The Pipkins

Remembered almost exclusively for the 1970 novelty smash "Gimme Dat Ding," the Pipkins were another in a long series of one-hit wonders to feature bubblegum pop king <a href="spotify:artist:2S3b6uIOzRfKJFdYsjogLJ">Tony Burrows</a>. The British session singer dominated pop charts on both sides of the Atlantic throughout much of 1970, albeit anonymously -- his lead vocals were also featured on <a href="spotify:artist:1NRzxuPpdGushT8YmF5NAa">Edison Lighthouse</a>'s "Love Grows (Where My Rosemary Goes)" and <a href="spotify:artist:0xWTQw2TL6j7mHGOTltsEW">White Plains</a>' "My Baby Loves Lovin'," and in February <a href="spotify:artist:2S3b6uIOzRfKJFdYsjogLJ">Burrows</a> became the first and only performer ever to appear on the BBC's Top of the Pops fronting three different acts in one episode. The Pipkins paired <a href="spotify:artist:2S3b6uIOzRfKJFdYsjogLJ">Burrows</a> with pop songwriter <a href="spotify:artist:6bcrzGXhCvmu8e8UlacFr0">Roger Greenaway</a>, whose extensive résumé included such blockbusters as <a href="spotify:artist:3ap1NzHNV9QA1x1V6z3gSe">Gene Pitney</a>'s "Something's Gotten Hold of My Heart" and <a href="spotify:artist:6waa8mKu91GjzD4NlONlNJ">the Hollies</a>' "Long Cool Woman in a Black Dress." The nonsensical "Gimme Dat Ding," with its tongue-in-cheek voices and rollicking, boogie-woogie piano, reached number six on the pop charts, and at mid-year EMI's budget imprint Music for Pleasure issued the Pipkins' sole LP, a split release with then-fledgling glam rock outfit <a href="spotify:artist:3JaAGmSTpJK35DqWrDUzBz">the Sweet</a>, also titled Gimme Dat Ding. Two subsequent Pipkins singles -- a cover of <a href="spotify:artist:3QZKZBEmr54lAVI5XvmjnM">the Coasters</a>' classic "Yakety Yak" and "Are You Cooking, Goose?" -- both flopped and <a href="spotify:artist:2S3b6uIOzRfKJFdYsjogLJ">Burrows</a> and <a href="spotify:artist:6bcrzGXhCvmu8e8UlacFr0">Greenaway</a> each moved on to their next studio sessions. "Gimme Dat Ding" nevertheless earned immortality as the theme for the British children's television series Oliver in the Overworld, and was also a staple of the long-running sketch comedy series The Benny Hill Show. ~ Jason Ankeny, Rovi