The Bangles are an American
pop rock
Pop rock (also typeset as pop/rock) is a fusion genre with an emphasis on professional songwriting and recording craft, and less emphasis on attitude than rock music. Originating in the late 1950s as an alternative to normal rock and roll, ear ...
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 of Winter
"A Hazy Shade of Winter" is a song by American music duo Simon & Garfunkel, released on October 22, 1966, initially as a stand-alone single, but subsequently included on the duo's fourth studio album, '' Bookends'' (1968). It peaked at number 13 ...
" (1987), "
In Your Room" (1988), and "
Eternal Flame" (1989).
The band's classic lineup consisted of founding members
Susanna Hoffs (guitar and vocals),
Vicki Peterson (guitar and vocals),
Debbi Peterson
Deborah Mary Peterson (born August 22, 1961) is an American musician and the drummer of the band The Bangles. She sang lead vocals on two of the band's released singles, " Going Down to Liverpool" (1984) and "Be with You" (1989). She is the you ...
(drums and vocals), with
Michael Steele (bass and vocals). As of June 2018, the band consisted of sisters Vicki and Debbi Peterson, Hoffs, and founding bassist
Annette Zilinskas.
History
Formation and early years (1981–1983)
Susanna Hoffs and sisters Vicki and Debbi Peterson had each been in bands before coming together in Los Angeles, California, in December 1980. The impetus was two classified advertisements in the weekly paper ''The Recycler''. One had been placed by Hoffs, and the only person to respond was Annette Zilinskas, and the other was by Lynn Elkind, the Petersons' housemate and a departing member of their then band Those Girls. When Hoffs called in response to Elkind's ad, Vicki Peterson answered the phone, and in their conversation, they discovered a great deal of common interests. When Hoffs spoke to Elkind after Peterson gave her the message, Hoffs and Elkind did not have the same common interests and Hoffs then formed a new band with the Petersons. The Those Girls bass guitarist, Vicki Peterson's lifelong best friend Amanda Hills, had also left the band (now a history professor, Amanda Hills Podany has performed as a guest with the Bangles on a few rare occasions) and this left an opening for Zilinskas. The resulting (and also current as of 2019) lineup first performed as The Colours in 1981.
Shortly afterward, the group renamed themselves The Bangs. The band was part of the Los Angeles
Paisley Underground scene, which featured groups that played a mixture of 1960s-influenced rock.
In 1981, Hoffs and the Petersons recorded and released a single ("
Getting Out of Hand" with "Call on Me" on the B side) on DownKiddie Records (their own label). The Bangs were signed to Faulty Products, a label formed by
Miles Copeland.
The early Bangles lineup of Susanna Hoffs (vocals/guitars), Vicki Peterson (guitars/vocals), Debbi Peterson (vocals/drums) and
Annette Zilinskas (vocals/bass) recorded an
EP in 1982 and released the single "The Real World". At the last minute, they discovered another band had registered the Bangs name and would not let them use it without payment, so they dropped "The" and added the letters "les" to the end to become Bangles. Their first EP was retitled ''Bangles'' and released. In 1983, Faulty Products issued a 12-inch "remix" single of "The Real World" to radio and media, but another setback came as the label folded.
I.R.S. Records
I.R.S. Records was an American record label founded by Miles Copeland III, Jay Boberg, and Carl Grasso in 1979. I.R.S. produced some of the most popular bands of the 1980s, and was particularly known for issuing records by college rock, new wave ...
picked up distribution and reissued the EP. After Zilinskas left the band to focus on her own project
Blood on the Saddle, she was replaced by
Michael Steele, formerly of the all-female band
the Runaways, Toni & the Movers,
Slow Children and
Elton Duck.
Career peak (1984–1989)
The Bangles' full-length debut album on
Columbia Records
Columbia Records is an American record label owned by Sony Music, Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America, the North American division of Japanese Conglomerate (company), conglomerate Sony. It was founded on Janua ...
, ''
All Over the Place'' (1984), captured their
power pop
Power pop (also typeset as powerpop) is a form of pop rock based on the early music of bands such as the Who, the Beatles, the Beach Boys, and the Byrds. It typically incorporates melodic hooks, vocal harmonies, an energetic performance, and ...
roots, featuring the singles "Hero Takes a Fall" and the
Kimberley Rew
Kimberley Charles Rew (born 3 December 1951) is an English rock singer-songwriter and guitarist. He is best known as a member of Katrina and the Waves from 1981 to 1999 and of Robyn Hitchcock's Soft Boys from 1978 to 1981. Two of his better-kno ...
