[bear]

Greetings everyone. I'm going to start this thread, wherein each week, I will post a One Hit Wonder from the 70's.

It's always been my favorite part of the seventies music scene. while the Fleetwood Macs and Elton Johns and Doobs and Eagles were maintaining their places at the top of the charts, along come those odds and ends, on the fringes of the music world, to unseat the perrenial chart toppers for a while. Sometimes they would hit the top ten, maybe even number one. then, just as quickly, they were gone.

It always fascinated me. And, there a lot of them. Really, really good songs.

So, hopefully, I'll get it right. Hopefully, I won't make a fool of myself. Most of all, hopefully, people will click on the link and listen to the song for the first time in decades, or maybe even for the first time ever, and think, yea, that's groovy.


If I get facts wrong, straighten me out. If I leave something out, fill it in.

And finally, I am going to say, even though it's my intention to make this a 70's one hit wonder thread, I may take liberties. There are a lot of two hit wonders, too. Too many i love for me to ignore. So, I'll include some of those as well. Also, I may bleed over into the 60s, as well as the early 80's, because, again, there are some that are simply too good to ignore.

Anyway, my mild OCD dictaes that I do a little more homework for he first song I've picked out. I should be posting it sometime over the weekend. It's a good one, too!

Namaste, friends.

[DudeAsInCool]

Looking forward to it - wax poetically :)

[KiwiCoromandel]

choice one mate...you could start with dan the wanks one hit wonder "mr boo" which sank without trace about a week after its release on an unsuspecting public....and cat-lovers too.......dude will fill you in...

[DudeAsInCool]

kiwibank, on Mar 28 2007, 11:46 PM, said:

choice one mate...you could start with dan the wanks one hit wonder "mr boo" which sank without trace about a week after its release on an unsuspecting public....and cat-lovers too.......dude will fill you in...

Mr. Boo is a contemporary artist. Dan the Wank's Mr. Boo has not been officially released - it was an underground hit. Stay turned for the World Release. As his manager, I'm calling the shots. Unlike Britney who needs to go to rehab to generate publicity, Mr. Boo is a real artist who doesnt care about hype. In fact, he will have nothing to do with the RIAA because of this.

FYI, Kiwi, he's doing a thread about 70s one hit wonders not stars of the future like Mr. Boo.

[rainbowdemon]

kiwibank, on Mar 29 2007, 01:46 AM, said:

choice one mate...you could start with dan the wanks one hit wonder "mr boo" which sank without trace about a week after its release on an unsuspecting public....and cat-lovers too.......dude will fill you in...

That's "Me And You And A Dog Named Boo"!!


:rolleyes:

[KiwiCoromandel]

DudeAsInCool, on Mar 29 2007, 08:22 PM, said:

Mr. Boo is a contemporary artist. Dan the Wank's Mr. Boo has not been officially released - it was an underground hit. Stay turned for the World Release. As his manager, I'm calling the shots. Unlike Britney who needs to go to rehab to generate publicity, Mr. Boo is a real artist who doesnt care about hype. In fact, he will have nothing to do with the RIAA because of this.

FYI, Kiwi, he's doing a thread about 70s one hit wonders not stars of the future like Mr. Boo.

stars of the future???...

"An Auckland-bound jetliner came close to being hit by blazing pieces of what is thought to have been a Russian satellite hurtling into New Zealand airspace."......c`mon dude...you can tell us....that wasn`t a satellite...that was mr boo crashing and burning wasn`t it.....i`m sure those are burn marks and not spots on his fur....

[DudeAsInCool]

kiwibank, on Mar 29 2007, 02:51 AM, said:

stars of the future???...

"An Auckland-bound jetliner came close to being hit by blazing pieces of what is thought to have been a Russian satellite hurtling into New Zealand airspace."......c`mon dude...you can tell us....that wasn`t a satellite...that was mr boo crashing and burning wasn`t it.....i`m sure those are burn marks and not spots on his fur....

