"Moon Hop" is a 1969 single by Derrick Morgan. Backed with the Reggaeites' "Harris Wheel", it reached #49 on the UK Singles Chart. The British Afro-Caribbean ska and reggae band Symarip covered "Moon Hop" as "Skinhead Moonstomp"; whilst unsuccessful on first release, in the wake of the 2 Tone revolution it was re-issued and charted at #54.
| "Moon Hop" | |
|---|---|
| Single by Derrick Morgan | |
| A-side | "Moon Hop" |
| B-side | "Harris Wheel" (Reggaeites)[1] |
| Released | 1969[1] |
| Genre | Reggae[1] |
| Label | Crab Records[1] |
| Songwriter(s) | Derrick Morgan (Moon Hop)[1] Joe Willis (Harris Wheel)[1] |
"Moon Hop" was written to commemorate the July 20, 1969 landing of the Apollo Lunar Module on the moon.[2] Symarip's version was released shortly afterwards and many see a strong similarity between the two.[2] The Symarip version includes a vocal introduction: "I want all you skinheads to get up on your feet/Put your braces together and your boots on your feet/And give me some of that old moonstomping" which was based on Sam & Dave's "I Thank You.” The screeching guitar and lyrics were intended to appeal to skinheads. When released for the first time, Moonstomp sold 5,000 copies, and Symarip named their album after it.[2]
"Moon Hop" was the first version to chart on the UK Singles Chart; backed with the Reggaeites' "Harris Wheel", it spent a week at #49 in January 1970.[3] Although Symarip's version didn't chart on first release, it was re-released ten years later in 1980 in the wake of the 2 Tone revolution, and spent three weeks on the UK Singles Chart in 1980.[4]