Banana Republic (Boomtown Rats song)
Encyclopedia
"Banana Republic" was the first single
from The Boomtown Rats
' album Mondo Bongo
. It peaked at number three in the UK charts and was the band's last major commercial success. Breaking from the band's previous new wave
sound the song opens with a ska-reggae hook (that repeats at the close of the much longer album version). However the song itself is a more mainstream piece musically. The 'Banana Republic
' which the song describes is actually a deliberately scathing portrait of the band's country of origin, Ireland
, and was written in response to the band being banned from performing there. This in turn was reputedly because of Geldof's "denunciation of nationalism, medieval-minded clerics and corrupt politicians" in a memorably controversial 1977 interview/performance on Ireland's The Late Late Show
with Gay Byrne
.
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
from The Boomtown Rats
The Boomtown Rats
The Boomtown Rats were an Irish punk rock band that had a series of Irish and UK hits between 1977 and 1985. They were led by vocalist Bob Geldof.-Biography:All six members were originally from Dún Laoghaire, Ireland...
' album Mondo Bongo
Mondo Bongo
Mondo Bongo was The Boomtown Rats fourth album and included the hit singles: "Banana Republic", which had reached No. 3 in the UK charts in November 1980 and "The Elephants Graveyard " which made No...
. It peaked at number three in the UK charts and was the band's last major commercial success. Breaking from the band's previous new wave
New Wave music
New Wave is a subgenre of :rock music that emerged in the mid to late 1970s alongside punk rock. The term at first generally was synonymous with punk rock before being considered a genre in its own right that incorporated aspects of electronic and experimental music, mod subculture, disco and 1960s...
sound the song opens with a ska-reggae hook (that repeats at the close of the much longer album version). However the song itself is a more mainstream piece musically. The 'Banana Republic
Banana Republic
Banana Republic is an American clothing brand founded by Mel and Patricia Ziegler in 1978 as a travel-themed clothing company; it has subsequently largely eliminated this tropical or travel-related theme. The company was bought by Gap in 1983...
' which the song describes is actually a deliberately scathing portrait of the band's country of origin, Ireland
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
, and was written in response to the band being banned from performing there. This in turn was reputedly because of Geldof's "denunciation of nationalism, medieval-minded clerics and corrupt politicians" in a memorably controversial 1977 interview/performance on Ireland's The Late Late Show
The Late Late Show
The Late Late Show, sometimes referred to as The Late Late, or in some cases by the acronym LLS, is the world's longest-running chat show by the same broadcaster and the official flagship television programme of Irish broadcasting company RTÉ...
with Gay Byrne
Gay Byrne
Gabriel Mary "Gay" Byrne is a veteran Irish presenter of radio and television. His most notable role was first host of The Late Late Show over a 37-year period spanning 1962 until 1999...
.