The BEST one hit wonders

[geodeticman]

Thanks Misty... all in good fun. I have nothing but respect for John's learned and indeed well-researched posts. His humour cracks me up,too.

Oh BTW you'll find 3/4 of my $20 words in one of my favourite authors - Trevanian i.e. the Eiger Sanction - remember that horribly-acted climbing movie with Clint Eastwood ? Well the book is a work of brilliant satire that the movie sort of... barely nudges by comparison.

They say Clint did learn basic climbing enough to get some tough snow and ice shots done on the Eiger in Switzerland, and rock in Monument Valley, too. He was in da** good shape for what must have been his mid to late 50's ? dunno.

Baaaad movie, greaaaat book from a brilliant but secretive French Basque small-townsman author that recently wrote "The last Great Western Novel" - [as i recall] or similar. - A heavily researched book with a pattern shoot-em-up resulting, but he did his history homework out here in the west.

MY song contribution..... help me out here everyone.,,, the one about leaving the cake out in the rain...oh noooooo . written and .wait ! zounds ! its... "McArthur Park" by....by.... Richard Harris ? of Jonathan Livingston SeaBull ? sic[gull,SeaGULL] or did someone else already post this ? I think it was the actor/BAARD-ite/poet-cum-Rennaisance Man Richard Harris who played either Lancelot or King Arthur in Camelot. Men in tights. Always cracks me up. What was that Monty-python-esque movie about Men in Tights with Robin Hoood et al ? Never saw it but heard it was hilarious.
- geo Steve

[charlene]

MacArthur's Park by Jimmy Webb...my goodness that was quite the song!

While I don't recall another Richard Harris hit Jimmy Webb did alright for himself: some GREAT songs were his creations:

"Jimmy Webb is responsible for writing numerous popular and Top 10 hits sung by a disparate group of artists, including Glen Campbell ("By the Time I Get to Phoenix," "Wichita Lineman", "Galveston"), Art Garfunkel ("All I Know"), Richard Harris ("MacArthur Park"), The Fifth Dimension ("Up, Up and Away") and The Highwaymen, consisting of Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson, Johnny Cash, and Kris Kristofferson, ("The Highwayman"), Linda Ronstadt, and many others.

Webb's father was a Baptist minister and a former Marine. His mother died when he was a teenager. His most popular songs were all composed when he was between 19 and 21 years of age.

"By The Time I Get To Phoenix" is one of the most recorded songs of the 20th century."

[Borderstone]

I'm responding to something from last month that I couldn't before.
As I mentioned I listened to Whittaker's stuff and was unable to contain my laughter. Overall,no,I really don't know any of his songs at all.

I might listen to "Farewell" if I get a chance,who knows?...maybe I'm wrong.

By the way,I'm going to cease correcting folks about how many hits someone had. I know people don't like being corrected but I'll say that Billy Vera did have 2 other hits but,nobody really remembers them.

There's a lot of acts out there that had one really memorable song but for whatever reason,after that "big one" they have these lesser hits. Makes you wonder why anyone was interested in the first place.

Like when The Bellamy Brothers had that big #1 hit on the pop charts,"Let You Love Flow" and then their only other top 40 entry was,"If I Said You Had A Beautiful Body"....etc. #39.

I just don't get that at all.

[brink-]

I think every thing the Bellamy Brothers did was a hit! Loved 'em and still do.

from another
"old hippie"

I love the song, "Ah, Leah" by Donnie Iris...I believe it was a hit in 1980.

[Borderstone]

That's a good song Lavender as well as 1981's "Love Is Like A Rock" and "My Girl".

Those that don't know,Donnie Iris is the former lead singer of the one hit wonder,4 LP group The Jaggerz,whose lone hit in 1970 was,"The Rapper". (From the album,"We Went To Different Schools Together" .

No..it's not a "rap" song (no rap then) to rap back then meant to be a smooth talking guy (like in the song) or to talk things out honestly,one on one.

Check out the site Paralell Time: The unofficial Donnie Iris site. He's been in many acts.

[ June 11, 2006, 16:26: Message edited by: Borderstone ]

[MistyMoppens]

The Cheater by Bob Kuban & The In-Men (1966)


It was so ironic that lead singer Walter Scott would be murdered by his wife's lover in 1983...His body was found floating face-down in a cistern 5 years later.

