Artist:Randy VanWarmer
Song:Just When I Needed You Most
Album:70s Music Explosion: Sunshine
Singer songwriter Randy VanWarmer scored a top five hit with the 1979 single Just When I Needed You Most. Though VanWarmer is perceived as a one hit wonder, a couple of his other songs charted. So technically he is not a one hit wonder. It is his only big hit. The song still gets oldies radio play as a soft rock classic. He was born Randall Van Wormer Mar. 30, 1955 in Indian Hills, CO. After his father died in a 1967 car accident, VanWarmer moved with his mother to Cornwall, England. That's when he started writing songs. He moved back to the US in 1978 and settled in Woodstock, NY. That was the home of artist manager and Bearsville Records owner Albert Grossman. Grossman liked VanWarner's songs so he signed him to a record deal. The 1979 album Warmer was produced by British producer Del Newman. He worked on Cat Stevens' Teat for the Tillerman so he knew how to get that soft rock sound. Just When I Needed You Most reached #4 on the Billboard Hot 100. Van Warmer wrote the song with Tony Wilson of the British group Hot Chocolate. Supposedly Grossman wasn't too thrilled with the song or VanWarmer in general. He recorded four albums for Bearsville. There are no Randy VanWarmer comps available but you can get Just When I Needed You Most on this 2CD Time Life various artists comp. Beware of rerecorded versions of Just When I Needed You Most. VanWarmer continued to have a following in Japan. Some of his later albums were released only in Japan. He also had success as a songwriter in country music. VanWarmer moved with his family to Seattle and he died of leukemia on Jan. 12, 2004 at age 48. Here's Randy VanWarmer performing Just When I Needed You Most on Top of the Pops 1979.
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