The Wonder of ‘One Hit Wonders’

One advantage of listening to Xelocast radio stations is the ability to hear music not heard elsewhere, such as a variety of top hits performed by rare artists. These “one hit wonders” topped the charts and their music remains among treasured favorites. For some reason, however, these artists never found huge success a second time.

Even the iPod set will find it difficult to find some of this music, including “More Than Just the Two of Us” by Sneaker, “You Take My Breath Away” by Rex Smith and “All I Need” by Jack Wagner. In fact, Xelocast stations WHAV and StreamingSuperstation had to dig deep into the archives to find vinyl 45s of these hits.

Here is a small sampling of one hit wonders heard on WHAV and StreamingSuperstation:

WHAV

1950s
1955 The Penguins: Earth Angel
1957 The Tune Weavers: Happy, Happy Birthday Baby
1957 The Bobbetts: Mr. Lee

1960s
1962 Don & Juan: What’s Your Name
1965 The Ad Libs: The Boy From New York City
1965 The Gentrys: Keep On Dancing
1966 Bob Lind: Elusive Butterfly
1967 Buffalo Springfield: For What It’s Worth
1968 Jeannie C. Riley: Harper Valley P.T.A.
1969 Flying Machine: Smile a Little Smile for Me
1969 Spiral Staircase: More Today Than Yesterday

1970s
1970 Edison Lighthouse: Love Grows (Where My Rosemary Goes)
1970 Shocking Blue: Venus
1971 Brewer & Shipley: One Toke Over the Line
1971 Richie Havens: Here Comes the Sun
1972 Climax: Precious and Few
1972 Commander Cody And His Lost Planet Airmen: Hot Rod Lincoln
1974 Terry Jacks: Seasons in the Sun
1975 Morris Albert: Feelings
1975 Ace: How Long
1976 Starland Vocal Band: Afternoon Delight
1977 Debby Boone: You Light Up My Life
1977 David Soul: Don’t Give Up on Us
1978 John Paul Young: Love Is In the Air
1978 LeBlanc & Carr: Falling
1979 Nick Lowe: Cruel to be Kind
1979 Randy Vanwarmer: Just When I Needed You Most
1979 Rex Smith: You Take My Breath Away

StreamingSuperstation

1980s
1980 Roger Daltrey: Without Your Love
1980 Korgis: Everybody’s Got to Learn Sometime
1982 Bertie Higgins: Key Largo
1982 Toni Basil: Mickey
1982 Soft Cell: Tainted Love
1982 Sneaker: More Than Just the Two of Us
1982 Karla Bonoff: Personally
1984 Jack Wagner: All I Need
1985 Limahl: Never Ending Story
1989 Modern English: I Melt With You

1990s
1990 The Divinyls: I Touch Myself
1990 Sinead O’Connor: Nothing Compares 2U
1990 Oleta Adams: Get Here
1991 Mark Cohn: Walkin’ in Memphis
1991 Timmy T: One More Try
1993 4 Non Blondes: What’s Up
1993 Proclaimers: I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles)
1995 Joan Osbourne: One Of Us
1997 The Verve Pipe: The Freshman
1997 Chumbawamba: Tubthumping

What are your favorites?

New Dramas Join Fall Lineup

Two additions to WHAV’s classic radio lineup – “The Couple Next Door” and “Gunsmoke” – begin during the week of September 1. The additions mean comedy and drama will air seven nights a week at 10 p.m. and 1 a.m., Eastern time.

Massachusetts resident Peg Lynch (left) wrote and starred in “The Couple Next Door” beginning in 1957. The show’s predecessor began in 1944 as “Ethel & Albert” and aired at different times on both radio and television. Lynch’s co-stars were Alan Bunce who played her husband and Margaret Hamilton (better known as the Wicked Witch of the West in “The Wizard of Oz”) who played Aunt Effie.

It has been said that Lynch created the first “show about nothing,” long before TV’s Seinfeld. Storylines focus on familiar themes such as finding the lost car keys, babysitting problems, paying bills and more. It is a hilarious situation comedy, yet without corny punch lines. It is also a serial in that complications such as having a baby, building a house and taking trips carry forward through many shows, yet without melodrama.

The western, “Gunsmoke,” came to radio in 1952 where it remained until 1961, overlapping the television series that began in 1955. The radio cast included William Conrad as Matt Dillon, Howard McNear as Doc Adams, Georgia Ellis as Kitty and Parley Baer as Chester.

Don’t call these shows old. As has been said, if you have not heard them before, they are new to you.

Here is the fall debut week lineup:

Mon., Sept. 1	Suspense	“True Report”
Tues., Sept. 2	X Minus One	“Skulking Permit”
Wed., Sept. 3	Great Gildersleeve	“Leroy Meets Josephine McCoy”
Thurs., Sept. 4	Our Miss Brooks	“Weekend at Crystal Lake”
Fri., Sept. 5	Couple Next Door	“Lost Car Keys” (Debut)
Sat., Sept. 6	Gunsmoke	“The Brothers” (Debut)
Sun., Sept. 7	Jack Benny	“Back from London” (New day)