Bananarama - The Greatest Hits Collection

32 years ago today Bananarama entered the UK album chart at #4 with The Greatest Hits Collection. The album would peak at #3 and spend a total of 37 weeks on the chart. The Greatest Hits Collection is a compilation album released by Bananarama which features their single releases and greatest hits. It was issued by London Records in October 1988, 7 months after the departure of group member Siobhan Fahey. After Fahey's exit, Jacquie O'Sullivan (formerly of the Shillelagh Sisters) joined the group in March 1988. "I Want You Back" and "Nathan Jones" (originally on the Wow! album) were re-recorded with new line-up as well as the brand new recording, "Love Truth & Honesty". The Greatest Hits Collection features all 7 of their Stock Aitken Waterman singles at the time, without a doubt their most successful period. As a fundraising charity single for Comic Relief in 1989, Bananarama recorded a cover of The Beatles' song "Help!" with Lananeeneenoonoo, a mock girl-group created by British female comedy duo French and Saunders, with fellow comedian Kathy Burke. Later reissues of The Greatest Hits Collection included this single.

1988 LP and Cassette

  1. "Venus" 
  2. "I Heard a Rumour" 
  3. "Love in the First Degree" 
  4. "I Can't Help It" 
  5. "I Want You Back" 
  6. "Love, Truth and Honesty" 
  7. "Nathan Jones” 
  8. "Really Saying Something" (with Fun Boy Three) 
  9. "Shy Boy"
  10. "Robert De Niro's Waiting" 
  11. "Cruel Summer" 
  12. "It Ain't What You Do" (with Fun Boy Three)
  13. "Na Na Hey Hey (Kiss Him Goodbye)"
  14. "Rough Justice" 

       

1988 CD

         As LP/Cassette plus

  1. "Trick of the Night" 
  2. "Aie a Mwana" 
  3. "Venus" (12" Hellfire Mix)
  4. "Love in the First Degree" (Eurobeat Style)


At the same time as the album, Bananarama entered the Guinness Book of World Records as the all-female group who have the most UK chart entries in history, a record they still hold.

1989 also saw the band's first world tour, which hit North America, East Asia and the UK.


The Greatest Hits & More More More


In 2008, a reworked version of The Greatest Hits Collection was released. Titled The Greatest Hits Collection & More More More, this release featured an expanded track list incorporating some singles not present on the original compilation, most notably those from Pop Life (Only Your Love, Preacher Man, Long Train Running) and Please Yourself (Movin' On , More More More). This collection also featured the SAW version of Trick Of The Night.

  1. "Venus"
  2. "Love in the First Degree"
  3. "I Want You Back"
  4. "Robert De Niro's Waiting"
  5. "Cruel Summer"
  6. "Really Saying Something" (with Fun Boy Three)
  7. "It Ain't What You Do (It's The Way That You Do It)" (with Fun Boy Three)
  8. "Shy Boy"
  9. "Na Na Hey Hey (Kiss Him Goodbye)"
  10. "Love, Truth & Honesty"
  11. "Nathan Jones"
  12. "I Heard a Rumour"
  13. "Movin' On"
  14. "More More More" [Album Version]
  15. "I Can't Help It"
  16. "Only Your Love"
  17. "Preacher Man"
  18. "Long Train Running"
  19. "Aie a Mwana"
  20. "A Trick of the Night" [PWL 7" Version]
  21. "Rough Justice"
  22. "Cheers Then"


The Greatest Hits Collection Collectors Edition


In 2017, in order to coincide with Siobhan Fahey's return to the group for The Original Line Up Tour, London Records released an expanded version of the original 1988 edition as a double album. The track list was updated to include all their UK singles released between 1981 and 1988 on disc one and a selection of remixes from the same period was included on the second disc. The cover art remains the same but the booklet was updated with current pictures of the group and new liner notes about the newly included songs

  1. "Venus"
  2. "I Heard a Rumour"
  3. "Love in the First Degree"
  4. "I Can't Help It"
  5. "I Want You Back"
  6. "Love, Truth and Honesty"
  7. "Nathan Jones"
  8. "Really Saying Something" (with Fun Boy Three)
  9. "Shy Boy"
  10. "Robert De Niro's Waiting"
  11. "Cruel Summer"
  12. "It Ain't What You Do" (with Fun Boy Three)
  13. "Na Na Hey Hey (Kiss Him Goodbye)"
  14. "Rough Justice"
  15. "Trick of the Night"
  16. "Aie a Mwana"
  17. "More Than Physical"
  18. "Do Not Disturb"
  19. "Hot Line to Heaven"
  20. "The Wild Life"
  21. "Cheers Then"

        1. "Really Saying Something" (With Fun Boy Three) US Extended Version
        2. "Shy Boy" (US Extended Version)
        3. "Na Na Hey Hey (Kiss Him Goodbye)" (Extended Version )
        4. "Robert De Niro's Waiting" (Extended Version)
        5. "Venus" (12" Hellfire Mix)
        6. "More Than Physical" (Garage Mix)
        7. "I Heard A Rumour" (Miami Remix)
        8. "Love In The First Degree" (Eurobeat Style)
        9. "I Can't Help It" (The "Hammond" Version Excursion)
       10. "Nathan Jones" (Psycho Mix)
       11. "Cruel Summer" ('89 Swing Beat Dub)

The album hit #1 in Finland, Top 10 in the UK, Japan, New Zealand and Spain and hit the charts all around the world.

To date the album has sold around 2 million copies.






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