Exotica is the eighth studio album

Studio album

A studio album is an album made up of tracks recorded in the controlled environment of a recording studio. A studio album contains newly written and recorded or previously unreleased or remixed material, distinguishing itself from a compilation or reissue album of previously recorded material, or...

 released by the British

United Kingdom

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...

 female vocal duo Bananarama

Bananarama

Bananarama are an English female pop duo who have had success on the pop and dance charts since 1982. Rather than relying on a two part harmony, the duo generally sings in unison, as do their background vocalists. Although there have been line-up changes, the group enjoyed their most popular...

. This is Bananarama's third album as a duo, and was produced by Pascal Caubet and issued only in France

France

The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...

 in 2001 on the M6 Interactions label

Record label

In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. Most commonly, a record label is the company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the production, manufacture, distribution, marketing and promotion,...

. The work is a combination of new compositions along with re-recordings of past Bananarama hits, including a Latin pop

Latin pop

Latin pop generally refers to pop music that has what may be perceived a Latin American influence...

 version of the U.S. and UK Top 10 hit, "Cruel Summer

Cruel Summer

"Cruel Summer" is a pop song originally written and performed by Bananarama that was a top ten hit in Britain in 1983. Singer Sara Dallin said the song "played on the darker side : it looked at the oppressive heat, the misery of wanting to be with someone as the summer ticked by...

".

Two promo-only singles were released from the album: "If" (which was abandoned mostly before release) and a cover version

Cover version

In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...

 of George Michael

George Michael

George Michael is a British musician, singer, songwriter and record producer who rose to fame in the 1980s when he formed the pop duo Wham! with his school friend, Andrew Ridgeley...

's "Careless Whisper

Careless Whisper

"Careless Whisper" is a 1984 single by George Michael , released by Epic Records in the UK, Japan, and other countries; and by Columbia Records in North America. The song was George Michael's first solo single although he was still performing in Wham! at the time...

". The album was not a commercial or critical success for Bananarama, but the few copies of "If" which made it to the French market have become one of the rarest items ever by the band, heavily sought after by fans and collectors.

Track listing

France CD version

1. "If" — 3:52 (P. Caubet/S. Dallin/K. Woodward)
2. "Starz" — 3:45 (S. Dallin/T. Moran/Bassey Walker)
3. "What You Gonna Do" — 4:32 (S. Dallin/B. Walker)
4. "Cruel Summer
   Cruel Summer
   "Cruel Summer" is a pop song originally written and performed by Bananarama that was a top ten hit in Britain in 1983. Singer Sara Dallin said the song "played on the darker side : it looked at the oppressive heat, the misery of wanting to be with someone as the summer ticked by...
   
   " — 4:05 (S. Jolley/T. Swain/S. Dallin/S. Fahey/ K. Woodward)
5. "Crazy" — 4:01 (S. Dallin/P. Hampartzyoumyan/K. Woodward)
6. "Boom" — 3:15 (S. Dallin/P. de Havilland/B. Walker)
7. "Robert De Niro's Waiting..." — 3:24 (S. Jolley/T. Swain/S. Dallin/S. Fahey/ K. Woodward)
8. "Careless Whisper
   Careless Whisper
   "Careless Whisper" is a 1984 single by George Michael , released by Epic Records in the UK, Japan, and other countries; and by Columbia Records in North America. The song was George Michael's first solo single although he was still performing in Wham! at the time...
   
   " — 4:02 (George Michael
   George Michael
   George Michael is a British musician, singer, songwriter and record producer who rose to fame in the 1980s when he formed the pop duo Wham! with his school friend, Andrew Ridgeley...
   
   /Andrew Ridgeley
   Andrew Ridgeley
   Andrew John Ridgeley is an English former pop singer-songwriter, guitarist and environmentalist. Andrew was a member of the 1980s pop music duo Wham!.-Early life:...
   
   )
9. "Sleep" — 4:06 (S. Dallin/P. Statham/B. Walker/K. Woodward)
10. "I Heard a Rumour
    I Heard a Rumour
    "I Heard a Rumour" is a 1987 song recorded by English girl group Bananarama, featured on their Wow! album. It was also featured in the film Disorderlies and included on its soundtrack....
    
    " — 3:53 (S. Dallin/S. Fahey/K. Woodward/M. Stock/M. Aitken/P. Waterman)
11. "Got a Thing for You" — 3:41 (P. Caubet/S. Dallin/B. Walker/K. Woodward)
12. "Venus" — 3:38 (R. V. Leeuwen
    Shocking Blue
    Shocking Blue was a Dutch rock band from The Hague, the Netherlands, formed in 1967. Their biggest hit, "Venus", went to #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in February 1970, and the band had sold 13.5 million discs by 1973, but the group disbanded in 1974.-Members:...
    
