Help!....Me, From this Dodgy Live Routine!

Bananarama - Help (Live 1989)



Yes, it's another post from the same 1989 Comic Relief Telethon, this time discussing the charity single of the campaign. This, terrible, terrible live routine, featuring the UK's biggest girl's pop band Bananarama, who were in hindsight on their last legs, with the charity single "Help" a cover from The Beatles song of the same title. In Comic Relief's early days, the charity singles were comedy sonfgs featuring some of the big names of that time. The 3 girls of "Bananarama", Keren Woodward, Sara Dallin, and Jacquie O'Sullivan(who replaced original member Siobhan Fahey in 1988), sang alongside comedienne's French and Saunders, along with a relatively unknown Kathy Burke, who interpret Bananarama in their own comedic terms, calling themselves "Lananeeneenoonoo".

The song itself, actually sounds good minus the French and Saunders shouting "DOWN DOOOWWWWNNN" in every chorus, while their talking part are bearable in the studio version of the song. The talking parts don't make sense, unless you have watched or remembered the music video, but still the "I'll a little bit bottom-y, I'm a little bit top-py". It just sounds like complete verbal diarrhea! There is a version somewhere without "Lananeeneenoonoo's" parts but only on mp3, have I found it. However, this live version of the song sounds godawful, and the dancing/choreography, if you can call it that, so cringeworthy, I mean, the dry humping. Please no!

Also one of the bandana men in denims and vests is Rowland Rivron, who has popped up on Television now and again, usually in bit-parts presenting, but mainly passing comment in interviews and countless nostalgia/showbiz documentaries/Countdown shows.

As I said, by 1989, Bananarama were past their peak by this point, the replacement of Siobhan Fahey seemed to be a turning point. Their best-known hits like "Venus" and "Love in the Third Degree" and "Robert De Niro's Waiting..." all came before this era. However, "Help!" was their last ever Top Ten hit in the UK, and reached an impressive 3rd spot on the UK Singles Chart. The song itself does have a catchy beat, and well, if it did send Del Boy and co. in rapture singing along to it in the "Jolly Boys Outing", it did something right!