Bananarama (with Fun Boy three) -Really Sayin' Somethin'

Ahh, Bananarama... remember the eighties? When some pop music was not manufactured, sweets were a penny, and we could cycle to town and pick them both up from woolworths. Well, not me, because I am too young for all that. I guess like most people my age, my perception of Bananarama is somewhat tainted by their later tracks such as Venus, hard to believe that these girls were pretty post-punk. In the early days of their career, they did some interesting work with Fun Boy Three (a fantastic group formed from the ashes of ska legends The Specials), and this little single is produced by that band. Remember how kinda hazy and dream-like Ghost Town sounds? Imagine that production on a girl group single. Yes.

Really Sayin' Somethin' was originally an old Motown R'n'B track, here perverted into a post-punk pop tune, the doo-wop elements sound almost like parody. The Fun Boy Three's rythm pounds an almost animalistic beat down, a strong groove going on, and then Bananarama jump in with the vocals, all together, high pitched and high precision. It's pop, but not as we know it. I guess, would stoner-pop be a suitable term? Because that's the only real way of describing it. Previous collaberations between the two have also had this surreal quality to the sound. Ultimately, it's a catchy song and expertly produced.

For the B side, we have the instrumental Give us Back Our Cheap Fares, Which can only really be described as the german group Can remaking Ghost Town. It's a krautrock-y repetative beat, laid over a two-tone groove, with hazy dreamlike music over the top and a delicious amount of vocal ahhh-ings giving a somewhat surreal vibe to it. The pipe riff is so haunting, check it out. It is a fun number, and really gets the groove locked down, and provides a nice ambience.

Before I knew of their work with Fun Boy Three, I was dismissive of Bananarama, but I really enjoy this little 7" and am glad I decided to give them a chance. Pick it up if you can, it's a fun collaboration between two-tone legends and pop legends.