With Bottom Feeders we take a look at the songs on the Billboard Hot 100 that only got a little love. It’s an A-Z look at songs that charted no higher than #41 in the decade. Take a listen, enjoy and comment. And don’t forget, information on the top 40, airplay and bubbling under charts are on pages 2 and 3.
Section 1: The Ass End
Chantay Savage
”Betcha’ll Never Find” 1993, #70 (14 weeks) (download)
Chantay was a Chicago dance artist that had some minor success on the Hot 100, mainly with her cover of ”I Will Survive.” ”Betcha’ll Never Find” came from her debut album Here We Go… which combined R&B with dance and a disco flair like you hear on this song. She also worked as a writer and singer with CeCe Peniston which definitely translates into this tune.
Sawyer Brown
”Drive Me Wild” 1999, #44 (14 weeks) (download)
Sawyer Brown had fifty some hits on the country charts from the early 80s to the mid 00s but crossed over to the Hot 100 only once with ”Drive Me Wild” which is more pop than country. What you really must do though, is watch the video. Not only is it horrible but catching singer Mark Miller’s crazy dancing is entertainment enough. And apparently he did this a lot. Spastic dude.
http://youtu.be/XQ_9DgJHsjw
Scarface
”Let Me Roll” 1993, #87 (4 weeks) (download)
”People Don’t Believe (aka Hand of the Dead Body)” 1995, #74 (7 weeks) (download)
Though he’s known in the rap world for his solo records and for being a member of Geto Boys, I still think Scarface is one of the more underrated rappers in the game. Bushwick Bill overshadowed him in the group and his solo works aren’t flashy, so his radio play was limited. But as a lyricist, he’s top notch.
Scatman John
”Scatman (Ski-Ba-Bop-Ba-Dop-Bop)” 1995, #60 (13 weeks) (download)
I remember hating this song with a goddamn passion while it was out but I have a totally different perspective on this now. Scatman John was 53 years old when this hit and as such, I’m impressed by his rapping style. And on top of this, when he lets out his most crazy scats in the song, I now hear the daily language of Steven Tyler.
Fred Schneider
”Monster” 1991, #85 (4 weeks) (download)
Haha. What a stupid fucking awesome song. Fred Schneider’s music style gets on my nerves in large doses but hearing this again for the first time in years made me laugh pretty hard. It’s such a cheesy tune yet for some reason, loads of fun.
This was on the Fred Schneider and the Shake Society album from 1984, which was remixed and released just under his name in 1991 to coincide with the B-52’s commercial peak. It’s a pretty goofy record overall which fit right in with Fred’s personality.
Scorpions
”Send Me An Angel” 1991, #44 (18 weeks) (download)
Jim Vallance played keyboards on this tune. Clearly, the Scorpions jump the shark moment.
Kimberly Scott
”Tuck Me In” 1997, #58 (14 weeks) (download)
There’s no way you could listen to this song now and think this girl was just 12 years old at the time this was released. What a fantastic voice for a little girl. Unfortunately, as she grew up, her career disappeared.
Peggy Scott-Adams
”Bill” 1997, #87 (4 weeks) (download)
It’s weird to see this song in the Billboard bible as her previous hit was back in 1969! This is the same Peggy Scott as part of the 60s duo with Jo Jo Benson that had four minor hits. Although this is a pretty great song, I’m still fascinated it made it anywhere near the charts.
Seal
”Killer” 1992, #100 (2 weeks) (download)
Is this the first track of the series that’s a true Bottom Feeder peaking at #100? I don’t remember any others but then again after a year and a half of posts it’s hard to think back to those early ones.
I was a huge fan of the debut self-titled record, wearing it out in ’92 as I was walking to school. I don’t think I’ve ever listened to another Seal record in full though. As a high-school kid, I’m sure I had my own tastes but it would be interesting to go back and see if I trended towards what other kids were listening to as well because it makes no sense to me why I would have loved that album and passed completely on the second one.
Either way, ”Killer” is a cool tune. Later in ’92, George Michael performed it live as a medley with ”Papa Was a Rolling Stone” which was released as a single, which also had a great P.M. Dawn remix of the tune. Perfection right there.
Brady Seals
”Another You, Another Me” 1997, #91 (4 weeks) (download)
Brady Seals was a member of Little Texas and the cousin of both Jim and ”England” Dan Seals.
Jon Secada
”Whipped” 1994, #65 (9 weeks) (download)
”Too Late, Too Soon” 1997, #41 (18 weeks) (download)
The only Jon Secada stuff I know are the tunes I’ve heard on the radio of which neither of these tracks were them. ”Whipped” is plenty generic and ”Too Late, Too Soon” sounds remarkably like ”Drive” by the Cars.
2nd II None
”Be True To Yourself” 1992, #78 (2 weeks) (download)
”If You Want It” 1992, #64 (16 weeks) (download)
2Nd II None were an okay rap duo but really had a career thanks to going to school with DJ Quik. Their debut album has that typical Priority records sound all over it. ”If You Want It” is actually a very memorable tune though I don’t know if it’s because I like the song itself or the sample of Issac Hayes’ ”Hung Up On My Baby” (which yes, is the same sample from the Geto Boys’s ”Mind Playing Tricks On Me”)
Seduction
”Breakdown” 1990, #82 (4 weeks) (download)
One listen to ”Breakdown” is enough to understand why Seduction never had another hit. However five of the ten tunes on their debut album hit the Hot 100, so props to these girls for striking while the iron was hot.
Seiko and Donnie Wahlberg
”The Right Combination” 1990, #54 (13 weeks) (download)
Wow. I don’t remember this one at all. And, I don’t know the background behind this to understand why Donnie Wahlberg and Seiko even teamed up to begin with. I have to assume the New Kids toured in Asia, and Seiko’s manager thought this would launch a career for her in the states, which clearly it didn’t.
This almost comes across as a sequel to Johnny Gill and Stacy Lattisaw’s “Perfect Combination” from the ’80s. Did anyone do a song called “Wrong Combination” as we’d have a trilogy?
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