This week in 1990
1 Itsy Bitsy Teeny Weeny Yellow Polka Dot Bikini Bombalurina
2 Tom’s Diner DNA featuring Suzanne Vega
3 Turtle Power Partners in Kryme
4 Tonight New Kids On The Block
5 Naked in the Rain Blue Pearl
6 Listen To Your Heart/Dangerous Roxette
7 U Can’t Touch This MC Hammer
8 Praying For Time George Michael
9 Where Are You Baby? Betty Boo
10 I’m Free Soup Dragons feat Junior Reid The original ‘Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polkadot Bikini’ occupies an unusual place in music history: a novelty song with cultural impact. A US number one for teen idol Brian Hyland in the summer of 1960 - a time when bikinis were still regarded as risqué - the song sparked a take-off in bikini sales and helped launch a whole surf movie/TV industry. There have been many versions, including the French ‘Itsy Bitsy Petit Bikini’ and Italian ‘Pezzettini di bikini’, but Bombalurina’s 1990 cover of ‘Itsy Bitsy...’ has been the most successful in the UK and Irish charts, reaching No. 1 in both. Formed by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Timmy Mallett, then a star of children’s TV show, Wacaday, the group featured Mallett along with two dancers, Dawn Andrews and Annie Dunkley. Andrews is married to Gary Barlow, the two having met while she was working as a backing dancer on Take That’s 1995 tour. This was Bombalurina’s only major hit. Their only follow-up single of note was ‘7 Little Girls Sitting In The Backseat’ (18 in the UK, 26 in Ireland), a cover version of a song originally released in 1959 when it was a UK No. 3 hit for The Avons whose line-up included Cork-born Elaine Murtagh.