The Top 500 One-Hit Wonders of the Rock Era Revisited: #360-351

We've lined up 10 more great memories.  Enjoy!

At #360, the artist responsible for one of the biggest disco hits of the Rock Era:

  

#360:  Patrick Hernandez--"Born To Be Alive"

Hernandez toured dance halls and ballrooms in his native France with several groups in the 1970's.  He met arranger, guitarist and vocalist Herve Tholance and the two formed a duo.  They began achieving success backing French musicians such as Francis Cabrel, the group Gold and Laurent Voulzy.  

In 1978, Hernandez met producer Jean Vanloo and signed a recording contract.  After working with Vanloo for a year, songs were released on Aquarius Records in France in November.  The first single was "Born to Be Alive", which caught on in Italy, spread throughout Europe (hitting #1 in France) and then catching on like wildfire all over the globe.    The single was remixed and reached #16 in the United States, selling over one million copies, and hitting #10 in the U.K.  

Hernandez held auditions in New York City for dancers to accompany him on a worldwide tour.  One of the dancers chosen was a young Madonna.  In the 80's and 90's, Hernandez toured and played with other artists in Europe.

Up next, the only Italian group among the One-Hit Wonders:

 

#359:  Eiffel--"Blue (Da Ba Dee)"

Eiffel 65 is a three-piece Italian group formed in 1998.  Group DJ and producer Gabry Ponte, Jeffrey Jey on vocals and bass and Maury Lobina (keyboards and guitar) made up the band.  "Blue (Da Ba Dee)" peaked at #6 in 1999.  But Ponte broke up the group to concentrate on a solo career.  

Up next, an artist who reinforced women's opinion of men with his one and only:

 

 

#358:  Lou Bega--"Mambo No. 5"  

David Lubega spent much of his childhood in Italy before the family moved to Munich, Germany.  He also lived in Miami, Florida and Uganda.

At age 13, Bega formed a hip hop group and they eventually released a CD in 1990.  Upon returning to Munich, Bega met Goar manager Goar Biesenkamp and producers Achim Kleist and Wolfgang von Webenau.  Together, they developed the concept for the song "Mambo No. 5 (A Little Bit of...)".  The song is a remake of a 1949 instrumental from Perez Prado from which Bega added the words.  

"Mambo" reached #1 in most European countries including the U.K. and Germany and it peaked at #3 in the United States.  A follow-up single, "Tricky Tricky" was #18 in Canada and #74 in America, but that was the next best thing Bega could do as a performer.  He has hosted the American Music Awards and the Grammy Awards.

A return to the music industry proved golden for this next soul singer:

  

 

#357:  King Floyd--"Groove Me"  

Floyd began his career as a singer at the Sho-Bar on Bourbon Street in New Orleans, Louisiana.  After serving in the United States army, Floyd moved to California and hooked up with producer Harold Battiste.  But after his debut album, A Man In Love, failed to attract fans, Floyd returned to New Orleans and worked for the U.S. Postal Service.

In 1970, arranger Wardell Quezergue talked Floyd into recording "Groove Me" with Malaco Records.  Initially, "Groove Me" was the B-side to the single "What Our Love Needs", but when DJ's in New Orleans began playing the flip, the song became a local hit.  Atlantic Records assumed national distribution of the song which hit #1 on the R&B chart, reached #6 overall and sold over one million copies.  Floyd had to quit his job at the post office to perform a U.S. tour.  His follow-up single, "Baby Let Me Kiss You" reached #29, just shy of having a second Top 20 hit and making him eligible for this special.  Subsequent songs failed to make him a star, as disco dominated the late 1970's.

At #356, this act from Chapel Hill, North Carolina:

 

#356:  Ben Folds Five--
"Brick"

The Ben Folds Five was actually a trio formed by Ben Folds (lead vocals and keyboards), Robert Sledge (bass and synthesizer) and Darren Jessee on drums and percussion.  The three formed in 1993 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina.

The Ben Folds Five recorded their self-titled debut album in 1995 on Caroline Records.  But it was their second album, Whatever and Ever Amen in 1997, that brought them success.  The album contained "Brick", which is by far the best song they've done although they have had other limited success on the sub-genre Modern Rock chart.  "Brick reached #19 for the group and also found favor on the Adult Contemporary chart.

Although Folds has released solo albums, the Ben Folds Five reunited for a concert in 2008 and reportedly are set to record a new album.  

