search user
Advert
Advert

Bananarama - Cheers Then

Music Video | 1982
ArtistBananarama
SongCheers Then
AlbumBananarama
DirectorKeith MacMillan
GenrePop
IntroNo
OutroNo
Production CompanyKeefco
LabelLondon (1983)
Sound MixStereo
Technical Specificationscolour - format unknown
Release date

Wiki

Synopsis

Bananarama turn a breakup song into a playful postcard from Salzburg. Dressed in homemade outfits and carrying guitar cases, the trio wander through the Austrian countryside and city, echoing the familiar imagery of The Sound of Music. They run through hills, leap around the famous steps, appear at the gazebo, and perform together in picturesque settings. The deliberately innocent visuals contrast with the song's wistful farewell to a relationship that has reached its end.

Factoids & Trivia

  • The video was filmed in Salzburg and recreates several recognizable locations and scenes from The Sound of Music, including the hills, gazebo, and steps associated with the "Do-Re-Mi" sequence.
  • The concept came from the group's affection for the 1965 musical film. Keren Woodward has recalled having the sheet music at home and playing songs from the movie at family gatherings.
  • The clothes were largely made by the group themselves. Siobhan Fahey later described one homemade wool skirt as particularly unflattering, while the trio remembered the outfits as part of the video's innocent, homemade charm.
  • "Cheers Then" was Bananarama's first ballad and the first single written by all three original members: Sara Dallin, Siobhan Fahey, and Keren Woodward.
  • Released in November 1982 after three consecutive Top 10 singles, it reached No. 45 in the UK. The result was a reality check for the group, who later said the setback made them take their career more seriously.
  • The song's later reputation has been kinder than its initial chart performance. It is often singled out as one of the more poignant early Bananarama recordings, especially because its theme of parting gained extra resonance after Fahey's eventual departure from the group.
  • The video was included on Bananarama's 1984 video compilation "And That's Not All...", alongside other material from the band's early period.

Lyrics

Cheers then here's two old friends
We thought we'd never say goodbye
But those good times came to an end
And its not worth another try
Familiar place familar face
But feeling's not the same
Try to relive what we once did
Its just a silly game

Cheers then here's two old friends
We thought we'd never say goodbye
But those good times came to an end
And its not worth another try
...
© Bananarama - Cheers Then. This is an excerpt, provided as citation under fair-use.
Update

More Music Videos

New

Classics

Tell us what you like, or dislike:

(Optional) Leave your email to let us contact you to follow up on your feedback. Your email address will be kept private.

Leave feedback!  X