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Bananarama
Bananarama are an English pop duo from London, formed as a trio in 1980 by friends Sara Dallin, Siobhan Fahey and Keren Woodward. Fahey left the group in 1988 and was replaced by Jacquie O'Sullivan until 1991, when the trio became a duo. Their success on both pop and dance charts saw them listed in the ''Guinness World Records'' for achieving the world's highest number of chart entries by an all-female group. Between 1982 and 2009, they had 30 singles reach the Top 50 of the UK Singles Chart. The group's UK top-10 hits include " It Ain't What You Do..." (1982), "Really Saying Something" (1982), "Shy Boy" (1982), " Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye" (1983), " Cruel Summer" (1983), " Robert De Niro's Waiting..." (1984), " Love in the First Degree" (1987), "I Want You Back" in 1988 and charity track "Help!" in 1989. In 1986, they had a U.S. number one with another of their UK top-10 hits, a cover of "Venus". In total, they had 11 singles reach the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100 (1983†...
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Help! (song)
"Help!" is a song by the English rock band the Beatles that served as the title song for the 1965 film and its soundtrack album. It was released as a single in July 1965, and was number one for three weeks in the United States and the United Kingdom. Credited to Lennon–McCartney, "Help!" was written by John Lennon with some help from Paul McCartney. During an interview with ''Playboy'' in 1980, Lennon recounted: "The whole Beatles thing was just beyond comprehension. I was subconsciously crying out for help". It was ranked at number 29 on ''Rolling Stones 500 Greatest Songs of All Time in 2004 and 2010, and then was re-ranked at number 447 in the 2021 list. Composition The documentary series ''The Beatles Anthology'' revealed that Lennon wrote the lyrics of the song to express his stress after the Beatles' quick rise to success. "I was fat and depressed and I ''was'' crying out for 'Help, Lennon told ''Playboy''. Writer Ian MacDonald describes the song as the first crack in ...
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Venus (Shocking Blue Song)
"Venus" is a song by Dutch rock band Shocking Blue, initially released as a single in the Netherlands in the summer of 1969. Written by Robbie van Leeuwen, the song topped the charts in nine countries. The song has been covered dozens of times by many artists. In 1986, English girl group Bananarama covered "Venus" for their third studio album, '' True Confessions'', with the single reaching number one in six countries. The composition has been featured in numerous films, television shows and commercials. Composition and recording The song was written by Robbie van Leeuwen, Shocking Blue's guitarist, sitarist and background vocalist. Van Leeuwen wrote new lyrics set to music based on "The Banjo Song" by Tim Rose and the Big 3, which is in turn lyrically a modification of the 19th century song "Oh! Susanna" by Stephen Foster. Influences from other songs include the opening guitar riff that is similar to The Who's " Pinball Wizard". The song was recorded on a two-track machine in ...
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Cruel Summer (Bananarama Song)
"Cruel Summer" is a song by English girl group Bananarama. It was written by Bananarama and Steve Jolley, Tony Swain, and produced by Jolley and Swain. Released in 1983, it was initially a stand-alone single but was subsequently included on their self-titled second album a year later. The song reached number eight on the UK Singles Chart in 1983, and after its inclusion in the 1984 film ''The Karate Kid'', it reached number nine on the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100. Bananarama singer Sara Dallin said the song "played on the darker side (of summer songs): it looked at the oppressive heat, the misery of wanting to be with someone as the summer ticked by. We've all been there!" It was ranked number 44 on VH1's 100 Greatest Songs of the '80s. ''Billboard'' named the song #13 on their list of 100 Greatest Girl Group Songs of All Time. History "Cruel Summer" was an immediate success when it was released in the UK, reaching No. 8 on the UK Singles Chart, and the group performed the song ...
