Wow! (Bananarama album)

WOW!
Studio album by Bananarama
Released	September 1987
Recorded	July 1986 – May 1987
Genre	Synthpop, pop, hi-NRG
Length	42:39
Label	London
Producer	Stock Aitken Waterman
Bananarama chronology
True Confessions (1986) WOW! (1987) 12" Mixes (1987)
Singles from WOW!
"I Heard a Rumour" Released: July 1987 "Love in the First Degree" Released: 30 October 1987 "I Can't Help It" Released: December 1987 "I Want You Back" Released: April 1988 "Nathan Jones" Released: November 1988

WOW! is the fourth album released in September 1987 by Bananarama. It is entirely produced and co-written with the Stock Aitken Waterman production trio and is the last album by the girl group to generate significant chart hits in the US. Tensions between group member Siobhan Fahey and Stock, Aitken, and Waterman regarding songwriting input and lyrical content (particularly with the track "Strike it Rich") prompted Fahey's departure from Bananarama months after its release. By the time of the album's fourth single ("I Want You Back") Fahey had been replaced with Jacquie O'Sullivan (the single version of the song was re-recorded with O'Sullivan).

While the album was a moderate success in both the UK and US, it was a particularly big hit in Australia, where it topped the charts.

Fahey would resurface in 1989 with her new band Shakespear's Sister.

On 19 March 2007, Bananarama's first six studio albums originally released between 1982 and 1992 were re-issued by Rhino Records. All re-issues are remastered and each includes several bonus tracks, consisting of B-sides, single edits and remixes.

'WOW!' was re-issued in 2013 as a 3-Disc Deluxe Version and includes 'Reason For Living', which is an early version of 'I Want You Back'

Track listing

All songs written by Sara Dallin, Siobhan Fahey, Keren Woodward, Mike Stock, Matt Aitken and Pete Waterman, except where noted.

LP version

1. "I Can't Help It" – 3:32
2. "I Heard a Rumour" – 3:25
3. "Some Girls" – 4:19
4. "Love in the First Degree" – 3:33
5. "Once in a Lifetime" – 4:05
6. "Strike It Rich" – 3:25
7. "Bad for Me" – 3:39
8. "Come Back" – 3:40 (Richard Belman, Nick Trevisick)
9. "Nathan Jones" – 5:12 (Kathy Wakefield, Leonard Caston)
10. "I Want You Back" – 3:53

CD and cassette version

1. "I Can't Help It" – 3:32
2. "I Heard a Rumour" – 3:25
3. "Some Girls" (12" Version) – 5:47
4. "Love in the First Degree" – 3:33
5. "Once in a Lifetime" – 4:05
6. "Strike It Rich" (12" Version) – 6:01
7. "Bad for Me" – 3:39
8. "Come Back" – 3:40 (Richard Belman, Nick Trevisick)
9. "Nathan Jones" – 5:12 (Kathy Wakefield, Leonard Caston)
10. "I Want You Back" – 3:53

Australian CD version (CDLIB5146)

1. "I Can't Help It" – 3:32
2. "I Heard a Rumour" – 3:25
3. "Some Girls" – 4:19
4. "Love in the First Degree" – 3:33
5. "Once in a Lifetime" – 4:05
6. "Strike It Rich" – 3:25
7. "Bad for Me" – 3:39
8. "Come Back" – 3:40 (Richard Belman, Nick Trevisick)
9. "Nathan Jones" – 5:12 (Kathy Wakefield, Leonard Caston)
10. "I Want You Back" – 3:47 (single mix, unreferenced with no mention of O'Sullivan)
11. "Some Girls" (12" version) – 5:47
12. "Strike It Rich" (12" version) – 6:01
13. "The Bananarama Mega-Mix" – 7:31

Limited double vinyl edition

1. "I Can't Help It" – 3:32
2. "I Heard a Rumour" – 3:25
3. "Some Girls" – 4:19
4. "Love in the First Degree" – 3:33
5. "Once in a Lifetime" – 4:05
6. "Strike It Rich" – 3:25
7. "Bad for Me" – 3:39
8. "Come Back" – 3:40 (Richard Belman, Nick Trevisick)
9. "Nathan Jones" – 5:12 (Kathy Wakefield, Leonard Caston)
10. "I Want You Back" – 3:53
11. "The Bananarama Mega-Mix" – 7:26
12. "Mr. Sleaze" (Rare Groove Remix)
13. "Ecstasy" (Wild Style) – 5:37

2007 CD re-issue plus bonus tracks

1. "I Can't Help It" – 3:32
2. "I Heard a Rumour" – 3:25
3. "Some Girls" – 4:21
4. "Love in the First Degree" – 3:33
5. "Once in a Lifetime" – 4:05
6. "Strike it Rich" – 2:18
7. "Bad for Me" – 3:39
8. "Come Back" – 3:40 (Richard Belman, Nick Trevisick)
9. "Nathan Jones" – 5:12 (Kathy Wakefield, Leonard Caston)
10. "I Want You Back" – 3:53
11. "Clean Cut Boy" (Party Size) – 4:39 (Sara Dallin, Siobhan Fahey, Keren Woodward, Ian Curnow)
12. "Mr. Sleaze" – 4:44
13. "Ecstasy" (Wild Style) – 5:37
14. "Nathan Jones" (Psycho 7-inch edit) – 3:03 (Kathy Wakefield, Leonard Caston)
15. "I Want You Back" (single version) – 3:47
16. "Amnesia" (Theme from The Roxy) – 6:28 (Mike Stock, Matt Aitken, Pete Waterman)
17. "Nathan Jones" (single version) – 3:18 (Kathy Wakefield, Leonard Caston)

