The Top 500 One-Hit Wonders of the Rock Era: #150-126

We've been celebrating the music and story of The Top 500 One-Hit Wonders of the Rock Era* for 14 days now, and we've heard from 350 artists thus far. 

This gifted singer-songwriter is featured next in The Top 500 One-Hit Wonders of the Rock Era*:

 
#150:  Piano in the Dark--Brenda Russell

Brenda Gordon and her family moved from Brooklyn, New York to Hamilton, Ontario, Canada at age 12.  She began performing in local groups and joined a girl group called the Tiaras.  The group released the single "Where Does All the Time Go" in 1968.  

Later in her teens, Brenda married musician Bryan Russell and the two, as Brian & Brenda, released two albums on Elton John's Rocket Records.  The pair also performed on two tracks on Robert Palmer's album Double Fun.  By the late 1970's, the two divorced, and Brenda moved to Los Angeles to begin a solo career.

Russell signed a recording contract with Horizon Records and released the solo single "So Good, So Right" in 1979.  The song reached the Top 30.  A&M Records took over Russell's contract and released Russell's self-titled debut album.  The albums Love Life and Two Eyes followed; Russell then moved to Sweden and began working on her third album.

Brenda released the album Get Here in 1988, the biggest success so far.  "Piano in the Dark" was released as a single and became a smash multi-format hit, earning two Grammy Award nominations including the prestigious Song of the Year nomination.  The song peaked at #6 in the United States, #3 on the influential Adult Contemporary chart, and #23 in the U.K.  The title song from the album later became a huge hit for Oleta Adams. 

After releasing the album Kiss Me with the Wind in 1990, Russell moved to EMI Records and released the album Soul Talkin' in 1993.  Brenda wrote the score for the movie How Stella Got Her Groove Back and appeared in the 1999 movie Liberty Heights.

Russell continued to record albums, then co-wrote the score for the Broadway version of the movie The Color Purple.  Russell and her co-writers were nominated for a Grammy for Best Musical Show Album and a Tony Award for Best Score.  

Russell's songs have been performed by Diana Ross, Stevie Wonder, Ray Charles, Herb Alpert, Donna Summer, Tina Turner, Roberta Flack, Earth, Wind & Fire, Dionne Warwick, Anne Murray, Sting, Rita Coolidge, Johnny Mathis, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Joe Cocker, Luther Vandross, Al Jarreau, Babyface, Peabo Bryson, Chaka Khan, Patti Labelle, Patti Austin, Paul Carrack and Regina Belle, among others.

This talented Australia band checks in next at #149:

 
#149:  I Got You--Split Enz

After finishing primary school in New Zealand, Brian Timothy Finn met Jonathan Chunn at Sacred Heart High School.  The two wrote songs and played music together over the next five years.  In 1971, Finn and Chunn went to Auckland University, where they met Phillip Judd.  The following year, they added classical trained violinist Miles Golding and reed player Mike Howard and formed a group.

Originally, the group was known as Split Ends, but they eventually changed it to Split Enz to incorporate the common abbreviation for New Zealand (NZ).  Finn and Judd wrote the songs and with financial backing from friend Barry Coburn, who became the group's manager, Split Ends released their first single "For You/Split Ends" in 1973.

Golding and Howard quit soon after.  Chunn's brother Geoff was brought in to play drums, while lead guitarist Paul Wilkinson and Robert Gillies (saxophone and trumpet) were also brought in.  The group toured New Zealand opening for John Mayall.

Late in 1973, the group landed a 30-minute concert special for Television New Zealand and released a couple of other singles.  In 1974, the group added Anthony "Eddie" Rayner on keyboards and switched the spelling of their name.  The members developed elaborate sets, costumes, hairstyles and makeup.  Geoff Chunn and Gillies both left the group, with Paul Crowther joining on drums.

In 1974, Geoffrey Crombie joined full-time on percussion and directed the band's music videos.  The group set out to capture fans in Australia, then signed a management and publishing deal and recording contract with Mushroom Records.  

The group released their debut album Mental Notes in 1975, which sold moderately in Australia.  Wilkinson was fired and Gillies was brought back in as a permanent member.  While on tour in Australia, Split Enz caught the attention of Roxy Music guitarist Phil Manzanera, who offered to produce their next album in London.  The group relocated there, and signed with Chrysalis Records.

The group's bizarre appearance and crazy onstage antics initially threw the U.K. fans for a loop, but eventually, their musical skills won them a cult following.  Crowther was fired and replaced by drummer Malcolm Green.  Split Enz toured the United States in 1977, but it would be the final tour with founding members Phil Judd and Mike Chunn.

Since the group was about to begin a tour of the U.K., Tim reorganized the group, adding bassist Nigel Griggs and his younger brother Neil Finn on lead guitar.  Neil eventually began songwriting and became the group's second lead singer.  

In 1977, the group released Dizrythmia, which yielded a #18 song in Australia--"My Mistake".  The group toured throughout the U.K. and Europe and began to draw large crowds.  But in 1978, Split Enz lost their contract with Chrysalis.  Debts mounted, but the group continued to write new songs and rehearse constantly.

