Bananarama singer claims ‘sexism’ from Waterman and co drove her out of band
AT their height, Stock Aitken and Waterman helped propel the likes of Kylie Minogue to pop stardom. But now a Bananarama singer has accused the legendary producers of sexism.
Siobhan Fahey says the treatment she experienced at their hands was partly behind her decision to quit the charttopping girl group in 1988.
The 59- year- old, who co- founded Bananarama with friends Sara Dallin and Keren Woodward in 1981, revealed the tension between her and Pete Waterman became so great that she could not bear to be in the same room as him.
The songwriting partnership of Mike Stock, Matt Aitken and Waterman were nicknamed the Hit Factory, selling 40million records, and in 1986 Bananarama made them their main producers after working on the smash hit Venus together.
But in an interview with Attitude magazine, Miss Fahey, who recently reunited with her former bandmates for Bananarama’s first ever tour, said: ‘I found the sexism of Stock Aitken Waterman very difficult to handle. I couldn’t be in the studio at the same time as Pete.
‘I remember Matt [Aitken] pressing the talkback button going, “Keren, I can see your t**s wobble!” ’ The band was also asked about Waterman, 70, once branding them ‘difficult’ to work with.
Miss Woodward, who last year split from Wham! star Andrew Ridgeley, replied: ‘Good! Difficult compared to other artists who just accepted songs, performed them and left.’ Miss Dallin added: ‘We said how we wanted things done, and there are men around who are afraid of that. They term you as “difficult”.’