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Thursday, April 4, 2013

The Top 500 One-Hit Wonders of the Rock Era: #425 to 401

These artists include child prodigies, have studied classical music and opera, played in famous bands, written hundreds and thousands of songs for other artists, and won scholarships to prestigious universities and famous music schools such as Julliard and Berklee College of Music, yet some media organizations, such as VH-1, make fun of them.  That tells you a lot.  Who has the talent--the artist, or the talking head who you've never heard of who has had no success themselves?   We've heard 75 big hits by The Top One-Hit Wonders*, and today we unveil 25 more...


At #425, a garage staple:
#425: Liar, Liar--Castaways



This garage group formed in the Twin Cities in Minnesota with James Donna on keyboards, guitarists Robert Folschow and Dick Roby, drummer Dennis Craswell and bassist Roy Hensley.  Donna and Craswell wrote "Liar, Liar" with Denny Craswell and the group signed a deal with Soma Records.  The song reached #12.  A follow-up was a regional hit but the group wasn't able to break through after their initial success.



Up next, the first of a husband and wife team who each enjoyed one big solo hit:
 
#424: Rockin' Chair--Gwen McCrae
McCrae began singing gospel music, then discovered the music of Aretha Franklin and Sam Cooke. Gwen began performing in local clubs as a teenager. In 1963, she recorded a duo with husband George, and signed a solo contract with TK Records. Singer Betty Wright discovered the pair in 1967 and helped them sign with Alston Records. Thee singles by the duo were regional hits but that was all. They did manage to gain a reputation as excellent session vocalists, however.

Gwen signed another solo deal with TK subsidiary Cat Records and found some success on the much-smaller R&B chart. Then in 1975, she finally hit paydirt with the #9 song "Rockin' Chair". She signed with Atlantic Records and had a few more R&B hits after that. McCrae has recorded 14 albums in her career, but she could never match the success of "Rockin' Chair".



This artist came up with one of the top songs of 1956 but it would be her last big hit: 
 
#423:  Ivory Tower--Cathy Carr


Carr appeared on a local New York City television show called The Children's Hour.  She later became a singer and dancer with the USO and joined big band orchestras led by Sammy Kaye, Johnny Dee and Larry Fontaine.

In 1953, Cathy signed with Coral Records, but was unsuccessful.  She switched to Fraternity Records in 1955.  Carr released five singles before the sixth, "Ivory Tower" caught on, becoming a #2 song in 1956.  It would be her first and last hit.  Carr went on to record five albums and release 29 singles.



Two accomplished studio musicians teamed for one big hit:
 
#422:  Falling--LeBlanc & Carr    

Lenny LeBlanc and Peter Carr were studio musicians of considerable fame before they joined together.  They bounced from city to city and from band to band before settling in Muscle Shoals, Alabama in 1976.  Carr once played in a group with elite guitarist Duane Allman and Carr was the lead guitarist for the famed Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section. He was a musician, engineer and producer for another One-Hit Wonder, Sailcat, on "Motorcycle Mama".

LeBlanc played bass and sang for artists such as the Supremes, Amy Grant, Roy Orbison, Joan Baez and Crystal Gayle.  LeBlanc recorded a solo album which producer Carr sent to Atlantic Records, which decided to pair the two as a duo.  "Falling" reached #13 in 1978 but a rift between the two ended in their demise.  "Falling" was recently cited for going over one million airplays by BMI.

LeBlanc has recorded several Christian albums while Carr became an accomplished producer, overseeing the albums There Goes Rhymin' Simon by Paul Simon and Bob Seger's Stranger in Town and Against the Wind, among others.  Carr has also played on albums by Barbra Streisand, Boz Scaggs, Joe Cocker, Wilson Pickett and the Staple Singers.




