Bananarama: Live at the London Eventim Hammersmith Apollo

Seeing the original Bananarama line-up deliver a tour was such an unexpected and incredible moment.  

Having lived and breathed Bananarama since my youth and experiencing the dramatic devastation of the split (I blame my hormones), nobody ever thought this would happen - but it did and it was one of the single most joyful moments of my life.

I bought the merch.  I stood shaking with excitement with my friends.  I danced until my legs fell off.  I looked in awe at the incredible screen graphics.  I was blown away by the new production and the makeover of those hits.  It ticked all of the boxes.

This tour didn't just live up to our expectations, it blew them away.  To look around the venues and see the faces of happy audience members was unexpectedly emotional.  It wasn't just middle aged gay men and wives.  There was a diverse collection of people of all ages and most importantly, they knew the songs ...and many of them also knew all of the camp arm movements too.  It was a genuinely endearing moment to see so many people experiencing utterly, blissful, unabashed pure joy. 

We were all so thankful that we got to experience that joy again with the Live album in various versions, including a DVD and bluray.  Many people don't realise that it's also available on iTunes, see link below.  It was Blue Monday yesterday and I can't think of a better way to wash those blues away than watch one of the worlds greatest pop groups back together again.

**COMPETITION** Win Bananarama: Viva and Drama Expanded Editions

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.

Bananarama - Dance Music

Dance Music, the first Bananarama song in a long time is going down really well with fans, with many posting gleeful message across social media.  It's all going rather well, isn't it?

Incidentally, if you want to hear slightly different clips of 'In Stereo' click here.

Chaka Khan - Hello Happiness

The Queen of Funk Chaka Khan made a phenomenal return with her latest single ‘Like Sugar’. Initially launched as a limited edition release for Record Store Day, it earned airplay from Annie Mac, Nick Grimshaw, Pete Tong, Benji B, Danny Howard and Gilles Peterson before receiving a full release in the summer. Now the 10-time Grammy Award winner continues the reemergence with her new album Hello Happiness via Diary Records / Island Records, the new label formed by Major Lazer founder and Grammy-nominated producer Switch with artist / songwriter Sara Ruba Taylor.

Hello Happiness is an album which sets Chaka Khan’s timeless vocal to an empowering collection of songs with cutting-edge production. With an eye on the future and a respect for the past, Chaka Khan has delivered an album with the contemporary edge to entice newcomers to her world class talent and the quality to excite long-term fans. Chaka Khan first collaborated with Switch and Ruba Taylor as a potential featured artist on a different project. Inspired by the power of both her voice and personality, the duo suggested working on an original Chaka Khan album - something which she didn’t have in mind. But she was soon convinced when she heard some of Switch and Ruba Taylor’s songs, which coincidentally were influenced by Chaka Khan but written for their own project. Chaka chose her favourites and stamped her identity all over them, with her inimitable vocal gift and dynamic energy taking each track to new heights. Switch and Ruba Taylor also provided the groundwork so that Chaka Khan could concentrate on making her first set since 2007’s Funk This.

Tracy Thorn - A Teenager in Suburbia - SIGNED COPIES

In a 1970s commuter town, Tracey Thorn's teenage life was forged from what failed to happen. Her diaries were packed with entries about not buying things, not going to the disco, the school coach not arriving.

Before she became an acclaimed musician and writer, Tracey Thorn was a typical teenager: bored and cynical, despairing of her aspirational parents. Her only comfort came from house parties, Meaningful Conversations and the female pop icons who hinted at a new kind of living.

Returning more than three decades later to Brookmans Park, scene of her childhood, Thorn takes us beyond the bus shelters and pub car parks, the utopian cul-de-sacs, the train to Potters Bar and the weekly discos, to the parents who wanted so much for their children, the children who wanted none of it. With endearing wit and great insight, Thorn reconsiders the Green Belt post-war dream so many artists have mocked, and yet so many artists have come from.

You can order a limited edition signed copy of the book here.