Split Enz soon got financial help from the New Zealand Arts Council, but then in 1979, two days before a scheduled appearance at the Nambassa Festival in New Zealand, all of the group's equipment was destroyed in a fire.  But the group honored their agreement and performed at the festival, in which the group impressed audiences with a great performance.

The one album in which Split Enz enjoyed international attention was True Colours.  A single from that album, "I Got You" emerged and the video was popular on MTV, which in that day stood for Music Television.  The song, written by Neil Finn, rose to #1 in Canada, Australia and New Zealand and reached #53 in the United States.  It was #1 for eight weeks in Australia and became the second-highest selling single of the year.

Ten albums and 32 singles after they began, Split Enz is still mostly known for their one big hit, "I Got You".  The nucleus of the group went on to form Crowded House, who gave us the great song "Don't Dream It's Over".

Radio prevented this group from ever achieving success with a highly underrated song, so they picked up, moved on, and became one of the top hard rock groups of the 80's:

 
#148:  I'm Gonna' Take Care of Everything--Rubicon  

Jerry Martini, an original member of Sly & the Family Stone, formed Rubicon in San Francisco with Greg Eckler (vocals and drums), guitarist Brad Gillis, Max Haskett on lead vocals and horns, Dennis Marcellino on sax and vocals, keyboardist Jim Pugh and bassist Jack Blades. 

Rubicon released "I'm Gonna' Take Care of Everything" in 1978, which peaked at #28, but in fact was highly underrated.  Because of the oversight by radio, Rubicon was not successful enough to continue.  They released a second album, America Dreams, before breaking up. 

Gillis and Blades further proved the greatness of this group when they went on to form Night Ranger, one of the great acts of the 1980's.

The mystery of this One-Hit Wonder is even deeper when one considers that he was the songwriter and lead singer of one of the top groups of the 60's:

 
#147:  Welcome Back--John Sebastian  

Sebastian was born in Greenwich Village in New York City and was surrounded by musicians, including Woody Guthrie and Burl Ives in his neighborhood.  Sebastian played guitar and harmonica for Billy Faier in 1964, and also recorded with Fred Neil and Tom Rush.  John then joined the Even Dozen Jug Band and the Mugwumps, which split to form the Lovin' Spoonful and the Mamas & the Papas.  Sebastian was a songwriter, lead singer and guitarist with Lovin' Spoonful, a group that was elected into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. The Spoonful was responsible for the classic "Summer in the City" and hits such as "Do You Believe in Magic", "Did You Ever Have to Make Up Your Mind?", "You Didn't Have to Be So Nice" and "Daydream".

Sebastian left the group in 1968 to pursue a solo career.  He wrote the music and lyrics for Jimmy Shine, a Broadway play starring Dustin Hoffman in the title role.  He made an unscheduled appearance at Woodstock in 1969, appearing after Country Joe McDonald's set.  In 1970, Sebastian released the album John B. Sebastian, accompanied by Los Angeles musicians.

Sebastian played harmonica on "Roadhouse Blues" for the Doors under the pseudonym G. Pugliese to avoid problems with his recording contract.  John also played harmonica on "Deja Vu" for Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young.  Despite his overwhelming success in Lovin' Spoonful and his credibility, both as a songwriter and as a musician, Sebastian released three albums and seven singles with little to no success.  

Then in 1976, Sebastian recorded the song "Welcome Back" for the television show Welcome Back, Kotter.  The song was released as a single and it became Sebastian's only Top 40 solo hit, reaching #1.

Sebastian did not release any more solo recordings after his One Hit.  He did play as John Sebastian and the J-Band.  In 1978, John wrote the music for the animated special The Devil and Daniel Mouse.  In the next decade, he continued to write and perform for several animated productions, including the Care Bear trilogy.  Sebastian's songs have been recorded by Tom Petty, the Everly Brothers, Helen Reddy, Brenda Lee, Dolly Parton, Johnny Cash, Bobby Darin, Jimmy Buffett, Slade and Joe Cocker.  Sebastian was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2008.

It is amazing that given his talent, and especially considering his exposure as lead singer of the Lovin' Spoonful, Sebastian never came close to the Top 20 again as a solo artist.  His next-best effort other than "Welcome Back" was "She's A Lady" in 1968.

Sebastian is the godson of Vivian Vance, who so famously performed as Ethel Mertz of the television classic I Love Lucy.    

A second try at this group paid off when they scored their one massive hit in 1981:

 
#146:  The Boy From New York City--Manhattan Transfer  

The Manhattan Transfer has had two manifestations, originally formed in 1969 by Tim Hauser, Erin Dickins, Marty Nelson and Pat Rosalia.  Gene Pistilli, who had become known for his work with Gene Cashman and Tommy West, soon wrote for and sang with the group.  The Transfer signed with Capitol Records and released their debut album Jukin' in 1971.  But the group broke up in 1973 and went their separate directions.  

Hauser joined with singers Alan Paul, Janis Siegel and Laurel Masse for a second lineup of Manhattan Transfer.  After several performances at Max's Kansas City, the group developed a cult following.  Ahmet Ertegun, founder and chairman of Atlantic Records, saw their show at Reno Sweeney and signed them to a recording contract.  

