Kimberley Rew
Encyclopedia
Kimberley Rew is an English
rock and roll
singer-songwriter
and guitarist. He is best known as a member of Katrina and the Waves
1981 to 1999 and of Robyn Hitchcock
's Soft Boys 1978 to 1981. Two of his better known compositions, both written for Katrina and the Waves, are "Walking on Sunshine
" and "Love Shine a Light," performed by Katrina and the Waves as the United Kingdom
's entry at the Eurovision Song Contest 1997
, taking the country to its first victory in the contest since 1981.
The Rew family hails from Bristol, and moved house several times during Kim's boyhood before he arrived at Jesus College, Cambridge
in 1971, and settled in that city. After a brief excursion into archaeology at West Stow
Anglo Saxon Village and gaining a degree from Cambridge Rew formed the Waves with Alex Cooper in 1975, before joining the Soft Boys in 1978, recording the Can of Bees and Underwater Moonlight albums. Little regarded at the time, these recordings have been rereleased several times since, steadily establishing their place in a corner of the critical landscape.
In 1981 Robyn Hitchcock began his solo career; Rew and Cooper joined with Katrina Leskanich
and Vince de la Cruz to form Katrina and the Waves. The group survived a slow career climb by tours of RAF bases and Canadian club gigs, then teamed up with producers Pat Collier and Scott Litt
to record Rew compositions "Going Down to Liverpool", covered by The Bangles
, and in 1985 "Walking on Sunshine", which became the group's first and biggest hit, and only evergreen, remaining firmly in the public consciousness through frequent radio plays, appearances in films, advertising, etc.
In 1997 Katrina and the Waves won the Eurovision Song Contest for the United Kingdom with the Rew composition "Love Shine a Light".
In 1999 Katrina began her solo career; Rew continued to write, record and release solo albums.
From 1988 through to 2004 Rew was a guest member with the Cambridge band The Lonely. Kim played on four albums, Underground (1989), Rarer Gifts (1998) and Live (2000) (my space thelonelycambridge); the Soft Boys reconvened from 2001 to 2003.
Celine Dion
recorded the Rew composition "That's Just the Woman in Me" in 2007.
Thru the 1990s and 2000s Rew completed a project to walk or cycle the coast of England and Wales (in easy stages!) and another to walk or cycle (as far as possible!) all the navigable waterways.
Rew can currently be heard with Cambridge band Jack> (since 2004), and with Kim and Lee, both of the above with wife and musical partner Lee Cave-Berry.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
rock and roll
Rock and roll
Rock and roll is a genre of popular music that originated and evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s, primarily from a combination of African American blues, country, jazz, and gospel music...
singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriters are musicians who write, compose and sing their own musical material including lyrics and melodies. As opposed to contemporary popular music singers who write their own songs, the term singer-songwriter describes a distinct form of artistry, closely associated with the...
and guitarist. He is best known as a member of Katrina and the Waves
Katrina and the Waves
Katrina and the Waves was an English pop rock band, best known for their 1985 hit "Walking on Sunshine" and their 1997 Eurovision Song Contest victory with the song "Love Shine a Light".-Pre-history: The Waves and Mama's Cookin' :...
1981 to 1999 and of Robyn Hitchcock
Robyn Hitchcock
Robyn Rowan Hitchcock is an English singer-songwriter and guitarist. While primarily a vocalist and guitarist, he also plays harmonica, piano and bass guitar....
's Soft Boys 1978 to 1981. Two of his better known compositions, both written for Katrina and the Waves, are "Walking on Sunshine
Walking on Sunshine (song)
"Walking on Sunshine" is a song written by Kimberley Rew for Katrina and the Waves' 1983 eponymous debut full-length album. The re-recorded version was at first released on the band's 1985 self-titled album as the album's second single and reached No. 4 in Australia, No. 9 in the United States,...
" and "Love Shine a Light," performed by Katrina and the Waves as the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
's entry at the Eurovision Song Contest 1997
Eurovision Song Contest 1997
The Eurovision Song Contest 1997, was the 42nd Eurovision Song Contest and it was held at the Point Theatre Dublin, Ireland, on 3 May 1997. Boyzone member Ronan Keating and Carrie Crowley were the presenters of the show....
, taking the country to its first victory in the contest since 1981.
The Rew family hails from Bristol, and moved house several times during Kim's boyhood before he arrived at Jesus College, Cambridge
Jesus College, Cambridge
Jesus College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge, England.The College was founded in 1496 on the site of a Benedictine nunnery by John Alcock, then Bishop of Ely...
in 1971, and settled in that city. After a brief excursion into archaeology at West Stow
West Stow
West Stow is a small parish in West Suffolk, England.The village lies north of Bury St. Edmunds, south of Mildenhall and Thetford and west of the villages of Culford and Ingham in the area known as the Breckland.This area is located near the Lark River Valley and populated from AD 420-650.it is...
Anglo Saxon Village and gaining a degree from Cambridge Rew formed the Waves with Alex Cooper in 1975, before joining the Soft Boys in 1978, recording the Can of Bees and Underwater Moonlight albums. Little regarded at the time, these recordings have been rereleased several times since, steadily establishing their place in a corner of the critical landscape.
In 1981 Robyn Hitchcock began his solo career; Rew and Cooper joined with Katrina Leskanich
Katrina Leskanich
Katrina Leskanich is an American singer and musician, long time resident of the United Kingdom. She is best known for being the lead singer and namesake of the pop band Katrina and the Waves.-Early life:...
and Vince de la Cruz to form Katrina and the Waves. The group survived a slow career climb by tours of RAF bases and Canadian club gigs, then teamed up with producers Pat Collier and Scott Litt
Scott Litt
Scott Litt is an American record producer who mostly works with artists in the alternative rock genre and is best known for producing six R.E.M. albums.-Biography:...
to record Rew compositions "Going Down to Liverpool", covered by The Bangles
The Bangles
The Bangles are an American all-female band that originated in the early 1980s, scoring several hit singles during the decade.-Formation and early years :...
, and in 1985 "Walking on Sunshine", which became the group's first and biggest hit, and only evergreen, remaining firmly in the public consciousness through frequent radio plays, appearances in films, advertising, etc.
In 1997 Katrina and the Waves won the Eurovision Song Contest for the United Kingdom with the Rew composition "Love Shine a Light".
In 1999 Katrina began her solo career; Rew continued to write, record and release solo albums.
From 1988 through to 2004 Rew was a guest member with the Cambridge band The Lonely. Kim played on four albums, Underground (1989), Rarer Gifts (1998) and Live (2000) (my space thelonelycambridge); the Soft Boys reconvened from 2001 to 2003.
Celine Dion
Celine Dion
Céline Marie Claudette Dion, , , is a Canadian singer. Born to a large family from Charlemagne, Quebec, Dion emerged as a teen star in the French-speaking world after her manager and future husband René Angélil mortgaged his home to finance her first record...
recorded the Rew composition "That's Just the Woman in Me" in 2007.
Thru the 1990s and 2000s Rew completed a project to walk or cycle the coast of England and Wales (in easy stages!) and another to walk or cycle (as far as possible!) all the navigable waterways.
Rew can currently be heard with Cambridge band Jack> (since 2004), and with Kim and Lee, both of the above with wife and musical partner Lee Cave-Berry.
Solo discography
- The Bible of Bop, 1981/2010
- Tunnel into Summer, 2000
- Great Central Revisited, 2003
- Essex Hideaway, 2005
- Ridgeway (EP), 2006
- The Safest Place, 2010