"Following" is a song by

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...

pop band

The Bangles The Bangles are an American pop rock band formed in Los Angeles, California, in 1981. The band recorded several singles that reached the U.S. top 10 during the 1980s, including "Manic Monday" (1986), "Walk Like an Egyptian" (1986), " Hazy Shade ...

. The acoustic ballad carries vocals by

Michael Steele Michael Stephen Steele (born October 19, 1958) is an American political commentator, attorney, and Republican Party politician. Steele served as the seventh lieutenant governor of Maryland from 2003 to 2007; he was the first African-American ...

, who composed the song. In 1987 ''Following'' was the fifth and final single released off their album ''

Different Light ''Different Light'' is the second studio album by American pop rock band the Bangles, released in January 1986. The album's Top 40 sound was a departure from their earlier 1960s-style rock'n'roll sound. It is their most successful album, reachin ...

'' (1986).

Background and style

"Following" is one of two songs on ''

'' on which

sang lead vocals, the other one being a cover of

Big Star Big Star was an American rock band formed in Memphis, Tennessee, in 1971 by Alex Chilton (vocals, guiar), Chris Bell (vocals, guitar), Jody Stephens (drums), and Andy Hummel (bass). The group broke up in early 1975, and reorganized with a new l ...

's "

September Gurls "September Gurls" is a song by the rock band Big Star. Written by Alex Chilton, it was featured on the group's second studio album '' Radio City''. The track was released in 1974. Background The song was named in tribute to the Beach Boys' "Cal ...

". The song was written solely by Steele, her first original composition released with the Bangles. Musically, "Following" is radically different from the rest of Bangles' material, being a folky acoustic ballad featuring minimal instrumentation. Its lead instrument is an acoustic guitar. "Following" also features hovering, atmospheric

keyboard Keyboard may refer to: Text input * Keyboard, part of a typewriter * Computer keyboard ** Keyboard layout, the software control of computer keyboards and their mapping ** Keyboard technology, computer keyboard hardware and firmware Music * Musi ...

sounds. The musical input from the other three Bangles members on the song appears to be limited to occasional wordless, atmospheric backing vocal textures. Lyrically, the song deals with the subject of jealousy, paranoia and obsession that follows the breakup of a relationship. Sung in first person, the narrator starts with the accusations of stalking by the ex-lover. The gender of the ex-lover is not explicitly stated, although ambiguities in the lyrics suggest that the narrator may be referring to a female ex-lover (or a situation involving another, similar type of love triangle). As the song progresses, it is revealed both the narrator and the ex-lover accuse each other of obsessive behavior and paranoia. Steele half sings, half talks the lyrics, taking an approach similar to folk singer

Bob Dylan Bob Dylan (legally Robert Dylan, born Robert Allen Zimmerman, May 24, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter. Often regarded as one of the greatest songwriters of all time, Dylan has been a major figure in popular culture during a career sp ...

or rock/jazz artist

Rickie Lee Jones Rickie Lee Jones (born November 8, 1954) is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and author. Over the course of a career that spans five decades, she has recorded in various musical styles including Rock music, rock, Rhythm and blues, R&B ...

. Steele has indicated that ''Following'' was derived from personal experience, stating in a 2003 internet chat: "Yeah, it was about my high school sweetheart."

Release and reception

"Following" was chosen as the band's fifth single from their successful ''Different Light'' album, and was released in April 1987 around Europe. It was never released in the USA. It would become the band's only single with Michael Steele on lead vocals. For its single release, the track was edited from the album version, eliminating most of the outro. The single's

B-side The A-side and B-side are the two sides of phonograph records and cassettes; these terms have often been printed on the labels of two-sided music recordings. The A-side usually features a recording that its artist, producer, or record compan ...

was "Dover Beach", a track from their 1984 album '' All Over the Place''. The 12" single also included the "Bangles Hit Mix", a megamix including the band's previous four singles off ''Different Light'' and "Going Down To Liverpool" from their debut album. The single was also released in two special editions, one including a poster of the single cover, and another including four badges. No music video was done to support the release and the group did little promotion for it. "Following" peaked at #55 in the UK, and was a top 40 hit in Ireland, peaking at #22. It failed to chart in other European territories.

Charts

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Following (The Bangles Song) 1987 singles The Bangles songs Columbia Records singles 1986 songs Song recordings produced by David Kahne