CHESNEY HAWKES"THE ONE AND ONLY"
(Chrysalis, 1991)
"Nothing Serious"
With his (barely) Top Ten single "The One And Only", British pop singer Chesney Hawkes ended up being a "one-hit wonder" in the United States, and in his native UK he was only marginally more successful than that. While the forementioned single spent five weeks at #1 on the UK chart, his second single was the only other one to make it into the Top 40. His debut album, released in the U.S. under the title "The One And Only" and in the UK as the soundtrack to the film "Buddy's Song" (in which he starred), performed respectably in the UK but went by essentially unnoticed here in the States.
It's kind-of a shame, really, that the album is all but forgotten. It may not be a masterpiece, but it's got enough energetic synth-pop hooks to hold its own against any of the teen-pop that would be released a decade later. Additionally, Hawkes' endearingly idiosyncratic vocals (I think a big reason I like Ben Jelen is because his voice reminds me of Hawkes') add to the album's overall appeal. Just listen to the download and you'll see what I mean.
Hawkes' music output since then has been sporadic; he released a second album a couple of years later, but (with the exception of a greatest hits disc in 2005), he didn't release another recording until just last year. But, if you ask me, none of his albums have been nearly as fun as his first.
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