One Hit Wonders

Subject: One Hit Wonders
From: Steve Latimer
Date: 04 Jul 02 - 04:35 PM

This is a really neat site, brings back a lot of memories. I think that I had about half of the ones from '69-'73 on 45's (remember those?).

One Hit Wonders

Subject: RE: One Hit Wonders
From: Justa Picker
Date: 04 Jul 02 - 04:38 PM

I'm especially fond of Zager and Evans - "In the Year 2525" (NOT!)

Subject: RE: One Hit Wonders
From: Steve Latimer
Date: 04 Jul 02 - 04:40 PM

Hey JP, Did you ever buy his guitar? (Kidding)

Subject: RE: One Hit Wonders
From: C-flat
Date: 04 Jul 02 - 04:49 PM

Fun site, but I'm a little surprised at some of the listed "One hit wonders"..."Thin Lizzy?

Subject: RE: One Hit Wonders
From: Steve Latimer
Date: 04 Jul 02 - 04:52 PM

C-Flat,

It is a U.S. site. I was surprised by a few, but I guess they weren't that big (Commercially) in the U.S.

Subject: RE: One Hit Wonders
From: Jerry Rasmussen
Date: 04 Jul 02 - 04:57 PM

Hey, great fun, Steve! Back in the 50's, I remember going absolutely nuts the first time I heard Gee, by the Crows. I'd lie on my bed at night with my portable radio on my chest (which I still... both the radio and the chest) using my arms for antennae to pull in WFOX in Milwaukee. They had a rhythm and blues station that broadcast from a record store there. Around 1954,when my friends went to Marquette University in Milwaukee, I went to visit them and while they were in class, headed off to find the record store. I had imagined it as being enormous, having dozens of records by the Crows and the Penguins, the Gladiolas, the Magnificents, the Chords and all the other groups. The store was about 10' by 15'... nothing like I'd imagined. But, I confidently walked up to the counter and said, I'd like Gee, by the Crows and the guy reached around behind him and pulled out a copy from a rack on the wall. Pure Paradise! I was used to going into my local record store and staring down the middle-aged woman (probably in her thirties) who always snickered when I asked for a record. They ALWAYS had to order them, and ALWAYS doubted that such a record would exist. Then, they'd try to sell me a Pat Boone or MaGuire sisters "cover" instead. As if I was un-cool enough to want the MaGuire sisters doing I Understand, instead of the Four Tunes (with Marie on the flip side.) You're talking my life here, Mr. Latimer...:-)

Jerry

Subject: RE: One Hit Wonders
From: Justa Picker
Date: 04 Jul 02 - 04:58 PM

Well... I looked at it Steve (an early 70s sunburst D-41) with the "famous" Zager "string science" and the price of 10K (when you can get a comparable one for about 2300 - 2500) and had to pass. The decision took all of a microsecond. :-) He still has it listed on E-Bay and just keeps renewing the listing, because its cheap advertising for his "string science." I'd let 'Spaw do "string science" on my guitars before I'd ever let Denny touch one....(and Spaw would only charge me 5K!)

Subject: RE: One Hit Wonders
From: Steve Latimer
Date: 04 Jul 02 - 05:04 PM

I was thinking that a relly neat Trivia question for those under 30 (35?) would be to show them one of those little plastic adapters that fit into a 45 and see if they would have any clue what it was.

Yeah, that site sure brings back some memories.

Subject: RE: One Hit Wonders
From: Jerry Rasmussen
Date: 04 Jul 02 - 05:26 PM

If you're looking for favorite One Hit Wonders, how about National City by the Joiner Arkansas Junior High School Band? I still have the 45. This was a JUNIOR High School Band that had BANJOS in the band! Man, why did I have to grow up in Wisconsin? :-)

Jerry

Subject: RE: One Hit Wonders
From: Jerry Rasmussen
Date: 04 Jul 02 - 05:29 PM

I wonder how they define the site... They don't list National City, or Guitar Boogie Shuffle. If I could buy them in a small town in Wisconsin, they had to be hits. Think I'll check some more... how about Mule Skinner Blues by the Fendermen?

