The Top 500 One-Hit Wonders of the Rock Era Revisited: #420-411

A Summer Spectacular in July and August of 2025--The Top 500 One-Hit Wonders of the Rock Era*!

This artist had a big hit in 1965:

   
420:  Jewel Akens--" The Birds And The Bees"

After learning from Sam Cooke, Akens first recorded with Eddie Daniels as Jewel and Eddie on Silver Records in 1960.  After embarking on a solo career, Akens recorded "The Birds and the Bees" in 1965 on Era Records.  The song reached #3 in the United States, #29 in the U.K., and sold over one million copies.  

Akens toured with the Monkees and continued to record through the mid-70's, but never enjoyed another big hit.

Here we have the actor who enjoyed a huge hit when he went into the recording studio and recorded a Jim Webb song:

  #419:  MacArthur Park--Richard Harris
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Harris was born in Limerick City, Ireland.  He went to Crescent College and was a talented rugby player.  Harris moved to London and enrolled in the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Arts to learn acting.  He began landing roles in West End theatre productions.

Harris made his film debut in 1958 in Alive and Kicking and got a big break when he starred in the movie Mutiny on the Bounty.  Harris received an Academy Award nomination for his role in This Sporting Life in 1963, but it was his role in A Man Called Horse that Harris is best known for.

Harris recorded several albums, including A Tramp Shining, which included "MacArthur Park".  The song, written by Jimmy Webb, reached #2 and sold over a million copies.  Harris was nominated for Contemporary Pop Male Vocalist and Album of the Year at the Grammy Awards.  

Harris was also nominated for Best Actor at the Academy Awards and the Golden Globes for his role in the movie The Field.  But "MacArthur Park" was his only major success in the field of music.

This talented singer scored a big dance hit in 1979:

#418:  France Joli--"Come To Me"
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Joli was born in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.  At age four, Joli performed for relatives lip-syncing to songs by Barbra Streisand.  By age 11, she appeared regularly in television commercials and talent shows.  Joli visited musician Tony Green following one of his concerts and invited him to be her producer.  After Green had the opportunity to listen to her sing, he wrote "Come to Me" for her the next day.

Joli went in the recording studio and recorded tracks for her self-titled debut album, which was released in 1979.  The song peaked at #15, but rose to #1 for three weeks in the much-smaller Dance Club genre.  Joli made her network television debut in October on The Midnight Special and she co-hosted the show on December 7.  She also sang on shows by Mike Douglas, Merv Griffin and Dinah Shore and a special by Bob Hope.

Joli enjoyed continued success on the Dance chart with songs like "The Heart to Break the Heart", "Feel Like Dancing" and "Gonna' Get Over You", and opened for the Commodores during the American tour of 1981.  Joli released six career albums and 14 singles, but would never reach the Top 40 again.

Music fans know the leader of this group from his work on Top of the Pops:

   #417:  Sounds Orchestral--"Cast Your Fate To The Wind"

John Schroeder produced Johnny Pearson's first solo album before moving to Pye Records.  He assembled the lineup for Sounds Orchestral with Pearson on piano, Kenny Clare (drums and percussion) and bassist Tony Reeves.  

The group took a song originally written and recorded by Vince Guaraldi ("Cast Your Fate to the Wind") and turned it into a #5 song in the U.K. and #10 song in the United States.  It reached #31 on the Easy Listening chart in 1965 and sold over one million copies.

A follow-up single, "Moonglow", reached #43 in the U.K. but didn't match the worldwide appeal of "Cast Your Fate to the Wind".  Pearson was featured on all 16 albums by Sounds Orchestral through 1975.  By this time, Pearson was a successful solo artist and was music arranger on the television show Top of the Pops.

This group enjoyed their big hit when their sophomore effort caught on:

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  #416:  Sister Hazel--"All For You"

Sister Hazel, named for a local nun who ran a homeless shelter, was formed in Gainsville, Florida in 1993. The group released their self-titled debut album in 1994 on Croakin' Poets Records. 

 
The band's second album, ...Somewhere More Familiar, was released in 1997 and began to sell, leading Universal Records to sign Sister Hazel to a recording contract. "All For You" was chosen for single release, and it reached #11.

The group has now released eight albums, but nothing ever caught on to follow up "All For You".

This singer from Grand Rapids, Michigan hit paydirt with her first release:

   
#415:  Adina Howard--"Freak Like Me"

Howard's debut album in 1995 included "Freak Like Me", which was a smash #2 song and was certified Platinum. Howard recorded songs for the soundtracks to Sunset Park and A Thin Line Between Love and Hate. A second album was recorded but was halted by Elektra Records and a third album didn't sell well.