Manhattan Transfer released their self-titled album in 1975 and that summer, was signed to their own hour-long television variety series on CBS-TV.  The group also became popular in Europe, and their cover of "Chanson D'Amour" became a #1 hit in the U.K. and Australia in 1977.  

In 1978, shortly after a live album was recorded, Masse was seriously injured in a car accident and was replaced by Cheryl Bentyne.    Transfer released the album Extensions in 1979, which featured a tribute to Rod Serling's groundbreaking Twilight Zone television series with a single of the same name and a cover of Weather Report's "Birdland".  "Birdland" earned Manhattan Transfer a Grammy Award for Best Jazz Fusion Performance and another for Best Vocal Arrangement for Two or More Voices.

The group had a loyal following, critical acclaim and spotty success.  The one thing that was missing was worldwide attention.  They achieved that in 1981 with their remake of "Boy from New York City".  The group became the first act to win Grammy Awards in popular and jazz categories in the same year.  Their album Boy from New York City and Other Hits received the award for Best Pop performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal, while "Until I Met You (Corner Pocket)" won the Grammy for Best Jazz Performance, Duo or Group. 

The Transfer won another Grammy for Best Jazz Vocal Performance, Duo or Group, for their remake of "Route 66", featured in the movie Sharky's Machine, which was an Adult Contemporary hit in the United States but found little success elsewhere.  In 1983, they landed two R&B hits, "Spice of Life" (#40 in the United States popular chart) and "Mystery", which Anita Baker did so magnificently on her 1986 album Rapture. 

On 1985, Manhattan Transfer released Vocalese, which earned twelve Grammy nominations, second only to Michael Jackson's Thriller at the time.  The group walked home with two awards:  Best Jazz Vocal Performance, Duo or Group, and Best Arrangement for Voices.  Despite the high honors that night, few people outside the music industry were aware of the album.

The album Brasil in 1987 captured another Grammy for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal.  Again, few outside the music industry seemed to care.  The Transfer went on to release 18 albums and 7 singles in their career.  They were inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 1998.

Some of the One-Hit Wonders* in this spectacular recorded one big hit but nothing else.  In the case of Manhattan Transfer, however, the fact that they only enjoyed one big hit is all the more unusual because of their obvious talent and acceptance within the industry. 

We're up to the amazing story behind the song that gave this next pair of talented musicians their one big hit as recording artists:

 
#145:  Nadia's Theme--Barry DeVorzon & Perry Botkin, Jr.  

De Vorzon was born in New York City.  He began writing songs, and one of them, "Dreamin'", was recorded by Johnny Burnette in 1960.  De Vorzon wrote "I Wonder What She's Doing Tonight" for the Cascades originally.  They did not record it, but DeVorzon recorded it himself with his group Barry and the Tamerlanes, and the song became a huge hit for Tommy Boyce & Bobby Hart, another One Hit Wonder.  DeVorzon also co-wrote several minor hits for Dorsey Burnette.

De Vorzon founded Valiant Records later in the 1960's, one of the most successful independent recording and publishing companies of the time, that was later sold to Warner Brothers.  Perry discovered the Association, one of The Top 100 Artists of the Rock Era*, signing them to his label and producing their first single.

DeVorzon composed the music for many soundtracks.  One song he and Perry Botkin, Jr. had written for the movie Bless the Beasts and the Children, "Cotton's Dream", was rearranged in 1973 as the instrumental theme for the television soap opera The Young and the Restless.  In 1976, ABC used "Cotton's Dream" as background music for a montage of Romanian gymnast Nadia Comaneci's spellbinding routines during the Summer Olympic Games in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.

Viewer inquiries to ABC regarding the beautiful song prompted the release by A&M Records of the single retitled "Nadia's Theme".  The song hit #8 in the United States and won a Grammy Award for Best Instrumental Arrangement.  The title song "Bless the Beasts and Children" became one in a long line of smash hits for the Carpenters and earned DeVorzon and Botkin, Jr. another Grammy nomination.  

DeVorzon also wrote the "Theme from S.W.A.T.", a #1 hit for Rhythm Heritage, and co-wrote "In the City" for Joe Walsh for the movie The Warriors.  

DeVorzon has won six Emmy Awards, but never recorded another hit song.  He founded MasterWriter software with fellow songwriter Michael Towers and Perry's son Matthew.  The program was designed for songwriters and contains all the tools and reference that are essential for the modern songwriter.    

Botkin, Jr. was also born in New York City.  He worked in the music business for over forty years as a songwriter, arranger, musician and producer, collaborating with artists such as Harry Nilsson, Bobby Darin, the Lettermen, Ed Ames, and Harpers Bizarre, among others.  Botkin, Jr. arranged "Rhythm of the Rain" for the Cascades and "Feliz Navidad" for Jose Feliciano and albums by Barbra Streisand, Carly Simon and Maureen McGovern. 

