I never understood Bananarama. Three women, all singing the same thing: no harmonies, just all singing the same line. But they had their moments in the sun. (I could not find this on the Guinness site, but I also didn’t want to make an account and so could not access their full library.) But, between 1982 and 2009, Bananarama (Sara Dallin, Siobhan Fahey, and Keren Woodward) had 28 songs reach the Top 50 on the UK Singles Chart.
“Cruel Summer” is their song about the darker side of summer. Member Sara Dallin said that the song “played on the darker side (of summer songs): it looked at the oppressive heat, the misery of wanting to be with someone as the summer ticked by. We’ve all been there!”
Hot summer streets
And the pavements are burning
I sit around
Trying to smile but
The air is so heavy and dry
Strange voices are saying
(What did they say)
Things I can't understand
It's too close for comfort
This heat has got
Right out of hand
It's a cruel, (cruel), cruel summer
Leaving me here on my own
It's a cruel, (it's a cruel), cruel summer
Now you're gone
The city is crowded
My friends are away
And I'm on my own
It's too hot to handle
So I got to get up and go
It's a cruel, (cruel), cruel summer
Leaving me here on my own
It's a cruel, (it's a cruel), cruel summer
Now you're gone
Gonna feel only it was
(Repeat the chorus ad nauseum)
(The video is SO 1980s.)
The song came out in the UK in 1983 and went to #8 on the UK singles chart. However, the song was in the 1984 hit movie The Karate Kid. (I would tell you where it fits into the movie, but I don’t think I ever saw it. Sorry.) In spite of the fact that Bananarama refused to allow “Cruel Summer” to be included in the soundtrack album, the song went to #9 on the US Billboard charts.
“Cruel Summer” is their song about the darker side of summer. Member Sara Dallin said that the song “played on the darker side (of summer songs): it looked at the oppressive heat, the misery of wanting to be with someone as the summer ticked by. We’ve all been there!”
Hot summer streets
And the pavements are burning
I sit around
Trying to smile but
The air is so heavy and dry
Strange voices are saying
(What did they say)
Things I can't understand
It's too close for comfort
This heat has got
Right out of hand
It's a cruel, (cruel), cruel summer
Leaving me here on my own
It's a cruel, (it's a cruel), cruel summer
Now you're gone
The city is crowded
My friends are away
And I'm on my own
It's too hot to handle
So I got to get up and go
It's a cruel, (cruel), cruel summer
Leaving me here on my own
It's a cruel, (it's a cruel), cruel summer
Now you're gone
Gonna feel only it was
(Repeat the chorus ad nauseum)
(The video is SO 1980s.)
The song came out in the UK in 1983 and went to #8 on the UK singles chart. However, the song was in the 1984 hit movie The Karate Kid. (I would tell you where it fits into the movie, but I don’t think I ever saw it. Sorry.) In spite of the fact that Bananarama refused to allow “Cruel Summer” to be included in the soundtrack album, the song went to #9 on the US Billboard charts.
In 1988, one of the three women, Siobhan Fahey (her first name is pronounced: Shiv-awn), broke away from the group and formed her own group called Shakespears Sister. (The misspelling is deliberate. Although, to be honest even Shakespeare didn’t know how to spell his name!) This was a much better group, especially when she teamed up with Marcella Detroit. Then we had harmonies! Gasp! Their song “Stay”was so much fun. But, as happens, egos got bruised and in the way. Finally, Fahey fired Detroit publicly during an acceptance speech for an award their album was receiving by wishing her “all the best for the future, all's well that ends well." Amazingly enough after that, the two did not speak for 25 years. But they have since made things up and are performing together again.
Back to “Cruel Summer.” It was covered in 1998 by a band called Ace of Base. Ace of Base is the 3rdmost successful band to come out of Sweden, following ABBA and Roxette. But, Ace of Base becomes somewhat problematic when you Google Ace of Baseand up come neo-Nazis. (BTW, I Googled ABBA and Roxette in connection with neo-Nazis and got nothing.) It turns out that one of the four members of Ace of Base was a neo-Nazi in his youth. (In the picture, it’s not the one you’d expect. It’s the one on the left.) He swearsthat he hasn’t had anything to do with any of that for over 30 years. Yup. That’s what he says. There are a lot of theoriesout there about Nazi symbolism in their music as well as some articles that trace his financial dealings.
I do not know. But, it does color how I look at them and listen to their music.
The song continues to be covered. In 2015, the Finnish extreme metal band, Children of Bodom, did something that could be called a cover. Miss Krystle covered it in 2016. (Boy, is she fascinating! She may get a later blog all her own!) And just this year (2019), Kari Kimmel brought “Cruel Summer” full circle when it was a part of the teaser trailer for the second season of Cobra Kai, the sort-of sequel to the Karate Kid movie on YouTube.
What is your favorite Bananarama song? What is your feeling on the Ace of Base controversy? Do you remember Shakespears Sister? Let me know in the comment below. I’ll be playing some of the songs mentioned above this week on my Minnich Music Facebook page, so please be sure to check them out.
Until next time!
I do not know. But, it does color how I look at them and listen to their music.
The song continues to be covered. In 2015, the Finnish extreme metal band, Children of Bodom, did something that could be called a cover. Miss Krystle covered it in 2016. (Boy, is she fascinating! She may get a later blog all her own!) And just this year (2019), Kari Kimmel brought “Cruel Summer” full circle when it was a part of the teaser trailer for the second season of Cobra Kai, the sort-of sequel to the Karate Kid movie on YouTube.
What is your favorite Bananarama song? What is your feeling on the Ace of Base controversy? Do you remember Shakespears Sister? Let me know in the comment below. I’ll be playing some of the songs mentioned above this week on my Minnich Music Facebook page, so please be sure to check them out.
Until next time!
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