 1992.  The song also charted on several US Billboard genre-specific charts, reaching number 1 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart in June 1992, number 2 on the R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay chart in June 1992, number 10 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles Sales chart in July 1992, number 40 on the Dance Singles Sales chart in July 1992, and number 42 on the Radio Songs chart in August 1992.

 

I don't recall hearing "Honey Love" at the time.  I much prefer the groovier R&B sound of "She's Got That Vibe" to the sappy ballad sound of "Honey Love".  It's interesting to see that neither music video appears on an official YouTube channel.  I am guessing the record label cancelled R. Kelly after his conviction in 2019.

 

We'll next see R. Kelly solo in 1996, and Public Announcement without R. in 1998.

 

 

Number 135 "When It All Comes Down" by Blazing Salads

Peak: number 135

Peak date: 1 March 1993

Weeks in top 150: 4 weeks

Top 150 chart run: 135-145-150-143

 

Perth-born Brian Cadd and English-born Australian singer Glenn Shorrock united to release an album under the name of Blazing Salads.  The self-titled Blazing Salads (number 130, May 1993) album would become their only album release.  "When It All Comes Down" was issued as the first single from the album.  While a music video for the track, if it exists, has not been uploaded to YouTube, you can view a live vocal performance of the track here.

 

Brian Cadd's first charting single was in 1971, "Show Me the Way" (number 17 on the Go Set singles chart, March 1971).  Brian's biggest hit was "Ginger Man" (number 16 on the Go Set singles chart, November 1972).  Between 1971 and 2003, Brian placed 12 singles on Australian top 100.

 

Glenn Shorrock is best known as the lead singer in Little River Band, between 1975 and 1982, and 1987 and 1996.  Glenn had five solo Australian top 100 singles between 1979 and 1983; the highest charting of those was "We're Coming to Get You" (number 6, October 1983), recorded for the America's Cup.

 

We shall see Blazing Salads again in April 1993.

 

 

Number 144 "Is That It" by Seven Stories

Peak: number 115

Peak date: 31 May 1993

Weeks in top 150: 20 weeks

Top 150 chart run: 144-139-140-133-144-138-133-140-127-124-127-128-127-115-120-122-131-140-134-143

Weeks on chart: 24 weeks

 

We last saw Adelaide band Seven Stories in 1990.  "Is That It" was the lead single from their second and final studio album Everything That You Want (Nothing That You Need) (number 99, August 1993).

 

While the single peaked outside the top 100, it spent a mammoth 20 weeks in the top 150, tying it with the second-highest weeks in the top 150 tally for a single peaking between number 101-150, between January 1989 and December 1998 (the latest date I currently have for these charts).  "Is That It"'s 20 week tally in the top 150 ties it with Lowen & Navarro's "Walking on a Wire" from 1990, and is only bettered by Clouds' "Cloud Factory", also from 1990, which amassed 21 weeks in the top 150.

 

On the state charts, "Is That It" performed strongest in South Australia/Northern Territory, where it reached number 27.  The single's next-highest state chart peak was number 73 in Victoria/Tasmania, and it peaked outside the top 100 on the remaining three state charts.

 

"Is That It" peaked higher nationally on the Australia Music Report singles chart, where it reached number 89.

 

I am not sure whether I knew this one at the time or not, but it sounds vaguely familiar.

 

We shall see Seven Stories once more, in July 1993.

 

 

Bubbling WAY down under:

 

Number 173 "Your Town" by Deacon Blue

Peak: number 158

Peak date: 22 March 1993

Weeks on chart: 8 weeks

 

We last saw Scottish band Deacon Blue in 1991.  "Your Town" was the lead single from the band's fourth studio album Whatever You Say, Say Nothing (number 161, May 1993).

 

Internationally, "Your Town" peaked at number 14 in the UK in November 1992, number 28 in Ireland in December 1992, and number 20 in the Netherlands in February 1993.

 

Domestically, "Your Town" was most popular in Western Australia, where it reached number 120 on the state chart.

 

I didn't hear this one at the time, but it was on a VHS compilation I digitised in the early 2010s.  I like it.  My copy of the video is embedded below, as I could not find an upload of the video for the regular single/7" version on YouTube, and this was blocked when I tried uploading it to one of my channels.  In its place, an extended Club Mix video for "Your Town" appears on the band's official channel, which you can view here.

 

We'll next see Deacon Blue in 1994.

 

 

Number 175 "Don't Stop" by K-Klass

Peak: number 175

Peak date: 1 March 1993

Weeks on chart: 1 week

 

Welsh/English dance group K-Klass last joined us in 1992.

 

Unlike the last single, "Don't Stop" appears on K-Klass's debut album Universal (number 140, May 1994).  Internationally, the single reached number 32 on the UK singles chart in November 1992.