The artist at #421 was helped along by another Southern act, .38 Special:
#421:  Flirtin' with Disaster--Molly Hatchet  

This group was based in Jacksonville, Florida. Another Southern act, .38 Special, is credited with helping them on their way.  .38 Special recommended Molly Hatchet to manager Pat Armstrong, which led to a recording contract with Epic Records.

Combining hard rock with boogie and blues, the band had a unique sound compared to other Southern rock and roll bands. Molly Hatchet released their self-titled debut album in 1978, followed by Flirtin' with Disaster.  The title song reached #42 in the United States.  The next-best song they had was "Satisfied Man", which reached #81 in 1984. 

The group toured and developed a loyal fan base. There have been several reincarnations of the group, most notable by the absence of any original members. Molly Hatchet still performs worldwide and has built a good fan base in Germany, the U.K., Sweden, France, Spain, the Czech Republic, Belgium, and other markets in Australia and the Pacific rim.  

The group has released 13 albums in their career, but nothing else caught on besides "Flirtin' with Disaster".



This studio group enjoyed a smash in 1974:
  #420:  Beach Baby--First Class

Most of the One Hit Wonders are artists who record and tour, but we have a few like this one.  The First Class was a studio group created by singer-songwriter John Carter and singers Tony Burrows and Chas Mills.  Carter wanted a vehicle for his songs and the First Class filled the need.

Carter had appeared as a backing vocalist for artists such as the Who ("I Can't Explain"), Tom Jones ("It's Not Unusual") and Jeff Beck prior to forming the group.  Burrows worked extensively as the lead singer for a succession of studio-only groups, including fellow One-Hit Wonders Edison Lighthouse and White Plains and also the Brotherhood of Man and the Pipkins.  Carter and his wife wrote "Beach Baby" in London, far from a beach.  

The song hit #4 in the United States and #13 in the U.K. in 1974.  There was a demand for live performances by the group, but neither Carter nor Burrows had the interest.  So a group formed to fill that need, even though none of them played on "Beach Baby" or any of the album's tracks.

Four singles failed to chart and a second album was unsuccessful, so Burrows and Carter declared the First Class over.


The dance craze of the 60's enabled this group to make the One-Hit Wonder spectacular:

 
#419:  Cool Jerk--Capitols  

This group formed in 1962 as the Caps with lead singer and drummer Samuel George, Ralph Julius Jones as vocalist, Don Storball on guitar and backing vocals and keyboardist and backing vocalist Richard Mitchell.  The group performed at a dance in Ann Arbor, Michigan headlined by Barbara Lewis, which led to a recording contract with Karen Records.  They recorded a single in 1963 which did not catch on, and the group dissolved.

Storball and Jones then wrote a song about a popular dance of the mid-60's called "the jerk".  Realizing the song was a hit, the group re-formed and recorded the song as "Cool Jerk".  The song reached #7 for the group and #2 on the R&B chart.  The Capitols then released two albums of mostly covers of Motown and other popular soul songs.  The albums failed, and out of eight additional singles, the best they could do was #65.  In 1969, the group broke up for good.

"Cool Jerk" has been used in Cool Whip commercials and has appeared on many soundtrack albums, including More American Graffiti and Home Alone 2:  Lost in New York.



Another English recording artist is cued up next in the One-Hit Wonder special:


  #418:  Pied Piper--Crispian St. Peters  

Crispian St. Peters (real name Robin Smith) went to Swanley Secondary Modern School in Kent, England.  He performed in several groups in England before EMI publicist David Nicholson heard him and eventually became his manager.  Nicholson suggested the stage name of Crispin Blacke and then subsequently Crispian St. Peters.  

In 1965, St. Peters signed a recording contract with Decca.  He released two unsuccessful singles and made appearances on U.K. television, including Ready Steady Go!  In 1966, St. Peters recorded his version of the We Five smash "You Were on My Mind", which was a Top 10 hit in Britain.  Finally, his fourth single, "The Pied Piper", became a worldwide hit, reaching #4 in the United States.  After this success, "You Were On my Mind" was re-released, and it reached #36.  But St. Peter's would never again hit the Top 20.




