1990.

I don’t know what concerns me most this morning, the fact that this isn’t the first time this song has made an appearance or that this time it’s bloody Timmy Mallet – again! Can I go back to bed and start again…please?

Written by Paul Vance and Lee Pockriss it was originally recorded in 1960 by Brian Hyland and became a huge novelty hit, reaching number one in the US and New Zealand and number eight in the UK.

At the time of Hayland’s recording, the bikini was still regarded as being a little risqué but this song caused a massive boost in bikini sales. It has been credited with making the bikini acceptable in society and the craze of ‘Surf’ films in the 1960s is thought to have been built on the momentum of this song.

The most astonishing fact is that in 1990 TV presenter Timmy Mallet teamed up with Andrew Lloyd Webber of all people to form the group Bombalurina, also featuring backing vocalists and dancers Annie Dunkley and Dawn Andrews (who later became Mrs Gary Barlow). Incredibly this version of the song spent thirteen weeks on the UK charts including three weeks at number one. Seriously, what were we thinking as a nation?!