The One Week Wonders - Episode 133

 

We start with the fifth and final charting single for the Lurkers, New Guitar In Town, which was at #72 on w/e 17th November 1979.

 

Then we have the only week of chart action for Lori and the Chameleons, who were at #70 on w/e 8th December 1979 with Touch.

 

And staying with the same chart week for the final song of this episode, we have Dr Feelgood at #73 with Put Him Out Of Your Mind. This was his last single to reach the Top 75, although a couple of singles reached #93 and #97 respectively in 1986 and 1989.

 

 

I liked that song by Lori & The Chameleons. We seem to be getting a mix of punk,new wave and disco now as the 70s come to a close.

 

My Guinness Book Of Hit Singles is showing 2 weeks on the chart for that Rezillos double A side single.

I Can't Stand My Baby is brilliant, one of the first songs here that's on my iPod, but yes it did re-enter for a week at #75 according to the OCC.

I Can't Stand My Baby is brilliant, one of the first songs here that's on my iPod, but yes it did re-enter for a week at #75 according to the OCC.

 

Yes, the original Guinness Hits Book lists as only one week, but it did indeed chart again at number 75

 

First week scan

https://www.dropbox.com/s/y6knw6wtwxtswap/1...20Week.jpg?dl=0

 

Second Week scan

https://www.dropbox.com/s/dljf0919hvstd3m/1...20Week.jpg?dl=0

 

These errors where understandable in early books, but I don't understand what they listed in it's place as I can't search them as easily as more modern books.

I liked that song by Lori & The Chameleons. We seem to be getting a mix of punk,new wave and disco now as the 70s come to a close.

 

My Guinness Book Of Hit Singles is showing 2 weeks on the chart for that Rezillos double A side single.

 

 

I Can't Stand My Baby is brilliant, one of the first songs here that's on my iPod, but yes it did re-enter for a week at #75 according to the OCC.

 

 

Yes, the original Guinness Hits Book lists as only one week, but it did indeed chart again at number 75

 

First week scan

https://www.dropbox.com/s/y6knw6wtwxtswap/1...20Week.jpg?dl=0

 

Second Week scan

https://www.dropbox.com/s/dljf0919hvstd3m/1...20Week.jpg?dl=0

 

These errors where understandable in early books, but I don't understand what they listed in it's place as I can't search them as easily as more modern books.

 

 

Oh phooey! I used the 3rd edition of Guinness' Hit Singles to compile my initial list from 1952 up to the end of 1980, so that's how the error came into being, but in theory I've been cross-referencing against other sources, including the OCC website, which does show it on 2 weeks, so I've no idea how I missed that. I'll have to put four singles in the next episode to make up for it then.

I loved (still do in fact) 'Touch' by Lori & The Chameleons. I bought the 7" in November 1979 and a 12" remix in November 1981.

 

One third of Lori & Tee Chameleons was Bill Drummond who would later go on to be one half of KLF and its various incarnations such as The Timelords. Lori was Lori Lartley who seems to have vanished from the music scene as quickly as she arrived. The third member was David Balfe who had previously been a member of Dalek I (who featured pre OMD Andy McCluskey) and Big In Japan (along with Drummond as well as Holly Johnson, Ian Broudie and Peter Clarke who would later marry Siouxsie (of the & The Banshees fame). Balfe then joined Teardrop Explodes. After leaving Teardrop Explodes he set up Food Records and signed Blur.

 

For an act that is largely consigned to being a footnote in chart history (one week in the top 75), Lori & The Chameleons had two very influential people in the band.

The One Week Wonders - Episode 134

 

First up is Woman's World by the Jags, which was at #75 on w/e 2nd February 1980. Their only other charting single was Back Of My Hand, which reached #17 in 1979.

 

Next up is the first of 4 charting singles for Christopher Cross. Ride Like The Wind was at #69 on w/e 19th April 1980. Two other versions of the song have also charted, a metal version by Saxon which reached #52 in 1988, and a dance version by East Side Beat, which was a #3 hit in 1991.

 

Then we have the first of many charting singles for Echo and the Bunnymen. Rescue was at #62 on w/e 17th May 1980.

 

Finally for this episode we have Sweet Danger by Angelwitch, which was at #75 on w/e 7th June 1980, and was their only week of UK chart action.

I've only heard of Christopher Cross following the revelation that he was the only act until Billie Eilish this year to win all 4 of the main Grammy awards in the same year. Makes you wonder if Billie might end up being a footnote in musical history a few decades from now as well. x

The One Week Wonders - Episode 135

 

We start this episode with the only week of UK chart action for Charlie Harper, whose Barmy London Army was at #68 on w/e 19th July 1980.

