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NeatlyCritical t1_itixfct wrote

Cruel, cruel summer.

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Erazzphoto t1_itkn4vq wrote

The memories this song brings up, of summers as a young kid. A simpler time in the 80s

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sincethenes t1_itl2d52 wrote

I tell my wife whenever it comes on that it’s the perfect song. Oozing with creativity and infinitely listenable.

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T20sGrunt t1_itm7mln wrote

Deftones cover the first verse and it’s soooo good.

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ConsciousRhubarb t1_itiza62 wrote

according to wikipedia they claim sales of 40 million albums world wide making them the 10th most successful girl group of all time. ill take the go-gos or the bangles over them but apparently they moved units.

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newMike3400 t1_itjb45k wrote

They're also well regarded as the highest earning all girl group as they mostly wrote their own songs and so got the publishing money.

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_PM_ME_PANGOLINS_ t1_itkutsq wrote

And all that shaving money.

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boethius70 t1_itlx5vo wrote

Ask Gillette. There’s some serious money in selling tiny disposable slivers of stainless steel for absurdly high margins.

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bigkinggorilla t1_itj1i9c wrote

Successful enough to be remembered isn’t that bad though.

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Gnorris t1_itj4rib wrote

They have a couple of songs that are still iconic to me from my childhood. Listening to them today, I can’t help but notice the limited vocal range across all three members. Still, hearing Cruel Summer is like being plugged in to San Junipero.

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numanoid t1_itj9dpm wrote

The best way I've heard them described is, "A group made up of just background singers".

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yet_another_cat t1_itkyjm9 wrote

Yeah, they all sang the same line, and didn’t harmonize (I think).

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SabeDerg t1_itje2th wrote

When I hear Bananarama the song Venus is usually what comes to mind for me

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Gnorris t1_itjef0i wrote

They’ve done a lot of covers. Venus is their most famous for good reason

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SabeDerg t1_itjezh1 wrote

Yup, they really gave it the energy it needed. Really transformed the song into something new.

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immersemeinnature t1_itjd5qf wrote

Me driving in LA to the beach in my grandparents Malibu. Always takes me there

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hammyhamm t1_itjm0rj wrote

I recall Jennifer Saunders saying they based Ab Fab on her time partying with them in the 80s - they drank just absolutely phenomenal amounts of vodka apparently, and partied HARD

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synaesthezia t1_itjv5ob wrote

She did a charity single with them as part of a fictional band called ‘Lananeeneenoonoo’ along with Dawn French and Kathy Burke. It’s a great cover of ‘Help’ by the Beatles raising funds for Comic Relief.

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djpromo_vqs t1_itjbbw8 wrote

Cruel Summer, Heard A Rumor, Love in the 1st.

80's music. So simple yet so good.

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synaesthezia t1_itjurxo wrote

What are you talking about? Bananarama were huge, globally.

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sicksadgirll t1_itkid7g wrote

They are definitely one of the most successful bands of the 80s this post title is infuriating

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venomandvaccine t1_itjj75b wrote

I'd call them very successful. The fact is, they're still around, they're songs are still played on air, and still do concerts.

What more do you want?

It might be an good idea to amend your wording?

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MRRoperBradley t1_itixvw7 wrote

Amazing they have been around since 1981 and the first time they won an award for their music was 2018

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Defiant-Giraffe t1_itj22va wrote

Not really. I've been a musician since about 1990 and have never won an award for my music...

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yiannistheman t1_itlygg9 wrote

Are you sure? The internet's a big place, for all you know you're huge in some other country.

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Defiant-Giraffe t1_itm4oy5 wrote

As funny and heartwarming as the idea of an entire village somewhere in Outer Mongolia rocking out to my ukulele version of "enter sandman," I really don't think so, man.

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marpelle t1_itj9mx6 wrote

One of my favorites. They have a fangirl song for Robert De Niro.

