Bananarama (album)

Bananarama
Studio album by Bananarama
Released	April 1984
Recorded	April 1983 - February 1984
Genre	Pop, New Wave
Length	34:14
Label	London
Producer	Tony Swain, Steve Jolley
Bananarama chronology
Deep Sea Skiving (1983) Bananarama (1984) True Confessions (1986)
Singles from Bananarama
"Cruel Summer" Released: 27 June 1983 (UK), 1984 (US) "Robert De Niro's Waiting..." Released: February 1984 "Rough Justice" Released: May 1984 "King of the Jungle" Released: 1984 "Hot Line to Heaven" Released: October 1984 "The Wild Life" Released: November 1984

Bananarama is the second album released by British girl group Bananarama. Released in 1984, the album peaked at no.16 on the UK album chart, also reaching the US top 40 album chart and was certified Silver by the BPI.

The group continued their association with producers Jolley & Swain (who had produced some tracks on their debut album, Deep Sea Skiving). With this album, Bananarama had their first significant U.S. success with the single "Cruel Summer", which became a top ten hit there (the song had also been a top 10 hit in the UK in 1983), bolstered by the song's inclusion in the soundtrack to the movie The Karate Kid. Further hits from the album included "Robert De Niro's Waiting..." (UK #3) and "Rough Justice" (UK #23). The track "Hot Line to Heaven" was also released as a single in the UK but failed to reach the top 40, peaking at #58.

The original vinyl release came in an embossed sleeve and included a poster which, as well as the album lyrics and a photo of each member of the group, contained the message: "Well, a year is a long time, people change & maybe we have too – hopefully for the better! Anyway here are results of our hard work over the past twelve months. This is for you – we hope you like it. Best Wishes, love Keren X, All the best, love Sarah x, and Lots of love, Siobhan xx".

The album and the song on it, "King of the Jungle" were dedicated to the memory of their friend Thomas ‘Kidso’ Reilly, who had recently been killed in Belfast.^[1]

On 19 March 2007 Bananarama's first six studio albums were re-issued by Rhino Records. All re-issues are remastered and each includes several bonus tracks, consisting of B-sides and remixes.

Track listing

CD, LP and cassette versions

1. "Cruel Summer" — 3:35 (Steve Jolley, Tony Swain, Sara Dallin, Siobhan Fahey, Keren Woodward)
2. "Rough Justice" — 5:07 (Steve Jolley, Tony Swain, Sara Dallin, Siobhan Fahey, Keren Woodward)
3. "King of the Jungle" — 3:28 (Steve Jolley, Tony Swain, Sara Dallin, Siobhan Fahey, Keren Woodward)
4. "Dream Baby" — 3:01 (Cindy Ecstasy, Rick Holliday)
5. "Link" — 1:31 (Steve Jolley, Tony Swain, Sara Dallin, Siobhan Fahey, Keren Woodward)
6. "Hot Line to Heaven" — 7:19 (Steve Jolley, Tony Swain, Sara Dallin, Siobhan Fahey, Keren Woodward)
7. "State I'm In" — 2:48 (Steve Jolley, Tony Swain, Sara Dallin, Siobhan Fahey, Keren Woodward)
8. "Robert De Niro's Waiting..." — 3:43 (Steve Jolley, Tony Swain, Sara Dallin, Siobhan Fahey, Keren Woodward)
9. "Through a Child's Eyes" — 3:40 (Steve Jolley, Tony Swain, Sara Dallin, Siobhan Fahey, Keren Woodward)

CD and LP US versions

1. "Cruel Summer" — 3:35
2. "Rough Justice" — 5:07
3. "King of the Jungle" — 3:28
4. "Dream Baby" — 3:01
5. "Link" — 1:31
6. "The Wild Life" (album version) — 3:50 (Steve Jolley, Tony Swain, Sara Dallin, Siobhan Fahey, Keren Woodward)
7. "Hot Line to Heaven" (single version) — 3:50
8. "State I'm In" — 2:48
9. "Robert De Niro's Waiting..." — 3:43
10. "Through a Child's Eyes" — 3:40

