🎸A Very Deep Dive Nineties Friday!
With Eve 6 & Spacehog & Harvey Danger & Primitive Radio Gods! Talking These Bands One Hit Wonder Classic Tunes & Digging Into The Alternative Outcomes Of Second Single Choices! 1998/1997/1996/1995 🎸
On this Nineties Friday, instead of just sharing tunes I will be picking Four “One Hit Wonders” but also share & talk the follow up singles that didn’t get same attention and I’ll share a different track off each record I think would have maybe made a difference.
Band - Eve 6
Album - Eve 6 (1998)
First up it’s the album “Eve 6” from the band Eve 6! There 1998 debut album where the song Inside Out went huge summer of 1998!
Inside Out ⬇️
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T8Xb_7YDroQ&pp=ygUQZXZlIDYgaW5zaWRlIG91dA%3D%3D
The label pushed the band to make the second single Leech ⬇️
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TB_g3KYs2QM&pp=ygULZXZlIDYgbGVlY2g%3D
Not a bad tune at all! I like it
But it bombed commercially and the band had no hits beyond Inside Out. They did have a minor hit in 2001 off the next record but I’m sticking to the 1998 album.
I personally think of the song “Open Road Song” was the follow up single it could have been huge! ⬇️
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cjta4AKnHP0&pp=ygUUZXZlIDYgb3BlbiByb2FkIHNvbmc%3D
They did make a tour footage music video for it but it was a throwaway fourth single after the album cycle had basicly run its course. I believe as a second single with a real music video it would have been a big hit!
Band - Harvey Danger
Album - Where Have All the Merrymakers Gone? (1997)
The band Harvey Danger released the album “Where Have All the Merrymakers Gone?” in 1997 with little fanfare. But after a re-release in early 1998, the song “Flagpole Sitta” became one of the biggest alternative rock songs of the summer & the year!
Flagpole Sitta ⬇️
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wYsMjEeEg4g&pp=ygUcZmxhZ3BvbGUgc2l0dGEgaGFydmV5IGRhbmdlcg%3D%3D
The band wanted the first track of the album the song “Carlotta Valdez” to be the second follow-up single ⬇️
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-d1U2Pp6Syo&pp=ygUdaGFydmV5IGRhbmdlciBDYXJsb3R0YSBWYWxkZXo%3D
Instead the label said no way and instead pushed the song “Private Helicopter” which was not a hit at all. ⬇️
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JNH82_MaBvA&pp=ygUgaGFydmV5IGRhbmdlciBQcml2YXRlIEhlbGljb3B0ZXI%3D
If the band got their way and got to make a music video for their pick and that was instead promoted to radio would it have made a big difference? Personally the classic single Flagpole Sitta was so huge I don’t think it would have made a big difference, but maybe a small one.
Band - Primitive Radio Gods
Album - Rocket (1996)
With the huge 1996 hit “Standing Outside a Broken Phone Booth with Money in My Hand”
The “band” (really a solo project) became a monster hit single. ⬇️
Standing Outside a Broken Phone
Booth with Money in My Hand ⬇️
Now here’s where the story is a bit different from our two previous bands. This artist put in context he could have final say and pick own singles over label. He purposely sabotaged his fame and forced the second single to be the song called “Mother Fucker” which obviously caused issues for radio stations and the single bombed! ⬇️
(The song is age restricted only due to the title)
Let’s see if the edited title version works ⬇️
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QoinY5u8Rjs&pp=ygUXcHJpbWl0aXZlIHJhZGlvIGdvZHMgbWY%3D
Again he literally told fame to fuck off! The song is not even catchy like these others. Now would a different song as the follow up single have been huge? Who knows but it definitely would have done better than full on sabotage!
I personally think the song “Skin Turns Blue” would have been obvious choice as the next single for radio & MTV, the song features guest vocals during chorus from C. O'Connor! ⬇️
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nYy-YpWmlQ0&pp=ygUkcHJpbWl0aXZlIHJhZGlvIGdvZHMgc2tpbiB0dXJucyBibHVl
I think it’s obvious this would have had more success than Mother Fucker. But it still would have been tough to match the huge success of the first single.
My final take, Harvey Danger would have not made a difference if the band got the second single they wanted. Eve 6 I believe it would have made a big difference! Primitive Radio Gods, I think it would have made a difference but not huge difference.
Band - Spacehog
Album - Resident Alien (1995)
For a Bonus album & band I’ll go in order as above and go to 1995 & the album “Resident Alien” from the band “Spacehog” who had the monster big hit “In the Meantime” ⬇️
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PCsGRCf8T9Y&pp=ygUPaW4gdGhlIG1lYW50aW1l
On this case I think the label & band picked the only song as a second single that was obvious, the record is cool but it’s tough to find a radio friendly catchy follow-up. It was the song “Space Is the Place” ⬇️
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gPLoIo6nwZQ&pp=ygUbc3BhY2Vob2cgc3BhY2UgaXMgdGhlIHBsYWNl
Did you enjoy the ride? Or was this way too inner music circle? Let me know so I give ya’ll what you like! Cheers! 🎸
