Today is “One Hit Wonder” day.
I thought I’d honor a few that don’t get nearly enough attention – and maybe, just maybe, should have been multi-hit wonders.
Did Donnie Iris ever have another hit after “Ah Leah?”
Not sure he needed to:
Canada’s Honeymoon Suite was one of a thousand five-piece pop-rock bands from the eighties – Loverboy, Glass Tiger, Survivor, Scandal, Limited Warranty, and on and on.
But “New Girl Now” from 1984 was freaking cool song:
(And yeah, I know – “Feel It Again” hit the top forty too. But barely. I mean, come on).
Speaking of Canadian bands – let’s not forget The Kings (and one of the most atrocious reconstructed videos, for one of the coolest one hit wonders ever…)
Some German wave-pop? 1982’s “Major Tom” by Peter Schilling counts:
Opposite extreme? One I didn’t expect to find – this live version of Little Steven (aka Miami Steve, aka Silvio Dante) and the Disciples of Soul’s “Forever”, which grazed the top forty for a week in 1982:
That should do for this year…
Donnie Iris had one hit after another for most of the early 1980s…on Pittsburgh radio stations. “Love is Like A Rock”, “Do You Compute?”, and “I Can’t Hear You” are still fresh in my mind. You would think that he was the second coming of Elvis with all of the local airplay he had. Pittsburgh loves its local artists. But I think you know something about that already, Mitch!
Some good choices here — one hit wonders are an interesting topic.
As a solo act, Donnie Iris was a one-hit wonder for “Ah, Leah.” He was also a one-hit wonder as lead vocalist for The Jaggerz, who got all the way to #2 with “The Rapper” back in 1970.
Whenever Donny Iris name comes up, another one hit wonder pops into my head – Jim Carroll with “People Who Died”. Don’t know why, just does.
Oh, and Honeymoon Suite was a big deal when I was growing up in TO. Definitely more than just a one hit wonder back home. And, I saw them when they played a gig at my high school!
I cannot hear “Sweet City Woman” by the Stampeders without nostalgia for 1971 and Boone’s Farm Apple wine …
Never heard of Donnie Iris or that song. Not bad. Like the simple 80’s visuals.
Love the chick in Major Tom.
I used to sit and watch M-TV for hours just hoping they’d play Little Steven. That was, for the younger folks out there, when the station only played music videos.
mitch, did Little Steven and his band ever perform in town here?
Not sure. I can’t remember if my old drummer told me they played Uncle Sam’s/First Ave in ’82 or not.