Least Successful UK Top 40 artist

[billywho]

Came across this artist and song in a list of the "Least Successful UK Top 40 Artists". The criteria for the list was that the artist had one song that made Number 40 for one week, and then never achieved entry into the Top 40 with any other song, ever.

Clue: Female artist, charted in the UK for one week at Number 40 in 1979.

[Greg Wilson]

Hi Billywho: Can't believe you posted this! I managed and produced the Most Successful Least Successful act in UK chart history (as pointed out in I think it was the 13th Edition of The Guinness Book Of Hit Singles). Let me explain:

To be the Least Successful you need to spend just one week at the lowest possible UK chart position, #75. This has happened to a number of acts, but what happened to the Ruthless Rap Assassins, is unique. They had two singles make the chart, both in 1990, 'Just Mellow' and 'And It Wasn't A Dream', and, you've guessed, each of these records spent one week only at #75!

I won't answer the question you set, but add these further clues:

The track has a three word title and the label was hot.

[jazz_pilgrim]

Was it Chantal Curtis - Get Another Love??

[billywho]

Was it Chantal Curtis - Get Another Love??

No, unfortunately it wasn't. Don't think that got anywhere near the charts, but I'm sure I'll be corrected if I'm wrong.

Another clue: Armand Van Helden.

[Greg Wilson]

Billywho: Didn't get quite as high as #40, but 'Get Another Love' did manage to reach #51 in the UK.

Another clue:

First word of title and surname of artist both have five letters.

[BrunoRepublic]

Another clue: Armand Van Helden.

Hmm... I can't think of any artists or songs named "suck"...

[Greg Wilson]

Seeing nobody has answered yet, a final clue:

Top 40 hits in the UK on the same label during the late 70's/early 80's by Shalamar, Dynasty and The Whispers.

[Jeff H]

A wild guess, based solely on a few of the clues: "Dance With You" by Carrie Lucas...?

[billywho]

A wild guess, based solely on a few of the clues: "Dance With You" by Carrie Lucas...?

Hooray!

You win the prize, Jeff H, but unfortunately I don't have one to give away...

What's your favourite Carrie Lucas tune? Mine is "It's Not What You Got (It's How You Use It)".

Have a look here for the list of least successful UK chart artists and songs, along with lots of other UK chart trivia.
http://www.everyhit.com/record2.html

[Jeff H]

I guess my favo(u)rite Carrie Lucas song is "Dance With You," which probably explains how I was able to guess the answer to your quiz.

I still don't get the Armand Van Helden clue (did he do a remix of the song?), but I do agree with Graham's assessment of his "talent."

[billywho]

I still don't get the Armand Van Helden clue (did he do a remix of the song?), but I do agree with Graham's assessment of his "talent."

"Dance With You" was sampled in "You Don't Know Me" by Armand Van Helden, a huge tune in the UK, though I'm not sure how big it was elsewhere.

I can't quibble with Graham's assessment because I haven't heard much else by Armand Van Helden, and anyway I have little interest in today's dance music "personalities". But, for me, "You Don't Know Me" was a fabulous tune.

[markydefad]

I bought one thing by Mr. Van Helden--"The Funk Phenomena" (repititious but catchy) which they used to play on Groove Radio. Everything else I ever heard sucked like Monica Lewinsky on her knees in the Oval Office. :oops: :P :oops: :P :oops: :P

[BrunoRepublic]

I can't quibble with Graham's assessment because I haven't heard much else by Armand Van Helden, and anyway I have little interest in today's dance music "personalities".

The success of blandfill like AVH's work is the reason why you (and I) have no interest in today's dance music. Funny how someone who's considered a "personality" makes music that is so boring, monotonous, unimaginitive, and utterly lacking in personality.

Was that my outside voice?

[billywho]

The success of blandfill like AVH's work is the reason why you (and I) have no interest in today's dance music. Funny how someone who's considered a "personality" makes music that is so boring, monotonous, unimaginitive, and utterly lacking in personality.

I'm probably not as anti today's dance music as you are, Graham, in fact, I like some of the stuff I hear very much. But I have no interest in it. Even for tunes I enjoy, I couldn't care less who the artist is, or whether he produces another song in the remainder of his career. Armand Van Helden's "You Don't Know Me" is a case in point. There is so much stuff out these days, and there's many a modern dance tune I've heard and enjoyed, then never heard it again, because I simply don't have the desire to find out who the artist is or even what it's called. It's musical wallpaper (or "blandfill" as you called it), but it enables my gym sessions to pass pleasantly enough. Yes, I'd prefer to have Cocomotion on instead (in fact I'd prefer anything pre-85 to all of today's dance music output), but I don't think it would please the other gym occupants...

[SandraDee]

I know I'm late with this Billywho but I had to say I feel so much the same as u do re post-1990 (I go a bit further than '85 :) dance music; I've got a passing interest in what's happening & i actually quite like some acid jazz & nu-disco/house stuff but I just can't get interested in the artists or music like I do with the older dance/disco stuff. Today's stuff, even the classier stuff, just seems so disposable, while older disco, even the cheesier stuff is so much more INTERESTING, dont u think?!

[billywho]

I know I'm late with this Billywho but I had to say I feel so much the same as u do re post-1990 (I go a bit further than '85 :) dance music; I've got a passing interest in what's happening & i actually quite like some acid jazz & nu-disco/house stuff but I just can't get interested in the artists or music like I do with the older dance/disco stuff. Today's stuff, even the classier stuff, just seems so disposable, while older disco, even the cheesier stuff is so much more INTERESTING, dont u think?!

I suppose it's just a specific case of the universal law that when you get a surfeit of anything, then you gradually lose interest in it. Today we're being subjected to a massive overdose of similar sounding songs, and the resulting lack of interest and passion on behalf of the audience is entirely predictable. This is an extremely hypothetical question, I know, but I wonder what the reaction would have been if [insert any moderately decent modern trance track here] had been released in 1983.

I'll let you off about the 85/90 thing (!); I think you're right about there being a cut-off point around 1990, when techno and rave music started to completely take over (that's not to say I didn't enjoy it - I have a huge number of techno and rave CDs that I'll get around to selling one of these days). As regards "dance", things went gradually downhill between 85 and 90 (I don't really have any big favourites after 85), but of course in 86 House music took off in a big way, and I still remember well the excitement I felt on hearing the early Farley Jackmaster Funk stuff.

[SandraDee]

Oh yes, I thought house music in '86 was tremendously exciting & different, & I too loved Farley Jackmaster funk's 'Love Cant turn Around' but can u believe its still around 17 years later in a slightly different format (come on, admit that current 'nu -disco' such as the Hed Kandi stuff isn't that much different to the '86 stuff). It really is about time for something different but I s'pose the technology today doesn't allow for originality!

[billywho]

Can u believe its still around 17 years later in a slightly different format (come on, admit that current 'nu -disco' such as the Hed Kandi stuff isn't that much different to the '86 stuff). It really is about time for something different but I s'pose the technology today doesn't allow for originality!

I certainly think trance, which still seems to be popular, hasn't changed one iota in at least 10 years. Amazing longevity, really, when you think about it. I can pick up and play one of the trance compilation CDs I bought in, say, '92, and you couldn't tell any difference between it and the tracks you hear today. I still remember when Gat Decor's "Passion" and Jam And Spoon's "Stella" appeared, and how radical and exciting they were at the time, probably the first two trance tunes I ever heard.

Things will change when "the buying public" (whoever they may be) get bored and want something different. You can't force the issue. Things take their natural course. Doesn't really matter to me, since, when I have the choice, I listen to late 70s/early 80s music, and will continue to do so.