Woodpeckers from Space
"Woodpeckers from Space" is a song by the Dutch Euro disco/Italo disco duo VideoKids. The song features sound effects from the Speak & Spell toy.
"Woodpeckers from Space" | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Single by VideoKids | ||||
from the album 'The Invasion of the Spacepeckers' | ||||
B-side | "Rap and Sing Along" | |||
Released | October 5, 1984 | |||
Recorded | 1984 | |||
Genre | Synthpop, electro, Italo disco | |||
Length | 3:34 | |||
Label | Polydor | |||
Songwriter(s) | A. Adams & Fleisner | |||
Producer(s) | A. Adams & Fleisner | |||
VideoKids singles chronology | ||||
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Music video
The video starred Peter Slaghuis, who was the lead singer. It also used the laugh of Woody Woodpecker for the spacepeckers. The Extended version also includes samples from the song "Home Computer" by the German group Kraftwerk. Another one of VideoKids' songs called "Satellite" also featured it in the video. The video had two people on a spaceship and the original members of the band.
Covers
The song was covered by the South African outfit Café Society in 1985 and their version held the No. 1 position on the South African Top 20 for 8 weeks. VideoKids never released the song in South Africa due to the political situation at the time. The song was also covered by the Norwegian bubblegum/trance/dance group SpritneyBears in 2003, and laid in second place on the Norwegian chart, spending 8 weeks on that chart in total.
Charts
Chart (1984/1985) | Peak position |
---|---|
Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[1] | 15 |
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[2] | 17 |
Denmark (Hitlisten)[3] | 4 |
Germany (Official German Charts)[4] | 4 |
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[5] | 14 |
Norway (VG-lista)[6] | 1 |
Spain (AFYVE)[7] | 1 |
Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[8] | 8 |
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[9] | 6 |
UK Singles (The Official Charts Company) | 72 |
In popular culture
- This song appears in the original version of the Pingu episode "Pingu Looks After the Egg", as well as the pilot episode whose elements were later incoporated into the aforementioned episode. The later soundtrack replaced that with the song replaced by David Hasselhoff's 1993 song "The Pingu Dance".
References
- "Austriancharts.at – VideoKids – Woodpeckers from Space" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40.
- "Ultratop.be – VideoKids – Woodpeckers from Space" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50.
- https://www.ukmix.org/showthread.php?118921-Danish-Chart-Archive-Singles-1979-____-(B-T-IFPI-DK)/page6
- "Musicline.de – VideoKids Single-Chartverfolgung" (in German). Media Control Charts. PhonoNet GmbH.
- "Nederlandse Top 40 – VideoKids" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40.
- "Norwegiancharts.com – VideoKids – Woodpeckers from Space". VG-lista.
- Salaverri, Fernando (September 2005). Sólo éxitos: año a año, 1959–2002 (1st ed.). Spain: Fundación Autor-SGAE. ISBN 84-8048-639-2.
- "Swedishcharts.com – VideoKids – Woodpeckers from Space". Singles Top 100.
- "Swisscharts.com – VideoKids – Woodpeckers from Space". Swiss Singles Chart.