I’ve been listening to a lot of music lately and stumbled across this 2-CD set from the 1970s. One-Hit Wonders make a quick splash and then are rarely heard of again. Sometimes they are “gimmick” songs like Carl Douglas’ “Kung Fu Fighting” and “In the Summertime” by British group Mungo Jerry. Others are rough drafts of songs that become much bigger hits when done by other groups and artists. A good example of this is “Turn the Beat Around” by Vicki Sue Robinson which was redone and released by Gloria Estefan. It became a big hit.
So, it’s hit or miss with this collection of songs. Do you see any favorites here? GRADE: B
DISC 1:
| SONG TITLEARTIST | TIME | |
|---|---|---|
| Turn The Beat AroundVicki Sue Robinson | 3:24 | |
| Ring My BellAnita Ward | 3:31 | |
| Sometimes When We TouchDan Hill | 2:22 | |
| Rose GardenLynn Anderson | 2:49 | |
| In The SummertimeMungo Jerry | 3:37 | |
| Seasons in the SunTerry Jacks | 3:30 | |
| The Night Chicago DiedPaper Lace | 3:32 | |
| Rock The BoatHues Corporation | 3:09 | |
| Don’t Give Up on UsDavid Soul | 3:39 | |
| Kung Fu FightingCarl Douglas | 3:17 | |
| Love Grows (Where My Rosemary Goes)Edison Lighthouse | 2:51 | |
| Sweet MaryWadsworth Mansion | 2:42 | |
| The Night the Lights Went Out in GeorgiaVicki Lawrence | 3:36 | |
| TSOP (The Sound of Philadelphia)MFSB featuring the Three Degrees |
DISC 2:
| SONG TITLEARTIST | TIME | |
|---|---|---|
| Play That Funky MusicWild Cherry | 3:16 | |
| One Toke Over the LineBrewer & Shipley | 3:21 | |
| Afternoon DelightStarland Vocal Band | 3:14 | |
| Life is a RockReunion | 3:31 | |
| I Can HelpBilly Swan | 2:57 | |
| My MariaB.W. Stevenson | 2:31 | |
| Magnet and SteelWalter Egan | 3:25 | |
| Beach BabyFirst Class | 2:42 | |
| The RapperThe Jaggerz | 2:45 | |
| Brother LouieStories | 3:57 | |
| Precious and FewClimax | 2:46 | |
| O-o-h ChildThe 5 Stairsteps | 3:15 | |
| Playground in My MindClint Holmes | 2:57 | |
| Put Your Hand In The HandOcean | 2:53 | |
| Please Come to BostonDavid Loggins | 4:09 |
Most of the titles and artists mean nothing to me, however “In the summertime” I remember well, it was played everywhere and we all liked it.
Just a small correction:
Mungo Jerry was a British band ,, had several hits and played all over Europe on festivals, so here they were no “one hit wonder”. Maybe in the USA?
https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mungo_Jerry
Wolf, thanks for the correction! I must have confused Mungo Jerry with Men At Work.
As I’m sure Disco Dolly Deb will tell you, the Vicki Sue Robinson version of “Turn the Beat Around” was the big hit. She even got a Grammy nomination.
I see a lot of songs that are going to provoke a love it/hate it reaction, I’m guessing. (For instance, I know many people despise “Afternoon Delight,” though I have never really understood why.) A lot of disco era stuff too.
I wouldn’t put any of these on my Favorites list, but there are some I do like – One Toke Over the Line, Play That Funky Music [white boy], My Maria, O-o-h Child, even the silly Love Grows (Where My Rosemary Goes). On the other hand, if I never hear these again, I’d be happy – Seasons in the Sun, Don’t Give Up on Us, The Night The Lights Went Out in Georgia, Playground in My Mind,
And RIP Vicki Sue Robinson, who died way too young at 45,
Jeff, you’re right about Vicki Sue Robinson’s version of “Turn the Beat Around” hitting the BILLBOARD Top 10. Gloria Estefan’s version hit Number One on BILLBOARD’s HOT DANCE CLUB PLAY chart in 1994 and was used on the soundtrack of THE SPECIALIST.
Jeff—I swear I posted my comment before I saw yours—but it’s like you read my DiscoDollyDeb mind!
Deb, I suspect Jeff Meyerson has psychic powers!
Jeff, what’s so bad with seasons in the sun? OK, it’s a bit of Kitsch as we say in German.
It’s a translation of a melancholic French song by Jaques Brel (who also died early …) portraying a dying man’s farewell to his loved ones, one of the greatest “chansonniers” – his songs were also adapted/translated by people like Glen Campbell (one of my favourites) , Barbra Streisand, Ray Charles (!), … – the list is endless.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jacques_Brel
I do specifically remember “In the Summertime” and “Please Come to Boston” because both are OK songs that I still hear frequently on XM Radio. Other than that there are 4-5 that have familiar titles, and I might recognize them if I heard them. Or not. “Afternoon Delight” would be an example. One thing that’s certain though–I’ve never owned an album by anyone on this list, and don’t believe I’ve ever in my life owned a compilation album.
Michael, I have dozens of compilation CDs. I started buying them in the 1990s and can’t resist picking them up when I find them in thrift stores and Library Book Sales. And, when I play these compilation CDs, they simulate the times I listened to these songs on the radio for hours. They were my “background music” for the Seventies for me!
Lynn Anderson is as most definitely not a one-hit wonder. “Rose Garden” may have been her only hit on the pop chart, but she had a string of country hits.
