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ONE HIT WONDERS
DIANE RENAY
Navy Blue
 Most notably famous for her 1964 Hit Recording, "Navy Blue", one-hit wonder Diane Renay was born Renee Diane Kushner in South Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (where many other famous recording stars such as, Bobby Rydell, Fabian, Frankie Avalon, Dee Dee Sharp, and Chubby Checker) just to name a few, also hailed from the South Philadelphia area. As soon as Diane started talking, she started singing along with any song she would hear on the radio or record player that was playing in her parents home. By the time she was 12 years old, she started taking voice lessons with a well known vocal teacher/coach in Philadelphia, by the name of Artie Singer whose band, Danny & the Juniors, had a major hit record at the time entitled 'At The Hop'. By the time Diane was 14, she entered into a recording studio and with the assistance of 4 Boys (a group of friends and with whom she also often sang with, Diane sang lead and they sang the Do Wop Background), she recorded several songs.
After her parents heard the demo recording, they were shocked by what they heard, and realised that Diane's vocal coach was right in telling her when she was only 12, that when she gets older, she should pursue a career as a recording artist. Diane was soon signed up with a recording company and her first single, 'Little White Lies', was released in 1962 when she was only 16 years old and still at school. 'Navy Blue' hit the Top 10 Billboard Chart in February 1964. It was followed by a similar song, 'Kiss Me Sailor', her fourth single, which sold well but never reached the heights of 'Navy Blue'. Diane never had another hit record.
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LITTLE EVA
The Loco-Motion
 Perhaps no baby-sitter in history got a bigger break than Eva Boyd, who baby sat for songwriters Carole King and Gerry Goffin. King and Goffin asked her to record a song they had written called "The Loco-Motion". Eva Narcissus Boyd was born 29th June 1943 in Bell Haven, North Carolina. In 1962, she moved to the Brighton Beach area of Brooklyn where she had relatives. One of her relatives new the Cookies and suggested her as a stand-in. So whenever one of the Cookies couldn't get out of class, Eva substituted for her. Since the work was sporadic Eva often found herself baby-sitting songwriters Carol King and Gerry Goffin. Returning home one day they found her singing a song they had written for Dee Dee Sharp. They Liked what they heard, so they rushed her into the studio, with King doing the backing vocals.
Remembered by most as a one hit wonder Little Eva was more than that. Her follow-up to "Locomotion," "Keep Your Hands Off My Baby" (No.12) told a story of a close friend who tried to move in on her boyfriend.
Her third record "Lets Turkey Trot" (No.20) was another dance craze tune. The next record and her last hit was a cliched combination of "on Top Of Old Smokey" and "The Locomotion," called "Old Smokey Locomotion" (No.18). In late 1962 when the Cookies began having their own hits, Eva recorded with them occasionally. Disenchanted with the music business, she quit in 1971, returning home to North Carolina a penniless single parent of three young children. She found employment as a housekeeper, caretaker and cook. When work wasn't available, she and the kids survived on welfare.
GALE GARNETT
We'll Sing In The Sunshine
 Born on 17th July 1942 in Auckland, New Zealand, Gale Garnett moved with her parents to the USA in 1951. She became a One Hit Wonder with her single "We'll Sing In The Sunshine" that was a product of the folk music boom of the early 1960s. She won the 1964 Grammy Award for Best Folk Artist for the song. In the early 1960s, Garnett began her career as an actress, appearing in many stage productions and numerous television shows, including Hawaiian Eye, 77 Sunset Strip, and Bonanza. She wrote songs as a hobby, but in 1963 RCA Records, impressed with her voice and songs, of which "We'll Sing In The Sunshine" was one, the record company signed her up. In the UK, "We'll Sing In The Sunshine" was covered with moderate success by the UK band the Lancastrians in 1964. Garnett was not able to sustain her career with more hits, getting only "Lovin' Place" (US No. 54) on the charts in 1965. Influenced by the hippie counter-cultural movement, she embraced psychedelia, singing about rainbows, magic wands, and other enchantments in the late 60s. As she could no longer sell records, Gail retired from the music business in the early 70s.
