In my mind Clarence Carter, who died last month, was a one-hit wonder.

Of course technically he wasn’t, since that description is supposed to apply only to those who had a no 1 single and no other hits. Carter’s song Patches reached no 2 in the UK in 1970. (I also find he had a UK no 82 in 1989 but that hardly counts as a hit.)

That no 2, Patches, falls into that category of sentimentality which courses through USian culture. (Last week’s entry in this category counts there too but Patches bears more resemblance to The Son of Hickory Holler’s Tramp, a success for O C Smith in 1968.)

Clarence Carter: Patches

Clarence George Carter:  14/1/1936 –13/5/2026. So it goes.

US band Dr Hook (and the Medicine Show)’s lead singer Dennis Locorriere – not the one with the eye-patch – died last week.

Their output was at best soft rock but their hits tended to stick in the mind.

The band’s first UK hit was Sylvia’s Mother (no 2 in 1972) but they had a no 1 in 1979 with When You’re in Love with a Beautiful Woman.

This is a live version of the earlier song apparently recorded on the houseboat of the song’s writer Shel Silverstein.

Dr Hook & The Medicine Show: Sylvia’s Mother

Dennis Michael Locorriere: 13/6/1949 – 16/5/2026. So it goes.

This song was the only one of Tzuke’s to trouble the top twenty (no 16 in 1979.)

Here’s a live performance.

Judie Tzuke: Stay With Me Till Dawn

One from South African singer songwriter John Kongos. It was a no 4 in 1971.

Kongos’s other hit He’s Gonna Step On You Again was famously covered by The Happy Mondays as Step On. They also covered this one but didn’t release it as a single.

John Kongos: Tokoloshe Man

Edited to add: I meant to say a Tokoloshe is a malevolent spirit in Bantu folklore.

Neil Sedaka died last Friday.

He was one of the most distinctive pop acts of the late 1950s and early 1960s before the advent of The Beatles overturned everything.

His many songwriting credits include Stupid Cupid, a 1958 hit for Connie Francis, and Love Will Keep Us Together (Captain and Tenille, 1975.) (Is This the Way to) Amarillo (1971) eventually became a big hit for Tony Christie – aided by Peter Kay’s video – in 2005.

Sedaka’s own hits include Calendar Girl, Little Devil, Happy Birthday Sweet Sixteen, Breaking Up Is Hard to Do.

He kind of reinvented himself as a singer-songwriter in the 1970s with a more adult-oriented approach.

Here’s a live performance from 1975.

Neil Sedaka: Laughter in the Rain

This one was a hit for The Carpenters but this is a Sedaka performance-

Neil Sedaka: Solitaire

Though he had an earlier hit with I Go Ape this was the song which really announced him in the UK in 1959.

Neil Sedaka: Oh! Carol

Neil Sedaka: 13/3/1939 – 27/2/2026. So it goes.

Esteemed drummer, SlyDunbar, died last month.

Along with bassist Robbie Shakespeare he formed a rhythm section much in demand.

The list of people he played with or for is extensive (see link.)

This is possibly the earliest of his recordings I became aware of.

Dave and Ansel Collins: Double Barrel

Lowell Fillmore (Sly) Dunbar; 10/5/1952 – 26/1/2026. So it goes.

Not quite Dunfermline’s finest but the band launched the career of guitarist Stuart Adamson, later of Big Country fame. Lead singer Richard Jobson became a TV presenter.

Skids: Into the Valley

Squeeze’s drummer from their early years of hits, Gilson Lavis, has died. He was a member of the band from 1976–1982 and again from 1985–1992 and played on all their tracks recorded during those times. He also later played for Jools Holland’s Rhythm and Blues Orchestra.

This is Take Me I’m Yours, Squeeze’s first hit, from 1978.

Squeeze: Take Me I’m Yours

David Leslie Gilson Lavis: 27/6/1951 – 5/11/202. So it goes.

I can’t say that Kiss were ever really my thing (that goes for heavy metal in general) but they were significant and had an unmistakably distinctive look.

It’s nevertheless sad that their classic lead guitarist Ace Frehley died last week.

This is one of his compositions (from 1978.)

Kiss: Cold Gin

Paul Daniel (Ace) Frehley: 27/4/1951 – October 16/10/2025. So it goes.

Supertramp’s singer, keyboardist and co-composer Rick Davies died last week.

Supertramp were not quite prog rockers and eventually drifted into a more ‘pop’py sound.

This song was the B-side of the band’s first UK hit single, Dreamer, but became the hit in the US. Unlike most of Supertramp’s songs (mostly written by singer and guitarist Roger Hodgson with contributions by Davies) this was fully composed by Davies.

Supertramp: Bloody Well Right

Richard (Rick) Davies: 22/7/1944 – 6/9/2025. So it goes.