Samiksha Jaiswal (Editor)

Wow! (Bananarama album)

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Released
  
September 1987

Length
  
42:39

Artist
  
Bananarama

Producer
  
Stock Aitken Waterman

Recorded
  
July 1986 – May 1987

WOW! (1987)
  
12" Mixes (1987)

Release date
  
September 1987

Label
  
London Records

Wow! (Bananarama album) httpsuploadwikimediaorgwikipediaenthumb9

Genres
  
Pop music, Disco, Dance-pop, Hi-NRG, New wave

Similar
  
Bananarama albums, Dance-pop albums

Bananarama wow 1987 full album


WOW! is the fourth album released in September 1987 by Bananarama. It is entirely produced and co-written with the Stock Aitken Waterman production trio and is the last album by the girl group to generate significant chart hits in the US. Tensions between group member Siobhan Fahey and Stock, Aitken, and Waterman regarding songwriting input and lyrical content (particularly with the track "Strike it Rich") prompted Fahey's departure from Bananarama months after its release. By the time of the album's fourth single ("I Want You Back") Fahey had been replaced with Jacquie O'Sullivan (the single version of the song was re-recorded with O'Sullivan).

Contents

While the album was a moderate success in both the UK and US, it was a particularly big hit in Australia, where it topped the charts.

Fahey would resurface in 1989 with her new band Shakespear's Sister.


'WOW!' was re-issued in 2013 as a 3-Disc Deluxe Version and includes 'Reason For Living', which is an early version of 'I Want You Back'

Bananarama wow australian tv ad


Track listing

All songs written by Sara Dallin, Siobhan Fahey, Keren Woodward, Mike Stock, Matt Aitken and Pete Waterman, except where noted.

LP version

  1. "I Can't Help It" – 3:32
  2. "I Heard a Rumour" – 3:25
  3. "Some Girls" – 4:19
  4. "Love in the First Degree" – 3:33
  5. "Once in a Lifetime" – 4:05
  6. "Strike It Rich" – 3:25
  7. "Bad for Me" – 3:39
  8. "Come Back" – 3:40 (Richard Belman, Nick Trevisick)
  9. "Nathan Jones" – 5:12 (Kathy Wakefield, Leonard Caston)
  10. "I Want You Back" – 3:53

CD and cassette version

  1. "I Can't Help It" – 3:32
  2. "I Heard a Rumour" – 3:25
  3. "Some Girls" (12" Version) – 5:47
  4. "Love in the First Degree" – 3:33
  5. "Once in a Lifetime" – 4:05
  6. "Strike It Rich" (12" Version) – 6:01
  7. "Bad for Me" – 3:39
  8. "Come Back" – 3:40 (Richard Belman, Nick Trevisick)
  9. "Nathan Jones" – 5:12 (Kathy Wakefield, Leonard Caston)
  10. "I Want You Back" – 3:53

Australian CD version (CDLIB5146)

  1. "I Can't Help It" – 3:32
  2. "I Heard a Rumour" – 3:25
  3. "Some Girls" – 4:19
  4. "Love in the First Degree" – 3:33
  5. "Once in a Lifetime" – 4:05
  6. "Strike It Rich" – 3:25
  7. "Bad for Me" – 3:39
  8. "Come Back" – 3:40 (Richard Belman, Nick Trevisick)
  9. "Nathan Jones" – 5:12 (Kathy Wakefield, Leonard Caston)
  10. "I Want You Back" – 3:47 (single mix, unreferenced with no mention of O'Sullivan)
  11. "Some Girls" (12" version) – 5:47
  12. "Strike It Rich" (12" version) – 6:01
  13. "The Bananarama Mega-Mix" – 7:31

Limited double vinyl edition

  1. "I Can't Help It" – 3:32
  2. "I Heard a Rumour" – 3:25
  3. "Some Girls" – 4:19
  4. "Love in the First Degree" – 3:33
  5. "Once in a Lifetime" – 4:05
  6. "Strike It Rich" – 3:25
  7. "Bad for Me" – 3:39
  8. "Come Back" – 3:40 (Richard Belman, Nick Trevisick)
  9. "Nathan Jones" – 5:12 (Kathy Wakefield, Leonard Caston)
  10. "I Want You Back" – 3:53
  11. "The Bananarama Mega-Mix" – 7:26
  12. "Mr. Sleaze" (Rare Groove Remix)
  13. "Ecstasy" (Wild Style) – 5:37