 

Next up is Stretchin Out by Gayle Adams, which was at #64 on w/e 26th July 1980. Just over four years later, in October 1984, she reached #86 with I'm Warning You.

 

And we end this episode with The Zoo by The Scorpions, which was at #75 on w/e 20th September 1980. They would go on to have a #2 hit with Wind Of Change in 1991.

The One Week Wonders - Episode 136

 

On 24th August 1980 Slade found themselves unexpectedly playing the 20th Reading Festival, after Gary Moore’s G-Force and Ozzy Osbourne’s Blizzard Of Oz had both pulled out of the line-up. It proved to be the stimulus for a revival of the band’s fortunes. The performance was recorded by the BBC, and Tommy Vance began to play the recordings on his show, creating a demand for them, so they were soon released on EPs. The first, Alive At Reading, entered the charts on w/e 18th October 1980, and peaked at #44. The second one was called The Xmas Ear Bender, which charted for one week on w/e 27th December 1980 at #70, and contained three more tracks, Merry Xmas Everybody, Okey Cokey and Get Down And Get On It. The third of those tracks was a genuine Reading performance, but Okey Cokey was their 1979 studio recording with audience noise added to fit the other two tracks on the EP. Merry Xmas Everybody was a mere 40 seconds long, and was the result of the band challenging the crowd at Reading to sing the song. Yes they literally recorded their audience then sold the recording back to them! Anyway the chart books don’t bother to mention the EP, and merely list the entry as ‘Merry Xmas Everybody (re-recording)’, albeit credited to Slade and The Reading Choir (the latter being a jokey name for the crowd). The EP was a two week wonder, as the xmas chart was repeated to fill the gap due to no new chart being compiled for the following week, so it is at best a bonus here.

 

The first proper one week wonder for this episode is by Cloud, who were at #72 on w/e 31st January 1981 with the double a-side All Night Long/Take It To The Top, which was there only single to chart.

 

The we have 999 with Obsessed, which was at #71 on w/e 16th May 1981.

 

And finally for this episode we have The Modettes with Tonight, which was at #68 on w/e 18th July 1981.

The One Week Wonders - Episode 137

 

Another Xmas, another repeated chart to cover a non-compiled one, and two more singles become two week wonders in the weeks ending 26th December 1981 and 2nd January 1982. Fogwell Flax and Ankle Biters from Freehold Junior School were at #68 with One Nine With Santa, whilst Johnny Mathis and Gladys Knight had a version of When A Child Is Born at #74.

 

Our first proper one week wonder in this episode is Tara's Theme from Gone With The Wind by the Rose Of Romance Orchestra, which was at #71 on w/e 9th January 1982. Unfortunately as with a previous BBC music release, The Theme from Henry VIII, I can't find any trace of this exact version of Tara's theme anywhere online, so feel free to let me know if you can find video or audio of it online anywhere.

 

If you use the OCC site to research these one week wonders you'd be forgiven for thinking the next one was Groove Baby Groove by the Stargazers, which according to the site had one week at #57 on w/e 6th February 1982. However I believe, after further research, that it was actually tied at #56 with Flashback by Imagination, then the following week one of those tied records was at #61 before climbing the week after that to #56. The OCC website shows the weeks at #61 and #56 as being the last two weeks for Imagination, but I'm fairly sure that the wrong record from the original tie has been credited with those two weeks, and that actually Groove Baby Groove had three weeks on chart.

 

Moving on we then have Vice Squad with Out Of Reach, which was at #68 on w/e 13th February 1982, and was their only week of chart action.

 

And we end this episode with Brandi Wells' only week of UK chart action with Watch Out at #74 on w/e 20th February 1982.

 

 

The One Week Wonders - Episode 138

 

We start this episode with the only week of UK chart action for Grand Prix, with Keep On Believin' at #75 on w/e 27th February 1982.

 

In 1982 German singer Nicole won the Eurovision Song Contest with Ein Bisschen Frieden (A Little Peace), which then became a UK #1. The follow up, Give Me More Time, spent a single week at #75 in w/e 21st August 1982.

 

Finally we have the first solo single for Robert Plant, following the disbanding of Led Zeppelin in 1980. Burning Down One Side was at #73 on w/e 9th October 1982.

Edited March 18, 20205 yr by DanChartFan

The one week wonders are coming thick and fast now but unlike the vast majority from before 1975 I know almost all of them.