Botkin, Jr. also worked with DeVorzon on the movie R.P.M., and arranged music for several movies including Goin' South in 1978 and Tarzan, the Ape Man in 1981.  He also arranged music for the ABC Movie of the Week, The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet, Happy Days, The Smothers Brothers Show, Mork & Mindy and Laverne & Shirley.

For some One Hit Wonders, they record that one big hit and you never hear of them again.  DeVorzon and Botkin, Jr. have both made tremendous contributions to the music industry far beyond their recording efforts.

This hard rock group scored their big hit when they recorded a song originally done by the Everly Brothers:

 
#144:  Love Hurts--Nazareth  

This group formed in Dunfermline, Scotland, from the remaining members of the Shadettes by lead singer Dan McCafferty, guitarist Manny Charlton, bassist Pete Agnew and drummer Darrell Sweet.  Nazareth moved to London in 1970 and released their eponymous debut album in 1971.

The group began to attract a following with their album Exercises in 1972 and opened for Deep Purple on tour.  Roger Glover of Deep Purple produced Nazareth's third album, Razamanaz in 1973.  The album contained two singles, "Broken Down Angel" and Bad Bad Boy", that reached the Top 10 in the U.K. but still worldwide success eluded them.  Nazareth released the albums Loud 'N' Proud in 1973 and Rampant in 1974, with success again contained within Europe.  

In 1975, the group released the album Hair of the Dog.  The title song received airplay, but it was a song originally recorded by the Everly Brothers that finally gave Nazareth their breakthrough.  "Love Hurts" was included on the American version of the album and was released as a single.  The song reached #1 in six countries, including Canada and South Africa, #8 in the United States with over two million copies sold, and #15 in the U.K.  "Love Hurts" broke the existing record in Norway with 60 weeks on that chart.

"Love Hurts" had finally introduced Nazareth to the mainstream.  In 1979, guitarist Zal Cleminson was added to the group, which recorded the albums No Mean City and Malice in Wonderland.  Various lineups continued to record for the next ten years, but they would never enjoy another massive worldwide hit.  Nazareth released 22 albums and 19 singles in their career.

This team of great songwriters kept one for themselves, and it became their only massive hit:

#143:  Solid--Ashford & Simpson  

Nick Ashford and Valerie Simpson met at the White Rock Baptist Church in Harlem, New York in 1964.  They began a duo but were unsuccessful, so they took jobs at Scepter/Wand Records where they could utilize their songwriting talents.  The two wrote songs for Ray Charles ("Let's Go Get Stoned"), the Fifth Dimension, Aretha Franklin, Gladys Knight & the Pips, the Shirelles, the Marvelettes, Ronnie Milsap, Chuck Jackson and others.  Ashford & Simpson then joined Motown, writing such R&B classics as "Ain't No Mountain High Enough", "You're All I Need To Get By", "Ain't Nothing Like the Real Thing" and "I'm Every Woman".  

Ashford & Simpson wrote and produced most of the songs on three solo albums for Diana Ross in the early 1970's.  Meanwhile, Ashford sang on two Quincy Jones albums while Simpson released two solo albums on Motown.  When Motown refused to release an album of the duo recording a collection of their most famous songs they had written, Ashford & Simpson left the label.

The pair married in 1974 and signed with Warner Brothers Records, releasing the album Gimme' Something Real.  In 1978, they sang vocals on the Quincy Jones album Stuff Like That.  Ashford and Simpson released numerous albums, yet despite their great songwriting talent, nothing became a hit.  That changed in 1984, when the title cut from their album Solid was released as a single.

"Solid (As A Rock)" hit #1 on the R&B chart and was #12 overall in the United States.  It peaked at #2 in Germany, #3 in the U.K., the Netherlands and Switzerland and reached #4 in Austria.      

The duo continued to write songs for other artists, including Amy Winehouse. The fact that Ashford & Simpson were such gifted songwriters made it even more unbelievable that they scored just one big hit as performers despite releasing 16 albums and 46 singles.

Here we have a heavy metal group which  landed their one big massive hit with a ballad:

#142:  Silent Lucidity--Queensryche  

This group consists of musicians from Bellevue, Washington.  Guitarist Michael Wilton started the group Joker in 1978, and was soon joined by guitarist Chris DeGarmo.  In 1980, Wilton met drummer Scott Rockenfield and they formed the group Cross+Fire.  DeGarmo and bassist Eddie Jackson joined that group and they changed their name to the Mob.  The group recruited lead singer Geoff Tate, but he left after a few shows because he wasn't interested in performing heavy metal covers.  The Mob recorded a demo tape, enlisting Tate to sing the vocals.  The group was rejected by all record companies over the next year.  

The Mob signed a management contract with Kim and Diana Harris, who urged them to choose a different name.  They finally settled on Queensryche and the Harrises released the group's demo tape as their self-titled EP on the label 206 Records in 1982.  In June of 1983, Queensryche's performance caught the attention of EMI, which offered the group a major recording contract.

Queensryche opened for Quiet Riot and Twisted Sister on a subsequent tour to promote the re-release of their EP.  They then travelled to London to record their debut album The Warning in 1984.  "Take Hold of the Flame" was a hit in some countries, most notably in Japan.  Queensryche then toured the United States as the opening act for Kiss.

