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More Than Physical

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B-side
  
Scarlett

Format
  
7" single, 12" single

Genre
  
Dance-pop

Released
  
11 August 1986

Recorded
  
March 1986

Length
  
5:05 (Album Version) 3:21 (Single Version)

"More Than Physical" is a song written and performed by English girl group Bananarama. It was one of two tracks on the group's True Confessions album produced by the Stock Aitken Waterman (SAW) trio instead of Jolley & Swain. The album version of the song is different from the single version.

Contents

In order to capitalize on the number-one success of previous single "Venus" (the other True Confessions track produced by SAW), "More Than Physical" was given a Hi-NRG-influenced make-over to sound similar to the dance-oriented chart-topper.

Despite heavy exposure on MTV, "More Than Physical" did not duplicate the success of "Venus", stalling at number forty-one on the UK singles chart and number seventy-three on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100. It was a top-forty success in Australia, peaking at number twenty-eight on the Kent Music Report chart, and in Ireland, peaking at number twenty-five. Its biggest success was in nightclubs, and "More Than Physical" became a top-five hit on the U.S. Hot Dance Club Play chart.

"More Than Physical" was featured in the 1986 British film Rita, Sue and Bob Too starring Michelle Holmes and Siobhan Finneran. The song is featured in the scene where the girls are babysitting for Bob and Michelle, and they dance around the living room while the video to "More Than Physical" plays on the television.

The bassline of the track is derivative of the 70s disco hit "Boogie Oogie Oogie" by A Taste of Honey.

Music video

The remixed single version's music video further capitalized on Bananarama's new glamorous and sexy visual image by including several well-muscled topless men in a montage of shots of the group members. Some of the shots were made with colored filters, and are juxtaposed with tightly cropped shots of body parts or movements in slow motion. The music video was directed by Peter Care and one of the models in the video is Keren Woodward's then-boyfriend, David-Scott Evans.

Formats and track listings

UK / USA / Canada / Australia 7" vinyl single

UK: London Records NANA 11 / USA: London Records 886 080-7 / Canada: London Records LDS 232 / Australia: Liberation Records LS-1870

  1. "More Than Physical" 3:18
  2. "Scarlett" 4:11

+ Some copies came with one of three fold-out posters of Siobhan, Keren or Sarah

2nd UK 7" vinyl single doublepack

London Records NANDP 11

  1. "More Than Physical" 3:18
  2. "Scarlett" 4:11
  3. "Venus" 3:38
  4. "White Train" 3:50
UK 7" vinyl picture disc

London Records NANPD 11

  1. "More Than Physical" (Worldwide Single Version) 3:20
  2. "Venus" (Original Version) 3:38
  3. "Scarlett" 4:11

+ The Original Version of "Venus" is a differently mixed version from the standard 7" version

UK 12" vinyl single

London Records NANX 11

  1. "More Than Physical" (Garage Mix) 8:45
  2. "More Than Physical" (Dub) 4:58
  3. "Scarlett" (Extended Version) 5:20
2nd UK 12" vinyl single - "The Essential Ian Levine Dance Pack"

London Records NANXR 11

  1. "More Than Physical" (Musclebound Mix) 10:00
  2. "Venus" (The Hellfire Mix) 9:20
  3. "Scarlett" 4:11
USA 12" vinyl single

London Records 886-080-1

  1. "More Than Physical" (Garage Mix) 8:45
  2. "More Than Physical" (Dub) 4:58
  3. "More Than Physical" (7" Mix) 3:18
Other versions
  1. "More Than Physical" (Album Version) - (5:05)

References

More Than Physical Wikipedia
(Text) CC BY-SA