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Buck_Futter70 t1_itjr8rv wrote

Siobhan was my favorite

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oheffendi t1_itkrauz wrote

Keren, the one in the middle was my crush. Still now in her early 60's she gets me blood pumping.

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SMITHSIDEBAR t1_itjw6zt wrote

Wait until you hear Shakespeare's Sister!!! Siobhan's greatest trick!!

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YeahIGotNuthin t1_itkjful wrote

>but it certainly was one of the most 80s bands of the 1980s.

And that's Really Saying Something.

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AngryRedHerring t1_itlpnap wrote

I was just thinking is that the only thing more 80s than Bananarama is Bananarama with Fun Boy Three

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ricardo9505 t1_itix4ek wrote

That clothing. Reminds me of Wham, George Michael.

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Shamrock_shakerhood t1_itjy730 wrote

Keren Woodword of Bananarama is still dating Andrew Ridgeley of Wham! They been together since early 90s.

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oboshoe t1_itji5kp wrote

i remember in high school hearing this girl i had a crush on talk about banarama. this was in the 80s.

of course i started paying attention to this band then.

glad to hear that the band is still around and a nice memory of this gal. i never did convince her to go out with me, but the memory still makes me smile.

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Dermutt100 t1_itkd2a1 wrote

Did an American post this?

Bananarama were huge in the UK and globally.

If someone isn't that successful in the USA Americans tend to rate them as "not successful"!

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LeftHand_PimpSlap t1_itnivl4 wrote

Exactly! The band that gave the world the Macarena, Los del Rio, has been around since 1962 but here, they are seen as a one hit wonder.

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Rockmann1 t1_itjs2ly wrote

I remember when I first heard the remake of Venus, I was so happy because as a little kid I loved the original by Shocking Blue

I just realized Bananarama released another album this year

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JRB33165 t1_itjm33n wrote

I heard a rumor was my favorite song from them.

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Climbincook t1_itjhes4 wrote

Oh, thought it wa kajagoogoo

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HiJane72 t1_itjho1q wrote

There’s a great interview with Dawn French when she said she was out drinking with the Bananarama girls. They were huge pissheads by all accounts!

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TeachOfTheYear t1_itjm1yf wrote

I had a cassette single I bought at Tower Records Piccadilly Circus... French and Saunders and Bananarama doing a version of Help! for a fundraiser. It was great!

RIP cassette singles.

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pikknz t1_itjuq4t wrote

I think Def Leppard are the most 80s of bands.

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2FeetOffTheGround t1_itkfbs9 wrote

"Cruel Summer" is my jam, even when I'm having a good one!

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tangcameo t1_itkg950 wrote

My sister never got her Bananarama tape from Columbia House. She held my Bryan Adams tape hostage. Years later, when I asked to borrow one of her CDs she’d take one of mine to make sure she got hers back. One of these days I’m going to surprise her with that cassette tape if I can find it.

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itsell t1_itjg4wk wrote

I like the middle banana

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Sayoria t1_itjgsd1 wrote

And they sure had amazing style in Venus. Watching that video gives you a surge of power.

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woodbarber t1_itjj4m8 wrote

Seen them in a rock festival at Rock on the Ring (Nurnburg Ring) West Germany in 1986. 3 day festival. Was so wasted I can’t even remember who headlined. Almost all the great 80s band played it.

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pullonmynards t1_itjm8ou wrote

I’ve sat here for two minutes thinking “damn, that was a chick singing Anything, Anything”? Dramarama. Dramarama.

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memberer t1_itk2lph wrote

reminds me of teenage days at the sherman oaks galleria, kroq, and van nuys high.

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highs_a_kite t1_itkg8tm wrote

Yeah it don’t get much more ‘80’s than that

I like how they cut big heavy sweatshirts off into tank tops lol

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Proof-Sweet33 t1_itomd0e wrote

You could buy them that way too if you weren't too skilled with the scissors. Express.

