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The Wiggles

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The Wiggles
Musical artist

The Wiggles is an Australian band. Since its formation in 1991, the group has achieved worldwide success with its children's albums, videos, television series and concert appearances.

According to Business Review Weekly, The Wiggles were Australia's "richest entertainers" for the year 2005, earning more than AC/DC and Nicole Kidman combined. In 2006, it was reported that they earned $50 million.

History

Anthony Field and Jeff Fatt had been members of the Cockroaches, a popular pub rock band which had scored a number of Top 40 hits in Australia during the 1980s.

After the Cockroaches disbanded in 1988, Field enrolled at the Institute of Early Childhood Studies at Macquarie University in Sydney. One of only a few male students in the program, Field soon met two of the other men: Greg Page and Murray Cook, both former musicians. Cook was the guitarist in a minor Sydney pop band, Bang Shang a Lang, while also working as a clerk at the Australian Taxation Office..

The group initially teamed up to produce a music performance project for their studies, but they soon began working towards the goal of being children entertainers, using the concepts of early childhood education they learned in school. Recognizing the need for quality children's music, they produced their first (self-titled) album in 1991.

Needing a keyboardist, Field asked his old band mate, Jeff Fatt, to help out. (Fatt's reply was "Sure, but how long will it take...."). The group received song writing help from John Field, Anthony's brother and former band mate, as they reworked a few of the old Cockroaches tunes into children's songs. For example, "Do the Monkey" was originally a Cockroaches song with different lyrics. Another Cockroaches song, "Get Ready to Wiggle", inspired the new band's name.

The band also received keyboards and songwriting assistance from fellow Macquarie student Phillip Wilcher, whose departure from the group shortly before their international fame has earned him comparisons to Pete Best, the "fifth Beatle."

Early career

Using his connections with the Cockroaches, Field got ABC Records to distribute their album in Australia. Their manager suggested that they tour, so they began performing at pre-schools, childcare centres, and malls. The basic act was later augmented with supporting characters — the "friendly pirate" Captain Feathersword (played by Paul Paddick since 1993) and the animal characters Dorothy the Dinosaur, Henry the Octopus, and Wags the Dog. These characters were initially performed by the members of the band: Field playing Captain Feathersword and Wags, Cook playing Dorothy, and Fatt playing Henry.

Early on, they adopted differently coloured shirts for each member -- Greg in yellow, Murray in red, Jeff in purple, and Anthony in blue. The colour coding assisted their recognition by very young children, and they invariably wear the Wiggles "uniform" when appearing as The Wiggles in the media or in public. At first, Anthony wore a green shirt instead of blue. It was later changed so as to not clash with Dorothy the Dinosaur.

Each Wiggle also developed a "schtick." Greg's was performing magic tricks; Murray's was playing the guitar; Jeff's was falling asleep; Anthony's was eating. They were based on the behaviour of each member of the group (as Sam Moran said, "Jeff really does fall asleep"), and made into caricatures to differentiate their characters and to make them more memorable to young children.

The Wiggles got the idea for their signature index finger-wagging move after watching professional bowlers do the move on television. It became Wiggles policy, when photographed with children, to adopt this move, insisting that touching children, no matter how innocently, was inappropriate. (It also protected them from possible litigation).

The Wiggles have also always had a strict code of conduct--a "zero tolerance policy" to drug use and no drinking, smoking, or using bad language for any employee or crew member.

National, then international success

The Wiggles stage, Oakland, California.

Through the rest of the 1990s, The Wiggles maintained a busy recording and touring schedule, releasing multiple albums, home videos, and performing to increasingly large audiences in Australia and New Zealand. They filmed their first television series with the Australian Broadcasting Corporation in 1993. The band first gained popularity in the United States beginning in 1998 by piggybacking on the success of the popular television program Barney & Friends. Lyrick Studios, the producers of Barney, began distributing Wiggles videos in the U.S. and prominently advertising them in Barney videos. (Lyrick Studios was later acquired by HIT Entertainment). The Wiggles also opened for Barney during U.S. tours.

Twentieth Century Fox produced a feature-length film The Wiggles Movie, which premiered in Australia in December 1997 and went on to become the fifth-highest grossing Australian film of 1998.

By the late 90s, The Wiggles had grown so successful in America and in the UK that for a few years they travelled separately, in two separate planes and on two different buses, so that if disaster occurred, "at least half of them would survive and carry on." After it proved to be a logistical nightmare, they ended the practice, although by 2007, they travelled in two separate buses between cities.

