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.

 

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