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One-Hit Wonders, Part Two

01 May 01 - 03:04 PM (#453148)
Subject: One-Hit Wonders, Part Two
From: mousethief

Continuing THIS thread.

Alex


01 May 01 - 03:33 PM (#453161)
Subject: RE: One-Hit Wonders, Part Two
From: Lonesome EJ

There was a Dutch band called Focus who came out with one of the great One-shots, and a perfect example of what methedrine addicts can accomplish when they have some direction. It was an instrumental called Hocus Pocus.


01 May 01 - 03:44 PM (#453170)
Subject: RE: One-Hit Wonders, Part Two
From: mousethief

Almost instrumental. There was yodelling. At our recent "Daffodil festival" parade, one of the high school or junior high school bands played it (sans yodelling). Sounded pretty good!

Alex


01 May 01 - 03:47 PM (#453173)
Subject: RE: One-Hit Wonders, Part Two
From: mousethief

Jim Krause said, in the other thread,

Alex, I kinda liked Afternoon Delight. The harmony was great, and I have always had a (ahem) soft spot in my heart for semi-pornographic songs.

Well, it was okay, but just a wee bit over-the-top. "The thought of rubbing you is getting so exciting"? Really.

Alex


01 May 01 - 04:17 PM (#453185)
Subject: RE: One-Hit Wonders, Part Two
From: Pseudolus

I do a lot of 70's one-hit wonders like.....

Love Grows where my Rosemary Goes...Edison Lighthouse
Beautiful Sunday...Daniel Boone
It's so Nice to be with you....Gallery
actually, Gallery is a two hit wonder having recorded "I believe in music" before Mac Davis got hold of it..
Last Song....Edward Baer Build me up Buttercup...Foundations (Not sure if they had any other hits... Timothy..The Buoys (or is it spelled Dubois or The Boys?)

Fun thread..... Frank


01 May 01 - 04:20 PM (#453189)
Subject: RE: One-Hit Wonders, Part Two
From: Pseudolus

Oops, got lazy with the line breaks....that list again...

Love Grows where my Rosemary Goes...Edison Lighthouse
Beautiful Sunday...Daniel Boone
It's so Nice to be with you....Gallery
actually, Gallery is a two hit wonder having recorded "I believe in music" before Mac Davis got hold of it..
Last Song....Edward Baer
Build me up Buttercup...Foundations (Not sure if they had any other hits...)
Timothy..The Buoys (or is it spelled Dubois or The Boys?)

Frank


01 May 01 - 04:27 PM (#453194)
Subject: RE: One-Hit Wonders, Part Two
From: Dita

Foundations also had a hit with "Baby, Now That I've found you"
love, john


01 May 01 - 04:39 PM (#453205)
Subject: RE: One-Hit Wonders, Part Two
From: M.Ted

Frank, don't you remember their first effort? "Baby, now that I've found you,
I can't let you go
I'll build my world around you,
Even though, Baby
Even Though you don't need me
You don't need me!

Anyway, I think I've found a great one--"Sally Go Round the Roses" by the Jaynetts!!!


01 May 01 - 04:59 PM (#453217)
Subject: RE: One-Hit Wonders, Part Two
From: mousethief

Gallery also did Big City Miss Ruth Ann which I actually remember! I don't think I've EVER heard it on any of the oldies stations.

Edward Baer also charted at #37 in the US with "Close your eyes" (which I most decidedly do NOT remember).

What about Albert Hammond's memorable "It Never Rains in California"? I can still sing the whole thing. Sick, ain't it?

Has anybody mentioned Stonewall Jackson's memorable crossover hit, "Waterloo"? Every puppy has its day.

alex


01 May 01 - 05:00 PM (#453218)
Subject: RE: One-Hit Wonders, Part Two
From: Dita

I've got a couple of others for you (UK)
Games people play - Joe South (one of my favourite writers but his only hit
Tell Laura I love her - Ricky Valence
< Nut Rocker - B.Bumble & the Stingers
i'm the Urban Spaceman - Bonzo Dog (Do Da) Band
love, john


01 May 01 - 05:05 PM (#453222)
Subject: RE: One-Hit Wonders, Part Two
From: GUEST

EJ,

Saw Focus in the early 70's - they were more of an album band. Certain bands didn't release singles (in the UK anyway) - can't recall Led Zepellin ever doing so, for example.

Talking of other European (Continental) bands - PFM (Prematori F??? Marconi) from Italy released a tune called Celebration, then there was 989 Luftballon or something like that - can't remember the name of the group though.