[brink-]

It wasn't a cistern per say, it was the sewer. Then they built something on top of the sewer lid, I don't think the wife even lived there still when they found him. He was wrapped in plastic and that is why the body was perserved.

[MistyMoppens]

Originally posted by brink-:
It wasn't a cistern per say, it was the sewer. Then they built something on top of the sewer lid, I don't think the wife even lived there still when they found him. He was wrapped in plastic and that is why the body was perserved.

You're quite right, Deb. Even though the term "cistern" is often used in regard to this story I've always had the distinct impression it was more of a septic tank situation. And his wife's lover built a very large "flower box" on top of it - right after Christmas during the height of gardening season in Missouri... lol...

Didn't they also find his driver's license with the body? And the wife's lover's wife also died. It was in a mysterious car accident just 2 months before Walter disappeared. Walter's wife & her lover were convicted of various charges in connection with these murders.

Scottie Priesmeyer has written a book called "The Cheaters: The Walter Scott Murder" which details the murders & investigation. They also run the story on various forensics programs.


Back to Mike's topic!

White Bird by It's A Beautiful Day (1969) (loved this one!)

[ June 14, 2006, 17:17: Message edited by: MistyMoppens ]

[MistyMoppens]

Here's an interesting "One Hit Wonder." There's a story involving this singer and Gordon during the night one of her sons was born. Does anyone know what it is? (I'll bet Char does! lol...)

The song is "Friends and Lovers"
The singer is Gloria Loring

Really cute story! That Gord... you can always count on him to get "the job" done!

[charlene]

I recall Alan Thicke talking of Gloria being pregnant and possibly overdue and he asked Gord to come over to 'get things moving along." I imagine an evening of song followed until the baby decided to make an appearance!
lol
I believe that baby was Todd Thicke- a TV producer now!
lol

[MistyMoppens]

*bing!*bing!*bing!*bing!*bing!* YOU WIN! (will select a lovely prize for you in a minute...)

You are The Ultimate Authority on Mr. Gordon Lightfoot! (who knew? lol...)

Should he ever decide to write his memoirs I hope he has you sitting right there next to him so you can remind him of all the things he's forgotten about!

Now... must think of another One Hit Wonder....

Anyone remember the awful "Dead Skunk"? (in the middle of the road...)

Way to go, Char!

[charlene]

I remembered it because I was always a fan of Alan's...and when I saw that show with Gord and saw they were friends it stuck with me...
otherwise I can't remember if I had breakfast yet....
lol

[MistyMoppens]

I know what you mean! lol...

I saw that interview, too. Wasn't it on Alan's talk show? Was it called "Thicke Of The Night"? It cracked me up when they called in Party Animal Gord to keep that poor woman up all night!

Another One Hit Wonder: "I Will Follow Him" by
Little Peggy March (hubby's home-town girl!)

[johnfowles]

Originally posted by MistyMoppens:

Anyone remember the awful "Dead Skunk"? (in the middle of the road...)

No but I was reading another posting yesterday by Sheryl at:-
http://www.corfid.com/ubb/ultimatebb...=000851#000017
who reported on the recovery of her pet dog after eating chocolate.
Then I saw the word "skunk" here and ding ding ding,I recalled that we were recently plagued by nightly unpleasant wiffs and one evening I saw a skunk sneaking back through a hole under our garden/back yard shed,.
I inmmediately googled for "skunk poison" and was delighted to find a page with the highly susopect header
"Skunk School -- Learn Why Not To Keep Skunks As Pets":-
http://www.pigdog.org/skunkschool.html
but it contained great advice starting with
"Skunks have a ground speed of nearly 85 miles per hour, close to that of the cheetah".
More to the point I was informed
"The only recourse a skunk owner has is to build skunk traps baited with chocolate. Chocolate is an irresistible substance to skunks, and it is also a deadly poison to them"
I told Susan who pooh hood the notion and refused to believe me so I searched within my original set of results for "chocolate" and read that it is also poisonous to dogs.
As we do not have a dog here I laid out two hopefully tempting squares of rich dark chocolate. the next morning one had been eaten and I soon found a very dead skunk.
John

