Hi Hi Hazel

"Hi Hi Hazel"
Norwegian picture sleeve
Single by the Troggs
from the album From Nowhere
B-side	"As I Ride By"
Released	14 July 1967 (1967-07-14)[14]
Recorded	May 1966
Studio	Olympic, London
Genre	Pop rock
Length	2:47
Label	Page One
Songwriters	Bill Martin Phil Coulter
Producer	Larry Page
The Troggs singles chronology
"Night of the Long Grass" (1967) "Hi Hi Hazel" (1967) "Love Is All Around" (1967)

Prior to Geno Washington & the Ram Jam Band's version, the Troggs had supposedly considered releasing their version as a single.^[15] The Troggs rendition features lead vocalist Reg Presley on the melodica,^[16] and was recorded in May 1966 at Olympic Studios in London.^[17][18] In the end, it was included on their album From Nowhere, released in July 1966.

In 1967, the Troggs decided to split from manager Larry Page, although in the end they stayed on his record label Page One.^[19] During the uncertainty of the band's future at the label, Page, unbeknownst to the Troggs, decided to release their version of "Hi Hi Hazel" as a single, backed with a previously unreleased song, "As I Ride By", written by drummer Ronnie Bond. In an interview in August 1967, guitarist Chris Britton said that they were made aware that it had been released as a single after hearing it on the radio.^[20][21]

Prior to the release of "Hi Hi Hazel", the Troggs had had a run of six top-20 hits; however, the single only managed three weeks on the Record Retailer chart, peaking at number 42.^[3] This was down to a lack of promotion of the single, with Britton saying that they "presume[d] that anyone who liked the song already had it on our LP or had bought the Geno Washington single".^[20] The band were not particularly concerned by the lack of success of "Hi Hi Hazel" and they would go on to recapture their previous success with the follow-up top-ten hit "Love Is All Around".^[21][3]

• In October 1966, American band Gary and the Hornets released a cover of the song as a single which peaked at number 96 on the Billboard Hot 100.^[25]
• In December 1966, Australian band Grandma's Tonic released a cover of the song as a single which peaked at number 95 on the retrospective Kent Music Report chart.^[22]