“Life Is A Rock” is a really interesting song—it’s like someone threw the history of rock-n-roll into a blender and sang the results. I think I read somewhere that the singer on “Life Is A Rock” and “Beach Baby” was the same guy. I could be wrong, but both bands were basically made up of studio musicians.
And for Disco Dollies, the best version of “Turn the Beat Around” is still the one by Vicki Sue Robinson. Sadly, she died at a tragically young age.
Not quite, but you are in a similar ballpark, Deb. Joey Levine sang the lead on Ohio Express songs, including the classic “Yummy Yummy Yummy [I’ve Got Love in My Tummy],” plus “Quick Joey Small (Run Joey Run)” by Kasenetz-Katz Singing Orchestral Circus. Apparently, he did not do Kasenetz-Katz’s 1910 Fruitgum Company (Simon Says; 1,2,3 Red Light) or Crazy Elephant (Gimme Gimme Good Lovin’) songs.
He did do many commercial jingles, including the Mounds and Almond Joy “Sometimes you feel like a nut” ad.
Nice coincidence. I’m listening to the True Oldies Channel online and they are playing “Gimme Gimme Good Lovin'” by Crazy Elephant now. A semi-classic, at least!
Jeff, Dusty Springfield did a version of “Gimme Gimme Good Lovin'” too.
Deb, I also enjoy Laura Branigan’s version of “Turn the Beat Around,” too.
I am a fan of Afternoon Delight. Most of these I would probably knew if you hummed a few bars but they are coming from an era when I was neither a teen nor had teens, the two periods when I listened most to rock music.
Patti, I remember when “Afternoon Delight” was played on the radio constantly.
I have given the matter much thought — borderline pondered it — and concluded that if I had done a song people remembered fifty years later, I would count myself a success even had I never done another.
Dan, well said! And, when you consider our respect for Shakespeare’s plays 400 years later, that’s even more impressive!
Forgettable Music, they name is 1970s. I do like “In the Summertime,” “The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia,” and “Afternoon Delight,” though.
Jerry, you’re right that many of these songs are forgettable. But, when I hear them, they bring back a lot of memories!
I recognized more of the songs on the first disc than the 2nd. Not too many favorites of mine here, but I generally like faster music. I loved to dance to fast songs, didn’t to slow ones. Turn the Beat around is a favorite, as is One Toke over the Line. (It’s been decades since I’ve been to the Over the Line tournament here, or the Beach Party preceding it, so don’t remember if they used that song as a theme)
Maggie, I’ve heard “One Toke Over the Line” played several times on the True Oldies Channel.
Maggie, I have some Dance Music compilation CDs that I’ll be featuring in the weeks ahead. You’ll remember some of those songs!
Years ago there was a musical clip going around from The Lawrence Welk Show in which Welk was introducing a very clean cut pair singing “One Toke Over the Line” and it was quite obvious that Welk thought it was a religious song, probably because of “sweet Jesus” in the lyrics.
You can find that clip on YouTube.
Michael, or maybe Lawrence Welk was higher on “something else” other than champaign!
D-. Only a few passable songs on here. Not much in the way of rock here. Mostly pop and disco. And I hate Afternoon Delight.
Steve, I will always associate “Afternoon Delight” with ANCHORMAN.
I liked a lot of these and even knew the words to the ones I didn’t like (more’s the pity).
If Seasons in the Sun or Sometimes When We Touch become an earworm, I want to rip my head off.
Beth, some of these songs might be on that 3-CD set of Seventies music I sent you in your Birthday Box.
I like several of these:
Sometimes When We Touch – Dan Hill 2:22
Rock The Boat – Hues Corporation 3:09
The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia -Vicki Lawrence 3:36
TSOP (The Sound of Philadelphia) – MFSB featuring the Three Degrees
Play That Funky Music – Wild Cherry 3:16
One Toke Over the Line – Brewer & Shipley 3:21
Afternoon Delight – Starland Vocal Band 3:14
O-o-h Child – The 5 Stairsteps 3:15
Please Come to Boston – David Loggins
Rick, that’s a nice playlist!
That Lawrence Welk clip that Steve mentioned (I sent it to some of you) is priceless.
Jeff, Steve always makes solid suggestions!
Wolf is right, “Season in the Sun” was adapted from a Brel song — with English-language lyrics by Rod McKuen, the performer/songwriter once beloved by many listeners and despised by many others in almost equal measure. A version by the Kingston Trio predated the Terry Jacks rendition by several years.
Whenever I hear “Turn the Beat Around’, or in this case read the words and have the song start playing in my head, I immediately think of the film The Martian, where the song is playing and Matt Damon says something to the effect of “no, I’m not going to do it. I’m not going to turn the beat around”. I think of that movie whenever I hear ABBA’s “Waterloo” and Bowie’s “Starman”. All a testament to the fact that I’ve watched that film so many times. It is one of my favorite movies to pull out when I’m home alone and just start at some specific place and watch through until the end. I’ve always been intrigued by stories of being alone. I think that is one of the reasons I also love the Oblivion film so much.
Carl, you’re right about songs in movies making a big impact. I’m a fan of THE MARTIAN, too.
I additionally love that the score for that film is fantastic. It is amazing to me that 70’s music can be mixed with such moody orchestral music, particularly in scenes on Mars, to such great effect.
Carl, Rick Robinson used to review soundtrack CDs. I miss those reviews!