Preacher Man


"Preacher Man" is a song recorded by English girl group Bananarama. It appears on the group's fifth studio album Pop Life and was released as the album's second single. The track was co-written and produced by Youth with additional production and remix by Shep Pettibone.
"Tripping on Your Love" had been originally slated as the second single from the album, and some promotional singles of the song were sent to radio stations in late 1990. Around this time, group member Sara Dallin contracted meningitis, which delayed the release of the single some months. When she recovered, London Records decided "Preacher Man" was a better choice for a single and so it was released in December 1990. "Tripping on Your Love" was eventually released as the album's fourth single.
The pop/dance tune became the highest-charting and biggest-selling single released from the Pop Life album, climbing to number 20 in the UK singles chart. The single was Bananarama's last appearance in the UK top 20 until "Move in My Direction" in 2005. In Australia, the single peaked at #147 on the Australian ARIA singles chart. "Preacher Man" was not released in the United States.
The song was performed on The Original Line Up Tour in 2017-2018. Despite being recorded after she left, original member Siobhan Fahey has always liked the song and chose to include it in the setlist.

Critical reception

Caroline Sullivan from Smash Hits wrote that the song sounded like "everything they did with S/A/W" and noted "the chugging beat, same slick strings and the harmonica solo."

Music video

The music video featured a man tied to a chair in the interrogation room of a prison. As he breaks down and goes crazy, the girls, as well as various other carnival-like costumed entertainers such as a midget and a girl in a winged outfit, appear as hallucinations before him. These scenes are intercut with the girls performing the song in front of candles. Harmonica player Johnny Mars appears on the video.. The video was directed by long-time collaborator Andy Morahan and would be the last video he directed for the group.

Official versions and remixes

  1. "Preacher Man" -
  2. "Preacher Man" -
  3. :Remixed by Shep Pettibone
  4. "Preacher Man" -
  5. :Remixed by Shep Pettibone
  6. "Preacher Man" -
  7. :Remixed by Shep Pettibone
  8. "Preacher Man"
  9. :Remixed by Shep Pettibone
  10. "Preacher Man"
  11. :Remixed by Shep Pettibone
  12. "Preacher Man" -
  13. :Remixed by Shep Pettibone
  14. "Preacher Man" -
  15. :Unreleased until 2013

    Personnel

Bananarama
Musicians