This artist went from accompanying Bruce Channel on his #1 hit in the 50's to enjoying his own hit in 1980:

  

#355:  Delbert McClinton--"Giving It Up For Your Love"

McClinton has been a side musician since 1962; he's played blues, country and rock.  He worked in a bar band in Texas known as the Straitjackets.  McClinton recorded several singles before playing harmonica on "Hey!  Baby" for Bruce Channel.  While touring in the U.K., McClinton showed his skills to John Lennon.

In 1972, Delbert moved to Los Angeles and released a couple of albums with Glen Clark before embarking on a solo career.  In 1980, McClinton released the album The Jealous Kind, which contained the #8 song "Givin' It Up for Your Love".  McClinton won a Grammy in 1991 for his duet with Bonnie Raitt, "Good Man, Good Woman".  He also recorded the opening song "Weatherman" for the movie Groundhog Day.

McClinton has released 23 albums and 16 singles, but never enjoyed success like he did with his one hit.

Up next, a talented and respected singer-songwriter who owns one of The Top Unknown/Underrated Songs of the Rock Era*.  Had more radio stations played it, he likely would have become a big star:

#354:  Eddie Schwartz--"All Our Tomorrows"

Schwartz graduated from York University in Toronto, Ontario, Canada and began playing guitar for Charity Brown's backing band. In 1979, he signed a solo contract with Infinity Records. Eddie released the album Schwartz in 1980 with A&M Records. One of the songs he wrote, however, generated more attention. That was "Hit Me With Your Best Shot", which became one of Pat Benatar's biggest career hits.

Schwartz followed that up with the album No Refuge in 1981. "All Our Tomorrows" generated considerable interest in both the United States and Canada, reaching #28 in the former. At least half of the songs on the album have since been covered by other artists.

Public Life was released in 1983 and featured another hit in his native Canada, "Strike" as well as "Special Girl", a song which became a hit for the group America.

In the late 1980's, Schwartz focused on songwriting and producing, working with the Doobie Brothers, Donna Summer, Rita Coolidge and Paul Carrack and writing "Hit Me With Your Best Shot" for Pat Benatar, "Don't Shed a Tear" for Carrack and "The Doctor" for the Doobie Brothers.  

Up next, one of the most-loved performers in England:

#353:  Mr. Acker Bilk--"Stranger On The Shore"  

Bernard Stanley "Acker" Bilk received his nickname from the slang word for friend.  He learned clarinet while serving in the Royal Engineers in the Suez Canal Zone.  By the mid-1950's, Bilk was playing professionally.

In 1954, Bilk joined Ken Colyer's traditional jazz band before forming his own ensemble, the Paramount Jazz band, in 1956.  The group had good success on the British chart with "Summer Set" and other singles that followed.

Then, an experiment with a string ensemble playing his song clicked with the masses.  Bilk had written a song named after his newborn daughter called "Jenny".  A British television series asked him for permission to use the melody, but to change the title to "Stranger on the Shore".  Bilk recorded the song with the Leon Young String Chorale.  The single was on the U.K. charts for 55 weeks and hit #1 in the United States, selling over one million copies.

But then, the British invasion took place, and Bilk shifted musical direction.  He released 34 career albums featuring his unique clarinet style.  Bilk had some success on the British chart after that, but "Stranger on the Shore" was his moment in the sun.

 This Country artist crossed over for the only time with one great song:

#352: Don Williams--"I Believe In You"

Williams began playing guitar as a teenager and graduated from Gregory-Portland High School in Portland, Texas in 1958.  He was with the Pozo-Seco Singers before beginning his solo career in 1971.  

Williams started as a songwriter for Jack Music, Inc. and then signed with JMI Records.    By the mid-70's, he was with ABC/Dot and recorded several songs popular with country audiences.  But 90% of people didn't know who he was until this song released in 1981.  

Williams has released 27 albums and 58 singles in his career, but "I Believe In You" is the only one that crossed over into the mainstream.  He is still recording and touring.

This group landed one of the biggest hits of the doo-wop era:

#351:  Silhouettes--"Get A Job"

The Silhouettes recorded this song in October, 1957 at Robinson Recording Laboratories in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and it was released on Junior Records.  Ember Records handled national distribution of the song, which reached #1 in 1958.  The group performed on Dick Clark's American Bandstand several times to promote the record, helping it sell over a million copies.  "Get a Job" has been featured in numerous movies, including American Graffiti and Stand By Me.  Several other singles, however, failed to attract attention for the group.

From "Born To Be Alive" to Get A Job, we've got you covered with the best One-Hit Wonders of the Rock Era*!  Join us tomorrow only on Inside The Rock Era!