Jerry

Subject: RE: One Hit Wonders
From: GUEST,Ed
Date: 04 Jul 02 - 05:29 PM

Well Steve,

I'm 34 and know exactly what the adaptor is/was for.

(still remember buying dirt cheap 'ex-juke box' singles)

Maybe under 25?

Ed

Subject: RE: One Hit Wonders
From: C-flat
Date: 04 Jul 02 - 05:35 PM

Guest,Ed, I used to SELL those ex-juke box singles. Back in 1975 they sold well for around 45p.

Subject: RE: One Hit Wonders
From: Janice in NJ
Date: 04 Jul 02 - 05:42 PM

My favorite One Hit Wonder is Francis Scott Key. The runner up is Julia Ward Howe.

Happy Fourth Day of July! Now all you cuckoo birds out there can holler "Cuckoo!"

Subject: RE: One Hit Wonders
From: GUEST,Wayne
Date: 04 Jul 02 - 08:35 PM

How about "Please Come To Boston" by Dave Loggins, from the 70's I think. Great song.

Subject: RE: One Hit Wonders
From: catspaw49
Date: 04 Jul 02 - 08:52 PM

Okay Smartasses......... Every time this subject comes up, I supply a bit of trivia, so let's have a quiz and see who pays attention to Ol' Spaw's bullshit......Let's see who gets a passing grade.

There are loads of "One-Hit Wonders" but ONLY FOUR can claim THIS distinction:

Their FIRST RELEASE went to NUMBER ONE on the charts. After that, they never had another song break into the TOP 100!!!

Lots of the ones on that site had loads of releases before and after their biggie and some of them broke into the top 100, but ONLY FOUR had their FIRST go to #1 and never another in the top 100.

Go ahead.....Name them.

Spaw

Subject: RE: One Hit Wonders
From: Jeri
Date: 04 Jul 02 - 09:00 PM

Just guessing: Barry McGuire & Eve of Destruction. Merilee Rush and Angel of the Morning another?

Subject: RE: One Hit Wonders
From: catspaw49
Date: 04 Jul 02 - 09:02 PM

Sorry Jeri.....0 for 2..............But excellent guesses so I'll tell you that one has already been mentioned here.

Spaw

Subject: RE: One Hit Wonders
From: Steve Latimer
Date: 04 Jul 02 - 09:20 PM

I'm thinking the aformentioned "In The Year 2525", Norman Greenbaum's "Spirit In The Sky", Eric Weissberg's "Duelling Banjos" and 1 other.

Subject: RE: One Hit Wonders
From: Steve Latimer
Date: 04 Jul 02 - 09:24 PM

I remember the other one I was thinking of "Also Sprach Zaruthustra (THeme from 2001). If not that one, how about Popcorn?

Subject: RE: One Hit Wonders
From: Don Firth
Date: 04 Jul 02 - 09:47 PM

Hmm. Mebbe so. But just 'cause someone is a "one hit wonder" doesn't necessarily mean they were not very well known. Just looking at the Fifties, both Julie London and Caterina Valente were very familiar names. My impression is that they spent a lot of time on the charts (Julie London in particular), even if their stuff didn't make it to the top. Caterina Valente was a frequent guest on a number of TV variety shows. Bein' a "one hit wonder" ain't no disgrace.

Don Firth

Subject: RE: One Hit Wonders
From: Jerry Rasmussen
Date: 04 Jul 02 - 09:48 PM

Hi, C:

When I was in college in Madison, Wisconsin, there was a juke-box supply house just a few blocks away that sold used 45's for a quarter. We're talking a long time ago, chronologically and musically. I picked up a lot of jazz 45's, stuff you'd never expect to see on a juke box... Oscar Peterson and Buddy DeFranco, The Four Freshmen, Stan Kenton, The theme from The Wild One with Marlon Brando. You'd never find that diversity of juke boxes today... the few that they hare are mostly oldies. Much of my collection of 45's came off of jukeboxes.

