UK London NANA5
Released: July 1983
UK chart position: 8

After the mixed-bag of producers on their debut album Deep Sea Skiving, Bananarama decided to get their second album produced by Steve Jolley and Tony Swain who were producing other successful acts Spandau Ballet and Alison Moyet. Bananarama loved their work with early 80's band Imagination and were disheartened with Barry Blues dictatorial production. Their firt collaborative track that was released with Jolley & Swain is the charismatic Cruel Summer (their previous efforts were the UK top ten singles Shy Boy and Na Na Hey Hey, and the Bananarama-penned Boy Trouble).

"Everybody interprets it [opening verse of Cruel Summer] as 'your boyfriend has gone and left you' but it's like a mood thing. Using words to express a horrible sort of claustrophobic feeling. But we failed miserably. Everybody thinks its a love song." - Siobhan Fahey, 1984.

Cruel Summer is certainly one of the most prolific Bananarama songs - it was released in England in July 1983 (first chart entry 9-Jul-83) and charted a respectable #8 in England and stayed in UK charts for ten weeks. Major success for the single came much later when the track was used prominently in the soundtrack for the hit movie The Karate Kid in 1985. This propelled the song into the US top ten peaking at #9, and similarly #32 in Australia (January 1985). This single was also the first from their 1984 released self-titled album.

In 2001 Bananarama released their Exotica album which featured a blend of new tracks they had been working on since their Ultra Violet album (Boom and What You Gonna Do), new tracks written with their french producer Pascal Caubet (e.g. If and Got A Thing For You), and remixes of their best-selling back catalogue tracks including Cruel Summer, Venus, I Heard A Rumour, and Robert de Niro's Waiting. The 2001 rendition was recorded in North London (voices) and Paris (music) and features additional lyrics and a new vocal arrangement by Keren, Sarah and Bassey Walker.

Written by: Sarah Dallin, Siobhan Fahey, Keren Woodward, Steve Jolley, Tony Swain
1983 Produced by: Jolley, Swain
1989 Produced by: Stock, Aitken, Waterman
2001 Produced by: Krysty Music Ltd.
Published by: In A Bunch, J & S Music
Copyright owned by: London Records 1983, London Records 1989, Krysty Music Ltd 2001.
Featured on: Cruel Summer Single, Bananarama, The Greatest Hits Collection, Exotica, The Very Best Of Bananarama
Chart Peak: UK #8 | Australia #32 | Canada #17 | USA #9 | New Zealand #32 (2 weeks)
1989 Re-Issue Chart Peak: UK #19

There are eight Bananarama versions of Cruel Summer that were officially released between 1983 and 2001. The radio version (3:32) was released on seven inch single, and is also available on the following albums: Bananarama, The Greatest Hits Collection, and The Very Best Of Bananarama. The original twelve inch single features an extended version (4:55) which is only available on the twelve inch and on the rare Australian-only Twelve Inch Mixes CD. Two versions exist of the Summer Dub: a shorter edited version (3:27) that features on the b-side of the original Cruel Summer single (also called the 'Cruel Dub' on some prints); and the full length Summer Dub (5:10) that is exclusive to the b-side of the original twelve inch single.

The 1989 remixes by Aitkens, Aitkens, & Trottman were released in three forms. The standard mix is the swing beat version that appears on the Cruel Summer '89 seven inch and CD single (3:27) which features additional lyrics. The twelve inch single features the similarly titled Swing Beat Dub (5:18) that was also released on the bonus CD on the double Please Yourself CD. The third mix, is also called the Swing Beat Dub (4:56) and was exlusively released on the very rare UK DJ-only promo twelve inch record called DUBS. This version is entirely an instrumental (or dub version) and unlike the other two mixes is actually a dub mix. Bananarama also included Cruel Summer on their World Tour and the unreleased Live At Wembley Arena version that was recorded and remastered at PWL studios is 4:14.

The latest reincarnation of Cruel Summer features on the Exotica album (4:02). This version features a new vocal arrangement and additional lyrics.

Two DJ-only remix service versions also exist: there is a digital mix from Hot Tracks (6:01) that was re-issued on a The Edge double CD compilation in the late 1990s; and a remix by Resurrection that is only available on DJ-only twelve inch record.

For completeness a catalogue of the known Ace of Base and DJ Space'c remixes are also included. All of the Ace Of Base versions listed below were released on CD singles (Australian and US singles). The two versions by DJ Space'c are from the twelve inch single issued in Italy. It is not known if these mixes are available elsewhere.

Bananarama Versions

Original Version
1. Cruel Summer (Seven Inch / Album Version) 3:32
2. Cruel Summer (Extended Version) 4:55
3. Cruel Summer (Cruel Dub / Summer Dub - edit) 3:27
4. Cruel Summer (Summer Dub) 5:10

1989 Remixes
1. Cruel Summer '89 (Seven Inch Version / Swing Beat Version - edit) 3:27
2. Cruel Summer '89 (Twelve Inch Version / Swing Beat Dub) 5:18
3. Cruel Summer '89 (Swing Beat Dub - instrumental) 4:56

DJ Remix Services
1. Cruel Summer (Hot Tracks Digital Mix) 6:01
2. Cruel Summer (Resurrection Mix) 5:58

2001 Version
1. Cruel Summer (2001 Exotica Version) 4:02


Ace Of Base Versions
1. Cruel Summer (Blazin' Rhythm Remix) 3:32
2. Cruel Summer (Radio Edit) 4:05
3. Cruel Summer (Cutfather & Joe Mix) 3:33
4. Cruel Summer (Hartmann & Langhoff Short Mix) 3:23
5. Cruel Summer (Hartmann & Langhoff Club Mix) 7:45


DJ Space'c Feat. Anne Versions
1. Cruel Summer (Factory Team Remix) 5:46
2. Cruel Summer (H2O Extended Mix) 4:26