Obscure bands/one hit wonders

[UTCzech III 2907]

MaxHorn, hulla and others were great on the other board about highlighting those bands on the fringes, stuff you picked up for one reason or another, maybe you loved the band but they just never made it.  Thought this could be a catch-all for your favorite memories.  For me, I lived out in the country between Sealy and Columbus, not a record store in miles.  In the back of Rolling Stone, you could order these mail-order catalogs featuring all kinds of import/independent records you couldn't find anywhere else.  I would order stuff just based on the descriptions, they were usually pretty cheap and worth the gamble.  I remember in the summer just waiting for the mailman to show up, we lived on a dirt road (the only house) and you could see the mailman coming half a mile away from the dust cloud.  Hoping today was going to be the day my records showed up.  Then running to the mailbox to pick them up (I remember, if it was an LP too big to fit inside, the mailman would attach it to the outside of the mailbox with a rubberband...).  Just a great time.

Anyway, first up, this band was pretty big in Australia but never did anything here in the States.  This was a cool 4-song EP on Stiff Records, great pop band (I still have all of these BTW, some of my most treasured records just base on the memories..)

The Sports:
(EP cover)

 

Edited April 1, 2019 by UTCzech III

[UTCzech III 2907]

Next up, Wreckless Eric.  I played the hell out of this one, just great Brit Pop in the Nick Lowe vein (Lowe may have produced this, can't remember).  12-inch single on orange vinyl, just a wall of chiming guitars and thick harmonies:

(the 12-inch is pictured on the video, different labels and color scheme on each side)

 

[UTCzech III 2907]

Finally, Martha and the Muffins.  A Canadian band, they later shortened their name to "M+M" and had a hit with "Black Stations/White Stations".  This one is not so great, just your standard pop song, but I did dig the green vinyl and the nod to the Who at the end:

 

[jimmyjazz 45958]

Wow, I've never heard of The Sports.  That tune is great.  Reminds me of a slightly garage-y Joe Jackson.

I used to go see these guys as an undergrad in Missouri.  The started out as Steve, Bob and Rich, but became The Rainmakers after signing a major label deal.  Very much in the same vein as what you posted, not too far off the Georgia Satellites, either:

 

[UTCzech III 2907]

That's good stuff, very Georgia Satellite-ish.  I like the Charlie Brown reference...

Edited April 1, 2019 by UTCzech III

[Rip76 4928]

 

[irishtexan 11519]

3 hours ago, UTCzech III said:

Next up, Wreckless Eric.  I played the hell out of this one, just great Brit Pop in the Nick Lowe vein (Lowe may have produced this, can't remember).  12-inch single on orange vinyl, just a wall of chiming guitars and thick harmonies:

(the 12-inch is pictured on the video, different labels and color scheme on each side)

 

That's not even his One Hit!

He's great. 

[UTCzech III 2907]

He is, but still never got much play in the US, a little on college/community stations, but never enough.  This could also be a college/indie rock thread, Sparks is fairly well known but still never got more than underground love...  Had this album many years ago, got ruined in a flood...

 

[UTCzech III 2907]

I never had this one except on a cassette I taped off of KPFT in Houston late one night.  Took me forever to find it, eventually tracked down a CD re-issue of their first two albums, classic early 80's Los Angeles quirky pop.

 

Edited April 1, 2019 by UTCzech III

[UTCzech III 2907]

34 minutes ago, Rip76 said:

 

Yeah!  Recently transferred my complete cassette collection over to digital, this one I had to burn to CD to keep in the car, great album.

[retread 2951]

I guess these guys qualify. Played on college rock station in mid 90s. I googled them and they actually appeared recently on Fallon's show.

Several good songs on Here's to the Losers album.

 

[HenryJames 66065]

 

[Carl Spackler 3483]

The Elvis Brothers . . . not the Graham Elvis Brothers.

[UTCzech III 2907]

Hot damn, that's awesome, thanks for that!  Love that roadhouse rock-n-roll. Reminds me of a guy that came out in the early 90's, Webb Wilder.  One of those journeyman rockers who got a little airplay then disappeared.  This is the only song of his I ever remember hearing on the radio, but I still dig it, just rocks. Kind of Georgia Satellites meets Dave Edmunds.

