DOA – Bloodrock
In this day and age of car stereos blasting foul rap lyrics that could A: short-circuit high-voltage power lines and B: melt the big towers holding up the lines, and songs like Cee Lo’s “[F-bomb] You” nearly topping the Hot 100, “DOA,” a Number 36 hit for Texas one-hit wonders Bloodrock in 1971, might seem quaint and dated in comparison. But in its time, “DOA” was one of the most stomach-turning songs to sully the … Read entire article »
Me and Bobby McGee – Janis Joplin
Here is another one-hit wonder by an artist you will swear had more chart hits. But “Me and Bobby” McGee” represents Janis Joplin’s only flirtation with the Billboard Top 40. Think about that for a moment; Janis Joplin, a woman who is widely regarded as one of the great all-time rocks singers and a cautionary tale about the perils of alcholism, is a one-hit wonder artist. Just like Lou Reed, The Grateful Dead, Rush, Kraftwerk and … Read entire article »
Filed under: 1970s
Funky Nassau Part 1 – The Beginning of the End
Three brothers on organ, bass and drums. One buddy on bass. One indelible and funky groove. That’s the formula for “Funky Nassau – Part 1″ by The Beginning of the End. This tune by the four boys from Nassau, Bahamas was originally released on a local single that was picked up by Atlantic Records and repackaged and released on the 1971 record titled Funky Nassau. “Funky Nassau Part 1″ by The Beginning of the End reached #15 … Read entire article »
Filed under: 1970s
K-Jee – The Nite-Liters
It’s hard to express how much I love late 1960s and early 1970s funk music. James Brown and the JB’s with Bootsy and Phelps Collins. Pure genius. Aretha Franklin’s “Rock Steady” is absolute funk goodness. Some of the Stax/Volt music is fantastic (Booker T. and the MGs or “Whatcha See Is Whatcha Get” by The Dramatics). And from a pop perspective, Motown is nearly without equal in terms of perfectly written soul/pop songs. In this … Read entire article »
Filed under: 1970s
Theme from Love Story – Francis Lai
Another piano-driven one-hit wonder for you today. Like “Summer of ’42″ by Peter Nero, the “Theme from Love Story” by Francis Lai is pure piano perfection–at least in an early 1970s-movie-soundtrack kind-of-way. Not sure what was in the water, but between 1970 and 1972, there were a bunch of piano/string hits for romantic movies. “Theme from Love Story” is arguably the most timeless (really, does anyone out there remember the “Airport Love Theme” even though … Read entire article »
Filed under: 1970s
Theme from Summer of ’42 – Peter Nero
Another theme from another 1970s movie. Ah, the 1970s were a good time to be a piano-playing guru who could bust out the gentle sounds from the latest movies and rake in the dough. Peter Nero is a terriffic pianist. We have big admiration for the guy. We also like the “Theme from Summer of ’42″ quite a bit. It’s gentle. It’s dramatic. It has a killer hook. And it absolutely sounds like it belongs … Read entire article »
Filed under: 1970s
Crazy Horses – The Osmonds
Editor’s note: This song is not a one-hit wonder. Sometimes some songs just deserve a little love and attention. The celebrity news this weekend is that Marie Osmond’s 18-year-old son, Brian Blosil, committed suicide by leaping from a 15-story building. Awful story. Awful images. A crazy move and sad end to what seems to have been a troubled life. Sadly, the song that has been running through my head all weekend is “Crazy Horses” by The … Read entire article »
What You Don’t Know About the Girl – Roger Joseph Manning, Jr.
This is my favorite song from 2006. Released on a Japanese-only album, “What You Don’t Know About the Girl” by Roger Joseph Manning Jr. is a near-perfect power pop song. Imagine The Carpenters meet the Partridge Family on the way to a gig. Hijinks ensue and this song arrives nine months later. It didn’t leave my head for three days after I first heard it. It’s timeless. Is it 1971 or 2006? You can’t really tell, which … Read entire article »
Filed under: 2000s