 

Locally, "Don't Stop" was most popular in New South Wales/Australian Capital Territory, where it reached number 155.

 

I hadn't heard this one before, but like it.  I think it could have charted much higher if had received proper promotion.

 

We'll see K-Klass one more time, in 1994.

 

Number 184 "Who Can Make Me Feel Good?" by Bassheads

Peak: number 184

Peak date: 1 March 1993

Weeks on chart: 2 weeks

 

We last saw English house duo Bassheads in 1992.  "Who Can Make Me Feel Good?" was the third single lifted from their debut and only album C.O.D.E.S. (number 232, November 1993).  Second single, "Back to the Old School", was released locally in August 1992, but did not chart.

 

Internationally, "Who Can Make Me Feel Good?" peaked at number 38 in the UK in November 1992.  In Australia, the single was most popular in New South Wales/Australian Capital Territory, where it reached number 168 on the state chart.

 

Vocals on this track are sampled from Eleanore Mills' "Mr Right" (released in Australia in July 1987, did not chart) from 1987.

 

We'll see Bassheads one more time, in September 1993.

 

 

Number 209 "Why Should I" (Bone Remix Edit)/"Exodus" (Kindread Spirit Mix Edit) by Bob Marley

Peak: number 193

Peak date: 5 April 1993

Weeks on chart: 3 weeks

 

We last saw Jamaican reggae legend Bob Marley in 1991.  Here he is again, this time minus The Wailers... at least on the artist credit on this release.  As discussed in the 1991 post Bob is featured in, linked above, during his lifetime he only managed to place one single within the top 50 in Australia.

 

Before 2Pac seemed to release a barrage of albums after his death, the estate of Bob Marley was doing much the same thing.  Bob scored a hit across Europe, less so in Australia, with a newly-unveiled recording, "Iron Lion Zion" (number 71, October 1992) in 1992, 11 years after his death.  A remixed version of the track was released to promote the 4-disc set Songs of Freedom (number 87, November 1992).

 

The original recording of "Why Should I", from 1971, was not released until 2005 on the Man to Man 4-CD box set (number 232, January 2006).  The song was remixed for the Songs of Freedom collection, and released as the second single from it, together with a remixed version of "Exodus", the lead single from Bob Marley and The Wailers' 1977 album Exodus (number 88, August 1987).  Peter Tosh and Bunny Wailer from The Wailers performed backing vocals on the original recording of "Why Should I", which were replaced by vocals from The I-Threes for the remix.  Having heard neither the original nor the remix until writing this post, I have to say I prefer the original.  I have heard the remix of "Exodus" before, and don't think it suits the song.

 

Internationally, the "Why Should I"/"Exodus" single peaked at number 42 in the UK in November 1992, number 30 in Sweden in November 1992, and number 92 in Germany in March 1993.

 

In Australia, the "Why Should I"/"Exodus" single performed strongest in Queensland, reaching number 171 on the state chart.

 

We'll next see Bob Marley, back with The Wailers, in 1995.

Next week (8 March): Seven top 150 entries and five bubbling WAY down under debuts.

 

< Previous week: 22 February 1993                         Next week: 8 March 1993 >

Week commencing 22 February 1993

This week in 1993's new entries peaking outside the ARIA top 100 singles chart are quite a mixed bag.  Before we take a look at them, I have updated a few earlier posts with new bubbling WAY down under debuts:

 

* 1 May 1989 - with a new bubbling WAY down under entry from Tom Cochrane & Red Rider;

* 7 August 1989 - with a new bubbling WAY down under entry from Mark Williams and Karen Boddington;

* 25 February 1991 - with new bubbling WAY down under entries from Candy Dulfer and Stereo MC's;

* 18 March 1991 - with a new bubbling WAY down under entry from Harry Connick, Jr.;

* 22 April 1991 - with new bubbling WAY down under entries from Tom Jones and John Waite.

 

 Dr. Alban: one love, and only one real hit in Australia.

 

Top 150 debuts:

 

Number 115 "Drift Away" by Michael Bolton

Peak: number 104

Peak date: 1 March 1993

Weeks in top 150: 5 weeks

Known chart run: 223-115-104-109-119-123

Weeks on chart: 7 weeks

 

We last saw the God of flowing locks, Michael Bolton, in 1992.

 

"Drift Away" was the second single released in Australia from Michael's covers album Timeless (The Classics) (number 2, January 1993).  The song was originally recorded by John Henry Kurtz in 1972, and a version by Dobie Gray reached number 44 on the Kent Music Report singles chart in 1973 - I don't, however, consider David Kent's charts prior to May 1974, when the Kent Music Report started, as being 'official', as he back-calculated these pre-1974 charts for his 1992 book, i.e. they were not published at the time.  "Drift Away" followed Michael's version of "To Love Somebody" (number 39, January 1993).   While I don't recall hearing "Drift Away" at the time, I do remember an excerpt of the chorus being used on the TV advertisement for the Timeless... album.  Footage from a live performance, similar to the "To Love Somebody" video, was used in the commercial - but I cannot find this on YouTube.