Queensryche's next album was Rage for Order in 1986, which was followed by another tour.  In 1988, the group released Operation:  Mindcrime, a narrative concept album.  The band toured with several groups, including Def Leppard, Metallica and Guns N' Roses.

In 1990, the album Empire finally gave the group mainstream worldwide success, thanks to the power ballad "Silent Lucidity", a #9 song that helped the album reach #7 and sell over three million copies in the United States.  The song reached #18 in the U.K.  "Jet City Woman" and "Another Rainy Night (Without You)" were hits on the segmented Mainstream Rock chart but weren't wildly popular with the general public.  The group headlined concerts for the first time.

In 1994, Queensryche released the album Promised Land, which went Platinum, but lacked the great song that Empire had.  "Real World", "Bridge" and "I Am I" were all Mainstream Rock hits, but the best they could do was #40 in the U.K. and none charted in the United States.  In 1997, Queensryche released the album Hear in the Now Frontier to mixed reception.

DeGarmo became seriously ill and left the band, forcing the group to cancel concert dates.  Their record label, EMI, went bankrupt and Queensryche was forced to use its own money to finance the remaining two months of the tour.

The group soldiered on, producing a career output of 13 albums and 32 singles before breaking up in 2012.  

This next hard-rocking group put out one of The Most Underrated Albums of the Rock Era*:

#141: Cherry Baby--Starz

This group from New Jersey had its beginnings in the group Looking Glass, which had the smash #1 song "Brandy (You're a Fine Girl)" in 1972. After lead singer Elliot Lurie left, the three remaining members (keyboardist Larry Gonsky, bassist Pieter Sweval and drummer Jeff Grob), invited vocalist Michael Lee Smith and guitarist Brendan Harkin to join the group, which soon changed their named to Fallen Angels.

In 1975, Richie Ranno, former guitarist for the Stories, joined. After Gonsky was dropped, the group changed their name once again to Starz and also changed musical direction towards more heavy metal. Kiss manager Bill Aucoin became Starz's manager as well, and helped them sign a recording contract with Capitol Records in 1976.

The following year, the group recorded the album Violation, the first side of which still is one of the best sides of the Rock Era. It contains "Cherry Baby", their first single, which reached #33. Although "Cherry Baby" certainly shouldn't have been their only hit, even on this album, and Starz was a highly underrated group, they nonetheless could never reach the Top 40 again.

Starz split up in 1999, and even though they never had huge commercial success, artists such as Poison and Motley Crue cite Starz as a major influence.

This artist took a song written by the duo that helped make Elvis Presley famous and made it into one of the 50's biggest hits:

#140: Kansas City--Wilbert Harrison

Harrison learned to play piano, guitar and harmonica and signed a recording contract with both Fire and Fury Records. Both were owned by Bobby Robinson.

"Kansas City" was one of the first songs written by the famous duo of Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller. The song hit #1 and sold over one million copies.

Harrison continued to record for ten years before "Let's Stick Together" reached #32, but he would never again venture into the Top 20. Meanwhile, "Kansas City" was given the Hall of Fame Award by the Grammys, and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame includes it in its "500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll" display.

They called them spaghetti westerns, and our next artist recorded the theme song for one of the best of them:

#139: The Good, the Bad & the Ugly

Hugo Montenegro

Montenegro was born in New York City in 1925. He served in the United States Navy for two years. After World War II, Montenegro attended Manhattan College while studying composition and leading his own band for school dances.

In the mid-1950's, Montenegro directed, conducted and arranged the orchestra for Eliot Glen and Irving Spice on their Dragon and Caprice labels. Hugo directed the orchestra on Dion DiMucci's first release.

Montenegro then accepted a job as musical director for Time Records and produced a series of albums for the label, before moving to Los Angeles in the early 1960's to work for RCA Records. Hugo produced albums and soundtracks for motion pictures and television themes, such as Music From "The Man From U.N.C.L.E.".

Montenegro began scoring motion pictures with Advance to the Rear in 1964. He wrote the musical score and conducted the recording sessions for the 1969 Elvis Presley Western movie Charro! Montenegro also worked for Columbia's television production company Screen Gem, where he composed the theme to the second season of the television show I Dream of Jeannie.

Montenegro began producing electronic albums, influential for future generations of electronic musicians, in that he used the Moog synthesizer. Montenegro took a song by Ennio Morricone and recorded it as the theme to the movie The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly. The song was released as a single, and it climbed to #1 for four weeks in the U.K., reached #2 in the United States, #3 in Canada, sold over one million copies, and became one of The Top 100 Instrumentals of the Rock Era*.

In the late 1970's, severe emphysema forced an end to Montenegro's career, and he died in 1981.

This artist proved that every once in a while, it pays to be a nuisance:

#138: 98.6--Keith

James Keefer earned his first recording contract with Columbia Records after camping out on the doorstep of A&R executive Jerry Ross. His first single, "Caravan of Lonely Men" in 1966, was credited to Keith and the Admirations.

