The Hotshots | |
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Genres | Ska |
Years active | 1973 |
Labels | Mooncrest Records |
Past members |
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The Hotshots was a ska band which had a hit single in the UK singles charts with a cover of "Snoopy vs. the Red Baron" in 1973.
In Spring 1973, the head of Mooncrest Records, Clive Crawley, decided to record a cover of the Royal Guardsmen's hit "Snoopy vs. the Red Baron" as a counter to the heavy metal that was becoming popular. Crawley got together with the label's regular session keyboardist, Brian Bennett, and, in order to create a lilting ska sound, hired an Anglo-Jamaican band, the Cimarons, [1] to provide the appropriate rhythm.
The recording, released on 4 May 1973 [2] under the group name the Hotshots, entered the UK Singles Chart for the week ending 2 June 1973, and peaked at no. 4 for the week ending 14 July 1973. [3] However, rather than use the Cimarons to promote the single, Crawley recruited a different band - Wild Country - which twice appeared on Top of the Pops performing the song. [4]
As the single dropped out of the charts, Wild Country, which did not have the rights to the Hotshots name, recorded a follow-up single ("Here Come the Three Bears") under the name the Hi-Shots, with Cliff Bennett as lead singer. [5] Brian Bennett recruited a new band, Albatross, to be the Hotshots; this different combine recorded four further ska singles as the Hotshots, as well as an album, but none was a hit, and Albatross reverted to recording under their own name. [6]
Year | Album | UK |
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1973 | Snoopy vs. the Red Baron | – |
Year | Song | UK [3] | |
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1973 | "Snoopy vs. the Red Baron" | 4 | |
"Battle of New Orleans" | – | ||
"Yesterday Man" | – | ||
1974 | "Caribbean" | – | |
1975 | "Mellow Yellow" | – | |
"–" denotes releases that did not chart. |