Bananarama - "Venus" (1986)

Bananarama is a British female pop trio that has had success on the pop and dance charts since 1982. Rather than relying on three part harmony, the trio generally sings in unison, as do their background vocalists. Although there have been line-up changes, the group enjoyed its most popular success as a trio made up of lifelong friends Siobhan Fahey, Keren Woodward and Sara Dallin. Since 1988, Bananarama has been listed in the Guinness World Records as the all-female group with the most chart entries.


In 1986, some of the group's production duties on the album True Confessions (UK #46, US #15) were taken up by Mike Stock, Matt Aitken and Pete Waterman known as Stock Aitken Waterman (SAW). This move resulted in the international number one hit, "Venus," (a remake of Shocking Blue's number one hit from 1970). The dance-oriented beats on the song typified the SAW approach to pop production. Bananarama were said to have been put in contact with SAW after hearing and expressing a fondness for "You Spin Me Round (Like a Record)" by Dead or Alive. Also in 1986, Dallin and Woodward were featured as backing vocalists on two songs on Family Album, produced by John Lydon.


The music video for "Venus" received heavy airplay on MTV in the United States. It featured the group in various costumes including a devil, a French temptress, a vampire and a Greek goddess. The video marked a pivotal shift towards a more glamorous and sexual image, which contrasted with the tomboyish style of their earlier work. It was also the start of their use of toy-boys as backup dancers, which would become a hallmark of their videos.