Bananarama
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Bananarama's_1984_album_Bananarama_cover.jpg
Bananarama is a British girl group, that found worldwide fame with their melodic pop songs. The group was founded in London in 1981 by friends Siobhan Fahey, Keren Woodward, and Sarah Dallin (Woodward and Dallin were friends since age 13). Along with groups like The Bangles and The Go-Gos they helped to change the old Motown image of "Black Girls only" girl groups, and paved the way for such other artists as the Spice Girls. In 1988 they got into the Guinness Book of World Records as the United Kingdom's best selling girl group ever (but currently best selling girl group ever is a British group Spice Girls). In the same year (1988) Siobhan Fahey left the group after marrying Eurythmics' Dave Stewart and they added Jacquie O'Sullivan instead.
Back in 1981 Bananarama's members were living above the rehearsal room which were used by former Sex Pistols's members Steve Jones and Paul Cook. With their help they recorded their first demo "Aie a Mwana" (cover of song by "Black Blood"). The demo was heard at Demon Records, who offered to girls their first deal. The song was underground hit and the girls were subsequently signed by London Records (they were on this Label till 1993) .
Bananarama experienced their greatest success during the period from 1984 to 1989. Their debut album, Deep Sea Skiving (1983), contained two hit singles "Really Saying Something (#5 UK)" and Shy Boy (#4 UK). The next album, Bananarama (1984), contained hit singles "Cruel Summer" (1983) and "Robert De Niro's Waiting" (1984). "Cruel Summer" was included in the movie The Karate Kid. It was covered by Swedish band Ace of Base and was a worldwide hit all over again in 1998. In 1986 they began to be produced by UK pop producers Stock, Aitken & Waterman, which resulted in the international #1 hit "Venus" (a remake of Shocking Blue's #1 hit from 1970), whose dance enticing beats typified the "SAW" approach to pop production.
They appeared on the Band Aid single "Do They Know It's Christmas?". In fact they are the only artist to appear on both the original Band Aid and the Band Aid II version.
"I Heard A Rumour", from the "WOW!" album, was a hit in 1987, as was "Love In The First Degree", but the late 80s brought a resurgence of boy bands, and interest in girl bands waned a bit. A few minor hits proved to be a last hurrah, and few comeback tours during the late 1980s. In 1991 Jacquie O'Sullivan left the band and in 1993 they returned with a new cd called "Please Yourself". In 1995 they released album "Ultra Violet" in Canada. In 1998 Sarah Dallin & Keren Woodward recorded track "Waterloo" (cover of ABBA's song) together with Siobhan Fahey for "A Song For Eurotrash" (Eurovision tribute) on Channel 4. In the 2001 they released an album "Exotica" in France with the cover of George Michael's "Careless Whisper" and the next year in UK they released a greatest hits album "The Very Best of Bananarama". In 2002, they recorded the song "Love, Leave, Forget" for Sky TV's show called "Is Harry On The Boat?". On 16 May 2005 they released a new single called "Move In My Direction".
In 2002 Bananarama's members (including Siobhan Fahey) celebrated their 20th Anniversary at "London Astoria" in London. 3000 people participated in this event.
As of 2002 Bananarama has sold 40 million albums worldwide. Currently Bananarama consists of two members: Sarah Dallin and Keren Woodward.
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Discography
- S: Sales; US Top data: for singles from The Billboard Hot 100, for albums from The Billboard 200; UK Top data for singles and albums from UK Singles Chart.
Albums
- 1983 Deep Sea Skiving (#7 UK, #63 US)
- 1984 Bananarama (#16 UK,#30 US)
- 1986 True Confessions (#46 UK, #15 US)
- 1987 Wow! (#26 UK, #44 US)
- 1991 Pop Life (#42 UK)
- 1993 Please Yourself (#46 UK)
- 1995 Ultra Violet/I Found Love
- 2001 Exotica
Singles
- 1981 Aie a Mwana (#92 UK)
- 1982 Cheers Then (#45 UK)
- 1982 He's Got Tact
- 1982 It Aint What You Do (#4 UK)
- 1982 Really Saying Something (#5 UK)
- 1982 Shy Boy (#4 UK, #83 US)
- 1983 Na Na Hey Hey (#5 UK)
- 1983 Cruel Summer (#8 UK, #9 US 1984)
- 1984 Hot Line to Heaven (#58 UK)
- 1984 The Wild Life (#70 US)
- 1984 Robert De Niro's Waiting (#3 UK, #95 US)
- 1984 Rough Justice (#23 UK)
- 1985 Do Not Disturb (#31 UK)
- 1985 Set on You
- 1986 More Than Physical (#41 UK, #73 US)
- 1986 Venus (#8 UK, #1 US)
- 1987 A Trick Of The Night (#32 UK, #76 US)
- 1987 I Heard A Rumour (#14 UK, #4 US)
- 1987 Love In The First Degree (#3 UK, #48 US)
- 1988 Mr. Sleaze
- 1988 I Can't Help It (#8 UK, #47 US)
- 1988 I Want You Back (#5 UK)
- 1988 Love Truth & Honesty (#23 UK, #89)
- 1988 Nathan Jones (#15 UK)
- 1989 Help! (#3 UK)
- 1989 Cruel Summer 89 (#19 UK)
- 1989 Megarama 89
- 1990 Only Your Love (#27 UK)
- 1991 Preacher Man (#20 UK)
- 1991 Long Train Running (#30 UK)
- 1991 Tripping on Your Love (#14 US Hot Dance Music/Club Play)
- 1992 Last Thing on My Mind (#71 UK)
- 1992 Movin' On (#24 UK)
- 1993 More More More (#24 UK)
- 1995 Every Shade of Blue (#41 US Hot Dance Music/Club Play)
- 1995 I Found Love
- 1996 Take Me to Your Heart
- 2001 Careless Whisper
- 2001 If
- 2002 U R My Baby (released on Disco Brothers's album in Germany)
- 2005 Really Saying Something (Solasso'a bootleg remix)
- 2005 Move In My Direction
Compilations
- 1988 The Greatest Hits Collection (#3 UK, #151 US) (S: 0.6 mil.)
- 1993 Bunch of Hits
- 1999 Master Series
- 2002 The Essentials
- 2002 The Very Best of Bananarama
- 2003 Venus and Other Hits
Tours
- 1989 (March) World Tour
- 1998 Australia's tour
- 1999 UK tour with Culture Club
See also
- Best selling music artists — World's top-selling music artists chart.
- List of girl groups
- List of popular music performers
External links
- MusicBrainz.ORG (http://www.musicbrainz.org/showartist.html?artistid=1939) - Bananarama's complete discography.
- Bananarama.Co.Uk (http://www.bananarama.co.uk) - This site belongs to Label Pop company (France) and managed by Pascal Maurice.
- StockAitkenWaterman.com (http://www.stockaitkenwaterman.com/artists/index.htm) - Info and interviews.
- Geocities.Com (http://www.geocities.com/CollegePark/Union/6146/bananarama.html) - Fan site on geocities.com, includes album description and interviews.
- Geocities.Com (http://www.geocities.com/comedyclaire2005/) - Fan site with onfo and lyrics.
- inet-1.com (http://www.inet-1.com/~pclegg/brama/chart.htm) - Bananarama's chart info.de:Bananarama