It’s not a song you hear much these days, but UK band Jigsaw’s energizing disco-pop hit "Sky High" was biggish hit in 1975 when it was used as the theme to the Australian-made kung fu action thriller The Man From Hong Kong. The film starred Australia’s own James Bond George Lazenby as a Sydney gangster and Hong Kong action icon Jimmy Wang Yu as a Hong Kong-based police detective out here on a drugs case. It also features other familiar Aussies of the era including Bill Hunter, Rebecca Gilling, and the great Frank Thring. Quentin Tarantino is, of course, a big fan of it. Not sure quite why they couldn’t have used an Aussie track, but the song works brilliantly in the film – once seen, the opening credits, with its hang gliders and aerial views of Kong Kong - scored by Jigsaw’s dynamic tune - are not easily forgotten.

The frequently Beatles-influenced Jigsaw – known as British Jigsaw here actually due to the existence of an Australian band of the same name – had been around nearly a decade when "Sky High" was a hit for them. The single sold 10 million copies and was massive in Japan and the US as well the UK and here.

George Lazenby fans should also check out the new documentary Becoming Bond which tells the story of how an unknown Australian mechanic found himself stepping into Sean Connery’s shoes and playing the world’s most famous spy in 1969’s Bond movie On Her Majesty’ Secret Service.

You can hear “Sky High”, along with other gems of the era like Blue Swede’s “Hooked On a Feeling”, Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel’s “Make Me Smile (Come Up & See Me)”, Sailor’s “Glass of Champagne”, The Ferrets’ “Don’t Fall In Love” and Pilot’s “January”, in ILYOS’ super Hits of the ‘70s playlist here.

-DL