h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

A personal favourite is 'The Urban Spaceman' (Neil Innes, 1968), which was the only chart hit (Number 5) by 1960's novelty band 'The Bonzo Dog (Doo Dah) Band'. The record was produced by Paul McCartney using the pseudonym Apollo C Vermouth. Viv Stanshall, the other constant member of the band (which had an ever-changing line-up) hated the song, and would have been devastated to know that, immediately after his death, he was often referred to in newspaper reports and suchlike as 'The Urban Spaceman'.

In a similar vein, the novelty song 'Winchester Cathedral' was a one-hit wonder in 1966 for 'The New Vaudeville Band', which contained some ex-members of the Bonzos.

Also linked to the previous...

After the Bonzos broke up, Neil Innes went on to work with the Monty Python team, who themselves had a one-hit wonder with 'Always Look on the Bright Side of Life', which was released as a single in 1991 and made Number 3 in the charts.

Talking of Spacemen, did Babylon Zoo have success with any songs apart from 'Spaceman'?

If they did, it bypassed me!

Didn't 'Spaceman' start life as the music to a jeans ad?

Babylon Zoo followed up Spaceman with "Animal Army", which was (guess what?) complete cak.

And yes, Spaceman was originally the music for a jeans ad. Except the version in the ad was fantastic and the single was slowed down garbage. Shame really.

Jaz Mann (the "talent" behind Babylon Zoo) did manage not to be a complete waste of oxygen by appearing on "Brass Eye" having the p**s taken out of him by Chris Morris, and failing, apparently, to realise it. Marvellous.

H.