Talkin’ Music with Jack – One Hit Wonders

Talkin’ Music

It’s Been-A-While

Back To Those One-Hit Wonders

By Jack Coll

8-5-20

     Regular readers of this column know how I love my music, I had a paper-route when I was 12 years old and used my first payday to purchase a transistor radio, (Woolworths, Main Street in Norristown) from that day on I always had a radio taped to my ear, I loved music, I loved the DJ’s and I always loved the night-time shows when you felt like that DJ was your best friend, and man they knew everything about the bands, the songs and lead-singers.

     Now-a-days when I’m working in my third floor office I have channel 430 on my television, “Solid Gold Oldies, of the 1950’s and 1960’s.  They play all the usual stuff, Elvis, Beatles and Motown.  But man they really hit on the secondary acts like Paul Revere and the Raiders, Herman’s Hermits, Gary Lewis and the Playboys, Johnny Rivers, Sam Cooke, and a whole lot of one-hit-wonders, I always loved the one-hit-wonders.  While listening to the song “You Talk To Much,” a little ditty from 1960 sung by Joe Jones came on and I thought “One Hit Wonder,” let’s write a little music column and have a little fun while retrieving some of those long lost memories.

     So with all this time on my hands thanks to the coronavirus I thought I’d test your memory with mostly songs and artists that you’ve heard of, perhaps haven’t heard of them in say 40, 50 maybe 60 years.  So I’ll give a list of artists and a list of songs and then I’ll put them together for you at the bottom of the article.    

     For instance, in the list of Artists I might mention Bobby Day, and in the list of songs I might mention “Judy in Disguise (With Glasses).  As you read the Artists names can you remember and name their song, Bobby Day, well that would be “Rockin’ Robin,” and when you read the song, “Judy in Disguise (With Glasses) see if the name John Fred and the Playboy Band comes to mind.  You don’t need to write anything down, it’s just for fun.  One final note, One-Hit-Wonders are defined in different ways, sometimes a one hit wonder has that one big hit and is never heard from again like “Elusive Butterfly” by Bob Lind, but never hits the charts again.  Sometimes a person or group has a monster hit, and maybe follows  up with a song that makes the charts, maybe coming in at #78, of # 57, but will forever be known for their one big hit, so you might see a few of them saying hey, they had more than one hit but you’ll know what I’m talking about.  And maybe, just maybe we’ll mention a few from the 1950’s, 1960’s and 1970’s.

     So let’s mention some names and see if their song pops into your head:

     Nick Lowe———-Alan O’Day———-Terry Stafford———-Curtis Lee———Eddie Holman———-Blues Magoos———-The Ides of March———-Hurricane Smith———-The First Class———-Steve Forbert———–Bobby Pickett———-The Standells———-Syndicate of Sound———-Jigsaw———-Ace———-King Harvest———-Alive N Kickin’———-Mongo Jerry———-The Jaynetts———-The Monotones———-The Silhouettes———-The Contours———-Shocking Blue———-Wild Cherry———-T. Rex———-Dr. John———-Free———-Keith Carradine———-David Soul———-and finally John Stewart—–

     So did the song jump into your mind, typically if you have to think about it, when you say, “Hey, I know this song,” chances are you won’t get it.  The song either jumps immediately into your mind or zippo.

Here’s your answers, How’d you do?

Nick Lowe—“Cruel to Be Kind,”1979            Alan O’Day—“Undercover Angel,” 1977            Terry Stafford—“Suspicion,” 1964            Curtis Lee—“Pretty Little Angel Eyes” 1961            Eddie Halman—“Hey There Lonely Girl” 1969            Blues Magoos—“We Ain’t Got Nothin’ Yet” 1966            The Ides of March—“Vehicle” 1970            Hurricane Smith—“Oh, Babe, What Would You Say?” 1972            The First Class—“Beach Baby” 1974            Steve Forbert—“Romeo’s Tune”  1979            Bobby Picket—“Monster Mash”  1962            The Standells—“Dirty Water”  1965            Syndicate of Sound—“Hey Little Girl”  1966       

          Jigsaw—“Sky High”  1975            Ace—“How Long” 1975             King Harvest—“Dancing in the Moonlight”           1972   Alive N Kickin’—“Tighter, Tighter”  1970            Mungo Jerry—“In The Summertime”  1970              The Jaynetts—“Sally Go Round the Roses”  1963             The Monotones—“The Book of Love”  1958                The Silhouettes—“Get a Job”  1957             The Contours—“Do You Love Me”  1962            Shocking Blue—“Venus”  1970              Wild Cherry—“Play That Funky Music”  1976             T. Rex—“Get It On”  1972              Dr. John—“Right Place, Wrong Time”  1972                Free—“Alll Right Now”  1970               Keith Carradine—“I’m Easy”  1976               David Soul—“Don’t Give up on Us”  1977                 John Stewart—“Gold”  1979     

How about a few songs, do you know who sang them? Let’s take a look.

