New Music: Rewiggled
“I remember The Wiggles before they became The Wiggles. Yes, that’s right. Sometime around 1987 I remember trudging out to the State Sports Centre at Homebush (now Olympic Park) to see six bands for $15. I probably told my parents I was going to the library to study or something as equally lame, when in fact I was sculling copious amounts of sugar laden milk and attempting to pick up girls, sporting more metal in my mouth than Lil Jon, Goldie and Ludacris put together.
So what does all of this have to do with The Wiggles you ask? Well before they were The Wiggles they were The Cockroaches; made up of the effervescent Field brothers and their school mates playing their own brand of white-boy surf and do-wop rock. They were immensely popular for about two years and scored a couple of hits with She’s The One, Double Shot (of My Baby’s Love) and some other track I can’t recall right now. Then, just like the last song at a school formal, it was all over and the ugly house lights were switched on.
Next thing you know it’s 1991 and with a couple of neat line-up changes (The Cockroaches lead singer Paul Field now taking on a manager/producer role, the inclusion of musicians Greg Page, Murray Cook) The Wiggles were launched and it was instant success. I’m not going to spend the remainder of this story documenting the highs and lows of The Wiggles. We all know they have gone on to become one of Australia’s biggest ever musical exports.
They’ve become part of the Australian cultural make up, as natural to us as a great fitting pair of Stubbies or accidently dropping your chocolate paddle pop in the sand. We all love The Wiggles and it’s been that way for over twenty years. And in that time, teenage girls that used to swoon at the mere sight of The Cockroaches are now yummy mummies with two kids of their own buying up Wiggles tickets, CDs and merchandise by the pallet load. But what is it that makes The Wiggles so stupidly popular? Surely it’s more than a flashy smile or the bright costumes?
So it seems now the time is right for Rewiggled, an album that pays homage to the songs of The Wiggles and it’s an absolute bobby-dazzler! The artist line-up is diverse and unique, each bringing their own flavour to songs that have become holiday car staples and lifesavers for generations of parents. There’s the swamp rock growl of The Snowdroppers (Wags The Dog), the snotty-nosed frantic punk of Frenzal Rhomb (Captain’s Magic Buttons), the effortless cool of Busby Marou (Dressing Up), Spiderbait’s west coast fuzz pop and the pschycedelia of Washington’s Monkey Dance (which instantly transports me back to the Batman TV series…y’know the one with Adam West? Grrrooovy), as well as The Living End, Sarah Blasko, Architecture in Helsinki, Bluejuice, Clare Bowditch, Adalita, Papa VS Pretty, The Audreys, Dead Letter Chorus, Oh Mercy, Angie Hart, Sons of Rico, Steve Lane and The Autocrats and Paul Greene all contribute admirably to an album that both kids and their parents will enjoy.
Rewiggled is in Australian stores and available in worldwide digital retailers now.
The Living End - Hot Potato
Washington - The Monkey Dance
Jebediah - Getting Strong!
Sarah Blasko - I Love It When It Rains
Architecture In Helsinki - Wiggly Party
Spiderbait - Rock-A-Bye Your Bear
Bluejuice - Wake Up Jeff!
Frenzal Rhomb - Captain’s Magic Buttons
Clare Bowditch - Georgia’s Song
The Snowdroppers - Wags The Dog
Busby Marou - Dressing Up
Adalita - Get Ready To Wiggle
Papa VS Pretty - Can You (Point Your Fingers And Do The Twist?)
The Audreys - Cowboys And Cowgirls
Dead Letter Chorus - Wiggle Bay
Oh Mercy - Toot Toot, Chugga Chugga, Big Red Car
Angie Hart - Our Boat Is Rocking On The Sea
Sons Of Rico - Shaky Shaky
Steve Lane And The Autocrats - Fruit Salad
Paul Greene - Henry’s Spinning
Sampology - The Wiggles Mash-up / Remix