When Ross moved to Mercury Records, he took Keith with him, and Keith reached the Top 100 with "Ain't Gonna' Lie". In 1967, Keith released the single "98.6", which reached #7 in the United States and #24 in the U.K. and sold over one million copies. Reportedly, when Keith was in London, he was approached by John Lennon who told him "...what a great record his "98.6" was."

But Keith's second Mercury album, Out of Crank, failed to capitalize. He was then arrested for draft evasion in the middle of a concert tour. Keith was then stationed for a year in New Jersey. When he got out, he joined Frank Zappa's touring band in 1974.

Keith recorded one final album and then left the music industry for a while before resuming live performances.

This artist worked several years largely unnoticed until one of his songs caught on:

#137: Do You Know What I Mean--Lee Michaels

Michaels began his music career with the Sentinels that included John Barbata, later to join the Turtles and Jefferson Airplane/Starship. Michaels and Barbata then joined the Strangers before moving to San Francisco.

In 1967, Michaels signed a recording contract with A&M Records and released his debut album Carnival of Life. He also played keyboards and guitar as a session musician, notably for Jimi Hendrix. Michaels' stage sound consisted of his Hammond organ and a drummer. This unorthodox lineup attracted a following in San Francisco and critical acclaim.

But it wasn't until Michaels' fifth album (Fifth) that most people noticed him. He released "Do You Know What I Mean" as a single, which reached #6 in 1971. A follow-up, "Can I Get A Witness" reached #39.

Michaels recorded two more albums for A&M before signing with Columbia in 1973. Those recordings did not get much attention, and Michaels went into semi-retirement by the end of the decade.

A member of the Poppy Family enjoyed a huge solo hit in 1974:

#136: Seasons in the Sun--Terry Jacks

Born in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, Jacks and his family moved to Vancouver, British Columbia in the early 1960's. Jacks began playing guitar in his teenage years and formed the band the Chessmen. The group had four regional Top 10 hits between 1964 and 1966.

After the Chessmen broke up, Susan Pesklevits asked Terry to accompany her on guitar and soon, Craig McCaw was added to the mix to form the group the Poppy Family. Susan and Terry were married in 1967 and the group later added Satwant Singh. The Poppy Family enjoyed huge hits with "Where Evil Grows" and "Which Way You Goin' Billy?", both written by Jacks.

In the early 1970's, Terry and Susan traveled to Los Angeles where Terry was set to record "Seasons in the Sun" with the Beach Boys. Jacks modified the lyrics to Rod McKuen's 1965 adaption of "Le moribond", a 1962 song by Belgian singer Jacques Brel. The project with the Beach Boys, however, was never finished and the couple returned to Vancouver. Susan and Terry both recorded solo albums in 1973, with Terry releasing the single for "Seasons in the Sun" on his own record label, Goldfish Records. The song hit #1 in the United States, became the top-selling international single by a Canadian artist at the time and earned Jacks two Juno Awards in Canada.

Jacks had a hit in Great Britain with "If You Go Away" and had a minor hit in the United States with his version of "Rock 'N' Roll (I Gave You The Best Years Of My Life)". His career output as a solo artist totaled four albums and 14 singles, but nothing approached the success of "Seasons in the Sun". He later wrote and produced songs for Buddy Knox, Chilliwack and other artists.

This artist scored their one big hit in which its leader doesn't perform on:

#135: The Horse--Cliff Nobles & Company

Nobles grew up in Mobile, Alabama, and began singing in high school as a member of the Delroys. He recorded three singles for Atlantic Records, none of which charted.

While living in a commune in Norristown, Pennsylvania, he formed a group, Cliff Nobles & Co., with bassist Benny Williams, guitarist Bobby Tucker and drummer Tommy Soul. The group recorded demos and were awarded a recording contract with Phil-L.A. of Soul Records. Their second single was "Love Is All Right" with "The Horse" on the "B" side, the latter featuring the horn section of what would later be known as MFSB. "The Horse" was an instrumental version of the "A" side in which Nobles does not play on the track at all.

It was that instrumental that caught on, peaking at #2 for three weeks in 1968. "The Horse" sold over one million copies in just three months. The record company continued to release instrumental singles on which Nobles himself did not play on, but a single with Nobles' vocal just missed the Top 40 on the R&B chart.

But "The Horse" remains as the only substantial hit ever credited to Cliff Nobles & Co.

This great vocal group gave us one of the early rock standards:

#134 Earth Angel--Penguins

Cleveland Duncan and Curtis Williams were classmates at Fremont High School in Los Angeles and after graduation, the two added Dexter Tisby and Bruce Tate and formed the Penguins in 1953. The group blended rhythm and blues and rock and roll.

Williams had co-written "Earth Angel" with Gaynel Hodge when those two were in the group the Hollywood Flames. The song was included on the "B" side of the Penguins' first single "Hey Senorita" in late 1954. But, as is often the case, radio makes up for mistakes made by record companies, and a DJ flipped the 45 over to play "Earth Angel" instead. And it is that song that made the Penguins famous, as it reached #1 for three weeks in 1955.

Technically, that was before the Rock Era was born (famously when "Rock Around the Clock" by Bill Haley & the Comets reached #1), but the doo-wop sound of the record transcended into the Rock Era and helped define its infancy.

