Golden Hits Radio and GHR-2....with more Oldies news than you can shake a stick at (does anyone even know what that means?).......
- Crosby, Stills, & Nash take a cue from Santana
- If you dare to click here, don't say we didn't warn you
- Ask for an ex-Beatle's wife's approval, and ye shall receive
- Has Bono missed his calling by being a rock star? Someone very prominent on the world stage thinks so!
- If Pepsi used someone's song without proper permission, this means War!!
- Look who's packin' 'em in @ the concert arenas!! And how many have seen #1 and #2 in the 70's AND recently?
Where In The World Is......Carl Douglas?
Sometimes it takes the combination of luck and being one step ahead of a cultural phenomenon to turn a song that was something of an a
fterthought into a worldwide smash. Carl Douglas had that sort of good fortune with his only hit, "Kung Fu Fighting", in 1974. His ode to the martial arts turned average citizens into lean, mean fighting machines.
Douglas was born in Jamaica, and was making very little headway in his quest to become a star until he spotted two children in London practicing their kung fu moves. A song was born, but it was never meant to be an A-side single. The A-side was supposed to have been a song called, "I Want To Give You My Everything". The session to record that song was running long, so there was very little time to record the B-side. "Kung Fu Fighting", which was to be the B-side, was laid down in the studio in ten minutes. When the folks at Pye Records heard what was to be the A-side, they asked to hear the entire reel of material recorded. Upon hearing "Kung Fu Fighting", they made the executive decision to make IT the A-side. The rest is history. "Kung Fu Fighting" hit #1 in America and the UK and sold more than 10 million copies worldwide. It has been been covered dozens of times and shown up in numerous TV shows and movies both here and abroad. Carl Douglas never again came close to having another solo hit.
Fortunately, the song kept him financially solvent and he remained active throughout the 80's and 90's touring with the likes of Billy Preston, Curtis Mayfield, and the Ohio Players. He currently runs a publishing company providing music for films and documentaries as well as commercials.
In 1974, the whole world was "Kung Fu Fighting", and Carl Douglas was everywhere to celebrate it, including a rather bizarre Dutch TV show......
Golden Hits Radio and GHR-2's Burning Question of the Day
He had 99 songs hit the Billboard Hot 100 over the course of his career (second only to Elvis Presley), but NONE ever reached #1, making him the most successful artist in chart history to have never had a song reach the top. Who is he?
Check back @ Everything Oldies Tuesday (9/7/2010) for the answer, and leave a Comment with your best guess! Tou our fans and friends in America, have a wonderful Labor Day weekend, and to the rest of the world, have a wonderful weekend yourself!!
Yesterday's Burning Question (and Answer) of the Day
The debut episode of Saturday Night Live on October 11, 1975 featured two musical guests. Who were they?
Answer: Billy Preston and Janis Ian
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