     “When A Man Loves A Woman”————-“Backfield In Motion”————-“Sweet Soul Music”————-“My Sharona”————-“I Don’t Like Mondays”————–“Video Killed the Radio Star”————– “One toke Over The Line”————-“Precious and Few”————-“Seasons In The Sun”————–The Rapper”—————-“Rock And Roll, Hoochie Koo”————–“Rings”————–“ Get a Job”————-“Hushabye”————-“What’s Your Name”————-“A Lover’s Concerto”————–“Indiana Wants Me”————–“No Matter What Shape” (Your Stomach’s In)————-“98.6”————–“Gimme Gimme Good Lovin’”————–“Spirit in the Sky”————–“Mr. Big Stuff”————–“ Afternoon Delight”————–“Magic”——————“Hey Baby”——— —–“Reflections Of My Life”—————“Everlasting Love”—————-“Ride Captain Ride”

     Well, is it tougher to hear the song titles and guess the artist, or vice-versa?

Here’s Your Answers, How’d You Do?

“When A Man Loves A Woman” By Percy Sledge—1966                    “Backfield In Motion” By Mel and Tim—1969               “Sweet Soul Music” By Arthur Conley—1967                    “My Sharona” By The Knack—1979               “I Don’t Like Mondays” By The Boomtown Rats–1979               “Video Killed the Radio Star” By The Buggles—1979                “One Toke Over The Line” By Brewer & Shipley—1970  “Precious and Few” By Climax—1971       “Seasons In The Sun” By Terry Jacks—1974       “The Rapper” By The Jaggerz—1970        “Rock And Roll, Hoochie Koo” By Rick Derringer—1974     “Rings” By Cymarron—1971       “Get a Job” By The Silhouettes—1957              

“Hushabye” By The Mystics—1959     “What’s Your Name” By Don and Juan—1962                        “A Lover’s Concerto” By The Toys—1965      “Indiana Wants Me’ By R. Dean Taylor—1970        “No Matter What Shape” (Your Stomach’s In)—1965   “98.6” By Keith–1967      “Gimme Gimme Good Lovin’” By Crazy Elephant—1969                   “Spirit in the Sky” By Norman Greenbaum—1970                  “Mr. Bigg Stuff” By Jean Knight–1971                “Afternoon Delight” By Starland Vocal Band—1976                  “Magic” By Pilot—1974                 “Hey Baby” By Bruce Channel–1961     “Reflections Of My Life” By The Marmalade—1970                   “Everlasting Love” By Robert Knight—1967     “Ride Captain Ride” By Blues Image—1970

Alright, lets finish-up with a short list of one-hit memories:

The Mindbenders—“Groovy Kind of Love,”  1966

The Reflections—“Just Like Romeo and Juliet,”   1964

The Knickerbockers—“Lies,”   1966

The American Breed—“Bend Me, Shape Me,”     1967

Iron Butterfly—“In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida,”   1968   (Or, “In The Garden of Eve-BABY” However you chose to sing it!

Spiral Starecase—“More Today Than Yesterday,”   1969

Debbie Boone—“You Light Up My life,”   1977   I know you hated it, BUT it was a number one hit on the charts, somebody liked it!

The Youngbloods—“Get Together,”   1969

Thunderclap Newman—“Something in the Air,”   1969

The Human Beinz—“Nobody But Me,”   1968

Bufffalo Springfield—“For What It’s Worth,”   1967

The Capitols—“Cool Jerk,”   1966

Deon Jackson—“Love Makes the World Go Round,”   1966

? and the Mysterians—“96 Tears,”   1966

And finally, one of my all-time favorites,

The Gentry’s—“Keep on Dancing,”   1965

     Just a few more:

The Cuff Links—“Tracy”

Rosie and the Originals—“Angel Baby”

Sir Douglas Quintet—“She’s About A Mover

The Left Banke—“Walk Away Renee”

Rockin Rebels—“Wild Weekend” (Instrumental)

The Flirtations—“Nothing But A Heartache”

Wilbert Harrison—“Kansas City”
The Swingin’ Medallions—“Double Shot of my Baby’s Love”

Cannibal and the Head-Hunters—“Land of a Thousand Dances”

Mindbenders—“Groovy Kind of Love”

Deon Jackson—“Love Makes The World Go ‘Round”

Arthur Conley—“Sweet Soul Music”

Crispian St. Peters—“The Pied Piper”

Strawberry Alarm Clock—“Incense and Peppermints”

Glenn Yarbrough—“Baby The Rain Must Fall”

The Flaming Ember—“Mind, Body and Soul”

Foundations—“Build Me Up Buttercup”

Fontella Bass—“Rescue Me”

The Gentry’s—“Keep on Dancing”

And finally, Fantastic Johnny C—“Boogaloo Down Broadway,” not to be confused with Wilson Picket’s “Funky Broadway.”

Here’s one to take with you, think about it!  What group sang “Those Oldies But Goodies,” (Remind me of you).

There’s nothing like bringing back a few memories on a hot summer day, I hope you enjoyed the column, it’s been fun, and if you remembered most of the songs mentioned, well chances are your collecting social security, that’s a lousy thought!

     And Oh, by-the-way, who did Stagger Lee shoot,

well, he shot Billy, Oh he shot that boy so bad.  Thanks for the Memories.