Tops of the Pops

In a post from a few years ago, I suggested that British singer Paul Carrack, on the strength of the songs "How Long," recorded with Ace, "Tempted," recorded with Squeeze, and "Don't Shed a Tear," recorded under his own name, might be the king of one-hit wonders. I may have been a bit hasty in awarding that title. I've since become acquainted with the career of Tony Burrows, a British session singer, who may have his countryman beat.

In 1967, Burrows was with the band The Flower Pot Men, when they had a number 4 hit in Britain called "Let's Go To San Francisco." No, I've never heard of the band or the song, either, and for purposes of counting Burrows's hits, this song is really just a warm up. The spring and summer of 1970 was when he busted out. The first hit out of the box, in April, was "Love Grows (Where my Rosemary Goes)," on which he sang lead for Edison Lighthouse. Next, in July, he sang lead on "My Baby Loves Lovin'," for White Plains. The same month he sang "Gimme Dat Ding," for The Pipkins (another group and song I've never heard (of)). His final hit in 1970, though it's not clear to me when it was released or charted, was "United We Stand," by Brotherhood of Man. Finally, in 1974, he sang on one more hit, for the First Class, "Beach Baby," which surely must be enough to stave off any pretenders to the throne.
What do you think? Do you have any contenders?

Bless the Beasts and the Yacht Owners

Republicans in the California Legislature have blocked legislation to eliminate the sales tax exemption on yacht purchases. You can call them to thank them for this.

For more context, check out Hullabaloo (aka "Digby's Blog").

Free Markets

As if I didn't already have enough reasons to avoid shopping at Home Depot, here comes word that it routinely engage lawyers to sue its customers for shoplifting, for amounts far in excess of the amount of the theft, and sometimes in the absence of any theft.

War on Terra Logic

Suppose the United States proceeds with the trial of Khalid Sheikh Mohammad and he is found guilty and sentenced to death; if carrying out his execution would increase the likelihood of terrorists attacks against the United States, shouldn't that, in the logic of Bush fans everywhere, be sufficient cause not to execute him? According to Bush and his disciples, there is virtually nothing we shouldn't do, including subverting the United States Constitution, to protect us from the terrorists. If we accept that, shouldn't we then coddle this particular terrorist if it makes us safer from the terrorists?

Stupid Human Tricks

Okay, so this is hardly earthshattering, or even in any way important, but at the Grammies last night, George Lopez told the worst constructed joke I've ever heard. The set up went like this, "in what other country could a woman and a black man be running for President of the United States?" The stupidity of that left me so busy looking for my chin on the floor that I missed the punch line. I'm pretty sure it had nothing to do, though, with the obvious fact that in no other country could anybody be running for President of the United States.