Katrina and the Waves
| Company type | Band |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1981 in Cambridge, England |
| Founder | Kimberley Rew, Alex Cooper, Katrina Leskanich, Vince de la Cruz, Bob Jakins |
| Headquarters | Cambridge , England, United Kingdom |
| Products | Music albums and singles |
Katrina and the Waves emerged as a rock band from Cambridge in 1981, gaining widespread recognition for their 1985 hit single "Walking on Sunshine" and their victory at the 1997 Eurovision Song Contest with the song "Love Shine a Light".
Origins (1975–1980)
The foundation of the group can be traced back to the Waves, a Cambridge-based band active between 1975 and 1977, featuring guitarist Kimberley Rew and drummer Alex Cooper. This ensemble dissolved when Rew left to join The Soft Boys.
In 1978, American vocalist Katrina Leskanich and Vince de la Cruz formed Mama's Cookin, a pop cover band originating from Feltwell. Vince discovered Katrina during a school play at RAF Lakenheath and invited her to join. By late 1980, Alex Cooper had become their drummer, with Bob Jakins on bass. Mama's Cookin' performed extensively across England, focusing on covers of American acts such as Heart, Foreigner, Linda Ronstadt, and ZZ Top.
Formation as The Waves (1981–1982)
After The Soft Boys disbanded in 1981, Rew rejoined Cooper and became part of Mama's Cookin', which expanded into a five-member band renamed the Waves. Initially, Rew led the group with Leskanich providing vocals mainly on cover songs; however, Leskanich soon assumed the role of lead singer as Rew began composing original material tailored for her.
The Waves released their first single in 1982 ("The Nightmare"/"Hey, War Pig!"), included on Rew’s solo album The Bible of Bop. Later that year, they issued the EP Shock Horror!, featuring shared lead vocals between Rew and Leskanich. After bassist Jakins left, de la Cruz transitioned to bass guitar. As a four-piece ensemble, they released "Brown Eyed Son" in August 1982 before permanently adopting the name Katrina and the Waves.
Initial success in Canada (1983–1984)
Early in 1983, the band self-produced an album of original songs intended for sale at live shows. All tracks were written by Rew, with Leskanich singing lead on eight out of ten songs; Rew performed lead vocals on the remaining two.
Only Canadian label Attic Records offered them a contract, so despite their UK origins, their debut album Walking on Sunshine was exclusively released in Canada.
The album received positive critical attention and radio airplay, especially for its title track, which supported a Canadian tour. In 1984, they followed up with another Canadian release (Katrina and the Waves 2), featuring Leskanich as the sole lead vocalist. While Rew continued as the main songwriter, de la Cruz contributed several compositions including "Mexico," which gained significant airplay in Canada.
That same year marked their first UK radio exposure when BBC Radio 1 played "Que te quiero." Their song "Going Down to Liverpool" was later covered by the Bangles, increasing their visibility. Building momentum through touring and recordings led to an international contract with Capitol Records in 1985.
"Walking on Sunshine" breakthrough and global recognition (1985–1989)
For their initial Capitol release, the band reimagined ten tracks from their Canadian albums to create their self-titled international debut in 1985.
The album Katrina and the Waves achieved both critical acclaim and commercial success. It featured the global hit "Walking on Sunshine", which was fully re-recorded and rearranged from its earlier version. The single reached number nine in the US charts and number eight in the UK. This accomplishment earned them a Grammy nomination for Best New Artist and led to extensive touring that supported moderate sales of subsequent releases.
Their following single "Do You Want Crying," penned by de la Cruz, peaked at number 37 in the US during late 1985.
However, their next album Waves failed to meet critical or commercial expectations. Rew contributed only two out of ten songs; most material was written by de la Cruz and Leskanich. Drummer Cooper later reflected that moving away from Rew’s songwriting was an error.
This album produced minor chart successes: Rew’s "Is That It?" reached number 70 in the US and number 82 in the UK, while de la Cruz’s "Sun Street" entered the UK top 30. Following this release, Capitol Records dropped them.
In 1989, they recorded Break of Hearts under SBK Records, distributed by Capitol, adopting a more hard rock sound. The single "That's the Way" climbed to number 16 in the US charts; however, subsequent singles like "Rock 'n' Roll Girl" did not chart, resulting in another label dismissal.
Economic challenges and unexpected Eurovision triumph (1990–1997)
During the 1990s, Katrina and the Waves maintained a consistent recording output, although most of their releases were confined to mainland Europe and Canada, without any singles entering the charts. In 1990, they partnered with Eric Burdon to record "We Gotta Get Out of This Place" for the television series China Beach.
On 3 May 1997, the band secured victory for the UK at the Eurovision Song Contest 1997 with their entry "Love Shine a Light". This track had been composed several years earlier to mark an anniversary for a local Samaritans charity but was nearly overlooked due to concerns it sounded "too Eurovision-like". Submitted at the last moment, it won by a then-record margin of 70 points ahead of Ireland. The single became their most successful UK release, reaching number three on the UK Singles Chart.
In a 2020 interview, lead vocalist Katrina Leskanich disclosed that she endured criticism as an American representing the UK, including expectations to "speak like an English person". Having relocated to the UK in 1976 at age 16, she had lived there for over twenty years prior to Eurovision.
Band breakup (1998–1999)
Although the group experienced a resurgence in attention, they were unable to replicate the success of "Love Shine a Light". Internal conflicts led to Leskanich's departure in 1998. Legal complications barred her from using the band's name. Efforts by the remaining members to recruit a new frontwoman were unsuccessful, culminating in the band's disbandment in 1999 as members pursued individual projects.
