True or false?
I happen to think all the best records are often one off hits - going way back.
But then I'm biased - I've built a career from them.
Everyone's Gone To The Moon was a novelty hit in 1965 and so were It's Good News Week, Johnny Reggae, Who Let The Dogs Out, etc etc
Much though Chumbawamba wanted to be a REAL BAND (they would have been if they had listened to me and followed Tubthumping with Ugh Your Ugly Houses and then Homophobia). they are remembered as a one off novelty hitmaker who got knocked down and then got up again.
Orson had a novelty hit with No Tomorrow because an expert in one hit wonders spotted it (me) and they have since sunk without trace.
Indeed, I think the quest to build artistes out of one off hits has contributed to killing the business.
More novelty hits and less spend on trying to turn Jaz Mann into a star and we'd all be far better off!
It's only greed and lust for big profits that fuelled this desire to turn huge, real novelty smashes into "artistes with albums".
One offs are far more fun, and can be very rewarding financially too.
Incidentally I see The Wurzels are rereleasing I Am A Cider Drinker.
Whose hit was that based on, again?

First of all, Melanie`s "Brand New Bicycle" was a novelty hit turned into a further novelty hit which is an interesting approach.
I suppose this technically makes the Wurzels a parody novelty hit, makeing "crossover" not a new watch-word!

I think the key to hits is still to attract the ears of the non music lover, the first record I ever bought was a novelty record, in fact the first ten when I think about it.

I never saw "Everyones Gone To the Moon" as a novelty, but then I was only five and missed the ironies in the lyrics.

The trouble is unless an act is manufactured either by themselves or others, the "chuck it at the wall and see if it sticks "situation will be with us a long time.

Yes Mart; Brand New Key became Combine Harvester but what did Cider Drinker start as?

If you make me sing "Una Paloma Blanca" one more time I will be very cross indeed!

I`d forgotten that one actually, I actually booked the Wurzels once.

The irony is that in their awfulness they are brilliant.

Can't forget Djing and observing the reaction to the following songs:

Nutbush
Bus Stop
YMCA
Can't get you outta my head
Lets get it started

We can all learn from this in terms of making fun records and not taking ourselves too seriously.

My favourite Novelty song of my childhood has got to be Hey Fatty Bum Bum

Fattie Bum Bum on, of course, UK Records KZ... should I rerelease it? Put it up on iTunes? You tell me!

Definitely i know i for one would buy it and so would many of us who remember the song from 1974. I still have memories of a school bus full of kids singing it on the way to swimming in London.

It was allways my Mums favourite, she used to really irritate me ironing to it and singing it!
Its worth a re-issue on download being not on the new album.

Give it a shot, the cost is quite painless, the waiting for a release date can be though.

Make a video JK I love it. Most are good for the first time then get more boring I had to take off Dont Pass Me By on my mp3 player never let ringo starr write a song a again.

im listening to 'everyone's gone to the moon' and some of your other tunes on Listen here.

Tell me JK how do you approach writing these one offs and how in this day and age would you advise others to approach their songs.

JK2006 wrote:
Fattie Bum Bum on, of course, UK Records KZ... should I rerelease it? Put it up on iTunes? You tell me!

For the cost involved you may as well. Pressing and distribution would have been a block but that's not relevant for downloads.

Why not?

The Smurfs continue to make killings with their party compilations. There's a difference between one-off hits and novelties.

"Popcorn" was great. "Ring my Bell" still is. The Black Eyed Peas are, to a degree, stylish novelties. Repeat after me, "My humps, my humps, my little lady lumps..."

That is a great line Michael, I adore it.

See what I mean? You can dance to that even accapella.

ah, Mart. Have you finally given in and tried slipping into national costume to do the global yobal yet? I think Nathan may have tried it, but has not yet come out. I know have.

...when I supported one of his acts, which I didnt know it was at the time, the backing band were happily looking through the parts, with great confidence, but I wish I had a video camera on me for the moment when their stage costumes arrived.
Suffice to say, they were the finest bunch of leprachauns I had ever worked with!