FRANKIE GOES TO HOLLYWOOD
Relax
 Frankie Goes to Hollywood was formed in Liverpool, England in 1980. Members of the band included vocalists Paul Rutherford and Holly Johnson, guitarist Nasher Nash, bassist Mark O'Toole and drummer Peter Gill. The band rose to prominence in 1982, when it appeared on the British television program "The Tube" with a rough version of the video for "Relax," attracting the attention of a number of record labels and record producer Trevor Horn. Horn signed Frankie Goes to Hollywood to his label, ZTT. Then, late in 1983, "Relax" was released. It had a dance beat and featured sexually provocative lyrics that would give rise to much controversy. By January 1994, the song had soared to No. 1, selling in excess of one million copies. Further fame was to elude Frankie Goes to Hollywood which made its final tour in early 1987. Shortly afterwards, the band broke up.
EDISON LIGHTHOUSE
Love Grows (Where Rosemary Grows)
 Edison Lighthouse was the brainchild of vocalist Tony Burrows. The group's lone hit entitled "Love Grows (Where Rosemary Grows)" was one of four simultaneous U.K. Top Ten records registered by Burrows under different names. The band was the alias of songwriters and producers Barry Mason and Tony McCauley. Greenfield Hammer was also in the band. Following "Love Grows," Burrows departed in search of other opportunities. McCauley owned the copyright to the band's name, and formed another group to record under the alias. The reincarnation of Edison Lighthouse cracked the U.K. Top 50 but nowhere else with the single "It's Up to You" and, then, vanished. The formula "feel-good music" hit sound created with that smash proved to be so successful, however, that the Edison crew recorded other material under different group names which duplicated the sensation of their first hit together. As White Plains, their single of "My Baby Loves Lovin'" reached No.13 in the U.S. and No.9 in the U.K. As "The Brotherhood Of Man", their "United We Stand" reached No.15 in the U.S. and No.1 in the U.K. in 1970.
JOEY SCARBURY
Theme From Greatest American Hero (Believe It or Not)
 Born on 7th June, 1955, Scarbury had a massive hit with the song, "Theme From Greatest American Hero (Believe It or Not)," in 1981. He grew up in Thousand Oaks, California. As a child he was continually encouraged in his ambition to sing by his mother. In 1969, after songwriter Jimmy Webb's father overheard Scarbury's mother talk about his ability to sing, fourteen-year-old Scarbury was signed to a recording contract and primed up for chart success. However his first single, "She Never Smiles Anymore," didn't sell, and Scarbury was dropped from the label. Scarbury supported himself the following years by singing backup for artists like Loretta Lynn, and singing whatever he could get. Although he had a minor chart single with "Mixed Up Guy" in 1971, real chart success avoided him for the rest of the decade. Scarbury's luck was to change when he started working for producer and composer Mike Post. Post was hired to write the theme song for a new series dubbed The Greatest American Hero, about a high school teacher who comes in possession with a super hero outfit and Scarbury was given the task of recording it. The song when released reached No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100, and gave Scarbury his first real hit. This success was to be short-lived, however, and after charting at No.49 with the single "When She Dances," Scarbury disappeared from the charts. He went on to work with Post again in the mid-80s to record the song "Back to Back," for the television series Hardcastle and McCormick.
BUGGLES
Video Killed The Radio Star
 Being the first act ever played on MTV, The Buggles' "Video Killed The Radio Star" was assured a place in pop music history. Vocalist and bassist Trevor Horn and keyboardist Geoff Downes formed the electro-pop duo in England in 1979 after meeting two years prior as session musicians. Their first single, "Video Killed the Radio Star," hit No. 1 in the U.K. in late 1979; when MTV went on the air in 1981, the prophetically-titled record's video was the first ever broadcast on the fledgling cable network. Although the Buggles enjoyed three more British hits - "The Plastic Age," "Clean Clean" and "Elstree" - their success was restricted to Britain and Horn and Downes were soon more interested in production than performing. In 1980, they joined the group, Yes, as replacements for Rick Wakeman and Jon Anderson. After Yes break-up, Downes signed on with Asia, while Horn formed ZTT Records and produced hits for the likes of Frankie Goes to Hollywood and ABC.
