Hockey fans will recognize the moniker used by John Ondrasik - five for fighting refers to a penalty. It also refers to one of the most underrated singer/songwriters of our time. Ondrasik should be handed the "piano man" baton from Billy Joel, but he's only managed to score a handful of hits so far. The biggest has been his first, when "Superman (It's Not Easy)" flew to #14 in 2001. The equally terrific song "100 Years" only climbed to #28 in 2004. A final top 40 appearance came in 2006 with "The Riddle", which just barely entered at #40. Five For Fighting should have many more tunes becoming sing-a-longs that everyone knows. The uplifting "Story Of Your Life" from his 2010 record, "Slice," is just one example of many.
Supergroups are no guarantee of success - sometimes the whole seems less than the sum of its parts. Expectations were riding high for The Firm, which consisted of giant talents like singer Paul Rodgers (Free, Bad Company), guitarist Jimmy Page (Yardbirds, Led Zeppelin), drummer Chris Slade (Manfred Mann), and bassist Tony Franklin. The group had an instant hit with the groovy classic rocker "Radioactive," which reached #28 in 1985, but failed to top that performance. That is not to say they didn't write songs that were not worthy of a higher position on the charts. "Someone To Love" struck me as a song that would have done well back then. The Firm released "Satisfaction Guaranteed," but it stalled at #73. The short-lived supergroup parted ways in 1986, but not after one more song hit the chart - "All The Kings Horses" hit #61 on the band's way out the door.
On the tail end of the hairband craze, a North Carolina band aptly named Firehouse came in to hose down the flames of this dying genre, scoring some modest hits in the process. Their catchy debut single, "Don't Treat Me Bad," climbed to #19 in 1991 and the token power ballad, "Love Of A Lifetime," did even better by reaching #5. The band would continue to make appearances in the top 40 with similar power ballads like "When I Look Into Your Eyes" (#8) and "I Live My Life For You" (#26). Firehouse released an acoustic album in 1996 called "Good Acoustics." In addition to reworking some of their previous tunes, it contained four new songs. Kicking off the record is a surprise gem called "You Are My Religion" - a very cool pop song that should have set the charts back on fire.
Firefall was a 70s soft rock band best known for their top ten smash, "You Are The Woman," which peaked at #9 in 1976. One of the few top ten singles I can recall that featured a flute ("Down Under" by Men At Work being another). The band would score some additional hits like "Just Remember I Love You" (#11 in 1977) and "Strange Way" (#11 in 1978). They racked up a few lesser known top 40 hits before the fire died in the early 80s. The Colorado group was put together by Rick Roberts of the Flying Burrito Brothers and Jock Bartley of Zephyr. They recruited Larry Burnett and Mark Andes, who just finished his tenure with Jay Ferguson in Spirit and Jo Jo Gunne, and Mike Clarke of The Byrds (and also of Flying Burrito Brothers). "Leave It Alone" is one of my favorite guilty pleasure tracks from "Undertow," the fourth and final album to feature the founding lineup. Andes left to join Heart in 1980 and Clarke, who was causing problems with his drinking, also departed. Sadly, Clarke died of liver failure in 1993.
Fiona Flanagan, simply called Fiona, seemed poised to be the next Pat Benatar in the late 80s. Her throaty voice first charted in 1985 when "Talk To Me" reached #64. Her sophomore record, however, failed to score a hit. In the meantime, she took up some acting gigs, landing in an episode of Miami Vice and the Bob Dylan movie, Hearts of Fire. Fiona's third record, "Heart Like A Gun," which many regard as her best, put her back on the chart in 1989. A duet with Kip Winger helped propel "Everything You Do (You're Sexing Me)" to #52, which would become her final top 100 appearance. I always wondered how "Bringing In The Beast" would have fared on the charts back then, but it wasn't chosen as a single. Fiona would release another solid rock album in 1992 called "Squeeze," but by then the music climate had steered away from melodic rock. I think Fiona would have been much bigger in the 80s if only she were able to find better songwriters - she sure had the pipes.
