| Hedgehoppers Anonymous | |
| Origin: | Peterborough, England |
| Genre: | Beat music, pop |
| Years Active: | 1963–1966 |
| Label: | Decca |
| Past Members: | Mick 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]
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 Billboards Hot 100.[4] 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.[5] while "Daytime" only appeared on Record Mirrors "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 were Royal Air Force personnel. (Hedgehoppers was RAF slang for low flying aircraft).[2]
| Year | Single | Chart Positions | Label | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UK [6] | AU [7] | US [8] | |||
| 1965 | "It's Good News Week" | 5 | 8 | 48 | Decca F 12241 |
| "Don't Push Me" | — | 28 | 123 | Decca F 12298 | |
| 1966 | "Baby (You're My Everything)" | — | — | — | Decca F 12400 |
| "Daytime" | 58 | — | — | Decca F 12479 | |
| "Stop Press" | — | — | — | Decca F 12530 | |