LIPPS INC.
Funkytown
 Lipps Inc. was formed in 1977. Steven Greenberg was the band's key member; he produced and wrote all their songs. The lead vocalist was Cynthia Johnson who was crowned Miss Black Minnesota in 1976. The other band members were Terry Grant, David Rivkin, Tom Riopelle and Ivan Rafowitz. "Funkytown", their first and only smash hit, was released in 1979 at the height of the disco craze. It's one of the best known Disco songs. Lipps Inc. stayed together in the early past of the 80's, but they did not do well. Some people say that they went to Funkytown and left all their good songs there. In 1981, they recorded a Funkytown-like single called "How long" which failed to chart. Four years later, they recorded an interesting album from which the single "Does Anybody Know me" was lifted. It sold well, but did not repeat Funkytown's success.
NORMAN GREENBAUM
Spirit in the Sky
 Best-known for his 1970 hit "Spirit in the Sky", singer/songwriter Norman Greenbaum was born 20th November, 1942. He began his musical career while a student at Boston University, playing area coffee houses before relocating to the West Coast during the mid-'60s and forming a kind of psychedelic jug band dubbed Dr. West's Medicine Show and Junk Band. After issuing the 1966 single "The Eggplant That Ate Chicago," which fell just shy of reaching the Top 50, the group disbanded, and Greenbaum subsequently formed a series of short-lived acts before finally returning to his solo career in 1968. A year later he issued his debut LP, Spirit in the Sky, releasing several unsuccessful singles before reaching No.3 with the title track, which sold some two million copies. It proved to be Greenbaum's only hit, follow-ups like "Canned Ham" and "California Earthquake" bombed. In 1972 he retreated from music to focus on his California dairy farm, but returned to show business during the mid-'80s in a managerial capacity, also promoting a number of concerts.
THE CASCADES
Rhythm Of The Rain
 The Cascades consisted of a group of young men who assembled in San Diego and managed to put one great song in the top ten before fading away. Whilst at Gold Star Studios to record the Gummoe's composition, "Rhythm Of The Rain", producer Phil Spector was in the studio at the time of the session and asked them if they were recording a demo for Ricky Nelson. They said 'no', so Spector grabbed their recording and released it. The song was an international success, reaching number one status around the world. The Cascades released other singles but could not repeat the success of 'Rhythm Of The Rain' and one by one, the members of the group left. The song has been covered by many artists over the years, including Jacky Ward, Gary Lewis and the Playboys, Floyd Cramer, Percy Faith, Al Caiola, Johnny Tillotson, Lawrence Welk, French recording artist Silvi Vartan, the Ka'au Crater Boys from Hawaii, Johnny Rivers, Jan and Dean, and Dan Fogelberg. It is one of the last great songs of the pre-Beatles era.
ZAGER AND EVANS
In the Year 2525"
 A rock-pop duo of the late 1960s and early 1970s from were Lincoln, Nebraska, the group was named after its two members, Denny Zager and Rick Evans. People who backed the duo included Dave Trupp and Mark Dalton. They are best known for the prophetic song "In the Year 2525", which was written by Rick Evans and presented views on the dangers of technology as it portrays humanity as being increasingly destroyed by its own technological innovations and inability to adapt. In 1969 their single "In the Year 2525" hit No. 1 on the charts. The band were signed to RCA records, who claimed they were the next big thing, but follow-up singles, such as "Mr. Turnkey" only achieved minor success, as did the albums the duo released. After "In The Year 2525" they never had another top 40 charting single.
