MAY 1992
#1s
| US | UK |
| May-2 | Kris Kross - Jump (2) | Right Said Fred - Deeply Dippy (3) |
| May-9 | Kris Kross - Jump (3) | KWS - Please Don't Go (1) |
| May-16 | Kris Kross - Jump (4) | KWS - Please Don't Go (2) |
| May-23 | Kris Kross - Jump (5) | KWS - Please Don't Go (3) |
| May-30 | Kris Kross - Jump (6) | KWS - Please Don't Go (4) |
The month of May belongs to
Kris Kross, who even manage to prevent
Queen from a third US #1 with the "Bohemian Rhapsody" re-release. But the bigger story is how it prevented
En Vogue from getting #1, as it's #2 peak with comeback single "My Love (You're Never Gonna Get It)" doesn't tell the full story of how big this song must have been, and me now starting to realise how massive En Vogue were in 1992. Entering the Top 10 in May at #8, it's Top 10 run goes 8-5-5-5-2-2-2-3-5-5-6-8-9. The song ends up the 7th biggest song of the year, ahead of many other #1s. Kris Kross would finish #3. Two of En Vogue's follow up singles would also finish in the Top 100 of the year.
TLC would peak at #6 with their debut this month. Songs climbing by the end of the month to challenge Kris Kross included "Under The Bridge" holding at #3, "Live And Learn" by
Joe Public holding at #4, "Baby Got Back" moving 12-5, "In The Closet" moving 10-6 and "Damn I Wish I Was Your Lover" moving 14-7.
In the UK,
KWS replace
Right Said Fred who would end up holding for 5 weeks, and I don't recall it being that big. There were many crossover pop-dance records in 1992 but this must have been the biggest.
This was the month that
Take That would break though with "It Only Takes A Minute", their 3rd single, which peaked at #7. It amazes me that they started out as early as 1991, but it makes sense considering that they had broken up by 1996. They were about to embark on an incredible singles run in those 4 years though (in performance; the quality is open to opinion!).
Lisa Stansfield released her 4th single from
Real Love:
Much like her first album, the UK didn't have the endurance for a 4th single and this stalled at #28. It's one of the highlights on a fantastic album, however, with a big rousing chorus.
The US was just about to launch the
Annie Lennox solo era, but they were already onto the second single in the UK with "Precious". It stalled the momentum a bit by peaking at #23. It's a great song but a strange single choice, a mid-tempo soul song was not needed straight after a ballad. They fixed it with the 3rd single however.
Incognito follow up the smash "Always There" with a cover of a
Stevie Wonder classic:
This went to #19. Despite almost a dozen further charting singles throughout the decade, they would never trouble the Top 20 again.
Discoveries:
My favourite discovery this month is a total rare groove:
Souled Out are a band I know nothing about. This had 1 week at #75 in May in the UK, and nothing else. There was an album apparently - nothing is on Spotify. The original is actually a
Soul II Soul sounding R&B track, but this is the version that I found and have fell in love with during my UK discoveries in lockdown, as it feels more
Lisa Stansfield inspired, more of a 70s-influenced pop soul number. The vocal is what stands out - stunning. Another one that might never make it to Spotify though, sadly.
Continuing with the UK, we talked last month about
Howard Jones having a hit in 1992 and Sardonicus (I am not searching for your new name to tag you!) countered with
The Thompson Twins. Well this month I raise you
Swing Out Sister:
I have no memory of this release, but I do recognise that hook, which is quite famous but has an odd history so I'm not sure what part I'm familiar with. Originally recorded by
Barbara Acklin in 1968 (#79) and then released as an instrumental by
Young-Holt Unlimited in the same year and renamed as "Soulful Strut" with more success (#3).
Dusty Springfield covered it in 1969 and reached #43 in the UK. I feel like I've heard it somewhere, maybe an advert or radio jingle or something. Anyone any ideas? Anyway, this was a comeback of sorts as it was their most successful single since "Surrender" in 1987, reaching #21 in the UK and would eventually cross over in the US too, going to #45 and giving them a #1 on adult radio. Strangely this comeback album is not on Spotify, and I wonder if they've had trouble clearing this single.
Nomad is a dance act that I tagged as a one-song outfit, like many big songs of the era, but they actually had 4 follow up singles to "(I Wanna Give You) Devotion", including "Your Love Is Lifting Me" which went to #60 this month:
They would have one more single later in the year, another discovery, which is even better!
I must have been busy with other things in 1992, because my knowledge of dance music compared to 1990 and 1991 is actually quite shocking.
K-Klass follow up "Rhythm Is A Mystery" with "Don't Stop" and was a hit, charting at #20, but I've never heard it before and it's great:
Apart from the big debut, K-Klass were always more of a remix/DJ act, apart from one other massive single in 1994, so I'll be curious to hear some other bits from them.
I feel like there's a running theme of minor follow up hits from dance acts, as I discovered with
Adeva and
Alison Limerick already, but there's more and more coming through. Following
Rozalla's big 1991 with "Everybody's Free" and "Faith", she actually had 8 further solo Top 75 hits. This went to #65 in May:
The divas in the 90s would usually release albums that were a mix of dance and R&B, and it's amazing how many of the albums (or lesser known singles) I'm not really familiar with. This is quite mellow, but it has a typically BIG Rozalla vocal.
Bomb The Bass had more singles releases than I knew about. This early chill-out track went to #62:
Given the time period I'm surprised I don't remember this from any of the Pure Moods compilations that were huge in the mid 90s. This would have been a perfect fit.
I think I only found out years later when I got one of those Billboard books and it said it was her. I wonder if she ever talked about it in any interview, because it looks all so mysterious. Maybe MJ expert