User:EncicloCharlie

Hi, I'm a Wikipedian since November 15, 2007.

I'm a Bananarama fan since I was younger. My Nana favourite single is "Venus".

=Bananarama=

Bananarama is a British female group of pop music.

The band was founded in 1981 by Keren Woodward, Sarah Dallin and Siobhan Fahey. They took this name from one of their favourite Roxy Music's song called "Pyjamarama". Before the girls got together Keren had a job at the BBC and Sarah and Siobhan were studying fashion journalism. They met in a London nightclub and shared a flat before forming a group.

In early 1988 Siobhan decided to leave the group to form Shakespears Sister. Keren and Sarah enlisted the services of an old pal, Jacquie O'Sullivan, for their first World Tour. By this time, Bananarama were massive. They was the all-female group who had most chart entries in history, 9 Top UK Singles Chart and 3 US Top 10 Hits, being honoured in "The Guinnes Book of World Records" as The Most Successful British All-girl Group Ever. So they released their retrospective compilation "The Greatest Hits Collection", which was a huge success on Britain, peaking at 3 and remained on UK Albums Chart for 37 weeks.

With the 80's back in vogue, the time was right for a Bananarama revival. In 2002 London Records repackaged their "Greatest Hits" into a "Very Best Of" collection.

" Venus "
Bananarama's first collaboration with producers Stock/ Aitken/ Waterman, and also their first number one in the USA. The band wanted an injection of high glamour and disco and that is exactly what they got.

The song was originally recorded by Dutch rock group Shocking Blue in 1970, and was updated for the 80's. The girls had done this cover from the beginning, when they were starting out.

The single was promoted by a rather camp video (directed by Peter Care) and a catchy dance routine. The video marks a pivotal shift towards a more glamourous and sexy visual image: the girls are presented in several costumes (she-devil, female vampire, Grecian goddesses...), and it's also start of the use of male boy-toys dancers which would become a hallmark of their videos.

The visual iconography and High Energy influenced sound turn the girls into gay icons the world over.

"Venus" still is Bananarama's biggest hit, topping the charts in many countries.

" I Heard A Rumour "
The song is just the usual thing -boys and girls and relationships- what everybody's always written about since the beginning of music.

The girls think this is the best they've written with Stock/ Aitken/ Waterman. It's also Pete Waterman and many group fans favourite Bananarama's song.

For their video (directed by Andy Morahan) group members are seen emulating various film starts, projected on screens behind them. Also shows the girls, dressed in French can-can, with letters "W" "O" "W" (a reference to their album tittle) emblazoned on the seat.

" Love In The First De g ree "
The band's best selling single ever in the UK. The success is party due to the B-side "Mr. Sleaze" being heavily played by English radio stallions.

They got so over the top with the video for this single, directed by Andy Morahan. The girls perfoming the song in a jail cell, dressing up as convicts (complete with stripy jump suits, balls and chains) as several boy dancers perform around them in their little uniforms.

Bananarama perfomed the song at the BPI Awards. The group stole the show when they introduced the Albert Hall to the delights of well-greased lads.

By the time the single was released in the USA (as the album's third single, after "I Can't Help It") Siobhan had already announced her departure from the band.

" I Can't Help It "
For Bananarama Stock/ Aitken/ Waterman had such a brilliant attitude to making pop records and here is a fine example.

Most people would think that writhing around with naked men in a milk bath filled with fruit would be very erotic, so for the music video (from Andy Morahan) Sarah and Keren get to bathe in asses milk and fruit. Siobhan, extremely pregnant by this time, was only shown on camera from the shoulders up.

World famous photographer Herb Ritts shot the girls for the record's sleeve.

The sleeves for "I Can't Help It" and "Love In The First Degree" were switched with each other for the UK and USA markets. There "I Can't Help It" was released as the second single from "WOW!"', following "I Heard A Rumour" and before "Love In The First Degree".

" I Want You Back "
Siobhan decided to leave the group in 1988. Sarah and Keren had seen this coming for some time and had already lined up a possible replacement: their longtime friend Jacquie O'Sullivan.

Before releasing this song -a track from the "WOW!" album- as a single the vocals were re-recorded with Jacquie.

The video was directed by Andy Morahan, and features the group in various dance sequences, go-go boys with wigs and in cages, and the girls dressed up as The Supremes.

"I Want You Back" was not released in the United States.

In Australia this single was released after "Love In The First Degree" and before "I Can't Help It".

" Love, Truth And Honest y"
This is a new song from the new line-up group.

The video features the trio perfoming in front of mirrors and neon lights as a well-groomed man looks on.

" Nathan Jones "
This is a spirited version of a 1971 single by The Supremes.

The group had done this song on "WOW!" album. They didn't originally want that cover to be on their "Greatest Hits" compilation, and they just had to record it.

The video shows the girls perfoming the song in large sun hats and dresses. They dance vogue style with several male dancers dressed in British-style suits, hats and umbrellas.