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User:EncicloCharlie

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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 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.

Single Album Date Performed by Written by Produced by Top UK Chart Top US Chart
1
"Venus"
"True Confessions"
1986
Bananarama
Robert Leeuwen
Stock, Aitken & Waterman
8
1
2
"I Heard A Rumour"
"WOW!"
1987
Bananarama
Stock/ Aitken/ Waterman/
Dallin/ Fahey/ Woodward
Stock, Aitken & Waterman
14
4
3
"Love In The First Degree"
"WOW!"
1987
Bananarama
Stock/ Aitken/ Waterman/
Dallin/ Fahey/ Woodward
Stock, Aitken & Waterman
3
48
4
"I Can't Help It"
"WOW!"
1987
Bananarama
Stock/ Aitken/ Waterman/
Dallin/ Fahey/ Woodward
Stock, Aitken & Waterman
20
47
5
"I Want You Back"
"WOW!"
1988
Bananarama
Dallin/ Fahey/ Woodward/
Stock/ Aitken/ Waterman
Stock, Aitken & Waterman
5
-
6
"Love, Truth And Honesty"
-
1988
Bananarama
Dallin/ Woodward/ O'Sullivan/
Stock/ Aitken/ Waterman
Stock, Aitken & Waterman
23
89
7
"Nathan Jones"
-
1988
Bananarama
Wakefield/ Caston
Stock, Aitken & Waterman
15
-
8
"Help!"
-
1989
Bananarama and
Lananeeneenoonoo
Lennon/ McCartney
Stock, Aitken & Waterman
3
-
9
"Really Saying Something"
"Deep Sea Skiving"
1982
Bananarama with
The Fun Boy Three
Whitfield/ Holland/ Stevenson
Fun Boy Three & Dave Jordan
5
-
10
"Shy Boy"
"Deep Sea Skiving"
1982
Bananarama
Swain/ Jolley
Tony Swain & Steve Jolley
4
83
11
"Robert De Niro's Waiting"
"Bananarama"
1984
Bananarama
Jolley/ Swain/
Dallin/ Fahey/ Woodward
Tony Swain & Steve Jolley
3
95
12
"Cruel Summer"
"Bananarama"
1983
Bananarama
Jolley/ Swain/
Dallin/ Fahey/ Woodward
Tony Swain & Steve Jolley
8
9
13
"It Ain't What You Do
(It's The Way That You Do It)"
-
1982
The Fun Boy Three
and Bananarama
Oliver/ Young
The Fun Four
4
-
14
"Na Na Hey Hey
(Kiss Him Goodbye)"
"Deep Sea Skiving"
1983
Bananarama
De Carlo/ Frashuer/ Leka
Tony Swain & Steve Jolley
5
-
15
"Rough Justice"
"Bananarama"
1984
Bananarama
Jolley/ Swain/
Dallin/ Fahey/ Woodward
Tony Swain & Steve Jolley
23
-
16
"A Trick Of The Night"
"True Confessions"
1987
Bananarama
Jolley/ Swain
Tony Swain & Steve Jolley
32
76
17
"Aie A Mwana"
"Deep Sea Skiving"
1981
Bananarama
Vangarde/ Kluger
Little Paul Cook,
John Martin & Sara
92
-

"Greatest Hits"

[edit]

"Venus"

