Wow! (album)

WOW!
Studio album by Bananarama
Released	September 1987
Recorded	September 1986 - April 1987
Genre	New Wave
Length	42:39
Label	London
Producer	Stock/Aiken/Waterman
Professional reviews
All Music Guide link
Bananarama chronology
True Confessions (1986) WOW! (1987) 12" Mixes (1987)

WOW! is the fourth album released 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 U.S. 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 March 19, 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.

Track listing

1. "I Can't Help It" (Dallin, Fahey, Woodward, Stock, Aitken, Waterman) — 3:25
2. "I Heard a Rumour" (Dallin, Fahey, Woodward, Stock, Aitken, Waterman) — 3:31
3. "Some Girls" (LP: Album version / CD: 12 inch version) (Dallin, Fahey, Woodward, Stock, Aitken, Waterman) — 4:19 / 5:45
4. "Love in the First Degree" (Dallin, Fahey, Woodward, Stock, Aitken, Waterman) — 3:31
5. "Once in a Lifetime" (Dallin, Fahey, Woodward, Stock, Aitken, Waterman) — 4:02
6. "Strike it Rich" (LP: Album version / CD: 12 inch version) (Dallin, Fahey, Woodward, Stock, Aitken, Waterman) — 3:25 / 5:59
7. "Bad for Me" (Dallin, Fahey, Woodward, Stock, Aitken, Waterman) — 3:37
8. "Come Back" (Dallin, Fahey, Woodward) — 3:39
9. "Nathan Jones" (Wakefield, Caston) — 5:10
10. "I Want You Back" (Dallin, Fahey, Woodward, Stock, Aitken, Waterman) — 3:51

The cassette version and limited double vinyl edition of the album contained three extra tracks:

• "Bananarama Megamix" (Dallin, Fahey, Woodward, Stock, Aitken, Waterman)
• "Mr. Sleaze" (Rare Groove Remix) (Dallin, Fahey, Woodward, Stock, Aitken, Waterman)
• "Ecstasy" (Chicago House Stylee) (Dallin, Fahey, Woodward, Stock, Aitken, Waterman)

Notes on 'Some Girls' and 'Stike it Rich': The original LP release of the album included album versions of both songs (respectively 4:19 and 3:25), while the original CD included 12-inch versions (respectively 5:47 and 6:00). The 2007 re-issue of WOW! goes back to the album version of 'Some Girls' and contains a shortened faded version of 'Strike it Rich' (2:18).

2007 re-issue bonus tracks

1. "Clean Cut Boy" (Dallin, Fahey, Woodward, Curnow) — 4:37
2. "Mr. Sleaze" (Dallin, Fahey, Woodward, Stock, Aitken, Waterman) — 4:43
3. "Ecstasy (Wild Style)" (Dallin, Fahey, Woodward, Stock, Aitken, Waterman) — 5:35
4. "Nathan Jones" (Psycho 7-inch edit) — 3:01
5. "I Want You Back" (Single version) — 3:46
6. "Amnesia" (Theme from The Roxy) (Stock, Aitken, Waterman) — 6:26
7. "Nathan Jones" (Single version) — 3:18

Charts