Effect of Hurricane "Katrina" (2005)
Following the devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina along the U.S. Gulf Coast on 29 August 2005, MSNBC's program Countdown with Keith Olbermann nicknamed its coverage "Katrina and the Waves," a phrase that gained traction in headlines and online discussions. Katrina Leskanich expressed unease about this association with disaster but hoped that "Walking on Sunshine" might become an uplifting anthem symbolizing recovery for the Gulf Coast, highlighting the song's optimistic nature.
Subsequent activities (2010–2013)
In 2010, commemorating the 25th anniversary of "Walking on Sunshine," the band issued re-releases of their back catalogue alongside a newly recorded version of the song. Additionally, a complimentary track from Kimberley Rew's solo album The Bible of Bop was made available through their official website. In July of that year, Leskanich released The Live Album, which featured a combination of classic hits and new material recorded across London and Germany.
In June 2011, the band threatened legal proceedings against U.S. presidential candidate Michele Bachmann for unauthorized use of their music during her campaign. They publicly condemned her political views and instructed their legal team accordingly.
By July 2013, Leskanich appeared at Spain’s Festival of San Fermín, performing at Plaza del Castillo as part of one of the festival’s concluding events.
Members
- Katrina Leskanich – lead vocals, rhythm guitar
- Kimberley Rew – lead guitar, vocals
- Vince de la Cruz – bass guitar
- Alex Cooper – drums
Studio albums
| Title | Album details | Highest chart positions | Certifications | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UK | AUS | AUT | CAN | FIN | GER | NED | NZ | NOR | US | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Shock Horror! (as The Waves) |
|
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Walking on Sunshine |
|
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Katrina and the Waves 2 |
|
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Katrina and the Waves |
|
28 | 39 | — | 18 | — | 46 | — | 38 | — | 6 |
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Waves |
|
70 | 92 | — | 35 | 17 | — | — | — | 12 | 3 |
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Break of Hearts |
|
— | 127 | — | 63 | — | — | — | — | — | 6 | Pet the Tiger |
|
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 48 | Edge of the Land |
|
Turnaround |
|
Walk on Water |
|
47 |
38 |
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Compilation albums
- The Best Of (1991, Attic Records)
- Roses (1995, Polydor) (Exclusive Canadian release – features selections from Edge of the Land and Turn Around)
- Anthology (1995, One Way Records / CEMA Special Markets)
- Katrina and the Waves / Waves (1996, BGO Records)
- Walking on Sunshine – The Greatest Hits of Katrina and the Waves (1997, EMI)
- The Original Recordings 1983 – 1984 (2003, Bongo Beat) (comprises Walking on Sunshine, Katrina and the Waves 2, plus additional bonus tracks)
Singles
Walking on Sunshine – The Greatest Hits of Katrina and the Waves| Year | Title | Highest chart rankings | Certifications | Album | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UK | AUS | AUT | CAN | FIN | GER | IRE | NED | NZ | NOR | SWE | US | ||||
| 1982 | "The Nightmare" (credited as The Waves) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | rowspan="1" Template:N/A | |
| "Brown Eyed Son" (credited as The Waves) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Shock Horror! | ||
| 1983 | "Walking on Sunshine" (Attic Records version) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Walking on Sunshine | |
| "Que Te Quiero" (Attic Records version) | 84 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| 1984 | "Plastic Man" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Non-album single | ||||
| — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Katrina and the Waves 2 | |||
| style=text-align:left | "Walking on Sunshine" (Capitol Records version) | 8 | 4 | — | 3 | 25 | 28 | 2 | — | 20 | — | 12 | 9 |
|
rowspan=5 | Katrina and the Waves | |
| style=text-align:left | "Is That It?" | 82 | 82 | — | 25 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 70 |
Waves | ||
| "That's the Way" | 84 | 58 | – | 16 | – | – | – | – | 50 | – | – | 16 |
Break of Hearts | ||
| "We Gotta Get Out of This Place" (featuring Eric Burdon) | 89 |
China Beach: Music and Memories |
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| "Brown Eyed Son" (reissued) |
Non-album single| | ||||||||||||||
| "Pet the Tiger" |
Pet the Tiger |
||||||||||||||
| "Tears of a Woman" | |||||||||||||||
| "Honey Lamb" | 59 |
Edge of the Land |
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| "I'm in Deep" | |||||||||||||||
| "Angel Eyes" | |||||||||||||||
| "The Street Where You Live" |
Turn Around |
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| "Walking Where the Roses Grow" | |||||||||||||||
| "Turn Around" | |||||||||||||||
| "Love Shine a Light"|3 | 2 | 62 | 5 | 6 | – | 2 | 5 | – |
Walk on Water |
||||||
| – | 94 | – | – | – | – |
"-"|- |
– |- |- | | ||||||||
- Note
- In the UK, Capitol's releases of "Que Te Quiero" and "Red Wine and Whiskey" were issued together as a double A-side following the singles "Walking on Sunshine" and "Do You Want Crying?".
External links
- Articles with short description
- Articles with long short description
- Musical groups formed in 1981
- Musical groups that disbanded in 1999
- English pop bands
- English new wave bands
- Eurovision Song Contest champions
- Female-led musical ensembles
- Musical acts originating from Cambridge
- Attic Records (Canada) recording artists
- Capitol Records recording artists
- 1981 establishments in England
- 1999 disestablishments in England
- Mixed-gender musical quartets
- Musical groups disestablished in 1999