Songful Style | “Venus” by Bananarama & #SpreadTheKindness Link Up On the Edge #701
Once again, I am late writing this post and have just 10 days to get myself together. So here we go with our songful inspiration for this month’s musical style game.
About Songful Style
Songful Style is an ageless style challenge series hosted by Shelbee of Shelbee on the Edge, Marsha of Marsha in the Middle, and Suzy of Suzy Turner, The Grey Brunette (formerly The Grey Brunette).
Each month we will share a song with the lyrics and video and we invite you to use whatever aspect of the song that inspires you to create an outfit.
It is similar to Style Imitating Art where we use artwork to inspire our outfit creations. Except Songful Style gives you lyrics, music, video, and album artwork to inspire your fashion creativity. You may even find inspiration in a memory triggered by the selected song. It is all open to your own personal interpretation and just a fun way to discover new music and get a little bit more creative with your wardrobe.
Anyone is welcome to join us on a permanent basis or you can just play along without any obligation to do anything other than feel inspired. We are flexible and fun and just want to find more ways to play dress up because it’s what we enjoy doing!
We will be posting on the last Monday of each month and will announce our song choice for the following month at the end of each post. Then about a week or two later, I will share a detailed post like this one about the chosen song.
It was Suzy’s turn to choose our inspiration song and she picked Bananarama‘s 1986 cover of “Venus” by Shocking Blue. Be prepared for a major ear-worm if you play the videos. I’ll be singing this song for days now…”She’s got it. Yeah, baby, she’s got it…”
Video Inspiration
The Lyrics
“Venus” (originally by Shocking Blue)
Goddess on the mountain top
Burning like a silver flame
The summit of beauty and love
And Venus was her name
She's got it
Yeah, baby, she's got it
I'm your Venus, I'm your fire
At your desire
Well, I'm your Venus, I'm your fire
At your desire
Her weapons were her crystal eyes
Making every man mad
Black as the dark night she was
Got what no one else had
Wah!
She's got it
Yeah, baby, she's got it
I'm your Venus, I'm your fire
At your desire
Well, I'm your Venus, I'm your fire
At your desire
Venus
She's got it
Yeah, baby, she's got it
I'm your Venus, I'm your fire
At your desire
Well, I'm your Venus, I'm your fire
At your desire
Goddess on the mountain top
Burning like a silver flame
The summit of beauty and love
And Venus was her name
Wah!
She's got it
Yeah, baby, she's got it
I'm your Venus, I'm your fire
At your desire
Well, I'm your Venus, I'm your fire
At your desire
Venus was her name
Yeah baby she's got it
Yeah baby she's got it
Yeah baby she's got it
Yeah baby she's got it
About the Artist and the Song
Bananarama is a British-Irish girl group that was formed in 1980 in London, England, by friends Sara Dallin, Siobhan Fahey, and Keren Woodward. In 1988, Fahey left the trio and was replaced by Jacquie O’Sullivan, who subsequently left the group in 1991, leaving Dallin and Woodward as a duo. The group is listed in the Guinness World Records for achieving the world’s highest number of chart entries by an all-female group with 32 of their singles between 1982 and 2009 reaching the Top 50 on the UK Singles Chart. That averages more than one Top 50 hit each year for 27 consecutive years.
In 1980, at the age of 19, childhood friends Sara Dallin and Keren Woodward moved from Bristol to a YWCA in London to study journalism at the London College of Fashion. Shortly after arriving in London, the duo met 22 year old Siobhan Fahey who was working for the BBC in Portland Place. When Dallin and Woodward were about to be made homeless, Paul Cook of the Sex Pistols offered them housing above an old rehearsal room in Denmark Street.
The three girls were avid followers of the punk rock music scene and often performed impromptu gigs with some of the leading punk rock bands of the time. They recorded their first demo in 1981, “Aie a Mwana“, a cover song sung in Swahili, which led to their first record deal. The group saw most of their major success from 1982 to 1989, with their first three albums primarily produced and co-written with Jolley & Swain.
