Hedgehoppers Anonymous
OriginPeterborough, England
GenresBeat music, pop
Years active1963–1966
LabelsDecca
Past membersMick Tinsley
John Stewart
Alan Laud
Ray Honeybull
Leslie Dash[1]

Hedgehoppers Anonymous were a 1960s beat group from the United Kingdom. They formed in November 1963 as The Trendsetters, and became The Hedgehoppers the following year.[2] Jonathan King took over their record production in 1965, and added Anonymous to their name.[2] Their most successful single was "It's Good News Week".[3]

Singles

The major success of Hedgehoppers Anonymous was the King-produced and -written "It's Good News Week", issued on Decca in 1965.[2] It reached No. 5 on the UK Singles Chart, and No. 48 on Billboard's Hot 100.[4][5] This song has been used as the theme music for Good News Week, a satirical news-based comedy quiz show on Australian television which ran from 1996 to 2000 and was revived in 2008.[2]

The group released four other tracks but did not achieve significant success. "Don't Push Me" only managed to reach the Bubbling Under Hot 100 chart in the US.[6] while "Daytime" only appeared on Record Mirror's "Breakers List" (chart listing songs outside the Top 50). Without further success, the band soon broke up,[2] and the lack of significant chart activity other than "It's Good News Week" leaves them labelled as one-hit wonders.

Band members

Band members were Royal Air Force personnel. (Hedgehoppers was RAF slang for low flying aircraft).[2]

Singles

Year Single Chart Positions Label
UK
[7]
AU
[8]
US
[5]
1965 "It's Good News Week" 5 8 48 Decca F 12241
"Don't Push Me" 28 123[lower-alpha 1] Decca F 12298
1966 "Baby (You're My Everything)" Decca F 12400
"Daytime" 58[lower-alpha 2] Decca F 12479
"Stop Press" Decca F 12530
  1. Billboard Bubbling Under Hot 100 chart[9]
  2. Chart position from Record Mirror "Breakers List" (15 June 66)

See also

References

    1. Colin Larkin, ed. (1997). The Virgin Encyclopedia of Sixties Music (First ed.). Virgin Books. p. 230. ISBN 0-7535-0149-X.
    2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Biography by Steven McDonald". AllMusic. Retrieved 20 March 2009.
    3. Dean, Maury (2003). Rock N Roll Gold Rush. Algora Publishing. p. 177. ISBN 9780875862071.
    4. Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 249. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
    5. 1 2 "Billboard Hot 100". Billboard. 29 January 1966. pp. 20, 44, 48.
    6. "Bubbling Under the Hot 100". Billboard. 26 March 1966. p. 20.
    7. "Hedgehoppers Anonymous". The Official Charts Company.
    8. "AMR Top Singles of 1965". Top 100 Singles.
    9. "Bubbling Under the Hot 100". Billboard. 26 March 1966. p. 20.
    This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.