2007 CD re-issue plus bonus tracks

  1. "I Can't Help It" – 3:32
  2. "I Heard a Rumour" – 3:25
  3. "Some Girls" – 4:21
  4. "Love in the First Degree" – 3:33
  5. "Once in a Lifetime" – 4:05
  6. "Strike it Rich" – 2:18
  7. "Bad for Me" – 3:39
  8. "Come Back" – 3:40 (Richard Belman, Nick Trevisick)
  9. "Nathan Jones" – 5:12 (Kathy Wakefield, Leonard Caston)
  10. "I Want You Back" – 3:53
  11. "Clean Cut Boy" (Party Size) – 4:39 (Sara Dallin, Siobhan Fahey, Keren Woodward, Ian Curnow)
  12. "Mr. Sleaze" – 4:44
  13. "Ecstasy" (Wild Style) – 5:37
  14. "Nathan Jones" (Psycho 7-inch edit) – 3:03 (Kathy Wakefield, Leonard Caston)
  15. "I Want You Back" (single version) – 3:47
  16. "Amnesia" (Theme from The Roxy) – 6:28 (Mike Stock, Matt Aitken, Pete Waterman)
  17. "Nathan Jones" (single version) – 3:18 (Kathy Wakefield, Leonard Caston)


2013 Deluxe Edition 2CD/DVD re-issue

Disc 1

  1. "I Can't Help It" – 3:32
  2. "I Heard a Rumour" – 3:25
  3. "Some Girls" – 4:19
  4. "Love in the First Degree" – 3:33
  5. "Once in a Lifetime" – 4:05
  6. "Strike It Rich" – 3:25
  7. "Bad for Me" – 3:39
  8. "Come Back" – 3:40 (Richard Belman, Nick Trevisick)
  9. "Nathan Jones (Bass Tone Mix)" – 5:34 (Kathy Wakefield, Leonard Caston)
  10. "I Want You Back" – 3:53
  11. "Clean Cut Boy [Party Size]" - 4.43
  12. "Mr Sleaze" - 4.49
  13. "Ecstasy" - 4.11
  14. "Amnesia" [12” Extended Version] - 6.26
  15. "I Heard a Rumour" [Horoscope Mix] - 5.57
  16. "Love in the First Degree" [Jailers Mix With Intro] - 6.19
  17. "I Can't Help It" [Extended Club Mix] - 8.03

Disc 2

  1. "Love in the First Degree" [Love In The House Mix] - 8.33
  2. "I Heard a Rumour" [House Mix] - 7.22
  3. "I Can't Help It" [The Hammond Version Excursion] - 6.33
  4. "Reason For Living" [12" Master] - 6.08
  5. "Some Girls" [12” Version] - 5.46
  6. "Strike It Rich" [12” Version] - 5.59
  7. "I Heard a Rumour" [Original 12" Mix] - 7.06
  8. "Nathan Jones" [Original 12” Mix] - 5.45
  9. "I Want You Back" [Original 12” Mix] - 7.18
  10. "Ecstasy" [Chicago House Stylee] - 5.57
  11. "I Heard a Rumour" [Dub] - 5.18
  12. "Mr Sleaze" [Rare Groove Remix] - 6.02

DVD

  1. "I Heard a Rumour"
  2. "Love in the First Degree"
  3. "Mr Sleaze"
  4. "I Can't Help It"
  5. "I Want You Back"
  6. "Love, Truth and Honesty"
  7. "Nathan Jones"
  8. "Help!"
  9. "I Can't Help It" [12” Version]
  10. "I Want You Back" [Alternative Version]
  11. "I Heard a Rumour" [On 'Top Of The Pops']
  12. "I Want You Back" [On 'Going Live']
  13. "Love, Truth and Honesty" [On 'Top Of The Pops']
  14. "Nathan Jones" [On 'Wogan']


Notes on "Some Girls" and "Strike It Rich"

  • The original LP release of the album included album versions of both songs (respectively 4:19 and 3:25).
  • The original CD included 12-inch versions (respectively 5:47 and 6:00).
  • The 2007 re-issue of Wow! contains the album version of "Some Girls" and contains the shortened faded version of "Strike it Rich" (12" Version) from the "Love, Truth & Honesty – The Remixes" 12" Single – 2:18.

    • Personnel

    Bananarama

  • Sara Dallin – vocals and bass on "Love in the First Degree"
  • Siobhan Fahey – vocals
  • Keren Woodward – vocals and bass on "I Want You Back" and "Nathan Jones"

    • Musicians

  • Mike Stock – keyboards and Linn programmes
  • Matt Aitken – guitar, keyboards and Linn programmes
  • John O'Hara – keyboards
  • A. Linn – drums
  • Pete Waterman – additional drum patterns
  • Ian Curnow – Fairlight programming
  • Pete Hammond – mixer
  • Phil Harding – assistant mixer
  • Mark McGuire - engineer
  • Burni Adams - tape operator
  • Freddy Bastone – mixer on "Nathan Jones"

    • Additional personnel

  • Hillary Shaw – manager
  • Peter Barrett – sleeve design
  • Andrew Biscomb – sleeve design
  • Andy Earl – photography
  • Carrie Branovan – additional photography

    • Songs

    1I Can't Help It3:31
    2I Heard A Rumour3:26
    3Some Girls (12'' Version)5:47

    References

    Wow! (Bananarama album) Wikipedia
    (Text) CC BY-SA