The Piltdown Men

Assembled in Hollywood by the Four Preps, the Piltdown Men specialized in lighthearted, novelty-infused instrumentals during the early 1960s. Those recordings achieved only limited traction stateside yet found stronger audiences across the U.K. Most of the songs came from pianist Lincoln Mayorga and ex-Four Prep Ed Cobb; the resulting tracks blended Duane Eddy-style low guitar riffs, Steve Douglas-style sax lines, and prominent orchestral kettle and tympani drums into agreeable, lightweight fare. Although “Brontosaurus Stomp” climbed only to number 75 in the States, its B-side, “McDonald’s Cave,” reached the British Top 20. Two further U.K. Top 20 entries followed—“Piltdown Rides Again” and “Goodnight Mrs. Flintstone”—before the Piltdown Men stopped issuing records after 1962.