The Top 500 One-Hit Wonders of the Rock Era Revisited: #240-231

We're happy to bring back one of our most popular music specials, and Inside The Rock Era has 24 more segments for you!

The arranger behind many famous musicians, this artist scored a big instrumental hit of his own:

    

#240:  Bill Doggett--"Honky Tonk"

Doggett was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and joined an area combo at the age of 15, playing in local theaters and clubs.  Doggett sold his band to Lucky Millinder and worked in the 1930's and 40's for Millinder and arranger Jimmy Mundy.  In 1947, he landed a job as the pianist and arranger for the Ink Spots.  Later that year, Doggett played piano and the Hammond organ for Louis Jordan's Tympany Five.

In 151, Doggett formed his own trio and began recording for King Records.  Bill co-wrote "Honky Tonk" in 1956, which reached #2 and sold over four million copies.  It was a #1 R&B hit for over two months.  Doggett also arranged for many bandleaders and other performers, including Louis Armstrong, Count Basie, Ella Fitzgerald and Lionel Hampton.

Although "Honky Tonk" remained his only hit, Doggett continued to play and arrange until his death at the age of 80.

This next artist certainly had talent, but was never given much of a chance by the radio industry:

  

  #239:  Moon Martin--"Rolene"  

John Martin (he was nicknamed "Moon" because he wrote so many songs with the moon in the lyrics) was born in Oklahoma and grew up in Altus.  While in high school Martin joined a group called the Disciples.  After graduation, the group moved to Los Angeles in 1968 and changed their name to Southwind.  Southwind released two unsuccessful albums before breaking up in 1971.

Meanwhile, Martin had gotten into studio work and played guitar and sang backing vocals for Linda Ronstadt's self-titled album.  He chose to pursue a solo career, mixing songwriting with regular jobs such as working as a lorry driver and in a flower shop.  Mink DeVille recorded Moon's "Cadillac Walk" in 1977 and producer Craig Leon had used three Martin songs on Lisa Burns' debut album.  Leon agreed to produce Martin's debut album Shots From A Cold Nightmare.

Martin played guitar, did backup vocals and wrote three songs for Michelle Phillips' solo album Victim of Romance.  He wrote "Bad Case Of Loving You", which became a big hit for Robert Palmer in 1979.

Meanwhile, Martin recorded the album Escape From Domination and this time, he received airplay for "Rolene", which reached #30 in the United States and received significant attention in Sweden and France.   His next-best effort from the album was "No Chance", which peaked at #50.

Martin released the album Street Fever in 1980, but no songs received widespread airplay.  The 1982 album Mystery Ticket became his weakest album to date.  Martin has recorded albums for smaller labels that were largely ignored.

One of The Top Instrumentals of the Rock Era* by the group which provided the foundation for the early 1960's sound at Stax Records checks in next:

 

 #238:  Mar-Keys--"Last Night"

This group formed in 1958 and were the session band at legendary Stax Records in Memphis, Tennessee.  Three years later, they recorded this song on their own, a #3 smash in 1961 that sold over one million records.

Guitarist Steve Cropper instead played keyboard on the track, with Packy Axton on tenor sax, Wayne Jackson playing trumpet and Jerry Lee "Smoochy" Smith on main keyboards, with horn players Floyd Newman and Gilbert Caple also helping out.

These musicians also served as the backing band on dozens of R&B hits, including those by Otis Redding, Wilson Pickett and others.

Cropper, and other musicians in the Mar-Keys--Lewie Steinberg, Booker T. Jones and Al Jackson Jr.--began recording as Booker T. & the M.G.'s the following year.  From 1962-1966, instrumentals featuring a horn section were credited to the Mar-Keys, while those without horns were credited to Booker T. & the M.G.'s.  As that latter group grew in fame, the Mar-Keys' role was diminished.

Here's another act to land one of The Top Unknown/Underrated Songs of the Rock Era*:

   

  #237:  Sniff 'N' the Tears--"Driver's Seat"  

This group began playing together under the name Ashes of Moon in 1973.  They couldn't get a recording contract, so singer/songwriter Paul Roberts dissolved the group and moved to France.  

A few years later, Luigi Salvoni, drummer for Ashes of Moon, listened to some demos that Roberts had recorded in 1975.  He was inspired again about getting back together with Roberts and Sniff 'n' the Tears was born.  Guitarists Mick Dyche and Loz Netto joined Chris Birkin on bass, Alan Fealdman on keyboards and Salvoni and Roberts.  That lineup recorded the group's debut album Fickle Heart.

The album was unreleased until executives at Chiswick Records expressed interest.  They released the album and the lead single "Driver's Seat" became an international hit, peaking at #15 in the United States.  But within a few months, the group broke apart as Birkin, Fealdman and Salvoni all left.

Sniff 'n' the Tears has released seven albums under various lineups but nothing clicked except "Driver's Seat".

