Remember Sunshine Anderson? Remember her saucy 2001 hit, "Heard It All Before"? And remember how she went "poof!" and disappeared shortly after that song exited the charts? Well, good news, PopWatchers: Anderson is back with a jaunty new single and video called "Something I Wanna Give You," (playing at the Beauty N the Beat blog) and just like that, she’s reclaimed her status as the go-to R&B diva for woman-done-wrong anthems. (I’ve been humming her "Get your coat/ Get your hat/ Get your knapsack" line all morning.)
Anyhow, with Sunshine (hopefully) poised for a comeback, it got me thinking about all the other one-hit wonders of the world who deserve a second chance at stardom. At the tippy-top of my list (just edging out Imani Coppola) is Deee-Lite; I still listen to their World Clique, Infinity Within, and Dewdrops in the Garden discs on a regular basis, and I’m always amazed by how fresh and current they sound (even though the first of those CDs is 16 years old). The only thing that amazes me more, though, is that "Groove Is in the Heart" was Deee-Lite’s only big hit. Which brings me to the question: If you could give a major-label contract to any one-hit wonder, who would it be, and why? Give a shout-out to your favorite forgotten artists in the comments section below.
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I’d have to give my contract to Bilal, who had a minor hit with “Soul Sista,” but whose stunning second disc has been covered with industry cobwebs for a couple of years now. Thanks for the link to the “Good Beat” video, by the way, I like this mix even better than the album version.
Deee-lite RULES.
I always wished Fefe Dobson hadn’t disappeared. I thought it was so great to see a black artist– specifically a female one– doing rock music, not feeling the need to bog down her lyrics with the ubiquitous “featuring (insert male rap star)” subtitle. Her songs “Take Me Away” and follow-up single “Everything” were so great.
There was a singer named Gregory Abbott that a single called “Shake You Down” that I still hear on the radio now and again. I never understood why he didn’t become a bigger star. He had a great voice.
I think Bree (“David Duchovny”) Sharp is either on a tiny independent or label-less altogether, and she’s frakkin’ brilliant.
She completely beats the pants off other female singer-songwriters that got more play (Sheryl Crow, etc.) – which, if you’ve ever seen Bree, is a rather pleasant thought.
SunShine Anderson’s “Something I Wanna Give You” has been getting some love since early summer in San Fran on KMEL. The album, according to BillBoard.com is set to be released in January 2007, & tentatively titled “Sunshine at Midnight”. SunShine is also now being managed by Beyonce’s daddy dearest, Matthew Knowles, and there is a super hot club mix of the track by Junior Vasquez.
I actually saw Imani Coppola performing as partof an opening act for Gnarls Barkley in August. I really can’t recall the name of the group because it was actually grating on my ears. She was like the “singer” of this mash-up kinda collective. I usually remember stuff like this, but I was so put off by the band’s sound that I tried to wipe it from my memory. Perhaps someone else who caught them and enjoyed them might be able to share?
And they weren’t one hit wonders but remember the R&B trio from a few years back, Blaque (“808″, “Bring It All To Me” Feat. JC Chasez)? They were protege’s of Lisa “Left-Eye” Lopes of TLC, put out a successful debut cd on Columbia, but then after Left-Eye passed they were signed to Elektra, but they never released their sophomore disc, and now that Elektra folded into Atlantic Records last year, its anybody’s guess if they’re even still signed…
And oh yeah, rember the blue eyed-soul singer Remy Shand that released his debut out on Motown Records a few years ago??
“Shake You Down” RULES! “A-weh-o-weh” (that’s, “Well, well” to you and me.)
For my money, Sir Mix-a-lot earned his Grammy and a whole lot more: the man didn’t deserve to be written off as a one-hit man. “Baby Got Back” is almost universally loved by the public at large, and for that matter, there are few songs that can get a bunch o’ white people flowin’ along (at least for the first verse) like they just can’t get enough of large posteriors.
On the rock front, the nearly forgotten Verve Pipe may have only had a hit with “The Freshman”, but their 2001 release “Underneath” is a pop-rock masterpiece with nary a clunker on the whole album.
While Nada Surf is still on a label, most people still think of them for their one hit “Popular.”
Their last two albums (especially The Weight Is A Gift) have been ridiculously good. Anyone who loves good, catchy rock music should check them out, as the band has really grown and isn’t anything like the one song they’re known for.