Howard has released four albums and 11 singles with similar success.  Other than "Freak Like Me", the next best she could do was #32 with a remake of Tina Turner's smash "What's Love Got to Do with It".

One of the most surprising #1 songs of the Rock Era was recorded by a nun:

#414:  The Singing Nun--"Dominique"

Jeanne-Paule-Marie Deckers entered the Missionary Dominican Sisters of Our Lady of Fichermont in Waterloo.  Deckers wrote, sang and performed her own songs in the convent, which were so well thought of that Deckers recorded an album.

The single "Dominique" became a hit the world over.  It reached #1 in the United States, Canada and New Zealand, peaked in the Top 5 in Australia, Norway, Denmark, Ireland and South Africa, and was a Top 10 song in the U.K., West Germany and the Netherlands.  Using the stage name of Soeur Sourire (Sister Smile), the Singing Nun performed concerts and appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show.  A second album failed, and in 1967, Deckers left the convent to continue her musical career under the name Luc Dominique and to pursue social work.

The Singing Nun was never able to match the success of her One-Hit Wonder, and faded into obscurity.  She opened a school for autistic children but the Belgian government claimed she owed thousands of dollars in back taxes.  These heavy financial problems led Deckers back into the studio several times, but could not produce any songs to help her pay her bills.

On March 29, 1985, Deckers committed suicide.

This artist may have made great contributions to the recording and television industries, but committed the most lewd of acts:

    #413:  Jonathan King--"Everyone's Gone To The Moon"  

While a student at the University of Cambridge in 1965, King wrote and sang "Everyone's Gone to the Moon".  The song has sold over 4.5 million records.

King hosted Good Evening; I'm Jonathan King on ITV television for six months.  He continued to perform and record songs under a variety of names.  King was one of two original investors of the London production of the play The Rocky Horror Picture Show and produced the original cast soundtrack album.  King had several hits in his native U.K., but after his One Hit Wonder, his success was confined there.

King later discovered and produced several artists, including Genesis, whom he signed in 1967.  King was the head of Decca Records, started his own successful independent label, UK Records, and also worked with 10cc, Lobo, the First Class and the Bay City Rollers.  He presented a daily talk show on WMCA radio in New York City in the early 1980's.  King created the Youth television show No Limits and hosted the ITV program The Ultra Quiz.  King wrote a page in The Sun newspaper for eight years and wrote regular features in many other newspapers and magazines. 

He hosted the BRIT Awards in 1987 and produced them from 1990-1992.  In 1993, King founded The Tip Sheet, an online message board promoting unknown and unsigned artists.  In 1995 and 1996, King hosted a talk radio program in the U.K., and in 1997, King was awarded the British Phonographic Industry Man of the Year Award.  King recorded the original studio version of "Who Let the Dogs Out" under the name Fatt Jakk and his Pack of Pets, and persuaded friend Steve Greenberg to cover it with the Baha Men.  King signed Chumbawamba and helped them release the single "Tubthumping".  King has also written three novels and an autobiography.

King was sentenced to seven years in prison in 2001 for the sexual assault of five teenage boys between 1983 and 1987.

After they had disbanded and taken regular jobs, the group at #412 was delighted to see a song they had recorded become a hit more than two years afterwards:

  
#412:  Capris--"There's A Moon Out Tonight"

The Capris began in Queens, New York when they were teenagers.  Rosario Morice (though he left the group before recording), Nick Santamaria, Mike Mincieli, Frank Reina, Vinnie Naccarato and John Casses were the original members.  By 1958, the group was performing at school dances and churches and attracted the attention of independent producers.

The Capris responded to an ad in a local paper and sang "There's A Moon Out Tonight" at the audition.  Soon, the group recorded the song at Bell Sound Studios in New York City and released the song on Planet Records.  An original Planet pressing of the single can now be sold for up to $1,500.   

Record collector Jerry Greene was working at Times Square Record Shop.  Greene would trade records in his collection for hard-to-get records that customers would bring in.  In 1960, a customer brought in a copy of "There's a Moon Out Tonight" in exchange for other records in the store.  Greene brought it to disc jockey Allen Fredericks to be aired on his radio show.   Greene and three other collectors bought 100 copies from the defunct Planet label and sold them for a big profit.  They went to Planet and bought a second batch of singles and then ended up buying the masters.

Greene then reissued the song on Lost Nite Records, a label he and his friends had started in 1960.  Greene made 330 copies on red plastic vinyl and gave to local disc jockeys.  Within a week, the song was being played and more orders were coming in than Greene could handle.  So he arranged for Old Town Records to distribute the single.

