Entertainment For Lively Minds
Best One Hit Wonder
Posted by bixieface on 22 November 2011 - 12:51pm.
This came up on my i-pod the other day. Such a fabulous song and their only hit. I'm amazed some crappy girl band (The Saturdays?) haven't covered it.
Who else hit gold one time for three minutes?
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I really like this for some reason
Hmmm. I hadn't seen the video before. I like the tune, honest....
Plus
best use of trumpet phrase from Sibelius' Fifth Symphony award winner.
Runner-up goes to First Class's Beach Baby.
Susan Fassbender
Twilight Cafe
Strawberry Switchblade
weren't technically 'one hit wonders' because they also had this rather lovely tune too...
nice song
but wasn't a top forty hit.So one hit wonder status is secure.
Surely there is no more "Word" one hit wonder than
Becker and Fagen as her backing band, what else do you need?
Zazu
The album was reissued a few months ago - finally available on CD again. No extras, but good sleeve notes and it's a pretty sublime album at any rate.
Isn't she married to Jeff Lynn?
I'm dying to keenovay too.
Not quite
The Wikipedia does say she was stepping out with him for a bit. Goodness...
I'm going to have to go with this (today)
No. 7 in 1975
I woke up this morning
with Soho's Hippychick on repeat in my brain. It's not my nomination, I just have no idea why it was rattling around my head. Don't think I've heard it for well over 15 years.
Fact Fans...
The drummer in Soho at the time of Hippychick was a very young Eds Chesters of the Bluetones.
This is my nomination
Althea and Donna - Uptown Top Ranking
Case closed
Jimmy's right.
In a
him khaki suit. And ting.
Good call, would
go for this one and the flared 70s rocker in me would also go for Don't fear the reaper. Don't recall if Blue Oyster Cult had any other hits though.
Uptown Top Ranking
was my initial thought - covered by another band with one hit single
Mmmm, Miss Nixey.....
Blue Oyster Cult
had only one other US Top 40 song iirc and this was certainly their only single to trouble the charts in the UK. And, despite over familiarity, it is a great song
Harmony Grass
Tony Rivers & The Castaways and - same group with a new name - Harmony Grass made some really good records in the '60s but had just the one hit. And they did it before Mama Cass.
Tony has since sung backing vocals for all sorts (Cliff, Shaky, Pink Floyd, Saint Etienne) but, above all, he wrote and sang the Likely Lads theme. Hats off ...
The Likely Lads
Wasn't it Mike Hugg that wrote and sang it?
Bob 'n Terry
Yes, it was definitely Mike Hugg.
Mike Hugg was involved in it
but the singer is Tony Rivers. The confusion might have arisen because TR was away when "Highly Likely" appeared on TOTP, as he explains in this interview:
" I sang the theme for the Likely Lads, the TV series, though nobody knew it was me. Released under the name Highly likely (BBC Records) it made the top 30 while I was in Russia with Cliff Richard (me being the first western artist to play in Russia – not Elton John!) so when someone appeared on Top of the Pops singing the song – it was not me – it was my voice but someone else miming to my vocal."
Tony Rivers also sang on all those Top Of The Pops cover albums. Here's his version of "Pretty Vacant"
Mike Hugg
did indeed write the theme (co-written with series writer Ian La Frenais).
It was performed by Mike Huggs session band Highly Likely with Tony Rivers on vocals (as said above).
Mike Hugg also wrote the theme for the Likely Lads movie entitled 'Remember When' (a similar sounding ditty to the TV theme, but different enough to warrant separate royalty cheques).
Theme starts at 1:56
Excellent
Always makes me feel a little sad tho.. no idea why.
it's because
you have a soul,my friend.
Nothing takes me back in time quicker than Bob,Terry and Thelma.A world I once knew and loved gone forever.
I give you Norman...
Absobloomin'lutely!!
All cover versions since should be destroyed... along with the people that made them!
When destruction is complete can I turn your attention to this little gem from 1965 - "She's About A Mover" by Sir Douglas Quintet.
(note: Apart from haircuts, no noticeable Beatles influence.)
All?
All cover versions should be destroyed? Eh?
So bye-bye Sinatra, Presley, Irma Thomas, and maybe one or two more.
Been searching everywhere
for the Sinatra, Presley (Elvis or Reg) and Irma Thomas cover versions of Spirit In The Sky.
No luck.
So my comment stands.
Back to One Hit Wonders. How about this?
Birth of rap?
Sorry
Misread. I thought you were saying ALL cover versions of ALL songs EVER should be destroyed.
Uhh...
Listen to She's A Woman, b-side of I Feel Fine and released some six moths earlier. The SDQ track, fine though it is, is a virtual carbon copy. I think we can call that influence.
Big Sound Authority
Did they ever have a second hit? I don't think so.
Nor did Dennis Brown
It's cheating, I know
but this is Sakamoto's record and his only hit:
(David Sylvian/ Ryuichi Sakamoto - Forbidden Colours)
'Misty Blue'
by Dorothy Moore.
'Spirit in the Sky' is the all-time OHW though.
Pedantic's corner
Greenbaum followed up Spirit in the Sky with a smaller hit--in Canada, anyway--called Canned Ham. Haven't heard since 1970 but it remains lodged in my brain.
The Eggplant that ate Chicago
Was that an album or a single?
Bearing in mind...
