Bananamour is the fourth studio album by Kevin Ayers and it featured some of his most accessible recordings, including "Shouting in a Bucket Blues" and his whimsical tribute to Syd Barrett, "Oh! Wot A Dream". After Whatevershebringswesing, Ayers assembled a new band anchored by drummer Eddie Sparrow and bassist Archie Legget and employed a more direct lyricism. The centrepiece of the album is "Decadence", his withering portrait of Nico: "Watch her out there on display / Dancing in her sleepy way / While all her visions start to play / On the icicles of our decay / And all along the desert shore / She wanders further evermore / The only thing that's left to try / She says to live I have to die." The song was later covered by the Australian psychedelic rock band The Church on their 1999 album A Box of Birds. The album was remastered to vinyl (no bonus tracks) in gatefold packaging in 2025; distributed by Esoteric Recordings.
The album marked the end of Ayers' first Harvest Records series.
Track listing
All songs written by Kevin Ayers
Personnel Musicians Kevin Ayers – guitar, vocals Archie Legget – bass, harmony vocals, lead vocal (track 3) Eddie Sparrow – drums
Additional musicians Steve Hillage – lead guitar (track 2, track 6) Mike Ratledge – organ (track 4) Robert Wyatt – harmony vocal (track 8) David Bedford – orchestral arrangement (track 9) Howie Casey – tenor saxophone Dave Caswell – trumpet Tristan Fry – cymbal Lyle Jenkins – baritone saxophone Ronnie Price – piano Barry St. John, Liza Strike, Doris Troy – backing vocals
Technical Kevin Ayers – producer Andrew King – producer John Kurlander – engineer Bob Lawrie – cover art Richard Imrie – photography
Notes
References Original LP sleevenotes