Onka's Big Moka

Last updated

Onka's Big Moka
Onka's Big Moka.jpg
Studio album by
Released22 May 2000
Recorded1998–1999
Studio RAK, London; Ocean Way Recording, Los Angeles
Genre
Length48:02
Label S2
Producer Dave Eringa
Toploader chronology
Onka's Big Moka
(2000)
Magic Hotel
(2002)
Singles from Onka's Big Moka
  1. "Achilles Heel"
    Released: 3 May 1999
  2. "Let The People Know"
    Released: 26 July 1999
  3. "Dancing In The Moonlight"
    Released: 21 February 2000
  4. "Only For A While"
    Released: 9 April 2001
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [1]
BBC Favourable link
Blender Star full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [2]
New Straits Times Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [3]
Select Star full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [4]
USA Today Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [5]

Onka's Big Moka is the debut studio album by English band Toploader, which was released on 22 May 2000, through S2 Records. Having been recorded between 1998 and 1999, it was produced by long time collaborator of the Manic Street Preachers, Dave Eringa. After its release, the album reached the top 5 of the UK Albums Chart at number 4, where it stayed for six months.

Contents

The song "Dancing in the Moonlight", a cover of the Boffalongo song, was later featured in television commercials for the supermarket chain Sainsbury's, on the soundtrack of the 2002 American coming-of-age teen romantic drama A Walk to Remember , the 2010 comedy film Four Lions , and the 2019 television series The Umbrella Academy .

The album cover was taken at Lancaster Gate, located in the Bayswater district of Central London, while the title is a reference to the 1974 anthropological documentary Ongka's Big Moka: The Kawelka of Papua New Guinea .

Track listing

All tracks written by Joseph Washbourn, except tracks 2 & 7.

  1. "Let the People Know" – 3:54
  2. "Dancing in the Moonlight" (Sherman Kelly) – 3:52
  3. "Achilles Heel" – 4:18
  4. "Breathe" – 3:56
  5. "Do You Know What Your Future Will Be?" – 4:24
  6. "Only for a While" – 3:51
  7. "Just Hold On" (Dave Smith, Tim Woodcock, Mike Terry) – 4:01
  8. "Higher State" – 3:11
  9. "High Flying Bird" – 4:10
  10. "Summer Cycle" – 4:38
  11. "Just About Living" – 4:01
  12. "Floating Away (In the Bath Tub)" – 3:22

Charts

Certifications

Certifications for Onka's Big Moka
RegionCertification Certified units/sales
United Kingdom (BPI) [16] 3× Platinum900,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

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References

  1. Gentry, Brandon. "Onka's Big Moka - Toploader | Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic . Retrieved 23 July 2021.
  2. Kemp, Mark. "Toploader Onka's Big Moka". Blender . Archived from the original on 8 August 2004. Retrieved 7 December 2021.
  3. Murthl, R.S. (5 July 2000). "Loaded with the good stuff". New Straits Times : 4.
  4. Mullen, John. "Toploader: Onka's Big Moka > Review".
  5. Gardner, Elysa (14 August 2001). "Pop/Rock". USA Today . Archived from the original on 11 September 2001. Retrieved 21 July 2021.
  6. Ryan, Gavin (2011). Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010 (PDF ed.). Mt Martha, Victoria, Australia: Moonlight Publishing. p. 283.
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  8. "Dutchcharts.nl – Toploader – Onka's Big Moka" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 7 July 2019.
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  13. "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 7 July 2019.
  14. "End of Year Album Chart Top 100 – 2000". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 8 March 2021.
  15. "End of Year Album Chart Top 100 – 2001". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 8 March 2021.
  16. "British album certifications – Toploader – Onka's Big Moka". British Phonographic Industry . Retrieved 8 March 2021.