Banaanrama’s third Jolley/Swain album, True Confessions, was released on July 14, 1986, by London Records. This album contains “Venus”, a dance cover of Shocking Blue’s 1969 hit. The song remains Bananarama’s most commercially successful single to date, peaking at number one on the Billboard Top 100 in the United States. The accompanying music video received heavy airplay on MTV and other music video channels worldwide. It features the trio in various costumes including 1980s street style, a she-devil, a temptress, a vampiress, and several Greek goddesses, marking a pivotal transition to a sexier and more glamorous image for the group.
Dallin and Woodward continue to work on musical and other creative projects together under their original name Bananarama.
Album Covers and Other Photo Inspiration
You are welcome to do your own research if you need more inspiration or if you are interested in learning more. If you want to join us, we will be hosting a link party on Monday, April 29, 2024, where you can share your outfits inspired by Bananarama’s 1986 cover of “Venus”.
Happy styling!
Featured Favorites
Reader Favorite: Patrick of Adventures in Weseland
Fashion Favorite: Cheryl of Cheryl Shops
Other Favorite: Nicole of Momfever
Keeping it on the edge,
Shelbee
Joining these Fabulous Link Parties.
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
I am a midlife woman, wife, and stay-at-home mother of 2 boys and 2 cats. I have a passion for helping other women feel fabulous in the midst of this crazy, beautiful life.
18 Comments
Debra | Gma'sPhoto
Oh, Shelby! I so needed this today. It got me up and dancing. Hit the spot, now so energized. I loved the 80’s. I was in high school and in college during that decade. So fun!!
Thank you for sharing and hosting! I linked up with #14.
Take care and best wishes.
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Oh yay, Debra! That made me so happy to learn that you got up and danced! It is definitely a danceable tune. I started high school in the late 80s and college in the early 90s so this tune was a big one when I was in 7th grade. And then began the era of grunge…that is the music that defined my college years! Thanks for stopping by, my friend. I hope you have a most wonderful weekend!
xoxo
Shelbee
Joanne
At first I was thinking I didn’t know this song…then I saw the lyrics and all sorts of memories came flooding through!
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Yeah, I feel like everyone probably knows this song if you were alive in the 1980s!
xoxo
Shelbee
Ratnamurti
Love, love, love that song. Never forgotten!!!!
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
It is a good one, for sure! And totally stuck in my head now for days!
xoxo
Shelbee
Nancy
I liked Bananarama a lot back in the days. Thought they liked so cool! Great theme!
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
I liked them, too! This is a super fun theme even though the song will be caught in my head for days!
xoxo
Shelbee
Cheryl Shops
Oh my goodness, I LOVED Bananarama when I was a kid! I had the record with Venus and Cruel Summer—so many bops! And thank you so much for the feature!
Cheryl Shops | http://www.cherylshops.net
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Oh my gosh, Cheryl, I forgot about Cruel Summer! That is such a great song, too. Now that one is stuck in my head! I hope you are enjoying the weekend, my friend!
xoxo
Shelbee
Mica Away From The Blue
I remember my mum used to like Bananarama! This is a fun idea for a theme, there are so many directions you could go with this! Thanks for sharing! 🙂
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thanks so much, Mica! I had a really fun time creating an outfit for this song. I am excited to photograph it and share it next week!
xoxo
Shelbee
Marsha Banks
I’m going to have to watch the video over and over again to figure out what the heck I’m going to wear! I loved Bananarama because their music was always so much fun!
https://marshainthemiddle.com/
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
I look forward to seeing what you come up with, Marsha! I have my outfit all figured out but I still need to photograph it. This was a super fun one!
xoxo
Shelbee
Patrick Weseman
I loved that song back in the day. I always thought all the women in Bananarama were hot during my youth. Thanks for the blog love. Thanks for hosting and I hope that you have a wonderful week.
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thanks, Patrick! I bet all three women are probably still pretty hot! They are still making music and working on all sorts of other creative projects. Rock on, ladies!
xoxo
Shelbee
Emma Peach
It’s great that Sara and Keren are still going as a duo. I saw them perform on TV recently and they look better now than in the 80s! I want to know their secret!
Emma xxx
http://www.style-splash.com
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
I love that they are still going strong as well! We midlife women are pretty badass and you and I will both look just as amazing in 20 years!
xoxo
Shelbee