Bananarama (album)
Bananarama is the second album released by British girl group Bananarama. Released in 1984, the album peaked at no.16 on the UK album chart, also reaching the US top 40 album chart and was certified Silver by the BPI.
Bananarama | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | 21 April 1984[1] | |||
Recorded | April 1983–February 1984 | |||
Genre | Pop, new wave | |||
Length | 34:14 | |||
Label | London | |||
Producer | Tony Swain, Steve Jolley | |||
Bananarama chronology | ||||
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Singles from Bananarama | ||||
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Review scores | |
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Source | Rating |
AllMusic | |
The Rolling Stone Album Guide | |
The Village Voice | B−[4] |
The group continued their association with producers Jolley & Swain (who had produced some tracks on their debut album, Deep Sea Skiving). With this album, Bananarama had their first significant U.S. success with the single "Cruel Summer", which became a top ten hit there (the song had also been a top 10 hit in the UK in 1983), bolstered by the song's inclusion in the soundtrack to the movie The Karate Kid. Further hits from the album included "Robert De Niro's Waiting..." (UK #3) and "Rough Justice" (UK #23). The track "Hot Line to Heaven" was also released as a single in the UK but failed to reach the top 40, peaking at #58.
Details
The original vinyl release came in an embossed sleeve and included a poster which, as well as the album lyrics and a photo of each member of the group, contained the message: "Well, a year is a long time, people change & maybe we have too – hopefully for the better! Anyway here are results of our hard work over the past twelve months. This is for you – we hope you like it. Best Wishes, love Keren X, All the best, love Sarah x, and Lots of love, Siobhan xx".
The album and the song on it, "King of the Jungle" were dedicated to the memory of their friend Thomas ‘Kidso’ Reilly, who had recently been killed in Belfast.[5]
Reception
Reviewed at the time of release, Creem said the album had a, "misty feeling that's almost nostalgic. Women don't sing like this anymore, with this kind of sighing regret. The album has curves, not edges, and it's got a texture you can float on, a shine like "Don't Worry Baby" without the harmonic intricacy. With their waif-like, wafer-thin pipes, Keren, Siobhan and Sarah sound dazed, as though someone roused them from sleep and stuck them behind a mike."[6]
Track listing
CD, LP and cassette versions
- "Cruel Summer" (Steve Jolley, Tony Swain, Sara Dallin, Siobhan Fahey, Keren Woodward) – 3:35
- "Rough Justice" (Jolley, Swain, Dallin, Fahey, Woodward) – 5:07
- "King of the Jungle" (Jolley, Swain, Dallin, Fahey, Woodward) – 3:28
- "Dream Baby"(Cindy Ecstasy, Rick Holliday) – 3:01
- "Link" (Jolley, Swain, Dallin, Fahey, Woodward) – 1:31
- "Hot Line to Heaven"(Jolley, Swain, Dallin, Fahey, Woodward) – 7:19
- "State I'm In" (Jolley, Swain, Dallin, Fahey, Woodward) – 2:48
- "Robert De Niro's Waiting..." (Jolley, Swain, Dallin, Fahey, Woodward) – 3:43
- "Through a Child's Eyes" (Jolley, Swain, Dallin, Fahey, Woodward) – 3:40
CD and LP US versions
- "Cruel Summer" – 3:35
- "Rough Justice" – 5:07
- "King of the Jungle" – 3:28
- "Dream Baby" – 3:01
- "Link" – 1:31
- "The Wild Life" (album version) (Jolley, Swain, Dallin, Fahey, Woodward) – 3:50
- "Hot Line to Heaven" (single version) – 3:50
- "State I'm In" – 2:48
- "Robert De Niro's Waiting..." – 3:43
- "Through a Child's Eyes" – 3:40
2007 CD re-issue plus bonus tracks
- "Cruel Summer" – 3:35
- "Rough Justice" – 5:07
- "King of the Jungle" – 3:28
- "Dream Baby" – 3:01
- "Link" – 1:31
- "Hot Line to Heaven" – 7:19
- "State I'm In" – 2:48
- "Robert De Niro's Waiting..." – 3:43
- "Through a Child's Eyes" – 3:40
- "Cairo" (Sandosa) – 3:44
- "Push!" (Jolley, Swain, Dallin, Fahey, Woodward) – 4:10
- "Rough Justice" (single version) – 3:38
- "Live Now" (Jolley, Swain, Dallin, Fahey, Woodward) – 3:04
- "Hot Line to Heaven" (album edit version) – 3:54
- "The Wild Life" (album version) – 3:50
2013 Deluxe Edition 2CD/DVD re-issue
Disc 1