 

Edited April 2, 2019 by UTCzech III

[Carl Spackler 3483]

"Pretty Little Lights of Town" was the first song I recall hearing by Webb Wilder.  That was after I heard the Leroi Brothers' version.  Not sure which of 'em wrote it, but it's a damn good song.     

[UTCzech III 2907]

Oh man, the Leroi Bros, bringing back lots of good memories.

[retread 2951]

Hadn't heard this one in a long time

 

[UTCzech III 2907]

Fuck yeah!  Keep 'em coming!

[Ths71 472]

Hot damn, that's awesome, thanks for that!  Love that roadhouse rock-n-roll. Reminds me of a guy that came out in the early 90's, Webb Wilder.  One of those journeyman rockers who got a little airplay then disappeared.  This is the only song of his I ever remember hearing on the radio, but I still dig it, just rocks. Kind of Georgia Satellites meets Dave Edmunds.
 

Last of the Full Grown Men.

"Work hard, rock hard, eat hard, sleep hard,
grow big, wear glasses if you need 'em."
-- The Webb Wilder Credo --
Saw him in Dallas in the early 90s. One of the loudest shows ever.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[Ths71 472]

Fun party band. Had some top 40 hits in Canada. Nice cheap cheezy videos. 

[Hate 20108]

Here is one I always liked.  The only time I ever heard it was on some local Austin channel that I can't remember that would show videos from time to time. 

 

[Ths71 472]

Mid 70s R&B from the UK. Killer guitar by Wilko Johnson.

Edited April 2, 2019 by Ths71

[irishtexan 11519]

48 minutes ago, Hate said:

Here is one I always liked.  The only time I ever heard it was on some local Austin channel that I can't remember that would show videos from time to time. 

 

Look, I'm not trying to be a dick here, but Spoon has put out 9 studio records, sold in excess of a million records, toured the world and can hardly be considered obscure or "one-hit"

[irishtexan 11519]

 

[Wyatt Mann 17]

I really like this song. It was on the Sopranos.

 

[Hate 20108]

40 minutes ago, irishtexan said:

Look, I'm not trying to be a dick here, but Spoon has put out 9 studio records, sold in excess of a million records, toured the world and can hardly be considered obscure or "one-hit"

I'm not trying to be obtuse here, but this is the only song of theirs I've ever heard so to me it fit the criteria.  Sorry to ruin your one hit wonder party and I will refrain from postin any further multi-hit artists.

[irishtexan 11519]

13 minutes ago, Hate said:

I'm not trying to be obtuse here, but this is the only song of theirs I've ever heard so to me it fit the criteria.  Sorry to ruin your one hit wonder party and I will refrain from postin any further multi-hit artists.

Again, I said I'm not trying to be a dick. Sorry you don't understand the thread topic or know anything about the artist that you posted. 

[UTCzech III 2907]

I agree Spoon is definitely well-known, but they've always escaped me, outside the odd video I've seen posted here or there.  What I've heard I like, I'm just too old to put much money or time into digging deep into "unknown" bands anymore.  I've got enough music to last 5 lifetimes, I'm happy with it.  Back to Spoon, no worries, I'll allow it.  Nirvana?  That's just fucking trolling...

[Ths71 472]

One of two minor hits they had. Always loved this song.

[UTCzech III 2907]

Yes!  Thanks for reminding me, I got this on a 12-inch EP when it came out.  Bout time to dig it out and slap it on the turntable, have an 80's night!

[UTCzech III 2907]

3 hours ago, Ths71 said:

Fun party band. Had some top 40 hits in Canada. Nice cheap cheezy videos. 

Bryan Ferry put on some weight...  Looks like Canada's version of Huey Lewis & the News... (yeah, I like Huey Lewis.)

[Pogo 284]

I wore the hell out of this CD.  This was The Refreshments' only hit, but Roger Clyne has been making great music for the last 20 years.  He'll be in Austin again in June.

 

[Carl Spackler 3483]

8 hours ago, retread said:

Hadn't heard this one in a long time

 

One of my faves.  It just rips relentlessly.