 

The Mo-dettes included June Miles-Kingston who would later duet with The Communards on their 1986 number 1 hit 'Don't Leave Me This Way'.

 

It's also possible that Fogwell Flax appears on a 1986 number 1. He was one of the voices in Spitting Image in the mid 1980s so it's not beyond the realms of possibility that he too features on their 1986 number 1 'The Chicken Song'.

The 70's was very much "my" decade - and I'm amazed at how few of the one-week wonders I actually know! It's not surprising when you think about it - back in those days, no internet, just radio and TV, TV had little pop music on it and radio was Radio 1 plus Radio Luxembourg, and that was it - if you didn't get playlisted you didn't get heard, barring teen pop slots of saturday morning kids TV and the like. Rosko's Roundtable selected new releases for pop stars to chat about each week - but invariably if they didn't get playlisted you never heard them again unless you had the record button waiting on a cassette or reel-to-reel.

 

Lori & The Chameleons was one I did know and liked, so it must have had some airplay :cheer:

 

Light Up My Life was one that was well-played on US countdown shows and the odd variety show and was one I didn't especially rate. I place it way behind her dad Pat Boone's Speedy Gonzales :kink:

Nicole must be the only chart act to have a no.1 and no.75 and nothing else. You posted the Grand Prix youtube video again instead of her song but I found it myself as I wanted to give it a listen. It wasn't too bad but I can understand it not being a bigger hit. It sounded more like 1972 than 1982.

Nicole must be the only chart act to have a no.1 and no.75 and nothing else. You posted the Grand Prix youtube video again instead of her song but I found it myself as I wanted to give it a listen. It wasn't too bad but I can understand it not being a bigger hit. It sounded more like 1972 than 1982.

 

Oops sorry, the mistakes seem to be coming from me thick and fast this week. There is also a song I completely missed out a couple of episodes back that I have to mention in the next episode too.

The One Week Wonders - Episode 137

 

If you use the OCC site to research these one week wonders you'd be forgiven for thinking the next one was Groove Baby Groove by the Stargazers, which according to the site had one week at #57 on w/e 6th February 1982. However I believe, after further research, that it was actually tied at #56 with Flashback by Imagination, then the following week one of those tied records was at #61 before climbing the week after that to #56. The OCC website shows the weeks at #61 and #56 as being the last two weeks for Imagination, but I'm fairly sure that the wrong record from the original tie has been credited with those two weeks, and that actually Groove Baby Groove had three weeks on chart.

 

Yes, the OCC website is wrong.

 

https://www.dropbox.com/s/6lvzvyq3gvr0leh/1...20Week.jpg?dl=0

 

The above shows two tied at 56 as you say, and the below

 

https://www.dropbox.com/s/3aj2z9humkyswpb/1...20Week.jpg?dl=0

 

Shows that Grove Baby grove had it's second week on the chart at 61 the following week.

 

Record Mirror also showed as a tied 56, but I don't have the following weeks scan for them.

 

 

Guinness Hit Singles book also has it at 3 weeks...

Yes, the OCC website is wrong.

 

https://www.dropbox.com/s/6lvzvyq3gvr0leh/1...20Week.jpg?dl=0

 

The above shows two tied at 56 as you say, and the below

 

https://www.dropbox.com/s/3aj2z9humkyswpb/1...20Week.jpg?dl=0

 

Shows that Grove Baby grove had it's second week on the chart at 61 the following week.

 

Record Mirror also showed as a tied 56, but I don't have the following weeks scan for them.

Record Mirror also has 'Groove Baby, Groove (EP)' at number 61 on the chart they published on 13/02/82.

 

The One Week Wonders - Episode 139

 

We begin by correcting a third mistake I have made in the space of a week. Episode 137 should have begun with an EP called Don't Bring Me Down, which contained four live tracks, two by The Exploited, and two by Anti-Pasti. The EP was at #70 on w/e 5th December 1981.

 

#NB The linked video, featuring the full EP, contains strong language throughout. Do not hit play if it is likely to offend you#

 

Returning to 1982 again we carry on from where we left off last time.

 

First up The Mood who were at #74 on w/e 30th October 1982.

 

And concluding this episode with Gary Numan's former backing band Dramatis, who had previously been given equal billing with Gary on the #33 hit Love Needs No Disguise in late 1981, and now a year on, in w/e 13th November 1982 they had one week at #57 with I Can See Her Now. Maybe it's just me, but when the guitar kicks in it suddenly sounds similar to Poison by Alice Cooper, which was released a few years later.