BANANARAMA
A singular talent for directing their own fate Bananarama formed 35 years ago in London when teenagers and childhood friends Sara Dallin and Keren Woodward met Siobhan Fahey. Sara and Siobhan were studying journalism at the London University of Arts (London College of Fashion) and Keren was working at the BBC. About to be thrown out of the YWCA for ‘keeping late hours’ Sara and Keren bumped into ex Sex Pistol Paul Cook in the club Taboo and he offered them a place to stay above the the Sex Pistols old rehearsal room. He ended up producing their first single Aie A Mwana. One early radio play from legendary DJ John Peel was all it took to catch the attention of ex Specials singer Terry Hall who tracked the girls down and asked them to perform on The Fun Boy Three single It Ain’t what you do. They went on to support everyone from Iggy Pop to Paul Weller (Weller went on to pen a track for the band’s first album) appearing on numerous tv shows while still being so skint they were using the baths at the local swimming pool for £1 a throw.
A singular talent for directing their own fate Bananarama formed 35 years ago, in London when teenagers and childhood friends Sara Dallin and Keren Woodward met Siobhan Fahey. Sara and Siobhan were studying journalism at the London University of Arts (London College of Fashion) and Keren was working at the BBC. About to be thrown out of the YWCA for ‘keeping late hours’ Sara and Keren bumped into ex Sex Pistol Paul Cook in the club Taboo and he offered them a place to stay above the the Sex Pistols old rehearsal room. He ended up producing their first single Aie A Mwana. One early radio play from legendary DJ John Peel was all it took to catch the attention of ex Specials singer Terry Hall who tracked the girls down and asked them to perform on The Fun Boy Three Single It Ain’t what you do. They went on to support everyone from Iggy Pop to Paul Weller (Weller went on to pen a track for the band’s first album) appearing on numerous tv shows while still being so skint they were using the baths at the local swimming pool for £1 a throw.
For the next ten years, the girls were everywhere and so were their hits. They became internationally hot property when hits Cruel Summer hit the US Billboard Top 10, with their video filmed in NYC , I Heard a Rumour No.4 ,Venus No. 1. And Robert de Niro’s Waiting paved the way for the now legendary meeting between the girls and the Hollywood superstar.
Identifying the right producers/collaborators at the right point in their career has always been their strong point from Jolley and Swain who produced their debut album Deep Sea Skiving and follow up Bananarama to Stock/Aitken/Waterman who produced the Platinum selling WOW!, to Youth with Pop Life. In 2005 they were picking out Swedish hitmakers Murlyn to produce the album Drama (singles Move In My Direction & Look On The Floor Top 20 UK, US Billboard dance No. 2) and in 2009 they found a perfect foil in Ian Masterson (Pet shop Boys, Girls Aloud, Kylie) who produced the album VIVA.
Today popstars fetishise prescribes notions of credibility and fall over themselves to prove their song writing talents – back then Bananarama didn’t ever really shout about their own song writing, firstly because they actually did write massive hits (Cruel Summer, Robert de Niro’s Waiting, I Heard A Rumour, Love In The First Degree, I Want You Back, Last Thing On My Mind, a huge hit for the group Steps and many more…..) and secondly why wouldn’t they have written their own material. Bananarama like the Go Go’s and the Bangles were not a manufactured band but three friends who came from the London Club scene with a Punk attitude and were always in control of their own destiny.
In 2012 Bananarama have appeared in the hit ITV comedy Benidorm, they embarked to the US for the Pinktober tour at Hard Rock Cafes and released a brand new 4 tracks digital EP called Now Or Never. In February 2016, the girls did a successful Australian Tour followed by a sold-out Japan tour in October.
For the first time, ever, the original Bananarama line up are back together for a string of live shows in 2017. It is your only chance to see Sara, Keren and Siobhan live across the UK.
