Bananarama - The Greatest Hits Collection (Collector Edition) (2017)

They were the girl group that defined the eighties with their run of pop hits which soundtracked the lives of fans around the world. The news of Bananarama’s reunion, after nearly 30 years, was met with universal approval and saw the band celebrated all over again. Now, as the band are set to embark on a UK tour, The Greatest Hits Collection is being reissued as a revised and expanded double CD on London Music Stream Limited. The new edition includes an expanded CD 1 to include all 21 UK and US chart hits between 1981 and 1988. CD2 includes 12 classic 12” remixes. A 20 page booklet includes archive photos, track by track comments from the band and a handwritten note. The revised CD will use the same iconic cover shot by legendary photographer, Herb Ritts, which featured on the original 1988 release. The Greatest Hits Collection charts the group’s career, from their early punk-pop influenced days with the Sex Pistols’ Paul Cook produced Aie A Mwana and the Terry Hall-featuring Really Saying Something, right through to the unashamed classic pop hits towards the end of the decade. Cruel Summer became the group’s first US top 10. “We were so proud of this song when we wrote it – and we still are,” says Sara. “We wrote our own material, or co-wrote it but I don’t think people always recognised that. I think Cruel Summer’s really stood the test of time and where ever we are in the world, it’s the song people seem to remember us best for.” “Robert De Niro’s Waiting was originally going to be called Al Pacino’s Waiting – but we changed it. Robert called us up in our council flat when he heard it. We didn’t believe it was him on the other end of the phone!” says Siobhan. Their decision to team up with producers, Stock Aitken and Waterman was a wise move as their cover of Venus went to #1 around the world, including America. “We had the idea of recording this way back at the beginning of the band,” explains Keren. “But it was only when we hooked up with Stock, Aitken and Waterman many years later that it came to life. It was a really big turning point for us.” This collaboration produced further massive hits including I Heard A Rumour, Love In The First Degree and I Want You Back. Bananarama still hold the record for the most singles to chart by a girl group ever. Earlier in summer 2017, they were named ‘Pioneers’ at the Glamour Women Of The Year awards.