2007 CD re-issue plus bonus tracks

1. "Cruel Summer" — 3:35
2. "Rough Justice" — 5:07
3. "King of the Jungle" — 3:28
4. "Dream Baby" — 3:01
5. "Link" — 1:31
6. "Hot Line to Heaven" — 7:19
7. "State I'm In" — 2:48
8. "Robert De Niro's Waiting..." — 3:43
9. "Through a Child's Eyes" — 3:40
10. "Cairo" — 3:44 (Sandosa)
11. "Push!" — 4:10 (Steve Jolley, Tony Swain, Sara Dallin, Siobhan Fahey, Keren Woodward)
12. "Rough Justice" (single version) — 3:38
13. "Live Now" — 3:04 (Steve Jolley, Tony Swain, Sara Dallin, Siobhan Fahey, Keren Woodward)
14. "Hot Line to Heaven" (album edit version) — 3:54
15. "The Wild Life" (album version) — 3:50

2013 Deluxe Edition 2CD/DVD re-issue

Disc 1

1. "Cruel Summer" — 3:35
2. "Rough Justice" — 5:04
3. "King of the Jungle" — 3:26
4. "Dream Baby" — 3:08
5. "Link" — 1:30
6. "Hot Line to Heaven" — 7:16
7. "State I'm In" — 2:45
8. "Robert De Niro's Waiting..." — 3:42
9. "Through a Child's Eyes" — 3:39
10. "The Wild Life" (Album version) — 3:54
11. "Cairo" — 3:46
12. "Push!" — 4:08
13. "Live Now" — 3:05
14. "Cruel Summer" (12" Version) — 4:55
15. "Robert De Niro's Waiting..." (Extended Version) — 5:42
16. "Rough Justice" (Extended Version) — 5:20
17. "The Wild Life" (Extended Version) — 6:23
18. "Cruel Summer 89" (Swing Beat Dub) — 5:17

Disc 2

1. "Cruel Summer 89" (Swing Beat Version) — 3:21
2. "Robert De Niro's Waiting..." (7" Version) — 3:29
3. "Rough Justice" (7" Version) — 3:38
4. "Hot Line to Heaven" (7" Version) — 3:45
5. "The Wild Life" (7" Version) — 3:17
6. "Cruel Summer" (Cruel Dub) - 3:27
7. "Rough Justice" (Original 12" Mix) — 6:40
8. "King of the Jungle" (Unsegued Version) — 3:18
9. "Dream Baby" (Unsegued Version) — 3:08
10. "Link"/"Push!" (Extended Version) — 5:55
11. "State I'm In" (Extended Version) — 4:37
12. "The Wild Life" (Dub Version) — 7:04
13. "Cruel Summer" (Summer Dub) - 5:13
14. "State I'm In" (Instrumental) — 3:07
15. "The Wild Life" (Instrumental) — 4:06
16. "Cruel Summer 89" (Swing Beat Instrumental) — 5:02

DVD

1. "Cruel Summer" - directed by Brian Simmons
2. "Robert De Niro's Waiting..." - directed by Duncan Gibbins
3. "Rough Justice" - directed by Jonathan Gershfield
4. "Hot Line to Heaven" - directed by Jonathan Gershfield
5. "State I'm In" - directed by Jonathan Gershfield
6. "The Wild Life"
7. "Cruel Summer 89"
8. "Cruel Summer" - on Top of the Pops
9. "Robert De Niro's Waiting..." - on The Russell Harty Show
10. "Rough Justice" - on Top of the Pops
11. "Michael Row the Boat Ashore" - on Saturday Superstore

Some mid-80's US LP and CD versions

• "Link" was not identified as an individual track on original LP issues, and an alternative version had originally appeared, also uncredited, preceding "Push!" on the B-side of the 12" of "Robert De Niro's Waiting...".

Personnel

Bananarama

• Sara Dallin - Vocals
• Siobhan Fahey - Vocals
• Keren Woodward - Vocals

Additional Personnel

• Peter Ashworth - Photography

Charts

Chart (1984)	Peak position
UK Albums Chart	16
U.S. Billboard 200	30
Australia (Kent Music Report)[2]	99

References

1. Sleve note, and interview entitled "We All Broke Down And Cried", Smash Hits Magazine, 15–28 March 1984
2. Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (Illustrated ed.). Sydney: Australian Chart Book. p. 26. ISBN 0-646-11917-6. N.B. The Kent Report chart was licensed by ARIA between 1983 and 26 June 1988.