Strong U.S. sales of The Wiggles videos eventually caught the attention of the Disney Channel. In January 2002, they began showing a Wiggles video clip in between programmes of its morning Playhouse Disney block. By June of that year, the popularity of these interstitials prompted Disney Channel to add The Wiggles television series to the Playhouse Disney programme schedule, showing full episodes multiple times per day.

The Wiggles have gone on to perform twelve sold-out shows at Madison Square Garden and have been in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade at least twice. As of 2005, worldwide sales of their DVDs and videos exceeded 17 million and they had performed in front of over one million people across the globe.

The Wiggles' success in music and television has led to extensive merchandising of Wiggles-branded books, toys, clothing, and other products for children. Beginning in 2003, the group has begun franchising its concept to other countries, branching into Taiwan and Latin American markets with versions of Mandarin- and Spanish speaking Wiggles.

In September 2005, Australia largest theme park, Dreamworld in Queensland, opened a "Wiggles World" section. Six Flags theme parks in New Jersey and Chicago opened versions of "Wiggles World" in 2007, as well as at their park in Lake George, New York in the spring of 2008.

By 2007, The Wiggles employed twenty full-time workers in offices in Sydney and Dallas, Texas, as well as another thirty employees on their tours.

Greg Page leaves the group

In December 2005, lead singer and founding member Greg Page underwent a double hernia operation. He withdrew from The Wiggles' U.S. tour in June 2006 after suffering fainting spells, lethargy, nausea, and loss of balance. He returned to Australia, where doctors diagnosed his condition as orthostatic intolerance, a chronic but not life-threatening condition.

On November 30, 2006, the Wiggles announced Page's retirement from the group "to focus on managing his health." Page was replaced by Sam Moran, who served as an understudy for The Wiggles for five years and had already stood in for Page on some 150 shows. Greg officially handed over his yellow skivvy (shirt) to Sam in a video posted on the Wiggles' official website.

Characters

Aside from the four Wiggles, there are four secondary characters that usually appear in their videos and live concerts. They were developed in the early 1990s, and were originally played by group members and by Anthony's brother Paul Field, the band's manager. They are now played by hired actors, occasionally touring without The Wiggles as "Dorothy the Dinosaur and Friends."

Dorothy the Dinosaur

Dorothy is a large green T-Rex with yellow spots. She wears a white hat and enjoys eating roses. Dorothy the Dinosaur is 5 years old, and is very wise for her age. Her birthday is November 3. She loves dancing, and is known to do ballet, Irish, Scottish, and line dancing. She loves her birthday as The Wiggles always make it a very special fun day for her. Dorothy has a heart of gold and is a very friendly dinosaur. She also likes to dance around with the kids. Upon first encountering her some people are somewhat afraid, but then realize her true friendly side and subsequently adore her.

Wags the Dog

Wags is a tall, brown, furry dog with floppy ears and a happy face. He enjoys eating, and is said to keep The Wiggles up all night if he gets hungry. Wags also enjoys digging in his garden. Up until 2007, Wags could not talk (except in mental soliloquies that only the audience could hear), but The Wiggles understood him when he barked. In the Getting Strong DVD release (2007), he is heard to talk a little bit like Scooby Doo. Wags is a skilled Tango dancer. He believes everyone is his friend and is said to love having a good time. He serves as the foil for Captain Feathersword and loves a good laugh. He can smell fear. His birthday is October 27.

Henry the Octopus

Henry is a fun-loving octopus with purple skin. He wears tartan clothes, a straw hat and black polished shoes on the end of every tentacle. Henry likes to wave to all his friends simultaneously, an easily accomplished feat considering his eight tentacles. Henry lives under the sea and is the leader of the Underwater Big Band. He is said to have a bubbly personality and loves a good joke!

Captain Feathersword

Captain Feathersword is a friendly pirate, and is characterised by his pirate coat and hat, eye patch and has a sword composed of feathers (hence the name Feathersword.).

Originally played by Anthony Field and his brother Paul Field, Captain Feathersword has been played exclusively by Paul Paddick since 1993. Paddick is a skilled stage entertainer and his "highly entertaining vocal impersonations are the high point of the Wiggles stage show. His range is eclectic: Mick Jagger, Cher, Placido Domingo..." Paddick also sings a very high falsetto.