The artist at #236 has talent that goes far beyond singing:

   

#236:  Toni Basil--"Mickey"  

Antonio Christina Basilotta was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and began dancing professionally in her childhood. Her career blossomed when she was a dancer and assistant choreographer on Shindig!, the famous music variety television show which began in 1964.

Basilotta was the assistant choreographer for the movie The T.A.M.I. Show.  She also was responsible for the choreography on the movies American Graffiti, The Rose, Peggy Sue Got Married, Village of the Giants, The Cool Ones and the Monkees' film Head and later My Best Friend's Wedding and Charlie Wilson's War, among others..  She also devised the choreography for several music videos by the Talking Heads and choreographed two of David Bowie's tours.  

Basil began her recording career in 1966 with the title song from the short film Breakaway.  She sold out solo performances at The Roxy in Los Angeles.  She sang on the first season of Saturday Night Live.

The multi-talented Basil was also a noted actress, appearing in movies such as Easy Rider, Five Easy Pieces and Mother, Jugs & Speed and on the television shows Laverne and Shirley and Baywatch Nights.

In 1982, Basil released the single "Mickey", which was a smash all over the world.  It reached #1 in the United States and was certified Platinum for sales over 2 million.  The music video was one of the most popular in the infancy of MTV, which used to stand for Music Television before it deteriorated.  "Mickey" has since been included in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame as one of the groundbreaking songs of the 1980's.

Basil's career consists of just two albums.  She did enjoy success on the Dance chart with "Over My Head" in 1983 but nothing before or since has approached the worldwide appeal of "Mickey".  

Basil is recognized as a seminal influence in bringing street dance to the attention of the American public.  An article in a 2012 edition of Dance Magazine cited Basil as "the pioneer in merging ballet with street dance" for a piece she choreographed for Saturday Night Live called "Swan Lake" in 1978.

She won an Emmy Award in 2007 for her choreography in the commercial "MC Hammer:  My Braves" and was nominated for a Grammy for Long Form Video for "Word Of Mouth" in 1983.  Basil won Hip Hop International's Living Legend Award and won another Emmy for Outstanding Achievement in Choreography for The Smothers Brothers 1988.  Basil was nominated for four American Choreography Awards, and won the Lifetime Achievement Innovator Award.  

This next artist took an Animals song and remade it into a disco hit:

   #235:  Santa Esmeralda--"Please Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood"

French producers Nicolas Skorsky and Jean Manuel de Scarano formed their own recording label with the goal of producing artists who would record the duo's songs. After meeting singer Leroy Gomez in Paris, Skorsky and de Scarano invited Gomez to front the group Santa Esmeralda.

Santa Esmeralda recorded their disco remake of "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood" and released it on the Fauves Puma label.  When the song became a huge success in Europe, Casablanca Records agreed to distribute and promote the song worldwide.  The single became a #1 Disco hit and matched the #15 overall ranking that the Animals had reached in 1964.  The song's success led to a Gold certification for Santa Esmeralda's album.  

Despite the success of the song, Gomez did not record with Santa Esmeralda's production team again.  Singer Jimmy Goings was brought in to replace Gomez, and Santa Esmeralda had another disco hit with another Animals remake--"The House Of The Rising Sun".  They recorded "Sevila Nights" for the "Thank God It's Friday" Soundtrack before disbanding in 1983.

Santa Esmeralda recorded nine albums in their career, but nothing approached "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood" in popularity or success.

We have a One-Hit Wonder who remade a Beethoven song into a big hit.  Here's another who tried his hand at Bach:

  

  #234:  Apollo 100--"Joy"

Tom Parker played keyboards, clarinet, saxophone, trumpet, trombone and several other instruments from an early age.  He was a successful arranger for Don Fardon among others.  Parker played in a number of Jazz clubs around Newcastle upon Tyne, England.

Parker was associated with several groups, including Eric Burdon and the New Animals.  Parker formed the group Apollo 100 in 1972 with drummer Clem Cattini, guitarist Vic Flick, guitarist Zed Jenkins, percussionist Jim Lawless and bassist Brian Odgers.  The group released their first single "Joy", based on Bach's "Jesu, Joy Of Man's Desiring", which was originally recorded by the group Jigsaw, another One-Hit Wonder.  "Joy" was a big hit, rising to #6 in the U.S.

But further efforts were not as successful and Apollo 100 broke up the following year.

This group gave us one of the great songs in the early years
of Rock:

#233: Monotones--"Book Of Love"  

The Monotones formed in 1955 when seven singers from Newark, New Jersey began performing covers of popular hits.  Lead singer Charles Patrick was joined by tenors Warren Davis and George Malone, bass singers John Smith  and John Ryanes and baritone Warren Ryanes.  Patrick's brother James was an original member but he left shortly after the group formed.

The Monotones began singing with the New Hop Baptist Choir, directed by Cissy Houston.  Then, they won first prize for their version of the Cadillacs' "Zoom" on Ted Mack's Amateur Hour.  

