the group first formed under the name the kays in 1959, and scored a top 10 hit in the u.s. in 1968 with the tune "girl watcher" (#5 pop, #6 r&b). the song was first released on the north state record label owned by ronald killette (buck trail), then based in goldsboro, n.c., under the production of john i whitfield . authorship credit for the song was originally shared by buck trail and o'kaysions band member wayne pittman. due to the popularity of this single it was sold to and released nationally by abc records where it eventually reached #5 on the billboard pop charts. "girl watcher" received gold record status for a million sales from the r.i.a.a. in december 1968. it was their only major hit, and they released their full-length album in 1969 entitled "the o'kaysions" on the abc label. in 1987, the song was reworked as "i'm a wheel watcher" and was used to promote the tv game show, "wheel of fortune" (as well as its french-canadian and new zealand versions). this reworked version was performed by kool & the gang.