Facebook Twitter Instagram YouTube
    Nostalgia Central
    • Home
    • Blog
      • Lists
    • Television
      • TV by Decade
        • TV – 1950s
        • TV – 1960s
        • TV – 1970s
        • TV – 1980s
        • TV – 1990s
      • Comedy
      • Drama
      • Kids TV
      • Variety
      • News & Sport
      • Advertisements
    • Music
      • Music by Decade
        • Music – 1950s
        • Music – 1960s
        • Music – 1970s
        • Music – 1980s
        • Music – 1990s
      • Artists – A to K
        • Artists – A
        • Artists – B
        • Artists – C
        • Artists – D
        • Artists – E
        • Artists – F
        • Artists – G
        • Artists – H
        • Artists – I
        • Artists – J
        • Artists – K
      • Artists – L to Z
        • Artists – L
        • Artists – M
        • Artists – N
        • Artists – O
        • Artists – P
        • Artists – Q
        • Artists – R
        • Artists – S
        • Artists – T
        • Artists – U
        • Artists – V
        • Artists – W
        • Artists – X
        • Artists – Y
        • Artists – Z
      • Artists – 0 to 9
      • Genres
      • Music on Film & TV
      • One-Hit Wonders
      • Playlists
      • Online Radio
    • Movies
      • Movies by Decade
        • Movies – 1950s
        • Movies – 1960s
        • Movies – 1970s
        • Movies – 1980s
        • Movies – 1990s
      • Movies – 0 to 9
      • Movies – A to K
        • Movies – A
        • Movies – B
        • Movies – C
        • Movies – D
        • Movies – E
        • Movies – F
        • Movies – G
        • Movies – H
        • Movies – I
        • Movies – J
        • Movies – K
      • Movies – L to Z
        • Movies – L
        • Movies – M
        • Movies – N
        • Movies – O
        • Movies – P
        • Movies – Q
        • Movies – R
        • Movies – S
        • Movies – T
        • Movies – U
        • Movies – V
        • Movies – W
        • Movies – X
        • Movies – Y
        • Movies – Z
    • Pop Culture
      • Fads
      • Toys & Games
      • Fashion
      • Decor
      • Food & Drink
      • People
      • Technology
      • Transport
    • Social History
      • 1950s Year by Year
      • 1960s Year by Year
      • 1970s Year by Year
      • 1980s Year by Year
      • 1990s Year by Year
      • Events
    Nostalgia Central
    Home»Music»Artists - A to K»Artists - B
    Artists - B Music - 1980s 2 Mins Read

    Bananarama

    Share
    Facebook Twitter Pinterest WhatsApp Reddit Email

    This British female dance-pop vocal trio, comprising Siobhan Fahey, Keren Woodward and Sara Dallin, came on the scene just as MTV was becoming an influential force in the early 80s.

    The three friends released a single (Aie a Mwana) on the independent Demon label in 1981. Their picture was spotted in the late style bible The Face by Fun Boy Three, who recruited them to sing backup vocals on their 1982 single T’Aint What You Do . . .

    bananarama_017

    Fun Boy Three returned the favour on Really Saying Something giving Bananarama – whose name was a conflation of the Roxy Music song Pyjamarama and the Banana Splits television show – their first independent chart entry.

    Although the trio all but stumbled into a career as recording artists, in September 1988 they entered the record books as the all-female group with the most ever British chart entries, and until the Spice Girls, Bananarama was the most successful girl band in Britain ever.

    As with the inventors of “Girl Power”, their voices were rather unremarkable, but you got to choose which one you fancied; the dark one, the blonde one, or the slightly less blonde one.

    The girls were often mocked for their passionless singing style (identical lines, no harmonies) and inability to play instruments but the hits kept on piling up, overseen by production team Swain and Jolley.

    bananarama_4

    In 1986 they were given a fresh lease of life by teaming up with Stock/Aitken/Waterman, with whom they collaborated on smashes like I Heard A Rumour, as well as a revival of Venus.

    In the UK, their biggest singles were Shy Boy, Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye, Cruel Summer, Robert De Niro’s Waiting, Venus (a remake of the classic hit by Shocking Blue), Love In The First Degree, I Want You Back and Help (The Beatles‘ song). All Top Ten Hits.

    In the USA, they reached the Top Ten with Cruel Summer and I Heard A Rumour and made it to the #1 spot with their version of Venus.

    Siobhan Fahey, who married Dave Stewart from the Eurythmics in August 1987, retired from the group in December of that year and formed Shakespear’s Sister. She was replaced by Jacquie O’Sullivan who quit in mid-1991 leaving Bananarama a duo.

    In 1996 the group released Ultra Violet and gave the long-deceased equine creature a bloody good flogging. In 2005, after an eight-year absence, Bananarama entered the UK Top 40 for the 24th time.

    bananarama_058

    Sara Dallin 
    Vocals
    Siobhan Fahey 

    Vocals
    Keren Woodward 

    Vocals
    Jacquie O’Sullivan 

    Vocals

    Video

    Related Posts

    • Breakfast Club, The
      Breakfast Club, The
      The Breakfast Club's drummer, Stephen Bray, helped write and produce…
    • Adicts, The
      Adicts, The
      The Adicts were a British punk quartet founded in Ipswich,…
    • Breakaways, The
      Breakaways, The
      Formed in 1962, female vocal trio The Breakaways became Britain's premiere session…
    • Swingers, The
      Swingers, The
      After leaving Split Enz, guitarist/singer/songwriter Phil Judd left behind his…
    • Wang Chung
      Wang Chung
      The London-based new wave group Wang Chung had a handful…
    • Allniters, The
      Allniters, The
      During the late 70s/early 80s a small pub in downtown…
    • Au Pairs, The
      Au Pairs, The
      Formed in Birmingham (England) in 1979, The Au Pairs matched…
    • Little Murders
      Little Murders
      English ex-pat Rob Griffiths embraced 1960s English pop culture (The…

    Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest WhatsApp Reddit Email
    Previous ArticleBamboos, The
    Next Article Band, The

    Comments are closed.

    Follow us
    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
    • Instagram
    You May Also Like
    • Cheek/Punkz
      Although based on a seemingly foolproof formula, it was probably […]
    • Virgin Prunes
      The Prunes’ arty experimental approach to their Irish […]
    • Traffic Sound
      Formed in 1967, Peruvian band Traffic Sound – an exalted […]
    • Love American Style
      1 9 6 9 – 1 9 7 4 (USA) 109 x 60 minute episodes “Love […]
    • Overland Trail
      1 9 6 0 (USA) 17 x 60 minute episodes The adventures of Fred […]
    • Rub-a-Dub-Tub
      1 9 8 3 – 1 9 8 4 (UK) 60 minute episodes Broadcast on […]
    Twitter Feed
    Please note


    Nostalgia Central covers the period 1950 to 1999 and contains some words and references which reflect the attitudes of those times and which may be considered culturally sensitive, offensive or inappropriate today.
    Popular Tags
    1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1975 1976 Action Figures Amicus Arcade games Australia Beach movies Beatles Blaxploitation Board games Britpop Canada Crime Disco Disney Doo-Wop Elvis Presley Girl groups Glam Goth Hammer Heavy Metal Irwin Allen Labels Merseybeat Mod revival Motown New Romantic New Wave NWOBHM Oi! One-hit wonders Power Pop Pub rock Punk Radio Scotland Ska Soul music Surf music
    Search Nostalgia Central
    Copyright © 1998, 2022 Nostalgia Central
    • About
    • Contact
    • FAQ

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.