After hearing a Pepsodent toothpaste commercial for the line "wonder where the yellow went", Patrick got the idea for the line "I wonder, wonder, wonder who!, who wrote the book of love".  Patrick, Davis and Malone wrote the song "Book Of Love" and recorded it in 1957.  The single was released on Mascot Records, but the small label could not handle the song's popularity, and it was reissued on Argo Records. 

"Book Of Love" hit #5 in the United States and Australia and sold over one million copies.  But after that, a series of novelty songs were not successful and the Monotones broke up in 1962.   

At #232, this talented performer who gave much to the entertainment industry:

    

#232:  Vicki Sue Robinson--"Turn The Beat Around"  

Vicki Sue performed in public for the first time at the age of six, when she accompanied her mother onstage at the Philadelphia Folk Festival.  Robinson and her family moved to New York City when she was ten.  She made her professional debut while a student at New Lincoln High School, appearing in the Broadway cast of the musical Hair.

Robinson was with the cast of Hair for six weeks before performing in another Broadway show, Soon, co-starring Richard Gere.  After that, she and Gere teamed up again for the Off-Broadway play Long Time Coming, Long Time Gone.  After small parts in the movies Going Home and To Find A Man, Robinson joined the cast of Jesus Christ Superstar on Broadway.

Robinson sang background for Todd Rundgren's 1972 album Something, Anything and she did session work with Itsuro Shimoda in Japan in 1973.  In 1975, Robinson was recording vocals for Scott Fagan when producer Warren Schatz heard her.  

Schatz invited Vicki Sue to record a remake of "Baby Now That I've Found You" by the Foundations, which became her first single.  This led to Robinson's debut album Never Gonna' Let You Go.  The title song was a #10 Disco hit but another song on the album, "Turn The Beat Around" was generating so much buzz that it was released as a single.

The song topped the Disco chart and hit #10 overall in the United States, #14 in Canada, #11 in the Netherlands and #12 in South Africa.  "Turn The Beat Around" garnered Robinson a Grammy nomination for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance.

Vicki Sue toured the United States and performed on The Midnight Special, Don Kirshner's Rock Concert, The Merv Griffin Show, American Bandstand, Soul Train and The Mike Douglas Show.  

Robinson released her self-titled second album in 1976, but it's lead single, "Daylight", only reached #61.  "Hold Tight" in 1977 peaked at #67.  After leaving RCA Records for Ariola, she was dropped after one single release.  A dance version of "To Sir With Love" became a Top Ten hit in Australia in 1983 but not elsewhere.

Robinson sang background on Irene Cara's "Fame" and returned to session work, backing Cher and Michael Bolton. She also became a noted jingle singer for such products as Wrigley's Doublemint gum, Maybelline Cosmetics, Downy fabric softener, Hanes underwear and Folger's coffee.

People were reminded, however, of the greatness of her One-Hit Wonder when Gloria Estefan remade "Turn The Beat Around" in 1994.  The renewed interest in Disco music in the mid-1990's led Robinson to join K.C. and the Sunshine Band, Thelma Houston and Gloria Gaynor on a successful world tour.  In 1999, Robinson released her final single "Move On", which reached #18 on the Dance Chart.  

 A great trumpeter graces our special next:

    

#231:  Maynard Ferguson--"Gonna' Fly Now"  

Ferguson began playing piano and violin at age four.  When he was nine, he heard a cornet and wanted to play one.  By the time he was 13, Ferguson soloed with the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation Orchestra.  Ferguson won a scholarship to the Conservatoire de musique du Quebec a Montreal, where he studied from 1943 to 1948.

Maynard performed in dance bands led by Stan Wood, Roland David and Johnny Holmes.  He soon had his own dance band and served as the opening act for touring bands from Canada and the United States.

Ferguson moved to the U.S. and played in several bands including that of Jimmy Dorsey before joining Stan Kenton's band.  For three years in a row (1950-1952), Ferguson won the Down Beat Reader's Poll as best trumpeter.  

In 1953, Ferguson became a first-call trumpeter for Paramount Pictures.  He appeared on 46 soundtracks including The Ten Commandments.  As his Paramount contract prevented him from giving live performances, however, Maynard was discontent and left in 1956. 

He became the leader of the Birdland Dream Band and guested with the New York Philharmonic Orchestra under Leonard Bernstein in 1959.

Ferguson disbanded his group in 1966 and moved the following year to India.  Maynard founded the Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Learning's Boys Brass Band and helped teach it for several years.

In 1969, Ferguson moved just outside Windsor, England and signed with CBS Records to form a British big band.  His band appeared on The Simon Dee Show on BBC.  With his career taking off again, Ferguson relocated to New York City and replaced his musicians with American performers.  In 1976, Ferguson performed a trumpet solo for the closing ceremony of the Summer Olympics in Montreal.

