Which one-hit wonders do you wish

[Captain Sensible]

More than two hit wonders mate

Making Plans For Nigel ( 1979 )
Generals And Majors ( 1980 )
Senses Working Overtime ( 1982 )

Where did Dear God Chart?. Always thought that was their best song.

By the way, they had about 3 or 4 "Indie" hits in Australia in the late 80's early 90's. 'Don't Lets Start', 'Birdhouse to Your Soul' & 'Istanbul (not Constantantinople)' are absolutely brilliant.

And dont forget Dr Worm, my six year old son's favorite song ATM.

It's the only thing that can explain how "Up the Junction", "Pulling Mussells from the shell" and "Another nail in my heart" weren't huge hits.

Black Coffee in Bed is one of the great melancoly songs of all time. I'm heavily into melancoly ATM.




Where does King Missile fit into this thread? Detachable Penis is a great song and their biggest hit but they had much better songs like Jesus was way cool and The Cheesecake Song.

Also is Ian Dury a OHW?

 

[hotpie]

I don't recall "Making Plans for Nigel" getting anywhere near the top ten in this country.

Neither do I. I suspect it was a B Side to "Are You Receiving Me" which I recall was a hit here.

 

[hotpie]

Also is Ian Dury a OHW?

I Wanna Be Straight
Sex And Drugs And Rock And Roll
Reasons To be Cheerful (Part 3)
Hit Me With Your Rhythm Stick
*******us Autisticus
There Aint Half Been Some Clever Bastards

...had plenty of hits, IIRC

 

[OldLion]

Also is Ian Dury a OHW?

Possibly the best live act I have ever seen. Was not expecting it and totally blew me away. Amazing selection of hummable, witty songs... and an incredible band. RIP

 

[Fullarton Power]

------------

South Australian Charts or proper East Coast Charts???

How about that.
Forgot this one didn't ya, idiot.

 

[Captain Sensible]

I Wanna Be Straight
Sex And Drugs And Rock And Roll
Reasons To be Cheerful (Part 3)
Hit Me With Your Rhythm Stick
*******us Autisticus
There Aint Half Been Some Clever Bastards

...had plenty of hits, IIRC

Wake Up And Make Love To Me, One Love, Funky Disco, ********ing Ada, If I Was With Woman. Dont get me wrong theres not many bigger Ian Dury fans around than me but I was wondering if Rythym Stick was his only "hit"

 

[hotpie]

Wake Up And Make Love To Me, One Love, Funky Disco, ********ing Ada, If I Was With Woman. Dont get me wrong theres not many bigger Ian Dury fans around than me but I was wondering if Rythym Stick was his only "hit"

Top ten, probably yes. I reckon I Wanna Be Straight would have charted too, possibly Sex And Drugs And Rock And Roll. All the songs I named got plenty of airplay though.

what a lyricist. Ian Dury was one clever bastard.

Van Gough did some eyeball pleasers.
He must have been a pencil squeezer.
He didn't do the Mona Lisa,
That was an Italian geezer.

 

[Leaping Lindner]

Neither do I. I suspect it was a B Side to "Are You Receiving Me" which I recall was a hit here.

Close but no cigar. A live version of "Are you receiving me" taken from the 79 Australian tour was the B-side of "Nigel". Receiving was a single in its own right back in 78 and even got a couple of playings on Countdown
Along with "Life begins at the Hop" all these XTC singles were known but not necessarily hits. They got good airplay on most of the video shows around at the time "Sounds" "Nightmoves" "Music Express" etc but weren't what you or I would call "Hit singles" (eg: Top 10). Funnily enough "Generals and Majors" was a huge hit in Oz but bombed in the UK and "Sgt Rock" was a big hit in the UK but bombed in Oz.
Great Band!

 

[Leaping Lindner]

Top ten, probably yes. I reckon I Wanna Be Straight would have charted too, possibly Sex And Drugs And Rock And Roll. All the songs I named got plenty of airplay though.

what a lyricist. Ian Dury was one clever bastard.

