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BANANARAMA |
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By Steve - Bristol Rocks |
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The
most successful British girl group in pop history, Bananarama
formed in London in late 1981. Drawing equal inspiration for
their name from the children's television program The Banana
Splits and the
Roxy Music
song "Pyjamarama," the trio comprised lifelong friends
Keren Woodward
and
Sarah Dallin
along with
Siobhan Fahey,
whom
Dallin
befriended at the London College of Fashion. After getting their
start singing at friends' parties and at nightclubs (where they
performed accompanied by backing tapes — none of the women
played her own instrument), they came to the attention of ex-Sex
Pistols
drummer
Paul Cook,
who produced Bananarama's first single, a cover of
Swahili Black Blood's
"Aie A Mwana." After the group backed
Fun Boy Three
on the single "It Ain't What You Do, It's the Way You Do It,"
the Three
returned the favor for 1982's "He Was Really Sayin' Somethin',"
a cover of the 1965
Velvelettes
song that was the first of Bananarama's 26 U.K. chart smashes.
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While their initial hits, including "Shy Boy," "Na Na Hey Hey
(Kiss Him Goodbye)," and "Cruel Summer" (their first U.S. smash)
were roundly dismissed as fluffy pop fare, the success of 1984's
rape-themed release "Robert DeNiro's Waiting" convinced the
group to tackle more serious topics; however, the follow-up
single, "Rough Justice" — a song protesting political tensions
in Northern Ireland — bombed, and the trio's career stalled. In
1986, Bananarama's fortunes improved considerably when they
joined forces with the production team of
Stock, Aitken & Waterman,
who produced the album
Wow!;
the group's most successful outing to date, the LP's cover of
the Shocking Blue's
"Venus" was an international chart-topper, and both "Love in the
First Degree" and "I Heard a Rumour" were major hits as well.
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| What Wikipedia Says |
Elizabeth Dallin
(born
17 December
1961
in
Bristol,
England)
is an
English
singer
and
songwriter
from the
pop
group
Bananarama.
She co-founded the group along with
Siobhan Fahey
and
Keren Woodward
in 1981, and has been a key force in the group's longevity
despite other personnel changes. |
Dallin currently resides in
London
with her boyfriend Bassey Walker (a former Bananarama dancer,
who has since helped write songs for the group) and their
daughter Alice
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Keren Woodward
(born Keren Jane Woodward,
2 April
1961,
in
Bristol,
England)
is an
English
pop
singer and
songwriter
from the
girl band
Bananarama.
She lives with her partner, former
Wham!
vocalist/guitarist
Andrew Ridgeley. |
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