The heyday of bubblegum music was fairly short-lived – roughly 1968 through 1970 – and dominated by the studio formula factory of the production duo Kasenetz and Katz and the Buddha Records label, which we featured in Episode 7 of One-Hit Wonderment. 

There was another wave that made its mark before the entire bubble-gum burst. And this one was unique in the fact that all of these one-hit wonders featured one singer: Tony Burrows. Now, you may have never heard of Tony Burrows, but the prolific Engish session singer went on an amazing run in 1970.

While you might not have heard of Tony Burrows, i”m sure you heard of these tunes: “Love Grows (Where My Rosemary Goes),” “My Baby Loves Lovin,” “United We Stand,” “Gimme Dat Ding” amd “Beach Baby.” Yep, Tony Burrows sang on each one of these hits – as vocalist with a different band. 

So get ready for our episode, “One-Hits, One Singer” on One-Hit Wonderment.

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Everyone likes bubblegum, right? It’s fun, it’s sugary and sweet, and when the flavor runs out, you throw it away. But we’re not talking about the chewy confection that is still a prominent essential for many a ballplayer. No, we’re talking about bubblegum pop one-hit wonders.

Coined by producers Jerry Kasenetz and Jeffry Katz, bubblegum pop was aimed at the pre-teen and teen audience and especially from 1968 to 1972, when the genre ruled the AM radio waves. Though it’s usually dismissed as disposable, and in truth, most bubblegum acts were one-hit wonders, the best bubblegum music had a lasting and timeless effect. And believe it or not, the simplicity of bubblegum music had an influence on the emergence in the 1970s of punk rock, new wave, and even glam rock.

In this episode, “But I Like Bubblegum!”, we’ll revisit some of the biggest bubblegum hits and the interesting stories behind the bubblegum factories that produced those sticky hits.

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By the mid-1960s, the vanguard of pop music were pushing the boundaries of their art, and psychedelic rock was the next horizon. The Beatles broke ground with Revolver and Sgt, Pepper. The Beach Boys crafted Pet Sounds, and their single Good Vibrations is probably the ultimate embodiment of psychedelic rock. So, it was only natural for the rest of the pop music world to jump on the bandwagon, right? If you can’t be original, then at least try and imitate the best.

In this episode, “Let’s Get Psychedelic,” we get a little trippy with some of the more memorable psychedelic one-hit wonders. The peak of this musical trend only lasted a few years, from 1966 to 1968 before it petered out and artists moved on to more lasting and less constraining musical expressions. In fact, listening to these tunes by the Strawberry Alarm Clock, the Lemon Pipers, and Iron Butterfly may sound a bit dated, maybe even corny. But they’re a snapshot in time, and an influence on the evolution of rock music.

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Producer/songwriter/arrangers Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff, along with Thom Bell, are giants in the music industry. They are the purveyors of the Philadelphia Sound, the lush, orchestral soul music that propelled R&B music throughout the 1970s. Gamble, Huff and Bell were at the helm of hits by the O’Jays, Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes, Billy Paul, Teddy Pendergrass, to name a few.

So, why are they making an appearance on One-Hit Wonderment? Well, believe it or not, Gamble and Huff wrote hits for some artists that for some reason it became their only notable hit. Given the productivity of the Philly International hit machine, that’s bound to happen. So, in this episode, the “Gamble and Huff Touch,” we’re gonna take a look at a few one-hit wonders by the Soul Survivors, the Intruders, MFSB, all produced by the legendary Gamble and Huff team.

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No one can ever predict why a one-hit wonder becomes a one-hit wonder. Maybe it’s just a well-crafted song with a catchy hook. Maybe it’s a lyric that deeply connects with the listener, burrowing subversively into one’s subconscious. Maybe it’s just a novelty that hits a cultural nerve..

Or maybe it’s just so weird and creepy that it proves to be irresistible. You know, kind of like a wreck on the highway that you have to slow down and look. In this episode, “Just Plain Creepy One-Hits,” we’re going to look at some songs that just might make you take pause. This episode features creepy hits by Napoleon XIV, the Crazy World of Arthur Brown, and the Buoys.

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By 1965, the Beatles had conquered the world and the British Invasion was in full force: the Rolling Stones, the Kinks, the Dave Clark Five, the Who. There was an unmistakable attitude and vibe to British rock, and naturally, artists and record companies wanted to take advantage of that pop wave of British beat music.

In this episode, “Maybe They Just Sound British,” we’re going to take a look at some bands that everyone thought they came from across the pond – but didn’t. This episode features the Outsiders, the Knickerbockers, and the Easybeats.

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By the mid-1960s, pop music was in a full revolution, thanks in large part to the Beatles and the rest of the British Invasion. And a harder, edgier style of rock and roll was percolating in garages and basements everywhere. It was rock with an attitude with a hefty dose of the signature sound of the Vox Continental organ.

In this episode “Garage Punk Origins,” we’ll take a look at the origins of Garage Punk, that edgy early forerunner of what would become the genres of punk rock and garage rock. This episode features the Standells, ? and the Mysterians, and Sam the Sham and the Pharoahs.

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So,  having a one-hit wonder is an achievement in itself. But what happens  when that one-hit gets covered by another artist, which in turn becomes a  one-hit wonder for the covering artist? Are you following me?

In this episode, “One-Hit Covers of One-Hit Wonders,” we’ll take a  deep dive into the stories behind three one-hits that became cover hits  for other artists. And, in turn, one-hit wonders for those cover artists. This episode features the Strangeloves, Bow Wow Wow, Hugh Masekela, the Friends of Distinction, the Five Man Electrical Band, and Tesla.

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It’s that ear candy that becomes an earworm, drilling into your sub-consciousness. One-hit wonders – those catchy and irresistible hits that propel artists to fame, only to flame out, never able to replicate a follow-up hit. One-Hit Wonderment is an exclusive Spotify podcast that takes a unique look at the heyday of one-hit wonders, when AM radio ruled the airwaves. Each episode takes a different theme or perspective for a fun and ear-opening blast from the past.