RS: So the group's name came from the Banana Splits and the Roxy
Music song…
Keren: It didn't come from the Banana Splits actually, it came from
the Roxy Music song and Bananas was just sort of one of those things.
We were eighteen and our first single was sung in Swahili and we
thought that bananas were tropical. I don't know what it was and I
think someone sort of threatened us, if you don't get a name by the
end of the day we're going to call you the Pineapple Chunks, which
would have been a lot worse.
RS: Have you ever gone to meet Bryan Ferry and talked to him about it?
Keren: No, I've met Bryan Ferry when I was about twelve outside a gig
- Sarah and I were trying to bunk in the side entrance, which we did,
I hasten to add. He got out of this car to go in the stage door and
said hello to us and we just sort of punched each other and fell to
the floor squealing babyishly. I only saw him one other time when he
was at a party, and it was one of those moments where I would have
loved to have just gone up, but it would have sounded so crap. I'm
not very good at going "oh, I love you," it just wouldn't have worked.
So I just sort of looked at him and thought, yes, he's so cool, but I
didn't actually bother him. Typical British reserve.
RS: During the Stock, Aitken and Waterman years I have read that
songs kept going from group to group. Did a song come out by someone
else that you wish you all would have sung instead?
Keren: No. When we went to them, they'd had a couple of Hi-NRG hits
and we just loved that sound. I think people forget that when we went
to them they hadn't really had much and also that we wrote with them.
So why we ended up leaving them was they would present us with backing
tracks, and we'd feel that we didn't like that backing track and we
wanted to do something else and they'd say 'alright, well, we'll give
it to someone else then.' It needs to be a bit more personal than
that for us when we're making an album, we're not the sort of group
that you can just give a song to and say 'here, I've written this
song, sing that.' I would do if it was an amazing song, but if
someone gives us something and I think I could probably do that myself
better- well, maybe I'm just being big-headed there, but you do.
Unless someone gives me an amazing song, I don't really see the point
in doing someone else's song, I might as well write my own. I think
it got to the point where they were so successful doing their little
team thing of writing their own stuff that they probably got a bit
bored of taking time out to work with us because it made it more
difficult for them. Everyone else they were working with would
probably say 'oh yes, that's great,' and just do what they were told.
Obviously that wasn't the way we worked and it's not the way we've
ever worked, so that was why we left really. Once it became that sort
of real production line, you just felt it, and I just want to be
special when I'm working.
RS: You are very special! Is there anything you'd like to say to all your fans out there? Karen: We've met so many on this trip and that's been the best bit. We've actually got out there and we've done some signings. You sit there thinking 'oh, I bet no one turns up' and loads of people have turned up and they've all just been great fun and we've ended up having a laugh with them. We even took a load on a night out after our last one because they were such fun and it's the best part about the job really. What we're really hoping to do is just come back and at least do some club shows, because we don't have a band at the moment, then at least they get the chance to see us perform. A lot of them have sort of missed out and never really seen us perform. We do club shows around Europe and the rest of the world, so that's probably the next thing on our list. Maybe next time when we come over to do a promo, we'll try and work in a few shows here and there.
