Kimberley Rew

Yet another ABSOLUTELY UNofficial And POSITIVELY Fan Based Trib Page By YOUR Ever Faithful Leftenant, Me, Reg?
From Kimberley's Wikipedia Page
Kimberley Rew is an English rock and roll singer-songwriter and guitarist. He is best known as the founder of Katrina and the Waves and was also guitarist in the Soft Boys from 1978 to 1980 . Two of his best known compositions, both written for Katrina and the Waves, are " Walking On Sunshine " and '"Going Down to Liverpool" (covered by the Bangles ). Another is " Love Shine a Light ," which he originally wrote as an anthem for the Samaritans , but which ended up being performed by Katrina and the Waves as the United Kingdom 's entry at the Eurovision Song Contest 1997 , and took the country to its first victory in the contest since 1981 . He subsequently penned songs that reached the final of the Song for Europe , the UK's national selection for Eurovision, on two further occasions, but ultimately missed out both times.From Kimberley's Official Bio Page --
Kimberley Rew first came to notice in the late 1970s as a member of Robyn Hitchcock's Soft Boys. In 1981 Rew made a solo single backed by American band the dBs before helping to form Katrina and the Waves, and writing 1985's evergreen Walking on Sunshine (produced by Pat Collier and Scott Litt). The Bangles also recorded Rew's Going Down to Liverpool. Katrina and the Waves toured opening for the Kinks, the Beach Boys, and Squeeze among many others. Rew concurrently guested with Ashley Hutchings, Robyn Hitchcock, Julian Dawson and Boo Hewerdine. In 1997 Katrina and the Waves won the Eurovision Song Contest for the UK with the Rew composition Love Shine a Light. In 1999 Rew rejoined Robyn Hitchcock for the Jewels for Sophia album and tours. In 2001 the Soft Boys reconvened to rerelease their Underwater Moonlight album (now hailed as a gem from the vaults), and to tour and record. Rew has released three solo albums in the present decade.
Katrina and the Waves - "Walking On Sunshine" - '85
In 1981, Rew made a solo single backed by the dBs before forming Katrina and the Waves, writing most of the group's songs including the worldwide top ten hit "Walking on Sunshine" (produced by Hitchcock's Pat Collier and REM's Scott Litt). The Bangles also covered Rew's "Going Down to Liverpool". At Rew's suggestion, the Waves sent their indie debut to Attic, and Ralph once again released two Canada-only Waves lps (now avail on Bongo Beat) before the group signed to EMI worldwide and "Sunshine" rocketed around the charts worldwide. Katrina and the Waves toured; opening for the Kinks, the Beach Boys, and Squeeze among many others. Rew concurrently recorded and made guest appearances with Ashley Hutchings, Robyn Hitchcock, Julian Dawson and Boo Hewerdine. In 1997 Katrina and the Waves won the Eurovision Song Contest for the UK with the Rew composition "Love Shine a Light", a Europe-wide hit. In 1999 Rew appeared on Robyn Hitchcock's Jewels for Sophia and its associated tours. 2000 saw Rew's second solo album, Tunnel into Summer. In 2001 the Soft Boys reconvened to re-release their Underwater Moonlight album, and tour the US and UK with a brand new cd, Nextdoorland, after which the band dissolved again.
Katrina and the Waves - "That's The Way" - '95
Katrina & The Waves - "Love Shine A Light" - GBSC '97
Katrina & The Waves - "Love Shine A Light" - (Eurovision 1997)
Kimberley's Amazon Page Entitled - So you'd like to... See Kimberley Rew's list of Music You Should Hear
Kimberley Rew first made his mark in the late 1970s as Robyn Hitchcock's guitar foil in the Soft Boys. He then went on to form Katrina and the Waves, best known for their 1985 worldwide smash "Walking on Sunshine" and for cutting the original version of the Bangles hit "Going Down to Liverpool." Essex Hideaway, released in January 2005, is his fourth solo album, a happy, loving pastiche of late-'60s British pop rock whose psychedelic solos, reedy Mellotron, and music-hall piano bring to mind the Beatles and the Kinks. We asked Kimberley to tell us about the music he loves and thinks his fans need to hear. He quickly came back with the following.
