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I Heard a Rumour

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"I Heard a Rumour" is a song by English girl group Bananarama from their fourth studio album, Wow! (1987), and was released on 22 June 1987 as the album's lead single. It became a hit in UK where it reached the top 20, but was more successful in North America, where it peaked within the top five.

"I Heard a Rumour"
Single by Bananarama
from the album Wow!
B-side"Clean Cut Boy"
Released22 June 1987 (1987-06-22)[1]
Genre
Length3:25
LabelLondon
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)Stock Aitken Waterman
Bananarama singles chronology
"A Trick of the Night"
(1987) 		"I Heard a Rumour"
(1987) 		"Love in the First Degree"
(1987)
Music video
"I Heard a Rumour" on YouTube

Background and writing

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"I Heard a Rumour" bears notable similarities in part to Michael Fortunati's "Give Me Up",[5] which was released in early 1986; however, producer Mike Stock denied the track was based excessively on that record, insisting the track was simply broadly inspired by Europop trends at the time, saying: "We didn't do sampling... There's no similarity in the lyric, there's no actual similarity in terms of note-for-noteness in the tune," he said. "We were doing Europop."[6] The song also uses the synth riff from another of SAW's hits, "Nothing's Gonna Stop Me Now" by Samantha Fox.[5]

Music video

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The music video, directed by Andy Morahan, features a dress-up theme, in a similar vein as their video for "Venus". Group members Sara Dallin, Siobhan Fahey, and Keren Woodward are seen emulating various film stars, projected on screens behind them. One scene projected is vaudeville performers the Dodge Twins dressed in striped jail costumes performing the Lock Step. Each member dresses up in costumes, including a cowgirl and Carmen Miranda, backed up by topless male dancers. When the group is dressed in French can-can dresses, they bend over to "moon" the camera and expose the letters W-O-W (a reference to their album title) on their rears. They also appear in sequined red dresses on a rotating platform, surrounded by their dancers. Bloopers of the girls making mistakes in the dance routine are intercut with other footage.

Critical reception

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Initial response

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Jerry Smith of British magazine Music Week described "I Heard a Rumour" a "bright and breezy summer hit".[7] By contrast, Robin Smith of Record Mirror criticized it for displaying what he called a "cutesy approach" and being a song which, in his point of view, could have been recorded "by Mandy Smith or any other starlet who's just signed a record deal".[8]

Impact and legacy

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Retrospectively, in 2021, British magazine Classic Pop ranked the song number 10 in their list of 'Top 40 Stock Aitken Waterman songs'.[5] In 2023, Alexis Petridis of The Guardian listed the song at number 11 in his "Stock Aitken Waterman's 20 greatest songs – ranked!"[9] The same year, Tom Eames of Smooth Radio ranked the song at number five in his "Bananarama's 10 greatest songs, ranked" list.[10]

Chart performance

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In the UK, "I Heard a Rumour" entered the UK Singles Chart at number 55 on 11 July 1987, peaked at number 14 three weeks later, and charted for a total of nine weeks.[11] It managed to peak inside the top ten in other four European territories: Ireland where it charted for five weeks,[12] Finland, Sweden and Switzerland, reaching number nine in the first country and number ten in the others.[13][14][15] It was a top 20 hit in the Netherlands where it culminated at number 16,[16] and a top 30 hit in Italy and the Flanders region of Belgium where it rose until number 25 and 27, respectively.[17][18] Its worst peak position was in Germany where it debuted at number 52 on 27 July 1987, climbed every week and stopped at number 37 in its sixth week, staying for 14 weeks on the chart.[19] On the Pan-Eurochart Hot 100 singles chart compiled by Music & Media, it had a 12-week chart run with a peak at number 11 in its fifth week,[20] while it appeared for ten weeks, the half of them spent in the top ten, on the European Airplay Top 50 and peaked at number seven.[21]