This group's sound may be familiar to you if you're a fan of Nickolodeon:

 
#417:  My True Story--Jive Five


This group formed in Brooklyn, New York with Eugene Pitt, Jerome Hanna, Richard Harris, Thurmon Prophet and Norman Johnson.  The Jive Five signed a deal with Beltone Records and hit #3 with their One Hit Wonder in 1961.

After the death of Hanna in 1962, the group reorganized and recorded four other singles, but they couldn't follow up with other great songs, but they did have a nearly ten-year relationship providing the sound of the children's television network Nickolodeon.  



This group got a big break when DJ Alan Freed got behind them:
 
#416:  Sorry (I Ran All the Way Home)--Impalas

The Impalas formed in Brooklyn, New York in 1958 with lead singer Joe "Speedo" Frazier, Richard Wagner, Lenny Renda and Tony Carlucci.  The group landed a contract with a small label called Hamilton before being discovered by songwriters Artie Zwirn and Aristides Giosasi, who had written "Sorry (I Ran All the Way Home)".  

In 1959, disc jockey Alan Freed heard the group, added his name to the writing credits for the song, and helped them get a deal with Cub Records, a subsidiary of MGM Records.  Cub released the single to huge success--it became a #2 song and sold over a million copies.  The Impalas recorded an album and released two other singles before breaking up in 1961.




This doo-wop group gave us a memorable song from 1965:

 
#415:  Boy from New York City--Ad Libs  

The Ad Libs originated in Bayonne, New Jersey in 1964 as the Creators with Hugh Harris, Danny Austin, Dave Watt, Norman Donegan and Mary Ann Thomas. Shortly after, the group changed their name to the Ad Libs. "The Boy from New York City" reached #8 in 1965.

The group released a follow-up, "He Ain't No Angel", which only got to #100. When their next two singles did not chart, Red Bird Records dropped their contract. The group continued to record into the 1980's, but could never match their initial success.



The artist who released one of the top songs of 1972 is up next:
 
#414:  (If Loving You Is Wrong) I Don't Want to Be Right--Luther Ingram 

Ingram recorded his first record in 1965, but none of his first three records were successful. He then signed with KoKo Records and his first hit, "My Honey and Me" peaked at #55 in 1970. Ingram's only big hit, "(If Loving You Is Wrong) I Don't Want to Be Right" reached #2 in 1972.

Ingram opened for Isaac Hayes for a few tours and co-wrote "Respect Yourself" by the Staples Singers. Ingram managed a few minor R&B hits, but could not avoid being a One Hit Wonder.





An unfortunate disagreement with their record company kept this group from further success:
At #413, another artist whose songwriting overshadowed his recordings:

 
#413:  Elusive Butterfly--Bob Lind  


Lind signed a recording contract with World Pacific Records in 1965.  This led to the release of "Elusive Butterfly", which reached #5 in the United States and the U.K.  But Lind's drug and alcohol problems made him hard to work with and in 1969, Lind and World Pacific parted ways.  

He dropped out of the music business for several years, but wrote five novels, an award-winning play, and a screenplay, Refuge, which won the Florida Screenwriters' Competition in 1991.

Lind has written songs recorded by over 200 artists, including the Four Tops, Cher, Glen Campbell, Aretha Franklin, Eric Clapton and Petula Clark.


 
#412:  Absolutely (Story of a Girl)--Ninedays


John Hampson and Brian Desveaux formed this group in Long Island, New York in 1994 with keyboardist Jeremy Dean, bassist Nick Dimichino and drummer Vincent Tattanelli.  They released three independent albums in the 1990's before signing a recording contract with Sony Records and releasing their debut album The Madding Crowd.

