I've always said that I dislike the 'one-hit wonder' label, but a couple of things have occurred to me lately. First of all, writing about lesser-known musical artists is a big part of what the GMC is all about, and it's almost impossible to do that without including one-hit wonders. The other thing is that … Continue reading Rethinking One-Hit Wonders
Tag: pop music
The Cascades Sang About The Rain
Every so often I run across a song that seems so familiar that I'm sure I've already written about it and the performer or group that made it famous. But then I use the GMC's handy 'search' function and find that sometimes I haven't. (You didn't expect me to just depend on my memory, did … Continue reading The Cascades Sang About The Rain
The Murmaids Surfaced In The 1960s
Years later, one of the trio's original members said she couldn't remember how they chose the name for their group, and she also couldn't explain the odd spelling. But whatever the case, the Murmaids scored a huge hit in 1963 with "Popsicles and Icicles," a song that fit right into the pop music sounds of … Continue reading The Murmaids Surfaced In The 1960s
The Surprising Johnny Crawford
I guess it's because of constant reruns, but I can pretty easily visualize Johnny Crawford appearing as Chuck Conners' young son on the 1950s TV Western, The Rifleman. What I didn't remember (until I ran across it recently) is that he was later promoted as a teen singing idol. But what's really surprising is that … Continue reading The Surprising Johnny Crawford
Genial Rusty Draper Had Wide Appeal
Like many others in his era, red-haired singer Farrell 'Rusty' Draper found success over the course of his long career by appealing to fans of more than one kind of music. Beginning with his rise to fame in the early 1950s, Draper had a number of good selling records that straddled the line between pop … Continue reading Genial Rusty Draper Had Wide Appeal
Fantastic Foursome – A Song For The Season
We haven't had a Fantastic Foursome for a while, so maybe I should explain the idea for those newer visitors who haven't run across it before. It's a recurring special feature that spotlights a particular song, and then offers the chance to listen to four different versions and vote for your favorite. The song we're … Continue reading Fantastic Foursome – A Song For The Season
Did Gene Pitney Sing For Los Bravos?
In 1966, a lot of music fans thought that "Black Is Black" -- a huge hit attributed to a group named Los Bravos -- was actually recorded by pop star Gene Pitney in an attempt to get around record company restrictions. The story is still bouncing around almost a half-century later, but even though lead … Continue reading Did Gene Pitney Sing For Los Bravos?
Doris Day’s Rock And Roll Connection
It's likely that most fans of oldies music remember a California-based group known as the Rip Chords, a combo that epitomized a sub-genre of rock and roll known as 'hot rod music' with a big hit on "Hey Little Cobra" in 1964. You might also recall that the group seemed to go through a lot … Continue reading Doris Day’s Rock And Roll Connection
Elvis Presley Would Have Been A Geezer By Now
I couldn't let Elvis Presley's birthday pass without marking the occasion. He was born on January 8th, 1935, so that means he would have been 78 if he'd survived. Think about that -- Elvis would have been a geezer. (The thought of that has apparently caused a few folks to get busy with their photo … Continue reading Elvis Presley Would Have Been A Geezer By Now
Patti Page Topped The All-Time Charts
I was saddened to read that pop/country singer Patti Page died recently. She was 85 when she died and had enjoyed a long career, continuing to be musically active almost to the end. She's probably most remembered now for early hits like "Tennessee Waltz," which was one of the best-selling records of all time -- … Continue reading Patti Page Topped The All-Time Charts
Geezer Music Club 