Outside Europe, "I Heard a Rumour" was particularly successful in North America. In Canada, it peaked at number two[22] and ranked at number 30 on the year-end chart of the country.[23] It was one of Bananarama's highest-charting singles in the US, peaking at number four with a 19-week chart run on the Billboard Hot 100, thus becoming their third and final top ten hit as well as their last top 40 hit on that chart.[24] It was also successful in nightclubs, reaching number three on the US Billboard Dance Club Songs, with 11 weeks of charting.[25] On these two US charts, it ranked at number 53 and 33 on their respective 1987 year-end charts.[26][27] In addition, it spent 12 weeks in the last months of 1987 on the New Zealand singles chart, peaking at number eight,[28] reached number 23 in South Africa,[29] and missed the top 30 by two places in Australia.[30]

Uses in the media

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"I Heard a Rumour" is used in the comedy film Disorderlies, also released in 1987, and is included on its soundtrack.[5]

Track listings

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  • 7-inch single
  1. "I Heard a Rumour" (Album Version) – 3:25
  2. "Clean Cut Boy" (Party Size) – 4:22
    S. Dallin/S. Fahey/K. Woodward/I. Curnow
  • 12-inch single
  1. "I Heard a Rumour" (Horoscope Mix) – 5:57
    Available on the CD album The Twelve Inches of Bananarama
  2. "I Heard a Rumour" (Dub) – 5:06
  3. "Clean Cut Boy" (Party Size) – 4:22
    S. Dallin/S. Fahey/K. Woodward/I. Curnow
  • 2nd 12-inch single
  1. "I Heard a Rumour" (Miami Mix) – 7:13
    Also available for the first time on the CD album The Greatest Remixes Collection and the limited edition 2-cd version of The Very Best of Bananarama
    Remixed by Phil Harding
  2. "I Heard a Rumour" (House Mix) – 7:22
    Remixed by Phil Harding
  3. "Clean Cut Boy" (Party Size) – 4:22
  • US 12-inch maxi single / cassette
  1. "I Heard a Rumour" (Horoscope Mix) – 5:57
  2. "I Heard a Rumour" (Miami Mix) – 7:13
  3. "I Heard a Rumour" (House Mix) – 7:22
  4. "Clean Cut Boy" (Party Size) – 4:22
  • Other versions
  1. "I Heard a Rumour" (Corporation Of Bananarama Mix) – 5:40
    From the single "Megarama '89" and "Cruel Summer '89"
    Remixed by Freddie Bastone
  2. "I Heard a Rumour" (Corporation Dub)
    Remixed by Freddie Bastone
  3. "I Heard a Rumour" (2001 Version)
    Taken from the album Exotica

Charts

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Cover version

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The song was covered in Japanese by singer Tomoko Mayumi in 1987.[37]

