Bananarama (album)

Bananarama is the second studio album by British group Bananarama. Released in 1984, the album peaked at number 16 on the UK Albums Chart, reached the US top 40 albums chart, and was certified Silver by the BPI.

Bananarama
Studio album by
Bananarama
Released21 April 1984[1]
RecordedApril 1983–February 1984
Genre
Length34:14
LabelLondon
ProducerJolley & Swain
Bananarama chronology
Deep Sea Skiving
(1983)		 Bananarama
(1984)		 True Confessions
(1986)
Singles from Bananarama
  1. "Cruel Summer"
    Released: 27 June 1983 (UK)
    July 1984 (US)
  2. "Robert De Niro's Waiting..."
    Released: February 1984
  3. "Rough Justice"
    Released: May 1984
  4. "Hot Line to Heaven"
    Released: October 1984
  5. "The Wild Life"
    Released: November 1984

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". It 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 1984 film The Karate Kid. Further hits from the album included "Robert De Niro's Waiting..." (UK No. 3) and "Rough Justice" (UK No. 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 number 58.

A music video was shot for "State I'm In", even though it wasn't released as a single from the album. The album includes a cover version of "Dream Baby" by Six Sed Red.

Details

The original vinyl release came in an embossed sleeve and included a poster which included song lyrics, a photo of each member of the group, and 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 "King of the Jungle" were dedicated to the memory of their friend Thomas "Kidso" Reilly, who had recently been killed in Belfast.[2]

Reception
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[3]
Record Mirror[4]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide[5]
Smash Hits6+1⁄2/10[6]
The Village VoiceB−[7]

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."[8]

Track listing

CD, LP and cassette versions

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Cruel Summer"Steve Jolley, Tony Swain, Sara Dallin, Siobhan Fahey, Keren Woodward3:35
2."Rough Justice"Jolley, Swain, Dallin, Fahey, Woodward5:07
3."King of the Jungle"Jolley, Swain, Dallin, Fahey, Woodward3:28
4."Dream Baby"Cindy Ecstasy, Rick Holliday3:01
5."Link"Jolley, Swain, Dallin, Fahey, Woodward1:31
6."Hot Line to Heaven"Jolley, Swain, Dallin, Fahey, Woodward7:19
7."State I'm In"Jolley, Swain, Dallin, Fahey, Woodward2:48
8."Robert De Niro's Waiting..."Jolley, Swain, Dallin, Fahey, Woodward3:43
9."Through a Child's Eyes"Jolley, Swain, Dallin, Fahey, Woodward3:40

CD and LP US versions

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Cruel Summer" 3:35
2."Rough Justice" 5:07
3."King of the Jungle" 3:28
4."Dream Baby" 3:01
5."Link" 1:31
6."The Wild Life" (album version)Jolley, Swain, Dallin, Fahey, Woodward3:50
7."Hot Line to Heaven" (single version) 3:50
8."State I'm In" 2:48
9."Robert De Niro's Waiting..." 3:43
10."Through a Child's Eyes" 3:40

2007 CD re-issue plus bonus tracks

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Cruel Summer" 3:35
2."Rough Justice" 5:07
3."King of the Jungle" 3:28
4."Dream Baby" 3:01
5."Link" 1:31
6."Hot Line to Heaven" 7:19
7."State I'm In" 2:48
8."Robert De Niro's Waiting..." 3:43
9."Through a Child's Eyes" 3:40
10."Cairo"John Sandosa3:44
11."Push!"Jolley, Swain, Dallin, Fahey, Woodward4:10
12."Rough Justice" (single version) 3:38
13."Live Now"Jolley, Swain, Dallin, Fahey, Woodward3:04
14."Hot Line to Heaven" (album edit version) 3:54
15."The Wild Life" (album version) 3:50

2013 deluxe edition 2CD/DVD re-issue Disc 1

No.TitleLength
1."Cruel Summer"3:35
2."Rough Justice"5:04
3."King of the Jungle"3:26
4."Dream Baby"3:08
5."Link"1:30
6."Hot Line to Heaven"7:16
7."State I'm In"2:45
8."Robert De Niro's Waiting..."3:42
9."Through a Child's Eyes"3:39
10."The Wild Life" (album version)3:54
11."Cairo"3:46
12."Push!"4:08
13."Live Now"3:05
14."Cruel Summer" (12" version)4:55
15."Robert De Niro's Waiting..." (extended version)5:42
16."Rough Justice" (extended version)5:20
17."The Wild Life" (extended version)6:23
18."Cruel Summer 89" (Swing Beat Dub)5:17