A tip for playing records... if you wash them with dish soap and water you can dramatically improve the quality of the sound. I have a lot of old 45's that sounded terribly scratchy until I washed them and got all the accumulated grime out of the grooves, and they sound almost new.

Jerry

Subject: RE: One Hit Wonders
From: catspaw49
Date: 04 Jul 02 - 10:00 PM

BTW, these a "Pop" chart hits. And you now have one....."2525"

Spaw

Subject: RE: One Hit Wonders
From: Big Mick
Date: 05 Jul 02 - 12:08 AM

Denise by Randy and the Rainbows?

Sukiyaki?

Subject: RE: One Hit Wonders
From: Steve Latimer
Date: 05 Jul 02 - 10:17 AM

'Spaw,

Can you give us some ideas as to eras?

Subject: RE: One Hit Wonders
From: Lonesome EJ
Date: 05 Jul 02 - 01:01 PM

David and Jonathan only had the one hit? Too bad, They seemed to have such potential.

My band in the late 60s (Mythology), did several of those single-hitters, including In the Year 2525. I hated it, especially the dramatic part about "through eternal night, the twinkling of starlight, blah blah, maybe it was only yesterday", and it was sung by the organist.

Subject: RE: One Hit Wonders
From: catspaw49
Date: 05 Jul 02 - 01:43 PM

Well, the first hint would be that I have listed these all here before........and you have one already!!!

Let's see though........Okay, one of them is a solo act AND in a foreign language (but it hit #1 HERE in the USA)...the singer later committed suicide.

The other two are groups. The first one started as a Gospel group in Philly, and when they started doing R&B they were first known as the Thunderbirds. A later group took their name from the song that made it BIG!!!

The last one wasn't exactly a group, but a throw together to record this one song. The main guy wrote this a few years ago:

"For the session, I hired Gaynel Hodge, (the Penguins' piano player), Ronnie Caleco, (Lloyd Price's drummer), and, on bass, Harper Cosby (of Gerald Wilson's Jazz Orchestra).

"Wth these three, I went to American Recorders, where we added Sandy ("Teen Beat") Nelson. We already had a drummer (Caleco), so Nelson played garbage cans and did background screams.

"Dallas Fraizer, Buddy Mize, Scotty Turner, some girl named Diane, and some others whose names I don't remember all sang in the background.

"Other than myself, there were no actual ************. Everyone else on the track was either a friend or a studio musician who I paid $25 apiece for the session. When "##########" suddenly took off and people wanted to book us for concerts, there was no such group.

Go for it!

Spaw

Subject: RE: One Hit Wonders
From: mousethief
Date: 05 Jul 02 - 02:07 PM

The foreign language one is "Dominique" by the Singing Nun, who actually did commit suicide some years later, poor dear.

Can't do the other 2 but they're fascinating....

Alex

Subject: RE: One Hit Wonders
From: Steve Latimer
Date: 05 Jul 02 - 02:12 PM

I fold.

Garbage Cans???)

Subject: RE: One Hit Wonders
From: MMario
Date: 05 Jul 02 - 02:32 PM

Thanks to Google - ans 'spaw's hints:

'Alley Oop'

Subject: RE: One Hit Wonders
From: GUEST,glenda 53 at work
Date: 05 Jul 02 - 03:15 PM

Alley OOP Gary Paxton?

Subject: RE: One Hit Wonders
From: GUEST,Kim C no cookie
Date: 05 Jul 02 - 03:30 PM

Hey baby I'm your telephone man
You just tell me where you want it and I'll put it where I can
I can put it in the bedroom I can put it in the hall
I can put it in the bathroom I can hang it on the wall
You can have it with a buzz, you can have it with a ring
And if you really want it you can have a dingaling...