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Love In The First Degree (Bananarama Song)
"Love in the First Degree" is a song by English girl group Bananarama from their fourth studio album, ''Wow!'' (1987). It was released on 28 September 1987 as the album's second single, except in the United States, where it was released in 1988 as the third single (following " I Can't Help It"). The track was co-written and produced by the Stock Aitken Waterman (SAW) trio. The song is an uptempo pop tune similar to many hits produced by SAW during this time period. The surreal lyrics, composed by Siobhan Fahey and built upon by SAW and Bananarama members Sara Dallin and Keren Woodward, describes a dream in which they find themselves being tried in court for love. The musical structure could be compared to Pachelbel's Canon. Producer Pete Waterman variously claimed he came up with the idea for the song while in the bath, and after waking up one morning with the tune in his head. However Dallin has stated that he was not present during the song's composition. Waterman further ...
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I Heard A Rumour
"I Heard a Rumour" is a song by English girl group Bananarama from their fourth studio album, ''Wow!'' (1987). It was released on 29th June 1987, as the album's lead single. It was also featured in the 1987 comedy film ''Disorderlies'' and is included on its soundtrack. "I Heard a Rumour" peaked at number 14 on the UK Singles Chart,. It was one of Bananarama's highest-charting singles in the United States – it reached number four on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 and became their third and final top ten hit. It was also their last top 40 hit on that chart. It was also successful in nightclubs, reaching number three on the '' Billboard'' Dance Club Songs. The track bears notable similarities in part to Michael Fortunati's "Give Me Up", which was released in early 1986. However, producer Mike Stock denied the track was based excessively on that record, insisting "I Heard A Rumour" was simply broadly inspired by Europop trends at the time. "We didn't do sampling... There's no si ...
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Robert De Niro's Waiting
"Robert De Niro's Waiting..." is a song written by Sara Dallin, Siobhan Fahey, Keren Woodward, Steve Jolley, and Tony Swain, recorded for English girl group Bananarama's self-titled second album. Produced by Jolley & Swain, it was released as the album's second single on 20 February 1984. It namechecks American actor Robert De Niro. The single is one of the group's strongest-performing releases, peaking at number three in the UK Singles Chart. It made a brief appearance on the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100, peaking at number 95. ''Billboard'' ranked the song at number 74 on their list of the "100 Greatest Girl Group Songs of All Time". An extended version of the song is available on the 12-inch single. The B-side of both 7-inch and 12-inch singles is a song called "Push!". The version of "Push!" on the 12-inch single is not extended but preceded by an unlisted alternate version of the brief track that would be called "Link" at the end of side one of the ''Bananarama'' album. Bana ...
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Sara Dallin
Sara Elizabeth Dallin (born 17 December 1961) is an English singer and a founding member of the pop group Bananarama. The group has achieved 28 UK top 50 and 11 US top 100 singles, including a US number one with "Venus" (1986). Other hits include " Cruel Summer" (1983), "I Heard a Rumour" (1987) and " Love in the First Degree" (1987). Dallin and bandmate Keren Woodward are the only performers to appear on both the 1984 and 1989 Band Aid versions of "Do They Know It's Christmas?" Bananarama have sold over 30 million records and entered the ''Guinness Book of World Records'' for achieving most UK chart entries by an all-female group, a record they still hold. Early life Dallin is of English, French and Irish ancestry. She studied journalism at the London College of Fashion (University of Arts) in 1980–81. She formed the group Bananarama with Keren Woodward, her childhood friend, and Siobhan Fahey, whom she met at college. In 1980, Dallin and Woodward met Paul Cook, ex-member ...
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Jacquie O'Sullivan
Jacquie O'Sullivan (born 7 August 1960)''Smash Hits'', 1988. Personal File: Jacqui O'Sullivan, p. 11 is an English singer and songwriter, best known as a member of the pop group Bananarama from 1988 until 1991, replacing Siobhan Fahey, who left in early 1988. The line-up with O'Sullivan had UK top five hits with "I Want You Back" (1988) and a cover of The Beatles' "Help!" (1989), recorded with comedy duo French and Saunders for the charity Comic Relief. In 1989, O'Sullivan joined the group on their first world tour. Prior to Bananarama, O'Sullivan was the lead singer of the band Shillelagh Sisters. Career Early years O'Sullivan appeared in the music video for the song " Visage" performed Visage, in 1981. She also appeared in the music video for Eurythmics' 1983 hit single " "Who's That Girl?"", with the original Bananarama members also being featured in the video. O'Sullivan joined the country/punk/rockabilly group Shillelagh Sisters in early 1983. It was "a sort of a fun ...