Ferguson then began working with producer Bob James on several albums, the second of which was Conquistador in 1977.  Conquistador yielded a version of the Rocky theme (and by far the best one)--"Gonna' Fly Now".  Ferguson began a hectic touring schedule, performing before crowds far larger than any he had played for before.  Ferguson's contract with Columbia Records expired after his 1982 album Hollywood.

Ferguson recorded three big band albums with smaller labels in the mid '80s before forming the electronica-fusion group High Voltage in 1986.  In 1992, Maynard was inducted into the Down Beat Jazz Hall of Fame.

Ferguson has released 60 albums in his career, and his contributions to the trumpet and to music in general are considerable, but he never had a big hit other than the one hit song, "Gonna' Fly Now".

That was a great segment.  Be sure to tune in tomorrow, exclusively on Inside The Rock Era!

The Top 500 One-Hit Wonders of the Rock Era Revisited: #250-241

These artists may not be household names, but there's not too many households that don't know their songs.

This next act gave us this great song in 1987:

   
#250:  T'pau--"Heart And Soul"  

This band formed in 1986 in Shropshire, England, named after the Vulcan priestess in the classic television series Star Trek. Carol Decker was the lead singer and songwriter, accompanied by lead guitarists Dean Howard and Taj Wyzgowski, rhythm guitarist and songwriter Ronnie Rogers, drummer Tim Burgess, Michael Chetwood on keyboards and bassist Paul Jackson.

After their initial single "Heart And Soul" flopped in the U.K., it caught on in the United States, hitting #4 in 1987.  Upon its re-release in their native country, T'Pau also hit #4 in the U.K. 

The group's next single, "China In Your Hand", became a #1 song in the U.K. and other European countries, but didn't even make the Top 100 across the Atlantic.  T'Pau also enjoyed regional success with "Valentine".

In 1988,  T'Pau released the album Rage, which contained the U.K. Top 20 single "Secret Garden".  But the album paled by comparison to their debut.  Future releases showed diminishing returns, although the group still performs live occasionally.

You don't often find a National Merit Scholar finalist in rock & roll, but here he is:

   

#249:  Elvin Bishop--"Fooled Around And Fell In Love"  

Bishop and his family moved to Tulsa, Oklahoma when he was ten years old.  He attended Will Rogers High School and won a full scholarship to the University of Chicago as a National Merit Scholar finalist to study physics.

In 1963, Bishop met harmonica player Paul Butterfield and joined his blues band for five years.  Elvin then formed the Elvin Bishop Group and signed with Fillmore Records.  Bishop toured with the Allman Brothers Band and received airplay in 1975 with "Travelin' Shoes".  

In 1976, Bishop released the single "Fooled Around And Fell In Love", which reached #3 in the United States and #34 in the U.K.  The song featured lead singer Mickey Thomas and drummer Donny Baldwin, who both later joined Jefferson Starship.

In 1984, Bishop performed at the Long Beach Blues Festival.  In 1988, he signed with Alligator Records and has released several Blues-oriented albums that have been well received in that genre.  In 2008, his album The Blues Roles On, aided by such stars as B.B. King, Derek Trucks and George Thorogood.  The album was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Traditional Blues Album. 

Bishop has recorded 18 albums in his career and released five singles, but "Fooled Around And Fell In Love" is his only hit.

This act achieved their big success, then disappeared:

   #248:  O'Kaysions--"Girl Watcher"

This group first formed as the Kays in 1959.  Lead singer and organ player Donnie Weaver, guitarist Wayne Pittman, Eddie Dement on trumpet, saxophone player Gerald Toler, bassist Jimmy Hinnant and Steve Watson on drums were the original members.   "(I'm A) Girl Watcher" was released in 1968 on a local record label before being picked up nationally by ABC Records.  It went to #5 in the United States and sold over one million copies.

The group recorded a self-titled debut album after their single took off, but it was the only album the O'Kaysions ever released.

 Here's another artist who scored one big hit, but had a bigger impact as a songwriter:

 

 #247:  Matthew Wilder--"Break My Stride"

Wilder started as one-half of the folk group Matthew & Peter in the 1970's.  In 1978, he moved to Los Angeles, where he sang for television commercials and served as a backing vocalist for Bette Midler and Rickie Lee Jones.

Wilder released his debut album I Don't Speak the Language in 1983.  "Break My Stride" helped the album get off the ground, reaching #5 in 1984.  He was able to reach #33 with "The Kid's American" from the same album, and the title cut from his next album Bouncin' Off the Walls hit #52, but Wilder was never able to reach the Top 20 after "Break My Stride".

Although his solo career went downhill, Wilder continued to write and produce for artists such as Christina Aguilera, No Doubt and Kelly Clarkson.  Wilder was nominated for an Academy Award along with David Zippel and Jerry Goldsmith for Original Music Score for the movie Mulan in 1998.  

