Monday, February 25, 2008

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?

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