Walking on Sunshine (song)
- For the Eddy Grant song of the same name, see Walking on Sunshine (Eddy Grant album).
| "Walking on Sunshine" | ||||
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| Single by Katrina and the Waves | ||||
| from the album Walking on Sunshine (later version appeared on Katrina and the Waves) |
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| Released | April 26, 1985 June 7, 1996 (re-issue) |
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| Format | Gramophone | |||
| Recorded | Cambridge Studios, England 1983, 1985 | |||
| Genre | Pop, Rock, Ska, New Wave | |||
| Length | 3:16 (original version) 4:00 (re-recorded version) |
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| Label | Attic, Capitol | |||
| Writer(s) | Kimberley Rew | |||
| Katrina and the Waves singles chronology | ||||
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"Walking on Sunshine" is a song written by Kimberley Rew for Katrina and the Waves' 1983 eponymous debut full-length album. The re-recorded version was at first released on the band's 1985 self-titled album as the album's second single (see 1985 in music) and reached No. 4 in Australia, No. 9 in the United States, and No. 8 in the United Kingdom. It is the Waves' first U.S. top 40 hit, and their biggest success in the UK until "Love Shine a Light" (1997). Conceived of as a ballad, Katrina decided to belt the song out.[1]
Royalties from airplay and advertisements of "Walking on Sunshine" have been extremely high. Katrina and the Waves kept the publishing rights and the royalties that typically go to the songwriter have been divided among the band members.[clarification needed] Estimates are the song has earned $1 million per year for the ten years ending in 2010.[citation needed] According to a former employee of EMI, "Walking on Sunshine was the crown jewel in EMI's catalog," and that it was one of EMI's biggest earners from advertisers.[2]
2010 was the 25th anniversary of the release of "Walking on Sunshine" and a series of back-catalog re-releases and a re-recorded version of the track were released at the time.[3] A free download of one of the tracks from Kimberley Rew's solo album Bible of Bop was given away in March 2010 from the band's website.[4]
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Music video [edit]
The music video opens in a Docklands alley, the Waves huddling whilst Katrina dances about above them. The video proceeds to depict the band performing live at a United Kingdom concert. Katrina herself is either with or not with them, but either dancing in a disused Docklands warehouse, or walking through Hyde Park on a cloudy day, past a churchyard, Tower Bridge, and the south bank of the Thames. She catches up with the others and feeds ducks (one of them eats the leftovers, referring to the Waves). The four all repair to a backstage dressing room and prepare for a concert.
Covers [edit]
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In 1993, Clifford, Gonzo the Great, and Rizzo the Rat covered the song for the album Muppet Beach Party.
In 1994, Macedonian alternative rock band Last Expedition covered it as Dojdi so mene on the album Izgubeni likovi in 1994.
The song was covered by Jeffries Fan Club on their debut album Feelin' Sorry...For All the Hearts We've Broken in 1997.
In 2007, pop group Girl Authority covered the song on Road Trip.
Christian pop group Jump5 recorded a version on their 2003 album Accelerate. This cover was also on the soundtrack to the movie Ella Enchanted.
In 2009, the song was also featured in a mash-up with "Halo" (Beyoncé), on the TV Show Glee.
Argentine singer-songwriter Diego Torres recorded a version of the song with lyrics in Spanish named Por la vereda del sol for his album Tratar de Estar Mejor (1994)
Christian ska bands Ghoti Hook and The Insyderz recorded covers of Walking on Sunshine in 1998 and 2001, respectively.
Dolly Parton cover [edit]
| "Walking on Sunshine" | ||||
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| Single by Dolly Parton | ||||
| from the album Treasures | ||||
| Released | January 1, 1997 | |||
| Recorded | 1996 | |||
| Genre | Country, dance | |||
| Length | 3:12 | |||
| Label | Rising Tide, Blue Eye | |||
| Dolly Parton singles chronology | ||||
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In 1996, Dolly Parton included a bluegrass version of "Walking on Sunshine" on her album of covers, Treasures, stating in interviews to promote the album, as well as her CBS TV special to promote the album, that she had long loved the song. In 1997, a dance remix of Parton's version was released.
Aly & AJ cover [edit]
| "Walking on Sunshine" | ||||
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| Single by Aly & AJ | ||||
| from the album Into the Rush, Herbie: Fully Loaded and Sharpay's Fabulous Adventure | ||||
| Released | June 22, 2005 | |||
| Format | Radio Disney single | |||
| Recorded | 2005 | |||
| Genre | Pop, pop rock | |||
| Length | 3:54 | |||
| Label | Hollywood | |||
| Producer | Matthew Gerrard | |||
| Aly & AJ minor singles chronology | ||||
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Matthew Gerrard produced a cover of "Walking on Sunshine" for American pop rock duo Aly & AJ's debut album, Into the Rush. The song was released as the album's fourth single on June 22, 2005 (see 2005 in music). It was also used to promote the film Herbie: Fully Loaded, and makes an appearance on the movie soundtrack. The single's video features Aly & AJ performing, and is intercut with clips from the film Herbie: Fully Loaded. The song was shortened down to one minute and 55 seconds (1:55), as it is used for the video. This song was also featured in the 2010 film Ramona and Beezus and the 2011 film Sharpay's Fabulous Adventure.
Track listings [edit]
| Radio Disney Promo CD[5] | ||||||||||
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| No. | Title | Length | ||||||||
| 1. | "Walking on Sunshine" | 3:54 | ||||||||
Release history [edit]
| Date | Country | Format | Label |
|---|---|---|---|
| June 22, 2005 | United States | Promo CD | Hollywood Records |
| Date | Country | Format | Label |
|---|---|---|---|
| February 6, 2006 | United Kingdom | Promo CD | Squirrel Records |
Appearances in popular culture [edit]
The song is very popular in commercials and advertisers typically pay $150,000 to $200,000 per year to use the song.[2] It has also been featured in several films, including American Psycho (2000), Look Who's Talking (1989), High Fidelity (2000), Race the Sun (1996) Ask Max (1986), The Secret of My Success (1987), Daddy Day Care (2003), Bean (1997), and Moon (2009). It has been played on the TV shows Gilmore Girls, Prison Break, Sports Night, and The Drew Carey Show, and twice on Supernatural. In television, it is the favorite song of the character Phillip J. Fry in the animated TV series Futurama. The song is also featured in the video game series Lego Rock Band, Singstar and Band Hero. The song is a theme tune of The Stephanie Miller Show on radio. It was featured on an Angry Video Game Nerd episode where an elderly Nerd dances to the music while reviewing the Wii game Boogie before dying of myocardial infarction. The song also appears in the intro and credits of the game Lego City Undercover.
References [edit]
- ^ Katrina Leskanich radio appearance
- ^ a b Elizabeth Blair, 'Walking On Sunshine': Living On A Song, National Public Radio. Retrieved 2010-05-24.
- ^ "Kimberley Rew Celebrates 25th Anniversary of Walking On Sunshine With Four Retro Releases - Kimberley Rew News @". Antimusic.com. Retrieved 2012-03-13.
- ^ "Katrina & The Waves". Katrinaandthewaves.net. Retrieved 2012-03-13.
- ^ Aly & AJ "Walking on Sunshine" Radio Disney Promo CD
External links [edit]
- Full lyrics of Aly & AJ version at MetroLyrics
- Walking on Sunshine Info
- Katrina
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