R DEAN TAYLOR
Indiana Wants Me
 Canadian born Richard Dean Taylor started his career in his home of Toronto in 1961 playing piano and singing with various groups at all the big Toronto clubs as well as recording several singles for the Audiomaster label that were poor quality and received little if no airplay. In 1962 he recorded the single/demo "At The High School Dance" for Amy-Mala Records which gained him a bit of attention to which Taylor took the advice of a friend and pursued his dreams in Detroit. Motown's Brian Holland offered him a position as a ghostwriter for the label and later he would finally be recognized for this talent on such songs as "I'll Turn To Stone" (The Four Tops), "Love Child" and "I'm Livin' In Shame" (The Supremes), and "All I Need" (The Temptations).
While developing his production techniques, Taylor recorded "Gotta See Jane" on his own which hit the Top 20 in England. Motown Records owner Barry Gordy Jr. decided to take a chance with Taylor on his newly established white artist's label Rare Earth from which they released "Indiana Wants Me" in 1970. The song went to No.1 across North America. Following the release of his debut album, "Gotta See Jane" was re-released but went Top 10 in Canada only. R. Dean Taylor continued writing and producing for various artists throughout the '70's. He made a brief, unsuccessful comeback attempt in 1981/82.
BOB LIND
Elusive Butterfly
 Bob Lind was somewhat of a modern-day minstrel in the 60's and managed to put one memorable song in the top ten. He was born in Baltimore in 1942 and moved to Chicago as a child. In the 60's he became a singer/songwriter and also a devoted fan of Bob Dylan and his music. Lind moved to Colorado to attend high school. He continued with his songwriting and performing as a singer, once taking first prize in a hootenanny contest. He performed at The Analyst, a club in Denver, and eventually signed a record deal with World Pacific. It was on that label that he had his huge hit "Elusive Butterfly" in the winter of 1966. Later the same year he had a minor two-sided hit with Remember The Rain/Truly Julie's Blues and issued his initial album, Don't Be Concerned, borrowing the title from a line in Elusive Butterfly.
Bob Lind eventually retired from show business and in 1969, he moved to Santa Fe, New Mexico. In 1971 he returned to Los Angeles, then lived in Hawaii for a year. He has lived in Florida for many years and continues to reside there, working as a writer. Bob has had his short stories published in some literary magazines and is the author of five novels.
SCAFFOLD
Lily the Pink
 The British pop group Scaffold has three claims to fame; one of them was Paul McCartney's brother (Mike McGear), one was the Liverpool poet Roger McGough, and they had a long-running number one hit with what most people took to be a children's song called "Lily the Pink". It is attributed to tradition, and was arranged by McGough/McGear/Gorman. It tells the story of an American business woman named Lydia E. Pinkham who ran a medicine business. In 1875, after her husband went bankrupt, Lydia Estes Pinkham started probably the first widely successful business run by a woman in America. Her product was a medicine for "all those painful Complaints and Weaknesses so common to our best female population." Even though Mrs. Pinkham had been in the temperance movement, as a student of phrenology she had studied human nature, and almost 20% of her concoction was alcohol, which she said acted "as [a] solvent and preservative," certainly solving many a problem and preserving not a few of her fellow citizens. Many similar medicines of the past used alcohol as the active ingredient, which was often the only way respectable women were able to enjoy the intoxicant. And during the banning of alcoholic beverages in America, especially in the 1920s, the Pinkham "medicine" enjoyed its greatest success. Incidentally, Picallilli is an English mustard and vegetable relish - hence the play on "pickled". Although the trio enjoyed success with Thank U Very Much (1967) and Lily The Pink (1968) the latter of which was a massive Xmas UK No.1, these tongue-in-cheek releases contrasted Scaffold's in-concert revues and albums. Here McGough's poetry and Gorman's comedy routines were of equal importance and their versatility was confirmed on the LPs 'The Scaffold' and 'L The P'. The schoolboyish Gin Gan Goolie gave the group a minor chart entry in 1969, before the unit was absorbed by Grimms, a larger, if similarly constituted, act which also featured members of the Liverpool Scene.