At #246, a group that made the most of their opportunity:

  
#246: Kajagoogoo--"Too Shy"  

Nick Beggs (bass), lead guitarist Steve Askew, keyboardist Stuart Croxford Neal and drummer Jeremy Strode formed Art Nouveau in 1979 in Bedfordshire, England.  The group released a single but record companies were not interested. 

In 1982, the group advertised for a lead singer and chose Christopher Hamill, who went by the stage name of Limahl.  They changed their name to Kajagoogoo and were able to sign a recording contract with EMI Records with help from Nick Rhodes of Duran Duran.  Rhodes produced Kajagoogoo's first single, "Too Shy", which went to #1 in the U.K. and #5 in the United States.   

Further releases did OK in their native country and in some other European countries, but didn't spark worldwide interest.  Tensions rose in the group, and Limahl was fired in 1983.  They were able to score one more big hit in the U.K. with "Big Apple" and a popular dance song in the U.S. with "Turn Your Back On Me" but nothing matched the overall success of "Too Shy".  

Up next, a group helped by Nirvana: 
#245:  Meat Puppets--"Backwater" 

The Meat Puppets formed in 1980 in Phoenix, Arizona.  Their original lineup was Curt Kirkwood on guitar and vocals, bassist brother Cris Kirkwood and Derrick Bostrom on drums. The three met while attending Brophy Prep High School.  Joe Carducci of punk rock label SST Records became interested in the group and the Meat Puppets signed a recording contract.

The group released their self-titled album in 1982 and Meat Puppets II in 1984.  But the members grew tired of Punk Rock and began experimenting.  The Meat Puppets stayed with SST for a decade and released several albums in addition to a heavy touring schedule.  

The Kirkwood brothers were guest musicians on Nirvana's MTV Unplugged performance in 1993.   Kurt Cobain and the other members of Nirvana stated that they had been influenced by the sound of the Meat Puppets, and this greatly boosted the group's popularity.

The following year, the Meat Puppets recorded the album Too High To Die, which featured "Backwater" and a hidden-track update of "Lake Of Fire", which they had performed with Nirvana.  The song only made it to #47, but the album went Gold because of it.  

However, just like Nirvana, members of the Meat Puppets were destroyed by the use of drugs.  The group deteriorated and broke up in 2002.  They released a total of 13 albums and 16 singles, with "Backwater" being their only hit.  

This group backed up some of rock's pioneers, then found themselves with a big hit of their own:

   #244: Nashville Teens--"Tobacco Road"  

Arthur Sharp began his music career as manager of Aerco Records in Woking, Surrey, England.  Sharp and Ray Phillips joined with pianist John Hawken, guitarist Mick Dunford, Pete Shannon Harris on bass and drummer Dave Maine to form the Nashville Teens.  Eventually, Barry Jenkins became the drummer and John Allen took over on guitar for Dunford.  

The group backed Jerry Lee Lewis for his Live at the Star Club album in Hamburg, Germany, an album many considered as one of the best live Rock albums ever.  They later backed Carl Perkins and played with Chuck Berry when he toured Great Britain.  Famous producer Mickie Most spotted the Nashville Teens at a concert and produced their debut single in 1964, "Tobacco Road".

The song reached #6 in the U.K. and #14 in the United States.  The group followed that up with "Google Eye", a Top 10 song in the U.K. that went nowhere in other countries.  The Nashville Teens appeared in three movies in 1965--Pop Gear, Be My Guest and Gonks Go Beat.  When other songs failed to chart, Jenkins left to join the Animals and by the latter part of the decade, the group was back to playing for other artists like Perkins, Chuck Berry and Gene Vincent.  The Nashville Teens broke up in 1973.

#243: Blu Cantrell--"Hit 'Em Up Style (Oops)!"  

Tiffany Cobb recorded several demos and sang backup for "artists" such as Puff Daddy, and I use that term loosely, prior to being discovered by Red Zone Entertainment.  She also sang with Dionne Warwick, Usher, Babyface and Herbie Hancock.  

Her producers placed her in the hands of famous producer Antonio "L.A." Reid, who heard one song Cantrell wrote and also sang for her.  In 2001, Cantrell released her debut album, So Blu.  The album's single "Hit 'Em Up Style (Oops!) went to #2 in the United States, #3 in Australia and #12 in the U.K., helped the album go Gold and earned Cantrell Grammy nominations for Best R&B Song and Best Female R&B Vocal Performance and an American Music nomination for Favorite Soul/R&B New Artist.

Cantrell wrote material for other artists, then released her second album, Bittersweet.  That album contained "Breathe", which was #1 in the U.K. but lacked the worldwide appeal of "Hit 'Em Up Style".

Then, Cantrell went 10 years without albums and has been largely forgotten, except for her One-Hit Wonder.

At #242, this talented band:
  
#242:  Fuel--"Hemorrhage (In My Hands)"

Guitarist and songwriter Carl Bell and drummer Jody Abbott formed the group Small the Joy in 1989 in Brownsville, Tennessee and invited singer/guitarist Brett Scallions and vocalist and keyboardist Erik Avakian.  The group then changed their name to Fuel and moved to Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, where they played in local bars and nightclubs.