    )

Unreleased songs and demos

1. "What You Gonna Do"
2. "Boom"
3. "Venus" '97"
4. "Sleep"
5. "You and I"
6. "You Are Not Me"
7. "U R My Baby"

   Available on the Disco Brothers CD album Disco Brothers Present Stars of the '80s.

8. "Your Love Tastes So Sweet"
9. "Breathe"
10. "Finally"
11. "Blue Sky"
12. "Middle of Nowhere"
13. "Waterloo"

    Available on the CDs A Song for Eurotrash and ABBA: A Tribute, The 25th Anniversary Celebration.

14. "I'm Waiting"
15. "I Like It"

Personnel

Bananarama

• Sara Dallin
  Sara Dallin
  Sara Elizabeth Dallin is an English musician mostly noted for her membership of the group Bananarama, which she co-founded with her childhood friend Keren Woodward.Dallin was born in Bristol, England...
  
   - Vocals
• Keren Woodward
  Keren Woodward
  Keren Woodward is an English pop singer and songwriter of British girl group Bananarama, co-founded by her long time school friend Sara Dallin and Siobhan Fahey....
  
   - Vocals

Produced by

• Krysty Music Ltd.

Vocal arrangements

• Sara Dallin
  Sara Dallin
  Sara Elizabeth Dallin is an English musician mostly noted for her membership of the group Bananarama, which she co-founded with her childhood friend Keren Woodward.Dallin was born in Bristol, England...
  
   on most songs
• Keren Woodward
  Keren Woodward
  Keren Woodward is an English pop singer and songwriter of British girl group Bananarama, co-founded by her long time school friend Sara Dallin and Siobhan Fahey....
  
   on most songs
• Bassey Walker on most songs

Recorded at

• Krysty Music Studios, Paris
• Pat Studio, Paris

Voices recorded at

• Matrix Studios, London
• North London Studios
• Studio du Palais des Congres, Paris
• Big Onion Studios, London

Guitars

• Vasken Sayrin on "If", "Boom", "Careless Whisper
  Careless Whisper
  "Careless Whisper" is a 1984 single by George Michael , released by Epic Records in the UK, Japan, and other countries; and by Columbia Records in North America. The song was George Michael's first solo single although he was still performing in Wham! at the time...
  
  " and "Got a Thing for You"
• Alejandro Otero on "Cruel Summer
  Cruel Summer
  "Cruel Summer" is a pop song originally written and performed by Bananarama that was a top ten hit in Britain in 1983. Singer Sara Dallin said the song "played on the darker side : it looked at the oppressive heat, the misery of wanting to be with someone as the summer ticked by...
  
  "
• Juan-Carlos Pellegrino on "Careless Whisper
  Careless Whisper
  "Careless Whisper" is a 1984 single by George Michael , released by Epic Records in the UK, Japan, and other countries; and by Columbia Records in North America. The song was George Michael's first solo single although he was still performing in Wham! at the time...
  
  ", "Sleep" and "Venus"

Keyboards

• Pascal Caubet on most songs
• Juan Carlos Pellegrino on "Cruel Summer
  Cruel Summer
  "Cruel Summer" is a pop song originally written and performed by Bananarama that was a top ten hit in Britain in 1983. Singer Sara Dallin said the song "played on the darker side : it looked at the oppressive heat, the misery of wanting to be with someone as the summer ticked by...
  
  "
• Florent Enfer on "Robert De Niro's Waiting...", and "I Heard a Rumour
  I Heard a Rumour
  "I Heard a Rumour" is a 1987 song recorded by English girl group Bananarama, featured on their Wow! album. It was also featured in the film Disorderlies and included on its soundtrack....
  
  "
• Patrick Hampartzoumian on "Crazy"

Programming

• Florent Enfer on most songs
• Patrick Hampartzoumian on "Crazy"

Arrangements

• Pascal Caubet and Florent Enfer on most songs
• Bassey Walker and Peter de Havilland on "What You Gonna Do"
• Patrick Hampartzoumian on "Crazy"

Executive producer

• Pascal Caubet

Sound engineer

• Juan Carlos Pellegrino

Mixed by

• Juan Carlos Pellegrino and Pascal Caubet on most songs
• Patrick Hampartzoumian on "Crazy"