new songs and old records

Wipe Out

by The Surfaris

One of the all-time great instrumentals, and the only track by The Surfaris that most people will ever hear. But hopefully The Surfaris aren't too bitter - at least most people will have heard and enjoyed one of their tunes! Don't forget to check out the flip side - the great 'Surfer Joe'.

Rock your baby

by George McCrae

This is simply one of the greatest pop songs of all time, and even if you hated disco, 'Rock your baby' was a guilty pleasure!

Written and recorded by Harry Casey and Richard Finch, it's basically KC and the Sunshine Band with vocals by George McCrae. George made lots more records, but this was the best.

Kung Fu Fighting

by Carl Douglas

On paper this doesn't sound like a winner - a novelty disco record about the martial arts craze inspired, at least in part, by the Bruce Lee films of the early 70s. Surely it should be a long-forgotten curio, like some of those cheesy Star Wars-themed records? And yet... against all the odds, it's impossible not to like. It's a good song, the band is tight and Carl performs it with conviction, but somehow it all adds up to so much more than the sum of the parts. Pure disco magic. Huh! Ha!

Some kind of wonderful

by Soul Brothers Six

You might think that a band signed to a major label like Atlantic would have enjoyed a few chart hits, but even this excellent track barely made it into the Hot 100 for the Soul Brothers Six. Perhaps a little dated in 1969, it's now regarded as a soul classic.

OK, I'd better be clear - some of the artists featured on this page might well have had more than one chart hit, but, for better or worse, they will always be remembered for the records featured here. So, without further ado let's kick off this fun page with one of the all-time greats!

Dumb head

by Ginny Arnell

When I first heard this I thought it was a quaint bit of throwaway pop, and to a certain extent I still do - maybe that's why I like it so much! Ginny also recorded a version of this in Japanese, which you can check out on YouTube if you're so inclined.

Much more to come!

One Hit Wonders!

Shake a tail feather

by The Five Du-Tones

As far as I'm aware this is the only one of 9 singles by the Five Du-Tones to make a lasting impact. It wasn't a huge hit, but the song has become widely known after featuring in the films Hairspray (the original version) and the Blues Brothers, where it was performed by Ray Charles. Prior to that the best known (and still the best) version was by Ike and Tina - you'll find that on our '45 rips' page!

My baby likes to boogaloo

by Don Gardner

Don Garner had a big hit with Dee Dee Ford in 1962 ('I need your loving'), but frankly that track sounds a bit dated now. This, on the other hand, is timeless - the guitar riff alone is enough to make it worth tracking down a copy. In fact it took me a while to find this, and cost me a bit more than I usually spend on a 45, but one day my kids will thank me for it!

Treat her right

by Roy Head and the Traits

Not the only record by Roy Head to hit the charts, but the only one that has become a standard - covered dozens of

​times and immortalised in 'The Commitments' film. It's just too good to be forgotten!

Soul Finger

by the Bar-Kays

The Bar-Kays were the house band at Stax Records and backed Otis Redding, so they're not exactly one-hit-wonders. However, this is the first and biggest hit that the original line-up of the band had under their own name.

I think it's probably fair to say that this tune was the inspiration for Ray Parker Jnr's 'Ghostbusters' theme.

Cool Jerk

by The Capitols

The Capitols recorded several singles and a couple of albums trying to replicate the success that they enjoyed with this track, all to no avail. For them, this was their two-and-a-half minutes of fame. Recorded with Motown house band The Funk Brothers in 1966, it still sounds fabulous.