[Carl Spackler 3483]

RIP Charlie Chesterman

 

[Gil Bang 25960]

On 4/1/2019 at 10:57 AM, UTCzech III said:

Finally, Martha and the Muffins.  A Canadian band, they later shortened their name to "M+M" and had a hit with "Black Stations/White Stations".  This one is not so great, just your standard pop song, but I did dig the green vinyl and the nod to the Who at the end:

 

Martha and the Muffins were in pretty heavy rotation on KSPC here in socal (college radio at The Claremont Colleges).   Good stuff. 

[RPM 26321]

Cap'n Geech and The Shrimp Shack Shooters

[Carl Spackler 3483]

Some folks compared these guys to REM, but I personally never understood the comparison . . . beyond being guitar-driven quartets in the 80's writing catchy songs with sometimes cryptic lyrics.  Translator put out some good stuff, but these are my two favorites.

 

 

[UTCzech III 2907]

Been trying to clear the cobwebs out of my brain, came across another one - checking out wiki, apparently Mr. Myrick had done pretty well for himself over the years...

 

[jimmyjazz 45958]

On 4/1/2019 at 4:40 PM, UTCzech III said:

I never had this one except on a cassette I taped off of KPFT in Houston late one night.  Took me forever to find it, eventually tracked down a CD re-issue of their first two albums, classic early 80's Los Angeles quirky pop.

That's Ron Flynt on bass, he runs a studio here in Austin and has done a little music here and there.

[MAROON 445]

 

 

[Carl Spackler 3483]

This is fun.

The answer to the trivia question, "Who replaced Sinead O'Connor on SNL in 1990 when she canceled on short notice in protest of the fact that Andrew Dice Clay would be hosting the show?"  Spanic Boys.

RIP Tom Spanic.

 

I love the guitar solo on this one -- it matches the loping beat of the song perfectly.

 

I first heard this next one when I clicked on a video link on the Spanic Boys website several years ago.  The video was a delight -- just the song being played over excerpts of home movies from the 50's and 60's taken when Tom Spanic was a boy.  The home movies gave the song a sense of poignancy.  Now the video is no longer on the website, and it's not on Youtube, either.  The only version I can find is this one.  But the song is still a fine one -- the harmonies between Tom Spanic and his cousin, Butch Westphal, are terrific.

 

EDIT:

Found the actual video on Vimeo.

 

Edited April 3, 2019 by Carl Spackler

[Seasick Sailor 3747]

Saw this band open for Iron and Wine at Rudyards in '04 or so. Not sure if they ever got big, but I loved their first album:

 

[Ths71 472]

First band signed to Factory Records and probably the least well known. Vini Reilly on guitar.

[UTCzech III 2907]

Very cool.  I didn't post any Joy Division since they are obviously not obscure, but they were one of those bands I discovered through the import catalogs, still have my original 12-inch singles of She's Lost Control and Love Will Tear Us Apart.  Also had an original UK pressing of Unknown Pleasures that I sold off back in college when I was broke, still kicking myself in the ass over that one.  I remember seeing the Durutti Column listed a lot in those catalogs.  Good stuff, I will dive deeper into their music.

[Ths71 472]

34 minutes ago, UTCzech III said:

Very cool.  I didn't post any Joy Division since they are obviously not obscure, but they were one of those bands I discovered through the import catalogs, still have my original 12-inch singles of She's Lost Control and Love Will Tear Us Apart.  Also had an original UK pressing of Unknown Pleasures that I sold off back in college when I was broke, still kicking myself in the ass over that one.  I remember seeing the Durutti Column listed a lot in those catalogs.  Good stuff, I will dive deeper into their music.

I wasn't familiar with them until I heard this with the Otis Redding samples on "24 Hour Party People". It was mesmerizing.

 

[Carl Spackler 3483]

 

[strangulation! 1716]

the Neil Young thread got me looking for Powderfinger covers, which ended here:

 

 

 

[GhostOfTomJoad 9324]

 

Gotta admit that this song by Cock Robin still has a crazy power over me. Anna LaCazio was so mesmerizing

[TexArcher 37776]

One of my favorite one-hit wonder songs of all time.  Alvin Lee on the guitar.

Edit: one-hit wonder to us, that is; they apparently had quite a following in Britain.

Edited April 5, 2019 by TexArcher

[TexArcher 37776]