SHAZAM

Not to be confused with the heavy metal band of the same name, Rainbow (George & Zippy) featured the puppet stars of one of the U.K.'s most enduring and beloved children's shows in a dance-pop context. Their single, "It's a Rainbow," which melded the classic, psychedelic folk-based theme of Rainbow with club-oriented beats and vocals, made a strong showing on U.K. charts around the 2002 holidays, debuting at number 15. The single's success capped off a year of newfound interest in the show, which began in 1972 and revolved around the adventures of Zippy, a yellow-orange, one-armed, zipper-mouthed rascal with a chronic craving for sausages and cake; George, a mild-mannered pink hippo with a fondness for playing the plinky-plonker and occasionally dressing up as his "cousin Georgina"; Bungle, a six-foot tall, good-natured bear; and Geoffrey, their long-suffering human friend/caretaker. The original Rainbow series ran into the early '90s and was revived twice during that decade, once with the original name in 1994 and once in 1997 as Rainbow Days. George and Zippy also celebrated the 30 year anniversary of their show by appearing in Marmite ads and embarking on the Rainbow Disco Roadshow, a DJ tour of U.K. clubs and universities. They also released Rave Up!, a double-disc set of dance music featuring their hit single as well as their covers of "Dancing Queen" and "It's Raining Men." ~ Heather Phares, Rovi