We heard a rumour – and, for once, it turned out to be true: the original line-up of Bananarama have reunited.
The trio, Sara Dallin, Siobhan Fahey and Keren Woodward were the biggest girl band of the 80s, scoring hits including Venus, Shy Boy, Love In The First Degree.
Although they scored 10 top 10 hits, the trio never toured before Fahey quit to form Shakespears Sister in 1988.
The split was acrimonious, but the members recently reconciled and have announced a 15-date UK tour for winter.
Oo-er!
So why now? Well, the group told The Sun that it was actually the passing of music legend George Michael that inspired them to get the group back together.
Keren told the tabloid: “It was so shocking. Horrific. I remember the moment I found out, in a phone call from another close friend on Christmas Day.
“He was such a huge part of our lives. George’s death was the instigating factor really for saying yes to doing this now.”
“Before George’s death the fact my cousin had passed away had already got me thinking along those lines too – the fact that they were both around my age, that just makes you think ‘Life’s too bloody short’,” she continued.
“You’ve got to do whatever you can, you don’t know what’s going to happen, and all those things made me think ‘It’s now or never’.”
Keren was close to both boys from Wham!, having been married to Andrew Ridgeley for 25 years and calling George “our best friend from the era”.
Formed in 1979, the band took their name from two of their biggest inspirations: the Roxy Music song Pyjamarama and kids TV show The Banana Splits.
They got their first taste of chart success by providing backing vocals for the Fun Boy Three on the single It Ain’t What You Do, It’s the Way You Do It.
A couple of months later, Fun Boy Three returned the favour for Really Sayin’ Somethin, a cover of the 1965 Velvelettes song that was the first of Bananarama’s 26 UK chart smashes.
They went on to sell more than 40 million records, with their biggest-sellers including Robert De Niro’s Waiting, Cruel Summer and I Heard A Rumour.
After establishing themselves as a self-made band, they hitched their wagon to Stock Aitken Waterman’s “hit factory” for the 1987 album, Wow.
The newly-reunited Bananarama have signed a deal with record label Fascination, who are the people behind Steps’ glittery, trend-defying comeback.
“We’re very excited,” said the band in a statement.
And so am I girls… So am I!
