One Hit Wonderland - Tony Hawks

Back in the 70s and 80s I recall that novelty hits had a habit of invading the charts - perhaps thanks to Radio 1 DJ s thinking it was funny to play them (or in the case of DLT, make them) and also thanks to Top of the Pops playing anything that was in the charts at the time so long as it wasn't too risqué for pre watershed TV. One novelty hit I vaguely recall from the 80s was Stutter Rap by Morris Major & The Minors - a song which would probably receive zero airplay today due to the fact it's not in vogue to mock the afflicted anymore - never mind the fact the Beastie Boys parody would ... more

In the life and career of Tony Hawks, a couple of periods stand out as being highlights. In recent times, after a career as a comedian, he accepted a couple of stupid bets, firstly to hitchhike around Ireland with a fridge and later to play the entire Moldovan football team at tennis. It is not so much these events that were to be the highlights, but that he was able to write a book based on each of them. And very funny and well written books they were, too. However, well before this, there was Morris Minor and the Majors, who had a Top 5 hit with a song called “Stutter Rap”. Drawing on Hawks’ ... more

Tony Hawks has something of a reputation for accepting stupid bets - and after his previous two (hitch-hiking around Ireland with a fridge & beating the entire Moldovan national football team at tennis), this one is almost verging on the normal. Although everything's relative, clearly - most sane people wouldn't take off around the world for two years with a mission to get themselves a hit record, all for the sake of "honour". But then, as it quickly becomes clear in One Hit Wonderland, Tony Hawks isn't at all representative of most sane people. "' I bet that you can't have a Top Twenty hit ... more

This book has just about everything; Exotic locations, Superstars of stage and screen and an insight into the strange world of song writing and performing. And believe me it does seem very strange indeed. Below is the description on the books cover which I will then describe more fully and in my own way. Rewind to 1988. Britain is in the grip of a phenomenon. Radios across the land blast out a new sound. The song is “Stutter Rap”. The group – Morris Minor and the Majors. The man behind the fake moustache – Tony Hawks. Fast forward to the 21st century and Tony has left those heady music biz ... more

Have you ever watched Top of the Pops and thought I could do that? It can't be that hard can it? Most of it sounds like it was knocked up in a couple of minutes and it doesn't seem like any real talent is required. Tony Hawks thinks that he could have a Top Twenty hit single. He already has had one - Top Five infact! Back in the eighties, under the guise of Morris Minor and the Majors, Hawks reached number 4 in the British charts with the "Stutter Rap". In the intervening years, Hawks has made his name as a stand-up comedian, appearing on radio quiz shows and appearing asa contestant on TV's ... more