Rana


01 May 01 - 05:05 PM (#453223)
Subject: RE: One-Hit Wonders, Part Two
From: mousethief

Toni Basil: Mickey ("Oh Mickey you're so fine, you're so fine you blow my mind hey Mickey")

Alex


01 May 01 - 05:07 PM (#453226)
Subject: RE: One-Hit Wonders, Part Two
From: mousethief

Led Zeppelin released many singles, including D'yer Mak'r, which charted, and Immigrant Song, and I've Got a Woman Who Won't Be True, which never was released on album until the 4-disc anthology just last year.

Alex


01 May 01 - 05:10 PM (#453227)
Subject: RE: One-Hit Wonders, Part Two
From: mousethief

How about Tommy Boyce and Bobby Hart, "I Wonder What She's Doing Tonight"?

The wrote a lot of the Monkees' early hits but this is the only hit of theirs, I believe.

Alex


01 May 01 - 05:48 PM (#453253)
Subject: RE: One-Hit Wonders, Part Two
From: paddymac

Not everybody likes organ music, er , music played on the instrument called an organ, but once in awhile a great one comes along. Such was a piece called "Manhatten Spiritual" performed (I think) by Reg Owens. Never heard of him again.


01 May 01 - 06:44 PM (#453291)
Subject: RE: One-Hit Wonders, Part Two
From: MARINER

Manhattan Spiritual was by the Reg Owen Orchestra, a great number. Another fine organ driven thing was Dave "Baby" Cortez's "Rinky Dink", I think he had a bigger hit with "Happy Organ"


01 May 01 - 07:49 PM (#453341)
Subject: RE: One-Hit Wonders, Part Two
From: Metchosin

guest, Neun und Neunzig Luftballoons was by Nena

Last Night by the Marquis?

From the preceeding thread, does anyone have any info regarding We Five?


01 May 01 - 08:06 PM (#453354)
Subject: RE: One-Hit Wonders, Part Two
From: kendall

How about The Third Man by Anton Karas? not sure of spelling.


01 May 01 - 09:01 PM (#453395)
Subject: RE: One-Hit Wonders, Part Two
From: John Hardly

"Baby, Now That I've Found You" is memorable again, resurrected by Ron Block's simple guitar and Alison Kraus' plaintive voice.


01 May 01 - 09:07 PM (#453397)
Subject: RE: One-Hit Wonders, Part Two
From: John Hardly

I'm sorry if I missed it in the 125+ posts but Jonathan Edward's "Sunshine" was, I believe his only crack at the top 40.

I noticed something about 15-20 years ago. Whenever I'd see a collection of #1 hits, I usually didn't care much for it. I generally seem drawn to the also-rans.


01 May 01 - 10:01 PM (#453429)
Subject: RE: One-Hit Wonders, Part Two
From: GUEST,Rana

Mousethief,

I might have been fast asleep but I'm pretty sure those songs (upto 75 anyway) by Zepellin were not released as singles IN THE UK. They may have been in the States, though (I'm making an assumption of your location). Apologies if I'm wrong.

Rana


01 May 01 - 10:13 PM (#453440)
Subject: RE: One-Hit Wonders, Part Two
From: M.Ted

EJ--As to Hendrix' American hits--I didn't mean that he had none--AATW was the only one that made the top 20--the others didn't even make the top 40--Purple Haze peaked at 65! Fire never even made the charts--the American Pop Charts we are talking about here the "Billboard Hot 100"(not including any of the other charts, since many of the one-hit-wonders actually charted a few times on the R&B and C&W charts, or on the old "Bubbling Under" Chart) and the British Charts would be whatever it is that Paul Gambaccini and Tim Rice use for their British Hit Singles book(the sources changed over the years). Back in the 60's, in the States, a lot of very popular music didn't get played a lot on top 40 radio, but did get played on FM radio--that stuff never made the pop charts--

Also, in order to chart, stuff had to be getting airplay and sales nationally--which means that there are a lot of records that were regional hits that never made the Pop charts, and there are even records that were popular in one part of the country one week, in another part another week, and never made the charts at all--


01 May 01 - 10:23 PM (#453448)
Subject: RE: One-Hit Wonders, Part Two
From: GUEST,Rana

Me again, Mousethief,

Just checked AMG - all music guide (www.allmusic.com)and this is part of what they say of Zeppelin.

