Are They A One-Hit Wonder?

[Channel98]

Thelma Houston had six top-40 R&B hits including the number-one Don't Leave Me This Way. In 1989, Thelma Houston & The Winans recorded a version of Bill Withers' 1972 number-one hit Lean On Me as the title track of a movie about New Jersey high school principal Joe Louis Clark, who was portrayed by Morgan Freeman. This reached #73 on the R&B chart:

 

[HecticArt]

Thelma Houston
#1 "Don't Leave Me This Way"
#34 "Saturday Night, Sunday Morning"

On this week's 70's countdown

Well that's a weird as hell coincidence.
Tonight I'm taking the Mrs to see Paul Shaffer play. He has a 41 piece orchestra and Thelma Houston singing......

 

[HecticArt]

Just back from the show.
It was fun. Kind of like a Vegas review sort of a thing. Covers, medleys, lots of chatter and short stories from Paul's history.
Felicia Collins, his guitarist from The Late Show was there.

Thelma Houston came out for the 2nd half. She can freaking wail!!!!! Dear god, at 77 years old, she hit the stage dancing like she was 30 and has an amazing voice.

Felicia wound up singing It's Raining Men, and she sounded great hitting the Martha Wash parts.

 

[sadchild]

The Boys

#13 "Dial My Heart"
#29 "Crazy"

On this week's VJ. They're an R&B (new jack swing) group of four brothers who were aged 9-15 when their first album came out. So basically New Edition.

I probably heard "Dial" back in the day but no clue on the other one. Since "Dial" is forgotten aside from the VJ, I'd say subjectively a zero hit wonder.

 

[sadchild]

Marcels
#1 "Blue Moon"
#7 "Heartaches"

Definitely know "Blue Moon". Don't know "Heartaches". Subjectively a OHW?

 

[Channel98]

I know both songs quite well. Blue Moon was a doo-wop remake of a song written by Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart. A version by Glen Gray & the Casa Loma Orchestra with Kenny Sargent went to number one in January 1935. A month later, a version by Benny Goodman and Helen Ward got to #2 and a version by Al Bowlly and the Ray Noble Orchestra reached #5. Here in Los Angeles, the Marcels' version went to number one on the KFWB Fabulous Forty and the KRLA Tune-dex in April 1961.

Heartaches was originally a #12 hit for Guy Lombardo & the Royal Canadians in March 1931. A version (recorded in 1933) by Ted Weems was number one for 13 weeks in 1947. In that same year, an instrumental version by Harry James reached #4, a version by Jimmy Dorsey, Bob Carroll and Dee Parker got to #11 and a version by Eddy Howard got to #11. The Marcels' remake reached #21 on KFWB and #22 on KRLA in November 1961. It got to #6 at WABC in New York and #7 nationally.

 

[Aaron]

I have no connection to the local FM stations except when like today when I was at the dentist office. They play one of those FM work friendly stations that some cities have. The kind that plays lots of Ed Sheeran and still plays “I’ve had the Time of My Life” on heavy rotation. You know the type.

So at 1:00 the dj says it’s time to play the daily one hit wonder at 1:00.

They chose the Wallflowers with “One Headlight”

My favorite song from them is easily “6th Avenue Heartache” which peaked at 33.
They had a total of 4 top 40 songs.

NOT a OHW.

 

[IdRatherBeSkiing]

I have no connection to the local FM stations except when like today when I was at the dentist office. They play one of those FM work friendly stations that some cities have. The kind that plays lots of Ed Sheeran and still plays “I’ve had the Time of My Life” on heavy rotation. You know the type.

So at 1:00 the dj says it’s time to play the daily one hit wonder at 1:00.

They chose the Wallflowers with “One Headlight”

My favorite song from them is easily “6th Avenue Heartache” which peaked at 33.
They had a total of 4 top 40 songs.

NOT a OHW.

One of the stations that I listen to here does "One Hit Wonder Wednesdays" on the second or third Wednesday of every month. They always play songs of artists who have had more than one hit but who usually only have 1 song left in rotation. On these days the morning guy actually talks about the song and/or artist and if he is talking about one of those he does say "he had some other minor forgotten about hits but this is the one hit he is remembered for". I think that is how they define one hit wonder. Wouldn't surprise me if it was a common FM definition.

