Seriously - who are the Sammy Johns, Five Man Electrical Band, Leo Sayers, Eric Carmens of today?

[datasuspect]

major props for air supply too.

one hit wonders aren't what they used to be.

how can you compare "macarena" with "chevy van?"

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1. Hey.

The Five Man Electrical Band had more than one hit. All you ever hear from them played nowadays is "Signs." But they also had a hit with "Absolutely Right" which is a much better song musically than "Signs" in my opinion, though its lyrics are inferior to "Signs." And in Canada, they had hits with "I'm A Stranger Here," "Money Back Guarantee" and "Moonshine (Friend of Mine)." So technically, they are a 3.5 hit wonder band.

[datasuspect]

2. but that's in canada so it doesn't count

joking, i think they are great musicians.

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3. That's why I counted those three as .5s. No offense to Canadians though!

[last_texas_dem]

5. Don't forget "Werewolf"

That one was a really minor hit in America, too. It's not as good as "Absolutely Right" and "Signs" but is enjoyable for its weirdness!

I agree with the original post, too, but I'm a major sucker for cheesy seventies Top 40 music!

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8. Never even heard of "Werewolf"

Oh well, there goes my credibility

[last_texas_dem]

11. Don't worry

When I say "minor" hit I truly mean "minor"! The only reason I had heard anything about it was after I read this very interesting (well, to me at least!) book about early seventies pop music, called Precious and Few. It happened to be written by a couple of Canadian guys who had come of age in the early seventies and, perhaps due to the fact that they were Canadian, they gave more information about the Five Man Electrical Band than might be otherwise expected. Anyway, in discussing a minor werewolf craze that apparently took place in the seventies (!) (I really don't know... I wasn't around then! haha) they happened to mention this creepy-funny story-song by the Five Man Electrical Band called "Werewolf" that was their last American hit, charting in the 60's or 70's on the Hot 100. This made me interested to hear it and I was eventually able to find it at a local used record store. (So yeah... sorry I got to rambling there; but that's the story of how I've heard of the song "Werewolf"!)

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13. I did see the Five Man Electrical Band in concert one time, at

Magic Mountain (an amusment park in Valencia, California, now called "Six Flags Magic Mountain). This was just a year or two after Magic Mountain first opened, and they did not have nearly as many rides as they have today. It was probably around 1974 or so. They had a stage and ampitheater, and many groups of the time (the Grass Roots, etc.) played there. There was no charge for the show beyond the admission charge to the park. The day we went, it was the Five Man Electrical Band, and they played all their main songs and even chatted with the audience a little. It wasn't a large crowd, maybe 300 people at most, but it still made for a good afternoon concert.

[Frank Cannon]

4. Eric Carmen had more than one hit

Aside from his work in the Raspberries ("Go All the Way"), don't forget that he was also the man who gave us "Hungry Eyes" from the smash hit Dirty Dancing soundtrack.

[Beer Snob-50]

6. and leo sayers!

wasn't he technically a one album hit wonder.

[HughBeaumont]

7. Sammy Johns? There aren't any Michael Murphys, Stampeders or Morris Alberts . . .

. . . let alone any Aces, Pilots, Ozark Mountain Daredevils or a damned Blue SWEDE fer Allah's sake!

But there's Melanies and Meri Wilsons aplenty!!!

[Parche]

9. Eric Carmen

He rocked back then....I wonder what he is doing today??? :hi:

[LoZoccolo]

10. Air Supply were in some ways lyrically better than The Beatles.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=105&topic_id=2631362

[rug]

12. The Captain and Tenille were in some ways musically better than Oasis.

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14. Milli Vanilli were in some ways choregraphically better than Beethoven.

:toast:

[LoZoccolo]

15. Milli Vanilli was equal to two Terence Trent D'Arbys.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=105x2522757

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16. I do like that one song Terence Trent D'Arby did

I don't know the name of it, but part of the lyrics are "sign your name across my heart..."