The Hotshots

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]