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One hit wonders
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Subject: One hit wonders From: GUEST,Rana Date: 30 Apr 01 - 12:22 PM OK, this isn't (necessarily) folk, but Peter T's "obscure thread" and a film clip featuring Thunderclap Newman classic caused me to wonder about other one hit marvels. So there is (as mentioned) Thunderclap Newman (remember seeing them on the Beeb's TOTP (Top of the Pops). Also Mungo Jerry, and Norman Greenbaum. Greenbaum has a web page marketing Spirit in the Sky - a whole industry arising from one song. So any other nominations out there? Rana |
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Subject: RE: One hit wonders From: mousethief Date: 30 Apr 01 - 12:27 PM Anybody remember Mashmakhan? I had a 45 of their one hit -- "As the Years Go By". lyrics here. Reached #31 in the USA in 1970. Alex |
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Subject: RE: One hit wonders From: Bagpuss Date: 30 Apr 01 - 12:33 PM "Gordon is a Moron" by John Shuttleworth, though I'm sure he was called something else at the time. Refresh my memory someone? Bagpuss |
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Subject: RE: One hit wonders From: Will Bakker Date: 30 Apr 01 - 12:34 PM There is a TV programme in Holland, called "Single Luck". One of the programs was about Steeleye Span's "All around my hat". I will dig in my memory to think about other one hit wonders. |
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Subject: RE: One hit wonders From: GUEST,Matt_R Date: 30 Apr 01 - 12:35 PM Steeleye Span is a one-hit wonder??? Um.... |
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Subject: RE: One hit wonders From: mousethief Date: 30 Apr 01 - 12:37 PM Clint Holmes, "Playground in my Mind," 1973, #2. Alex
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Subject: RE: One hit wonders From: GUEST,JohnB Date: 30 Apr 01 - 12:37 PM Have I the right :- Applejacks Come outside :- Mike Sarne Had another but it's gone now. JohnB |
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Subject: RE: One hit wonders From: mousethief Date: 30 Apr 01 - 12:41 PM The Stories, Brother Louie, 1973, #1 Alex |
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Subject: RE: One hit wonders From: Bagpuss Date: 30 Apr 01 - 12:42 PM "Wonderful Life" - Black "Star Trekkin'" - The Firm
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Subject: RE: One hit wonders From: Will Bakker Date: 30 Apr 01 - 12:43 PM Streets of London- Ralph Mc Tell Where do you go to my lovely- Peter Sarstedt Eve of Destruction- Barry McGuire |
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Subject: RE: One hit wonders From: mousethief Date: 30 Apr 01 - 12:43 PM Gary Numan, Cars, 1980, #3 Alex |
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Subject: RE: One hit wonders From: Will Bakker Date: 30 Apr 01 - 12:46 PM This thread promises to be a many-hit wonder! |
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Subject: RE: One hit wonders From: Les from Hull Date: 30 Apr 01 - 12:47 PM Jilted John you mean Bagpuss? I'm sure there's a Hull connection with him as well. Maggie had suggested that I did that song in singarounds until I pointed out that the rhythm and the words are a bit hard to do at the same time. Still who knows, one day? Les |
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Subject: RE: One hit wonders From: Bagpuss Date: 30 Apr 01 - 12:51 PM For uk one hit wonders that were at number 1 http://www.hart87.freeserve.co.uk/onehitwonders.html
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Subject: RE: One hit wonders From: Bagpuss Date: 30 Apr 01 - 12:59 PM And if you click onto the homepage, you can get all sorts of chart facts and figs. Bagpuss |
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Subject: RE: One hit wonders From: mousethief Date: 30 Apr 01 - 01:13 PM That's too easy, Bagpuss! |
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Subject: RE: One hit wonders From: John Hardly Date: 30 Apr 01 - 01:14 PM Danny O'Keefe- "Good Time Charlie's Got The Blues" Dave Loggins- "Please Come To Boston" These two have written for others and If you've never heard a full album of their's I HIGHLY redommend them, but they never repeated the level of the above mentioned "hits" |
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Subject: RE: One hit wonders From: Lonesome EJ Date: 30 Apr 01 - 01:14 PM Judy in Disguise John Fred and his Playboy Band. Actually, Norman Greenbaum had a followup to Spirit in the Sky called "Canned Ham". Sounded exactly like the first one. Come to think of it, that's also a phenomenon. So many groups who came out with a monster hit, followed with a sound-alike which flopped,ie Procol Harum Whiter Shade of Pale followed by Homberg...."You'd better take off your Homberg, you're overcoat's too long" is a sample line. |