-penned Beatlesque "
Going Down to Liverpool" (originally recorded by Rew's band
Katrina and the Waves). The record received good reviews and the video for "Liverpool" featured
Leonard Nimoy, which helped to generate further publicity. This came about through a friendship between the Hoffs and Nimoy families. They received a much wider audience serving as the opening act for
Cyndi Lauper on her
Fun Tour.
All this went some way to attracting the attention of
Prince
A prince is a Monarch, male ruler (ranked below a king, grand prince, and grand duke) or a male member of a monarch's or former monarch's family. ''Prince'' is also a title of nobility (often highest), often hereditary title, hereditary, in s ...
, who gave them "
Manic Monday" originally written for his group
Apollonia 6. "Manic Monday" went on to become a number-two hit in the US, the UK and Germany, outsold at the time only by another Prince composition, his own "
Kiss". The band's second album, ''
Different Light'' (January 1986), was more polished than its predecessor, and with the help of the worldwide number-one hit "
Walk Like an Egyptian" (written by
Liam Sternberg), put the band firmly in the mainstream, reaching number two on the
''Billboard'' 200. The song was sent to them in midsession and the group was divided about whether it would be a failure or a success. When the song was released, the group was amazed to discover that it brought them a new audience of female fans, most of them very young. Commented Michael Steele to a ''
Nine-O-One Network Magazine
''Nine-O-One Network'' was an American bi-monthly music magazine published in Memphis, Tennessee from 1986 to 1989.
Beginnings
The magazine originated during the heralded 1986 "Class of '55" recording session in Memphis with Johnny Cash, Jerry L ...
'' writer: "When I go out now it is usually girls who recognize me." Three additional hit singles released from the ''Different Light'' album were: "
Following" (top 40 in Ireland), "
Walking Down Your Street
"Walking Down Your Street" is a song by The Bangles. It is the fourth single from their 1986 album ''Different Light''. After its single release in 1987, the song charted at #9 on the Cash Box Top 100, #11 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100, #16 on the ...
" (number 11 on the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100) and the wistful "
If She Knew What She Wants", written and first recorded by
Jules Shear
Jules Mark Shear (born March 7, 1952) is an American singer, songwriter, and guitarist. He wrote the Cyndi Lauper hit single " All Through the Night" and The Bangles' hit "If She Knew What She Wants", and charted a hit as a performer with "Stead ...
(which reached 29 on the Hot 100 in the summer of 1986 and was in the German top 20 for 13 weeks).
The band had another hit with a cover of
Simon & Garfunkel
Simon & Garfunkel were an American folk rock duo consisting of the singer-songwriter Paul Simon and the singer Art Garfunkel. They were one of the best-selling music groups of the 1960s, and their biggest hits—including the electric remix of ...
's "
A Hazy Shade of Winter" (1987) from
the soundtrack of the film ''
Less than Zero''. The song reached number 2 in February 1988.
The album ''
Everything'' (1988) was produced by
Davitt Sigerson, as the band had a negative reaction to working with David Kahne on ''Different Light''. It was another multiplatinum hit and included the top-five hit "
In Your Room", as well as their biggest-selling single "
Eternal Flame". Co-writer
Billy Steinberg came up with the title after Hoffs told him about the band's recent trip to Memphis, Tennessee, where they visited
Graceland,
Elvis Presley
Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977), or simply Elvis, was an American singer and actor. Dubbed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, King of Rock and Roll", he is regarded as Cultural impact of Elvis Presley, one ...
's estate. An eternal flame is maintained at Presley's grave, but it had gone out on the day of their visit, and its clear plastic enclosure was flooded. They asked what was in the box and were told, "That's the eternal flame." The single became their biggest worldwide hit and the biggest single by an all-female band in history. Hoffs was naked when she recorded the song, convinced by Sigerson that
Olivia Newton-John
Dame Olivia Newton-John (26 September 1948 – 8 August 2022) was a British-Australian singer, actress and activist. She was a four-time Grammy Award winner whose music career included 15 top-ten singles, including 5 number-one singles on the ...
got her amazing performances by recording everything naked. Hoffs said she felt it was like 'skinny dipping' and recorded most of the rest of the album naked.
