Dear Poptastic Readers,
It’s been 40 years since Sara, Keren, and Siobhan of Bananarama released their third studio album True Confessions. To celebrate, a series of 40th anniversary editions of the album were announced this week for release on 28th August—and, excitingly, Ms Fahey is involved once again! Let’s go back and revisit the True Confessions era ...
Back in 1985, things were relatively quiet for Bananarama, as they were behind-the-scenes working on their third studio album. Their most recent UK singles had been unsuccessful in the charts (“Rough Justice” reaching #23 and “Hotline To Heaven” only making #58), so no doubt London Records were keen for them to come up with another hit.
The first single to emerge from these sessions, “Do Not Disturb”, was written by producers Steve Jolley and Tony Swain. Bananarama didn’t like the song and weren’t happy to release it as a single, however it was somewhat a deal-breaker to continue working with Jolley and Swain on the rest of the album.
Upon its release on 12th August 1985, “Do Not Disturb” failed to set the charts alight—landing at a lowly #31 in the UK. However, over the years many fans have expressed fondness for the song and the three shaped picture discs of Sara, Keren and Siobhan are certainly collectors’ items!
So, it was back to the drawing board for Bananarama to produce another hit. Producers Mike Stock, Matt Aitken and Peter Waterman (S/A/W) were starting to make waves on the UK chart scene, and the #1 hit “You Spin Me Round (Like A Record)” by Dead or Alive had caught the attention of Bananarama with its hi-energy production values.
The girls went to S/A/W with the idea to record Shocking Blue’s 1969 hit “Venus” (a song they had rehearsed in the early days of the band). As Siobhan recalled years later, the initial demo sounded “like a tired R&B thing” and she complained that it didn’t sound like “You Spin Me Round”. Take 2 from S/A/W and finally Bananarama were armed with their next big hit.
Released on 19th May 1986, “Venus” catapulted Bananarama back into the UK Top 10 at #8 (and, even more impressively, gave them their first #1 hit in the US!). Accompanied by an iconic music video with camp costumes and an unforgettable dance routine, “Venus” brought a new sense of fun and sex appeal to Bananarama—which changed the course of their musical and visual direction going forward (and gave them their most memorable hit to date).
The album True Confessions followed on 30th June 1986, charting at a disappointing #46 in the UK—although it was their highest-charting album in the US at #15. The album included one more track produced by S/A/W, “More Than Physical”, which was released as Bananarama’s next single on 4th August 1986. Sadly, it failed to replicate the success of “Venus”, peaking at #41.
Behind the scenes, Keren was pregnant with her son, Tom—and a planned True Confessions tour was therefore postponed (Bananarama didn’t manage to get on the road properly for another three years). After a short break while Keren went on maternity leave (giving birth to Tom on 31st December), the final single “A Trick Of The Night” was released on 2nd February 1987 – only making #32 in the UK charts.
Although True Confessions only produced one hit single, it opened the doors to a successful collaboration with S/A/W on the WOW! album that followed. It is also adored by many fans for its darker lyrical themes—seen in “Hooked On Love” and “In A Perfect World”—and lavish, sweeping production values from Jolley and Swain, as found in album opener “True Confessions” and “Ready Or Not”.
40 years later, the album is now getting the super-deluxe treatment – with a variety of 40th anniversary editions available to pre-order. From 3CD, double-vinyl and picture disc versions, to individual band member CDs (signed by Sara, Keren and Siobhan) and a red glitter cassette, there are a wealth of variants available. Could this 40th anniversary edition out peak the original in the album charts when it is released on 28th August? Only time will tell!
Who knows what’s in store next for Bananarama? This would be an ideal opportunity to finally have the True Confessions tour that never came to pass. Or even better, a chance for Sara, Keren and Siobhan to go back into the studio together… True Confessions II, maybe? (If it’s good enough for Madonna…) Order your 40th anniversary edition here.
We've added it to our 2026 Remix Confessions Playlist on Spotify ...
The remix single is available on digital outlets everywhere. Buy your copy today! We've added the radio edit remix to our 2026 Poptastic Confessions Playlist on Spotify.
P.S. Please follow Bananarama and Poptastic Confessions on social media.
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Davearama's 2005 interview with Keren
Davearama's 2006 interview with Sara