Ninedays released the single "Absolutely (Story of a Girl)" from the album.  The single rose to #3 in Canada, #6 in New Zealand and #7 in the United States.  The group planned another album on Sony , but a dispute with that record label resulted in a split.  Ninedays then released the album Flying The Corporate Jet on their own record label.

The group is still together performing, but both Hampson and Desveaux have pursued solo careers and other interests.  




At #411, this eclectic singer-songwriter:
  #411:  Wondering Where the Lions Are--Bruce Cockburn

Cockburn graduated from Nepean High School in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada in 1964.  Pursuing his dream of being a musician, he attended the Berklee School of Music in Boston for three semesters.  Bruce joined the final lineup of the Esquires in 1967, then moved to Toronto to form the Flying Circus, which later became Olivus.  Olivus opened for the Jimi Hendrix Experience and Cream in 1968.

Cockburn began his own career in 1969, headlining the Mariposa Folk Festival in 1969. In 1970, he released his self-titled debut album and he quickly attracted a following.   But it was in 1979 that Cockburn's appeal spread outside his native country with the album Dancing in the Dragon's Jaws.  "Wondering Where the Lions Are" reached #21 in 1980. 

Cockburn became involved with progressive causes, and his songwriting in the 1980's reflected that.  His eclectic musical tastes are evident in music that ranges from folk to reggae to rock.  In 1998, Cockburn jammed with Grammy Award-winning musician Ali Farka Toure in West Africa.  The month-long experience was filmed and documented in River of Sand.

Cockburn has had his songs covered by artists such as Dan Fogelberg, Anne Murray, Jimmy Buffett, the Barenaked Ladies and Judy Collins. 

In 1982, Cockburn was honored as a Member of the Order of Canada and in 2002, he was promoted to Officer.  In 2001, Cockburn was inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame.  Bruce has received five honorary doctorate degrees.

Cockburn has released 25 albums and 32 singles, but other than "Wondering Where the Lions Are", that success has largely been confined to Canada.



Like many successful singers, this artist began at an early age:
 
#410:  Dance with Me--Debelah Morgan  


Morgan was born in Detroit, Michigan, and she began singing at the age of eight.  Gospel singer Claire Lucket Moore began working with Morgan, and was instrumental in developing her voice.  At age 11, Debelah began taking classical voice lessons and discovering opera.  When she was 15, Morgan received a scholarship to study with opera singer Faye Robinson at the University of Arizona.

Morgan graduated in performing arts from Tucson High Magnet School, then studied voice with Sarah McFerrin (mother of Bobby McFerrin) at Fullerton College in California.  

In 1993, Morgan was discovered by Dedra Tate, who became her manager.  Morgan released the album Debelah in 1994 on Atlantic records and released the singles "Take it Easy" and "Free", which were moderately successful on the segmented R&B chart.  In 1997, Morgan released the album It's Not Over on VAZ Records, a division of Motown.  Raoul Roach became her manager, and Roach arranged for Brian McKnight to sing a duet with Debelah on the album.

Morgan toured several European countries and Southeast Asia, and in 1998, she recorded songs for soundtrack albums including Stuart Little.  In 1999, Debelah signed a music management contract with David Sonenberg, and a publishing deal with EMI Music.  In 2000, Morgan signed a new contract with DAS/Atlantic Records and released the album Dance with Me.  The title song was a worldwide hit, reaching #8 in the United States and #10 in the U.K., and Morgan performed on the British television show Top of the Pops.  

In 2001, Debelah performed at the Goodwill Games in Brisbane, Australia and in the fall, she sang on an ABC television special honoring the victims of 9/11.  Morgan recorded two songs on the "Road Kings" Soundtrack.

Morgan has released four albums and seven singles, but nothing else in her catalog has approached the success of "Dance with Me".




At #409, an artist produced by Sylvia Robinson, herself a two-time One-Hit Wonder:
 
#409:  Shame, Shame, Shame--Shirley and Company


This act included lead singer Shirley Goodman, Jesus Alvarez, Walter Morris, Bernadette Randle, Seldon Powell, Jonathan Williams and Clarence Oliver.


