I think “Ultimate” is too strong a word to describe this collection of One-Hit Wonders like The Penguin’s “Earth Angel” and Thomas Wayne’s “Tragedy.” When is the last time you listened to Rosie and The Originals “Angel Baby”? It’s been five decades for me!
Some songs bring back a lot of memories like “Alley Oop” by Hollywood Argyles. That song seemingly played every hour on the radio when it hit Number One in 1960! Then there’s Sheb Wooley‘s novelty song, “The Purple People Eater,” which gets played on the radio every Halloween still!
You have to wonder how a lot of these songs ended up becoming Number One hits way back when, but listening to them again after many decades does turn into a Nostalgia Fest! How many of these One-Hit Wonders do you remember? Any favorites? GRADE: B
TRACK LIST:
| 1-1 | Bobby Day– | Rockin’ Robin |
| 1-2 | The Penguins– | Earth Angel (Will You Be Mine) |
| 1-3 | Phil Phillips With The Twilights– | Sea Of Love |
| 1-4 | Jody Reynolds– | Endless Sleep |
| 1-5 | Poni-tails– | Born Too Late |
| 1-6 | The Impalas– | Sorry (I Ran All The Way Home) |
| 1-7 | The Capris– | There’s A Moon Out Tonight |
| 1-8 | The Danleers– | One Summer Night |
| 1-9 | Robin Luke– | Susie Darlin’ |
| 1-10 | The Safaris– | Image Of A Girl |
| 1-11 | Sanford Clark– | The Fool |
| 1-12 | The Crescendos– | Oh Julie |
| 1-13 | Thomas Wayne– | Tragedy |
| 1-14 | Rosie & The Originals– | Angel Baby |
| 1-15 | Preston Epps– | Bongo Rock |
| 2-1 | The Monotones– | Book Of Love |
| 2-2 | The Hollywood Flames– | Buzz -Buzz -Buzz |
| 2-3 | Huey “Piano” Smith & His Clowns– | Don’t You Just Know It |
| 2-4 | The Tune Weavers– | Happy, Happy Birthday Baby |
| 2-5 | The Elegants– | Little Star |
| 2-6 | Johnnie & Joe– | Over The Mountain, Across The Sea |
| 2-7 | Cathy Jean, The Roommates– | Please Love Me Forever |
| 2-8 | Little Caesar & The Romans– | Those Oldies But Goodies (Remind Me Of You) |
| 2-9 | Bill Parsons– | The All American Boy |
| 2-10 | The Bell Notes– | I’ve Had It |
| 2-11 | The Corsairs– | Smoky Places |
| 2-12 | Hollywood Argyles– | Alley-Oop |
| 2-13 | Jimmy McCracklin– | The Walk |
| 2-14 | Frankie Ford– | Sea Cruise |
| 2-15 | Sheb Wooley– | The Purple People Eater |
A part of the answer is the question, Whose chart?, since those were probably even less reliable then than such things today in audio sales or book publishing…and another partial answer is payola, but most of these are pleasant enough, even when fairly insane, such as “Sea of Love” or frat-boys showing off for other frat-boys such as “Alley Oop”.
For the hell of it, I’ll opt for the Monotones’ hit…they picked an accurate name for their chorus…I’ll have to see if I can dig out an album by them online.
And speaking of albums, on the to and from the CVS this afternoon, two girls, sisters of about twelve and 9yo, I’d guess, were trying in a last-ditch effort to sell LPs and LP sets of their bother’s (they said) out of their front yard, having failed to gain any interest at a record store they tried…at least a hundred albums and album sets, including a few 78 albums, all that I looked at in good shape, and with a storm about to break over the area. Boxes and boxes of box sets and single albums, all too much of it undistinguished recordings of classical music and 101 Strings-style recordings of pop hits through the decades, and a fair amount of Tim-Life and Longines box sets one might see in thrift shops and public or school libraries (particularly when I frequented the last around the turn of the ’80s), but including a few jazz albums and a Glen Campbell among the Baja Marimba Band and more-obscure work. I took a small chunk of it all away, but most of it was presumably doused in the storm that broke about 20 minutes later…and left for the trash pickup this morning. I definitely would’ve taken it down to thrift shops, if nothing else, but if the sisters were expected to haul it anywhere, I can see why they were content to leave it for the sanitation workers. Sigh.