VERDELLE SMITH
Tar And Cement
 South African born Verdelle Smith was a solo artist who released a string of singles before hitting the jackpot with "Tar And Cement" in 1966. Her first release was "In My Room", followed by "I Don't Need Anything" (it was a minor UK hit in late '66/early '67 for the barefooted Sandie Shaw), "If You Can't Say Anything Nice About Me", "Oh How Much I Love You", and others. They all achieved only moderate success and it was to be "Tar & Cement" that would be her solitary entry into the No. 1 spot. 'Tar and Cement' was originally an Italian smash hit for Adriano Celentano under the title 'Il Ragazzo Della Via Gluck'. French chanteuse Fran?oise Hardy did a nice French version under the title 'La Maison O? J'ai Grandi'. Lee Pockriss and Paul Vance wrote English lyrics for it, and it became 'Tar and Cement'. Incidentally Pockriss and Vance were also responsible for Verdelle's other semi-hit '(Alone) In My Room' which also had its origins in Europe. Sadly, Verdelle performed a very successful disappearing act after 1966.
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THUNDERCLAP NEWMAN
Something In The Air
 A 1969 UK no 1, "Something In The Air" has become one of the most durable of one-hit wonders, in constant demand for television commercials, film soundtracks and compilations. The band was originally created by The Who's guitarist, Pete Townshend as a vehicle to record songs by former Who roadie, drummer/singer John 'Speedy' Keen (miscredited as 'Keene' on the single's label). Townshend, who produced "Something in the Air", arranged its strings and played bass under the pseudonym Bijou Drains, brought in eccentric British GPO engineer and jazz pianist Andy 'Thunderclap' Newman and 15 year old Glaswegian guitarist Jimmy McCulloch.
The single (which was originally titled "Revolution", but was renamed due to the Beatles releasing their single "Revolution"), perfectly captured the spirit of post flower power rebellion, marrying McColloch's sweeping acoustic and glowing electric guitars with the powerful drumming and yearning falsetto of Keen, whilst Newman contributed a piano solo that somehow managed to fit the song perfectly whilst simultaneously sounding as if it had wandered in from a different studio! Released in June 1969, "Something in the Air" was no 1 after only three weeks, holding off Elvis Presley in the process. The scale of the song's success took everyone by surprise and there were no plans to promote Thunderclap Newman with live performances. The members of the band had little in common. Newman once commented, in a 1972 interview with New Musical Express that he got on well with Keen but not with his music, whilst for McCulloch it was the other way round. Unsurprisingly, after a third single was virtually ignored, the band split.
CHRISTIE
Yellow River
 The UK pop band Christie was formed around vocalist, bass player and songwriter Jeff Christie, previously with several bands including the Outer Limits, who released 1967's "Just One More Chance"/"Help Me Please" on the Deram Records label and the following year's "Great Train Robbery"/"Sweet Freedom". He teamed up with two members of the Epics, Vic Elmes and Mike Blakley (drums), to form Christie. Signing a recording contract with CBS Records, the trio enjoyed a UK number 1 hit in May 1970 with the ebullient "Yellow River". The song was initially intended for the Tremeloes, who featured Mike's brother Alan Blakley, but when they prevaricated Christie decided to record it himself. The single also reached the US Top 30. The song with covered in Australia by the local band, Jigsaw and was a top 10 hit. Although a follow-up, "San Bernadino' reached the UK Top 10, Christie was unable to sustain a lasting career. Blakley was replaced by Paul Fenton prior to the release of the band's second album, For All Mankind. After a number of line-up changes and the failure of Christie's 1974 single "Alabama"/"I'm Alive" to resurrect the band's fortunes, Jeff Christie finally pulled the plug on his band in 1976. He released two solo singles for the RK label in 1980, but since then has been content to write advertising jingles and appear on classic hits shows singing his compositions.