Breakup (1989)
Friction arose among band members after music industry media began singling out Hoffs as the lead singer of the group. In fact, singing duties on the band's albums were divided among the band's members, each of whom wrote or co-wrote songs. The band broke up in 1989. Hoffs began a solo career and Vicki Peterson toured as a member of the
Continental Drifters and as a fill-in member of
the Go-Go's.
Reformation (1998–present)
The band started drifting back together in 1998, and officially reformed to record a song for
the soundtrack of ''
Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me'', at the behest of the film's director
Jay Roach (who had married Hoffs in 1993).
The song chosen for the album was "Get the Girl" and was released in 1999. The reunion continued with a tour in 2000. Later the same year, the group was also inducted into the
Vocal Group Hall of Fame. From 2001–2002, they were in the studio recording the album ''
Doll Revolution'' at Icon Recording Studios, Hollywood, California. The album, featuring such songs as "Stealing Rosemary", "Ride the Ride", "Nickel Romeo", and the single "Something That You Said", was released in early 2003. The title track, which was written by
Elvis Costello, was originally recorded for his 2002 album ''
When I Was Cruel''. ''Doll Revolution'' was a solid comeback success in Germany after the Bangles had performed in Germany's biggest television show ''
Wetten dass'', but failed to make any impact in other markets such as the UK, the U.S. and Australia. In July 2004,
Paul McCartney
Sir James Paul McCartney (born 18 June 1942) is an English singer, songwriter and musician who gained worldwide fame with the Beatles, for whom he played bass guitar and shared primary songwriting and lead vocal duties with John Lennon. On ...
presented the Bangles with "honorary rock'n'roll diplomas" from his
Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts.
[ ]
In 2005, Michael Steele left the band due to disputes over touring and recording. Steele was replaced by touring bassist
Abby Travis
Abby Travis (born November 10, 1969) is an American musician. In the 1990s, she began working as a touring bass player. She has worked with The Go-Go's, The Eagles of Death Metal, Masters of Reality, The Bangles, KMFDM, Beck, and Elastica.
Ab ...
for live appearances. On December 31, 2005, the group performed "Hazy Shade of Winter" in front of
Times Square
Times Square is a major commercial intersection, tourist destination, entertainment hub, and neighborhood in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. It is formed by the junction of Broadway, Seventh Avenue, and 42nd Street. Together with adjacent ...
and later "Eternal Flame" as part of ''
Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve 2006''. Travis was fired in 2008.
In the spring of 2009, the Bangles returned to the studio to begin work on a new album entitled ''
Sweetheart of the Sun'', which was released on September 27, 2011. The band went on tour in late 2011 in support of it, with dates on the East Coast, Midwest and West Coast. Openers for the various dates included rock band
Antigone Rising and power pop band
A Fragile Tomorrow
A Fragile Tomorrow is an American Alternative rock, alternative/powerpop band from Charleston, South Carolina, United States, formerly from Montgomery (town), New York, Montgomery, New York. The group formed in 2003 and included brothers Sean Kel ...
.
In December 2013, the Bangles played two nights with three other reunited Paisley Underground bands—
the Dream Syndicate,
the Three O'Clock and
Rain Parade
The Rain Parade is a band that was originally active in the Paisley Underground scene in Los Angeles in the 1980s, and that reunited and resumed touring in 2012.
History Rain Parade in the 1980s (1981–86)
Originally called the Sidewalks, the b ...
—at
the Fillmore
The Fillmore is a historic music venue in San Francisco, California.
Built in 1912 and originally named the Majestic Hall, it became the Fillmore Auditorium in 1954. It is in Western Addition, on the edge of the Fillmore District and Upper F ...
in San Francisco and
the Fonda Theatre
The Fonda Theatre (formerly Music Box Theatre, Guild Theatre, Fox Theatre, and Pix Theatre) is a concert venue located on Hollywood Boulevard in Los Angeles, California. Designed in the Spanish Colonial Revival Style, the theater has hoste ...
in Los Angeles (benefit concert).
Their set list focused on their early material, with remarks from the band at the beginning of the Fillmore show that they were going to be playing songs that they had not played in 30 years. In January 2014, they performed at the
Whisky a Go Go in West Hollywood, California, in celebration of the Whisky's 50th anniversary.
Original bassist Annette Zilinskas rejoined the band in 2018.
