Bananarama - Three's Company (1988 BBC Documentary)

[Music] hello everyone I'm Karen I'm Jackie and I'm Sarah and we're the new-look Bananarama [Music] [Applause] [Music] I just joined the BBC from school because I wanted to move to London and I thought to the television sounded interesting but they took me only in the capacity the pensions Department Clark which wasn't really what I had in mind and said that when she got your foot in the door you were okay but I couldn't really be bothered to apply for anything else because I suppose I it was a cushy job I didn't really work and I went out it'd be night when it's the emphasis slept and once the group started I used up all my holiday and as many days off as I could take sick without can get suspicious so I just had to leave really because we just got done I think we'd actually made our first single while I was working there then things just started looked like they were gonna take off so I just left they said I was gonna be a pop star instead when I was about 13 fashion and kind of variety who seemed really glamorous and interesting to me and the course I did at the London College of Fashion was only a year long which I finished and I passed and then I didn't really try for jobs because but by that stage I was like going out to lots of clubs and going to see bands and I really thought you know that kind of idea appealed to me more it seems more glamorous and more exciting so that's you know the change being in the group was just a laugh at the time was something that I mean I'd always enjoyed performing whether it was like in the school musicals or I did a lot of classical piano when I was younger and I used to play into competitions and things and it's just something I've always loved doing but um we used to jump on stage with anyone who'd let us just try and take the loan like really then got carried away didn't really decide on a girl group I mean we didn't have any idea that it would last this long anyway it was just like she rollin Karen and I went round together as friends and we lived above a rehearsal room which was owned by the poor coke and he used to play drums and Steve Jones used to play guitar and this reverse justice used to go in there too about seeing and mess around and it was just the fact that we were mates that it happened to be a girl band they could just easily have been like two girls and a boy but that's just the way it was [Applause] [Music] well obviously I mean they were well-known and we weren't in this practice room from nowhere we'd had only one single out and all of a sudden Leon took the pots it was just like a dream come true I mean I had happened to think that the idea was really good and fresh at the time and we would have probably succeeded anyway and in fact it might have been a bit better for us if we'd take longer cuz we could have got our act together as they say as it was we have plummeted into the charts and had nothing what we're gonna do that material real recording contract we certainly didn't have any money so I was always a shot they did help take it easy we're telling all bought our first single and I mean he really liked it I am honor and he asked us to sing on his album only we were really scared doing that because we never sang before and obviously he had a big hit because he was well known with his specials and it helped us then he produced onyx single really saying something so it was kind of no planning we just went from night leaving straw leaving College straight to number four in the chest which is very hard to come to terms [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] it still felt like dancing at school disco didn't feel really I never took it seriously for about three years after that when it actually became more of a business and he saw it as a long-term career and I don't think even the record companies - did seriously they probably thought we were 180 but one day seven [Applause] [Music] [Music] [Music] it's always felt really natural fazil regionally and even like and the biggest shot was that when when we actually had our first flop the judges couldn't believe because everything had been so easy up until then we hadn't really thought about it much here or worked very hard it was just all a big joke and it was only when we had our first block that we thought oh my god it's we're gonna have to actually work it if we want to stay successful and we knuckle down but I mean we have our ups and downs and the downs don't really wearing me anymore cuz I've seen us come back after so many thoughts so whatever happens happens [Music] [Applause] [Music] I just hate it it's atrocious and unfortunately it was very popular and for years afterwards people stopped singing you in the street have died [Music] [Music] so well what have been Adorama's plans now that you've had Thomas name you're back to work I suppose but I haven't really been met to work yeah I've had a few meetings but we're in the studio if day after tomorrow so that's the beginning I'm looking forward to getting back because I feel like I've been sitting around for quite a while now and I just feel totally useless so I'll be glad to get back and what I've been are honest plans for 87 um well we starting a new album the moment we've been getting some songs together and we're doing some demos this week and uh take it from there I hate to sort of make plans because we always cancel so do you think they'll be at all well I hope I mean we've been saying we're going to tell for years and I mean last the end of last year really was the detour had been organized and then I really did sir there should be one sort to promote this album but I'd hate to say in case one of the others got permanently something has happened so I'd rather not sort of make any promises [Music] yes [Music] [Music] [Music] we started writing from the very beginning and I think that was not a learning process for us and a lot the stuff worked really well but after one while it became too sort of formula rise and very bland which is why we moved on to Wharton stock making well we wanted to work with upper ages and the record company wants to play safe and keep us with jolliness way and I think when we presented them with the true confessions album they perhaps thought well I don't think we can see many hits from here maybe we should let them have their way and we wanted to do Bemis and Jolyon swag didn't want to do it anyway no they did stock Aitken ultimate but we forced them into it we took Venus to