Recently, however, I have begun watching a series on the YouTube channel Todd in the Shadows, hosted by a guy called Todd who sits in the dark (the name of his show is pretty self-explanatory in spite of my attempt to explain it) and talks music. Recently he seems to be focusing on Trainwreckors about disastrous albums which pretty much ruined careers but his One-Hit Wonderland series is also well worth checking out. One of its key aspects is how he examines an artist or group's overall career and ponders if they deserved better than their sole hit single. Turns out, quite a few of them did!
He hasn't come up yet on One-Hit Wonderland but Phil Phillips is a great example of someone who deserved a lot more than one memorable single. For one thing, the man born John Philip Baptiste deserved to make a great deal more more out of "Sea of Love" than the 6,000 bucks he got out of it for writing and recording a single which sold over a million copies and would go on to be covered by hundreds of bands. (It will even come up again in this space once we finally get to the eighties) Certainly there have been singers who've been ripped off by shady managers and/or record labels and plenty of songwriters have been duped into handing over publishing rights for next to nothing but for both to happen to the same guy with the same smash hit is a major kick in the teeth.
The other reason Phillips deserved better is because there's no way he could have composed what would one day become a standard in isolation. Even if his career in music was destined to rapidly go tits up — as it unfortunately would — he must have had at least half-a-dozen potential hits in his back pocket. Perhaps not quite to the lofty standards of "Sea of Love" but potentially sizable enough as further chart bait either for himself or others. And he did have such material, only very few people got the chance to hear them due to his decision to fight against the harsh terms of his record contract. His sacrifice ensured that others would eventually benefit.
Having been overexposed to John Mayer's excruciating "Your Body Is a Wonderland" for over twenty years now, it's tempting to have a go at "Sea of Love" just for setting such a bad precedent. Yet, it would be wrong to do so. Even if there is a link from one to the other, it still took over forty years to get there and there no doubt would have been several twists and turns en route. (Getting from "Sea of Love" to a "sea of blankets" might seem trivial but that's why snowballs have effects) Material may or may not be tasteful but it's important that a singer's delivery not be vomit inducing. As a song that has probably been covered hundreds of times, there are bound to be vocalists who choose to lay the sexed up vibes on thick — I wouldn't do so myself (not unless I somehow enjoy the taste of throwing up in my mouth) but I do understand why someone would make that choice. But Phillips wisely chose to approach it as if it was any love song, with the perfect blend of desire and restraint.
For all the praise I seem to be lavishing on it, however, the score below is in the 'above-average-but-doesn't-quite-slap' range which may seem a tad confusing. And I'm not even sure I can fully justify it except to say that I've been enjoying listening to it the last few days but now it's starting to grate and that I don't plan to play it again until I get to 1984 or '85 the next time it comes up which in real time probably won't be until the middle of 2026. I imagine I'll be into again at that point, especially since his original surely pisses all over the one to come, but I have little doubt I'll once again be done with it not long after.
Phil Phillips never had the opportunity to record an album and was never able to cash in on having a worldwide hit single. Hopefully he earned a few bucks here and there from tours and meet and greets during his later years. By all accounts he managed to live a full life, working as a DJ, marrying and having seven children. There are far worse rock 'n' roll casualty stories out there, which is not to say we shouldn't shake our heads at how he was mistreated but such a brutal industry. In a just world, "Sea of Love" should have set him up for life with it paying for his grandkids and great-grandkids' university education. One-hit wonders deserve at least that much.
Score: 7
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