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Fun just keeps on growing
As university music projects go Murray Cook and his mates certainly hit on a winner.
While studying Early Childhood Education at Sydney's Macquarie University in Australia he and fellow students Anthony Field and Greg Page began writing children's songs.
They enlisted the help of Jeff Fatt from Oz band The Cockroaches and The Wiggles were born.
That was 18 years ago and for some time now the band have been the highest earning entertainers in
Australia.
"We never really thought of it as a career," says Murray, who together with Anthony, Jeff and Sam Moran (who replaced Greg in 1998) make their Blackpool Opera House debut tomorrow as part of the group's You Make Me Feel Like Dancing UK tour. "We just thought we'd keep writing then released an album in 1991 and it just grew from there – getting bigger and bigger all the time."
With 17 gold, 12 platinum, three double platinum and 10 multi
platinum awards along the way they are clearly getting something right.
"I thint it's a combination of things," says Murray. "We had a background in education so knew how to talk to children and what was
appropriate for them.
"Plus our songs have always been catchy and the four of us are friends – which is something the kids catch on to."
Well, that might explain their young fans but what about the A list of celebrities (including, it seems, Robert De Niro, Gwyneth Paltrow and Mariella Frostrup) – what attacts them to songs such as Rock-A-Bye Your Bear, Play Your Guitar with Murray, Monkey Dance and Can You Point Your Fingers and Do The Twist?
"That aspect has come as a bit of a surprise to us but I suppose we are great levellers," he says. "We are down to earth – basically we are still just a bunch of guys from Oz and not even young guys who might seem a bit more threatening."
The Wiggles have also been twice named Australia's Export of the Year – which probably came as a poke in the eye to the likes of Foster's Lager and Vegemite.
"It was quite an honour - and a bit weird," says Murray. "But then the world of big business is weird. "Thankfully if we didn't enjoy what we were doing so much then the money we earn wouldn't be enough to keep us doing it. It's great fun to see the world and be paid for it.
"We've slotted the UK tour in
because we love coming here – then we're home for a while then it's off to the USA."
The Wiggles also like the UK
because, although they are big here with their young fans, they don' get recognized much.
"At home and in the USA we do tend to get spotted quite a bit – even when we're not in our stage wear," he says. "It's all right though because it's mostly all positive."
After so long together he says the years do tend to follow a pattern – home and abroad touring, recording albums and television series.
"Obviously we are getting older but it's still fun and we've only had the one line-up change," he says. "What is strange though is that we are
getting people coming to see us now who started being fans when they were young – and now they bring their own kids!"
n Remaining tickets for the 1pm show are 14.50. Family of four or groups 13 per ticket (fees may apply). Box office: (0844) 856 1111.
WIGGLES FACTFILE
* The Wiggles perform in front of over 750,000 fans per year.
* The Wiggles are seen on TV in over 110 countries worldwide
* The Wiggles have sold over 22.5 million videos/DVD's and even million CDs worldwide
* In the US alone The Wiggles have sold more than 12 million DVD's
* The Wiggles have recorded a song with Kylie Minogue - Monkey Man. All proceeds have gone to Unicef for whom the Wiggles are Goodwill Ambassadors
* In Australia one in every two children owns a Wiggles DVD or CD
* The Wiggles have been twice named Australia's Export of the Year
* The Wiggles are the highest earning entertainers in Australia, topping a poll that includes Russell Crowe, Nicole Kidman and Kylie.
* The Wiggles have sold out 12 consecutive shows at Madison Square Gardens, more than Coldplay
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Monday 13 February 2012
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