them an arson if they do it but kind of make it that high energy which was something we've never done before and that's how it worked out and we continued to do the album [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] it was exciting moving to a different reducer they had a lot there's a lot free end with us in the studio they let us just go in and just belt out a song you know so say all that lines not perfect you can't have to do it and so we actually recorded it in about ten minutes you know we just went in there and all sang it and they kept it is that it lay is that just like rough so that it sounds fine sounds great and it was so refreshing and also um they hadn't really had any successive cut from dead or alive until they I get on with them more now than I used to because they realized that I'm not using that they take I think most artists take it wrong I'm trying to help their career what they don't understand is that you know by helping them I've also got to be a villain to them because you know they they would turn up most days and lace about and not you know not really stick to the plot where I know I'm under pressure from the record company to make the records so I'm the guy that comes in assists come up for Christ's sake stop playing bloody table tennis let's get on with a game here you know we're to make pop records and it's like that of course is like and I'm also the one that goes out and like whines everybody up so it's like if you like on the as the enemy said the respect will face it's a factor ISM I'm the one guy that looks like he's Conan in you know it's all coming to me personally and nobody else is getting any so you know I'm the one they love to hate but at the end of the day I know that particularly the girls on the way we're working now the whole album was was my direction it was like I sat down and said I love Bernauer on which I do I am a Bananarama fan apt to think they're good for pop music so I came up with this whole thing with the girls and with the guys and I said like this is what we're gonna do we're gonna make a classic pop album it's gonna have lots of pop songs on it but it's gonna be up it's not gonna be down and Fran is gonna be an OP record [Music] telling me you chase your wicked ways [Music] [Music] [Music] [Applause] so then they said when I heard I heard a rumor which the beginning they didn't wonder or suddenly they say it is great this is this is fantastic they've you know it flows but the originals like our criterias of Jim what's he gonna come up with me I think rumor getting to number four was more satisfying for me because actually I think that's one of my favorite chat we've ever recorded [Music] one year I think I'm moving to stock Aitken Waterman who are not ashamed of doing pop music whereas everyone else seemed to be before they came on the scene and deciding you know well bugger everyone else we are best at making pottery is what we enjoy doing we want to make music we can dance too we won't make a classic pop album as it's sort of suited to the way we are in the way we sing and we didn't really have any pretensions or trying to do anything apart from you make music to be enjoyed and we enjoy performing it and it's been really brilliant having just every single you can dance to so you can put a good performance I think that's where us main strength is in the way we've got our songs across there's real entertainers and then we try and think of as many new ideas as we can to sort of enhance our performance you could say I think we you know we took it to the limits with the BP eyes with the 15 men in their studies that seem quite natural to us but everyone else is really shocked but I just thought it's a progression from the three dancers or a few more that we've been using throughout the year which is when we were working out dance routines with this choreographer Bruno he was dancing behind us and it just looked good having someone doing you know similar things behind and so we just got three of our friends into dance and it just made travelling rounds more enjoyable because the three of us were getting a bit jaded a bit bored and when we took the three boys with us it was like a school outing it's just a laughing I was dreaming [Music] [Music] and the judging [Music] [Music] Oh [Music] [Applause] [Music] catches [Music] this is Samuel Joseph hurricane viewers TV personality of the future [Music] I'm welcome to learn these Flynn spirits and I'd like until entertain and I'd like you to read a lot I just think that sort of them sort of improved the spirit you know make you have to learn to dance is relatively we can take his mum around the floor a little thinking that I even show a few early Bananarama steps probably picked them up now you could you could do the choreography together right yeah I could see the Karen's baby yeah so Sarah thing the news bad stuff integrate so what's the next step the next step is well we're hoping to often release this record and the next one who coveted our long Phantom is to get a phone game based around our loosely [Music] you cut the rest [Music] let you get away [Music] [Applause] [Music] how did you feel when she Vall decided to leave it was really sad it was sad and yet I was relieved because it had been a really frustrating year typically the last few months where we hadn't been able to do anything apart from usually just me and Sarah because she was in a mess and we were here we were completely cut off have phone number kept changing it was much a nightmare trying to even communicate with her and I just missed being able to perform on TV shows that as a person when to talk and share video and we just didn't know where we stood and I just wanted to be clear one way or the other either like a full commitment or else you know say you know I'm leaving and so it wasn't relieved to actually have the answer but if yeah it was said it's like an end of an era I think we sort of knew it was coming because she was spending more and more time abroad obviously with Dave being in new ethnics he was based in LA in France and all over the place and you know if two people want to be together that's fine by me so I think we saw it coming it wasn't a huge shock [Music] you know obviously miss her and she's still my mate but I couldn't have found a better person to take her place cuz I've known Jackie for like seven eight years and she fits in so perfectly Jackie's sort of like a breath of fresh air and she's fitting in really well and it's really exciting when