The Daily Dose/April 14, 2023
By Gaylon Kent – America’s Funniest Guy™
Leading Off
Notes from around our human experience.
BETTER LATE THAN NEVER: While doing some research for the beloved On This Date segment yesterday we came across the tidbit that on April 13, 1985, USA for Africa hit #1 with We Are The World. The feat was noted in last year’s column, so there was no reason to include it this year.
Already With The Dry, Technical Matter: The song was only in its fourth week on the Hot 100 and while it spent four weeks at the top, it fell off the chart fairly rapidly and some are surprised to find it was only Billboard’s 20th-biggest song of the year.
Back On Message: The item also noted that a rather dull discussion could be had regarding whether or not USA for Africa was entitled to Ultimate One-Hit Wonder status, with Ultimate One-Hit Wonder being defined as an act whose only chart single goes to #1.
Oh Jesus H: We are going to have that discussion now.
Get Your Dry, Technical Matter Right Here: There have been 17 Ultimate One-Hit Wonders since the Hot 100 era (1958 to now) in 1958, a total that does not include new acts whose first hit went to #1 and can reasonably be expected to have further hits.
This Whole Item Is Dry, Technical Matter, Isn’t It?: USA for Africa was a collection of superstars and proceeds from the song went to aid those in Africa who were hungry. The artists never recorded together again, so not only did they not have another hit, they didn’t produce a body of work to draw from, either.
The Bottom Line: For this reason, we do not include USA for Africa on our list of Ultimate One-Hit Wonders: they were not an act in the strictest sense, but a collection of artists collaborating on a one-time project. Now, you might have them on your personal list of Ultimate One-Hit Wonders – and who doesn’t have one, really? – but that’s your lookout, not ours. It’s our column, and they do not belong on the list.
Today At The Site
Writing worth reading. Usually.
The Diary of a Nobody – Detective Sparrow tries to find out what the constables are up to out by the post office. Today’s Diary.
Unfortunately, it’s still dark at zero-dark-thirty, so it was tuff to see what the deal was, despite lites that could be seen from the International Space Station…
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On This Date
Extra, extra, read all about it.
In 2014 – The Islamist militant organization Boko Haram conducts two bombings in central Nigeria and kidnaps 276 schoolgirls in eastern Nigeria. The bombing kills 88 people and injured over 200 more. The girls were taken from a government secondary school in Chibok, a village with a Christain majority. Several dozen girls escaped immediately and while others have also been found, it is believed that over 100 girls are still unaccounted for.
In 1929 – The first Monaco Gran Prix is run, with Great Britain’s William Grover-Williams winning the 100-lap, 197-mile race in 3 hours, 56 minutes, 11 seconds, beating Georges Bouriano of Romania by 1 minute and 17 seconds. It was the second of seven Gran Prix wins for Grover-Williams – who also raced as W Williams – and was his only win in Monaco. The road course is still in use, with the only changes concurrent with changes in Monaco’s streets, though the start/finish line has been moved several times over the years.
In 1962 – Shelley Fabares is at #1 on Billboard’s Hot 100 for the second and final consecutive week with Johnny Angel. It was the first of four chart singles for Fabares, then 18, and remains her only Top 10 hit. The song also went to #1 in New Zealand and Canada, peaked at #41 in Great Britain, and was Billboard’s 6th-biggest song of the year. Fabares was appearing in The Donna Reed Show at the time and the song made its first appearance on the show.
Some Philosophy Crap
The wisdom of the ages. Whatever.
One thorn of experience is worth a whole wilderness of warning.
James Russell Lowell
Answer To The Last Trivia Question
Knowledge is power.
Billboard’s #1 soul song of 1974 was Feel Like Makin’ Love by Roberta Flack, which spent five weeks at #1.
Today’s Stumper
Match wits with Gaylon. It’s not that hard.
What song by an Ultimate One-Hit Wonder spent the most weeks at #1? – Answer next time!