LIMAHL
Never Ending Story
 Born Christopher Hamill, 19th December 1958, Wigan, Lancashire, England Limahl (an anagram of his surname) came to prominence as lead vocalist with Kajagoogoo. His rancorous exit from the group in 1983 was caused partly by guitarist Nick Beggs' increasing control over the outfit's destiny. However, a flamboyant performer and a friend of BBC pop presenter Paul Gambaccini, Limahl was well placed for solo success that began with "Only For Love' in the UK Top 20. After a relative flop with 1984"s "Too Much Trouble", he made No. 4 with the movie title theme, "Never Ending Story". This Giorgio Moroder opus was also Limahl's only chart entry outside of Britain. Apart from "Don't Suppose" flitting briefly into the UK charts, he has since been absent from the commercial scene. He continues to perform live and appear in musical theatre.
BLUES IMAGE
Ride Captain Ride"
 Known mainly for their 1970 US number 4 hit, "Ride Captain Ride", Blues Image were a quintet from Tampa, Florida, USA. The band opened their own club in 1968, The Image, where besides booking some of the top acts of the day, they were able to provide themselves with a ready-made venue for the Blues Image's performances. The group disbanded upon the release of their third album in 1970. Some members of the group started a new band called Manna, one joined Three Dog Night in 1974 and another became a session drummer and percussionist, working with, among others, Crosby, Stills, Nash And Young, Manassas, Joe Walsh and Harry Chapin.
NICKI FRENCH
Total Eclipse of the Heart
 Born in Carlisle, Cumbria, England, Nicki French is a singer and dancer whose sole hit was the 1995 dance cover version of "Total Eclipse of the Heart". French had been a session singer for years before she covered "Total Eclipse of the Heart", a song made famous by Bonnie Tyler. Her version was first released in 1994 in the United Kingdom and barely scraped the charts. However, when it was re-released in 1995 the song reached No. 5 during an extended chart run. This achievement was eclipsed by an even more successful chart run in the United States, where the track reached No. 2 and spent 26 weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 music charts. French's second single "For All We Know", a cover version of the Carpenters' hit, stalled at No. 42 in the UK due to distribution problems. Her debut album, Secrets, was rush-released in the US and spent a few weeks on the Billboard Top 200 album chart. The record received generally poor reviews from critics. In 1998 Nicki French attempted an unsuccessful comeback with a second album. In 2000 the singer entered the Eurovision Song Contest and the song she sung, "Don't Play That Song Again", reached No. 34 in the UK but died everywhere else. French still continues to tour around the UK and has recently released two singles: "I Surrender" (cover of Celine Dion) in 2004 and "Calling Out My Name" in 2005. She also recorded Private Dancer (the Tina Turner hit) for the Gayfest 2005 album.
THE SPRINGFIELDS
Silver Threads and Golden Needles
 Formed in 1960, this popular UK folk-based group was based around singer/songwriter Dion O'Brien and his sister Mary Isabel Catherine Bernadette, who accompanied him on guitar. Better known as Tom and Dusty Springfield, the duo was later joined by the former's partner, Tim Field, and the following year the revitalised unit became one of Britain's top vocal groups. The trio enjoyed UK Top 5 singles with "Island Of Dreams" (1962) and "Say I Won't Be There" (1963), by which time Field had been replaced by Mike Longhurst-Pickworth, who took the less cumbersome professional name Mike Hurst. Neither song sold well elsewhere, including Australia, though "Island of Dreams" would later be recorded by The Seekers and become a hit for the. The Springfields enjoyed success with "Silver Threads And Golden Needles", a country standard that did as well in Australia as it did in the US, though paradoxically it failed to chart in Britain. The single went on to sell in excess of one million copies and was the group's only substantial hit outside of Britain. The group split up in 1963 with each member then pursuing solo ventures. Dusty Springfield became the UK's leading female singer, brother Tom continued his songwriting career, writing a string of hits for The Seekers ("I Know I'll Never Find Another You"; "A World of Our Own"; "The Carnival Is Over"; "Love Is Kind, Love Is Wine" etc.), while Hurst established himself as a leading pop producer through his work with Cat Stevens.