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Subject: RE: One hit wonders From: mousethief Date: 30 Apr 01 - 01:18 PM Procol Harum also had a gen-u-wine hit with "Conquistador" (1972, #16). Alex |
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Subject: RE: One hit wonders From: Lonesome EJ Date: 30 Apr 01 - 01:23 PM Barry Maguire's Eve of Destruction would qualify. He claims that he ticked off the record industry with his no-compromise stance. |
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Subject: RE: One hit wonders From: MARINER Date: 30 Apr 01 - 01:33 PM Tell Laura I Love Her by Ricky Valence (U.K.) Elusive Butterfly by Bob Lind, When by The Kalen Twins, Sugar , Sugar by The Archies, Nut Rocker by BBumble and the Stingers, It's almost to morrow by The Dreamwaevers, Here comes Summer by Jerry Keller, In the year 2525 by Zager and Evans. I can go on but I fear the titles are disclosing my age. |
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Subject: RE: One hit wonders From: John Hardly Date: 30 Apr 01 - 01:33 PM Best Norman Greenbaum song--"Good Lookin' Woman" Gonna take money to keep you around, baby Gonna take money to keep you around, Baby Worried 'bout the future? babe you can end it, I got the money, I'm willin' to spend it On a good lookin' woman...Like You. |
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Subject: RE: One hit wonders From: Noreen Date: 30 Apr 01 - 01:34 PM Considering how much sense A Whiter Shade Of Pale made, LeeJ...... :0) |
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Subject: RE: One hit wonders From: mousethief Date: 30 Apr 01 - 02:02 PM I used to have a 45 of "In the year 2525"! Boy, what a stinker! Some others:
Starland Vocal Band, Afternoon Delight, 1976, #1 (can you believe it?!) Alex |
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Subject: RE: One hit wonders From: M.Ted Date: 30 Apr 01 - 02:23 PM There is a problem we'll hit on soon (actually, it will be now, since I am bringing it up) Gary Numan, who had only one hit in the US, actually had about 25 hits in the UK--including his other #1-"Are Friends Electric" and five or so other top ten hits (my 18 year old daughter is a big fan of his), Mungo Jerry had a number of UK hits as well ("Baby Jump" was one)--Those of us in the US don't think of the Archies as one hit wonders, although "Sugar,Sugar". "Jingle, Jangle" and "Bang Shangalang" did sound a lot alike--The biggest discrepency though is "Status Quo" who had one top 40 hit in the US, with "Pictures of Matchstick Men" but had 42 charted hits in the UK (more than the Beatles, though the Beatles spent a bit more time on the charts than they did)- |
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Subject: RE: One hit wonders From: lady penelope Date: 30 Apr 01 - 02:29 PM Geprgia Sattelites also had a hit in the UK with "Battle ship chains" off the same album as "hands to yourself" John Shuttleworth was THE Gordon of THE Morons, if I remember rightly ( Parker isn't here to provide me with his wealth of obscure references for this particular era ) With the classic 'b" side" Two pints of lager and a packet of crisps, please" My favourite "I think I'm Turning Japanese" by the Vapours |
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Subject: RE: One hit wonders From: mousethief Date: 30 Apr 01 - 02:33 PM Yes, similarly, and amazingly, Bruce Cockburn only had one top 40 hit in the US, although he was all over the charts in the 1970's in Canada. Alex |
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Subject: RE: One hit wonders From: Lonesome EJ Date: 30 Apr 01 - 02:42 PM And that was one of his worst songs, MT. If I had a Rocket Launcher was inferior to the rest of the material on the Stealing Fire album. One of my all time favorites was a one-hit wonder...Dancing in the Moonlight by King Harvest. |
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Subject: RE: One hit wonders From: mousethief Date: 30 Apr 01 - 02:46 PM According to my sources, Rocket Launcher didn't break 40; whereas Lions hit #21 in 1980. Unfortunately I don't have access to numbers less than 40 so I can't verify that they didn't just leave RL out. Alex |
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Subject: RE: One hit wonders From: catspaw49 Date: 30 Apr 01 - 02:47 PM One has been mentioned, but I think there are four where the VERY FIRST release went to #1 and they never had another crack the top 100.