Shirley and Company reached #12 in the United States and #6 in the U.K., and they achieved a #1 dance record in 1975 with this one.  Their only other single ("Cry Cry Cry") could not get past #91 later that year.



This One Hit Wonder, like most recording acts, went through numerous twists and turns (and name changes) before getting their big break:
 
#408:  Living Next Door to Alice--Smokie

This group formed when Ron Kelly and Alan Silson met by chance in Moore's Music Shop in Bradford, England in 1963.    Chris Norman joined them for rehearsals, and the trio practiced for a year without a suitable bassist.  Finally in 1965, the group added Terry Uttley on bass and they were set.  The group originally called themselves the Yen, then the Sphynx and Essence.  

Essence toured small clubs in the surrounding area before splitting in 1966.  Kelly joined the Black Cats which included Peter Eastwood on guitar and vocals and bassist Arthur Higgins.  Silson soon joined and Norman replaced Eastwood on vocals.  In 1967, the group changed their name to the Four Corners.  In 1968, Mark Jordan was hired as manager and he renamed them the Elizabethans.  Uttley then replaced Higgins, and the group was the same as it was in the original lineup.  

Jordan landed the group appearances on British television, and they recorded a demo tape.  RCA Records expressed interest but suggested a name change to Kindness.  When a single failed to sell, RCA lost interest.  But Steve Rowland had heard the group and signed them to his production company.  Albert Hammond, who was with the group Family Dogg with Rowland, wrote the song "It Never Rains In Southern California" for them, but before Kindness could release it, Hammond decided to record it himself.

In 1971, Dave Eager took over as manager of the group and Norman suffered a serious infection of his vocal chords.  After recovery, Norman's voice sounded much rougher.  The group signed with Decca Records and released three singles.  The group enjoyed some success but nevertheless, Decca terminated their contract.

But during this time, Eager arranged for the group to be the backing band of Peter Noone, formerly with Herman's Hermits.  Bill Hurley became the new manager after a nationwide tour with Noone.  Kelly left the group in 1973, when drummer Pete Spencer took over.  Hurley introduced the group to composers Nicky Chinn and Mike Chapman, who had written songs for Sweet, Hot Chocolate and Suzi Quatro, among others.  

This led to yet another name change to Smokey.  The group recorded their debut album, Pass It Around, in 1974, which led to a tour for Pilot ("Magic").  The following year, Smokey released the album Changing All the Time, which contained the single "If You Think You Know How to Love Me".  The song was #3 in their native Great Britain but only reached #96 in the United States.  The group changed the spelling of their name to Smokie to avoid confusion with Smokey Robinson, and headed out on their first tour as a headlining act.  

In 1976, the group finally scored a universal hit from their album Midnight Cafe.  "Living Next Door to Alice" reached #25 in the United States and enabled them to be European superstars with packed houses and million-selling albums.  Chris Norman combined with Quatro for the smash hit "Stumblin' In" in 1978, but Smokie themselves would never again achieve worldwide success despite the release of 21 career albums.



Up next, a man who has made contributions in music, movies, television and advertising:
 
#407:  Fly Me to the Moon--Joe Harnell  


Harnell began playing piano at age six and played in his father's ensembles at age 14.  He received a music scholarship to the University of Miami of Florida in the early 1940's, then joined the Air Force and played in Glenn Miller's Air Force Band.  Harnell studied at Trinity College of Music in London, then after his discharge from the military in 1946, at Tanglewood under Aaron Copland and Leonard Bernstein.

In 1950, Harnell returned to New York City, and found work as an accompaniest for Judy Garland and Maurice Chevalier, among others.  Harnell was Peggy Lee's accompanist and arranger from 1958-1961.  Harnell then wrote bossa nova songs for Kapp Records, and "Fly Me to the Moon" became a #14 song in 1963 and won a Grammy Award for Best Pop Instrumental Performance.  

