C's one hit wonder...?

[smoothie2]

Of course we all know that Richard and Karen had many hit songs, and seems there was no stopping them because of their enormous
talents....But what if....I'm thinking that their first real "hit" tune was Close to You...and then folks world over were ready for more and more, and that's what happened....But just what if...
would you say that Cl. to You would have been their "one hit wonder"...
if things had gone much different for them?
I think that the music business has always been a hard thing to grab onto and to hold onto, and thankfully the Carpenters were able to do that.

Other groups or individuals only turn out one hit and mostly are known only by that one song, I'm not sure who sang the oldie song "Louie, Louie..."...a British group and many have never been quite sure what the exact lyrics for that have been. But that was their one hit wonder, (as far as I know of).
The country/rock singer...Billy Ray Cyrus is mostly known for "Achey Brakey Heart".
I think mostly you all know what I mean.
What song, one song, do you think would have been the C's ONE HIT WONDER?
I think it would have been Close to You. Although, they did very well with
Superstar and We've only Just Begun.
Perhaps someone would like to give this a poll just for the fun of it.
Anyway, I just happened to think along these lines, and I just wonder if you all feel the same way or would also come up with Close to You.
Also, feel free to lend a hand on some truly one hit wonder songs....!

[enigma]

I would tend to agree with Close to You or Weve Only Just Beguns as the best known songs by the Carpenters or hypothetically could be their one hit wonder songs had things gone different however its really difficult to imagine one hit wonder status on such a gifted duo.

I think you may be referring to the biggest or best known hits of an artist because very few artists only have one hit song even Billly Ray had more than Achy Breaky Heart. Some that come to mind are hooked on a feeling by blue suade or just suade I believe baby don't get hooked on me by mac davis magic by pilot and so many more artist that showed up on my old K-Tel records I used to get in the 1970s

[smoothie2]

hey thanks Enigma, I think you've stated it just right. As I said, when I got the idea here....it was just something that flew over....I couldn't get things straight in my head...(nuthin' new there..ha)
Anyway, so it goes.

[Rick Henry]

If Carpenters were a one hit wonder it would have to be "Close To You" as that was their first hit and if they were to be a one hit wonder it would have stopped after that first hit.

Now many of the artists that people consider to be one hit wonders actually had three or four hits... but with that one hit that really stands out. So it could have happened that Carpenters could have had #1 with "Close To You", then #12 with "We've Only Just Begun", then #34 with "For All We Know" and then #61 with "Rainy Days And Mondays" and then finally #92 with "Superstar" - but really all those songs are way to fantastic to peak at such low positions.

As for Mac Davis he actually a total of 4 top 20 hits... "Baby Don't Get Hooked On Me (1972) #1, "One Hell Of A Woman (1974) #11, "Stop And Smell The Roses (1974) #9 and "Rock and Roll (I Gave You The Best Years Of My Life)" (1975) #15.

Even the Knack had three hits with "MY Sharona" #1 (1979), "Good Girls Don't" #11 (1979) and "Baby Talks Dirty" #38 (1980).

We had a pretty good "One Hit Wonders" conversation going on at this link:
carponline.proboards21.com/index.cgi?board=70s&action=display&thread=1106231437

[YesterdayOnceMore]

I'm in complete agreement with all of you - I think the "one hit" would have to be Close To You....People sat up straight and paid attention when they heard that song. It got some good air time, and it was marvelous because one could hear that choral harmony effect Richard wanted to get out there so badly with his other bands - when they sang "....eyes of bluuuuuuuuuueeeeeeeeee" - that was a teaser - then the Waaaahhhhhsss at the end. Yowser! What a sound.

NOT TO MENTION KAREN'S VOICE. That unmistakably beautiful "basement" voice of Karen's. So amazing.

That's my two cents. Interesting topic, Katt!
Tim

[smoothie2]

thanks Rick for sparking things up a bit...I do recall some of that thread of thoughts along these lines, and I'll look back through that too.
Oh yes, I do know that few artists who would make it big enough for one hit, would surely have a few others.
I don't know how much of a hit it was, but I like Mac Davis with "Lubbock in my Rear view mirror" and "Lord it's hard to be Humble"
I recall a cute skit he did also on the Muppets and singing Baby Don't Get Hooked on Me to Miss Piggy and he's sitting on a big fish hook and it's funny.
In any case, thanks also Tim for your "2 cents"...really they add up to quite a bit around here by now!
gotta go for now

[smoothie2]

admin said:

If Carpenters were a one hit wonder it would have to be "Close To You" as that was their first hit and if they were to be a one hit wonder it would have stopped after that first hit.

Now many of the artists that people consider to be one hit wonders actually had three or four hits... but with that one hit that really stands out. So it could have happened that Carpenters could have had #1 with "Close To You", then #12 with "We've Only Just Begun", then #34 with "For All We Know" and then #61 with "Rainy Days And Mondays" and then finally #92 with "Superstar" - but really all those songs are way to fantastic to peak at such low positions.

As for Mac Davis he actually a total of 4 top 20 hits... "Baby Don't Get Hooked On Me (1972) #1, "One Hell Of A Woman (1974) #11, "Stop And Smell The Roses (1974) #9 and "Rock and Roll (I Gave You The Best Years Of My Life)" (1975) #15.

Even the Knack had three hits with "MY Sharona" #1 (1979), "Good Girls Don't" #11 (1979) and "Baby Talks Dirty" #38 (1980).

We had a pretty good "One Hit Wonders" conversation going on at this link:
carponline.proboards21.com/index.cgi?board=70s&action=display&thread=1106231437

Oh wow thanks for that Terrific link Rick..that's a very interestingss thread there. It's fun to try to joggle my brain and recall some of those. I do recall a great deal of them.
What memories indeed!
I just love so many of them, and that's why I mostly am stuck with 70's music and some 80's.
>>>>><<<<****
ONE THING FOR SURE: you are so right about how much MORE the Carps. became ...they just will always be in a whole different
Class of music all by themselves. They were so gifted that they could put together just about any type of music....they were SO destined
to continue their climb of success.
Hit after hit.
>>>><<<

[wisejester7]

Everyone says "(They Long To Be) Close To You" would be the Carpenters' one hit (wonder), but I was just checking our log (kept in check by O.E.) and it seems "We've Only Just Begun" is tops.
It could be tops because that was their signature song.

I know the Christmas season will alter our poll/log, because then every radio station around the country suddenly remembers the wonderful music of the Carpenters and Karen's golden voice.

[Rick Henry]

wisejester7 said:

Everyone says "(They Long To Be) Close To You" would be the Carpenters' one hit (wonder), but I was just checking our log (kept in check by O.E.) and it seems "We've Only Just Begun" is tops.
It could be tops because that was their signature song.

I know the Christmas season will alter our poll/log, because then every radio station around the country suddenly remembers the wonderful music of the Carpenters and Karen's golden voice.

If we're talking one hit wonder it would have to be the song that was their first hit, because after their first hit the hits would have stopped coming. "Close To You" has the distinction of being their first hit. If CTY didn't exist then certainly WOJB would be their One Hit Wonder.

As for the Song Log, I feel that the Christmas songs should remain in a separate category as it is an uneven sort of calculation.