One hit wonders?
I get irritated by this phrase, as the all too frequent lists get rolled out of the "greatest" examples thereof. Now, don't get me wrong, there are many such examples of this genre, but the lazy list compilers all too frequently include individuals who have actually long and wide careers, in music, even if their chart bothering singles chart quotient is low. My exemplar is Joan Osborne, whose claim to this title is that infectious "One of Us", you know, as in, if God was.....one of us, dah de dah dah dah de dah..... I believed for years that was all her worth, until a recent charity shop purchase of the CD from which that song came. And it's great. Lots of even better songs on it. From there I investigated her back and front catalogue, discovering that far from sinking back into obscurity, she has a put out a large body of work, often seemingly themed into r'n'b*, motown or country, with well chosen, immaculately sung covers, and well penned originals. Her voice has too matured into a veritable slow burning aga oven of husky soulfulness.
Please, do yourselves a favour. Check this woman out.
What other examples of so called one hit wonderment would you like to commend?
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The Trial Of Ralph McTell
Not only a full body of work but a sense of humour about his 'hit'
"Here's a medley of my hit"...
... says Townes:
Fabulous, thanks Nico
Love that song, but I don't think I actually have the original, ashamed to say. By chance drove in to work today with a cracking live version by Gillian Welch, as ever with sterling guitarwork from hubby David Rawlings
Of course, OHW status is only relavant to the particular country
...you happen to live in. Osborne, for example, is respected enough an artist in her own country to be invited to guest at the big Motown anniversary gig a few years ago. Another example is Lisa Loeb - famous for one song in the UK, the acoustic compilation fave, "Stay"
Through some friends I discovered some of the rest of her catalogue... The album Stay comes from, "Tails" has some great (and given the sound of Stay) surprisingly rocky tunes. Also rather fond of her Firecracker album.
PS I LOVE that McTell/French/Saunders sketch - nearly fell off my chair when it came on the telly!
Oh yeah, and another favourite, Gordon Giltrap...
'E did that tune for that BBC 'Oliday Programme, didn't he?
Forget the 40 year carrer producing brilliant acoustic music!!
Fast Approaching with Rick Wakeman
...with classical guitarist, Ray Burley
Lisa Loeb
I bought her greatest hits album without knowing her big hit. I thought she was terrible. Piddly, weak music and bad lyrics. I think describing her as a musician is going too far. Terrible non-music.
Oh well...
...goes to show that it takes all types. She's by no means my favourite artist (by a long way) but provides a pleasant enough way to pass those piddly, weak non-music moments! ;-)
#1 for 4 weeks...
then nothing else. Dave Stewart & Barbara Gaskin produced 2 great CDs after this single, 'The Big Idea' & 'Spin', and were more successful in Japan and the USA than their homeland. Their MySpace page features 4 tracks, including a version of Billy Bragg's Levi Stubbs Tears'. Not all cover versions either.
Oh, and Dave Stewart wrote the quirky theme tune to the OGWT and they both appeared on Neil's 'Hole In My Shoe'.
http://www.myspace.com/davestewartbarbaragaskin
Erm ....
wasn't the 'quirky theme tune for OGWT' written by Charlie McCoy and played by Area Code 615?
No
That was the good one - Stone Fox Chase. Then there was a more modern one when the youngsters were let loose. No sign of it on You Tube so I will just hum it to you....
Joan Osborne
Retro I'm sure you've already got there but I recommend you check out the Standing in the Shadows of Motown DVD where she sings Heatwave with the Funk Brothers. She was very good.
The DVD is a killer too.
Bobbie Gentry
Known here only for "Ode To Billie Joe" ...
... but she has a much wider repetoire and a fantastic voice. Check out 'American Quilt' - a great compliation. Nice line in cat suits too...
I don't think so
She had at least one, if not two series of the Bobbie Gentry show. She had a hit (or again was it two) with Glen Campbell to say nothing of other hits like Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head and I'll Never Fall In Love Again.
Let myself down again ....
probably let the whole school down ...
I'll try
to do better next time.
The Easybeats
Are remembered as one hit wonders (Friday on my Mind)if they are remembered at all yet they have quite a strong back catalogue.
Anyone who likes 60's music could do much worse than obtaining a compilation of theirs.
The fabulous thing about the Easybeats...
...was the dynastic nature of the lead 'Beat. He just kept on going, eventually becoming "Flash and the Pan". I think, who had a couple of quirky 80s singles, including that weird one about my old shoe on the railway line. Did I not like that!
(And he was brother, poor bastard, to Angus Young, George being his moniker.)