| The Hotshots | |
| Genre: | Ska |
| Years Active: | 1973 |
| Label: | 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 charts 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 | Song | UK | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1973 | "Snoopy Versus The Red Baron" | align=center | 4 | |
| 1973 | "Battle of New Orleans" | align=center | – | |
| 1973 | "Yesterday Man" | align=center | – | |
| 1974 | "Caribbean" | align=center | – | |
| 1975 | "Mellow Yellow" | align=center | – | |
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart. | ||||