Todd, in the past two years, two record stories have opened in our vicinity. They are still operating so obviously there’s a market for vinyl records here. I sold my vinyl collection in the early 1980s. when I switched to CDs.
Still have my vinyl, and perhaps a bit of shellac, inasmuch as I had some 78s of my own before yesterday afternoon.
Todd, I have about a dozen vinyl albums that I keep for sentimental reasons. The rest of my collection–about 2000 CDs–is currently being considered for a donation (when I’m dead) at the State University of New York at Buffalo’s Music Library.
I have now heard how the Monotones had recorded more typical doo wop as well…and rather well. The Monotones’ second track gave way in the YT sequencing to the haunting RAINY DAY album put together by a mix of LA-area Paisley Underground band members, then-current and past, most famously the Bangles’ Vicki Peterson and Susanna Hoffs, and adding Blue Cheer ringer and elder statesman Ethan James, taking on various favorite ’60 rock songs of David Roback of Rain Parade, among others.
RAINY DAY, well-annotated: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ui2VjVqgM_U
Todd, Bill Crider was a huge Doo Wop fan. I can take it in small doses. I enjoy groups that update Doo Wop classics like the J. Geils Band version of “I Do”.
I think your spell-checker doesn’t want you to insult Italians such as myself (my grandfather Eurigo Rocchi was FOTB from Milano in the first decade or just after in the 1900s…he served in the US Army in WW1).
No Doo Woo but Doo Wop.
Todd, once again the accursed WORDPRESS spellchecker is up to its antics! Thanks for the heads up!
I remember most of these and really liked a lot of them. I could do without the novelty songs such as ALLY OOP and PURPLE PEOPLE EATER. I remember a great parody of SEA CRUISE titles SLEEZE CRUISE (but I can’t find it on YouTube now).
Jerry, I’ll have to look for that parody SLEEZE CRUISE.
George, I believe that song was by Tom Doyle, who used to do parody songs (often “Townie Tunes,” eviscerating local communities) on a Boston radio station. Many of his songs are available on YouTube, but not this one evidently. My recording went walkabout many years ago. **sigh**
Jerry, hope you checked your mailbox today!
Some good nostalgia fodder here–Robin Luke, Huey “Piano” Smith, Bell Notes, Impalas, Capris, Elegants, Little Caesar . . . I believe some of these gained a second life when they were included in the AMERICAN GRAFFITI soundtrack–50 years ago!
Fred, AMERICAN GRAFFITI gave some of these songs new Life. But most of these songs haven’t tickled my ears in 60 years!
“When is the last time you listened to “Angel Baby”?”
Um, that would be last week, George. We have the 5 CDs of WCBS-FM’s ’60s collection, as well as two volumes of their Doo-Wop classics, plus another 3 volume set of One-Hit Wonders , stuff like “Let Me In” by The Sensations. We listen to this stuff regularly, plus the 60s and 50s channels on Sirius.
We have “Alley Oop” on three different collections!
I know them all, other than “The Fool.”
We’ve seen many performed live at Doo-Wop concerts over the years, like Johnnie and Joe (I think she has died since then).
Favorites?
Sea of Love
Sea Cruise (we saw Frankie Ford do this at Jazzfest and in the Katrina benefit at Madison Square Garden)
Smoky Places
Image of a Girl is a favorite of Jackie’s.
Jeff, I should have known you and Jackie would be listening to this music! I like your favorites!
WCBS-FM HISTORY OF ROCK – THE SIXTIES (volumes)
– THE DOO-WOP ERA (2 parts)
– FOR LOVERS ONLY (2 parts)
The other is a Time-Life collection, THE ROCK’N’ ROLL ERA, in 3 volumes: Solid Gold, List Treasures, Rockin’ Gems. Each has 10 one-hit wonders.
All of these overlap with each other and your list.
Jeff, I have broken sets of many Time-Life collections. I buy them when I find them but I’m at the point where I’m not a completist anymore. I’ve found homes for about a 1000 books in the past week–local bookstores and museums–and Diane is momentarily happy that I’ve cleared some space. Diane is hosting a Family Reunion in September and I’ve agreed to free up some space for the event. Happy wife, happy Life…
I have heard them all, and liked almost all of them! Doo-wop is boss!
Bob, that love for Doo Wop is something you and Bill Crider shared!