Thirty Years Ago In The Land Of Oz...

Three decades ago, I was part way through my year living, working and traveling in Australia. On 28th February 1991, I was sharing an apartment in Perth with a Japanese guy called Ken. I'd finished my job as a kitchen hand at the Swan Brewery and I was a few weeks away from setting out on my travels around the country. This particular day (a Thursday) seemed relatively insignificant, other than I received a mail from my family, including a 'talking letter' from my brother, a mix of chat, music and samples of his university audio projects on a C90 cassette. I've still got the tape, boxed up somewhere in the attic. I noted in my diary that "it was good to hear his voice again, despite his tacky American accent for most of the tape" (we're both from South West England) and one of the featured songs was I Wish I Was A Girl by Wasted Youth, from 1981:

 

I also made a habit of recording in my diary the UK & Australia Top 10 at the end of each month. When I left England in 1990, the singles charts were in a pretty sorry state. Things hadn't greatly improved by early 1991, though there were some glimmers of hope:

 

UK Top 10, February 1991

1) Do The Bartman: The Simpsons

2) (I Wanna Give You) Devotion: Nomad

3) Get Here: Oleta Adams

4) You Got The Love: Source ft. Candi Staton

5) 3am Eternal (Live At The SSL): The KLF

6) G.L.A.D.: Kim Appleby

7) All Right Now: Free

8) In Yer Face: 808 State

9) Crazy For You: Madonna

10) Only You: Praise

 

Australia Top 10, February 1991

1) I've Been Thinking About You: Londonbeat

2) I Touch Myself: Divinyls

3) Do The Bartman: The Simpsons

4) Fantasy: Black Box

5) Gonna Make You Sweat: C+C Music Factory

6) Wiggle It: 2 In A Room

7) Tingles EP: Ratcat

8) Ice Ice Baby: Vanilla Ice

9) I'm Free: The Soup Dragons

10) I'll Be Your Baby Tonight: Robert Palmer & UB40

 

Ratcat were an Australian band who I'd seen supporting Ramones at the Silver Jubilee Pavilion in Perth a few weeks before. The immediate influences were clear and unapologetic, but Ratcat were a brilliantly fun band live. That Ain't Bad was the lead/breakthrough single from the Tingles EP and a staple of MTV playlists at the time.