FLYING MACHINE
Smile A little Smile for Me"
 Not to be confused with the US band from James Taylor's pre-Apple Records days, this Flying Machine was the brainchild of British writers and producers Tony Macauley and Geoff Stephens. Recorded by session musicians, "Smile A Little Smile For Me" failed to chart in the UK, but it soared to No. 5 in the US and No. 2 in Australia in November 1969. For the purposes of touring, a group was assembled from the remnants of the British hit group, Pinkerton's Assorted Colours, wherein Anthony Newman (rhythm guitar/vocals), the sole surviving original member, was joined by Steve Jones (lead guitar), Stuart Colman (bass) and Paul Wilkinson (drums). A follow-up single version of "Baby Make It Soon", first recorded by the Marmalade, scraped the American Hot 100 the following year, but the group, somewhat ungratefully, grew frustrated with their pop-oriented style. A final single, "The Devil Has Possession Of Your Mind", suggested a change of direction, but the Flying Machine split up following its release. Stuart Colman later emerged as a noted radio broadcaster and producer of various rock 'n' roll-influenced acts.
LOS DEL RIO
Macarena
 A No. 1 hit that spawned one of the hottest dance crazes of the 1990s, it was recorded and released by the duo of Antonio Romeo Monge and Rafael Ruiz in 1993, but they had to wait almost three years for the song to become a worldwide hit. Monge and Ruiz were old hands at recording Spanish flamenco-pop as Los del Rio, and were inspired to record "Macarena" by a dancer they saw in Venezuela. The single became an instant hit in their own country upon release but did nothing elsewhere until it was remixed by the Bayside Boys in 1995 as an American dance-club version. It entered the charts at No. 45 and seemed set to sink into oblivion, but continuous club play generated a buzz around the single, which finally hit No. 1 worldwide in July 1996. It stayed in the top spot for over 3 months, selling over four million copies in the US alone and becoming the biggest selling single of 1996. Monge and Ruiz remain popular in their home country but numerous attempts to emulate their success with other Spanish flamenco-pop songs have failed.
BERTIE HIGGINS
Key Largo
 It is a littler known fact that Bertie Higgins' 1982 debut Just Another Day In Paradise actually marked his return to music. After all, he had not undertaken a musical endeavour since 1968, when he retired to his home town of Tarpon Springs, Florida after his group, the Roemans, disbanded. Higgins played with the Roemans, who recorded a series of singles for ABC-Paramount, between 1964 and 1968. Following the break-up of the Roemans, however, Higgins returned to Tarpon Springs. He worked on a collection of songs over the course of the 1970's, forming the basis of Just Another Day In Paradise - a record that became a hit, as the single "Key Largo" soared into the Top 10. Bertie Higgins will be remembered for the Top 10 single which is themed around a Humphrey Bogart movie. In 1994, he did release Then and Now, which received little attention. He is alive and well with his Band of Pirates. Though he has never had another hit single, Higgins is been doing quite well, especially the Pacific Rim, Australia and small venues.
SHOCKING BLUE
Venus
 The Hague group Shocking Blue were already making records before Mariska Veres became their lead singer in 1968. During that initial period (1967-68), the lineup was: Robbie van Leeuwen (vocals, guitar, ex-Motions), Fred de Wilde (vocals, ex-Hu & Hilltops), Klaasje van der Wal (bass) and Cor van Beek (drums, ex-Sect). In 1968, Fred was replaced by Mariska, who had already made a solo single in 1965. She was discovered by manager Cees van Leeuwen at the jazz festival in Loosdrecht. Mariska already had some group experience with the Bumble Bees. Shocking Blue became part of a mini invasion of Dutch groups in 1970. They had a No. 1 hit with "Venus" and in the same year Tee Set struck gold with "Ma Belle Amie" and the George Baker Selection with "Little Green Bag". All three bands were to be one-hit wonders on the international scene. Shortly after Shocking Blue scored their international hit, the decay of the group began. Constant changes in the lineup were largely to blame. In 1970, Leo van de Ketterij came on board to boost the group as the second guitarist, but he left less than a year later. Klaasje, who departed to join Antilope, was succeeded by Henk Smitskamp, ex-Sandy Coast in 1971. By 1973 Robbie had resigned from the position of lead guitarist, and on stage had to be replaced by Martin van Wijk. Shocking Blue broke up in 1974.
