Chains – Tina Arena – 1994

When I was younger I used to exercise more than I do these days. Actually, scratch that last bit: when I was younger, I used to exercise. Period. Anyway, for some reason, Chains – which I had bought on disc just before – is what I would put on for my daily sit-up session. Lying on my bedroom floor, feet hooked under the bed, there was eighteen year old me training for my own personal Rocky montage.

With a powerful voice and a heavy soul influence, Tina Arena didn’t fit the familiar Antipodean pop mould that was in vogue at the time. She had more in common with the then current crop of respected vocal gymnasts, such as Whitney Houston, Celine Dion, and Mariah Carey, but she only enjoyed a fraction of their successes.

Chains was released in 1994, and although Tina Arena had been popular in Australia while I had been living there, it had been about four years since I had heard anything from her, and this was her first release in the UK. Unfortunately, she slipped out of favour here rather quickly thereafter, and this is probably the only song most locals will associate with her.

It’s been a while, but I may just have to throw in a few sit-ups, for old times sake.