Recording Artists Who Released A Strong Debut Album -- Then "Disappeared" From the Scene

I hear you on the surgeries...I can't even work on a car anymore without misplacing half the tools (only to find out I'm laying on some of them!).
 
Specific to A&M (up to and including the brief "Records & Tapes" period, which is essentially the tale end of 1970), are there any thoughts on these?

According to Discogs, none of the following artists or bands subsequently released or participated in any released albums.
  • Joanna Vent
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  • Chuck Trios & The National Bank
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  • Spirits & Worm
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  • Stuffin’
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....although I wonder if the word "strong" applies to these debut albums. 🤣 But hey, at least they had their chance at A&M, so we can't knock them too much!

I wonder how many "one and done" albums were released on A&M over the decades...
 
There's a bit out there in YouTube land. The Vent LP is blues rock -- which, by its very nature, became trite and hackneyed by 1970. She's definitely a talented singer if one fancies that sort of thing (I don't). The National Bank didn't do much for me but the bits of Spirits & Worm I heard were notable. Couldn't find any stuff on Stuffin'.

(I like the one and done idea. We could start with George McCurn and work forward...)
 
McCurn had a bit of a career prior to A&M, singing bass in a group which included Sam Cooke and Lou Rawls. He also sang bass in a last-gasp version of the Ink Spots, if I'm not mistaken. But far as I know, no album released under his own name beyond the A&M.
 
The only one of these four that I ever knew about was Chuck Trois and that is from seeing it in the old color A&M catalogue. I never saw it in any record store.
Shango would have been another that was one and done but they did get airplay in my area.
 
Shango did a second album called Trampin' for ABC/Dunhill (like Emitt Rhodes)

I believe Joanna Vent recorded a second album that went unreleased, though there was a single a on another label a few years later.

Stuffin' is one I have and is rather enjoyable as I recall. I may give it another spin once my turntable and system are finally up and running, hopefully by this weekend.

(I also have a CD copy of Spirit and Worm, courtesy of one of my Corner friends, which is interesting to listen to).

There are a number of A&M albums from this period that fit this "one and done" (or close to it) category... Junior's Eyes, Under Milkwood, Tarantula, Children of God, Jeffrey Comanor, Miguel Rios (who had one huge hit), Mike D'Abo and Eggs Over Easy... Sadly there were few "samplers" during this era, which could've given many of these acts a better chance.

--Mr Bill
 
They made their first album for Mercury Records in early 1972 which failed but somehow the New York City trio Gunhill Road made a strong 2nd album for Kama Sutra Records in 1973 (did not charted on Billboard's Top 200 Album Charts or Bubbling Under 201 - 226) & the song "Back When My Hair Was Short" went to # 40 (1 week) on June 2, 1973 & at # 37 (Adult Contemporary) BUT the trio was done. The trio made a comeback back either in 2014 or 2015 for their 3rd album & all 3 are out on Apple iTunes!! For fans of The Bee Gees ("Sag Harbour"), America ("Sailing"), Crosby, Stills & Nash (The song "Callin' Atlanta" which reminds me of "Wooden Ships") & Joni Mitchell ("We're Almost Going Home")!! The late Kenny Rogers (yep him) produced some of their material on their 2nd 1973 album!!
 
This is easy. Three from the same producer.
The Knack, Nick Gilder and Exile.
No loss as far as The Knack goes but I hoped for more from Exile.
Also Zager and Evans from 1968 or 69.
According to Wikipedia:

Exile went Country and had three consecutive top ten albums on the Billboard Country Albums chart (Exile, Kentucky Hearts, and Hang On to Your Heart, with the second of those reaching number one), and from 1983 to 1987 ten out of eleven singles reached number one on the Billboard Country Singles chart, making them one of the biggest country artists of the decade.
 
The only follow-up I remember seeing in stores was the second album. ...But The Little Girls Understand. Maybe they understood, maybe they didn't, but even they didn't buy the album.
It peaked at #15, which is no great shakes, but it did go Gold.
 
The big shame to me was that, since "Lost" was the last track on side one of the soundtrack, her song always suffered from inner groove distortion prior to me upgrading my stylus. Still on the hunt for a good copy of the soundtrack so I can digitize everything with as much clarity as possible, given my equipment! :)

Thanks for sharing the link! It's nice to see that she is still well and had a very colorful career working with other very talented musicians!
 
The big shame to me was that, since "Lost" was the last track on side one of the soundtrack, her song always suffered from inner groove distortion prior to me upgrading my stylus. Still on the hunt for a good copy of the soundtrack so I can digitize everything with as much clarity as possible, given my equipment! :)

Thanks for sharing the link! It's nice to see that she is still well and had a very colorful career working with other very talented musicians!
If you haven't heard THE RAIN BOOK, by all means, find a copy.
 
If you haven't heard THE RAIN BOOK, by all means, find a copy.
Looking at the Discogs entry, I see that Joe Osborn, Jim Gordon, Larry Carlton, and Danny Kortchmar are all among the many talented musicians who contributed. I will definitely have to take a look at my local record stores to see what I can find; it sounds like a stellar group of people.
 
Looking at the Discogs entry, I see that Joe Osborn, Jim Gordon, Larry Carlton, and Danny Kortchmar are all among the many talented musicians who contributed. I will definitely have to take a look at my local record stores to see what I can find; it sounds like a stellar group of people.
Turns out it's on Youtube, formatted as a playlist:

 
Renee actually checked into our Forum some years ago. She couldn't believe we were discussing her RAIN BOOK album.

I scoured around and found a few A&M non-album singles and the mono promo of her excellent "Raining In L.A." single.

They're out there on YouTube, with some comments by one of her producers.
 
Renee actually checked into our Forum some years ago. She couldn't believe we were discussing her RAIN BOOK album.

I scoured around and found a few A&M non-album singles and the mono promo of her excellent "Raining In L.A." single.

They're out there on YouTube, with some comments by one of her producers.
I remember that! That was as big a kick for us as it was for her!

I still say "Raining In L.A." should have been a hit.
 
I apparently own one of the pretty rare CDs of THE RAIN BOOK. It was out in Japan for a brief time and now sells for rather high dollar amounts.
 
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