THE EXCITERS
Tell Him
 The Exciters were originally a quartet of seventeen year olds who were high school classmates in Queens, New York. By the early 1960s, the group consisted of vibrant-voiced Brenda Reid (lead singer), her husband Herb Rooney, Carolyn Johnson, and Lillian Walker. The Exciters' first hit, produced by Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller, was "Tell Him" (US No.4) in late 1962. Other songs included "He's Got the Power," "Get Him," and the original "Do-Wah-Diddy-Diddy," covered shortly after its appearance by Manfred Mann, for whom it was an international hit. The groups next 45, the up-tempo "Havin' My Fun" failed to chart and the Exciters moved over to Roulette Records. there they did a remake of Frankie Lymon and the Teenagers hit "I Want You to Be My Boy." It spent one week at ninety-eight. During this time the Exciters were touring with artists like Wilson Pickett and as an opening act for the Beatles. By the early seventies Walker and Johnson had left and were replaced by Skip McPhee and Ronnie Pace. The group continued to tour the US and abroad, eventually shrinking to a duo of Brenda and Herb. By the mid-eighties the Rooneys had separated with Herb owning a cosmetics company on Long Island. Brenda kept the Exciters going with her children on backup vocals and instruments, but they never enjoyed chart success again.
ASTRID GILBERTO & SWTAN GETZ
The Girl from Ipanema
 "The Girl from Ipanema" ("A Garota de Ipanema") is considered the best-known bossa nova song ever written, and was a worldwide hit in the mid-1960s. It was written in 1962, with music by Antonio Carlos Jobim and Portuguese lyrics by Vinicius de Moraes; English lyrics were later written by Norman Gimbel. It is often claimed to be the second-most recorded popular song in history, topped only by The Beatles' "Yesterday". Stan Getz and Astrud Gilberto's is the best-known version, lifted from their 1963 album Getz/Gilberto. Astrid Gilberto (right) sang the song and Stan Getz recorded it. With this recording, Astrud Gilberto became an accidental star - when producer Creed Taylor pressed her into service during a recording session he was conducting with her husband, Joao. Taylor wanted some English sung on such songs as "The Girl from Ipanema", and since Astrud was translating for her husband, the producer gave her a try. The rest, as they say, is history.
The first commercial recording of the song was in 1962, by Pery Ribeiro. Numerous recordings have been used in movies, often as an elevator music clich?. The song was inspired by Helo?sa Eneida Menezes Paes Pinto (or, simply, Hel? Pinheiro), an 18-year-old girl who lived on Montenegro street in the fashionable Ipanema district of Rio de Janeiro. Every day, she would stroll past the popular "Veloso" bar-cafe on the way to the beach, attracting the attention of regulars Jobim and Moraes. The song was originally composed for a musical comedy entitled Dirig?vel (Blimp), which was a work in progress of Vin?cius de Moraes. The original title was "Menina que Passa" ("The Girl Who Passes By"), and the famous first verse was completely different.
RANDY VANWARMER
Just When I Needed You Most
 Randy VanWarmer enjoyed success as a one-hit wonder pop artist before becoming a successful country songwriter. He is best known for his 1979 pop hit, "Just When I Needed You Most". A Colorado native, VanWarmer lived in England, New York City and Los Angeles before moving to Nashville in 1985. As a songwriter, his country hits include Alabama's 1992 chart-topping "I'm in a Hurry (And Don't Know Why)" and the Oak Ridge Boys' 1984 No. 1 single, "I Guess It Never Hurts to Hurt Sometimes." More recently, VanWarmer and Neal Coty co-wrote "Playboys of the Southwestern World," a single from Blake Shelton's 2003 album, The Dreamer. VanWarmer died in January 2004, age 48, at the University of Washington Medical Centre in Seattle following a year-long battle with leukaemia. Apparently his rather amusing name is genuine.
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