"Hooray! Hooray! It's a Holi-Holiday" is a 1979 single by Euro disco band Boney M. as an adaptation of nursery rhyme Polly Wolly Doodle. Despite breaking their row of 7 consecutive German #1 singles, peaking at #4, the single was a big hit all over Europe, peaking at #3 in the UK. The song and its B-side "Ribbons of Blue" were taken from the movie Disco Fever. Even though the single cover announced the arrival of the next Boney M. album Oceans of Fantasy, it would still be another six months before the album was released, and of the two songs, only "Ribbons of Blue" (penned by the group's drummer Keith Forsey) was included and just in a one- or two-minute edit, depending on the various pressings.
Unlike other Boney M. singles, there appears to be no different mixes. In Germany, this was the first single to picture a specially designed label with a starspangled Boney M. logo on a blue background. In the UK, the single was released in a picture sleeve – it was also pressed on a Picture disc and a 12" clear yellow vinyl.
The Spanish group Parchís covered the song on their first LP under the same title, but sung completely in Spanish by the two female vocalists in the group: Gemma and Yolanda.
Hong Kong singer Susanna Kwan covered the song in Cantonese in 1979 as "Summer Delight" (夏日多歡享 ha yat dor foon heung) on her album Wing han dik foo pak (永恒的琥珀).
Danish singer Birthe Kjær covered the song in Danish in 1980 as "Hurra! Hurra! Sikken dejlig dag".
Ricky Martin covered the song in Spanish in 1993 on his album "Me Amarás".
The Cheeky Girls did a cover of this song, "(Hooray, Hooray) It's a Cheeky Holiday" as a follow-up to their successful debut single "Cheeky Song (Touch My Bum)". Their version gave them their second top 5 hit in the UK.
The Mexican group Banda Ráfaga covered the song in their album debut "Al ataque" (To attack) in 1994.
In 2005, German pop band "Hot Banditoz" covered the song in Spanish on their second album "Bodyshaker", with altered lyrics and retitled as "Holá, Holá".
The song was sampled by Alexandra Burke in her No. 1 single "Start Without You".
The Indonesian Band Pancaran Sinar Petromak covered the song in Bahasa Indonesia as "Bapak Dapat Lotre" (Daddy Got Lottery).
7" Singles
"Hooray! Hooray! It's a Holi-Holiday" (3:56) / "Ribbons of Blue" (4:02) – (Hansa Int. 100 444-100, Germany)
"Hooray! Hooray! It's a Holi-Holiday" (3:56) / "Ribbons of Blue" (4:02) – (Atlantic K 11279 / Picture disc K 11279P, UK)
12" Single
"Hooray! Hooray! It's a Holi-Holiday" (3:56) / "Ribbons of Blue" (4:02) – (Atlantic K 11279T, UK)
