Number 4

Walking on Sunshine

Katrina and the Waves

I defy anyone to listen to this song and not at least jiggle a bit along with the music. I particularly love the beginning “owh”. I bet everyone listens out for that and for the wind instruments coming in (the video doesn’t show them; I’m assuming they’re trumpets – Katrina calls them horns).

The video is hilarious (one of the comments is “so I guess that’s how sunshine in UK looks like”). Katrina is having a great time and the “Waves” look cold and tee’d off. I imagine that’s the point. I love the way the song builds throughout getting a bit more manic as it does until even Katrina can’t really keep up with the lyrics. It’s like she’s so happy she can’t keep herself down.

When I was in hospital having one of my, so far, three operations, I’d have loved to have got the whole ward up dancing to this. I think even the sad demented old ladies would have cheered up.

The song is now 35 years old (2020) and sounds every bit as fresh as it did when it was first released. For some reason I always associate it with Echo Beach by Martha and the Muffins, which is an altogether calmer song, but still has quite a big feel-good factor. It was released earlier (1980 to Walking on Sunshine’s 1985) and was popular on the duke box in the bar at my university halls of residence (Horsham, Fifer’s Lane, UEA). It has a sax rather than trumpets. I love a sax.

Walking on Sunshine

Here’s an interesting article about the song from the woman herself: https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2015/sep/01/katrina-and-the-waves-how-we-made-walking-on-sunshine

Dolly Parton did a version but it’s not really her sort of song. I can’t recommend it, even though I love Dolly, because it has none of the mad charm of the original. Another version is by Ghoti Hook (I know nothing about them). I quite like its smooth punkiness and I love the video.