Why in the SAM HILL can I remember that stupid song from 25 years ago, but not what I did yesterday?!!!???!!!!!

Subject: RE: One Hit Wonders
From: catspaw49
Date: 05 Jul 02 - 05:01 PM

Good job folks.........Yes, Thief, I wasn't lying about the Singing Nun....kinda' tragic tale truthfully isn't it?

and GLENDA---It was Gary Paxton who wrote the piece I put in above and he was the ONLY real Hollywood Argyle...the name came from the signpost at the corner of where the studio was....Hollywood and Argyle.

So now you have:
"In the Year 2525" by Zager and Evans
"Domenique" by the Singing Nun
"Alley Oop" by the throw together Hollywood Argyles

One to go........The Philly Gospel turned R&B group. A later band that did 50's stuff in the 70's and later, took their name from this groups #1 hit. Now you have the "outline" here folks, "get on the job" and nail the last one.

Spaw

Subject: RE: One Hit Wonders
From: Peter T.
Date: 05 Jul 02 - 06:46 PM

I used to be good at this. What about "My Boyfriend's Back" by the Angels? (a fave of mine). It went straight to Number #1, and I don't remember that the Angels ever did anything else. The Marcels' "Blue Moon" went to Number 1, and ditto. though I seem to recall they might have done something else that scraped into the top 100.

What about The Silhouettes? ("Get A Job!!" "Get Off the Mudcat And Get a Job!")

yours, Peter T.

Subject: RE: One Hit Wonders
From: catspaw49
Date: 05 Jul 02 - 06:59 PM

And PT gets the last one with "Get A Job" by The Silhouettes! I thought the last outline/job hint was pretty blatant. The group that took their name from the song was of course "Sha-Na-Na."

Spaw

Subject: RE: One Hit Wonders
From: Peter T.
Date: 05 Jul 02 - 07:03 PM

I am pretty sure that Bobbie Gentry did nothing before or after "Ode To Billy Joe" that went anywhere. Was it her first release though?

yours, Peter T.

Subject: RE: One Hit Wonders
From: Peter T.
Date: 05 Jul 02 - 07:06 PM

The Caravelles' "You Don't Have To Be A Baby To Cry" must have been a #1 (I adored that song), and I know they never did anything else that went anywhere. (Andrea and Lois, take a bow, whatever the hell happened to you?)

yours, Peter T.

Subject: RE: One Hit Wonders
From: Peter T.
Date: 05 Jul 02 - 07:12 PM

A quick search reveals that The Caravelles only made it to #3 on the Billboard charts. What could people have been thinking? yours, Peter T. (Bet it was #1 in England)

Subject: RE: One Hit Wonders
From: Lonesome EJ
Date: 05 Jul 02 - 08:41 PM

Peter, I think Bobbie Gentry also hit with Fancy and Son of a Preacher Man.

Subject: RE: One Hit Wonders
From: Jerry Rasmussen
Date: 05 Jul 02 - 09:10 PM

I keep thinking of one hit wonders, and wonder why they aren't listed on the web site. I'm thinking of one of my favorites... Bluebirds Over The Mountains by Ursel Hickey. I've read in the history of rock and roll that he holds the distinction of the shortest song that hit number 1. But, maybe it was just the top 40. Just for fun (a great bathroom book) I like to flip through Joel Washburn's Pop Memories, 1890-1954. Unfortunately, it ends just when rock and roll and rhythm and blue were getting started.

By the way, Spaw, flipping through the book, I noticed that It's In The Book, recorded by Johnny Standley was number 1 for 2 weeks in 1952. It was the only song he recorded that hit the top 40. You can look it up. It's in the book. Maybe I should look for others...:-)

Jerry

Subject: RE: One Hit Wonders
From: Peter T.
Date: 05 Jul 02 - 09:13 PM

I thought "Son of a Preacher Man" was the great Dusty Springfield. "Fancy" I don't recall at all -- Did it crack the top 1000?

yours ever, Peter

P.S. Surely Bobbie didn't cover "Son of A Preacher Man?" after DS and Aretha? If so, she should have fired her manager! (or thrown him off a bridge)

Subject: RE: One Hit Wonders
From: catspaw49
Date: 05 Jul 02 - 09:19 PM

Well keep looking Jerry! I don't think it qualifies as the one list I can find doesn't show it to be his FIRST RELEASE which is also a part of the criteria.