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I Want You Back (Bananarama Song)
"I Want You Back" is a song by English girl group Bananarama from their fourth studio album, '' Wow!'' (1987). It was released on 28 March 1988 as the album's fourth and final single. The track was co-written and produced by the Stock Aitken Waterman (SAW) trio. The song originally had a different chorus and was titled "Reason for Living". Bananarama disliked this chorus and co-wrote the revised lyrics for "I Want You Back". Both versions were originally recorded with Siobhan Fahey for the 1987 ''Wow!'' album. For the April 1988 single release, the song was re-recorded with Jacquie O'Sullivan, who had replaced Fahey in March 1988. "Reason for Living" was included on the deluxe version of ''Wow!'', which was released in 2013. Elements of the original chorus can be heard in both the original '' Wow!'' version of "I Want You Back" and in the Extended European Mix of the 1988 single release. "I Want You Back" became one of Bananarama's highest-charting singles, peaking at number fiv ...
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Siobhan Fahey
Siobhan Maire Fahey (; born 10 September 1958) is an Irish singer whose vocal range is a light contralto. She was a founding member of the group Bananarama, who have had ten top-10 hits including the US number one hit single "Venus". She later formed the Brit Award- and Ivor Novello Award-winning musical act Shakespears Sister, who had a UK number one hit with the 1992 single "Stay". Fahey joined the other original members of Bananarama for a 2017 UK tour, and, in 2018, a North America and Europe tour. Early life Siobhan Maire Fahey was born on 10 September 1958 in County Meath, Ireland. She has two younger sisters, Maire (who played Eileen in the video of the 1982 song "Come On Eileen", a hit for Dexys Midnight Runners) and Niamh, a producer and editor. Her parents, Helen and Joseph Fahey, both came from County Tipperary, Ireland. Fahey lived in Ireland for several years before her father joined the British Army and the family moved to England, then to Germany for several years ...
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Shy Boy
"Shy Boy" is a 1982 song recorded by English girl group Bananarama which was written and produced by the production team of Steve Jolley and Tony Swain and marked the first in a long line of studio collaborations between them and Bananarama. Released in the summer of 1982, "Shy Boy" became the third consecutive single by Bananarama to hit the top-five, reaching number four in the UK singles chart. It also was a success in Australia, where it reached number two, becoming their first top 40 hit in that country. Top-ten success also followed in New Zealand and Canada. "Shy Boy" charted well on the U.S. Hot Dance Club Play chart and was the first of Bananarama's singles to dent the ''Billboard'' Hot 100, peaking at number 83. The song was known as "Shy Boy (Don't It Make You Feel Good)" in the USA. It was included on their 1983 debut album '' Deep Sea Skiving''. The song was originally called "Big Red Motorbike", however Bananarama did not like the lyrics and changed it to "Shy ...
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'Tain't What You Do (It's The Way That You Do It)
"Tain't What You Do (It's the Way That You Do It)" is a song written by jazz musicians Melvin "Sy" Oliver and James "Trummy" Young. It was first recorded in 1939 by Jimmie Lunceford, Harry James, and Ella Fitzgerald, and again the same year by Nat Gonella and His Georgians. The "shim sham" is often danced to the Lunceford recording of this song. Fun Boy Three with Bananarama version The jazz tune was transformed into a pop/ new wave song with ska elements in 1982. With the title slightly altered to "It Ain't What You Do....", it was recorded by Fun Boy Three and Bananarama, and was included on the former's self-titled debut album, but it was not available on a Bananarama album until 1988's '' Greatest Hits Collection''. Terry Hall of Fun Boy Three owned a copy of Bananarama's previous single "Aie a Mwana", and after seeing an article about the trio in ''The Face'', he decided he wanted them to sing background vocals on the song, solely based on the fact that he liked their lo ...
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