The Bangles are a little newer than most of the rock bands I listen to, having formed in 1981 in Los Angeles. But they splashed onto MTV, which at that time still was music television, with a fun pop sound and a lineup proving once more Heinlein’s Principle of Least Action, combining beauty with talent.
I mean, Susanna Hoffs. Whoa.
The band started with Susanna Hoffs on guitar and vocals, and sisters Vicki Peterson (guitar and vocals) and Debbi Petersen (drums and vocals), adding Annette Zilinskas on the bass guitar later. Zilinskas left the band in 1983 and was replaced by Micki Steele, a former member of the Runaways. This, then, was the lineup we all remember so fondly.
The Bangles released their first album, All Over The Place, in 1984. Their second album, 1986’s Different Light, cemented them as not just another fluff girl band, but as a collection of real talent. And, they hit the music-video scene just at the right time, which never hurts.
And, Susanna Hoffs. Whoa.
Here are some of my favorites from those great days.
Just Another Manic Monday (1985): The first single released from their second album, Different Light, this song was actually written and scored by Prince. (I have a great Prince story, but we’ll take that up another time.) This was the song that put them on the charts; this was the breakthrough.
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Walk Like an Egyptian (1986): This song, oddly enough, almost tore the band apart just after they started seeing some real success. It’s a fun, somewhat nonsensical tune where all the band members got to sing in turn, but the sudden success wore down the friendship they had enjoyed at the outset. Later, though, they really came to enjoy this, perhaps their best-known tune; in 2018, speaking about writing the song, Vicki Petersen said:
Oh, and just in case you were ever wanting to see Walk Like an Egyptian done in bluegrass style:Hazy Shade Of Winter (1987): This is a cover of the 1966 Simon & Garfunkel original. The Bangles recorded this for the movie Less Than Zero, starring a young Robert Downey Jr. as a young Los Angeles yuppie struggling with drug abuse, which honestly wasn’t that big of a stretch for Downey at that time. The Bangles took the original and made it more of a banging rock tune, and it ended up being outmatched on the charts by only two other songs: Walk Like an Egyptian and Eternal Flame.OK, we will never write anything like this. This takes the record to another level, so let's absolutely do this.
It's so fun to do live because of how it's received by our audience: They are completely in love and having a blast. It reminds them of that time in high school, that time in college, whatever it is that connects to a moment of sheer fun and joy and silliness and dance moves. So, at this point in time, when we do it, I just have a blast.
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Walking Down Your Street (1987): This fun tune’s video shows them as a small neighborhood girl band that hits the big time when they win a contest to open for Little Richard. I know – but it’s still a fun song.
In Your Room (1988): Described as a happy song with a danceable pop beat, this song is one of the tunes that gave the Bangles that reputation of being more pop than rock. This song also marked when the band started to feature the stunning Susanna Hoffs more as the lead, rather than each of them taking a turn in the front spot. That led to more tension among the band members.And, Susanna Hoffs. Whoa.
Eternal Flame (1989): Susanna Hoffs (whoa) wrote this one with the help of Billy Steinberg and Tom Kelly. Steinberg later said about that process:Tom and I met Susanna Hoffs, and we set out to write several songs for their next recording. When we got together with Susanna, she admired a song that Tom and I had written for Cyndi Lauper called 'Unconditional Love.' I think she liked the song because it was highly melodic and resembled a ballad that would not have been out of place on The Beatles' Revolver album. She was sort of envious of that song; she said she wished we could come up with something as good as that song. I told her, “Susanna, we're going to write something better than that song.”
They nailed it. This is my second favorite Bangles song, after Walk Like an Egyptian.
Be With You (1989): This one never appeared on a major album release, instead appearing as a single on the A side of a 45. Remember 45s? I’ve still got some around, from back in the day when there were still record stores. It was the last song by the Bangles to hit the charts before they all went their separate ways in 1989.Here’s the good news: The Bangles reformed 10 years later, in 1998, and today they are touring again, with bass guitarist Annette Zilinskas, who replaced Micki Steele. They have released a book on the history of their band, aptly titled Eternal Flame; they are still playing, and they are still fulfilling Heinlein’s Principle of Least Action by combining beauty and talent.And Susanna Hoffs is still utterly lovely, now in her late 60s.
Remember any great concert experiences or other stories? You guys, were you, like me, harboring a huge crush on Susanna Hoffs? (I still am. And yes, my wife knows.) Let us know. The comments, once more, are all yours. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going for a walk - like an Egyptian.
