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THE EXPRESS, 3 FEBRUARY 1997
Spicy new bananas
MARGARET THATCHER deservedly takes a lot of flak, but we
shouldn't blame her for the Spice Girls. Despite all the fuss
engendered by that Spectator interview, the real roots of
Spiciness surely lie somewhere in 1983 when Bananarama arrived
in the charts.
All hair, tartan skirts and lipstick, the original ladettes
frightened the life out of the Fun Boy Three and went on to
become Britain's most successful all-girl group with 29 hits.
Yet, while today everyone from Buckingham Palace to the bingo
hall has heard of Mel B, Mel C and co, and most people seem to
have snogged at least one of them at some stage, the original
Spice Girls have apparently been forgotten.
Yes, Bananarama do still exist. Original members Sara Dallin and
Keren Woodward have been performing as the Bananas for five years
now, ever since losing Siobhan Fahey's replacement, Jacquie
O'Sullivan. Last year, their management informs me, the Bananas
released their eighth album, Ultraviolet, which appeared only in
the US and Japan. It was scheduled for release in Europe, but it
didn't happen. However, a rummage at the bottom of CD import bins
in dodgy record shops might prove fruitful. Idolised by the gay
community, they regularly perform at Pride festivals. They have
just returned from performing for Prince Albert of Monaco at a
gig in Geneva.
It seems that anoraks also love Bananarama. They are big on the
Internet, with more than 700 pages dedicated to discography and
discussions. The girls have been known to surprise fans with the
odd reply to e-mail, but they are still without a label since
London Records decided they belonged firmly in the pop era they
so strongly defined, and ditched them four years ago.
Keren still lives with ex-Wham star Andrew Ridgeley - a pretty
couple of Eighties giants dwarfed by the passing of pop time.
However, undaunted by failing interest, Bananarama are recording
another album. "When they feel like it, the girls go into a
recording studio and do one track at a time," I am told. "They
don't need to hurry and they can't turn things around as quickly
as they used to. It should take three or four months before
anything is ready." Spice Girls beware.
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