The first ever expanded edition of Bananarama’s ninth studio album, 2005’s “Drama”, includes all the commercially released club remixes, edits and dubs of its two singles as well as the original album’s bonus tracks and a non-album CD Single ‘B’-side, ‘Live In The Sun’ to complete this comprehensive 3 disc celebration.
Lead single ‘Move In My Direction’ put Bananarama back in the UK singles charts for the first time in 12 years reaching #14 in August 2005, then their dancefloor smash, a re- versioning of classic Italo Disco track ‘Look On The Floor (Hypnotic Tango)’ gave them a #26 hit just 3 months later. “Drama” was also the first album to be released in Bananarama’s native UK for 12 years, heralding a British ‘comeback’ of sorts!
This deluxe packaged re-issue, comes with a full colour 20 page lyric and photo booklet including a specially written introduction from Keren and Sara. The album, an upbeat electro-pop blend of elements of 70s disco and contemporary electronica, employed a number of top end collaborators.
Bananarama worked with a select team of world renowned producers and songwriters, including Ian Masterson, Mute8 and Sweden’s Murlyn; a production team that created an album of eleven newly recorded electropop tracks that were originally released with two bonus tracks re-instated herewith; Marc Almond’s Hi-NRG remix of a version of their 1986 smash hit ‘Venus’ and an all new remix of a version of their 1982 hit, ‘Really Saying Something’ – which had been an underground club hit produced by Solasso.
Bananarama’s tenth studio album, 2009’s “Viva”, remains their most electro sounding collection to date. It was a collaboration with celebrated producer, composer, songwriter and remixer Ian Masterson, whose credits include work with Girls Aloud, Kylie Minogue and the Pet Shop Boys.
His instinctive grasp of Bananarama’s sound, spirit and energy resulted in some monumental feel-good pop-dance music. Amongst the album’s many highlights is ‘Seventeen’, which unfolds as an undulating, low-slung electro number with the vocals recalling the all-consuming thrill of first time love. There’s also the seductive vibe of the track ‘Extraordinary’ and the unforgettable lead single ‘Love Comes’, an out and out celebratory dancefloor smash! The album is a veritable masterclass in melodic, upbeat pop. It was also the album on which Sara and Keren both started to play bass guitar again after a 17 year break!
“Viva” originated as a discofied cover versions album, but Sara and Keren changed their mind on this approach half way through recording, in response to their, then, record company actively preferring their original compositions to the array of disco styled cover versions. Just three of these originally chosen cover versions made it through to the final track listing of ‘Viva’. ‘Rapture’ had been originally recorded by trance act iiO in 2001 and had been both a dance floor and chart smash hit throughout Europe and the United States. The second cover version included was Bananarama’s inventive take on the 1978 disco classic ‘The Runner’ by The Three Degrees and an earlier pop track ‘S-S-S-Single Bed’ from 1976 was the last cover version selected. This had originally been recorded by Fox.
Four additional cover version rarities, originally made available as either bonus ‘download only’ album tracks or as B-sides on the related singles, have also been included in this deluxe expanded edition. These were ‘Voyage, Voyage’, the 1986 worldwide, anthemic, Europop hit by French singer Desireless; Bryan Adams’ pop/rock classic ‘Run To You’ from 1984; the Simon and Garfunkel folk-pop songbook standard ‘The Sound Of Silence’, first released by them in 1965 and Bryan Ferry’s 1977 single and solo album track ‘Tokyo Joe’. All of these tracks can be found on this comprehensive 30 track 2 disc expanded edition of “Viva” along with all the commercially available remixes, and edits thereof, that were released across the various formats of both of the album’s two singles; ‘Love Comes’ and ‘Love Don’t Live Here’. This release comes with a richly illustrated 20 page booklet including an introductory message from Sara and Keren.
Also included is the promotional Buzz Junkies dance remix and edit of the album cut, the girl’s deftly executed re-work of The Three Degrees track ‘The Runner’ as originally co-written by Sheila Ferguson and the legendary disco producer Giorgio Moroder.
LoveBananarama and Cherry Red Records are giving away a copy of the brand new 2019 reissues of Drama and Viva. Head over to the LoveBananarama Twitter and Instagram accounts for details.
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