 

Internationally, Michael's rendition of "Drift Away" peaked at number 18 in the UK in December 1992, number 15 in Ireland in December 1992, and number 23 in New Zealand in April 1993.  Oddly, it does not appear to have received a single release in North America.

 

Locally, "Drift Away" performed strongest on the Western Australia state chart, where it reached number 66.

 

We shall next see Michael in 1996.

 

 

Number 123 "Juice" by Headless Chickens

Peak: number 104

Peak date: 3 May 1993

Weeks in top 150: 16 weeks

Known chart run: 206-123-124-137-136-122-128-121-116-116-106-104-111-106-113-119-126

Weeks on chart: 25 weeks

 

We last saw Kiwi band Headless Chickens in 1992.

 

"Juice" was issued as the fourth single from their debut album Body Blow (number 45, July 1993), although it did not appear on the original 1991 pressing of the album.  I didn't think I knew this song, from the title, but I was familiar with the more electronic-sounding version of the song, titled “Dreamchild”, that appears on Strawpeople's second album Worldservice, from 1992, which was later repackaged as Broadcast (number 46, August 1995).  Fiona McDonald, who was involved with both bands, sings vocals on both tracks.  One of the things I love about writing this blog is making discoveries like this, and "Dreamchild"/"Juice" is a song I like a lot.

 

Internationally, "Juice" peaked at number 7 in New Zealand in February 1993.

 

In Australia, "Juice" was most popular in Victoria/Tasmania, where it reached number 81 on the state chart.  The single peaked within the top 100 on four of the five state charts, only just missing out (number 103) in Queensland.

 

"Juice" definitely deserved to chart much higher here.  Despite narrowly missing the top 100, it had a decent chart run, though, spending nearly six months on the chart, with almost four of those inside the top 150.

 

Headless Chickens released a fifth single from Body Blow, "Mr Moon" (number 93, August 1993), which gave them their first Australian top 100 single.

 

We will next see Headless Chickens in 1997, but before then, we'll hear Fiona McDonald's voice on a Strawpeople track that bubbles under in 1996.

 

 

Number 129 "Back to the Light" by Brian May

Peak: number 123

Peak date: 1 March 1993

Weeks in top 150: 4 weeks

Chart run: 129-123-135-138

Weeks on chart: 4 weeks

 

We last saw Queen guitar maestro and astrophysics PhD Dr Brian May in 1992.

 

"Back to the Light" was the title track and third single lifted from Brian's first solo album proper, Back to the Light (number 94, December 1992).  It followed "Too Much Love Will Kill You" (number 18, November 1992).

 

Internationally, "Back to the Light" peaked at number 19 in the UK in November 1992, number 20 in the Netherlands in December 1992, and number 39 in the Flanders region of Belgium in January 1993.

 

In Australia, "Back to the Light" performed strongest in Queensland, reaching number 107 on the state chart.

 

I don't recall hearing this one before, though it probably received an airing on the UK Chart Attack radio show.

 

Brian made a new video for "Back to the Light" in 2021, which you can view here.

 

This would be Brian's last solo charting single in Australia, although he had later low-charting albums with Live at Brixton Academy (number 190, April 1994) and Another World (number 165, July 1998).

 

Two further singles from Back to the Light were released in the UK, but not Australia - "Resurrection" (UK number 23, June 1993) with Cozy Powell, and "Last Horizon" (UK number 51, December 1993).

 

We will see Brian bubble under as part of Queen next in 1996.  Meanwhile, another member of Queen will bubble under next week!

 

 

Number 135 "One in Ten" by 808 State Vs UB40

Peak: number 135

Peak date: 22 February 1993

Weeks in top 150: 2 weeks

Known chart run: 159-135-141

Weeks on chart: 5 weeks

 

English electronic group 808 State last joined us in 1991, and we last saw English reggae band UB40 in 1990.  The two bands collaborated for this release - or rather, 808 State reworked the original UB40 single "One in Ten" (number 87, October 1981) from 1981.  UB40 are known for their cover versions, but "One in Ten" was one of their self-penned hits, written about the approximate 10% unemployment rate in the West Midlands of England, where the band originate from, in mid-1981.  Featuring cutting lyrics such as "I am the one in ten, a number on a list", "nobody knows me but I'm always there, a statistic a reminder of a world that doesn't care", “I'm the child that never learns to read, 'cause no-one spared the time", and “I’m another teenage suicide, in a street that has no trees”, this song packs a punch and paints a bleak picture.  Piercing social commentary isn’t the first thing that springs to mind when one thinks of UB40, even though the band’s name stems from the name of the British unemployment benefit.

