BIOGRAPHY

Bananarama’s Sara Dallin and Keren Woodward celebrate over 40 years in the industry, and their achievements speak for themselves. They have achieved two Band Aid appearances and an entry in the Guinness Book of World Records as the most successful female band worldwide with the most charting singles, many of which were international hits. Four reached the US Billboard Top 10, including a No. 1 hit with "Venus." To date, the duo has accumulated 30 Top hits, released 12 studio albums, 3 live albums and sold 30 million records.

Bananarama formed in London in the early '80s. Sara Dallin and Keren Woodward had been living in a YWCA that was about to close, so they were looking for somewhere cheap to live on a student's wage. After a chance meeting with Paul Cook (formerly of the Sex Pistols) at the club Studio 21, their problem was solved; he offered the pair a room above the Sex Pistols' old rehearsal space on the legendary Denmark Street in Charing Cross. The walls were covered with Johnny Rotten’s drawings of Sid and Nancy, and Sara and Keren added their own names to the mural. The 17th-century townhouse is now a Grade II listed building.

The teenagers used to come in after clubbing, plug the guitars in, and party. Sara and Keren had their first taste of the music business recording demos with bands in the studios of Denmark Street (previously used by the Rolling Stones, David Bowie, Small Faces, and Elton John). They also learned to play bass and sang backing vocals for fun for Paul Cook and Steve Jones' new band, The Professionals. They even visited Richard Branson’s Manor Studios in Oxford for an album recording, where they had dinner with Branson himself and Lemmy from Motörhead. A whole new world was opening up! Sara and Keren’s first appearance on stage was at the Camden Palace in London, singing backing vocals for their friend Vaughn Toulouse’s band, Department S.

Blessed with a singular talent for directing their own fate, teenagers and childhood friends Sara Dallin and Keren Woodward met Siobhan Fahey when Sara attended the London University of the Arts (London College of Fashion) to study journalism. Drawn together by a similar, distinctive look—monkey boots and back-combed hair—and a shared love of Patti Smith, they became fast friends. Meanwhile, Keren was working at the BBC. The three of them started writing songs and jumping on stage with their art-school friends' bands, even supporting Iggy Pop at the Rainbow in Finsbury Park on one occasion.

Their first demo was a cover of Black Blood’s "AIE A Mwana", sung in Swahili, which they learned phonetically. The band didn’t have a name at this point, but they thought "Bananas" sounded tropical. Sara, a big fan of Roxy Music, looked through their song titles and found "Pyjamarama."

The track was released as a demo and reached No. 92 in the UK charts. After an early radio play from legendary Radio 1 DJ John Peel, it came to the attention of Terry Hall (formerly of The Specials) and his new band, Fun Boy Three. He contacted them and asked them to sing on some tracks for their new album, one of which was "It Ain't What You Do", yielding their first Top 5 hit. The Fun Boy Three returned the favor by singing on Bananarama’s first major hit, "Really Saying Something."

The trio started writing and demoing songs, and for the next five years, Bananarama was everywhere—and so were their hits, including "Shy Boy," "Nathan Jones," "I Want You Back," and "Love in the First Degree." They became international hot property when their hit "Cruel Summer" (which appeared in the film The Karate Kid) hit the US Billboard Top 10 with a video shot in NYC. "I Heard a Rumour" reached No. 4, and "Venus" hit No. 1. "Robert De Niro's Waiting..." paved the way for a now-legendary meeting between the girls and the Hollywood superstar.

Identifying the right producers and collaborators at the right point in their career has always been their strong suit. This includes Jolley & Swain, who produced their debut album Deep Sea Skiving (1983), its follow-up Bananarama (1984) and third album True Confessions (1986); Stock Aitken Waterman, who produced the Platinum-selling Wow! (1987); and Sara and Keren’s later albums (Siobhan Fahey left in early 1988) Pop Life, produced by Youth (U2, Paul McCartney), and Drama, produced by Murlyn.

Siobhan Fahey was replaced by Jacquie O’Sullivan in 1988, and the trio embarked on their first wildly successful world tour. Jacquie recorded the critically acclaimed album Pop Life with Sara and Keren in 1991, which included the hit singles "Only Your Love" and "Preacher Man."

After this album, Sara and Keren decided to continue as a duo. They released Please Yourself (1993), produced by Stock and Waterman; Ultra Violet (1995), produced by Gary Miller; Exotica (2001), by French producer Pascal Caubet; and Drama (2005), written and recorded in Stockholm with Swedish hitmakers Murlyn. Drama featured the singles "Move in My Direction" and "Look on the Floor (Hypnotic Tango)," both UK Top 20s and US Billboard Dance No. 2 hits. They followed this with Viva (2009), home to the thumping club hit "Love Comes," created with celebrated producer, composer, songwriter, and remixer Ian Masterson, whose credits include work with Girls Aloud, Kylie Minogue and the Pet Shop Boys.

