Bananarama Move in My Direction

By: CAMERON ADAMS CAMERON ADAMS talks with Bananarama's Keren Woodward about the glory daysYou've just released a new single, Move in My Direction. Is it hard to be taken seriously and not be seen as an '80s novelty act?

Yes. We do the old songs at our gigs, but we never wanted to be part of that '80s retro thing. There's nothing wrong with it, they make great money, but it's like saying: ``OK, that was it, then'' and we always felt we had more to offer. I still feel quite inspired by music, I still want to write and record.

Do you think pop music is bland now, compared with the '80s?
The '80s were an exciting time because there were a lot of groups who were very individual. Everyone had their own look, their own sound. We never had stylists, you just dressed yourself. There's a genre of pop acts now who are all styled by the same person. They all look the same, they all sound the same. As much as we were a pop act, our background was being schoolgirl punks, having that attitude.

Your producers, Stock Aitken Waterman, are tipped to re-form this year. Would you work with them again?
I don't know. Whatever you say about them, they were very talented. We had our fallings out with them. When we first went to them, they developed this sound with us, for us, which was Venus. Then that became the blueprint for everything they bloody well did afterwards. Everyone else they worked with sounded like us and we got quite upset about it. We were difficult for them. They were happy to write all the songs and we wouldn't allow that: we wanted to co-write. But if they came to us now and said they were re-forming, we'dprobably try one song and see how it goes.

What's your stance on plastic surgery? You're competing with the younger popstars now.
To be honest, I think Sara (Dallin) and I look OK. We're in the same business, but I don't feel I'm competing with people 20 years younger. I'm not a teenager, I don't need to look like one. I know people who've had so much botox it looks like they're wearing a bloody mask. I'd rather wait until I'm getting a bit saggy around the edges and have a facelift than have a load of stuff pumped into my face. I feel more attractive now than when we were in our heyday in the '80s. I never felt particularly gorgeous then.

Your boyfriend is Andrew Ridgeley, who used to be in Wham! There's a rumour he just lives off having a co-songwriting credit for George Michael's Careless Whisper . . .<.>
I think it's provided a nice little pension. I wouldn't say he exclusively lives off that. There were other tracks involved, but it does seem to be a popular one, doesn't it?

Bananarama even covered Careless Whisper recently.
Yeah, I don't know why we did that. Please don't remind me of that. It's not the highlight of my career.

Your mate George Michael has made some headlines recently over his drug use. . .
Again, yes. Silly boy! None of us are surprised by him any more . . .

Is he making music?He's talking about touring, but he works at a bloody slow pace. It took him seven years to make his last CD.

I think we know why now . . .
That's your quote, not mine!

Is it true you went on a blind date with George Michael in the '80s?
Yes, it was set up by a magazine. I do remember sitting there thinking: ``Oooh, it's a shame it's George and not the other one . . .''

Was George still interested in the ladies at that time?
I think he dabbled in both. I didn't really ask him. I didn't find him attractive. We were both going through a very unattractive phase! I don't think we were particularly drawn to each other sexually.

What does Andrew do now?
He has no intention at all of going back into the music business.

Sara said he looks like Osama bin Laden now . . .
She says that every time she sees him. He's got grey hair, he comes from a similar background -- Egyptian, Italian . . . and Andrew spends so much time on the golf course these days he's got a permanent tan.

And, like Osama, he's kind of off the radar . . .
That's how he likes it.

Did Malcolm McLaren really offer Bananarama a song called Don't Touch MeDown There, Daddy in the early days?
Yes, he did. I sat there absolutely horrified. I thought: ``I can't sing that. What will my Mum say?''

What do you think when you see yourself on the Band Aid video?
I think how awful I look. I wish someone had told me what a big thing it was going to be. I turned up with a hangover and I couldn't have worn worse clothes, I hadn't washed my hair. It was the biggest event in music history and I looked like that. It's awful. At least people say: ``God, you look so much better now.''

Steps and Ace of Base have covered Bananarama songs. Do you have anyfavourites?
Any of them. If someone else is out there working and I'm earning the money I love it! We never really exploited the Bananarama thing: we didn't do merchandise or sponsorship. We didn't think it was a cool thing to do. We didn't do it to be famous and make cash, and we still don't. We just do it because we love doing it, sad as it may seem.

Are you sick of singing Venus?
No. You'd think we'd be sick of Venus, wouldn't you? The fact we didn't write it, now that gets me. That pisses me off . . . on a financial level. We met the guy who wrote it and he literally got on his knees and kissed our feet, we made him so wealthy. Good for him, she said bitterly.

A lot of rock bands go into rehab, but Bananarama seem to have missed thatperiod. You're still big drinkers . . .
Well, I like to party but I don't want to be painted as some hideous old alcoholic, but life's for living. I don't see why I should stop when I get to a certain age. It's fun. But you won't often find us staggering: we're too good at drinking for that.

Move in My Direction (Central Station) out now

Bananarama Appeal

THESE days, if you're a pop star from the early '80s and your name isn't Madonna, you can kiss any kind of Top 40 radio play goodbye. Everyone from ABC to ZZ Top is automatically dismissed as retro; confined to nostalgia tours and golden oldies radio.Enter Bananarama. After a string of hits in the '80s they slipped off the radar but never split.

Their career hit a low on 2001's Exotica, which foisted misguided updates of Cruel Summer, Robert De Niro's Waiting, I Heard a Rumour and Venus on whatever fans they had left, as well as a diabolical cover of George Michael's Careless Whisper.

Now they've approached this comeback thing properly; aiming to show the popwhippersnappers how it used to be done. This, however, means they use the same Swedish producers every other pop act uses.

If commercial radio played their comeback single Move in My Direction and was not told it was Bananarama, they'd embrace it. It reeks of now; all whizzing dance beats (with a nod to Kylie's robotic disco) and lush strings. It became their first Top 20 hit in the UK in over a decade last year and adds to their CV of savvy pop.

Look on the Floor (Hypnotic Tango) is mellow dance pop while Dannii Minogue's team (Ian Masterson and Terry Ronald) cough up the sleek, modern and very Dannii disco of Feel for You. Elsewhere, Soft Cell's Marc Almond updates Venus on a pulsating remix and the ancient Really Saying Something has all its youthful naivete removed viaa banging dance mix. Drama is not amazing, but it's not embarrassing either.

The verdict: ***
In a word: modern