"Talent"

There are some things in life that just aren't done. Like River Phoenix wearing a fur coat or Guns n' Roses opening for Debbie Gibson. Or quitting Bananarama, which is exactly what Siobhan Fahey did in 1987, shortly after marrying Eurythmic Dave Stewart and becoming pregnant with son Sam (now two). The group which formed in 1981 and whose lengthy string of hits includes Venus and Cruel Summer, had enjoyed moderate success here in the U.S but is practically an institution back in England. So Siobhan's departure definitively wasn't part of the program. She was messin' with a good thing. But hey, things change. "Bananarama sort of changed direction in its later," the petite, thirty-two-old Siobhan explains. "It went for a very Top 10 thing that was a little too safe of my liking. I've always liked to take risks." Her latest risk is Shakespear's Sister, a partnership (appropriating its name from a Smith's song title) with producer/song writer - and L.A. neighbor - Richard Feldman and singer/songwriter Marcella Detroit. For the group's debut release, Sacred Heart (Polygram), Siobhan has traded in her Bananarama-style cheer-leading pop for a more seductive approach, often sounding like Grace Jones or Patti Smith coping with attitude. The songs are diverse in their musical influences, with lyrics focusing on relationships from a variety of angles.
CHRIS NADLER.