Fuel released their first EP Porcelain in 1996, which contained the minor hit "Shimmer".  Officials at Epic Records were impressed enough to sign the band to their label and released a second EP, Hazleton, the following year.

The group recorded their first full-length album, Sunburn, in 1998.  "Shimmer" was included on the album, and Fuel also received Mainstream Rock airplay with "Bittersweet", "Jesus Or A Gun" and "Sunburn".  The title track was also featured in the movie Scream 3, while Fuel recorded "Walk The Sky" for the movie Godzilla.

The group toured in support of the album, but problems with Abbott led Fuel to enlist Jonathan Mover on drums.  In 2000, Fuel released the album Something Like Human and single "Hemorrhage (In My Hands)".  The song reached #11 in Canada, #30 in the United States (a #1 Alternative Rock smash) and #46 in Australia.  The single helped Fuel achieve Double Platinum status with Something Like Human.

But legal problems and Scallions' surgery to repair a deviated septum prevented Fuel from recording another album until 2003.  Although these events were out of the group's control, it is considered a cardinal sin in the music industry to go that long without releases.  The album Natural Selection included "Falls On Me", which only peaked at #52, and the album failed to reach 500,000 in sales.  

Fuel has released four albums and 13 singles in their career.

 This next artist scored her big hit as a teenager:

  

   #241:  Samantha Mumba--"Gotta' Tell You"  

Mumba attended Billie Barry Stage School in Dublin, Ireland from age three to fifteen.  Louis Walsh, manager of Westlife and Boyzone, discovered Samantha on the television talent show Let Me Entertain You and helped sign her to Polydor Records.

Mumba co-wrote and recorded her debut album Gotta' Tell You when she was 17.  The title track was released in 2000 and hit #1 in her native Ireland, #2 in the U.K. and #4 in the United States and helped the album sell over four million copies.  

After Mumba's second album was cancelled, Samantha put her music career on hold and began auditioning for films.  In 2001, she played the lead in the movie The Time Machine.

In 2002, Mumba reached the Top 5 in the U.K. with "I'm Right Here", but the song only reached #80 in the United States.  Shortly afterwards, Mumba was dropped from her record label.  In 2010, Mumba confirmed that she would no longer record and would instead focus on acting. 

We're over halfway, and the segments will keep getting better and better.  There's one place in the world to find them all--right here on Inside The Rock Era!

The Top 500 One-Hit Wonders of the Rock Era Revisited: #260-251

This is one of our favorite music specials because it features many songs you may love but haven't heard in a while.  That's where we come in!

We go back 54 years for this next One-Hit Wonder:  
#260:  Free Movement--"I've Found Someone of My Own" 

The Free Movement formed in 1970 in Los Angeles with Godoy Colbert, Josephine Brown, Cheryl Conley, Jennifer Gates, Adrian Jefferson and Claude Jefferson.

The group released the single "I've Found Someone Of My Own" on Decca Records in 1971, which reached #5.  They signed with Columbia the following year for an album but could only reach #50 with "The Harder I Try (The Bluer I Get)".

This Los Angeles group took a Ritchie Valens tune and remade it into their only hit:

  #259:  Los Lobos--"La Bamba"  

Vocalist/guitarist David Hidalgo and drummer Louie Perez met at Garfield High School in Los Angeles and began writing songs. They borrowed reel-to-reel recorders from a friend and created multi-track recordings of music spanning from parodies to jazz. The two later invited fellow students Cesar Rosas and Conrad Lozano to join the group in 1973.

The band originally was known as Los Lobos del Este (de Los Angeles) but soon shortened it to Los Lobos.   began playing traditional Mexican music, which attracted fans.  They performed at hundreds of weddings and dances between 1974 and 1980.  But soon, they added rock songs to their repertoire.  

Los Lobos opened for Public Image Ltd. in 1980 at the Olympic Auditorium in Los Angeles and in 1983, the group released the EP ...And a Time to Dance.  The group also captured a Grammy Award for Best Mexican-American Performance with the song "Anselma".  Proceeds from the sale allowed Los Lobos to purchase a van and tour the entire United States.  

In 1984, the group recorded its debut album How Will the Wolf Surivive?  They also recorded the song "One Time, One Night" for the movie Colors.  In 1987, Los Lobos released the album By the Light of the Moon and recorded Ritchie Valens covers for the "La Bamba" Soundtrack.  The title song was released as a single and hit #1.

In 1988, the band released the album La Pistola y El Corazon, with original and traditional Mexican songs, which won them a second Grammy for Best Mexican-American Performance.  By this time, Los Lobos was touring throughout the world, openings for such acts as U2, Bob Dylan and the Greateful Dead.