Fefe Dobson was set to release her long delayed sophomore disc this summer, but the promotional singles (“This Is My Life”, “Don’t Let It Go To Your Head”) that were released to radio failed to take-off & the album received a few critically bad reviews so Island/Def Jam indefinitely shelved the release AGAIN.
absolutely the cardigans should be ruling the charts more. their last 3 albums have been amazing, and just a lot more strong and more tuneful than the one hit “lovefool” they had in the states. check out “you’re the storm” or more currently “I need a fine wine…” for proof they are making some of the best music around.
How to choose just one? There are loads of one-hit wonders that deserved better than they got, but I’ve narrowed it down to five.
One, Edie Brickell and the New Bohemians. I loved “What I Am.” Doing that whole acoustic, folky, hippie thing wasn’t going to get them really far, but they deserved much better. They were fantastic.
Two, Dionne Faris, formerly of Arrested Development. “I Know” was a great little R&B/pop hit. They were another band that was pretty much destined to be short lived and I’m sad that it was her fate to follow.
Three, Deep Blue Something. They were overshadowed by Blues Traveler and Hootie during that mid-to-late 90s happy rock movement, so they only ever got to release “Breakfast at Tiffanys.” Their CD pops up in dollar bins all the time and is well worth the investment.
Four, Vertical Horizon. Granted, they had a few minor hits after “Everything You Want” (I personally liked “You’re a God”), but nothing that really matched that first song. Another of those happy rock bands that sadly bit the dust.
Fifth, Digable Planets. What is with all of these bands that try to do something different, and why isn’t the public more supportive? “Rebirth of Slick” was such a cool jazz fusion song. They were amazing and destined to fail. Such a shame.
I’ll second the Cardigans too and add “My Favorite Game” to the list of songs to check out. Made a minor splash in the US, but deserved better.
I gotta weigh in and agree on Vertical Horizon, Todd. “Everything You Want” as an album was a catchy, hook-laden, melodic pop-rock masterpiece, and their follow-up (unfortunate and undeserved) flop, “Go”, was no less than the same. Both highly recommended. They remind me af the Verve Pipe’s “Underneath”…ever heard of it?
Ahem.
i’d like to add three to the list:
blu cantrell’s “oops! hit em up style” is a highly enjoayble song. her first album (“so blu”) was great – she had all the buzz around her. and then – oops – she kind of disappeared. she had a great single “breathe” that i really enjoyed, but it never reached the sucess of “oops.” i think she has the pipes and the sass to big a big star.
i’d also like to shot out for nine days to come back. they hit big with “absolutely (story of a girl),” and then vanished as well. their first album, “the madding crowd,” was deliciously great pop-rock. their second album? shelved. and then they were dropped from epic. in a world of maroon 5’s and train’s, i don’t see why nine days aren’t up there.
last, but not least, where’s bbmack? still making hits in europe, i bet. i’d like to see them have another song or two in america. sure, they were cheesy brit pop. but damn – those harmonies. coming from cute boys with british accents? i’m in!
I love deee-lite and had all the cd’s too. World Clique should have been bigger and Dewdrops was a few years before Madonna’s Ray of Light so the public wasn’t ready yet so thanks for bringing them up. As for one hit wonder i’d like to see back…can’t think of one yet, I’m stuck listening to deee-lite bye
Ahhhh Deee-Lite. How do you say…..Deee-Lovely? I have all 3 releases on Cassette (CDs were too expensive for me back in the day). They were ahead of their time. “Good Beat” “What is Love” “Call Me” all great tunes that I still listen to today.
As for so-called one hit wonders I would have to pick Tracie Spencer. She had some catchy tunes back in the day (“Still in my heart”)and had a squeaky clean R&B\Pop image. I would like to see what she could bring in these days of hip-pop music.
Darius Rucker AKA “Hootie” from Hootie & the blowfish had a pretty good CD out. I think it was a bit more R&B than Hootie fans expected to hear (read: flop). I don’t know if he ever put out another disk but with a strong label behind him and a decent promotional push he could really do well.
Shanice. I don’t know why she never catches on. Great voice, beautiful woman and pretty good material yet she doesn’t sell. I think she’s on an independent label now but I’m not sure. I hope she does well.
The Skid Row dropouts. Not a real group but if anyone saw the movie version of Little Shop of Horrors then you know Tisha Campbell (My wife & Kids, Martin), T’china Arnold (Everybody Hates Chris) and Michelle Weeks (a $hitload of club music) were the ultimate singing group. Destiny’s who? These girls were (still are) the truth!