Minor characters

Some additional characters have been occasionally featured in Wiggles videos and television series.

The Cook was originally portrayed by Field's late father, John. Crowded House drummer Paul Hester (deceased March 26, 2005) also played him and was featured in the song "Fruit Salad (Yummy Yummy)" during the TV show.

Wally the Magician was featured in The Wiggles Movie. Despite his regular tries, Wally fails at being a great magician. He longs to be like his grandfather Waldo the Great and finally realized his dream after winning a magic competition.

Officer Beaples, dressed resembling a British bobby, is played by a woman in drag. Officer Beaples was originally portrayed by Leanne Halloran, who was also the choreographer for the Wiggles. The part is typically mimed in the style of Charlie Chaplin or the Keystone Cops, but she does not carry an actual truncheon. Officer Beaples usually communicates through her whistle, and has many young police officers to teach (as seen on the Wiggles Live video). In The Wiggles Movie, Officer Beaples had a speaking role.

Magdalena the Mermaid lives in the ocean near Wiggle Bay. She helped the Wiggles find their adrift rowing boat when they visited the bay. She is featured in the video/DVD appropriately named Wiggle Bay. She also appears in the DVD Racing to the Rainbow (2006).

Professor Singalottasonga is a professor of sorts, singing opera style songs. He wears a white suit with a red cape flowing behind him, the suit sporting large musical notes. Professor Singalottasonga was introduced in one of the later series of the Wiggles show. Featured in Sailing Around the World. He was played by both Paul Paddick and Sam Moran.

The Wiggles live in an animated house that speaks and changes moods. The Wiggles have been seen referring to the house as Flora. The door demands a password (usually "sillypants").

The Waggettes are puppies who are in the care of Wags the Dog. They dance but do not speak.

Cultural references

Another measure of the Wiggles' growing fame is reflected in the references to them in media all over the world.

  • In the popular NBC TV series Scrubs, Doctor Cox makes a reference to "Jeff that Wiggle that sleeps too darn much" while speaking to another cast member. He also made reference to having seen them in concert twice and said "They opened and closed with . It was... awesome."
  • The Wiggles and Captain Feathersword made a guest appearance in a November 2002 episode of the CBS sitcom "Yes Dear". Parts of the episode, entitled "Make Every Second Count", were filmed at an actual Wiggles concert.
  • A Wiggles video can be heard playing on the TV in an episode of the critically acclaimed American HBO television drama series Six Feet Under during a scene with Australian actress Rachel Griffiths.
  • In the opening minute of the premiere episode of NBC's My Name Is Earl, the Wiggles' "Do the Monkey" can be heard playing in the car that is soon to be robbed by Earl.
  • The Wiggles are mentioned in an episode of CBS's "How I Met Your Mother," Season One, episode 20 "Best Prom Ever" where Marshall claims The 88s is "...The Wiggles of wedding bands."
  • The Wiggles were mentioned in an episode of Neighbours in 2004 by Summer Hoyland when explaining to her father how she was now grown up. They also performed on the same show, three years earlier for an unwell Emily Hancock.

Honours

  • In 2005, the Wiggles were recognized as Australia's "Exporter of the Year."
  • The Wiggles won three prestigious APRA song writing awards in 1994, 1995 and 1996.
  • The Wiggles have won the ARIA Award four times, in 1995, 1996, 1998, and 2005. In 2003, they were awarded ARIA's Outstanding Achievement Award for their success in the USA.

Videos/DVDs

Template:Infobox TV ratings The Wiggles have made numerous videos, including:

  • Wiggle Time (1993)
  • Yummy Yummy (1994)
  • Big Red Car (1995)
  • Wake up Jeff (1996)
  • Wiggly Wiggly Christmas (1996)
  • The Wiggles Movie(1997)
  • Toot Toot (1998)
  • It's A Wiggly Wiggly World (2000)
  • Yule Be Wiggling (2000)
  • Hoop-Dee-Doo! It's a Wiggly Party (2002)
  • Wiggly Safari (2002)
  • Wiggle Bay (2002)
  • Space Dancing (2003)
  • Top of the Tots (2004)
  • Cold Spaghetti Western (2004)
  • Whoo! Hoo! Wiggly Gremlins (2004)
  • Santa's Rockin'! (2004)
  • Live: Hot Potatoes! (2005)
  • Sailing Around the World (2005)
  • Here Comes the Big Red Car (2006)
  • Splish Splash Big Red Boat (2006)
  • Racing to the Rainbow (2006)
  • Getting Strong (2007)