2013 Deluxe Edition 2CD/DVD re-issue

Disc 1

1. "I Can't Help It" – 3:32
2. "I Heard a Rumour" – 3:25
3. "Some Girls" – 4:19
4. "Love in the First Degree" – 3:33
5. "Once in a Lifetime" – 4:05
6. "Strike It Rich" – 3:25
7. "Bad for Me" – 3:39
8. "Come Back" – 3:40 (Richard Belman, Nick Trevisick)
9. "Nathan Jones (Bass Tone Mix)" – 5:34 (Kathy Wakefield, Leonard Caston)
10. "I Want You Back" – 3:53
11. "Clean Cut Boy [Party Size]" - 4.43
12. "Mr Sleaze" - 4.49
13. "Ecstasy" - 4.11
14. "Amnesia" [12” Extended Version] - 6.26
15. "I Heard a Rumour" [Horoscope Mix] - 5.57
16. "Love in the First Degree" [Jailers Mix With Intro] - 6.19
17. "I Can't Help It" [Extended Club Mix] - 8.03

Disc 2

1. "Love in the First Degree" [Love In The House Mix] - 8.33
2. "I Heard a Rumour" [House Mix] - 7.22
3. "I Can't Help It" [The Hammond Version Excursion] - 6.33
4. "Reason For Living" [12" Master] - 6.08
5. "Some Girls" [12” Version] - 5.46
6. "Strike It Rich" [12” Version] - 5.59
7. "I Heard a Rumour" [Original 12" Mix] - 7.06
8. "Nathan Jones" [Original 12” Mix] - 5.45
9. "I Want You Back" [Original 12” Mix] - 7.18
10. "Ecstasy" [Chicago House Stylee] - 5.57
11. "I Heard a Rumour" [Dub] - 5.18
12. "Mr Sleaze" [Rare Groove Remix] - 6.02

DVD

1. "I Heard a Rumour"
2. "Love in the First Degree"
3. "Mr Sleaze"
4. "I Can't Help It"
5. "I Want You Back"
6. "Love, Truth and Honesty"
7. "Nathan Jones"
8. "Help!"
9. "I Can't Help It" [12” Version]
10. "I Want You Back" [Alternative Version]
11. "I Heard a Rumour" [On 'Top Of The Pops']
12. "I Want You Back" [On 'Going Live']
13. "Love, Truth and Honesty" [On 'Top Of The Pops']
14. "Nathan Jones" [On 'Wogan']

Notes on "Some Girls" and "Strike It Rich"

• The original LP release of the album included album versions of both songs (respectively 4:19 and 3:25).
• The original CD included 12-inch versions (respectively 5:47 and 6:00).
• The 2007 re-issue of Wow! contains the album version of "Some Girls" and contains the shortened faded version of "Strike it Rich" (12" Version) from the "Love, Truth & Honesty – The Remixes" 12" Single – 2:18.

Charts

Personnel

Bananarama

• Sara Dallin – vocals and bass on "Love in the First Degree"
• Siobhan Fahey – vocals
• Keren Woodward – vocals and bass on "I Want You Back" and "Nathan Jones"

Musicians

• Mike Stock – keyboards and Linn programmes
• Matt Aitken – guitar, keyboards and Linn programmes
• John O'Hara – keyboards
• A. Linn – drums
• Pete Waterman – additional drum patterns
• Ian Curnow – Fairlight programming
• Pete Hammond – mixer
• Phil Harding – assistant mixer
• Mark McGuire - engineer
• Burni Adams - tape operator
• Freddy Bastone – mixer on "Nathan Jones"

Additional personnel

• Hillary Shaw – manager
• Peter Barrett – sleeve design
• Andrew Biscomb – sleeve design
• Andy Earl – photography
• Carrie Branovan – additional photography

References

Bananarama
Sara Dallin Keren Woodward Siobhan Fahey Jacquie O'Sullivan
Studio albums	Deep Sea Skiving Bananarama True Confessions Wow! Pop Life Please Yourself Ultra Violet / I Found Love Exotica Drama Viva
Extended plays	Now or Never
Compilations	Greatest Hits Collection Bunch of Hits The Very Best of Bananarama Venus and Other Hits Really Saying Something: The Platinum Collection Greatest Hits and More More More 30 Years of Bananarama
Remix albums	12" Mixes The Greatest Remixes Collection The Twelve Inches of Bananarama Drama Remixes, Vol. 1
Box sets	The Works Bananarama: The Collection In a Bunch: The Singles 1981-1983
Other albums	Special Sampler Master Series The Essentials
Video compilations	And That's Not All... The Video Singles The Greatest Hits Collection 30 Years of Bananarama
Related articles	Discography Band Aid Jolley & Swain Stock Aitken Waterman Fun Boy Three Best-selling girl groups
Book:Bananarama