The Song AFTER - Non-hit follow-ups to #1 songs and live performances of those same #1's by Ken Ray Wilemon and Gilbert Neal.
In the 60's and 70's there were some artists that had only one Billboard Chart hit. But sometimes that lone hit made it all the way to #1. Then, they went and recorded follow-ups, usually in a hurry, and usually at the cost of anything resembling artistic integrity. Here they are. And Ken and I perform the hits themselves. The best is toward the end when we do "The Night Chicago Died".
David Soul - Going In With My Eyes Open (1977) The follow-up to "Don't Give Up On Us Baby". From now on I will just put the previous hit in caps following the year.
John Sebastian - Hideaway (1976) Welcome Back
Rick Dees and His Cast of Idiots - Disco-rilla (1977) Disco Duck
Alan O’Day - Started Out Dancing, Ended Up Making Love (1977) Undercover Angel
Alan O'Day wrote "Angie Baby", a big hit for Helen Reddy, and "Rock and Roll Heaven" which was originally recorded by Climax ("Precious and Few"), but made a hit by The Righteous Brothers. They recorded it again with more contemporary corpses, but I cannot find that version.
Wild Cherry - Baby Don’t You Know (1977) "Play That Funky Music"
A mawkish attempt to self-aggrandize and create a mythology to continue their stardom. A pretty embarrassing self-copy. Lightning never strikes twice.
Gilbert Neal/Ken Ray Wilemon - Play That Funky Music
Gilbert Neal/Ken Ray Wilemon - Stuck In The Middle With You
Billy Swan - I’m Her Fool (1975) I Can Help
Carl Douglas - Dance the Kung Fu (1974) Kung Fu Fighting
A mawkish attempt to self-aggrandize and create a mythology to continue their stardom. A pretty embarrassing self-copy. Lightning never strikes twice.
Van McCoy - Change With The Times (1975) Do The Hustle
See, you can tell by looking at lots of these covers that women were never truly equal, more objects and subjects of boy-girl tropes from way back. Yoko Ono really had a point.
Minnie Riperton - Simple Things (1975) Loving You
There were exceptions. I've played more (of her ex-band) Rotary Connection on my show. I think they were more interesting.
Gilbert Neal/Ken Ray Wilemon - I Can Help
Gilbert Neal/Ken Ray Wilemon - Kung Fu Fighting
Terry Jacks - If You Go Away (1975) Seasons In The Sun
"If You Go Away" follows the same blueprint as "Seasons In The Sun". Take a Jacques Brel song (in this case,"Ne me quitte pas", and "Seasons...", "Le Moribond"), use an English translation, and hope ligh...tning ......stri.....kes.....twice.....
Notice he is still using the "Poppy Family" brand, the band he formed with his wife in the 60's. One of the few bands to have a sitar player as a regular member.
But "Seasons in the Sun" was on the previous album. Why is it here, too?
Amii Stewart - Light My Fire (1979) Knock On Wood
Anita Ward - Don’t Drop My Love (1979) Ring My Bell
M - Moonlight and Muzak (1979) Pop Music
Gilbert Neal/Ken Ray Wilemon - Seasons in the Sun
Gilbert Neal/Ken Ray Wilemon - Everlasting Love
Nick Gilder - Here Comes The Night (1978) Hot Child In The City
Shocking Blue - Mighty Joe (1970) Venus
Vicki Lawrence - He Did With Me (1973)
Produced by Snuff Garrett. He made all those great Cher singles from around that era.
Bill Conti - Theme From Rocky II (1979) Gonna Fly Now
Co-written by Carol Connors (above), who also co-wrote "With You I'm Born Again" by Billy Preston and Syreeta, one of my favorite singers. Ever watch "Let It Be" and wonder what Billy Preston is thinking about?
Gilbert Neal/Ken Ray Wilemon - Venus
Gilbert Neal/Ken Ray Wilemon - Hot Child In The City
Gilbert Neal/Ken Ray Wilemon - The Night Chicago Died
Poppy Family - Which Way Are You Going, Billy? (1969)
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