Harnell went on to release 20 albums on Kapp, Columbia and Motown among others.  He wrote advertising jingles, then was the musical director for The Mike Douglas Show from 1967-1973.  Joe then worked on film and television scores, including The Incredible Hulk and The Bionic Woman, and Harnell won an Emmy Award for his work in V. Joe also composed the theme music for the soap opera Santa Barbara and then became a faculty member at USC as an instructor in film score composition.




The next featured artist is a Julliard-trained singer who has performed for five U.S. presidents:
 
#406:  Fascination--Jane Morgan  

Morgan began taking voice lessons and studying piano at age five.  In the summer, she appeared in theater productions at the Kennebunkport Playhouse in Kennebunkport, Maine.  After graduating from Seabreeze High School in Florida, Morgan gained admittance into the presitgious Julliard School of Music in New York City.  

Morgan studied opera at Julliard, and performed in nightclubs and at private parties to help pay her tuition.  Soon, Morgan was hired for $25 a week to sing at the Roseland Ballroom in Manhattan.  Orchestra leader Art Mooney heard Jane and hired her initially, then in 1948, Morgan accompanied bandleader Bernard Hilda to Paris, France.  Hilda needed a singer to perform at a nightclub that he planned to open near the Eiffel Tower.  Morgan performed at the Club des Champs-Elysees, singing American songs by Cole Porter, George Gershwin and others in flawless French to mostly French audiences.

Morgan became a sensation throughout France and Morgan and Hilda soon began a weekly hour-long television show.  Jane began recording in 1949 on the French Polydor label.  In 1952, Morgan moved to Montreal, Canada, to perform a bilingual act at the Ritz Hotel using French and English.  She then returned to New York City with regular performances at upscale nightclubs.  Morgan then returned to Europe to perform at the London Palladium and Savoy Theatre.

Morgan returned to New York, where she was discovered by Dave Kapp, who had recently begun Kapp Records.  Morgan signed a recording contract about the same time as pianist Roger Williams, and the pair recorded "Two Different Worlds", which gave Morgan her first significant airplay in the United States.  Kapp brought the singing group the Troubadors to his studio to sing with Morgan on "Fascination".  

The song was released in 1957 and peaked at #7, sold over one million copies and remained on the chart for 29 weeks.  "The Day the Rains Came" reached #1 in the U.K. but found little success elsewhere.  In 1959, Morgan was featured on the television special Timex All-Star Jazz III with Louisa Armstrong and Lionel Hampton.

Morgan then turned to musicals on stage, appearing in Can-CanKiss Me, KateGentlemen Prefer Blondes and others and also performed on numerous television specials.  Jane performed for French President Charles de Gaulle, and for five U.S. Presidents:  John F. Kennedy, Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford, Jimmy Carter, and George W. Bush.  Morgan continued to record until 1968, but could never match the overall success of "Fascination".  



Together, we know this group from their one hit.  But The Sound of Philadelphia would not have been as bright without them:
 
#405:  Overture from 'Tommy'--Assembled Multitude      

Producer Tom Sellers organized this instrumental ensemble of studio musicians in 1970.  Many of the musicians were regulars at Sigma Sound Studios.  The Assembled Multitude released a self-titled album which included "Overture", "MacArthur Park", "Ohio", "While My Guitar Gently Weeps", "Woodstock" and others.  "Overture from 'Tommy'" reached #16.  

Members of the group became the backbone of Philadelphia Soul, working with artists such as the O'Jays, the Stylistics and Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes.


The artist just ahead worked for 15 years before she finally landed her big hit:
 
#404:  It Feels So Good--Sonique


Sonia Clarke was born in Crouch End, England.  Clarke formed the reggae band Fari as a teenager, in which she wrote all the music.  After the group split up, Sonia set out to obtain a recording contract.  