References

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  1. ^ "Index". Record Mirror. 20 June 1987. p. 3. ISSN 0144-5804.
  2. ^ Graeme Virtue (14 November 2017). "Bananarama review – hi-NRG poignancy as pop trio return for first proper tour". The Guardian. Retrieved 10 December 2022.
  3. ^ Considine, J.D. (2004). "Bananarama". In Brackett, Nathan; Hoard, Christian (eds.). The New Rolling Stone Album Guide (4th ed.). Simon & Schuster. pp. 41–42. ISBN 0-7432-0169-8.
  4. ^ Weisbard, Eric; Marks, Craig, eds. (1995). "Bananarama". Spin Alternative Record Guide. New York: Vintage Books. pp. 28–29. ISBN 0-679-75574-8.
  5. ^ a b c d "Top 40 Stock Aitken Waterman songs". Classic Pop. 18 August 2021. Retrieved 14 August 2023.
  6. ^ "A Journey Through Stock Aitken Waterman: Ep 24: Nothing's Gonna Stop Me Now to F.L.M. on Apple Podcasts". Apple Podcasts. Retrieved 23 February 2022.
  7. ^ Smith, Jerry (11 July 1987). "Singles" (PDF). Music Week. p. 35. Retrieved 11 September 2023 – via World Radio History.
  8. ^ Smith, Robin (27 June 1987). "Singles reviewed by Robin Smith" (PDF). Record Mirror. London: Spotlight Publications Ltd. p. 12. ISSN 0144-5804. Retrieved 31 October 2023 – via World Radio History.
  9. ^ Petridis, Alexis (23 November 2023). "Stock Aitken Waterman's 20 greatest songs – ranked!". The Guardian. Retrieved 16 January 2024.
  10. ^ Eames, Tom (30 August 2023). "Bananarama's 10 greatest songs, ranked". Smooth Radio. Retrieved 6 February 2024.
  11. ^ a b "Bananarama: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 16 October 2016.
  12. ^ a b "The Irish Charts – Search Results – I Heard a Rumour". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 13 November 2020.
  13. ^ a b Pennanen, Timo (2006). Sisältää hitin – levyt ja esittäjät Suomen musiikkilistoilla vuodesta 1972 (in Finnish) (1st ed.). Helsinki: Kustannusosakeyhtiö Otava. p. 263. ISBN 978-951-1-21053-5.
  14. ^ a b "Bananarama – I Heard a Rumour". Singles Top 100. Retrieved 16 October 2016.
  15. ^ a b "Bananarama – I Heard a Rumour". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved 13 November 2020.
  16. ^ a b "Bananarama – I Heard a Rumour" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 16 October 2016.
  17. ^ a b "Classifiche". Musica e dischi (in Italian). Retrieved 29 May 2022. Select "Singoli" in the "Tipo" field, type "Bananarama" in the "Artista" field and press "cerca".
  18. ^ a b "Bananarama – I Heard a Rumour" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 16 October 2016.
  19. ^ a b "Offiziellecharts.de – Bananarama – I Heard a Rumour" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved 16 October 2016.
  20. ^ a b "European Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 4, no. 33. 22 August 1987. p. 14. OCLC 29800226 – via World Radio History.
  21. ^ a b "European Airplay Top 50" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 4, no. 33. 22 August 1987. p. 4. OCLC 29800226. Retrieved 4 September 2023 – via World Radio History.
  22. ^ a b "Top RPM Singles: Issue 0887." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 8 July 2018.
  23. ^ a b "Top 100 Singles of '87". RPM. Vol. 47, no. 12. 26 December 1987. p. 5. ISSN 0033-7064 – via Library and Archives Canada.
  24. ^ a b "Bananarama Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved 13 November 2020.
  25. ^ a b "Bananarama Chart History (Dance Club Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved 13 November 2020.
  26. ^ a b "Top Pop Singles of 1987". Billboard. 31 December 1987. Archived from the original on 19 July 2012. Retrieved 13 November 2020.
  27. ^ a b "Dance Club Songs – Year-End 1987". Billboard. Archived from the original on 17 February 2020. Retrieved 13 November 2020.
  28. ^ a b "Bananarama – I Heard a Rumour". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved 30 August 2019.
  29. ^ a b "SA Charts 1965–1989 (As presented on Springbok Radio/Radio Orion) – Acts B". The South African Rock Encyclopedia. Archived from the original on 1 September 2018. Retrieved 1 September 2018.
  30. ^ a b Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 26. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
  31. ^ "Nederlandse Top 40 – Bananarama" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 13 November 2020.
  32. ^ "Top Dance Singles" (PDF). Music Week. 8 August 1987. p. 12. Retrieved 11 September 2023 – via World Radio History.
  33. ^ "Bananarama Chart History (Adult Contemporary)". Billboard. Retrieved 13 November 2020.
  34. ^ "Bananarama Chart History (Dance Singles Sales)". Billboard. Retrieved 13 November 2020.
  35. ^ "Cash Box Top 100 Singles – Week ending October 10, 1987". Cash Box. Retrieved 29 September 2018.
  36. ^ "The Cash Box Year-End Charts: 1987 – Top 50 Pop Singles". Cash Box. 26 December 1987. Archived from the original on 3 August 2020. Retrieved 5 September 2015.
  37. ^ 真弓倫子* – I Heard A Rumour
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