I love music. I will listen to almost any type of music with the exception of Rap.
Even with a widely varied taste in music, I still have a guilty pleasure that is almost embarrassing to admit…
I am a huge Bananarama fan!
And I have been for nearly 30 years now…
According to the Guinness Book of World Records, Bananarama has charted the most hit singles in the history of any all-female band.
This English group first formed in 1979. I had not heard of them until the release of their great 1983 hit single “Cruel Summer“. From that point on, I was hooked.
I was in the US Air Force stationed in England during the mid 1980′s and Bananarama was all over the radio with hit after hit for the three years I lived there.
The founding members of the group were (L-R) Karen Woodward, Sara Dallin, and Siobhan Fahey.
The group had its greatest successes on the US charts from 1983-1989.
Siobhan Fahey left the group in 1988 after marrying Eurythmics’ member Dave Stewart.
Jacquie O’Sullivan joined the group in 1988 and then left the band in 1991.
Since 1991, Karen Woodward and Sara Dallin have continued on as a duo under the Bananarama name.
Over the years, their great hits include:
CRUEL SUMMER
THE WILD LIFE
VENUS
I CAN’T HELP IT
I WANT YOU BACK
LOVE IN THE FIRST DEGREE
A TRICK OF THE NIGHT
I HEARD A RUMOUR
ROBERT DENIRO’S WAITING
LOVE, TRUTH, AND HONESTY
HELP!
NA NA HEY HEY KISS HIM GOODBYE
and many others…
Their most successful single in the US was “Venus” which reached #1 on the Billboard Charts in 1986.
Thirteen of their singles have charted in the Top-40 on the US Billboard Dance Charts over the course of their career.
Though they have never married, Karen Woodward is the longtime partner of Andrew Ridgeley who was part of the 80′s pop duo “Wham!” with singer George Michael.
Woodward and Dallin are still going strong and continue to chart hits in England and throughout Europe.
The groups latest album “Viva” was released in 2009.
To date, the group has charted 32 hits on the British Top-100 charts.
Sorry, I was a Bangles ‘N’ Masher. I did like some of their stuff, but my interests, musical and other, were firmly affixed to the Bangles.
Do you forgive me?
By: John Erickson on October 12, 2011
at 5:49 pm
Have you ever heard them with Fun Boy Three in an early version of “our lips are sealed?” It’s a slower, moodier version to the one we know from the Go Go’s but is still really good.
I love Venus….
By: tlf on October 12, 2011
at 5:59 pm
Tlf – I will have to look for that version of the song… thanks
By: TheIdiotSpeaketh on October 12, 2011
at 6:04 pm
No-Hio – I was easy back then….. give me cute girls on stage singing…..and I was a fan……
By: TheIdiotSpeaketh on October 12, 2011
at 6:05 pm
I was so upset when Siobhan and David Stewart got married, I wanted David all to myself, uhh young love
I love the photos and videos, really takes me back 
Though I must say, I was always more of a Siouxsie girls, but then it was alright that Siobhan went slightly mad and formed the spelling challenged Shakespear’s Sister
By: roomstogrow on October 12, 2011
at 8:51 pm
roomstogrow – I liked Siouxsie also! I need to add her and the Banshees to my list
By: TheIdiotSpeaketh on October 12, 2011
at 8:53 pm
“Cruel Summer” is one of my best. Loved their music in the 80s. Did you know that today, 2 April, is Keren Woodward’s birthday, or that her longtime boyfriend is Andrew Ridgeley from that other 80s band Wham? I collect trivia like that and other stuff and post it on my site, the80srocks.com
By: The80sRocks! (@the80srocks) on April 2, 2012
at 5:02 am