Hedgehoppers Anonymous were a UK beat quintet who had a hit in 1965 with this satirical protest song. The band formed in November 1963 as The Trendsetters, and became The Hedgehoppers the following year. Four fifths of Hedgehoppers Anonymous were in the air force and the band were named after RAF slang for the Vulcan bomber, which flew low to avoid radar. Playing a gig at Cambridge, they got signed by Jonathan King, a songwriter-producer new to the books of Decca Records. He'd gone Top 10 for them earlier in the year with "Everyone's Gone To The Moon" and had penned another protest song, which he gave to Hedgehoppers Anonymous to record. "A strange song," singer Mike Tinsley told Mojo magazine. "I was working on a nuclear base, and it was taking the mickey."
The group released four other singles without success. Tinsly cited a lack of airplay and a songwriter as the main obstacle. He found Chip Taylor's "Wild Thing" but King and Decca wouldn't let them release it - The Troggs had the hit. Hedgehoppers Anonymous's last single was "Stop Press," which was released in late 1966 and soon afterwards the band dissolved.
In 1976 Tinsley took part in the Japanese Yamaha Music foundation Competition and began song writing for Joe Dolan and Kelly Marie. He is still singing and recording.
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