Wow!

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 were re-issued by Rhino Records. All re-issues are remastered and each includes several bonus tracks, consisting of B-sides 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'

WOW!
[1]
Studio album by Bananarama
Released	September 1987
Recorded	July 1986 – May 1987
Genre	Pop, dance-pop, hi-NRG
Length	42:39
Label	London
Producer	Stock Aitken Waterman

Contents

 [hide] *1 Track listing

• 2 Charts
• 3 Personnel
• 4 References

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)

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

Chart (1987)	Peak position
UK Albums Chart	26
US Billboard 200	44
Australia	1

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
• 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