Floaters

This quartet from Detroit unfortunately became synonymous with the term “One Hit Wonder,” but that one hit has kept them working for over 25 years now. The Floaters signed with ABC records in 1977 and their first release, “Float On,” rocketed to the top of both the Pop and Soul charts. “Float On” came in various lengths and mixes, the most ponderous of which was an 11 minute version that dominated Side One of their eponymous debut album. The lyrics were preposterous – as each member of the group gave an inane monologue about his zodiac sign and what he liked in a woman – but the groove was absolutely infectious and carried the day. The follow-up cut, a surprise cover of “You Don’t Have To Say You Love Me,” showed lead singer Charles Clark had some pipes, but stalled on the charts.

The group’s second album, Magic, also featured a tremendously long first single (the title track), but wasn’t nearly as compelling as its predecessor and faded quickly. By the time of the release of their Float Into The Future album, the group’s fate was sealed and their recording career was done (save a limited distribution of something called Get Ready for the Floaters and Shu Ga a few years later). Tough to say what the Floaters could have done with better material, but in their three albums they showed signs that they were capable of more.

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