Discography

Main article: List of The Wiggles songs
  • The Wiggles (1991)
  • Here Comes A Song (1992)
  • Stories And Songs: The Adventures Of Captain Feathersword The Friendly Pirate (1993)
  • Yummy Yummy (1994)
  • Big Red Car (1995)
  • Wake Up Jeff (1996)
  • Wiggly, Wiggly Christmas (1996)
  • The Wiggles Movie Soundtrack (1997)
  • Toot Toot (1998)
  • It's A Wiggly Wiggly World (2000)
  • Yule Be Wiggling (2000)
  • Hoop De Doo: It's A Wiggly Party (2002)
  • Wiggly Safari (2002)
  • Go To Sleep Jeff (2003)
  • Top Of The Tots (2004)
  • Cold Spaghetti Western (2004)
  • Santa's Rockin'! (2004)
  • Whoo Hoo! Wiggly Gremlins! (2004)
  • Live: Hot Potatoes (2005)
  • Sailing Around The World (2005)
  • Splish Splash Big Red Boat (2006)
  • Crunchy Munchy Music (2006)
  • Here Comes The Big Red Car (2006)
  • Tinsel Town Tunes (2006)
  • Racing To The Rainbow (2006)

See also

References

  1. "Kids' favourites Wiggle to the top of wealth list". ABC News. 2006-04-06. Retrieved 2007-01-22. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  2. ^ Elissa Blake (2007-09-02). "Unusual suspects". Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 2007-09-03. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  3. ^ Scott, Paul (2006-04-02). "Kid Rock". The New York Times. Retrieved 2007-01-23. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  4. Mark Mulligan. "A Brief History of Nearly Everything BSL". Bang Shang a Lang.com. Retrieved 2007-08-06.
  5. ^ "About Us". The Wiggles Official Website. Retrieved 2007-01-23.
  6. "New Best of the Cockroaches Hey Let's Go CD The Wiggles". Rare Music CDs. Retrieved 2007-08-16.
  7. Sams, Christine (2005-08-01). "The Fifth Wiggle speaks out". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 2007-01-22. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  8. ^ "Enough Rope with Andrew Denton, episode 15, The Wiggles". ABC TV Online. 2003-06-23. Retrieved 2007-01-23. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help) Cite error: The named reference "fingerwag" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
  9. ^ Steve Meacham (December 3, 2005). "The master of sword play". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 2007-08-10. {{cite news}}: External link in |work= (help)
  10. Douglas Durden (2007-08-05). "A new face". inRich.com. Retrieved 2007-08-10.
  11. "Release Success of Australian Productions - Top 5 Box Office Each Year". Australian Film Commission. Retrieved 2007-01-23.
  12. "The Wiggles Join Playhouse Disney Monday, June 17" (Press release). Disney Channel. 2002-06-12. Retrieved 2007-01-23. {{cite press release}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  13. ^ "The Wiggles win 2005 DHL Australian Exporter of the Year". Business Asia. 2005-09-01. Retrieved 2007-07-26.
  14. Wilson, Richard (2005-09-13). "Wiggles World opens at Dreamworld". roller-coaster.com.au. Retrieved 2007-01-30. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  15. "Six Flags Great America Adds Wiggles World and Operation SpyGirl Stunt Show for 2007 season". Six Flags. 2007-01-16. Retrieved 2007-08-16.
  16. "Six Flags Great Adventure Announces Wiggles World and Wild Safari Exploration Station for 2007 Season". Six Flags. 2006-12-11. Retrieved 2007-08-16.
  17. "Six Flags announces historic capital expansion plan for 2008 season". CNN Money.com. 2007-10-03. Retrieved 2007-10-09. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  18. Associated Press. "The Wiggles' lead vocalist to stop performing". MSNBC. Retrieved 2007-08-08.
  19. "Greg Page Leaves The Wiggles" (Press release). The Wiggles. 2006-11-30. Retrieved 2007-01-24. {{cite press release}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  20. Harris, Chris (2005-03-28). "Crowded House drummer Paul Hester found dead in Australia". MTV.com. Retrieved 2007-10-14. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  21. "The Wiggles". Australian Catholic University official site. Retrieved 2007-01-24.

External links

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