Music Review: Bananarama "Venus"
Bananarama
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Venus
Album: True Confessions
Year: 1986
In 1969, Shocking Blue released "Venus" and it became a Top 40 hit. Nonetheless, it would be their only major single to make any impact. Nonetheless, they were one-hit wonders.
Mariska Veres says although she's a normal woman, she's as beautiful as Roman goddess, Venus in the hard-bitten "Venus."
Matter-of-fact guitars open the single, setting a wistful tone. In the first verse, Veres says Venus lives on the top of the mountain. She burns, literally, with her eroticism and sexuality. She's symbol of love.
In the chorus, Veres says Venus has the charisma to attract men. Veres says she's the same. She can turn him on, too whenever she wants.
A twangy guitar has a solo.
In the second verse, she says Venus lured men with her white diamond eyes. Each time a man looked into them, they ceased to function. They only wanted her. She kept to the shadows and the men could only see her silhouette.
The chorus is sung again.
Veres sings a haunting "ah" over the melody.
The chorus is sung again.
The twangy guitar has another solo and plays the melody the entire way through to end the single.
Veres is resentful and self-concious about her looks. She wants to be as bewitching as a goddess. However, her aspirations are out of reach. Men have rejected her for not being the standard of beauty. But she shoots back that she is as alluring as any woman.
Veres' vocals are bitter and rigid. She refuses to be laughed at anymore. She's through being insecure. However, her vocals aren't the least bit sexual. In order for the song to work, she needs to be lusty and confident.
The music arrangement has an underlying sadness to it, suggesting pain and heartache. The riffs are cool. However, it feels like it could be another song altogether. It doesn't match Veres' voice at all.
Shocking Blue's "Venus" is a downer and nothing really fits.
In 1986, Bananarama would cover the single. Although they hit the charts the U.S., it wasn't until they released "Venus" that they would finally break out into the American market.
Keren Woodward compares herself to Venus in the convincing "Venus."
Bright keyboards and an explosive electric guitar open the single, setting a self-possessed tone.
In the first verse, Keren Woodward describes Venus, the goddess of love.
In the chorus, Woodward says she's as gorgeous as her. There is a slight lyric change. Bananarama adds the extra "well, I'm your Venus" to the chorus.
In the second verse, Bananarama again describe Venus. However, there's another minor lyric change. They say she had eye sex with all the men who saw her.
The chorus is sung again.
The synths have an energetic solo. A male background singer says "Venus was her name."
The chorus is sung again.
The first verse is sung again.
The chorus is sung again. Waterman adds "Venus was her name" at the end of it.
Bananarama sing "yeah, baby, she's got it" about six times to end the single.
The length is extended by a meager nine seconds, despite the first verse being sung again. It moves at a brisk pace that the changes aren't noticeable.
However, Bananarama's version succeeds for a couple reasons. Woodward, Sarah Dallin, and Siobhan Fahey's vocals are exuberant and keen. They sincerely believe they are as pretty as Venus. No boy is going to tell them otherwise. They brim with self-confidence.
The music arrangement in producers SAW (for brevity) has undergone a major transformation. They change it to a lively, effervescent dance song. The new tempo is refreshing and allows the song to reach its potential.
As covered by Bananarama, "Venus" is an inescapable pleasure.
Album: True Confessions
Year: 1986
In 1969, Shocking Blue released "Venus" and it became a Top 40 hit. Nonetheless, it would be their only major single to make any impact. Nonetheless, they were one-hit wonders.
Mariska Veres says although she's a normal woman, she's as beautiful as Roman goddess, Venus in the hard-bitten "Venus."
Matter-of-fact guitars open the single, setting a wistful tone. In the first verse, Veres says Venus lives on the top of the mountain. She burns, literally, with her eroticism and sexuality. She's symbol of love.
" A goddess on a mountain top/Was burning like a silver flame/The summit of beauty in love/
And Venus was her name."
In the chorus, Veres says Venus has the charisma to attract men. Veres says she's the same. She can turn him on, too whenever she wants.
"She's got it yeah, baby, she's got it./Well, I'm your Venus, I'm your fire/At your desire."
A twangy guitar has a solo.
In the second verse, she says Venus lured men with her white diamond eyes. Each time a man looked into them, they ceased to function. They only wanted her. She kept to the shadows and the men could only see her silhouette.
"Her weapon were her crystal eyes/Making every man mad/
Black as the dark night she was/Got what no one else had/Wow!"
The chorus is sung again.
Veres sings a haunting "ah" over the melody.
The chorus is sung again.
The twangy guitar has another solo and plays the melody the entire way through to end the single.
Veres is resentful and self-concious about her looks. She wants to be as bewitching as a goddess. However, her aspirations are out of reach. Men have rejected her for not being the standard of beauty. But she shoots back that she is as alluring as any woman.
Veres' vocals are bitter and rigid. She refuses to be laughed at anymore. She's through being insecure. However, her vocals aren't the least bit sexual. In order for the song to work, she needs to be lusty and confident.
The music arrangement has an underlying sadness to it, suggesting pain and heartache. The riffs are cool. However, it feels like it could be another song altogether. It doesn't match Veres' voice at all.
Shocking Blue's "Venus" is a downer and nothing really fits.
In 1986, Bananarama would cover the single. Although they hit the charts the U.S., it wasn't until they released "Venus" that they would finally break out into the American market.
Keren Woodward compares herself to Venus in the convincing "Venus."
Bright keyboards and an explosive electric guitar open the single, setting a self-possessed tone.
In the first verse, Keren Woodward describes Venus, the goddess of love.
"Goddess on the mountain top...and Venus was her name."
In the chorus, Woodward says she's as gorgeous as her. There is a slight lyric change. Bananarama adds the extra "well, I'm your Venus" to the chorus.
"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."
In the second verse, Bananarama again describe Venus. However, there's another minor lyric change. They say she had eye sex with all the men who saw her.
"Her weapons were her crystal eyes/Making every man a man...Wow!"
The chorus is sung again.
The synths have an energetic solo. A male background singer says "Venus was her name."
The chorus is sung again.
The first verse is sung again.
The chorus is sung again. Waterman adds "Venus was her name" at the end of it.
Bananarama sing "yeah, baby, she's got it" about six times to end the single.
The length is extended by a meager nine seconds, despite the first verse being sung again. It moves at a brisk pace that the changes aren't noticeable.
However, Bananarama's version succeeds for a couple reasons. Woodward, Sarah Dallin, and Siobhan Fahey's vocals are exuberant and keen. They sincerely believe they are as pretty as Venus. No boy is going to tell them otherwise. They brim with self-confidence.
The music arrangement in producers SAW (for brevity) has undergone a major transformation. They change it to a lively, effervescent dance song. The new tempo is refreshing and allows the song to reach its potential.
As covered by Bananarama, "Venus" is an inescapable pleasure.