"Cruel Summer" is a song by English girl group Bananarama. It was written by Bananarama and Steve Jolley, Tony Swain, and produced by Jolley and Swain. Released in 1983, it was initially a stand-alone single but was subsequently included on their self-titled second album a year later. The song reached number eight on the UK Singles Chart in 1983 and the group performed it live on the BBC's Top of the Pops that summer, and after its inclusion in the 1984 film The Karate Kid, it reached number nine on the US Billboard Hot 100.
Swing Out Sister are a British pop group best known worldwide for the 1986 song "Breakout". Other hits include "You On My Mind", "Twilight World", "Waiting Game", and a remake of the Eugene Record soul composition "Am I the Same Girl?"
It's Better to Travel is the debut album by the British pop band Swing Out Sister, released in 1987 on Mercury Records. Upon its release, the album reached number one on the UK Albums Chart.
"Until You Come Back to Me (That's What I'm Gonna Do)" is a song written by Morris Broadnax, Clarence Paul, and Stevie Wonder. The song was originally recorded by Stevie Wonder in 1967, but his version was not released as a single and did not appear on an album until 1977's anthology Looking Back. The best-known version of this song is the 1973 release by Aretha Franklin, who had a million-selling top 10 hit on Billboard charts. The song reached No. 1 on the R&B chart and No. 3 on the Hot 100 chart in 1974. It became an RIAA Gold record.
"He Was Really Sayin' Somethin' is a soul song written by Motown songwriters Norman Whitfield, William "Mickey" Stevenson, and Edward Holland, Jr. in 1964. The song is notable in both a 1964 version by American Motown girl group the Velvelettes, and a 1982 hit version by British girl group Bananarama.
"Diamonds" is a song by American trumpeter Herb Alpert from his 27th studio album, Keep Your Eye on Me (1987). Released as the second single from Keep Your Eye on Me on March 14, 1987, by A&M Records, the song features lead and background vocals by American singers Janet Jackson and Lisa Keith.
"Surrender" is a 1987 single released by British pop act Swing Out Sister from their debut album, It's Better to Travel. It was issued as the follow-up to the successful single, "Breakout". The song peaked at #7 on the UK Singles Chart in January 1987 and logged four weeks in the top ten.
"Fooled by a Smile" is a 1987 song by the British pop act Swing Out Sister. It was the final single to be taken from their debut album It's Better To Travel and reached #43 on the UK Singles Chart in July of that year.
"Power of Love/Love Power" is a single by American singer-songwriter Luther Vandross. It was released on April 9, 1991 as the lead single from his 1991 album of the same name. The song spent two weeks at number one on the US R&B chart, and peaked at number four on the US pop chart, becoming his biggest pop solo hit.
"Am I the Same Girl?" is a popular song written by Eugene Record and Sonny Sanders. First recorded in 1968 by Barbara Acklin, "Am I the Same Girl?" charted most successfully in the US as a 1992 release by Swing Out Sister. However, the song had its greatest impact as a 1968–69 instrumental hit single by Young-Holt Unlimited under the title "Soulful Strut".
"It Only Takes a Minute" is a 1975 song by American soul/R&B group Tavares, released as the first single from their third album, In the City (1975). The song was the group's only top-10 pop hit in the United States, peaking at number 10, and their second number one song on the American soul charts. On the US Disco chart, "It Only Takes a Minute" spent five weeks at number two and was the first of four entries on the chart. The song was subsequently covered by Jonathan King performing as 100 Ton and a Feather in 1976 and by boy band Take That in 1992.
"Ai No Corrida" is a song by the English singer and multi-instrumentalist Chaz Jankel, written by Jankel and Kenny Young. The title is based on the Japanese title of the erotic film In the Realm of the Senses. It was first recorded in 1980 and featured on Chaz Jankel's debut album Chas Jankel for A&M Records.
"Break 4 Love" is a song written, produced and recorded by Vaughan Mason, the principal member of American house music group Raze, the song's original credited performer. The song, the group's only significant US hit, featured vocals by Keith Thompson and Vaughan Mason, as well as sexual sound samples by Erique Dial. The single peaked at number 28 on the UK Singles Chart and topped the US Billboard Hot Dance Club Play chart in 1988. It is still considered a classic of the early house music genre.
"Secret Rendezvous" is the fourth single from American singer Karyn White's 1988 self-titled debut studio album. The song was written by Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds, Antonio "L.A." Reid and Daryl Simmons, and produced by Reid and Babyface, who were at the peak of their success at the time as a songwriting and production team.
Get in Touch with Yourself is the third studio album by the British pop group Swing Out Sister. The album was released on Fontana Records in 1992 and was produced by Paul Staveley O'Duffy.
The Living Return is the fourth studio album by the British pop group Swing Out Sister. It was released in August 1994 on Mercury Records.
"Notgonnachange" is a by British pop group Swing Out Sister. It was released as the follow-up single to "Am I the Same Girl". It reached number 49 on the UK Singles Chart and number 22 on the U.S. Billboard adult contemporary chart. This song was subsequently remixed by Frankie Knuckles, and the dance mix of "Notgonnachange" peaked at number 21 on the U.S. Hot Dance Club Play chart during the summer of 1992.
"Baby Love" is a song by American singer Regina. The single hit number one on the dance charts for two weeks in mid-1986. The single crossed over to the pop singles chart, where it peaked at number 10 on US Billboard Hot 100 and at number 30 on the Billboard Soul Singles chart. "Baby Love" would be her only single to chart on both the Pop and Soul Singles charts, but several follow up singles charted on the dance chart.
"Divine Emotions" is a 1988 single by Narada Michael Walden, from the album Divine Emotion. A successful producer, Walden billed himself as Narada for his later music releases. After producing acts like Aretha Franklin and Whitney Houston in the mid-1980s, Walden released "Divine Emotions," in 1988. The single went to number one on the Billboard dance club play chart for one week. Although the single did not chart on the Hot 100, it peaked at number twenty-one on the soul singles chart. Overseas, "Divine Emotions", was a Top Ten hit in the UK, peaking at #8, and in the Netherlands, peaking at #4 in the Dutch Top40.
Best of is a 1996 retrospective compilation album by Swing Out Sister, containing their successful singles spanning the years 1986 through 1996. It is their first compilation album—and last Fontana Records album.