Meanwhile, the Capris had disbanded and had regular jobs.  Nick had enlisted in the army.  In 1960, when he returned, he received a call from a friend telling him that the song was playing all over the radio.  Famous DJ Murray the K played the song at WINS radio in New York City in his nightly segment "Rate the Record".  The song won the competition one night and came in second to "Will You Love Me Tomorrow" by the Shirelles a second night.

The members of the Capris quit their jobs and reunited.  One week later, they landed a gig at the Apollo Theater in Harlem.  Their single went to #3 in 1961, the highest ranking a song on the Old Town label would ever achieve.  In January, the group appeared on Dick Clark's American Bandstand in Philadelphia.

The Capris released "Where I Fell in Love", which received some airplay but did not chart. In September, "Girl in My Dreams" reached #92 before falling.  In 1962, the group signed to Mr. McPeeke Records and released "Limbo", which only made it to #99.  It was the last record by the group to chart.

The Capris have continued in various lineups. They were the opening act at Richard Nader's Rock & Roll Revival at Madison Square Garden, which headlined Jackie Wilson and Bill Haley & the Comets.   In 2003, the group was featured on the PBS special DOO WOP 50, a live show in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania that featured some of doo wop's greatest groups. 

This duo's panning of the fashion industry hit a chord in 1991 and it became a #1 smash:

   

 #411:   Right Said Fred--"I'm Too Sexy"

After years of touring, brothers Fred and Richard Fairbrass began performing as Right Said Fred in 1989, with Rob Manzoli joining them the following year.  In 1991, the group released the single "I'm Too Sexy", which pans the fashion industry.  The song reached #1 in 32 countries including the United States and spent six weeks at number two in the U.K.

Right Said Fred's follow-up single, "Don't Talk Just Kiss" wasn't a big worldwide hit, but it managed #8 in the much smaller Dance chart and #3 in the U.K.  The group had further success on both charts and in Austria, but would never again enjoy widespread major success.

As one of the videos said, if you like these songs and artists, support them by buying the CD!  More great artists who created wonderful memories for us all coming tomorrow on Inside The Rock Era!

The Top 500 One-Hit Wonders of the Rock Era Revisited: #430-421

We first produced this great music special in 2013.  We thought it was time for an update.  Let's enjoy 10 more!

Together, we know this group from their one hit.  But The Sound of Philadelphia would not have been as bright without them:

  
#430:  Assembled Multitude--" Overture From 'Tommy'"     

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.

Like many successful singers, this artist began at an early age:

  
#429:  Debelah Morgan--"Dance With Me"  

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".

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

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.

The artist just ahead worked for 15 years before she finally landed her big hit:

  
#427:  Sonique--"It Feels So Good"

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.

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:

   

#426:  Silk--"Freak Me

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:

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

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.

   

This One-Hit Wonder* enjoyed much influence on other groups that far outlived them:

 

#424:  MARRS--" Pump Up The Volume"

Formed by the group A.R. Kane and Colourbox, this act only released one single in their career.  But it was a big one, reaching #1 in the United Kingdom, Canada, New Zealand and the Netherlands and reaching the Top 10 in several other countries.  It was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Pop Instrumental Performance.

Although the group never released any other material, this one song influenced technomusic for years afterward.

Up next, the long-time music director of The Red Skelton Show:

  #423:  David Rose--"The Stripper"

Rose was born in London and raised in Chicago, Illinois.  He worked with Ted Fio Rito's band at age 16, and gained a reputation as a pianist, arranger and bandleader at WGN in Chicago.  Rose was invited to Hollywood to do a twice-weekly radio show called California Melodies, for which he wrote all of the arrangements.  David soon became music director of the Mutual Broadcasting network.

During World War II, Rose served in the Army, where he met Red Skelton.  Rose joined the cast of Skelton's television show in 1948 and served as music director for over 20 years.  In 1958, Rose recorded "The Stripper".  It sold over a million copies and went to #1.

Rose wrote music for numerous television series, including Bonanza, Little House on the Prairie, Highway to Heaven and It's a Great Life.  He won four Emmy Awards in his career.

This British R&B group is up next:

 

422.  Eternal--"Stay"

Sisters Easther and Vernie Bennett were singing in a London nightclub when music manager Oliver Smallman discovered them.  Louise Nurding joined them and the trio began performing together when Nurding's friend Kéllé Bryan joined them.

Eternal was quickly signed to EMI Records and released their debut single, "Stay", in 1993, a #4 hit in the U.K. and #19 in the United States.  