Come on. The best and catchy one hit wonder of all time was “What do all the people know” by The Monroes, who at the time everyone thought were The Cars.
I vote for Tonic. If You Could Only See [The Way She Loves Me] was their only big hit but their first 2 albums: Lemon Parade and Sugar were excellent. They also were even better as a live band.
Tonic was not a one hit wonder. The song “You Wanted More” (off the American Pie 2 soundtrack, I belive) was a huge hit for them, and Casual Affair and Open Up Your Eyes got a lot of airplay.
I was so excited to see Sunshine mentioned on beauty’s site early this summer. Whenever I listened to her first cd (oh and lunch or dinner should have been a hit), I always got kinda panic striken worrying about where she was.
Imani Coppola reference made my day. seriously, no one ever knows who I’m talking about whenver I mention her.
I want City High to come back, but I guess the emergence of some Claudette solo stuff is good enough.
Johnny Gill and Maxwell….where are you?
Imani Coppola, was she the one with that cowboy song or something like that, i can barely remember. If so, she was awesome!!
Sigh… In a way I wish Lisa Loeb didn’t break out in that huge way with Stay because, despite some other modest hit (and that’s putting it really nicely), the general public hasn’t really embraced her music. Upon initial listening of her first full length album, a lot of people just wrote her off as a one-note who was like just singing out of her girl diary or being all whiny. It’s too bad, because more times than not, it’s smarter and more touching than that. Plus it’s never over-produced, nor is it written by some random Swedish dude who’s simply just picking a song from a stack from his generic hit-making factory. (Not that I am hating on that, because I LOVE LOVE LOVE SINCE U BEEN GONE… and Roxette, etc.) Perhaps she is meant to be on a smaller label (because apparently her previous relationship with Geffen/Interscope didn’t really mesh well), because she continues to maintain her artistic freedom. When she performs, it’s always stellar and amazing and more intimate. So I don’t know, maybe I don’t necessarily want to see her on a major music label churning out hit after hit after hit, but I’d definitely like to see her get more success on the music front – unless she’s happy with her current fan base, all of whom seem to be in like Japan.
Same goes for Jill Sobule. Her two hits (I guess that is not a one-hit wonder), Supermodel and Kissed a Girl, are great but there is SO MUCH BETTER on her other albums. She, too, is amazing live. Her music is super witty and funny and also gutwrenchingly fragile and vulnerable.
Sometimes you just don’t want to see artists you really like work so hard going from one tiny club to the next across the continent just to make the rent. Yeah, I’m sure it’s fun, but still…
Remy Shand should def come back. “Send a Message” and “Rocksteady” were both great. And, if a white guy from the Canadian prairies can get signed to Motown and get nominated for 4 grammys, he should fur sur be given a two-album deal.
p.s. One hitter I am not missing…Jimmy Ray
My heart goes out to the ladies of SoHo…Hippy Chick will always make me smile and remind me of my mispent youth.
Great call with Bilal, Joshua. And I loved Deelite — especially What Is Love. I personally would like to hear more from Soul II Soul and Family Stand — Ghetto Heaven, anyone? Before “ghetto” became overused and misinterpreted.
And D’Angelo!!!
Back in the late 80’s, Living Colour made an album that felt like a raw, painful tribute to hard rock. Filled with left of center anthems and an urban voice that was otherwise reserved for hip hop artists, Living Colour reminded us only to clearly of where rock and roll came from.
Unfortunately, despite strong songs and singles off their “Vivid” album, the band is mostly remembered for their one big hit “the Cult of Personality”. They made two follow up albums and an EP, but none could capture the magic of their first album, and a lack of successful follow up eventually led the band to break up. I’d love to see them reform, maybe do some songs with Carlos Santana, and make that overdue comeback.
While we are on the subject, why didn’t the Digable Planets do anything beyond “the rebirth of cool”? Their DJ (King Britt) has made a name for himself as a disk jockey, but the rest of the band all but disapeared after that “what the heck were you thinking” second album. Will the reborn cool band please stand up?
I remember a couple of years back a song and video started showing at some of the clubs. I think the song was called “Blue Jeans” and the artist was definately called Yasmeen. She had some billboard out in front of one of the big record companies. Then POOF – she never got to even make one hit wonder status because of one of those big record label mergers. Which really sucked because her song ROCKED and I know a lot of people were excited about her CD that never got released. So I say lets find her and give her the one hit she deserved and a whole career after that.