Kimberley Rew's List of Music You Should Hear
60 Number Ones of the Sixties, Various Artists
I grew up in the singles era (before the albums era) so somehow I've got to get across the wonder of magical song after magical song appearing over my pre-teen horizon in the golden age (tho we didn't know it was at the time). Try this but there must be several comparable compilations. Look out for anything written by Goffin and King.
Atlantic Rhythm & Blues 1947-1974, Various Artists
Chess Blues-Rock Songbook: The Classic Originals, Various Artists
The Legendary Story of Sun Records, Various Artists
I was actually hearing an aftershock of the original rock and roll explosion of the 1950s which in turn drew on the established rhythm and blues style of the day. These are all single-label compilations. Any Chess sampler should contain plenty of Howlin' Wolf, Muddy Waters, and Bo Diddley. Sun effortlessly bridges black and white styles tho for contractual reasons you probably won't find any Elvis there.
King of the Blues, B.B. King
His Best, Vol. 1, Chuck Berry
Pioneers who have never been improved on--walk into any music pub in Cambridge, England, today to hear these nuts and bolts being reassembled into the same structure.
Godfather: Very Best of, James Brown
James Brown understands that life is good and has refined his music to the point where every twang and thud serves this end. And he wants to reach out and share it with you.
1962-1966 and 1967-1970, the Beatles
If you've ever believed in every man's right to pick up an electric guitar and belt forth then the Beatles are the ultimate band for you.
The Kinks are the Village Green Preservation Society, the Kinks
The only album on this list actually conceived as such by its creators. And the character on this record who sings of "remembering Walter," flips thru his "picture book," or preserves the "village green" is the only man in rock and roll history who remotely resembles me.
More KimberleyUnderwater Moonlight . . . And How It Got There, the Soft Boys (1980)
Original Recordings 1983-1984, Katrina and the Waves (1983, 1984)
Katrina & the Waves/Waves, Katrina and the Waves (1985, 1986)
Tunnel Into Summer (2000)
Great Central Revisited (2002)
Nextdoorland, the Soft Boys (2002)
Soft Boys - "Only The Stones Remain" - Three Kings, London '01
Soft Boys w/David Gilmour @ RFH, London - "Astronomy Domine" - Oct/'01
Some Soft Boys Vids Here As Well
Interview w/Kimberley by Jason Gross @ Furious Dot Com(July 2001)
After a 20 year hiatus, no one (especially not the band members themselves) could have predicted a reunion of the Soft Boys but there were those four gents again, prepping for a tour with a show at Austin's SXSW music festival this March. Not surprisingly, singer/songwriter/guitarist/alt-icon Robyn Hitchcock was the most notable member to the press. When interviewed by Yahoo, Robyn had a lot to say while guitarist/singer (and later songwriter) Kimberley Rew only contributed a sneeze to the proceedings.
Rew would have a lot more to say after the Soft Boys when his pen drew up songs for the Bangles and Dolly Parton, not to mentioin his well-known hit for his next band, Katrina and the Waves, "Walking on Sunshine" (surely an anthem for the '80's). Sadly, that became the only big hit for the band in the States. Though they had years of European hits, they also gave up the ghost at the end of the '90's. Fate was kind enough to co-ordinate the Soft Boys reunion around the same time (in conjunction with the reissue of Underwater Moonlight by Matador), giving the gifted player and writer an old/new opportunity to make his mark again.
Thanks to a faulty tape recorder, the proceedings had to be recorded for posterity by hand. Thanks also to the lack of intelligible short-hand, Kimberley was patient enough to stop every five minutes to give my writing hand a rest and every ten minutes to hear 'that was a good line- let me get that down!'
Click Here For Interview w/Kimberley by Jason Gross @ Furious Dot Com(July 2001)