Sonique released the single "Let Me Hold You" in 1985, which was a minor dance hit.  In 1990, she teamed with DJ Mark Moore in S'Express, and the duo had a minor hit with "Nothing to Lose".  Moore gave Sonique a set of turntables and a mixer and she began experimenting.  For three years, Sonique accompanied Moore and friend Judge Jules in their live shows.  

Sonique finally signed a contract with Serious Records and released the single "I Put A Spell On You".  Sonique was the DJ-in-residence at Club Manumission in Ibiza from 1997-1999.  She mixed a track on the album Fantazia British Anthems Summertime.  

In 2000, Sonique released the single "It Feels So Good", which reached #1 in the U.K. and Norway, #2 in Germany, Austria and Ireland and #8 in the United States.  She released the album Born to Be Free, which contained her big hit.

However, Sonique went three years until her next album, On Kosmo, was released, a cardinal sin in the music business.  Once again, the old adage proved true as the public had forgotten about her.  Nothing on the album received any airplay of note.

Sonique has released four albums and 13 singles in her career.




Friends of Rick James check in next in The Top 500 One-Hit Wonders of the Rock Era*:
 
#403:  In My House--Mary Jane Girls  


Jojo McDuffie, Candice Ghant, Kimberly Wuletich, Cheryl Bailey, Yvette Marine and Maxine and Julia Water formed the Mary Jane Girls.  Originally, the project was to be a solo debut for JoJo, who had sung background vocals for Rick James.  James put together tracks with Jojo and the Water Sisters.  But when Motown Records expected there to be a group, James hastily added the other members.

The Mary Jane Girls released their self-titled debut album in 1983, which yielded the minor R&B hits "Candy Man" and "All Night Long".  But it was "In My House" in 1985 that became their only big overall hit, reaching #7.  The closest the group would come to that was #41 with "Walk Like a Man", their remake of the Four Seasons' classic.  The Mary Jane Girls broke up in 1987.

McDuffie continued to sing backing vocals for James while Marine appeared in the video "Mercedes Boy" by Pebbles.



We're up to one of a handful of artists in the Rock Era who had a #1 song only to never be able to follow it up:
  #402:  Freak Me--Silk


Keith Sweat discovered this group, which began as a quintet consisting of Tim Cameron, Jimmy Gates, Gary Glenn, Gary Jenkins and Jonathen Rasboro.  Silk released their debut album Lose Control in 1992.  "Freak Me" was released as a single, which topped the charts in the United States and was a worldwide hit.  

But after four unsuccessful albums and airplay limited to R&B stations, Elektra Records dropped Silk from the label in 2002.  Jenkins left the group but Silk tried to continue and started the Silk Music Group recording label.  They released the album Silktime, but that met with poor sales as well.  


This group scored their big hit when they broke from the person who had formed them and went out on their own:

 
#401:  "He Loves U (sic) Not"--Dream


Talent scout Judith Fontaine formed this group in 1988 when she selected Holly Blake-Arnstein, Melissa Schuman, Ashley Poole and Alex Chester to make up a new girl group.  They were originally known as First Warning before changing their name to Dream.  The group then separated from Fontaine and signed with Bad Boy Records.  Diana Ortiz replaced Chester in 1999.

Dream released the single "He Loves U (sic) Not" in 2000 and their debut album It Was All a Dream in January of 2001.  The single reached #2 in the United States and #17 in the U.K.  The follow-up single "This Is Me" did not fare as well.

Dream opened for Destiny's Child, Eve and Nelly on tour and appeared on television shows such as The Rosie O'Donnell Show, Live With Regis and Kelly and Good Morning America.  The group was fairly quiet until 2002 when Schuman left the group.  Kasey Sheridan replaced her, and Dream set out to record songs for a second album. 

The single "Krazy" (sic) did not sell, and a planned second single and ultimately the album were never released.  Dream was subsequently dropped from the label and they broke up.

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