Another of the radio stations in Toronto is like you describe. They are very popular in dentists office and such. They turn all Christmas music on 3rd week of November. I find the station nauseating.

 

[Aaron]

Exactly, this station here turns to all Christmas around that time too every year.

 

[sadchild]

You know the type.

I sure do. Loaded with shmaltz!

NOT a OHW

Four top 40s!

3 top 40 hits but called OHW
A Flock Of Seagulls
Animotion
Bo Donaldson & The Heywoods
Carly Rae Jespen
Cassidy
Cutting Crew
Dobie Gray
Information Society
John Waite
Katrina And The Waves
Michael Damian
Nelson
Peggy March
Psy
Quarterflash
Sisqo
Spandau Ballet

4 top 40 hits but called OHW
Buddy Knox
Dan Hartman
James & Bobby Purify
Martika
Nelson
Wallflowers

5 top 40 hits but called OHW
Outfield
Robbie Nevil

13 top 40 hits but called OHW
Crew-cuts ("Sh-Boom")

 

[HecticArt]

”Local” radio stations rarely get to pick their own tunes any more.
It‘s usually someone at their corporate HQ that tells them what and when to play it.
Spoon-fed homogenized schmaltz.

 

[scotchandcigar]

Speaking of schmaltz, we're playing the song "Home" in the community band, which was "Recorded by Phillip Phillips" (dumb name). The song was actually written by Drew Pearson and Greg Holden. Anyway...

Phillip Phillips

#6 "Home"
#24 "Gone, Gone, Gone"

 

[sadchild]

Have to admit I like the song. Not as much as my wife though. I started to tire of it quickly.

 

[scotchandcigar]

Have to admit I like the song. Not as much as my wife though. I started to tire of it quickly.

The song "Home" has a surprisingly recognizable melody, maybe even an instant classic. And I like it too. But of course, the guy with the double name didn't write or produce the song. But his other charting song is the more typical lovey-dovey schmaltz, like a million other soccer-mom favorites.

 

[sadchild]

Londonbeat
#1 "I've Been Thinking About You"
#18 "A Better Love"

Definitely know the first one. No clue on the second. I'd say definitely a OHW (subjectively)

 

[Channel98]

If our sole criterion is Hot 100 chart performance, I would call Londonbeat a one-hit wonder. In Los Angeles, I've Been Thinking About You got to #7 on the top 30 of KIIS. When the song was number one nationally, number one on KIIS was Wilson Phillips' You're In Love. KIIS never played A Better Love, nor did "Power 106" KPWR, which was then rhythmic top-40. A few adult contemporary stations still play I've Been Thinking About You – it reached #7 on the AC chart – but no station has played A Better Love since 1991.

I've Been Thinking About You also went to number one on Billboard's dance chart, as did Londonbeat's Come Back in March 1995. Their Build It With Love reached #2 in September 1995 – but A Better Love never made the chart.

 

[sadchild]

I assume it's one of those "next single caught in the wake of the previous big single". Like "oh these guys have a new song we'd better spin it! .... oh wait it sucks, take it out of rotation!"

 

[sadchild]

Pretty Poison
#8 "Catch Me I'm Falling"
#36 "Nightime"

The #36 song was on this week's VJ. Didn't know it back then, didn't recognize it even today. I know the #8 from back in the day because a friend of mine liked it and played it all the time. But I think both are pretty much forgotten.

 

[IdRatherBeSkiing]

Tommy Tutone
#38 "Angel Say No" [1980]
#4 "867-5309/Jenny" [1982]
-- "Which Man Are You" [1982]
-- "Get Around Girl" [1983]
-- "My Little Red Book" [2017]
-- "Time Won't Let Me" [2018]
-- "When You Walk In the Room" [2018]

From this weeks 1980 countdown.

 

[Channel98]

You can't fool me, IRBS. You got that information from Wikipedia. Two Tommy Tutone singles were missing. I just added them to the page – but only the A-sides. Here are more details:

Cheap Date/Dancing Girl (Columbia 11333, July 1980)
Girl In The Back Seat/Am I Supposed To Lie (Columbia 11353, August 1980)