Song 157 - Love in the first degree by Bananarama

Put your hands up if you remember the dance moves to Bananarama's 1987 hit Love in the first degree with by Stock, Aitken and Waterman (SAW). I definitely would have my hands up if it didn't cause problems with typing!

Love in the first degree is a surreal story where the main character is dreaming they are on trial for love. The lyrics came from Siobhan Fahey and was then built upon by SAW and Sara Dallin and Karen Woodward. If you listen carefully to the music structure it can be compared to Pachelbel's Canon, which is one of my favourite pieces of classical music.

Taken from their fourth studio album Wow!, Love in the first degree was Bananarama's biggest hit in the UK, reaching number 3 in the chart. It also performed well across Australia and New Zealand. SAW was on fire in 1987 as this song was also nominated for a Brit award for best song, narrowing missing out to Rick Astley. I don't think there would have been any concerns for SAW's finances that year.

Bananarama started in 1979, where childhood friend Dallin and Woodward formed the group with Fahey, who had been on the same university course as Dallin. Influenced by the punk rock scene going on at the time, the band quickly developed their own style. After recording their first demo in 1981, they were picked up and signed to Decca until 1993. Their first mainstream hit in 1982 was Really Saying Something, which reached number 5 in the chart. With hits like Cruel Summer, Robert De Niro's Waiting, ensuring that the band became a regular feature on the British Chart. In 1986, SAW involvement with Bananarama gave the band their first number one with their version of Venus, a 1969 hit by Shocking Blue,written by Robbie van Leeuwen. Although Venus hit the top spot at the top of the US, New Zealand, Australia, Switzerland, Mexico and South Africa, it only reached number 8 in the UK chart.

However the success of Venus ensure that Bananarama would continue working with SAW and they would produce Wow!, and give the kids of the 1980s yet another terrific dance of the 1980s. I remember dancing around the living room to this song as my sister had bought the 45" single.  I am so glad that YouTube wasn't invented then.

If you never learnt it, here's your chance
Love in the first degree

Written by: Siobhan Fahey, Sara Dallin, Karen Woodward, Stock, Aitken and Waterman
Released: 1987
Album: Wow!