Consider the source and the country it came from Now Mr. Boo may not be a star in THAT guy's EYES, but then again, Mr. Boo has fur, not wool on his back

[KiwiCoromandel]

dude you seem to have an obsession with sheep tonite...are you studying to be a vet?....is mr boo really a sheep in drag?...

[bear]

Ok, then. And awaaaay we go.


The year was 1977.

At the movies, Star Wars blasted into space with cutting edge special effects, the Bee Gees provided a brilliant soundtrack for John Travolta to dance to in Saturday Night Fever, Burt Reynolds and his mustache charmed the pants off of my first crush, Sally Field, in Smoky and the Bandit, and Roger Moore tried again (and failed, IMO), to be the James Bond in The Spy who Loved Me.


On the Boob Tube, Bill Murray replaced Chevy chase on SNL. American Bandstand turned 25, (Dick Clark might still be 25). Roots changed the way people looked at people. CHiPS started off silly and stayed that way. Fantasy Island told tales of Paradise Found & Lost. Jack Chrissy, and Janet took non-sex sexual situation comedy to new heights.






The music world loses Elvis.



On the charts, Rod Stewart's 'Tonight's the Night', and Andy Gibb's 'I just Want to Be Your Everything' battled it out for the top spot.

Meanwhile, topping out at #18 on the charts,

Ram Jam's Black Betty

clubbed you over the head with crunchy guitars and a tribal beat.

The band members were:

BILL BARTLETT lead guitar and vocals
HOWIE BLAUVELT bass and vocals
PETER CHARLES drums
MYKE SCAVONE vocals and percussion



Ram Jam's 1977 recording



Bill Bartlett had an earlier one hit wonder, with the Lemon Pipers (Green Tambourine).

The song was boycotted by the NAACP, citing it was degrading to black women, even though the song was done in the 1930's by black men. this is where my history is a bit muddled. From what I've read, Huddie 'Leadbelly' Ledbetter wrote the song. However, upon more research, i've found that John and Alan Lomax recorded an a capella version in 1934 by either Leadbelly or 'Iron Head' James Baker, depending on where you get your information. It's a mystery to me, and, actually, I kind of like that the song's exact origins are unknown.


Huddie 'Leadbelly' Ledbetter



I could have sworn I had a recording of Leadbelly doing the song with his guitar, somewhere here in this computer, but I simply cannot find it. So, I scrounged up:

allegedly Leadbelly's 1939 a capella version



the song, however, has been covered several times.

1960s:
Odetta
Harry Belafonte

1980s:
Nick Cave

2002:
Tom Jones

2004:
Spiderbait


Ram Jam released one more album, in 1978, never to be heard from again. but, they will always have the most kick-ass version, IMO.

This post has been edited by bear: 29 March 2007 - 09:31 PM

[DudeAsInCool]

Quote

Re: Ram Jam's Black Betty

Oddly, I don't remember the song, but it's pretty tight. Sort of reminds me of what the Allman Brothers were doing at the time.

[bear]

DudeAsInCool, on Mar 29 2007, 10:44 PM, said:

Oddly, I don't remember the song, but it's pretty tight. Sort of reminds me of what the Allman Brothers were doing at the time.

Actually, a little more back story, before Bartlett was teamed up with the rest of Ram Jam, he'd done another version of Black Betty, with another group he lead, 'Starstruck', which included David Goldflies, who later played with the Allman Brothers.

Musical circles, eh?

[Kooperman]

Good thread concept and execution. Can't wait until you do Norman Greenbaum....

[Umma]

Good to hear Ram Jam again.

[share poo]

Egad, i used to have the album on an 8track.

[rainbowdemon]

share poo, on Mar 30 2007, 07:16 PM, said:

Egad, i used to have the album on an 8track.

That's because you're an old fart!!






But I had a bunch of 'em too.