Bearing in mind that the OHW gold medal must surely go to Althia & Donna, surely this is worthy of a place on the podium.
Babylon Zoo - Spaceman - Fabulous.
They had other hits!
"Animal Army"
"The Boy With The X-Ray Eyes"
Although neither of those had the chorus played out at double speed as an intro.
Only 514 years to go
The ultimate one hit wonder record is of course Zager and Evans and In The Year 2525 (Exordium And Terminus).
Uptown top ranking
was my first vote, but this was second.
[Martha & the Muffins, Echo Beach]
I'll go for two
and
They're my two!
*stamps foot*
here's number 3
*stamps foot*
until the end of time ? that's how long the record could last or until the stylus wore out. A fact Paul Burnett never failed to mention
How about....
The Rah Band - Clouds Across The Moon
It's set in space and everything.
Except
disqualified: not a one hit wonder. See:
ALERT: Hairy Cornflake front-announcing
Thanks for that,illuminatus
I've written to You Tube concerning Putting Warnings before any clip that is introduced/contains Travis.
They wrote back saying it is under consideration and put it on the pile with the other 7 million letters and emails requesting the same.
I wonder
who let them loose in their Mum's wardrobes to let them play dress up though? I'm deeply impressed by the plaggy-bag ninja look. Can't think why it never caught on/
Make me happy in my little red boat...
Not even a one-hit wonder in the UK, but great anyway...
this counts
No it doesn't.
You'll find it on Rod's Storyteller best of.
At Seventeen
by Janis Ian
When she was younger than 17...
Janis Ian had a huge hit in 1967, Society's Child.
The Lotus Eaters
May be classified as a one hit wonder if the criteria is only one Top 40 hit (The First Picture Of You). The album it comes from, No Sense Of Sin, is lodged in my all time Top 10 - it is available nice and cheap now as a reissue with splendid bonus tracks too.
Edison Lighthouse: "Love Grows..."
(It was the group's only Top 40 hit but the singer, Tony Burrows, also sang on White Plains' "My Baby Loves Lovin'", The Pipkins' "Gimme Dat Ding", and Brotherhood of Man's "United We Stand".He was later the singer on The First Class' "Beach Baby" - quite an impressive c.v.)
Not a one hit wonder at all
Not a huge hit, but a hit all the same.
Best one hot wonders
From Belgium?
Case rested:
Champaign
How Bout Us:
Aussies
The Easybeats 'Friday On My Mind' would be my choice. SOme other gems mentioned here such as Thunderclap Newman.
Slim Chris de Burgh fronting the Strokes
But it kicks ass my friends
This gets my vote
and McCartney cites it as a model for the Abbey Road medley so it's also pretty important :
Sly Fox, surely?
None more 80s, yet a small slice of genius.
howsabout
these golden nuggets of prime oneoffness
Double
and solo...
Double
great choice. Also Ace..How Long.
Charles and Eddie
When I looked at this video again after seeing this thread, I did wonder whether the chap with long hair (Charles? Eddie?) is the Scottish chap who presents "Coast".
Charles and Eddie
When I looked at this video again after seeing this thread, I did wonder whether the chap with long hair (Charles? Eddie?) is the Scottish chap who presents "Coast".
Would I lie to you
One of my favourite songs of the 90s.
Fantastic record. I honestly think that if Smokey Robinson had sung this, it would be regarded as a classic.
Good call.
Great song and single - but the hair.... even then!
Try the beef.
Pluto Shevrington - Dat
Blackfoot Sue - Standing in the Road
Ripe for someone to sample...
Love love love.
PS - they did have another minor UK hit
Penned by
the erstwhile burly physio of non-league Farnborough Town, apparently.
Thinking of You - Colourfield
I forgot about this one
Not a one hit wonder but...
This is one of my favourite Monkees songs ever, so all this Nesmith-ing gives me an excuse to put it here :)
This too..
Marrs
And this..
Mason Williams..
Not to mention this..
Richard Harris..
A couple more -
Freur -Doot Doot -
and 'Say it aint so' - Murray Head
The Freur track is excellent
I'm sure Mr Head could also be known as the One Night In Bangkok hitmaker, though.
Good call
I'd forgot about that one.
A welcome blast
of good old rock'n'roll livens up TOTP nicely
Two from when everything was in Black & White
Arthur Brown - Fire
Frijid Pink - House Of The Rising Sun
One Hit Wonder Trivia: The only group to be considered as One Hit Wonders twice (ie a Number 1 single and then nothing, ever) is ...
St Winifreds School Choir
Number 1 in 1980 with saccharin-sweet "Theres No-one Quite Like Grandma", having previously provided backing vocals for "Matchstalk Cats & Dogs" by Brian & Michael in 1978
Related
Not a number one, but...
WARNING: HAIRY CORNFLAKE FRONT-ANNOUNCE
WARNING HAIRY CORNFLAKE BACK-ANNOUNCE ALSO.
Mmore interestingly, if you listen REALLY carefully to the very end of the clip, I rather suspect the track following it is XTC's Making Plans for Nigel. late 79/early 80 sounds pretty much spot on.
Surely this deserves a mention
Dee Lite - Groove is in the Heart
...And the Winner is.
Edwyn Collins..Girl Like You. Huge worldwide hit out of leftfield and no other artist more deserving.
As it's nearly Christmas
and I'm feeling pretty melancholy today
Nizlopi "JCB Song"