 

I became familiar with the UB40 original after catching the video on rage in 2009, when Suggs from Madness was guest programming an episode, and liked the song.  I hadn't heard the 808 State remix of the song until writing this post.  It's a shame that the official YouTube channel upload of UB40's "One in Ten" video has mono audio and tape artefacts - my digital TV copy from rage is better quality than this.

 

The 808 State version of "One in Ten" was the first single issued in Australia from their fifth studio album, and third major label release, Gorgeous (number 131, March 1993).  However, it was the second single from the album in the UK, following "TimeBomb" (UK number 59, August 1992), which did not receive an Australian release.  This version of "One in Ten" contains a musical riff sampled from Kraftwerk's "The Model" (number 33, May 1982).

 

Internationally, "One in Ten" peaked at number 17 in the UK in December 1992, number 19 in Ireland in December 1992, and number 22 in the Netherlands in March 1993.

 

Locally, "One in Ten" was most popular in Western Australia, where it reached number 118 on the state chart.

 

We'll next see 808 State in May 1993, and UB40 in 1994.

 

 

Number 139 "No Tomorrow" by Atomic Dining Club

Peak: number 139

Peak date: 22 February 1993

Weeks in top 150: 1 week

Top 150 chart run: 139

 

We last saw Aussie band Atomic Dining Club in 1992.  Unfortunately, this one wasn't available to listen to anywhere online, and I do not know the song.  This was the band's final top 150 single.

 

 

Number 146 "Starting to Believe" by Images

Peak: number 144

Peak date: 8 March 1993

Weeks in top 150: 3 weeks

Top 150 chart run: 146-146-144

 

Another obscure Australian band, and another one where I cannot find the song online anywhere to listen to.  I have been in touch with someone who owns the album this is taken from, Images (which missed the top 150), and I may be receiving an audio rip of the track to upload here... one day.  Watch this space!  This was the band's only single to trouble the top 150.

 

 

Bubbling WAY down under:

 

Number 193 "One Love" by Dr. Alban

Peak: number 193

Peak date: 22 February 1993

Weeks on chart: 1 week

We last saw Nigerian-born but Sweden-based Dr. Alban in 1991.  Since then, he broke through into the ARIA top 100 with the lead single from his second album One Love (The Album) (number 149, November 1992), "It's My Life" (number 97, November 1992), which would later reach a higher peak of number 43 in Australia in May 1994 when re-issued after his major hit "Sing Hallelujah!" (number 5, March 1994).  "One Love" was released as the second single from the album, sandwiched between the two aforementioned singles, the latter of which we received somewhat belatedly in Australia.

 

Internationally, "One Love" peaked at number 19 in Sweden in August 1992, number 10 in Norway in September 1992, number 27 in Austria in September 1992, number 11 in Switzerland in October 1992, number 7 in Germany in October 1992, number 14 in the Netherlands in October 1992, number 8 in the Flanders region of Belgium in November 1992, number 45 in the UK in November 1992, number 3 in Ireland in November 1992, and number 42 in New Zealand in February 1993.

 

In Australia, "One Love" was most popular in South Australia/Northern Territory, where it reached number 151 on the state chart.

 

I didn't hear "One Love" at the time, but the music video appeared on a VHS tape I digitised about 10 years ago.  I like it, but it doesn't really stand out like "It's My Life" or "Sing Hallelujah!".

 

We'll next see Dr. Alban in 1994.

 

 

Number 213 "Feed the Tree" by Belly

Peak: number 158

Peak date: 7 June 1993

Weeks on chart: 6 weeks

Alternative rock band Belly formed in Rhode Island in 1991.  "Feed the Tree" was the third single issued in Australia from their debut album Star (number 74, June 1993).  It followed "Dusted" (released in Australia in July 1992, did not chart) and "Gepetto" (released in Australia in November 1992, did not initially chart but will later on in 1993).

 

Internationally, "Feed the Tree" peaked at number 32 in the UK in January 1993, and number 95 on the US Billboard Hot 100 in May 1993.  The track also reached number 1 on the US Billboard Alternative Airplay chart in March 1993, for what that is worth (not much in my book).

 

Locally, "Feed the Tree" performed strongest in Victoria/Tasmania, reaching number 149 on the state chart.

 

Belly never landed a top 100 single in Australia, but two of their albums dented the top 100.  Interestingly, "Feed the Tree" did not reach its peak until early June 1993, one week after their next charting single peaks!

 

I did hear "Feed the Tree" at the time, probably when switching radio stations to Triple J.

 

We'll next see Belly in May 1993.

 

 

Next week (1 March): Six top 150 entries and four bubbling WAY down under debuts.

 

< Previous week: 15 February 1993                Next week: 1 March 1993 >