7 One Hit Wonders...

...of my 80s world.

And these are genuine one hitters where follow-ups either flopped or didn't even materialise. Even though the chart botherings of Naked Eyes and Matt Fretton aren't of stellar proportions, they qualify because I played the song as if it were a top ten smash. So, in no particular order:

Strawberry Switchblade - Since Yesterday (mp3 Download)
Reached No.5 in 1984
You can smell the hair lacquer from here... this gorgeous tune from the Scottish girl goths has trumpets and synths and a heart-stopping middle eight. And this amazingly comprehensive website devoted to Rose and Jill makes me feel a bit guilty for including them in a 'one hit wonder' post!

Carmel - Bad Day (mp3 Download)
Reached No.15 in 1983
The Amy Winehouse of her day (without the crack cocaine habit), Manchester lass Carmel has a voice which sends shivers down all the right places. Although there were critically acclaimed albums produced by the likes of Brian Eno, Carmel (the name of the band and the lead singer, confusingly) never really bothered the singles charts. They were massive in France though!

Naked Eyes - Always Something There to Remind Me (mp3 Download)
Reached No.59 in 1983
These two look like second-hand car dealers but did in fact have three big hits in the US of A while being virtually ignored here, hence the dismal number 59 placing. But it was a hit in my eyes anyway. Sadly, Rob Fisher died in 1999, but he did have quite a bit of homegrown success with Climie Fisher.

Krush - House Arrest (mp3 Download)
Reached No.3 in 1987
Yet another Sheffield creation (that city has a disproportionate amount of musical talent!), Krush was an amalgamation of dance writers and producers including Mark Brydon of Moloko. The track came from FON studios which also produced other one-hitters The Funky Worm. Ruth Joy, the singer, later went on to marry house supremo, Inner City's Kevin Saunders.
*UPDATE* - NOW ON A zSHARE LINK (WHICH SHOULD LAST LONGER)

Blue Mercedes - I Want To Be Your Property (mp3 Download)
Reached No.23 in 1987
This duo bounced around in shorts all over Saturday morning TV in 1987. Sounding like ABC and fed through The Hit Factory they should have been a lot bigger but the songs which followed just weren't very good. David Titlow, the vocalist, went on to better things though as a bona fide photographer.
*UPDATE* - NOW ON A zSHARE LINK (WHICH SHOULD LAST LONGER)

Matt Fretton - It's So High (mp3 Download)
Reached No.50 in 1983
This Dave Gahan look and sound alike was touted as the next big thing, even getting his own cover of Smash Hits before the single was even released. He had support slots with Depeche Mode and the Eurythmics and then the record came out. And no one bought it. Except for me, and I still love it.
*UPDATE* - NOW ON A zSHARE LINK (WHICH SHOULD LAST LONGER)

Jimmy the Hoover - Tantalise (mp3 Download)
Reached No.18 in 1983
A similar story to the above, Jimmy the Hoover was a band with credentials coming out of their ears: managed by Malcolm McLaren and a Smash Hits cover touting their future greatness (they were that good at picking 'em). And then the record came out. And no one bought it. Except for me, and I still love it.