In 1995, Los Lobos released the album Papa's Dream on Music.  They also scored music for the movie Desperado.  One song from the movie, "Mariachi Suite", won a Grammy Award for Best Pop Instrumental Performance.  

In 1996, the group released the album Colossal Head but was dropped from Warner Brothers Records.  Los Lobos released 15 albums and 17 singles in their career but could never match the success of "La Bamba".

Tony Burrows has had a hand in several artists in the Rock Era and this one makes our list:
   
#258:  White Plains--"My Baby Loves Lovin'' 

This British group evolved from the group the Flower Pot Men with Tony Burrows on lead vocals and Pete Nelson, Robin Shaw and Neil Landon.  They had recorded a single on Deram Records but when that didn't chart the group changed their name to White Plains.

The band recorded "My Baby Loves Lovin'" and released the single in 1970.  It reached #4 in Canada and #13 in the United States.  White Plains reached #13 in the U.K. with "When You Are A King" and #35 in Canada with "Lovin' You Baby" but neither approached the overall success of "My Baby Loves Lovin'".

The second time around was good for this next act:

   #257:  BB Mak--"Back Here"  

Mark Barry (vocals), Christian Burns (acoustic guitar and vocals) and electric guitarist Stephen McNally formed BB Mak.  In 1999, they released "Back Here" with little fanfare.  But after their debut album Sooner or Later was released in 2000, the single was re-released with much better results.  This time, it hit #5 in the U.K. and #13 in the United States.  

BB Mak's next single "Still On Your Side" reached #8 in the U.K. but only #54 in the United States.  Nevertheless, the group sold out concerts and performed live in Times Square on New Year's Eve.  The group's third single "Ghost of You and Me" was a Top 10 hit on the segmented Adult Contemporary chart.

After that, the best BB Mak could do was #56 with "Out of My Heart (Into Your Head)" and they broke up in 2003.

Here's one of several artists who used a stint in Linda Ronstadt's backing band as a stepping stone towards success:

#256:  Karla Bonoff--"Personally"    

Karla Bonoff's main strength is her songwriting.  Her compositions have been recorded by artists such as Linda Ronstadt (most notably the great "Someone To Lay Down Beside Me"), Bonnie Raitt, Wynonna Judd and Lynn Anderson.

Bonoff began her career singing background vocals for Ronstadt before releasing her self-titled debut album in 1977.  In 1982, her album Wild Heart of the Young contained the one song she was successful with as a recording artist.  "Personally" reached #19 in the United States, but was a smash (#3) on the Adult Contemporary chart.

On the strength of "Personally", Bonoff was able to land a song on the monumental "Footloose" Soundtrack.  She released four albums and three other singles, but nothing approached the success of her one hit.

This artist wasn't chosen to sing lead for Blue Oyster Cult, but she went on to score a big hit of her own:

   
#255:  Patti Smith Group--"Because The Night"

Smith grew up in Chicago before her family moved to New Jersey.  She graduated from Deptford Township High School in 1964 and began working at a local factory.

In 1967, Smith left Glassboro State College (now Rowan University) and moved to New York City.  In 1969, she began busking and doing performance art in Paris, France.  After returning to the Big Apple, Smith appeared in the play Femme Fatale.  As a member of the St. Mark's Poetry Project, she spent the early part of the 70's painting, writing and performing.  In 1971, she gave a one-night only performance of Cowboy Mouth, a play she co-wrote with Sam Shepard.  She also wrote several poems about her relationship with Shepard. 

Smith was considered for the lead singer position in Blue Oyster Cult and contributed the lyrics to several of the group's songs including "Debbie Denise", "Baby Ice Dog", "Fire of Unknown Origin" and "Shooting Shark".  Smith also contributed articles in Rolling Stone and Cream magazines.

By 1974, Smith was performing, initially with guitarist Lenny Kaye and later with a full band that included Kaye, Ivan Kral on guitar and bass, drummer Jay Dee Daugherty and Richard Sohl on piano.  The band recorded the single "Hey Joe" in 1974.

  The Patti Smith Group signed a recording contract with Arista Records and recorded their debut album Horses in 1975.  The group toured the United States and Europe before recording the album Radio Ethiopia.  While touring in support of the album in 1977, Smith accidentally danced off a high stage in Tampa, Florida, and fell 15 feet into a concrete pit, breaking several neck vertebrae.  

After intensive physical therapy, she resumed her work, recording the album Easter in 1978.  The single "Because the Night", co-written with Bruce Springsteen, reached #13.  The follow-up album, Wave, was less successful.  

For much of the 1980's, Smith was in semi-retirement from music, concentrating on her family with Fred "Sonic Smith, former guitar player for MC5.  In 1988, Smith released the album Dream of Life but in 1994, Fred Smith died of a heart attack.  Friends urged her to go back on the road, and she toured briefly with Bob Dylan in 1995.  