[edit]
"EncicloCharlie"
Song
B-side"White Train"
Chart entry date weeks Chart run peak peak date
UK Top 75 Singles
05/31/1986
13
-55-36-26-22-15-9-8-8-9-16-25-40-73-
8
07/12/1986
IRL Top 30 Singles
06/19/1986
5
-?-19-16-12-14-
12
07/10/1986
US The Billboard Hot 100
06/28/1986
19
-89-57-43-34-23-15-9-6-3-2-1-5-7-17-25-42-53-68-99-
1
09/06/1986
US Hot Dance Club Play (Top 50)
07/05/1986
11
-40-15-6-2-2-1-1-3-8-21-32-
1
08/09/1986
US Hot Dance Music/ Maxi-Singles Sales
07/05/1986
17
-32-6-5-2-1-1-1-2-2-4-4-4-8-9-19-27-42-
1
08/02/1986
US The Cash Box Top 100 Singles
06/28/1986
19
-82-62-41-35-30-24-17-12-7-4-3-3-6-18-28-51-57-87-99-
3
09/06/1986
US The ARC Weekly Top 40
07/12/1986
13
-39-31-20-13-8-5-3-2-1-5-9-18-28-
1
09/06/1986
CAN RPM Weekly Top 100
08/16/1986
16
-80-60-37-18-9-4-4-5-6-9-13-22-28-40-59-71-
4
09/20/1986
CAN Steede Report
?-1-1-?
1
10/06/1986
AUS Australian Music Report (Top 50)
08/18/1986
22
-16-8-4-2-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-5-9-11-16-18-20-25-?-?-34-29-
1
09/15/1986
NZ RIANZ Weekly Top 40
08/22/1986
14
?-?-1-1-1-1-?-?-?-?-?-?-?-?-?
1
09/05/1986

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"

[edit]
"EncicloCharlie"
Song
B-side"Clean Cut Boy"
Chart entry date weeks Chart run peak peak date
UK Top 75 Singles
07/11/1987
9
-55-28-15-14-15-16-28-37-54-
14
08/01/1987
IRL Top 30 Singles
07/16/1987
5
-30-13-9-9-22-
9
07/30/1987
US The Billboard Hot 100
07/18/1987
19
-74-65-54-44-36-26-21-17-10-8-4-4-4-10-21-30-51-59-88-
4
09/26/1987
US Hot Dance Club Play
08/01/1987
11
-30-22-17-14-8-6-4-3-3-8-24-
3
09/19/1987
US Hot Dance Music
08/08/1987
13
-36-27-20-20-17-13-12-9-7-8-17-35-44-
7
10/03/1987
US The Cash Box Top 100
07/11/1987
23
-88-73-62-47-42-36-30-21-16-12-9-7-4-4-9-15-23-33-29-58-69-90-93-
4
10/03/1987
US The ARC Weekly Top 40
08/15/1987
12
-34-25-22-16-10-8-4-3-2-11-25-32-
2
10/10/1987
CAN RPM Weekly Top 100
08/08/1987
23
-93-83-69-53-36-23-16-10-4-3-2-4-4-6-11-23-27-33-49-63-78-84-99-
2
10/17/1987
AUS AMR (Top 50)
08/24/1987
11
-49-out of Chart-37-33-33-32-35-33-38-?-35-42-
32
09/28/1987
NZ RIANZ Weekly Top 40
10/09/1987
12
?-8-?
8
?

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 Degree"

[edit]
"EncicloCharlie"
Song
B-side"Mr. Sleaze"
Chart entry date weeks on Chart Chart run peak peak date
UK Top 75 Singles
10/10/1987
12
-46-22-5-3-4-7-13-16-25-39-49-63-
3
10/31/1987
IRL Top 30 Singles
10/15/1987
7
-19-16-9-17-10-6-29-
6
11/19/1987
US The Billboard Hot 100
03/19/1988
10
-82-74-64-55-51-48-49-57-75-98-
48
04/23/1988
US Hot Dance Club Play (Top 50)
04/02/1988
8
-30-18-18-15-12-10-22-44-
10
05/07/1988
US Hot Dance Music/ Maxi-Singles Sales
04/09/1988
5
-54-49-44-34-27-
27
05/07/1988
US The Cash Box Top 100 Singles
03/12/1988
11
-90-77-73-65-55-50-49-48-60-62-99-
48
04/30/1988
US The ARC Weekly Top 40
04/23/1988
1
-39-
39
04/23/1988
AUS Australian Music Report (Top 50)
01/30/1988
18
-35-?-17-16-11-9-10-8-12-10-7-5-6-7-9-17-?
5
04/25/1988
NZ RIANZ Weekly Top 40
02/12/1988
7
?-11-?
11
?