Disc 2

No.TitleLength
19."Cruel Summer 89" (Swing Beat Version)3:21
20."Robert De Niro's Waiting..." (7" version)3:29
21."Rough Justice" (7" version)3:38
22."Hot Line to Heaven" (7" version)3:45
23."The Wild Life" (7" version)3:17
24."Cruel Summer" (Cruel Dub)3:27
25."Rough Justice" (original 12" mix)6:40
26."King of the Jungle" (unsegued version)3:18
27."Dream Baby" (unsegued version) 
28.Untitled3:08
29."Link"/"Push!" (extended version)5:55
30."State I'm In" (extended version)4:37
31."The Wild Life" (dub version)7:04
32."Cruel Summer" (Summer Dub)5:13
33."State I'm In" (instrumental)3:07
34."The Wild Life" (instrumental)4:06
35."Cruel Summer 89" (Swing Beat Instrumental)5:02

DVD

  1. "Cruel Summer" – directed by Brian Simmons
  2. "Robert De Niro's Waiting..." – directed by Duncan Gibbins
  3. "Rough Justice" – directed by Jonathan Gershfield
  4. "Hot Line to Heaven" – directed by Jonathan Gershfield
  5. "State I'm In" – directed by Jonathan Gershfield
  6. "The Wild Life"
  7. "Cruel Summer 89"
  8. "Cruel Summer" – on Top of the Pops
  9. "Robert De Niro's Waiting..." – on The Russell Harty Show
  10. "Rough Justice" – on Top of the Pops
  11. "Michael Row the Boat Ashore" – on Saturday Superstore

Some mid-80s 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

Production

Charts
Chart (1984) Peak
position
Australian Albums (Kent Music Report)[10] 99
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[11] 15
European Albums (Music & Media)[12] 72
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[13] 45
Japanese Albums (Oricon)[14] 78
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[15] 9
UK Albums (OCC)[16] 16
US Billboard 200[17] 30
Zimbabwean Albums (ZIMA)[18] 15

References
  1. Quentin Harrison (19 April 2019). "Bananarama's Eponymous Second Album 'Bananarama' Turns 35; Anniversary Retrospective". Albumism. Retrieved 12 January 2020.
  2. Sleeve note, and interview entitled "We All Broke Down And Cried", Smash Hits Magazine, 15–28 March 1984
  3. Mason, Stewart. "Bananarama – Bananarama". AllMusic. Retrieved 12 June 2018.
  4. Strike, Andy (28 April 1984). "Less a-peeling?". Record Mirror. p. 16.
  5. 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.
  6. Rimmer, Dave (12–25 April 1984). "Bananarama: Bananarama". Smash Hits. Vol. 6, no. 8. p. 19.
  7. Christgau, Robert (26 June 1984). "Christgau's Consumer Guide". The Village Voice. Retrieved 12 June 2018.
  8. Cohen, Mitchell (August 1984). "Bananarama: Bananarama (London)". Creem. Vol. 16, no. 3. Retrieved 26 March 2019 – via Rock's Backpages.
  9. Bananarama (LP liner notes). London Records. 1984. 422-820 036-1 R-1.
  10. Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 26. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
  11. "Dutchcharts.nl – Bananarama – Bananarama" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 28 April 2017.
  12. "European Top 100 Albums" (PDF). Eurotipsheet. Vol. 1, no. 5. 30 April 1984. p. 12. OCLC 29800226 – via World Radio History.
  13. "Offiziellecharts.de – Bananarama – Bananarama" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 8 November 2020.
  14. Oricon Album Chart Book: Complete Edition 1970–2005. Roppongi, Tokyo: Oricon Entertainment. 2006. ISBN 4-87131-077-9.
  15. "Swisscharts.com – Bananarama – Bananarama". Hung Medien. Retrieved 28 April 2017.
  16. "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 8 November 2020.
  17. "Bananarama Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved 8 November 2020.
  18. Kimberley, Christopher (2000). Zimbabwe Albums Chart Book: 1973–1998. Harare.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
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