"Earth Angel" was simultaneously recorded by the Crew-Cuts, which reached #3 and became their biggest hit. Most people feel the version by the Penguins is better, however.

The group's story is ironic in that, after "Earth Angel", Buck Ram agreed to manage them. Ram of course was the manager of the Platters, which at that time had no hit singles but were a popular touring group. With the Penguins, Ram was able to get Mercury Records to agree to a 2-for-1 deal, in which the company agreed to sign the Platters as long as they could have the Penguins. The Platters became the label's most successful act, and the Penguins never found the chart again!

The Penguins were inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 2004, which speaks volumes of potential that was never realized.

This artist achieved success after she built her own home recording studio:

#133: I Love You Always Forever--Donna Lewis

Lewis began playing piano at age six and began composing original songs as a teenager. She majored in classical composition for piano and flute at the Welsh College of Music and Drama in Cardiff, Wales. Donna taught music for a year in Sussex, England before moving to Birmingham to sing in a bar band.

Lewis set up a home studio and began recording demos. She began attracting attention as a live performer and in 1993 began sending her demos to record labels. Atlantic Records signed her to a recording contract and released the single "I Love You Always Forever". The song became one of The Top #2 Songs of the Rock Era*, reaching the bridesmaid's spot for nine weeks in the United States and #5 in the U.K. The single propelled her debut album Now in a Minute to Platinum status.

Lewis then recorded "At the Beginning" with Richard Marx for the animated movie Anastasia. The song was a #2 Adult Contemporary song but only #45 overall. Her second album, Blue Planet in 1998, was well received by critics, but not by the public. Lewis then left Atlantic and independently produced her own albums.

This big Adult Contemporary song caught on with the mainstream in 1979:

#132: Just When I Needed You Most--Randy VanWarmer

VanWarmer was born in Indian Hills, Colorado but at age 15, three years after the death of his father in an automobile accident, Randy and his mother moved to Cornwall, England.

Soon VanWarmer was writing songs and performing in folk music clubs in England. Then, a girlfriend from the United States came to see him for several months before returning home. The experience prompted VanWarmer to write "Just When I Needed You Most".

In 1979, Bearsville Records released the single "Gotta' Get Out of Here" with "Just When I Needed You Most" as the B-side. But when a DJ flipped the single, "Just When I Needed You Most" caught fire. The song reached #4 in the United States (#1 Adult Contemporary) and #8 in the U.K. Dolly Parton and Smokie are among those who have remade the song.

VanWarmer's follow-up album Terraform was dark in lyrical content. It achieved some airplay in Manhattan, New York, where VanWarmer had moved by that time. The album sold moderately in Japan and the Australia but little elsewhere.

VanWarmer recorded two more albums for Bearsville Records and reached #55 with "Suzi Found a Weapon" in 1981. VanWarmer released 10 albums and 11 singles in his career. He went on to write several songs for the Oak Ridge Boys. Charley Pride, Alabama and Michael Johnson also recorded his songs.

At #131, one of a handful of One-Hit Wonders to score a #1 song with their only hit:

#131: Green Tambourine--Lemon Pipers

The members of this Oxford, Ohio group had previously played in college bars with different groups before forming the Lemon Pipers. Keyboardist Robert "Reg" Nave was with the Wombats while guitarist William Bartlett, drummer William Albaugh and bassist Ron Dudek were part of Tony and the Bandits. Steve Walmsley soon replaced Dudek.

The Lemon Pipers played covers of songs by the Who and the Byrds. They played regularly in the Oxford bar called The Boar's Head, and in underground rock venues in Cincinnati such as The Mug Club and The Ludlow Garage. They released their debut single "Quiet Please" on Carol Records.

In 1967, the group went all the way to the finals of the Ohio Battle of the Bands before losing to the James Gang. The Lemon Pipers then recruited Ivan Browne, who was the lead singer for Ivan and the Sabres in Miami, Ohio. Noted music industry entrepreneur Mark Bargar was instrumental in getting the group signed to Buddah Records (later renamed Buddha Records).

The Lemon Pipers began playing larger concert hall venues around the U.S., including an appearance at the Fillmore West in San Francisco. Their first single on Buddah was the Bartlett song, "Turn Around and Take a Look". However, Buddah saw the Lemon Pipers as a bubblegum group rather than the rock group they actually were.

The label turned to the Brill Building songwriting team of Leka and Shelley Pinz to write a song for the Lemon Pipers. The result was "Green Tambourine", which the band reluctantly recorded. The song reached #1 in 1968 in the United States, #7 in the U.K. and was a hit all over the world. "Green Tambourine" sold over two million copies.

That success led to pressure by Buddha for the group to stay in the bubblegum genre. They released another Leka/Pinz song, "Rice Is Nice", which reached #46. The Lemon Pipers only recorded the song because they knew they would be dropped from the record company if they refused.