"They rarely gave interviews, since the music press detested the band. Consequently, the only connection the audience had with the band was through the records and the concerts. More than any other band, Led Zeppelin established the concept of album-oriented rock, refusing to release popular songs from their albums as singles. In doing so, they established the dominant format for heavy metal, as well as the genre's actual sound."

which is consistant with what I remember (up to the mid '70s)

Rana


01 May 01 - 11:45 PM (#453493)
Subject: RE: One-Hit Wonders, Part Two
From: Tom D.

The two threads are now too long for me to to digest, but I think we may have left out "Walk Away Rene'" by the Left Bank and "Apache" by Jorgen Ingman(spelling iffy here). While we are in the Jorgen Ingman Era, who did "Telestar"? It was an instrumental way ahead of its time--early sixties to be sure.

Tom D.


01 May 01 - 11:51 PM (#453498)
Subject: RE: One-Hit Wonders, Part Two
From: Matt_R

Alex, you mean "Hey, Hey What Can I Say" which was the b-side to "Immigrant Song"?


01 May 01 - 11:56 PM (#453504)
Subject: RE: One-Hit Wonders, Part Two
From: Tom D.

I'm about tapped out, but here's one more--"Wheels" by a group called the Spinners, another neat 60's instrumental. (Was that Ry Cooder on guitar?)

Tom D.


02 May 01 - 12:06 AM (#453507)
Subject: RE: One-Hit Wonders, Part Two
From: Tom D.

Did Cannibal and the Headhunters ever have a follow-up to "Land of a Thousand Dances"? Did The Kingsmen have a follow-up to "Louie, Louie"? Be on the look out for a closely related thread--"One-and-A-Half Hit Wonders" Soon to follow at a website near you!!!

Tom D.


02 May 01 - 12:10 AM (#453511)
Subject: RE: One-Hit Wonders, Part Two
From: Matt_R

For some reason, I always though Wilson Pickett did "Land of 1000 Dances".


02 May 01 - 12:31 AM (#453521)
Subject: RE: One-Hit Wonders, Part Two
From: Lonesome EJ

The Kingsmen released the follow-up Jolly Green Giant to moderate success.."He couldn't get Sally, went back to his valley, and that's why the cat's so mean".

The Left Bank released a song after Renee called Pretty Ballerina, that I liked almost as much as the first hit. Not sure how it did though.

How about Black is Black by Los Bravos? I understand these guys were a Spanish band that couldn't speak any English and sang the song phonetically. If you listen to the song you can tell.


02 May 01 - 01:15 AM (#453556)
Subject: RE: One-Hit Wonders, Part Two
From: mousethief

Yep, that's the one.

Alex


02 May 01 - 01:36 AM (#453565)
Subject: RE: One-Hit Wonders, Part Two
From: M.Ted

Telstar was recorded by "The Tornadoes", there was a follow-up hit, "Globetrotter", in the UK, and a couple of others that charted, but only a very minor follow up in the US--it was produced by Joe Meek--


02 May 01 - 01:45 AM (#453572)
Subject: RE: One-Hit Wonders, Part Two
From: Dita

Los Bravos had a follow up hit called "I Don't Care"
love, john


02 May 01 - 01:48 AM (#453574)
Subject: RE: One-Hit Wonders, Part Two
From: Metchosin

Well that would explain it! Amazing what you can find out when you do your own research.

The group that did Bound to Fly was not We Five, but Three's a Crowd and had some heavyweights represented in it including Bruce Cockburn. I knew there was some reason I liked them back in the sixties.


02 May 01 - 02:20 AM (#453586)
Subject: RE: One-Hit Wonders, Part Two
From: Metchosin

And that would also explain my confusion with We Five. Bound to Fly and You Were On My Mind were somewhat similar in sound and both great songs.


02 May 01 - 02:34 AM (#453589)
Subject: RE: One-Hit Wonders, Part Two
From: Dita

Rana, Led Zeppelin's only single release (UK) other than a number of promos was "Whole Lotta Love/ Livin' Lovin' Maid Atlantic 584 309." It was however quickly withdrawn, at the bands insistance, when it began (shock/horror) to become a hit (it was however the theme music for Top of the Pops for many years). The bands only chart success came in their earlier incarnation as the Yardbirds (Page was left holding the baby when they disintegrated, and the New Yardbirds became Led Zep). It did not stop various members from releasing singles before and after their time in the band.
(Jimmy Page was probably the guitarist on a good many UK one hit wonders by the way)
love, john.


