The Wiggles

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The Wiggles
The Wiggles during a 2004 visit to NASA. Seated from left, Greg Page, Jeff Fatt, Murray Cook, and Anthony Field.
Background information
Origin	Sydney, Australia
Genre(s)	Children's
Years active	1991 – present
Label(s)	ABC Kids (Australia), Koch Entertainment and Playhouse Disney (USA)
Website	http://www.thewiggles.com.au/
Members
Murray Cook — Red Wiggle Jeff Fatt — Purple Wiggle Anthony Field — Blue Wiggle Sam Moran — Yellow Wiggle
Former members
Greg Page Phillip Wilcher

The Wiggles are an Australian band that specializes in children's entertainment. 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 magazine, The Wiggles were Australia's highest grossing entertainers for the year 2005, earning more than AC/DC and Nicole Kidman combined.^[1]

Contents 1 History 1.1 Formation 1.2 Early career 1.3 National, then international success 1.4 Greg Page leaves the group 1.5 Latest activity 2 Characters 2.1 Dorothy the Dinosaur 2.2 Wags the Dog 2.3 Henry the Octopus 2.4 Captain Feathersword 2.5 Minor characters 3 Wiggles in other media 4 Honours 5 The Wiggles videos 6 Discography 7 Trivia and miscellany 8 See Also 9 References 10 External links

[edit] History

[edit] Formation

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.^[2] Page, the youngest of the group, had come into the program straight from high school, while Cook and Field were mature-age students. Cook had played bass in a minor Sydney pop band, Finger Guns, 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 recording a children's music album. Needing a keyboardist, Field asked his old bandmate, Jeff Fatt, to help out. (Fatt's reply was "Sure, but how long will it take...."^[3]). The group received songwriting help from John Field, Anthony's brother and former bandmate, 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, a so-called 'fifth Wiggle' who left the group to pursue a career in classical music shortly after the release of the Wiggles' 1991 self-titled debut album.^[4]

[edit] Early career

The Wiggles began their career playing at pre-schools and childcare centres. The group shared their receipts for their shows with the centres, who were able to use the popular Wiggles concerts as lucrative fund-raising events.

The group was able to capitalise on the contacts and goodwill that The Cockroaches had built up during the 1980s — that band toured regularly throughout Australia — and they also built up their performance expertise and public exposure with occasional busking around Sydney. Their shows were a hit with young audiences, and they found themselves in regular demand.

Early on, they adopted differently coloured skivvys for each member -- Greg in yellow, Murray in red, Jeff in purple, and Anthony in blue. (Anthony initially wore a green shirt). 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.

The basic act was later augmented with supporting characters — the "friendly pirate" Captain Feathersword (Paul Paddick) and the animal characters Dorothy the Dinosaur, Henry the Octopus, and Wags the Dog.

[edit] National, then international success

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 soon developed a productive alliance with the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, which developed a successful Australian television series (Lights, Camera, Action, Wiggles!) featuring the band. In television appearances, they established an easily understood persona for each band member: Murray loves playing the guitar, Anthony loves food, Jeff is always falling asleep, while Greg loves to sing and drives the Big Red Car.

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.^[5] (The film was later released on video and DVD in the U.S. as "The Wiggles Magical Adventure: A Wiggly Movie").

The band first gained headway in the United States in the late 1990s 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.

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 programs 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 program schedule, showing full episodes multiple times per day.^[6]

The Wiggles have gone on to perform a string of sold-out shows at both Madison Square Garden and Radio City Music Hall, they have appeared multiple times on NBC's Today show and the Regis Philbin talk show, and they have participated in multiple Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parades in New York City.

In 2002, the Wiggles and Crocodile Hunter host Steve Irwin teamed up for a DVD and album, Wiggly Safari. The video also featured appearances by Terri and Bindi Sue Irwin as well as songs about the animals at the Australia Zoo.

The Wiggles' success in music and television has led to extensive merchandising of Wiggles-branded books, toys, clothing, and other products for children. The group has begun franchising its concept to non-English speaking countries, with the idea already successfully sold in Taiwan, which now has its own Taiwanese Wiggles. After visits to Mexico and Puerto Rico, auditions for a Spanish-speaking version of the group were held in Australia, with results of the casting pending. The Wiggles' success has also spawned imitators in Australia, including The Hooley Dooleys (1995)^[7] and the 'concept' children's group Hi-5 (1999).