First Release--Goes to #1--NEVER another in the Top 100

Spaw

Subject: RE: One Hit Wonders
From: Jerry Rasmussen
Date: 05 Jul 02 - 09:21 PM

Or, what about The Third Man Theme, which was number one for *eleven weeks in 1950." We all remember Anton Karas, who recorded it. Most of us at least remember the movie...:-)

Jerry

Subject: RE: One Hit Wonders
From: catspaw49
Date: 05 Jul 02 - 09:28 PM

PETER......Gentry did have other releases before "Ode" but it certainly was a hit for her. Are you familiar with the story behind the song? It was based on a real incident.

The story of Billie Joe is based in truth but stylized to some degree. It is an old story, dating back to the the late 40's when the only daughter of John Hatch, a Mississippi Klansman of some note, was in love with the first black attorney in the state. Jubilee Simmons was the grandson of slaves and had gone to school at the University of Chicago and returned to his family's home state, taking up residence in Carroll county in 1948.
John Hatch's daughter was known to be a bit wild and young Kelli had already incurred her father's wrath on numerous occasions. Kelli was living with two other 22 year old women in the small town of Campton, Mississippi when she met and began dating Simmons. Her father learned of it a few weeks later and came into town drunk with some Klan buddies to hunt down and kill Simmons. Simmons law offices were across from the county courthouse and from an open window he could hear the drunken invectives hurled his way from across the square. He slipped out a back door of the courthouse and went to Kelli's house to take her away and save them both from the murderous rancor of her father and his "brethren."

Not finding Jubilee in his office the Klansmen split up to search for him and John Hatch went to his daughter's, presumably to beat her or possibly worse. He arrived before the pair had left and headed in the back porch door adjoining the kitchen. Seeing him coming, Simmons grabbed a kitchen knife and jumped atop the counter and then onto the top of the refrigerator that stood by the door. As John Hatch passed, he didn't notice Simmons who then jumped him safely from behind and in the ensuing struggle, Hatch was stabbed with the knife. The lovers bagged his body and threw it off a bridge on their way out of town. They were on their way to Chicago when they were arrested in Clarksville, Tennessee and returned for trial in Mississippi. Jubilee represented both and thanks to the testimony of one of the roommates and Mrs. Hatch, who had suffered abuse for years at the hands of her husband, both were acquitted and moved to Chicago where he established a moderately successful practice on the south side.

The original song told the story as it was, but owing to legal considerations, the Gentry version was done instead. The original was titled, "The Day that Jubilee the Barrister Jumped Off of Kelli Hatch's Fridge."










Sorry..............I gotta' keep telling it.......Khandu will have my ass as I think this is the 5th time.

Spaw

Subject: RE: One Hit Wonders
From: Bullfrog Jones
Date: 06 Jul 02 - 04:13 AM

My first time, Spaw, and it got me hook, line & sinker!!
BJ

Subject: RE: One Hit Wonders
From: Peter T.
Date: 06 Jul 02 - 07:48 AM

Oh, no, CP, think nothing of it, we are all here just to provide backdrop so you can tell your jokes over and over. I can well remember my uncle Jack who used to tell us about how he worked with Lawrence of Arabia, which was interesting up to about the 50th time. His daughter sent me a note some years ago saying that when he went into the nursing home, she once asked (out of desperation) him to tell her about the time he worked with Lawrence of Arabia. "Who?" he replied. She then told him his own story word perfect, which he lost interest in halfway through and went back to picking at the buttons on his shirt.

So be warned.

yours, Peter T.