Sophie

'The Clapping Song’ was originally recorded by Shirley Ellis in 1965 and has since been covered by a whole host of artists. I personally remember seeing The Belle Stars perform it live supporting The Police (yeah, strange choice of support act) back in 1982 at Wembley Arena.

Now 'The Clapping Song’ has received another make-over care of newley signed artist Sophie to bring the track kicking and screaming into the noughties and why not. It’s that nursery rhyme aesthetic that still reaches out to us all which defines the song.

The producers (Maltese music maestro, Elton Zarb, and two-time Grammy Award Nominee and legendary Pink Floyd Sound Engineer, Andy Jackson) deserve credit for the immediacy of the recording, and it’s reworking lending itself again to a new generation. Sophie herself jumps all over this number making it her very own, as a debut single it heralds a new artist in the making. In her native island of Malta and to shores much further afield, the track is a surefire summertime hit and Sophie deserves to be applauded.

Altogether now:

Three, six, nine
The goose drank wine
The monkey chewed tobacco on the streetcar line
The line broke, the monkey got choked
And they all went to heaven in a little row boat

Clap pat...