- "Cruel Summer" – 3:35
- "Rough Justice" – 5:04
- "King of the Jungle" – 3:26
- "Dream Baby" – 3:08
- "Link" – 1:30
- "Hot Line to Heaven" – 7:16
- "State I'm In" – 2:45
- "Robert De Niro's Waiting..." – 3:42
- "Through a Child's Eyes" – 3:39
- "The Wild Life" (Album version) – 3:54
- "Cairo" – 3:46
- "Push!" – 4:08
- "Live Now" – 3:05
- "Cruel Summer" (12" Version) – 4:55
- "Robert De Niro's Waiting..." (Extended Version) – 5:42
- "Rough Justice" (Extended Version) – 5:20
- "The Wild Life" (Extended Version) – 6:23
- "Cruel Summer 89" (Swing Beat Dub) – 5:17
Disc 2
- "Cruel Summer 89" (Swing Beat Version) – 3:21
- "Robert De Niro's Waiting..." (7" Version) – 3:29
- "Rough Justice" (7" Version) – 3:38
- "Hot Line to Heaven" (7" Version) – 3:45
- "The Wild Life" (7" Version) – 3:17
- "Cruel Summer" (Cruel Dub) - 3:27
- "Rough Justice" (Original 12" Mix) – 6:40
- "King of the Jungle" (Unsegued Version) – 3:18
- "Dream Baby" (Unsegued Version) – 3:08
- "Link"/"Push!" (Extended Version) – 5:55
- "State I'm In" (Extended Version) – 4:37
- "The Wild Life" (Dub Version) – 7:04
- "Cruel Summer" (Summer Dub) - 5:13
- "State I'm In" (Instrumental) – 3:07
- "The Wild Life" (Instrumental) – 4:06
- "Cruel Summer 89" (Swing Beat Instrumental) – 5:02
DVD
- "Cruel Summer" - directed by Brian Simmons
- "Robert De Niro's Waiting..." - directed by Duncan Gibbins
- "Rough Justice" - directed by Jonathan Gershfield
- "Hot Line to Heaven" - directed by Jonathan Gershfield
- "State I'm In" - directed by Jonathan Gershfield
- "The Wild Life"
- "Cruel Summer 89"
- "Cruel Summer" - on Top of the Pops
- "Robert De Niro's Waiting..." - on The Russell Harty Show
- "Rough Justice" - on Top of the Pops
- "Michael Row the Boat Ashore" - on Saturday Superstore
Some mid-80's US LP and CD versions
- "Link" was not identified as an individual track on original LP issues, and an alternative version had originally appeared, also uncredited, preceding "Push!" on the B-side of the 12" of "Robert De Niro's Waiting...".
Personnel
Bananarama
- Sara Dallin - vocals
- Siobhan Fahey - vocals
- Keren Woodward - vocals
- Peter Ashworth - photography
Charts
Chart (1984) | Peak position |
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Australian Albums (Kent Music Report)[7] | 99 |
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[8] | 15 |
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[9] | 45 |
Japanese Albums (Oricon)[10] | 78 |
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[11] | 9 |
UK Albums (OCC)[12] | 16 |
U.S. Billboard 200 | 30 |
Zimbabwean Albums (ZIMA)[13] | 15 |
References
- Quentin Harrison (2019-04-19). "Bananarama's Eponymous Second Album 'Bananarama' Turns 35; Anniversary Retrospective". Albumism. Retrieved 2020-01-12.
- Mason, Stewart. "Bananarama – Bananarama". AllMusic. Retrieved 12 June 2018.
- Considine, J. D. (2004). "Bananarama". In Brackett, Nathan; Hoard, Christian (eds.). The New Rolling Stone Album Guide (4th ed.). Simon & Schuster. pp. 41–42. ISBN 0-7432-0169-8.
- Christgau, Robert (26 June 1984). "Christgau's Consumer Guide". The Village Voice. Retrieved 12 June 2018.
- Sleeve note, and interview entitled "We All Broke Down And Cried", Smash Hits Magazine, 15–28 March 1984
- Mitchell Cohen. "Bananarama: Bananarama (London)". Rock's Backpages.(Subscription required.)
- Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (Illustrated ed.). Sydney: Australian Chart Book. p. 26. ISBN 0-646-11917-6. N.B. The Kent Report chart was licensed by ARIA between 1983 and 26 June 1988.
- "Dutchcharts.nl – Bananarama – Bananarama" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved April 28, 2017.
- "Longplay-Chartverfolgung at Musicline" (in German). Musicline.de. Phononet GmbH. Retrieved April 28, 2017.
- Oricon Album Chart Book: Complete Edition 1970-2005. Roppongi, Tokyo: Oricon Entertainment. 2006. ISBN 4-87131-077-9.
- "Swisscharts.com – Bananarama – Bananarama". Hung Medien. Retrieved April 28, 2017.
- "Bananarama | Artist | Official Charts". UK Albums Chart. Retrieved April 28, 2017.
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- Zimbabwe. Kimberley, C. Zimbabwe: albums chart book. Harare: C. Kimberley, 2000