In 2012, Bananarama appeared in the hit ITV comedy Benidorm. They toured the US, playing 10 dates at Hard Rock Cafes in support of the Pinktober breast cancer awareness charity, and released a brand-new, four-track digital EP called Now or Never. In February 2016, they toured Australia and Japan.

In 2017, Sara and Keren asked Siobhan to join them for a one-off "Reunion Tour" of the UK. This once-in-a-lifetime opportunity (Siobhan had never toured live with Bananarama) sold out immediately, and 10 more dates were added to the original 15. They played a handful of US shows and UK/European summer festivals, including British Summer Time in Hyde Park with Van Morrison and Michael Bublé, and the Lytham Festival with Nile Rodgers. (Click here for more info about The Original Line Up Tour)

In September 2018, Sara Dallin and Keren Woodward returned as a duo. To kickstart the new year, they announced shows in Los Angeles and San Diego for January 2019, followed by an Australian tour in February 2019.

April 19, 2019, saw the release of their 11th studio album, In Stereo, written and recorded with Ian Masterson.
In Stereo became their highest-charting album since the late '80s and included the hit singles "Stuff Like That" and "Looking for Someone."

It was followed in the spring by a UK tour of intimate venues that incorporated Q&As with the audience. The band performed their classic hits alongside material from In Stereo and songs they had never performed on stage before. A live album of the tour, titled Live in Stereo, was released on November 1, 2019.

On July 22, 2022, Sara and Keren started the celebration of the band's 40th anniversary with the release of their 11-track electro-dance album Masquerade, produced by Ian Masterson. Initially conceived as an EP, the project expanded into a sleek, cohesive studio album during the 2020 pandemic lockdowns. Inspired by global conversations around inclusivity and diversity, the hit single "Masquerade" explored themes of identity and self-presentation.

To mark the album's announcement a new song "Favourite" was released in april 2022 as a treat for fans. The track was written by Sara's daughter, singer songwriter Alice Dallin-Walker (Alice D) and Oscar Scheller, and originally appeared on Alice's 2018 album Narcissus. Alice also collaborated with Sara on several other tracks on the album.
The album was extended on April 7, 2023, with the release of Masquerade: The Unmasked Edition, which featured exclusive contemporary remixes.

To honor the 40th anniversary of their signature worldwide hits, the duo released an updated "3AM Mix" of "Cruel Summer" and a high-profile “Boys Noize remix” of "Venus" on summer 2023. This culminated on March 8, 2024, with the launch of Glorious - The Ultimate Collection. Personally curated by Sara and Keren, the 40-track career retrospective spans their entire journey from the 1980s to the present. The album debuted alongside a euphoric new single, "Feel the Love," and was supported by physical collector's editions featuring an exclusive hardback book on the band's relationship with music and fashion.

Sara says, “We wanted this to be a unique collection, a celebration of all the twists and turns in our career. We compiled endless lists of songs, album tracks, and hit singles, and whittled it down to forty: our favorite tracks from the past four decades.”

Keren adds, “I feel the collection of songs we have amassed over the last four decades hopefully speaks for themselves… Putting the music together for this project... made me realize how much we have achieved.”

Following three sold-out, celebratory shows at the prestigious London Palladium in April 2024, Bananarama released Glorious: Live in London on May 9, 2025. The live album encapsulates 40 years of music, combining their biggest global chart-toppers with fan favorites and tracks never previously performed live.

Sara and Keren shared, “Thank you to everyone who came and made it such a joyous occasion; we were truly overwhelmed, and thanks to all of you who have supported us throughout our career.”

Glorious: Live in London was released on blue double vinyl, double CD, DVD, and digital formats.

August 28, 2026, saw the celebration of 40 years of the album True Confessions. Bananarama worked with their friend Pete Loraine at Fascination Management and London Records team on some special new editions of the record. Originally released in 1986, True Confessions captured Bananarama at the height of their global success, blending their infectious pop hooks with the sleek production of Jolley & Swain and the newly discovered dancefloor energy of Stock Aitken Waterman.

Featuring the international hit "Venus" (Top 10 in 20 countries, and No. 1 in six countries including the US Billboard Hot 100) alongside fan favorites like "More Than Physical," "Do Not Disturb," and "A Trick of the Night," the album remains one of the defining releases of the '80s.

The True Confessions 40th-anniversary editions were released on limited signed individual CDs, a 3CD box set, a double LP, a picture disc LP, and a red glitter cassette. These editions included bonus tracks, new and original remixes, and special merchandise. The True Confessions 40th-anniversary reissue entered the Official UK Charts at No. 6—their highest-charting studio album release to date!

"Bananarama’s DIY-style and attitude inspired a generation, obliterating all previous notions of what a girl band was or could be."

"Bananarama's creative flame is burning brighter than ever"