Bananarama Banarama, バナナラマ, 香蕉女郎, 바나나라마
Bananarama was formed in London in 1981 by childhood friends Keren Woodward and Sarah Dallin and their friend Siobhan Fahey. After a debut single produced by former Sex Pistols member Paul Cook that shook the UK pop market to its very foundation (a #92 smash), they teamed up with ex Specials member Terry Hall's new band, Fun Boy Three. "It Ain't What You Do", released in February 1982 entered the UK charts at number 4. International success came with their self-titled second album produced by Tony Swain and Steve Jolley and the monster hit single "Cruel Summer". In 1986, the girls teamed up with UK dance music super-producers Stock, Aitken & Waterman and achieved number one all around the world, including the US, with their cover of the Shocking Blue's classic "Venus". In 1988, the trio were named by the Guinness Book of Records as the most successful female group in pop history, beating Supremes. They celebrated by releasing a SAW-produced version of the Supremes' "Nathan Jones". After the single's release however, Fahey decided to leave the trio to form Shakespear's Sister. She was replaced by Jacquie O'Sullivan who had appeared with the original Bananarama line-up in the Eurythmics video for "Who's That Girl", back in June 1983. O'Sullivan left in late 1991. Sara and Keren have since continued as a duo. Following a one-off reunion recording of ABBA's "Waterloo" with Siobhan in April 1998 for Channel 4's "Eurotrash" TV series hosted by Jean Paul Gaultier, the duo returned in 2001 with their 8th studio album, Exotica. In February 2002, Bananarama celebrated their 20th anniversary, joined on-stage by Siobhan. Their 2005 club hit "Move In My Direction" is their first UK single release since 1993. All through their career the girls have, together or individually, married Eurythmics' male half (David A. Stewart), dated Wham!'s straight half (Andrew Ridgeley), reached the UK top 3 with French and Saunders, appeared on both the original Band Aid and Band Aid II, met Robert De Niro, shot a Japanese commercial with Peter Fonda and appeared in the movie Rules Of Attraction. In April 2017 it was announced that Fahey would be rejoining the duo for a full UK tour and the trio discussed possibilities of a new single.
