Fun girl three

Not being a believer in the concept of guilty pleasures, I've been loudly proclaiming my love of Bananarama for years - often to incredulous snorts of derision. This Guardian interview feature with the trio - marking their return to action nearly 40 years after they first formed - indicates that I'm actually in good company: "The bassist from the Cure, who had all their B-sides. The Cult. Judas Priest. The Prodigy. The Deftones." Not to mention Terry Hall of The Specials and John Peel.

As the article rightly underlines, Bananarama - Siobhan Fahey, Keren Woodward and Sara Dallin - emerged out of the London punk scene, espousing its amateurish, irreverent, anyone-can-be-a-star spirit, if not its sound or politics. Their early singles are largely tremendous, and even some of the fruits of the much-derided Stock, Aitken & Waterman years are worthy of note. Not that Fahey would agree on the latter point - it was the turn towards "absolutely full-on pop" at a time when she admits to "feeling lost and dark and depressed", and "obsessed with the Smiths", that led to her abrupt departure and ultimately the demise of the band.

While I have neither a burning desire to see them live nor particularly high hopes for the mooted new material, it's good to have them back if it means they'll finally get their due.