"Just One More Time" by Headpins

Song#:  1737
Date:  12/24/1983
Debut:  89
Peak:  70
Weeks:  9
Genre:  Rock



Pop Bits:  This Canadian band got started when two members of Chilliwack, who scored in 1981 with "My Girl (Gone, Gone, Gone)" (#22), wanted to do a side project. They brought on lead singer Denise McCann and began to gig around Canada. Folks began to take notice, but after a year, McCann decided to leave the band. In her place came vocalist Darby Mills. They ended up getting a record deal and in 1982 released their debut LP Turn It Loud. It was an unexpected hit spending six weeks at the top of the chart and going platinum. Their follow-up album, Line of Fire, helped the band get a little recognition in the States. This single found its way to the Pop chart and floated around for a couple of months. The album would also make the chart for a little bit, but both would be their first and last times on the US charts. Although the band would only record one more album, they continued to gig over the years and most of the original line-up is still performing as of this writing.

ReduxReview:  I've seen it written that Mills' vocals sound like a combo of Ann Wilson from Heart and Janis Joplin. That is pretty much spot on. If she sounded the same in a live setting, it had to have been something to hear. I like her vocals a lot, but the song is not that strong. It's good, but without Mills' voice, this song would be no different from tunes churned out by other similar rock bands of the era. It's a bit too polished as well. The band's first album rocked out a lot more and it sounded pretty great. The second disc seemed to reach too far into the mainstream and they lost a little steam.

ReduxRating:  5/10

Trivia:  Lead singer Darby Mills lost her gig with the Headpins in 1985. She was able to sign with MCA (the label that gave the Headpins their US deal) for a solo album. Tracks were written and recorded, but part way through the process, a change of guard at MCA's A&R department left Mills' project in limbo. It seems the new person running A&R had decided to push only one new female artist for the label at the time and it wasn't going to be Mills. With the album scrubbed, Mills was without a contract and back to square one. She regrouped and got signed to Warner Canada and with her new band, The Unsung Heroes, released an album in 1991. It did well, but not good enough to call for a second LP. Mills then rejoined the Headpins and has remained with them since. BTW - so who was the female artist that MCA promoted instead of Darby? None other than the shopping mall chanteuse herself, Tiffany.

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