Zager and Evans......"2525" ..........so does anybody know the 4th one? Spaw |
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Subject: RE: One hit wonders From: mousethief Date: 30 Apr 01 - 02:48 PM Any of you Canadians remember Trooper? Did they have any other hits in Canada besides "Two for the Show"? Loved that song; was sorry it never got airplay in the US. Alex |
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Subject: RE: One hit wonders From: Jim the Bart Date: 30 Apr 01 - 02:54 PM How about "Reach Out In the Darkness" (I think it's so groovy now, that people are finally getting together. . .) by Friend and Lover? The "Friend" half of this duo was Jim Post. |
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Subject: RE: One hit wonders From: Gary T Date: 30 Apr 01 - 03:03 PM "Brandy" by (The?) Looking Glass. Well-crafted song, nicely told story, good arrangement and performance--it's a shame they didn't get another hit, but I guess that's show biz. |
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Subject: RE: One hit wonders From: LR Mole Date: 30 Apr 01 - 03:21 PM "Yellow Balloon" by the Yellow Balloon: the b side was the same song backwards: "Noollab Wolley" And how about "Hot Smoke and Sassafrass" by Bubble Puppy? |
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Subject: RE: One hit wonders From: vindelis Date: 30 Apr 01 - 03:35 PM Bernie Flint (from 'Opportunity Knocks') trouble is I can't remember the song title, but I can still see him singing it! |
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Subject: RE: One hit wonders From: Benjamin Date: 30 Apr 01 - 03:45 PM Would you consider M.C. Hammer a one hit wonder? How about Extreme, Trixter, War Babies? Ahh, precious memories of the 80's (and early 90's)!! BMW |
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Subject: RE: One hit wonders From: GUEST,Rana Date: 30 Apr 01 - 04:03 PM I never realised that this thread would generate so much rapid interest! Did Peter and Gordon have more than one hit? (If they did I missed it). Forgot about 2525 - which was probably fortunate! (Now what were the other years?). Rana (who should get back to work) |
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Subject: RE: One hit wonders From: GUEST Date: 30 Apr 01 - 04:07 PM I know i'm young but how comes no1's mention the master chesney hawkes with the #1 single the 1 and only or is that just me |
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Subject: RE: One hit wonders From: gnu Date: 30 Apr 01 - 04:18 PM LonesomeEJ.... did you catch Bruce's recent CBC rendition of Rocket Launcher ? I will never erase the video tape I made of this program just for that one tune. The guitar work was beyond excellent. Alex.... didn't Trooper do (don't know the actual title) We're Here for a Good Time, Not a Long Time... This still gets airplay on the "classic" rock stations around here. |
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Subject: RE: One hit wonders From: GUEST Date: 30 Apr 01 - 04:20 PM Just gotta pipe in with these two:
A good one, by two guys (twins?) whose nutsy
And that god awful Vicky Lawrence classic: "The Night
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Subject: RE: One hit wonders From: mousethief Date: 30 Apr 01 - 04:30 PM Anybody remember "Popcorn" by "Hot Butter"? It was a completely synthesizer thing. Early 1970's. Alex |
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Subject: RE: One hit wonders From: Gary T Date: 30 Apr 01 - 04:50 PM I remember Peter and Gordon for "I Go to Peices," "A World Without Love," "Woman," and "Lady Godiva." |
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Subject: RE: One hit wonders From: Peter T. Date: 30 Apr 01 - 04:59 PM "Duke of Earl" by the guy who was called blank "Duke of Earl" blank, about whom I have blanked. "You Don't Have To Be a Baby to Cry", The Caravelles. "Big John", Jimmy Dean "Classical Gas", John Hartford. and my all-time favourite (be still my beating heart): "Johnny Angel", Shelley Fabares. yours, Peter T. P.S. I am not sure that I like being referred to as a one hit wonder, given that I haven't even had one hit, nor am I particularly wonderful. Still, people will talk. |
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Subject: RE: One hit wonders From: Lonesome EJ Date: 30 Apr 01 - 05:02 PM Peter...Classical Gas was Mason Williams |
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Subject: RE: One hit wonders From: mousethief Date: 30 Apr 01 - 05:02 PM The only version of "Classical Gas" I know of is the one by Mason Williams (the author of the piece). He was the music guru (whatever the exact title was, I don't know) for the Smothers Brothers TV show. ALex |
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Subject: RE: One hit wonders From: GUEST,Rana Date: 30 Apr 01 - 05:13 PM Peter, I badly phrased my first sentence - did not mean to imply that you were a one hit wonder - just that one hit wonders probably ended up as obscurities and hence your thread helped pose the question. But then there is no smoke without ... (:-)) Rana |
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Subject: RE: One hit wonders From: Allan C. Date: 30 Apr 01 - 05:20 PM Few people will remember this: I really don't know how far up the charts it got but David Nelson, (Rick's brother,) made it onto the charts with "Wonderful! Wonderful!" which, I believe, he was the first to introduce. It was his first and only attempt. Later, in '57 Johnny Mathis covered it (#14) and then the finger-snapping Tymes scored a hit with it (#7) in '63. It is still among my favorites. Sometimes we walk hand in hand by the sea And we breathe in the cool salty air... |
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Subject: RE: One hit wonders From: Peter T. Date: 30 Apr 01 - 05:39 PM Sorry, stupid mistake. Gene Chandler, Duke of Earl. yours, Peter T. |
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Subject: RE: One hit wonders From: MARINER Date: 30 Apr 01 - 05:42 PM Then there was;Althea and Donna "Up Town TopRankin'", JJ.Barrie's "No Charge"Jane Birkin and Serge Gainsbourg"Je T'aime" (pant pant), The Crazy World Of Arthur Brown, "Fire", Floaters "Float On", Matthew's Southern Comfort, "Woodstock", Overlanders ,"Michelle", Simon Park Orch. "Eye Level", all U.K. one hit wonders. And speaking of one hit brothers, didn't Pat Boone's brother Nick Todd dent the charts with his version of Fabian's "Tiger"??.And there's more!!. |
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Subject: RE: One hit wonders From: Benjamin Date: 30 Apr 01 - 07:30 PM She Drives Me Crazy by Fine Young Cannibals King of Wishful Thinking by Go West Steel Heart's Angel Eyes (I think that was their hit). BMW |
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