Originating from the Cheshunt area of Hertfordshire and formed from the remnants of The Parker Royal Five, The Hunters found work as a backing group for touring US stars such as Bobby Rydell, Jimmy Jones in the UK, and British-based artists The Allisons, Frank Ifield, The Avons, Mark Wynter, Kenny Lynch and Michael Cox.
[1] Their first major hit was "Sweet Dreams" on the Columbia label as the backing band to singer Dave Sampson, which reached No.
Sampson had written the song whilst at the Curry Bazaar Indian Restaurant in Wardour Street, London West End in October 1959 with friend and neighbour Cliff Richard in mind but record producer Norrie Paramor thought that the song would suit Sampson more.
Instrumental tracks from the band have often been mistaken as that of The Shadows[citation needed] and retrospectively people have often wrongly assumed that The Hunters were copyists.
In truth, there were a number of instrumental bands around in the very late 1950s and early 1960s, who played in a similar style and their sound was more a product of the guitars and equipment available at the time.