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"

[edit]
"EncicloCharlie"
Song
B-side"Ecstasy"
Chart entry date weeks on Chart Chart run peak peak date
UK Top 75 Singles
01/09/1988
6
-45-23-20-22-37-70-
20
01/23/1988
IRL Top 30 Singles
01/14/1988
3
-17-12-25-
12
01/21/1988
US The Billboard Hot 100
11/21/1987
13
-78-66-60-55-53-48-48-47-50-58-80-87-99-
47
01/09/1988
US Hot Dance Club Play (Top 50)
11/14/1987
11
-45-36-24-14-12-7-7-7-13-22-47-
7
12/19/1987
US Hot Dance Music/ Maxi-Singles Sales
11/21/1987
11
-54-50-32-30-23-21-21-22-22-25-40-
21
12/26/1987
US The Cash Box Top 100 Singles
11/21/1987
13
-89-82-77-67-55-55-?-?-57-59-66-74-92-
?
12/19/1987
US The ARC Weekly Top 40
01/09/1988
1
-38-
38
01/09/1988
AUS Australian Music Report (Top 50)
09/04/1988
6
31-30-27-27-41-50-
27
09/18/1988
NZ RIANZ Weekly Top 40
-
-
did not chart
-
-

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"

[edit]
"EncicloCharlie"
Song
B-side"Amnesia"
Chart entry date weeks on Chart Chart run peak peak date
UK Top 75 Singles
04/09/1988
10
-36-14-7-5-5-6-9-21-40-54-
5
04/30/1988
IRL Top 30 Singles
04/14/1988
6
-3-3-8-10-18-26-
3
04/14/1988
US The Billboard Hot 100
-
-
did not chart
-
-
AUS Australian Music Report (Top 50)
05/15/1988
15
?-49-21-14-7-6-3-5-5-6-7-9-18-15-22-
3
06/26/1988
NZ RIANZ Weekly Top 40
07/29/1988
8
?-10-?
10
?

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 Honesty"

[edit]
"EncicloCharlie"
Song
B-side"Strike It Rich"
Chart entry date weeks Chart run highest position highest position date
UK Top 75 Singles
09/24/1988
8
-31-28-25-23-23-32-43-63-
23
10/15/1988
IRL Top 30 Singles
09/29/1988
4
-15-13-12-21-
12
10/13/1988
US The Billboard Hot 100
11/26/1988
3
-91-89-96-
89
12/03/1988
US Hot Dance Club Play (Top 50)
11/26/1988
7
-45-40-31-26-28-28-41-
26
12/17/1988
US The Cash Box Top 100 Singles
11/12/1988
7
-86-78-75-72-72-82-94-
72
12/03/1988
AUS ARIA Chart (Top 50)
12/11/1988
5
-43-out of Chart-out of Chart-32-44-
32
12/18/1988
AUS Australian Music Report (Top 50)
11/21/1988
?
?-24-?
24
?
NZ RIANZ Weekly Top 40
12/16/1988
5
?-20-?
20
?

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"

[edit]
"EncicloCharlie"
Song
B-side"Once In A Lifetime"
Chart entry date weeks on Chart Chart run highest position highest position date
UK Top 75 Singles
11/19/1988
9
-30-20-19-15-16-16-24-23-42-
15
12/10/1988
IRL Top 30 Singles
11/17/1988
3
-25-16-17-
16
11/24/1988
US The Billboard Hot 100
-
-
did not chart
-
-
AUS ARIA Chart (Top 50)
-
-
did not chart
-
-
AUS AMR Weekly Hot 100
03/12/1989
9
?-61-?
61
?
NZ RIANZ Weekly Top 40
03/17/1989
4
?-22-?
22
?

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.

"Help!"

[edit]
"EncicloCharlie"
Song
B-side"Love In The Factory"
Chart entry date weeks on Chart Chart run highest position highest position date
UK Top 75 Singles
02/25/1989
9
-12-5-3-3-6-9-24-37-68-
3
03/11/1989
IRL Top 30 Singles
02/23/1989
7
-21-3-2-3-5-16-29-
2
03/09/1989
US The Billboard Hot 100
-
-
did not chart
-
-
AUS ARIA Chart (Top 50)
05/21/1989
6
-26-25-27-37-42-49-
25
05/28/1989
NZ RIANZ Weekly Top 40
06/30/1989
4
?-35-?
35
?