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marigoldsandviolets t1_itkvw9z wrote

We totally did this. Thanks, flashdance! (I still cut the necks out of crewneck shirts, can’t STAND this touching my neck and it looks all retro and cool!)

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leebrown23 t1_itki5fl wrote

Robert De Niro's waiting talking Italian...

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rhussia t1_itkjhyk wrote

They were actually pretty good

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_PM_ME_PANGOLINS_ t1_itkuvxk wrote

But they were one of the most successful bands of the 80s…

> Their success on both pop and dance charts saw them listed in the Guinness World Records for achieving the world's highest number of chart entries by an all-female group. Between 1982 and 2009, they had 30 singles reach the Top 50 of the UK Singles Chart.

They never had a UK #1, but Venus was a #1 in many other places.

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Frogs4 t1_itmh4n2 wrote

Madonna nicked their look early on.

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TheFirstLane t1_itj1xt6 wrote

Karen reminds me of Becky Lynch. Or is it Becky?

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Whateveryousaydude7 t1_itj7z3w wrote

Karen is married to Andrew Ridgely from Wham.

I love this.

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-stag5etmt- t1_itjt4x1 wrote

The last punk group and not satire..

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OrcRampant t1_itk39gh wrote

Holy crap! That’s a blast from the past.

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wazinku t1_itk5dc9 wrote

This picture sings - I can’t help it - she’s got it!

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DebateDefiant4972 t1_itk5y3a wrote

Kristen Stewart would need to play the one on the right in a biopic.

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getyourcheftogether t1_itk7uda wrote

And all the bands in the '80s they certainly were one of them

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PennyQuoileRiver t1_itkarq0 wrote

If you were an 80’s teen girl you wanted to be them

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shaundisbuddyguy t1_itkqjaq wrote

When I was a kid I had a crush on the girl furthest right. Still makes me smile.

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notjustanytadpole t1_itky97j wrote

Really Sayin’ Something (with Fun Boy Three) = Amazing

1

kneel23 t1_itkyaea wrote

ohhh so THATS the bananarama tape that Meatwad is talking about in the 2nd episode of Aqua Teen Hunger Force "Escape From Leprauchpolis". always wondered that lol i thought it was some made up kids show or something

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ITeachAll t1_itlbnu9 wrote

Cue Karate Kid soundtrack.

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TheMadIrishman327 t1_itlqbzx wrote

Samantha Fox said in an interview that they were all ugly and that only she (Fox) was truly beautiful.

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cwk84 t1_itm16ty wrote

I love those hair styles. The 80s should come back in style and never go out of style lol

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Ok_Pressure1131 t1_itm8m0l wrote

They took their name, in part, from the Roxy Music song "Pyjamarama". The trio were ardent followers of the punk rock and post-punk music scenes during the late 1970s and early 1980s.

And here I thought it was some overt sexual reference....

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Staypuft39 t1_itmjdkf wrote

Instead of calling dude-centric get-togethers "sausage parties", I call them Bananaramas. Great name.

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Dangerous-Dot-3745 t1_itmx7sb wrote

They may not be overwhelmingly successful but Imo they're one of the most memorable groups in the 80's👍!

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ellefleming t1_itmxmhu wrote

I LOVED banarama back then. They had many hits. Cruel summer, rumor, Venus, love in third degree.............

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BestCatEva t1_itnd2sp wrote

The paper bag waistband at its best.

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TimeSalvager t1_itnltu3 wrote

Of all the bands of the 80’s, Bananahammock was definitely one of them.

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Due_Knowledge817 t1_itlop8w wrote

They are but a brief snippet of the 80s. Although as controlled as Music was in the States in the 80s I can see an American being confused and actually believing that to be true. In Europe they had a reputation for not caring how they looked and dressed . In the States it was way more shiny and clean.

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LeonardSmallsJr t1_itj54nt wrote

Bananarama is the female Kajagoogoo.

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