One Hit Wondering – Duffy

One Hit Wondering is a series of columns where I listen to the album of a one hit wonder, and find three songs, other than the hit, that people should hear. 

In 2008, Welsh soul singer Duffy was begging us for “Mercy,” and the addictive song, and her incredible voice, had listeners begging for more.

“Mercy” became ever-present for a short while, although it didn’t actually reach the Top 20, peaking at #27 on the Billboard Hot 100. The song, however, would continue to gain an audience over time, eventually achieving platinum status in the U.S.

Spurred by the success of “Mercy,” Duffy’s debut album, Rockferry, would reach gold status, and take home the Grammy Award for Best Pop Vocal Album in 2009.

You’d think after that she’d have been everywhere, but as it turned out we wouldn’t hear much more from the woman with the gorgeous old school vocals. A follow up album, titled Endlessly, was released in 2010, but, ironically, it would mark the end of listeners hearing from Duffy.

There was quite a lot behind that abrupt stoppage, however, much of which we didn’t know until just recently.

Duffy never had it easy. According to Wikipedia, at the age of 14 she was briefly put in a police safe house when authorities uncovered a plot by her stepfather’s ex-wife to pay a hitman to kill her stepfather. A year later she ran away to her father’s home, kicking off a three year rebellious phase that included, among other things, stealing a row boat (if we’re being real here, that’s my kinda rebel!).

As her career took off she reportedly wasn’t comfortable with fame, saying that she was “on the borderline of a nervous breakdown,” and that she found it scary being recognized in public.

After Endlessly didn’t make an impact, Duffy made appearances in a couple of films, and then pretty much disappeared. Little did we know, that disappearance was literal.



In February of 2020 she returned to tell her story, and nobody was prepared for what she revealed.

In a 3,600 word blog post, Duffy detailed the real life horror she lived through, having been drugged at a restaurant on her birthday, taken to a foreign country on a plane, been held captive in a hotel room where she was sexually assaulted, and then brought back to her home, where she was held captive for four weeks before escaping.

She added that after the ordeal she spent nearly a decade “completely alone,” and in therapy, disappearing from public life so she could recover. Thankfully, she did note that she was now doing well.

Needless to say, after reading her story, we now know why we only have two full-length albums from her, and will likely continue to have only two full-length albums from her.

I’ll admit I was late to the party with Rockferry, not hearing it in full until picking it up during a dig through used CDs, and remembering I liked “Mercy.” Lemme tell ya, I was completely blown away.

Sounding like she was transported from the golden age of Motown, Duffy’s voice is special, and while the point of this column is to find three songs, other than the hit, that people should hear, I wholeheartedly recommend listening to Rockferry in full. It’s a spectacular album, and has become one of my all-time favorites. Whenever I’m going through used CDs with a friend, and it’s in there, I don’t just recommend it, I say, “If you don’t own this album, you need to.” A few days later I usually receive a text that goes something like, “That Duffy album is amazing! You weren’t kiddin’!”

With that in mind, here are three songs from Rockferry, other than “Mercy,” you should hear … and once you’ve given them a listen, go out, and pick up the album (I know, I said “go out” like it’s 1998, and the only way to buy an album is to go to a record store).

“Warwick Avenue”

 

The first time I heard “Warwick Avenue” I was like, “Oh come on, there’s no way Duffy can be a current artist! She must be a time traveler!”

Classic soul in a modern package, this song is just so damned good.

“Hanging On Too Long”

 

Continuing the theme of classic vibes, “Hanging On Too Long” sounds like it was plucked right out of the Motown era.

A totally gorgeous song, as fas as I’m concerned Duffy’s music is welcome to hang around forever.

“Distant Dreamer”

 

The build … my God THE BUILD within “Distant Dreamer” is spectacular, crescendoing with full instrumentation, and Duffy showing off her powerful pipes.

Ultimately she allows the music take us home on this, the album’s finale, creating a well-defined conclusion to a perfect album.

Until next time, here’s to discovering more great music from one hit wonders!