Los Lobos are a Mexican - Americanrock band from Los Angeles, California, heavily influenced by rock and roll, Tex-Mex, country music, folk, blues and traditional Spanish/Mexican music such as boleros.
The wildly successful soundtrack of La Bamba 1985 catapulted Los Lobos into international stardom, earning them industry recognition and a Grammy Award.
The single - La Bamba - the title track for the film La Bamba, a biopic about Ritchie Valens, was their only number 1 hit. Los Lobos - La Bamba
Motown American psychedelic soul musical act, The Undisputed Truth never reached Number 1 but did get to number 3 on the Billboard Top 40 chart with Smiling Faces Sometimes
Future songs would get no higher than 63.
Smiling Faces Sometimes - The Undisputed Truth 1971
The Teddy Bears were an American pop music group. 1957 - 1960
They were record producer Phil Spector’s first vocal group.
Phil Spector became obsessed with a song, “To Know Him Is to Love Him”, he had written for The Teddy Bears.
After a hasty audition at ERA Records who offered to finance a studio session, The Teddy Bears recorded the song at Gold Star Studios at a total cost of $75. Released on ERA’s Dore label in August 1958, it took a full two months before “To Know Him Is to Love Him” began to get air play.
The record eventually stayed in the Hot Hundred for twenty-three weeks, resided in the Top Ten for eleven of those weeks, and commanded the #1 chart position for three weeks.
Subsequent releases by the Teddy Bears did not sell, and within a year of their impressive debut, Spector had disbanded the group.
Phil Spector on right To Know Him Is To Love Him - The Teddy Bears 1958
The Exciters were an American pop music group of the 1960s.
They were originally a girl group, with one male member being added afterwards. At the height of their popularity the group consisted of lead singer Brenda Reid, Herb Rooney, Carolyn Johnson and Lillian Walker.
They were originally called the Masterettes, as a sister group to another group called the Masters.
The group’s name was changed to the Exciters, and their first and only hit record was Tell Him which reached no. 4 in early 1962.
The highest position for any other song was 49, for You Don’t Know What You’re Missing 'Til It’s Gone in 1969 on the US R&B chart. Tell Him - The Exciters 1962
The Murmaids only had one hit in autumn of 1963, their recording of “Popsicles and Icicles” was a Top 5 hit on the charts.
Popsicles and Icicles , not only characterizes an entire innocent era of pop music and the early phase of '60s girl-group music, but was a key early career jump for several of the participants. The Murmaids were Carol Fischer, Terry Fischer, and Sally Gordon of Los Angeles. Popsicles And Icicles - The Murmaids
Randy VanWarmer was an American singer-songwriter and guitarist. His biggest and only hit song was - Just when I needed you most - 1979
It reached No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100, No 8 on the UK Singles Chart and No 1 on the Billboard Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks. Just When I Needed You Most - Randy VanWarmer 1979
In 1963, Steve Lawrence enjoyed a Top Ten hit with the song “Go Away Little Girl”.
It was his only No 1 hit song.
Steve Lawrence and his wife Eydie Gorme were one of the most popular singing duos in show business.
They won a Grammy for Best Performance by a Vocal Duo or Group for “We Got Us”.
Steve and Eydie won the Las Vegas Entertainment Award as Musical Variety Act Of The Year four times, three years consecutively. Steve and Eydie Celebrate Irving Berlin won seven Emmys.
They received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Songwriters Hall Of Fame in New York, honouring the duo’s ongoing tribute to American songwriters.
In 1995, they were the recipients of the Society of Singers prestigious Ella Lifetime Achievement Award at a gala event in Beverly Hills. The Society of Singers is a non-profit organization that exists to help professional singers that are in need of coinciding and financial assistance. Past recipients are Ella Fitzgerald (for whom the award is named), Frank Sinatra, Tony Martin and Peggy Lee.
Eydie died in 2013 and Steve died in 2024
Brenton Wood , was an American singer and songwriter. His only top 10 hit Gimme Little Sign peaked at No 9 on the US Billboard top 100 in 1967 Gimme Little Sign - Brenton Wood
John Benson Sebastian is an American singer, songwriter and musician who founded the rock band The Lovin’ Spoonful in 1964.
After two members of the band were arrested for drug possession the band began to implode.
Sebastian left the band and in 1968 and began a solo career.
He composed the music and lyrics for a Broadway play - with music called Jimmy Shine with Dustin Hoffman in the title role.
In January 1970, Sebastian released the first in a series of solo LPs.
His eponymous solo debut, John B Sebastian reached No. 20 in the Billboard Albums Charts.
in 1976, Sebastian had an unexpected No. 1 single with Welcome Back , the theme song to the sitcom Welcome Back Kotter Welcome Back - John Sebastian
Ace were a British rock band in the 1970s.
Their members included Paul Carrack, who later became famous as a vocalist for Mike and the Mechanics and as a solo artist. Ace were perhaps best known for their hit single How Long , which reached no. 3 on the US Billboard Top 100 in 1975. Ace - How Long
Starland Vocal Band had their only No 1 hit with Afternoon Delight " on July 10 1976
It was written by band member Bill Danoff.
In his own words; I didn’t want to write an all-out sex song. I just wanted to write something that was fun and hinted at sex.
It was one of those songs that you could really have a good time writing.
If the song had been banned, it would have been a real injustice.
The lyrics are subtle and sophisticated and not at all raunchy.
It might have been banned years ago, but not today Afternoon Delight - Starland Vocal Band 1976
The Sanford-Townsend Band was a moderately successful rock and roll band formed in 1974 in the United States.
They are considered a one-hit wonder who scored a hit single in 1977 with “Smoke from a Distant Fire”. After releasing a second album in 1979 “Nail Me To The Wall” the band discontinued. Smoke From A Distant Fire -Sanford-Townsend Band 1977
Nancy Sinatra married singer/actor Tommy Sands , who had reached #3 in the US in 1957 with a song called “Teen-Age Crush”.
The pair would split in 1965, after which Sands would recall, “The doors to Hollywood seemed to slam shut after the divorce from Nancy.
I couldn’t get acting roles, my singing career on TV and in films was over.” Teen-Age Crush - Tommy Sands 1957
Freda Payne is an American singer and actress.
Payne is best known for her career in music during the mid-1960s through the mid-1980s.
Her most notable record is her 1970 hit single Band of Gold which reached No 1 in the UK, No 3 in the US and No 5 in Australia. Freda Payne - Band of Gold
Terry Jacks is a Canadian singer, songwriter, guitarist and record producer known for his 1974 hit song Seasons in the Sun which reached No 1 in Canada, Australia, New Zealand, UK and the US in 1974 Terry Jacks - Seasons In The Sun
