Golden Hits Radio and GHR-2's Everything Oldies......Oldies news when you need it!
- The diagnosis for the Queen of Soul is not good
- Who was Boss in his hometown Tuesday night?
- No, pardon US, Mr. Morrison........
- An impressive list of songs heard each day on Golden Hits Radio and GHR-2 will be inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame
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Musicians who have short-lived chart runs are often mocked mercilessly in spite of having quite prolific careers following the peak of their run as pop stars. We've spotlighted plenty of those at Everything Oldies, and today we have another one. He might be a punchline to some, but nothing has broken his career stride since he stopped making hits for himself in the 80's.
Born Matthew Weiner on January 24, 1953 in Manhattan, New York. He cut his teeth in the music business in Greenwich Village, becoming one half of the folk duo Matthew & Peter in the 70's. By 1978, he had uprooted to the West Coast, landing in Los Angeles. He carved out a successful career singing in television commercials and backing up the likes of Rickie Lee Jones and Bette Midler.
He eventually landed a solo record deal, and in 1983, his debut album, "I Don't Speak The Language", hit record stores. The first single was a multi-format smash in America and across the globe. "Break My Stride" hit #5 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #4 on the Adult Contemporary charts. It was also a hit in dance clubs and on the Dance charts. Internationally, it was also an unqualified smash, topping the charts in Norway and hitting the Top 5 in Austria and the UK. It has since become a staple on American radio and has been covered several times. It has also found a lucrative second life being used in TV commercials both in the U.S. and abroad.
Matthew Wilder scored one more Top 40 hit, "The Kid's American", in 1984, and it would be his last. A follow up album fizzled, and his career as a solo artist was finished. The end of a run on the charts was far from the end of a career for Matthew Wilder, however. He turned to songwriting and producing other artists, with a roster including Kelly Clarkson and Christina Aguilera. His biggest success as a producer came with the alternative band No Doubt's 1996 album "Tragic Kingdom", which currently ranks #73 on the Recording Industry Association of America's Biggest Selling Albums of All Time, receiving Diamond status with domestic sales of 10 million copies (and a total of 18 million worldwide). In 1995, he co-wrote the original score for Disney's hit film Mulan, for which he was nominated for an Academy Award. He also provided the singing voice for the character of Ling.
This year, Matthew Wilder has added a brand new item to his long and impressive resume. He can soon add "feature film director" to his repertoire. He is currently in production on Inferno, starring Malin Akerman as 70's adult film star Linda Lovelace. The film has attracted some controversy over the past few weeks following Wilder's decision to replace original star Lindsay Lohan with Akerman.
So far, nothing has broken Matthew Wilder's career stride. Not even this 1984 appearance on Solid Gold..............
Golden Hits Radio & GHR-2's Burning Question of the Day
Which late rock guitar legend played on David Bowie's #1 hit "Let's Dance", which led to a solo record deal?
Check back tomorrow @ Everything Oldies for the answer, and leave a comment here with your best guess!
Yesterday's Burning Question (and Answer) of the Day
What was the biggest hit among cover songs by The Beatles (in other words....what was the biggest hit for The Beatles not written by any of The Beatles)?
Answer: "Twist and Shout" -- the song dates back to 1961, and was originally recorded by The Top Notes. The Isley Brothers were the first to have a hit with it, and The Fab Four's cover hit #2 in April 1964.
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