"I Can't Help It" is a song by English girl group

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. Thei ...

from their fourth studio album, ''

Wow! WideOpenWest (doing business as WOW!) is the sixth largest cable operator in the United States with their network passing 3,248,600 homes and businesses. The company offers landline telephone, cable television, and broadband Internet services ...

'' (1987). It was released on 29 December 1987 as the album's third single, except in the United States, where it was the second single (following "

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 i ...

"), and Australia, where it served as the fourth single (after "

I Want You Back "I Want You Back" is the first national single by the Jackson 5. It was released by Motown on October 6, 1969, and became the first number-one hit for the band on January 31, 1970. It was performed on the band's first television appearances, on ...

"). The track was co-written and produced by the

Stock Aitken Waterman Stock Aitken Waterman (abbreviated as SAW) are an English songwriting and record production trio consisting of Mike Stock, Matt Aitken, and Pete Waterman. The trio had great success from the mid-1980s through the early 1990s. SAW is considered ...

(SAW) trio. The single peaked at number 20 in the

UK singles chart The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...

, #27 on the Australian

ARIA chart The ARIA Charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling songs and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA became the offici ...

(where it was released in August 1988), and #47 on the U.S. ''Billboard'' Hot 100. A hit in nightclubs, "I Can't Help It" climbed to number seven on the U.S.

Hot Dance Club Play Dance Club Songs is a chart published weekly by '' Billboard'' magazine in the United States. It is a national look over of club disc jockeys to determine the most popular songs being played in nightclubs across the country. It was launched as t ...

chart, being their last hit in American charts. This is the final Bananarama single to feature

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 ...

, who announced her departure shortly after its release. The photos on the record sleeve were taken by famous American photographer

Herb Ritts Herbert Ritts Jr. (August 13, 1952December 26, 2002) was an American fashion photographer and director known for his photographs of celebrities, models, and other cultural figures throughout the 1980s and 1990s. His work concentrated on black a ...

. The record sleeves for "I Can't Help It" and " Love In The First Degree" were switched with each other for the UK and North American markets. The song's extended mixes were the inspiration for former

PWL Pete Waterman Entertainment (PWE) is the production company one-time pop and dance record label owned by British pop mogul Pete Waterman. The label, originally PWL (Pete Waterman Limited), is most famous for being the home of hit record prod ...

staffer Pete Hammond's 2007 remix of Danish group

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's hit, "

Boyfriend A boyfriend is a male friend or acquaintance, often specifying a regular male companion with whom a person is romantically or sexually involved. A boyfriend can also be called an admirer, beau, suitor and sweetheart. The analogous female te ...

Music video

The music video for the "I Can't Help It" features muscle men dancing, colourful backdrops, and

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 includ ...

and

Keren Woodward Keren Jane Woodward (born 2 April 1961) is an English singer and, with Sara Dallin and Siobhan Fahey, a founding member of the girl group Bananarama. In 1986, the trio reached number one on the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100 with their version of "Ven ...

in a milk bath filled with fruit and naked men.

, who was pregnant at the time, also appears but was only shown on camera from the shoulders up. The video was directed by

Andy Morahan Andrew Douglas Morahan (born 11 August 1958) is a British commercial, film and music video director. He is the son of director Christopher Morahan and the half-brother of actress Hattie Morahan. Married to Joanna Lewis, he has two children. Vi ...

Track listings

*7-inch single #"I Can't Help It" – 3:31 #"Ecstasy" – 4:10 *UK limited-edition 7-inch single #"I Can't Help It" – 3:31 #"Ecstasy" (Edit) – 2:00 #"Love in the First Degree" – 3:29 *12-inch single #"I Can't Help It" (Extended Club Mix) – 8:03 #"Ecstasy" (Chicago House Stylee) – 5:56 *12-inch single (remix) #"I Can't Help It" (The "Hammond Version" Excursion) – 6:24 #"Ecstasy" (Wild Style) – 5:35 *German CD single #"I Can't Help It" (Extended Club Mix) – 8:09 #"Ecstasy" (Chicago House Stylee) – 4:20 #"Mr Sleaze" (Rare Groove Remix) – 6:04 *US 12-inch single and cassette #"I Can't Help It" (Remix) – 8:03 #"I Can't Help It" (7″ Version) – 3:38 #"Mr Sleaze" (Rare Groove Version) – 6:00 #"Mr Sleaze" (Instrumental) – 4:09 *Canadian 12-inch single #"I Can't Help It" (Remix) – 8:03 #"I Can't Help It" (7″ Version) – 3:38 #"Mr Sleaze" (Rare Groove Mix) – 6:00

Personnel

Bananarama *

– vocals *

– vocals Additional personnel * Andrew Biscomb – sleeve design * Peter Barrett – sleeve design *

– photography

Charts

References

{{authority control Bananarama songs 1987 songs 1987 singles London Records singles Music videos directed by Andy Morahan Songs written by Mike Stock (musician) Songs written by Matt Aitken Songs written by Sara Dallin Songs written by Siobhan Fahey Songs written by Keren Woodward Songs written by Pete Waterman Song recordings produced by Stock Aitken Waterman