02 May 01 - 08:38 AM (#453727)
Subject: RE: One-Hit Wonders, Part Two
From: LR Mole

Jimmy Page was the guitarist going jink/jingjink on "It's Not Unusual" by the oleagenous Tom Jones.Is Los Bravos' "Goin' Nowhere" yet another song or a Mondegreen for "I Don't Care"? AND remember the habit Led Zep (or someone around them) had of scratching odd things into the masters for the records?"The Immigrant Song" 45 has, between the end of the song and the label, "Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the was", a quote from the roly-poly Mr. Crowley.


02 May 01 - 10:28 AM (#453800)
Subject: RE: One-Hit Wonders, Part Two
From: Matt_R

EJ, I know that there is a Travis B-side called "Pretty Ballerina"...I wonder if it's a cover of that song?


02 May 01 - 10:49 AM (#453818)
Subject: RE: One-Hit Wonders, Part Two
From: GUEST,Rana

Dita (John),

Thanks for the info - I've been wrong more oftern than not in the past (for example on Peter and Gordon - sorry! probably too young at the time), nice to know my mind is not completely going.

Will bring this up here as well. A clear one hit person (so I hope), Millie and "My Boy Lollipop"

Another was a great song by Desmond Dekker - the Israelites, which was one of the few reggae songs I liked way back when. He did have a subsequent hit, I seem to recall, so maybe this belongs to the 1.5. Happy to be corrected!!!

Cheers

Rana


02 May 01 - 01:26 PM (#453958)
Subject: RE: One-Hit Wonders, Part Two
From: mousethief

The Flying Machine, "Smile a Little Smile for Me", 1969, #5.

Great song, by the way.

Alex


02 May 01 - 01:31 PM (#453965)
Subject: RE: One-Hit Wonders, Part Two
From: mousethief

Mercy, "Love Can Make You Happy", #2, 1969. no follow-up in the top 40. Nice song, but hardly inspired.

Alex


02 May 01 - 01:31 PM (#453967)
Subject: RE: One-Hit Wonders, Part Two
From: Matt_R

Wasn't James Taylor in The Flying Machine?


02 May 01 - 01:35 PM (#453972)
Subject: RE: One-Hit Wonders, Part Two
From: Lonesome EJ

That Flying Machine singer/songwriter did have a couple of follow-up hits I believe. Wasn't one Obscene Fire and Obscene Rain?


02 May 01 - 01:36 PM (#453975)
Subject: RE: One-Hit Wonders, Part Two
From: M.Ted

Millie Small had a follow-up, but much smaller hit called"Sweet William" which made it to #40--Incidentally, although I had always heard that she was 15 when Lollipop" was a hit, her birthday was 10/6/46, so she was about five months shy of 18 it broke onto the charts at the end of May in '64. Her real name was Millicent Smith, and, for some reason, she was nicknamed "The Blue Beat Girl", which would not have seemed very complimentary where I grew up--


02 May 01 - 01:38 PM (#453978)
Subject: RE: One-Hit Wonders, Part Two
From: mousethief

Matt, I think you're right. It is given as the explanation to the line from "Fire and Rain" that goes "Sweet dreams and flying machines in pieces on the ground."

LEJ, you had me. I didn't carefully read the song title until I had already written a response to you, and even looked at Lyrics World for more hits by Flying Machine. LOL!

Alex


02 May 01 - 03:26 PM (#454057)
Subject: RE: One-Hit Wonders, Part Two
From: LR Mole

Law. Whole of the law, not the was.


02 May 01 - 03:41 PM (#454077)
Subject: RE: One-Hit Wonders, Part Two
From: M.Ted

Taylor was in a different Flying Machine--


02 May 01 - 04:05 PM (#454102)
Subject: RE: One-Hit Wonders, Part Two
From: Pseudolus

M Ted and Dita, thanks! I forgot all abuot Baby, now that I found you.

Alex, I've not heard of that Edward Baer song either but hey, I thought Kenny Rogers wan in the Fifth dimension!!! I'm still laughing about that one. Btw, Albert Hammond had another hit (or at least a release) called I'm a Train which by the way, the Fifth Dimension never recorded....lol

Here's a couple more.....

Mouth and McNeal.....Ma Belle Amie Clarence Carter......Patches

Frank


02 May 01 - 04:08 PM (#454109)
Subject: RE: One-Hit Wonders, Part Two
From: mousethief

Mouth and MacNeil did Ma Belle Amie? The only M&McN hit I have in my US top-40 archives is "How Do You Do?" -- which was a real stinker.

I show Ma Belle Amie as being done by The Tee Set.

Perhaps the 2 groups are related?

ALex


02 May 01 - 04:12 PM (#454115)
Subject: RE: One-Hit Wonders, Part Two
From: Pseudolus

Those damn fingers of mine.... I think it was on a combination 5th Dimension/Kenny Rogers/Mouth and McNeal album......very rare....