she does things for the first time that we know really well and she just can't believe the sort of things you have to do and go through I think she used to go to Billy's and the Blitz and this club called Studio 21 and just used to see her out all the time and people used to say that her and her friend Jo reminded them of me and Karen just with an attitude just very similar people I've known her for quite a while we just couldn't think of anyone because there's no way we would have got someone in who just didn't fit in or who we didn't know because the whole thing was based on enjoying each other's company and friendship and having the same attitude it's a life really and initially we sort of thought well that's it then we're just the two of us I hope it can work and it didn't look as good when we were standing just the two of us like dancing and things and then so just suddenly brought up Jackie's name and we just thought fabulous yeah we said to Peter Waterman and because he'd worked with her beneath it was a great idea and said you know the way she sings and everything all fit in really well and we we asked her she joined before we'd even heard her sing or dance with or anything although we did a dance at clubs which is where our friendship began well I got a call from mums Pete Waterman cuz I'd worked with him when I was in the shillelagh Sisters and he asked me to come down because he wanted to form a new he want he wanted me to get involved with a band who needed a new singer and I'd no idea was Bananarama so I went down to see him and he said that this band was ready to go off and do all their stuff straightaway and would I be prepared to do that and I said yeah and then he introduced me to put on Rama's manager and she said you know Sarah and Karen I said yeah of course and she said well that's what I want you to join so I was really shocked and just jumped at the chance [Music] [Applause] [Music] Oh in the street it's raining at your back say goodbye [Music] took my heart how could you go [Music] most people never [Music] [Music] first thing I had to do is that and it was really nerve-wracking but I'm Sara and Karen just told me to think about thinking think of it like I was singing to them in a club and you know like we usually sort of get together and mock about and it just made it really easy for me really really easy and it took about an hour and all that's really quick and it's enjoyable I mean it actually didn't sound much different at all you wouldn't notice it I mean I can still just about make it just don't wouldn't notice at all having said that you know that was sung in a certain way and we just copied it so we haven't actually explored what's gonna happen vocally but I know she's gonna fit in I mean we all basically sing like white English girls and that's what we are I don't know she's she's not out of place at all in any way so I mean when they suggested what we did in the video I was like I can't believe they're suggesting all of this because that's the sort of thing I saw do mucking about make home videos as you know and and it was just so brilliant and it was great to do I was really nervous it sort came out okay in the end [Music] [Music] yeah [Music] oh man Marisa shadows of the past okay man Oh you back I want you back most faithful [Music] I want you [Music] yeah we're gonna do that single with ultimately stop making the next couple of weeks number off to Japan and then dude I don't know if we'll do the whole album with them but see how things go we keep hearing every year that you're going to till Wednesday finally go to happen well Japan we're going to do like three gigs it's going to be obviously the backing tracks but live vocals just to get a kind of taste for the stage and hopefully after this next album and then we should go out and to just keep your guest it's just something I'm desperate to do and next month we so almost live we're singing life but without a band just with our dancers in Japan and that would be really good experience for us because we're a bit rusty we haven't been on a stage singing for a good four years I don't think obviously the last two years were taken up with having babies and this year hopefully we can do it I think we should probably record a new album first so we can just go out the three of us with all the new material then Jackie Jackie will be on it all I don't need to persuade them to play live because they've always wanted to do it but for various reasons like Karen get pregnant and chiffon getting pregnant they haven't been able to do it but I'm obviously I'll be pushing that as well but I don't really need to push it because that's what they want to do as soon as they possibly can which I'll be looking forward to well I think all producers in the end get kind of formula rised it's just those who lasts the longest time are the ones that are able to change you have their ears open to that different things and influences around them I think water and Soccernet can realize now that they have become very formalized and you know this year they have to change and I think they're prepared to do that if they had the foresight I think to see what they can if they don't leave obviously won't stay with them it's bound to be different I mean we do want to move away particularly things so sound of I want you back although I love it it's become very formula stock Aitken Waterman more than more so than the rest of the album anyway that is B one track that I would have picked out as saying that that she really does sound like them you know we've spoken to them about changing and they feel it's time for a change as well obviously you can't do anything too drastic it's about working with other people it's a possibility as well I think the main thing is we'll go in and we'll see how things are going and if we feel it's getting a bit boring or a bit stale or samey then we'll just move on I think we'd be foolish if we didn't go back to them after having the most successful year of our careers you know we'd be really stupid I've just gotta learn everything all the routines and all the songs and all the words of this song so that's quite enough for me at the moment [Music] most painful [Music] [Music] I want you how would you you see [Music] yeah [Music]

Channel: Electronic Dreams

Views: 39,924

Rating: 4.9130435 out of 5

Keywords: Bananarama Documentary 80's

Id: hYAk4z8-Kwc

Length: 38min 26sec (2306 seconds)

Published: Sun Jul 21 2019

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