Three new recordings by the Bangles were released in November 2018 as part of a compilation album called ''3 × 4'', which also included
the Dream Syndicate,
the Three O'Clock and
Rain Parade
The Rain Parade is a band that was originally active in the Paisley Underground scene in Los Angeles in the 1980s, and that reunited and resumed touring in 2012.
History Rain Parade in the 1980s (1981–86)
Originally called the Sidewalks, the b ...
, with each of the four bands covering songs by the other bands.
Following the initial
Record Store Day first-release as a double album on "psychedelic swirl" purple
vinyl,
Yep Roc Records released the album on LP, CD and digital in February 2019.
Discography
;Studio albums
* ''
All Over the Place'' (1984)
* ''
Different Light'' (1986)
* ''
Everything'' (1988)
* ''
Doll Revolution'' (2003)
* ''
Sweetheart of the Sun'' (2011)
Awards and nominations
{, class=wikitable
, -
! Year !! Awards !! Work !! Category !! Result
, -
, rowspan=5, 1987
,
Brit Awards
, rowspan=2, Themselves
,
Best International Group
,
, -
,
Smash Hits Poll Winners Party
, Most Promising New Act
,
, -
, American Video Awards
, rowspan=3, "
Walk Like an Egyptian"
, Best Group Performance
,
, -
, rowspan=3,
MTV Video Music Awards
The MTV Video Music Awards (commonly abbreviated as the VMAs) is an award show presented by the cable channel MTV to honour the best in the music video medium. Originally conceived as an alternative to the Grammy Awards (in the video category ...
,
Best Group Video
,
, -
,
Best Choreography
The MTV Video Music Award for Best Choreography is a craft award given to the artist, the artist's manager, and choreographer of the music video. From 1984 to 2007, the full name of the award was Best Choreography in a Video. The biggest winner ...
,
, -
, rowspan=3, 1988
, "
Hazy Shade of Winter
"A Hazy Shade of Winter" is a song by American music duo Simon & Garfunkel, released on October 22, 1966, initially as a stand-alone single, but subsequently included on the duo's fourth studio album, '' Bookends'' (1968). It peaked at number 13 ...
"
,
Best Video from a Film
,
, -
, Nickelodeon's
Kids Choice Awards
, rowspan=3, Themselves
, Favorite Music Group
,
, -
,
Pollstar Concert Industry Awards
, Next Major Arena Headliner
,
, -
, 1989
,
Smash Hits Poll Winners Party
, Best Group
,
, -
, 1990
,
ASCAP Pop Music Awards
, "
Eternal Flame"
, Most Performed Song
,
, -
, 2015
, She Rocks Awards
, Themselves
, Lifetime Achievement Award
,
Members
Current members
*
Susanna Hoffs – lead and harmony vocals, rhythm guitar (1981–1989, 1998–present)
*
Debbi Peterson
Deborah Mary Peterson (born August 22, 1961) is an American musician and the drummer of the band The Bangles. She sang lead vocals on two of the band's released singles, " Going Down to Liverpool" (1984) and "Be with You" (1989). She is the you ...
– drums, backing and lead vocals, acoustic guitar, percussion (1981–1989, 1998–present)
*
Annette Zilinskas – bass guitar, harmonica (1981–1983, 2018–present)
*
Vicki Peterson – lead guitar, backing and lead vocals (1981–1989, 1998–present)
Former member
*
Michael Steele – bass guitar, backing and lead vocals, acoustic guitar (1983–1989, 1998–2005)
Touring musicians
*
Abby Travis
Abby Travis (born November 10, 1969) is an American musician. In the 1990s, she began working as a touring bass player. She has worked with The Go-Go's, The Eagles of Death Metal, Masters of Reality, The Bangles, KMFDM, Beck, and Elastica.
Ab ...
– bass guitar (2005–2008)
* Derrick Anderson – bass guitar (2008–2016)
* Walker Igleheart – keyboards (1980s)
* Greg "Harpo" Hilfman – keyboards (1989, 1998–2011)
Timeline
References
External links
*
*
*
The Bangles Vocal Group Hall of Fame page*
Interviewin ''Hard Times'', May 1984
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bangles, The
All-female bands
American soft rock music groups
American pop rock music groups
Brit Award winners
Columbia Records artists
Elektra Records artists
Epic Records artists
I.R.S. Records artists
Musical groups disestablished in 1989
Musical groups established in 1981
Musical groups from Los Angeles