[charlene]

My grandfather used to feed his beagles/basset hounds and german shepherds chocolate every day for years and years. Us grandkids learned to share real fast!
Maybe if the dogs had offered the chocolate to the skunks they encountered almost weekly in North Ontario we'd have been better off....no wonder I hate tomato juice and can smell a skunk a hundred miles away...I still loves my choco tho!
lol

[formerlylavender]

I dug up this thread because I heard "Closing Time" by Semisonic over the weekend, and I forgot how much I like that song. I think it's a one-hit wonder - haven't heard anything else by that group.

[Borderstone]

LSH-Sorry I forgot to respond to your Q. about Billy Vera & The Beaters!

The had that big #1 hit in 1987 with "At This Moment" when it was featured on "Family Ties". It originally got to #79 in 1981.

Before that he & his group had 2 lesser known hits,"I Can Take Care Of Myself" (also 1981) and "Country Girl-City Man" w/Judy Clay in 1968.

According to the "only" Billy Vera site,he's had a lot more singles out than those.

Here's 2 really great 1 hit wonders from the '50s:

The Dubs with the wonderful,"Could This Be Magic" and The Elegants with,"Little Star". Excellent 1950's vocal group ballads!

[ September 02, 2006, 16:49: Message edited by: Borderstone ]

[Jennifer]

When it comes to OHW's I'm all about 80's New Wave

Simple Minds - Don't You Forget About Me
Bow Wow Wow - I Want Candy
Wall of Voodoo - Mexican Radio
Thomas Dolby - She Blinded Me w/ Science
Modern English - Melt w/ You
The Outfield - Your Love
Flock Of Seagulls - I Ran
Big Country - In a Big Country

Whenever these songs come on the radio I just gotta crank it, especially the last 3!

I think the *worst* OHW of all time had to be Don Johnson's "Heartbeat"

[Borderstone]

Simple Minds - 5 hits,all great!

Bow Wow Wow -Great songs,no hits. I have their actual LP's!

Mod. Eng. -Great song,no hits

Outfield- 5 hits (mostly sounding like their first! :D )

Flock O. S.- "I Ran","Space Age Love Song" (better than "I Ran" I feel.) and "Wishing".

Solo only,yes Don J. did have that 1 hit,but he also made the top 40 w/Streisand singing,"Til I Loved You" in 1988 when they were dating. [img]tongue.gif[/img]

I'm not trying to nitpick folks,I swear,but I just can't help it. I know too much and I have to let it out! :D

[fezo]

Just happened upon this topic and figured I'd throw my three cents in (up from two cents due to inflation).

Great lists! "Does Your Chewing Gum Lose its Flavor! Lonnie Donnegan and his Skiffle Group!

How about Pictures of Matchstick Men - Status Quo
Reflections of my Life - Marmalade
Concrete and Clay - Unit Four Plus Two......

[Borderstone]

Time traveler,the song and the lyrics you posted,are from 1997's,"Tubthumping" by the truly one hit act Chumbawumba!

(Can't believe it's 10 years next year!! )

Tubthumping,by the way,is a slang word that means "to preach to others". Kinda like Bible-thumping. They never say the title in the song though.

As for the groups name,much like Bananarama in the 80s,they just wanterd a weird name. :D

Fezo,funny you should mention Status Quo,just a month or so ago I found that very 45rpm at a Goodwill! Cool song,kinda weird.

[fezo]

Kind of weird indeed!

Speaking of weire, there's always They're Coming to Take Me Away Ha Ha.....

[Winter's Claw]

My fave one-hit-wonders:

The Beatles--"Please Please Me": They had one hit and then disappeared forever. I wonder what happened to these guys. I believe they were from England or something; they're probably working in a steel mill.

Elvis Presley--"Heartbreak Hotel": Huge hit in 1956. This Presley fellow never had another hit and, as I understand it, spent the rest of his life shooting televisions. He should have listened when everyone said that rock'n'roll was just a fad.

[fezo]

How about Third Rate Romance by the Amazing Rhythm Aces? They had a few albums but I don't think they had another hit.