More Than Physical

"More Than Physical"
Single by Bananarama
from the album True Confessions
B-side	Scarlett
Released	August 1986
Format	7" single, 12" single
Recorded	February 1986
Genre	Pop, Dance
Length	5:05 (Album Version) 3:21 (Single Version)
Label	London Records
Writer(s)	Sara Dallin Siobhan Fahey Keren Woodward Stock Aitken Waterman
Producer	Stock Aitken Waterman
Bananarama singles chronology
"Venus" (1986) "More Than Physical" (1986) "A Trick of the Night" (1986)

"More Than Physical" is a song written and performed by English girl group Bananarama. It was one of two tracks on the group's True Confessions album produced by the Stock Aitken Waterman (SAW) trio instead of Jolley & Swain. The album version of the track is different from the single.

In order to capitalize on the number-one success of previous single "Venus" (the other True Confessions track produced by SAW), "More Than Physical" was given a Hi-NRG-influenced make-over to sound similar to the dance-oriented chart-topper. The version issued in the UK was a slightly different edit to the version used in the rest of the world. The UK version intro went straight into the "hey hey" vocal locs from the instrumental section and the run out choruses also had "hey hey" vocal locs running through them.

Even with heavy exposure on MTV, "More Than Physical" did not duplicate the success of "Venus", stalling at number forty-one on the UK singles chart and number seventy-three on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100. It was a top-forty success in Australia, where it peaked at number twenty-eight in the ARIA chart. Its biggest success was in nightclubs, and "More Than Physical" became a top-five hit on the U.S. Hot Dance Club Play chart.

"More Than Physical" was featured in the 1986 British film Rita, Sue and Bob Too starring Michelle Holmes and Siobhan Finneran. The song is featured in the scene where the girls are babysitting for Bob and Michelle, and they dance around the living room while the video to "More Than Physical" plays on the television.

The bassline of the track is derivative of the 70's disco hit "Boogie Oogie Oogie" by A Taste Of Honey.

Music video

The remixed single version's music video further capitalized on Bananarama's new glamorous and sexy visual image by including several well-muscled, topless men in a montage of shots of the group members. Some of the shots were made with colored filters, and are juxtaposed with tightly cropped shots of body parts or movements in slow motion. The music video was directed by Peter Care and one of the models in the video is Keren Woodward's then-boyfriend David-Scott Evans.

Track Listings

7" single NANA11

1. "More Than Physical" (UK Single Version) 3:45

   Available from the CD album Bananarama - Master Series

2. "Scarlett" 4:11

   S. Dallin/S. Fahey/K. Woodward/P. Bishop

+ some copies came with one of three fold out posters of Siobhan, Keren or Sarah

2nd 7" single doublepack NANDP11

1. "More Than Physical" (UK Single Version) 3:45
2. "Scarlett" 4:11
3. "Venus" 3:38
4. "White Train" 3:50

7" picture disc NANPD11

1. "More Than Physical" (Worldwide Single Version) 3:20

   Available on the 2007 remastered version of True Confessions incorrectly listed as "single version"

2. "Venus" (MTP Version) 3:38
3. "Scarlett" 4:11

+ The MTP Version of "Venus" is a different mixed version to the standard 7" version

12" single NANX11

1. "More Than Physical" (Garage Mix) 8:45

   Also available from the CD album The Twelve Inches of Bananarama

2. "More Than Physical" (Dub) 4:58
3. "Scarlett" (Extended Version) 5:20

2nd 12" single NANXR11 - "The Essential Ian Levine Dance Pack"

1. "More Than Physical" (Musclebound Mix) 10:00
2. "Venus" (The Hellfire Mix) 9:20

   Available on the CD album The Greatest Hits Collection

3. "Scarlett" 4:11

Other versions

1. "More Than Physical" (Album Version) - (5:05)

   Available on True Confessions

Charts

Chart (1986)	Peak position
UK Singles Chart	41
U.S. Billboard Hot 100	73
U.S. Hot Dance Club Play	5
Australia ARIA singles	28
Venezuela Singles Chart	35