We Gotta Get You A Woman

1970

Todd Rundgren and Runt

The next One Hit Wonder who's not a One Hit Wonder is a dude who those of us around in the 70s may remember by the name of Todd Rundgren. Ok, gang, listen closely...Todd Rundgren is most definitively not a One Hit Wonder...not even close.

But 'We Gotta Get You A Woman' is listed as a One Hit Wonder because it's the only hit scored by his backing band, 'Runt' during their tenure with Todd Rundgren, which was basically during the making of his first album. After he finished that first album he cast Runt off and tried his luck as a solo artist. As those of us who, again, were around during the Seventies may recall, he did a pretty decent job with it.

We Gotta Get You A Woman Is Todd R.'s piano-driven Pop classic about a conversation between two friends as one tries to find his lonely, girlfriend-challenged bud a girl (I always picture it taking place at one of their bachelor pads as beers are consumed) and while it may have been Runt's only hit, it's still Todd Rundgren's song, lock, stock, and barrel. He wrote, arranged, produced. played, and sang lead on it. (He did not, however, 'Bang On The Drum ;) ) Just ask anyone from that era who recorded and sang 'We Gotta Get You A Woman'. Bet their answer will not be 'Runt'

It was written as a lighthearted, fun tune, and was released on November 11^th 1970 to become a much heard staple on stations like WGH in the Tidewater area (The station I heard it on first) and WLEE in Richmond...two of Virginia's AM Top 40 powerhouses back during the 60s and early 70s. It debuted at # 82 on The Hot 100, jumped to #68 in it's first two weeks on the charts, and began a steady climb to it's peak of #20 on the Hot 100, where it stayed for three weeks after just cracking the Top 20 on February 6^th, 1971

We Gotta Get You A Woman was...and is...catchy and addictive. I mean really. Listen to it and see if it doesn't get stuck in your head for the rest of the day. It also had that fun little hook at the very end (And when we're through with you....we'll find me one tooo...') and it Todd Rundgren's piano playing talents which is pretty much to die for. He can seriously tickle the ol' Ivories!

Of course it also had 'The Line' in it...the one that had feminists all but putting a price on his head (...They May Be Stupid But They Sure Are Fun). Feminists saw every shade of red known, and criticism was so intense that he wrote 'Chain Letter' a year later in an effort to defuse...and sort of laugh off...the issue. He did earn his lesson well, though...he didn't broach that sensitive issue ever again.

I well remember hearing it on both a transistor radio that I believe was made by an upstart company named 'Sony', and the then-high end RDF radio that my dad, who had his pilot's license, bought me for my (I believe) 13^th birthday. (Wish I could remember the make of that beast...heck, wish I still had it...that thing could pull signals in that other radios wouldn't even admit existed). We Gotta Get You A Woman still shows up on the Oldies stations pretty regularly today, and that's the way it should definitely be. It's just a fun, catchy hit.

And as for Todd Rundgren? He's still writing new music and performing, and in fact performed with the Akron Symphony Orchestra and the Akron Youth Symphony at The Akron (Ohio) civic center in August . He and his music will be remembered long after we're gone.

So Enjoy...Todd Rundgren's One Hit Wonder that's not a One Hit Wonder, We Gotta Get You a Woman' and, yes... Ya know ya sang along with it!