In 2005, Smith was named a Commander of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres by the French Minister of Culture.  In 2007, she became one of the hundreds to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.  Smith has released 11 albums and 23 singles in her career with just one song that was a worldwide success.

This hard-working songwriter/producer landed one of the biggest disco hits in the mid-70's:

   #254:  Van McCoy--"The Hustle"  

McCoy learned to play piano at an early age and sang with the Metropolitan Baptist Church choir as a teenager.  He began writing songs at the age of 12.  Van and his older brother Norman Jr. formed a duo called the Starlighters with two high school friends.  

The group went on tour and recorded three singles for End Records in 1959.  McCoy also sang with a group called the Marylanders.  In 1961, McCoy met Kendra Spotswood, and the two sang and recorded music for the next five years.

McCoy studied psychology at Howard University but dropped out after two years to form his own recording company, Rockin' Records.  He released his first solo single "Hey Mr. DJ" in 1959.  Florence Greenberg, owner of Scepter Records, was impressed and hired McCoy as a staff writer.  

Immediately, McCoy began achieving success, writing songs for artists such as the Shirelles, managing the labels Vando and Share and co-owning the Maxx label in the mid-1960s, recording artists such as Gladys Knight & the Pips and the Ad Libs.

McCoy's career was in full swing when he worked for producers Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller and then signed with the April-Blackwood publishing company connected with Columbia Records.  McCoy wrote for Knight & the Pips, Jackie Wilson, Ruby and the Romantics, Barbara Lewis and Betty Everett.  McCoy also was responsible for discovering Peaches & Herb, arranging and co-producing their first hit.

In 1966, McCoy recorded the solo album Night-time Is a Lonely Time.  McCoy wrote or produced for the Presidents, Faith, Hope & Charity and David Ruffin ("Walk Away from Love" and arranged several hits for the Stylistics.  

But McCoy didn't give up on a solo career.  He appeared on the television shows The Tonight Show, The Mike Douglas Show and Don Kirschner's Rock Concert.  In 1975, Van released the mostly instrumental album Disco Baby.  Unexpectedly, the single "The Hustle" written about the dance of the same name rose to #1 in the United States, was #3 in the U.K. and won a Grammy Award.  

But future efforts gave him 12 albums and 18 singles, but no praise from the public.  Nevertheless, McCoy's "The Hustle" is still played over 30 years since his death of a heart attack at age 39 in 1979.  He has over 700 songs to his credit.

This duo's great sound propels them into the top 300:

   #253:  Proclaimers--"I'm Gonna' Be (500 Miles)"   

Brothers Craig and Charlie Reid grew up in Edinburgh, Cornwall and Auchtermuchty, Scotland.  They graduated from Bell Baxter High School, and after several punk rock bands, the two formed the Proclaimers in 1983.

They developed a following in Scotland, and a fan sent a demo of their music to the group to the group the Housemartins, which led to the Proclaimers opening on a 1986 tour of the U.K.  This exposure helped the duo hit #3 in the U.K. with "Letter from America", although it didn't break anywhere else.  

But a single from the Proclaimers' second album, Sunshine on Leith, became a huge worldwide hit.  "I'm Gonna' Be (500 Miles)" reached #3 in the United States, #7 in Ireland and #11 in the U.K.  

The group has released nine albums and 15 singles and remarkably, have never achieved further success.  

A song in 1994 gave this artist her universal hit:

   
#252:  Des'ree--"You Gotta' Be"  

Des'ree was introduced to reggae, calypso and jazz by her parents, and she began pursuing a career at age 13.  Her first single "Feel So High" was a Top 10 hit in the U.K. and other European countries.  

But it was "You Gotta' Be" in 1994 that spread across the globe.  It was a #5 song in the United States and was a hit in the U.K. three separate times.  Her album I Ain't Movin' sold over 2.5 million copies worldwide as a result and helped Des'ree open for Seal on his American tour in 1995.  

Her single "Life" in 1998 was a big hit in Europe, and won her the BRIT Award for British Female Solo Artist, but the song was not successful elsewhere.    

"You Gotta' Be" remains far and away her best overall work, winning her a World Music Award and now racking up five million airplays in the United States alone.

 This act achieved one of the great soul songs of all-time but were never able to score a follow-up:

#251: Floaters--"Float On" 

James Mitchell, who had previously been successful with the Detroit Emeralds, formed this group with brother Paul, Larry Cunningham, Charles Clark and Ralph Mitchell.  

James Mitchell wrote "Float On", whose lyrics spotlighted each member of the group, who introduced themselves with their name, astrological sign and ideal romantic partner.  "Float On" was released on ABC Records in 1977 and reached #1 in the U.K. and #2 in the United States and sold over one million copies.

Future efforts disappointed, with "You Don't Have to Say You Love Me" their next-best song, which reached #28 on the segmented R&B chart.

We have now hit the halfway point, but the good thing about 500 artists is that there are another 250 to go.  Join us tomorrow for the next installment of the special on Inside The Rock Era.