They were spotted by producer and singer-songwriter Jerry Fuller playing the University Twist Palace in Albany, New York, and he subsequently signed them to Los Angeles-based Challenge Records.
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Though the band had a strong songwriter in Beau Charles, the group was hampered by their label's ineptness, and drummer Walker left in late 1967 to replace Bill Medley in The Righteous Brothers.
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(Both of the White Whale and Uni Records singles were produced or co-produced by George Tobin, who later went on to produce and manage 1980s teenage singer, Tiffany).
The song was covered by a long list of artists including Herb Alpert & The Tijuana Brass, The Champs, The Ventures, Fozzie Bear, Sebastian the crab, Chet Atkins and Hank Snow (on their joint album C.B. Atkins & C.E. Snow by Special Request), The Knickerbockers, Klaus Wunderlich, The Routers, Arthur Lyman, Skiantos, Jaume Sisa.
The game, a November 1, 1946 contest between the Knickerbockers and the Toronto Huskies played in famed Maple Leaf Gardens, was won 68-66 by the Knickerbockers.