Van Gough did some eyeball pleasers.
He must have been a pencil squeezer.
He didn't do the Mona Lisa,
That was an Italian geezer.

I'm not 100% "S&D&RnR" was actually released as a 45 in Australia. I remember seeing import copies of it around at the time( for $2.95 instead of the usual $1.95 for local releases ) but not a local release. Prepared to proved wrong though.

 

[Ljp86]

Fountains of Wayne - Stacy's Mum.

 

[hotpie]

I remember seeing import copies of it around at the time( for $2.95 instead of the usual $1.95 for local releases )

What a rip-off!!!

(probly worth $100 these days!!)

 

[Captain Sensible]

Top ten, probably yes. I reckon I Wanna Be Straight would have charted too, possibly Sex And Drugs And Rock And Roll. All the songs I named got plenty of airplay though.

Anyone got the figures for his album sales? I reckon they would have mostly charted.

Van Gough did some eyeball pleasers.
He must have been a pencil squeezer.
He didn't do the Mona Lisa,
That was an Italian geezer.

If its any help I know that Clever Bastards was the b-side to Rythm Stick. Now thats two great songs on one 45.

 

[dugrene]

Kingsmill (triplej) played a live recording of Drury's 'Hit me with your rythm stick' on today today a week or so ago. Recorded in Sydney. Sounded great.

I gave him a mention in the The thread on anthems


'Wake up and make love to me' is his best song. imo.

 

[Weaver]

Where did Dear God Chart?. Always thought that was their best song.

Wasn't released as a single from memory. I think they refused to for years.

Does highlight the point though. There is a big difference between an alternative band who 'accidently' have a hit single and a genuine one-hit-wonder. XTC are a pretty major band and their double best of is a great buy.

Plenty of respected alt acts sneak one through but have an impressive back catalogue. The Cure wouldn't have too many hits here wouldn't say they were one-hit wonders though.

 

[Leaping Lindner]

Wasn't released as a single from memory. I think they refused to for years.

Does highlight the point though. There is a big difference between an alternative band who 'accidently' have a hit single and a genuine one-hit-wonder. XTC are a pretty major band and their double best of is a great buy.

Plenty of respected alt acts sneak one through but have an impressive back catalogue. The Cure wouldn't have too many hits here wouldn't say they were one-hit wonders though.

IIRC "Dear God" began life as the B-side of "Grass". When it gained a life of it's own it was released as an A-side in a few countries (UK and US for sure) with an accompanying flim clip. Here in OZ Virgin didn't bother to release it locally and instead imported UK copies (7" and 12") which were available at the normal Aust: RRP.

 

[Topher]

Starland Vocal Band - Afternoon Delight.

The biggest one hit wonder ever. Even got their own tv show for a couple of weeks.

 

[hotpie]

Starland Vocal Band - Afternoon Delight.

The biggest one hit wonder ever. Even got their own tv show for a couple of weeks.

One hit wonders as perfomers maybe.

But as songwriters they wrote Take Me Home Country Roads for John Denver, one of the biggest hits of all time.

 

[CURVE]

OBSESSION by Animotion.

Classic song from about 1985. Don't think they released another track afterwards.

 

[moistie]

Anyone but Mellisa Tkautz.

 

[hotpie]

OMC - How Bizarre

What a cool cool song from a one hit wonder.

 

[Eyes Front]

I've got "The Knack" album, there is more than one good song on it.

The Vapors

Promises - Baby it's you.
Skinny blonde with tight blue jeans, white blouse that stuck out way in front. (mmmm yummy) She had her brothers on guitar.

Brother was actually the keyboardist. Matching braces.

From memory, one brother on guitar the other the keyboardist who forgot to put a shirt on underneath the braces. I think this was the basis for the gag popular with DJs at the time, "And doesn't the lead singer have a couple of fantastic bbbbbbbbbbbrothers."