You're right, but then who did Ma Belle Amie???

I would get picked last in a tirvia pursuit game dontcha think???

Frank


02 May 01 - 04:15 PM (#454119)
Subject: RE: One-Hit Wonders, Part Two
From: mousethief

"The Tee Set" -- another 1-hit wonder group, according to my sources.

#5 in 1970. Golly!

I'm sure you're a veritable motherlode of information, Frank. It's just that none of it is accurate. :-)

Alex


02 May 01 - 04:18 PM (#454123)
Subject: RE: One-Hit Wonders, Part Two
From: Pseudolus

Never mind, I'll read the whole post next time. The Tee Set? I woulda never guessed that.....but hey, I thought.....uhhh..... nah we won't get into that again....

Hey, how about Tommy Roe? Did he have another hit other than Dizzy? Did he ever play with Mouth and McNeil or the Fifth Dimension? Probably not......

Frank


02 May 01 - 04:20 PM (#454126)
Subject: RE: One-Hit Wonders, Part Two
From: Pseudolus

Thanks Alex....! :)

I'll let you know when we get to my best topic.....as soon as I figure out what the hell it is...

Frank


02 May 01 - 04:21 PM (#454127)
Subject: RE: One-Hit Wonders, Part Two
From: mousethief

Didn't Roe do "Sheila"?

Yeah, also "Hooray for Hazel" and "Sweet Pea" and a couple of others I don't recognize. Far from a one-hit wonder, he has 11 pages on Lyrics World (top-40 site in Brazil where I get all my info).

Alex


02 May 01 - 05:31 PM (#454188)
Subject: RE: One-Hit Wonders, Part Two
From: mousethief

Led Zep pre-CD era US singles:

1969
Communication Breakdown / Good Times Bad Times, 7" 2613
Whole Lotta Love / Living Loving Maid, 7" 2690

1970
Immigrant Song / Hey Hey What Can I Do, 7" 2777

1971/72
Black Dog / Misty Mountain Hop, 7" 2849
Rock And Roll / Four Sticks, 7" 2865

1973
Over The Hills And Far Away / Dancing Days, 7" 2970
D'yer Mak'er / The Crunge, 7" 2986

1975
Trampled Under Foot / Black Country Woman, 7" 70102

1976
Candy Store Rock / Royal Orleans, 7" 70110

1979
Fool In The Rain / Hot Dog, 7" 71003

-----

Alex


02 May 01 - 05:37 PM (#454194)
Subject: RE: One-Hit Wonders, Part Two
From: GUEST,Rana

Alex,

Obviously different marketing approaches on either side of the Pond - what you've listed are the obvious "single-type" tracks. What other artists (or is it the record companies) have done similar? But that might be another thread

Cheers Rana


02 May 01 - 05:42 PM (#454202)
Subject: RE: One-Hit Wonders, Part Two
From: mousethief

So, my question is this: was "Hey hey what can I do" recorded just to be the b-side of a single? Why was it never on an album until the boxed set? Was this marketing pressure from their state-side record company?

Did they release any EP's in Britain?

Alex


03 May 01 - 04:28 PM (#455044)
Subject: RE: One-Hit Wonders, Part Two
From: oggie

The blue clickie for the previous thread isn't working so if this is a repeat I apologise....Fairport Convention 'Si tu dois partir' got to about number 15 somewhere around 1970.

Likewise has Ralph Mctell charted with anything other than Streets of London ?

All the best

Steve


03 May 01 - 06:28 PM (#455170)
Subject: RE: One-Hit Wonders, Part Two
From: M.Ted

Steve,

Ralph McTell had a single called "Dreams of You" that climbed to #36 on the UK charts in 1975--

Alex--When you start asking questions about "why was such-and-such released as a "B-side", then you are definitely starting to slide down a slippery slope, and you may already be past the point of no return--


01 Apr 07 - 09:27 PM (#2013974)
Subject: RE: One-Hit Wonders, Part Two
From: Dave'sWife

i just happened to buy a wonderful cover of "Walk Away Renee" that Linda Ronstadt did on her latest album Adieu False Heart with Anne Savoy. (Damn you iTunes!) it's so beautiful. She manages in her vocal to add a level of wistfulness and regret that was always there in the lyric but somewhat overshadowed by the arrangement. incidentally, the group that originated the song is called The Left Banke and not "Left Bank".

Wikipedia article on them here:
The Left Banke

There is a separate article linked to within the article on the song itself.