Kylie The Pink Wiggle

The Wiggles sing ‘Monkey Man’ with their friend Kylie, the Pink Wiggle.

The song is from the TV special The Wiggles Go Bananas and is a cover of a 1970s song by Jamaican reggae band Toots and the Maytals. The song was chosen to fit with the TV special’s jungle theme.

This clip shows Kylie in her Pink Wiggle outfit getting into the spirit of performing for children and having fun with the rest of the band.

Kylie’s cameo for The Wiggles was not her first foray into children’s entertainment, having written children's book The Showgirl Princess, making her an ideal fit for the band.

The Wiggles was formed by Anthony Field and Jeff Fatt in the early 1990s, born out of an earlier successful rock band, The Cockroaches. Like The Wiggles, The Cockroaches was very much a lighthearted, good-time party band, albeit for an adult audience.

The Wiggles though were the first band marketed towards small children and have become a worldwide phenomenon. Much like Kylie, they are a global brand that has expanded into other business ventures with remarkable success.

The Wiggles line-up has changed over the years. Aside from Kylie the song features Anthony Field, Jeff Fatt, Murray Cook and Sam Moran.

This clip is a very good example of their style and presentation and it’s clear why they are popular with children. The hyper-saturated colours of their skivvies, the unpretentious clowning around by adults, and their trademark finger-wiggle that kids can copy are all visually engaging.

The song is upbeat and fun and the dance moves are simple and easy to copy at home. The production values are professional but minimal, allowing the performers to be the centre of attention.

Notes by Beth Taylor