For more than 30 years their name has been synonymous with bright, sophisticated and authentically-brilliant pop music.
Close your eyes and the Bananarama sound is timeless. Open your eyes and they don't look far off it either.
The girls were in town to officially open the Hard Rock Café Dubai. Sara Dallin and Keren Woodward turn heads wherever they go even if the high notes in Love in The First Degree are a little harder to reach, admits Woodward.
From humble beginnings, the childhood friends along with Irish mate Siobhan Fahey caught the attention of ex-Specials member Terry Hall, who invited them to collaborate with his new vocal group Fun Boy Three on It Ain't What You Do (It's the Way That You Do It). In 1982, the song hit the top five in the UK and gave Bananarama mainstream success.
The achievements speak for themselves. More hits than the Spice Girls, more albums sold than Atomic Kitten, more Band Aid appearances than the Sugababes and an entry in the Guinness World Records as the biggest girl group since The Supremes.
Now, 30 years on, and the girls are still going strong albeit as a duo rather than trio since the departure of Fahey who went on to form Shakespeare's Sister.
"Back in the day we didn't really have time to be a live act because we were always on TV or doing live interviews," said Woodward, her enviable figure svelte in a fitted white dress. "We were being flown all over the world. We only did one real main tour and now we get to do shows all the time with the band which is fabulous."
While their initial hits, including Shy Boy, Na Na Hey Hey (Kiss Him Goodbye) and Cruel Summer were widely dismissed as "fluffy pop", the success of 1984's release Robert De Niro's Waiting, they went on to spawn more including Venus, Love in the First Degree and I Heard a Rumour.
‘Evolved hits'
The pressures of producing hit songs removed, Dallin says performing their "evolved hits" is more fun in many ways. "It's actually got easier because we don't have as much pressure to perform," she said. "You can enjoy yourself a bit more. When we were younger it was all about promotion and the outfits and the interviews. Now it's about performing. Now we're actually doing what we set out to do."
Another change is the introduction of live instruments in place of recorded backing tracks.
"Back in the day we did more PA shows. Now we do everything with a band and it changes the sound of it. It makes it more exciting for us. Everyone wants to hear the hits but it makes it different for us because there are guitars and that wasn't on the original records. It has evolved for us. I don't realise how much sometimes until I hear an old song on the radio and you can really notice the difference, especially with the tempo," she said.
"But we've always kept the flavour of all the old tracks. I think when you go and see someone you want to be able to recognise the songs. The reason we love playing at Hard Rock is because of the live band. It represents live music. They are brilliant music venues perfect for live shows and that's what we are now."
Friends since the age of four, Woodward and Dallin remain tight and cite their "alternative temperaments" as the key to their success.
"It's really easy travelling the world with your best friend and doing a job which you both really enjoy," said Dallin. "Most groups spilt up because the members don't get on. We've never had that."
"We're quite different as people in temperament. Same humour but that's about it. The pressure bit in some ways made us closer because we were the only people who understood the pressures. Everyone thought we were travelling the world, having the life," said Woodward looking across at her lifelong friend for confirmation.
A smile broke across her face and she added "which of course most of the time we were".
