Description

In the days before “girl power” became slick and over-produced, Bananarama were exuberant and loveably brash. The Very Best of Bananarama starts at the beginning with their first hit (with Fun Boy Three), “It Ain’t What You Do, where they mixed a punky attitude with uplifting Motown-inspired pop. As has been said, they had nearly as many hits as the Supremes, and this 22-track collection includes most of them. Their girl-next-door appeal was cemented by the fact that early songs such as “Robert De Niro’s Waiting” and the deadpan “Na Na Hey Hey (Kiss Him Goodbye)” sounded like they were singing in a loo. In 1986 they had a complete overhaul when they linked fortunes with Stock, Aitken & Waterman and came up with such hi-energy classics as “Venus” and “Nathan Jones”. By the early 1990s, line-up changes had taken their toll, and on songs such as “Movin’ On”, the Bananas sounded like a shadow of their former selves. Still, it was fun while it lasted. —Lucy O’Brien