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 Drama Queens
Pop’s originators of campy, girl group sexiness, Bananarama, are aiming for a return to U.S. shores in the New Year. Now pour them a drink and prepare to love them all over again.
It’s press day for Sarah Dallin and Keren Woodward in the UK. As Bananarama, a pop act that’s sold 40 million records worldwide over the last 23 years, you might be forgiven for assuming these gals are media-trained, proper English matrons. Are you all talked out from your grueling day of interviews, dears? “Not today, actually. Just a bit of a hangover,” admits Sarah.
Drama, their first wide release in a decade, is about to come out in the England, and not since Kylie Minogue’s Fever has a collection of pop songs sounded so infectious. “We chose the producers, Murlyn,” explains Sarah, “and worked in Sweden with them. It’s been about two years, really, in the making.” Keren adds: “We got tired of doing just the old stuff. It got to a point where you thought, Oh, God, I can’t wait to put some new stuff in the show!”
They’re, of course, referring to the songs that made them ’80s pin-ups and MTV pop tarts—classics like “Cruel Summer,” “Venus” and “I Heard A Rumour.” At that time, Siobahn Fahey was also a member of the group, but she left in the late ’80s to marry Dave Stewart of Eurythmics, and to form her own band, Shakespear’s Sister. “There were no girl groups when we started,” Sarah points out. “We’re a bit of a trailblazer there.” Keren continues: “We weren’t born as this glamorous, camp pop band. We were very much thought of as more of an alternative thing when we started, and it was all very cool and trendy.” In fact, former Sex Pistols drummer Paul Cook played on their original demo and hooked the three of them up to get it recorded. “Keren and I just happened to live above what used to be the Sex Pistols’ rehearsal room.”
Bananarama would go on to release a steady barrage of upbeat, club-friendly pop songs that the fashion-crazed ’80s generation ate up like candy. The girls also had a knack for hanging in the hip London gay scene. “We hung out with people like Leigh Bowery, who really went to town with dressing up,” recalls Keren. “It was fantastic. I don’t know why we were drawn into it and they were drawn to us. It was just much more fun than going to normal, boring old straight clubs. We still tend to hang out with a lot of gay people.”
“We do laugh,” sighs Sarah playfully. “Every time we go out for dinner, there’s probably eight guys at the table. Suddenly I look around and think, Hang on? Yes. Everybody’s gay here. I think we’re quite funny, and gay men like strong, funny women.”
The ’nanas’ comeback trail this past year has hit more than one gay venue. A week before their single “Move In My Direction” was released in the UK, Sarah and Keren performed at London’s G-A-Y club. Keren’s son Thomas, a film student, put his skills to use and taped the show. “He was very impressed,” she gushes, noting his penchant for leaning more toward rock than pop. “He said, ‘Mom, it’s just like a rock gig!’ I don’t know if he thought they’d be sort of mincing around from side to side, but when the crowd was all shouting and screaming and singing along, he was quite taken aback.” Next, the girls were hand-picked by the Scissor Sisters to open for them at a London AIDS charity event. “It was quite camp,” remarks Keren. “We have a lot in common.”
Their latest single, “Look On The Floor”—a catchy pop and electrotinged dynamo—was one of the most added songs on radio in England a month before its actual release. All this good fortune led to their new label, A & G, sending a manager over to shore up an American deal for Drama. “There’s nothing finalized as yet, but they were out a couple weeks ago and talked to various people at various labels, and about doing some live shows,” says Keren. “That’s certainly what we’re aiming for. We always get so much feedback from the States. I think we get more there than anywhere else.”
Despite the dinners with gay men and the new wave of success they’re enjoying, Sarah and Keren have private home lives to tend to, as well. Sarah lives in London with her daughter Alice. Keren lives in the English countryside with
her husband (and former Wham! member) Andrew Ridgely. “I do exactly as I please all the time,” she notes, maybe only half-jokingly, when asked about their relationship.
Perhaps a true testament to Bananarama’s success has been the spate of cover versions their songs have spawned, such as Ace Of Base’s late ’90s rendition of “Cruel Summer.” On that one, they both exclaim: “Money in the bank!” Sarah proudly points out: “It went Top 10 in the U.S. again.” And Steps’ version of “Last Thing On My Mind”? “Yeah, fantastic! I don’t care what you do with it,” Keren laughs. “Anyone that wants to do them, feel free as far as I’m concerned!” The girls, of course, write most of their music.
Finally, I bring up their part in the Band Aid charity record, “Do They Know It’s Christmas,” released over 20 years ago. The project, spearheaded by Live 8 organizer Bob Geldof, raised millions of dollars for famine relief in Ethiopa in the mid-’80s. The video pops up on VH1 each year around this time, though mentioning it causes Sarah to comment: “Yeah, me and my lovely, baggy green sweater, and Keren with her cigarette!”
Glamorous and camp indeed.
Drama is available now at amazon.co.uk , and will be released stateside next year. Visit bananarama.co.uk
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