Le Banana Split

"'Le Banana Split'" is the debut single by Belgian pop singer Lio. It was a very big hit when it was first released in 1979, selling 700,000 copies.^[1] It is considered today Lio's signature song.

Background

"Le Banana Split" has double entendre lyrics about oral sex. In a 2012 Belgian radio interview in which Lio talked about her debut album, Jay Alanski, one of the co-writers of this song, said that Lio, who was sixteen by the time the single was released, was totally aware of the sexual theme of the song when she recorded it.^[2]
"Le Banana Split" was remixed in 1995 and re-released to promote Lio's greatest hits album "Peste Of!".

Live performances

In 1996, Lio performed a punk version of "Le Banana Split" on the French TV show "Taratata".^[3]

In 2009, Lio performed a mostly acoustic version of "Le Banana Split" on the French TV show TV5 Acoustic.^[4]

In 2012, Lio performed "Le Banana Split" during the "RFM Party 80" Tour backed by the original instrumental track.^[5] She also performed it live with Phantom, the Belgian punk band she was recording and touring with at the time.^[6]

Release formats

The single was released on both regular 7-inch vinyl single backed with the track "Teenager", and maxi 12-inch vinyl in an extended disco version.

It is available on CD on various Lio compilations such as Les Pop Songs and Je garde quelques images... pour mes vies postérieures, as well as on the 2005 re-issue of her debut album by Ze Records (along with the extended disco version and the b-side "Teenager").

Charts

Chart (1979)	Peak position
French Top 50	1^[7]

References

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