Wow! (Bananarama album)

Wow! (stylised in all caps) is the fourth studio album by English girl group Bananarama, released on 4 September 1987 by London Records.[2] The album was entirely produced and co-written with the Stock Aitken Waterman production trio. 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 five months after its release. By the time the album's fourth single, "I Want You Back", was released in March 1988, Fahey had been replaced with Jacquie O'Sullivan, who re-recorded the vocals for the single version of the song. Fahey would resurface later in 1988 with her new band, Shakespears Sister.

Wow!
Studio album by Bananarama
Released	4 September 1987
Recorded	July 1986 – May 1987
Genre	Pop dance-pop synth-pop hi-NRG
Length	42:39
Label	London
Producer	Stock Aitken Waterman
Bananarama chronology
True Confessions (1986) Wow! (1987) Greatest Hits Collection (1988)
Singles from Wow!
"I Heard a Rumour" Released: 29 June 1987 "Love in the First Degree" Released: 28 September 1987 "I Can't Help It" Released: 29 December 1987 "I Want You Back" Released: 28 March 1988

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[1]

The album reached number 26 on the UK Albums Chart and number 44 on the US Billboard 200,[3][4] while peaking at number one in Australia.[5] The album was certified gold by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) on 3 February 1988.[2]

Wow! was reissued in 2013 as a three-disc deluxe edition, including "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 Feldman, 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 Feldman, 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 Feldman, Nick Trevisick)
9. "Nathan Jones" – 5:12 (Kathy Wakefield, Leonard Caston)
10. "I Want You Back" – 3:47 (Single Mix, unreferenced with no mention to 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 Feldman, 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.

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
• Herb Ritts - Gatefold sleeve photography

Charts

Weekly charts Chart (1987–1988) Peak position Australian Albums (ARIA)[5] 1 Canada Top Albums/CDs (RPM)[6] 32 European Albums (Music & Media)[7] 78 Finnish Albums (Suomen virallinen lista)[8] 11 German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[9] 65 Japanese Albums (Oricon)[10] 24 New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)[11] 38 Spanish Albums (AFYVE)[12] 49 Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan)[13] 31 Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[14] 22 UK Albums (OCC)[3] 26 US Billboard 200[4] 44 Zimbabwean Albums (ZIMA)[15] 2

Year-end chart Chart (1988) Position Australian Albums (ARIA)[16] 22

Certifications

Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
Canada (Music Canada)[17]	Gold	50,000^^
Hong Kong (IFPI Hong Kong)[18]	Gold	10,000^*
United Kingdom (BPI)[2]	Gold	100,000^^
^* Sales figures based on certification alone. ^^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

References

1. Promis, Jose F. "Wow! – Bananarama". AllMusic. Retrieved 12 September 2020.
2. "British album certifications – Bananarama – Wow". British Phonographic Industry. 3 February 1988. Retrieved 14 November 2020.
3. "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 8 November 2020.
4. "Bananarama Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved 8 November 2020.
5. "Australiancharts.com – Bananarama – Wow!". Hung Medien. Retrieved 8 November 2020.
6. "Top RPM Albums: Issue 0895". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 8 November 2020.
7. "European Hot 100 Albums" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 5 no. 10. 5 March 1988. p. 20. OCLC 29800226 – via World Radio History.
8. Pennanen, Timo (2006). Sisältää hitin – levyt ja esittäjät Suomen musiikkilistoilla vuodesta 1972 (in Finnish) (1st ed.). Helsinki: Kustannusosakeyhtiö Otava. p. 263. ISBN 978-951-1-21053-5.
9. "Offiziellecharts.de – Bananarama – Wow!" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 8 November 2020.
10. Oricon Album Chart Book: Complete Edition 1970–2005. Roppongi, Tokyo: Oricon Entertainment. 2006. ISBN 4-87131-077-9.
11. "Charts.nz – Bananarama – Wow!". Hung Medien. Retrieved 28 April 2017.
12. Salaverrie, Fernando (September 2005). Sólo éxitos: año a año, 1959–2002 (in Spanish) (1st ed.). Madrid: Fundación Autor/SGAE. ISBN 84-8048-639-2.
13. "Swedishcharts.com – Bananarama – Wow!". Hung Medien. Retrieved 28 April 2017.
14. "Swisscharts.com – Bananarama – Wow!". Hung Medien. Retrieved 28 April 2017.
15. Kimberley, Christopher (2000). Zimbabwe Albums Chart Book: 1973–1998. Harare.
16. "ARIA Top 100 Albums for 1988". Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved 8 November 2020.
17. "Canadian album certifications – Bananarama – Wow". Music Canada. 23 November 1987. Retrieved 14 November 2020.
18. "IFPIHK Gold Disc Award − 1989". IFPI Hong Kong. Retrieved 30 November 2019.