In 2001 The Wiggles were reported to have earned more than A$14 million, a sum that had grown to Aud$45 million by 2004.^[8]

[edit] Greg Page leaves the group

During a US tour in summer 2006, lead singer and founding member Greg Page collapsed before a show in Rhode Island. At other times he complained of vertigo, fainting, and loss of balance. He returned to Australia, where doctors diagnosed his condition as orthostatic intolerance, a chronic but not life-threatening condition.

On 30 November 2006, the Wiggles announced Page's retirement from the group "to focus on managing his health".^[9] 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.^[10]

[edit] Latest activity

In May 2007, the Six Flags Great America theme park in Illinois as well as Six Flags Great Adventure theme park in New Jersey and Six Flags New England in Agawam, Massachusetts will open "Wiggles World", a new area of the park featuring Wiggles-themed rides and other attractions designed for younger children.^[11] Six Flags plans to add Wiggles Worlds to its other U.S. theme parks over the next five years.^[12] The plans are very similar to the Wiggles World that opened at the Dreamworld theme park in Queensland, Australia in September 2005.^[13]

[edit] 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."

[edit] Dorothy the Dinosaur

Dorothy is a large green dinosaur with yellow spots. She wears a floppy 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. She is a big green dinosaur with some freakishly yellow spots. Some people are kind of afraid of her but then they realize her true friendly side.

[edit] 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. Wags cannot talk (except in mental soliloquies that only the audience can hear), but The Wiggles understand him when he barks. Wags is a skilled Tango dancer. He believes everyone is his friend and is said to love having a good time. His birthday is October 27.

[edit] 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!

[edit] Captain Feathersword

Captain Feathersword is a friendly pirate, and is characterised by his pirate coat and hat, eyepatch and has a sword composed of feathers (hence the name Feathersword.). His birthday is February 4.

Originally played by Anthony Field and his brother Paul Field, since 1995 Captain Feathersword has been played exclusively by Paul Paddick. Paddick is a skilled stage entertainer and at live Wiggles shows usually adds an interlude for the entertainment of the parents in the audience, including for example Elvis impersonations.

[edit] 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, and later played by former Crowded House drummer, Paul Hester.

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 choregrapher 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 song. He wears a white suit with a red cape flowing behind him, the suit sporting large musical notes. He is played by Sam Moran. Professor Singalottasonga was introduced in one of the later series' of the Wiggles show.

The Wiggles live in an animated house that speaks and changes moods. 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.

[edit] Wiggles in other media

Another measure of the Wiggles' growing fame is reflected in the appearances and references to them in other television programs.

• Captain Feathersword was mentioned in an episode of the acclaimed NBC political TV drama The West Wing.

• 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.

• 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.

• The Wiggles make an appearance and perform on the Canadian sitcom "Trailer Park Boys".

• 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 88's" are "...The Wiggles of wedding bands".

• In Australia, The Wiggles recently appeared in the telemovie special Da Kath & Kim Code as guest stars.

• 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.

• The Wiggles performed on The Today Show on August 17, 2006 followed by a performance on the rival breakfast show Sunrise on September 8, 2006 and again on The Today Show on September 15, 2006.

[edit] Honours

The Wiggles were awarded the Australian Catholic University’s highest honour, Doctor of the University (honoris causa), at the University’s Sydney Faculty of Education graduation ceremony on 11 April 2006 at the Sydney Town Hall. The honour was bestowed in recognition of "their outstanding contribution to early-years education and child development through the arts". Red Wiggle, Murray Cook, presented the graduation speech (occasional address) at the ceremony.^[14]

[edit] The Wiggles videos

Common rating
Australia	G
Canada	C
United States	TV-Y

The Wiggles have made numerous videos, including:

• Magical Adventure! A Wiggly Movie (1997) 70 min (Also known as The Wiggles Movie)
• Wiggle Time Jun-00 40 min
• Yummy Yummy Aug-00 33 min
• Wake up Jeff Dec-00 37 min
• Big Red Car (1995)40 min
• Toot Toot Jan-01 40 min
• Wiggly Play Time Aug-01 65 min
• Yule Be Wiggling Oct-01 48 min
• Wiggly Wiggly World Jan-02 96 min
• Hoop-Dee-Doo! It's a Wiggle Party Apr-02 55 min
• Wiggly Safari Sep-02 57 min
• Wiggle Bay May-03 45 min
• Space Dancing Sep-03 50 min
• Top of the Tots Jan-04 105 min
• Cold Spaghetti Western Mar-04 60 min
• Whoo Hoo! Wiggly Jul-04 50 min
• Santa's Rockin'! Sep-04 45 min
• LIVE! Hot Potatoes! Jan-05 140 min
• Sailing Around the World Jul-05 116 min
• Here Comes the Big Red Car Feb-06 72 min
• Wiggle around the Clock Apr-06 48 min
• Splish Splash Big Red Boat Jun-06 50 min
• Racing to the Rainbow Spring 07 to be released
• Wiggle Dancing LIVE! In the USA Aug-15 to be released

[edit] Discography

Main article: List of The Wiggles songs

• Cold Spaghetti (2004)
• Crunchy Munchy Music (2006)
• Dance Party (2003)
• Go To Sleep Jeff (2003)
• Here Comes The Big Red Car (2006)
• Hoop Dee Doo (2003)
• It's A Wiggly World!
• Let's Wiggles (2003)
• Live: Hot Potatoes (2005)
• Magical Adventure! (2003)
• Racing To The Rainbow (2007)
• Sailing Around The World (2005)
• Santa's Rockin'! (2004)
• Splish Splash Big Red Boat (2006)
• Tinsel Town Tunes (2006)
• Toot, Toot (2003)
• Top Of The Tots (2004)
• Wake Up Jeff (2003)
• Whoo Hoo! Wiggly Gremlins! (2004)
• Wiggle Bay (2003)
• Wiggles Party Collection (2007)
• Wiggles Sing Along: Crunchy Munchy Music (2006)
• Wiggly Safari (2003)
• Wiggly, Wiggly Christmas (2000)
• Wiggly, Wiggly, World
• Yule Be Wiggling (2001)
• Yummy Yummy (2003)

[edit] Trivia and miscellany

• Anthony has declared himself a fan of the Nerds Football Club.
• In the first 2 videos of the Wiggles, Anthony wore a green shirt instead of blue. It was later changed so as to not clash with Dorothy the Dinosaur.^[15]
• Four of their co-stars have died:
  • John Field Snr. (The first "John the Cook")
  • Paul Hester ("Paul the Cook", appearing on Yummy Yummy) on 26 March 2005.
  • Steve Irwin (Appeared on "Wiggly Safari")
  • Slim Dusty
• Anthony Field is a registered breeder of Miniature Fox Terriers.
• Several of the early Wiggles videos and concerts featured choreography and additional dancers from the Donna Halloran School of Dance. Donna's sister Leanne Halloran portrayed Officer Beaples and served as the Wiggles' choreographer until 2002. Leanne's choreography featured Irish dance at its core, as Leanne and her sister Donna teach Traditional Irish dance, Jazz, and Tap at the Halloran School Of Dance in New South Wales, Australia. Many of the dancers in the Wiggles were from their school, including sister Donna, and Leanne's nieces, Cassandra and Jessica Halloran.
• The Wiggles got the idea for their signature index finger-wagging move after watching professional bowlers do the move on television.^[16]
• The Wiggles' 2004 DVD/video Santa's Rockin'! featured two well-known American guest stars: singer/songwriter John Fogerty and former Brady Bunch star Barry Williams.
• The Wiggles have been criticized for use of cavemen in various segments, believing it to be falsifying creationism^{[citation needed]}.

[edit] See Also

• List of The Wiggles songs

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• The Wiggles home page
• The Wiggles Official Merchandise Catalog - Australia
• The Wiggles Official Merchandise Catalog - United States
• The Wiggles (TV series) at the Internet Movie Database
• The Wiggles Movie at the Internet Movie Database