The Finn Brothers, Neil and Tim, are both exquisite songwriters in their own right - teaming up to craft some of Crowded House's finest songs. They released another record together in 2004 called "Everyone Is Here." The entire album is gorgeous, filled with beautiful, thoughtful songs performed with great sincerity. "Nothing Wrong With You" is just one of my favorites in the bunch. Neither Tim nor Neil charted as a solo artist (or as a duo) in the US, a sad reflection of musical tastes in this country.
Canadian modern rock band Finger Eleven crept their way onto the charts with a soft acoustic number that is atypical of their usual hard-hitting sound. That song was called "One Thing" and it put the band on the map by reaching #16 in 2004. The band's follow-up record produced an even bigger chart topper in 2007, with the track "Paralyzer" grooving its way to #6. Unfortunately the band hasn't seen chart success since, and I can't figure out why. With additional rocking anthems like this one, Finger Eleven should still be racking up more top ten hits.
Before they became The 5th Dimension, Marilyn McCoo, Billy Davis Jr, and the gang were known as The Versatiles. Success came quickly for the newly branded group with "Up Up And Away" soaring to #7 in 1967. The group had a steady string of huge hits through to the early 70s, including classics such as "Aquarius/Let The Sunshine In" (#1), "Wedding Bell Blues" (#1), "One Less Bell To Answer" (#2), and "(Last Night) I Didn't Get To Sleep At All" (#8). Their last top 10 hit was "If I Could Reach You" in 1972. Before the big hits, there was this catchy little-known number. "Another Day, Another Heartache" reached #45 in 1967, preceding the release of the smash "Up Up And Away".
Singer/songwriter Jay Ferguson got his start back in the mid-60s with the Beatles-inspired band called Spirit. In 1971, he moved on to form his own band, Jo Jo Gunne, which had a minor hit in 1972 with "Run, Run, Run." In 1976, Ferguson struck out on a solo career and landed his biggest hit. Lifted from his second solo effort, "Thunder Island" made a big splash at #9 in 1978. The success got the album of the same name all the way to #72, making it Ferguson's best charting record. He had one other appearance on the chart in 1979 when "Shakedown Cruise" reached #31. Ferguson was unable to strike gold again on the charts and for many people is remembered as a one-hit wonder. His final album, "White Noise," was released in 1982. "Tonite (Fallin' For Ya)" was released as a single and should have performed better. Upbeat and catchy like "Thunder Island," one wonders what an early '80s comeback might have sounded like for Ferguson. Instead, he moved on to working on soundtracks for movies and TV, most notably composing the theme to the hit show, The Office.
I first became familiar with Scot Sax, another amazing singer/songwriter from Philly,through the power pop band Wanderlust. Their 1995 record, "Prize," was a local favorite in the city and surrounding area. Following the demise of Wanderlust, Sax regrouped with a band called Feel. Feel continued to craft the same melodious rock and pop that Wanderlust was loved for. Their self-titled 2002 record is one of my "desert island" discs, filled with sunny songs to lift you out of any funk. When not occupied with his own musical ventures, Sax writes songs for others, the notable list including Faith Hill and Tim McGraw.
In a perfect world, John Faye would need no introduction. This talented singer/songwriter from Philly was first featured on this site when we covered his 90s band, The Caulfields. His first venture as a solo artist after their break up was called the John Faye Power Trip. He/they released a single record under this moniker and what a terrific record it is. "Hand Me Down" is just a small sample of the excellent alternative rock you'll hear on this forgotten gem. Faye next formed IKE, which we will cover in due time. He also put out another outstanding solo record in 2015 called "Meddling Kid."
Hailing from Austin, Texas, Fastball entered the major leagues with their second album, 1998's "All The Pain Money Can Buy." Buoyed by hits like "The Way" (#5), "Fire Escape" (#86), and "Out Of My Head" (#20), the album went platinum and remains their bestselling record to date. It reached #29 on the Billboard Top 200. The band followed-up in 2000 with the record, "The Harsh Light Of Day." Despite the jubilant single, "You're An Ocean," the album did not reach the success of its predecessor, topping out at #97. The song features Billy Preston on piano and did not deserve to strike out - it didn't even crack the top 100.
This wonderful little pick me up is by an indie power pop band from the UK called Farrah. "Swings & Roundabouts" kicks off their gorgeously catchy self-titled 2009 record. Sadly, this was the last studio album from this promising band.