The Pipers' debut album, Green Tambourine, contained five Leka/Pinz songs, and two extended tracks written by the band. The contrast could not be more obvious. The differences between Buddah and the group continued on the album Jungle Marmalade, which contained another Leka/Pinz song called "Jelly Jungle", which reached #51, as well as the 11-minute, 43-second song "Dead End Street"/"Half Light".

The Lemon Pipers left Buddah in 1969 and later broke up. Bartlett, Walmsley and Nave formed Starstruck, whose recording of "Black Betty" was remixed and released in 1977 under the name of Ram Jam.

An association with Mike Post helped this aspiring artist get off the ground:

#130: Theme from The Greatest American Hero (Believe It or Not)--Joey Scarbury

At age 14, Joey Scarbury was discovered by songwriter Jimmy Webb's father and was signed to a recording contract with Dunhill Records. However, his first single, "She Never Smiles Anymore" didn't find an audience and he was dropped from the label.

Scarbury persisted, however, working as a backup singer for Loretta Lynn and continuing to record. In the late 1970's, Joey worked for producer and composer Mike Post. Post and Stephen Geyer were hired to write the theme song for the new television series The Greatest American Hero and Scarbury was called on to record it.

The full-length version was edited to one minute for broadcast but the show's success prompted Elektra Records to release it as a single. "Theme from Greatest American Hero (Believe It or Not)" reached #2 in 1981. However, after the follow-up "When She Dances" peaked at #49, Scarbury again disappeared from the charts.

He did record "Back to Back" for the television show Hardcastle and McCormick and recorded the theme to the television show Jennifer Slept Here. Scarbury also wrote songs for the Oak Ridge Boys and other artists, but only recorded one career album and had just one career hit.

#129:  You're Beautiful--James Blunt

We hope you're enjoying The Top 500 One-Hit Wonders of the Rock Era*. This act scored their big hit in 1977:

#128: Angel in Your Arms--Hot

Gwen Owens began singing in church in Detroit, Michigan, and wound up recording for local labels in the mid-1960's. Her single "Keep on Living" in 1969 reached #40 on the Soul chart. Owens opened in local concerts for artists such as Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye and Al Green.

Owens moved to Los Angeles and began a session career, working for Billy Preston, Al Wilson and Stanley Clarke and singing in live performances with the O'Jays, Lou Rawls, Nancy Sinatra and Jose Feliciano. Owens and Cathy Carson began performing and touring under the name Sweet Talk. In 1976, Owens, Carson, and the newly-recruited Juanita Curiel began work on an album as Hot.

"Angel in Your Arms" was recorded and picked up by Big Tree Records for release. The single reached #3 in Canada, #6 in the United States and #7 in New Zealand, was a multi-format smash and sold over one million copies.

Two other singles: "Right Feeling at the Wrong Time" and "You Brought the Woman Out of Me" were only minor hits in the group's attempt to keep the ball rolling. Hot recorded two more albums before Big Tree Records was shut down.

This act was one of the promising newcomers of 1976:

#127: Sky High--Jigsaw

Tony Campbell formed Jigsaw in 1966 with musicians from Coventry and Rugby, England. The original lineup of Jigsaw was Dave Beech on vocals and drums, Clive Scott on keyboards and vocals, bassist Barrie Bernard, Campbell on guitar and Tony Britnell and Kevin Mahon on saxophone. Des Dyer replaced Beech after the first year and took over lead vocals for the group.

In 1970, Jigsaw opened for Arthur Conley for his European tour. Scott and Dyer wrote "Who Do You Think You Are?", which was a hit for Bo Donaldson and the Heywoods, and the song was included on Jigsaw's 1974 album I've Seen the Film, I've Read the Book. But soon the group was dropped from their recording label, BASF.

But Jigsaw carried on, signing with Splash Records, and recording the single "Sky High" for the movie The Man from Hong Kong. The song became a worldwide hit, reaching #3 in the United States, the Top 10 in the U.K. and #1 in Japan.

Jigsaw recorded five career albums and released 15 singles, but they couldn't continue the success they achieved with "Sky High".

Here's yet another act whose songwriting and musicianship is behind some other popular songs that you know:

#126: Waiting for a Star to Fall--Boy Meets Girl

Singer Shannon Rubicam and vocalist and keyboardist George Merrill sang backup on Deniece Williams' 1984 smash, "Let's Hear It for the Boy". They also wrote two #1 hits for Whitney Houston, "How Will I Know" and "I Wanna' Dance With Somebody (Who Loves Me)", as well as songs for Williams and Bette Midler.

Boy Meets Girl released their debut album in 1985, which include the minor hit "Oh Girl". In 1988, the duo released the follow-up album, Reel Life, which contained "Waiting For a Star to Fall". The single peaked at #5 overall and #1 on the Adult Contemporary chart in the United States and #9 in the U.K.

"Bring Down the Moon" was the next-best song after their One Hit Wonder, peaking at #49. Boy Meets Girl recorded four albums in their career, and, although they were a One-Hit Wonder as an duo, Rubicam and Merrill made significant contributions beyond the group.

We're nearly up to the 100 artists we've chosen that essentially surprised us the most by not having another big hit.  But before we get to that, there's 25 more artists, and we'll hear from them tomorrow on Inside The Rock Era!