They released several subsequent singles, many popular in their native U.K. and elsewhere in Europe, but "Stay" was their only worldwide hit.

This group may never have scored their big hit if fate hadn't intervened:

#421:  Brothers Four--"Greenfields" 

Bob Flick, Dick Foley, Mike Kirkland and John Paine met at the University of Washington.  The four were members of the Phi Gamma Delta fraternity on campus.  The Brothers Four landed their first gig as a result of a prank played on them in 1958 by a rival fraternity, who had arranged for someone to call them, pretend to be from the Colony Club in Seattle, and invite them to audition.  Although the club did not expect them, they were allowed to sing a few songs anyway, and they were hired.

In 1959, the group moved to San Francisco, California, where they met Mort Lewis, the manager of Dave Brubeck.  Lewis became their manager as well and helped them land a contract with Columbia Records.  With their second single, "Greenfields", the Brothers Four hit it big, landing a #2 song.  Their second album, BMOC/Best Music On/Off Campus, reached the Top 10, and they recorded the theme song for the ABC television show Hootenanny.

But the group would never enjoy widespread success again because of the Beatles, who dominated the charts in such a way that there wasn't room on the playlist for much else.  The Brothers Four attempted a comeback by recording Bob Dylan's "Mr. Tambourine Man", but they couldn't release it due to licensing problems, and the Byrds released their own version, which became a classic. 

We've presented 80 songs so far in this great special, and if you haven't done so, be sure to go back and catch what you've missed!

The Top 500 One-Hit Wonders of the Rock Era Revisited: #440-431

Inside The Rock Era is bringing back The Top 500 One-Hit Wonders of the Rock Era* in 2025, and we've even updated the list to include songs through 2020.  If we've done our homework correctly, each segment should be just a little bit better.

The artist who released one of the top songs of 1972 is up next:

  
#440:  Luther Ingram --"(If Loving You Is Wrong) I Don't Want To Be Right"

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 Staple Singers. Ingram managed a few minor R&B hits, but could not avoid being a One Hit Wonder.

Sometimes an act just needs a boost to hit the limelight:

 

#439:  Snow Patrol--"Chasing Cars"

This group struggled until one of their songs was featured in the second season finale of the television drama Grey's Anatomy.  Founded in 1994, lead singer Gary Lightbody had to sell part of his record collection in 2001 just to keep the band going.

In 2005, Snow Patrol got a break in opening for U2 in concert.  The following year, they released the album Eyes Wide Open and a different single, but there was nothing to indicate that their fortunes would change from producing albums that got good reviews and a solid fan base but wasn't expanding.  Finally, Grey's Anatomy featured "Chasing Cars" and the song spread like wildfire.

"Chasing Cars" peaked at #5 in the United States and #6 in the U.K.  Snow Patrol was particularly strong in their native U.K., where the song remained in the Top 100 for 66 weeks and sold over one million copies.  It is nearly over four million in U.S. sales.  "Chasing Cars" was nominated for Best Rock Song at the Grammy Awards.

At #438, another artist whose songwriting overshadowed his recordings:

  
#438:  Bob Lind --"Elusive Butterfly" 

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.

All the planets were aligned properly for this group to score their one big hit:

 

#437:  Blink-182--"All The Small Things"

After years of recording and touring as an independent act, this act got its big break when they finally signed with MCA Records.  

By 1999, Blink-182 was one of the top international rock bands in the world, and the fact that they scored just one Top 40 career hit tells us a lot about the state of rock in 1999--unlike the four decades that preceded it, it just wasn't very good.  

The album Enema of the State was a massive success, however, which sold 15 million copies worldwide and yielded "All The Small Things", #2 in the U.K. and #6 in the United States.

The band managed three more Gold albums, but after "All The Small Things", the best they could do was #42.

An unfortunate disagreement with their record company kept this group from further success:

  
# 436:  Ninedays--"Absolutely (Story Of A Girl)"

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 #435, this eclectic singer-songwriter:

 

    #435:  Bruce Cockburn--"Wondering Where the Lions Are"

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.

At #434, an artist produced by Sylvia Robinson, herself a two-time One-Hit Wonder:

  
#434:  Shirley and Company--" Shame, Shame, Shame"

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:

  
#433:  Smokie--"Living Next Door To Alice"

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:

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#432:  Joe Harnell--"Fly Me To The Moon"

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:

  
#431:  Jane Morgan--"Fascination" 

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-Can, Kiss Me, Kate, Gentlemen 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".  

Join us tomorrow for 10 more One-Hit Wonders*, exclusively on Inside The Rock Era!