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, earl ...

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 "Manic Monday" is a song written by American musician Prince, but is better known from the version recorded by the American pop rock band the Bangles, which was the first single released from their second studio album, ''Different Light'' (198 ...

" (1986), "

Walk Like an Egyptian "Walk Like an Egyptian" is a song recorded by the American band the Bangles. It was released in 1986 as the third single from the album ''Different Light''. It was the band's first number one single, being certified gold by the RIAA, and became ...

" (1986), " Hazy Shade of Winter" (1987), " In Your Room" (1988), and "

Eternal Flame An eternal flame is a flame, lamp or torch that burns for an indefinite time. Most eternal flames are ignited and tended intentionally, but some are natural phenomena caused by natural gas leaks, peat fires and coal seam fires, all of which can ...

" (1989). The band's classic lineup consisted of founding members Susanna Hoffs (guitar and vocals),

Vicki Peterson Victoria Anne Theresa Peterson Cowsill (born January 11, 1958) is an American rock musician and songwriter. She has been the lead guitarist for the Bangles since their foundation in 1981. After their first disbandment in 1989, she has returned ...

(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 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 ...

(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 "Getting Out of Hand" is the debut single by American female band The Bangles, released in 1981 and produced by the band themselves. The group was named at the time The Bangs, and its line-up consisted of Susanna Hoffs, Debbi Peterson and Vicki ...

" 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 picked up distribution and reissued the EP. After Zilinskas left the band to focus on her own project

Blood on the Saddle Blood on the Saddle is an American country-punk band, though often referred to as a cowpunk band, from Los Angeles, California, United States. Greg Davis (vocals, guitar) formed the band in early 1983 with the original line-up of Ron Botelho (up ...

, she was replaced by

, formerly of the all-female band

the Runaways The Runaways were an all-female American rock band who recorded and performed from 1975 to 1979. The band released four studio albums and one live album during its run. Among their best-known songs are " Cherry Bomb", "Hollywood", "Queens of ...

, Toni & the Movers,

Slow Children Slow Children is an American new wave pop group consisting of Pal Shazar and Andrew Chinich. They released two albums on a major label, Ensign, in 1981 and 1982, and a third self-released album in 2016. Discography Albums *'' Slow Children'' ( ...

and

Elton Duck Elton Duck was an American power pop band from Los Angeles, California. They played southern Californian stages in the period 1976 – 1981, a time described by Bud Scoppa as when new wave and punk launched "countless bands that filled clubs from ...

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 ch ...

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 "Going Down to Liverpool" is a song written by Kimberley Rew for his group Katrina and the Waves, although best remembered for a cover done by the Bangles. Background The song was first released on the band's 1982 EP '' Shock Horror!'' (with the ...

" (originally recorded by Rew's band Katrina and the Waves). The record received good reviews and the video for "Liverpool" featured

Leonard Nimoy Leonard Simon Nimoy (; March 26, 1931 – February 27, 2015) was an American actor, famed for playing Spock in the '' Star Trek'' franchise for almost 50 years. This includes originating Spock in the original ''Star Trek'' series in 1966, th ...

, 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 Cynthia Ann Stephanie Lauper Thornton (born June 22, 1953) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and activist. Her career has spanned over 40 years. Her album ''She's So Unusual'' (1983) was the first debut album by a female artist to achi ...

on her

Fun Tour The Fun Tour was a concert tour by American recording artist Cyndi Lauper in support of her debut album ''She's So Unusual''. It was her first major headlining tour, with over 90 dates in various cities across North America. The tour kicked off i ...

. All this went some way to attracting the attention of

Prince A prince is a 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, in some European states. Th ...

, who gave them "

" originally written for his group

Apollonia 6 Apollonia 6 was a 1980s American female singing trio. Origin Apollonia 6 was created by recording artist Prince, who had also created the group Vanity 6 one year prior in 1982, but the groups did not exist simultaneously. After a number of dis ...

. "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 A kiss is the touch or pressing of one's lips against another person or an object. Cultural connotations of kissing vary widely. Depending on the culture and context, a kiss can express sentiments of love, passion, romance, sexual attraction, ...

". The band's second 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 ...

'' (January 1986), was more polished than its predecessor, and with the help of the worldwide number-one hit "

" (written by

Liam Sternberg Liam Sternberg (born July 28, 1949 in Akron, Ohio) is an American songwriter and producer who wrote the Bangles hit "Walk Like an Egyptian". Sternberg first got noticed as part of the late 1970s " Akron Sound" which included Devo and the Waitresse ...

), 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'' 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 ''Following'' is a 1998 independent neo-noir crime thriller film written, produced, edited and directed by Christopher Nolan. It tells the story of a young man who follows strangers around the streets of London and is drawn into a criminal unde ...

" (top 40 in Ireland), " Walking Down Your Street" (number 11 on the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100) and the wistful "

If She Knew What She Wants "If She Knew What She Wants" is a song written by American singer-songwriter Jules Shear and introduced on his 1985 album ''The Eternal Return''. The Bangles recorded the song for their 1986 album '' Different Light''. That version, a call-and-re ...

", 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's "

A 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) from the soundtrack of the film '' Less than Zero''. The song reached number 2 in February 1988. The album ''

Everything Everything, every-thing, or every thing is all that exists; the opposite of nothing, or its complement. It is the totality of things relevant to some subject matter. Without expressed or implied limits, it may refer to anything. The univers ...

'' (1988) was produced by

Davitt Sigerson Davitt Sigerson (born 1957) is an American novelist whose first career was in the music business. Sigerson was a record producer, singer, songwriter, record company executive, and journalist. Early life, education, and career Davitt Sigerson was ...

, 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 "

". 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 Graceland is a mansion on a estate in Memphis, Tennessee, United States, which was once owned by rock and roll icon Elvis Presley. His daughter, Lisa Marie Presley, inherited Graceland after his death in 1977. Graceland is located at 3764 Elv ...

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 The Continental Drifters were an American rock band, formed in Los Angeles, California in 1991 and dissolved in New Orleans, Louisiana about a decade later. Though the line-up changed several times, at one point the band comprised a kind of colleg ...

and as a fill-in member of

the Go-Go's The Go-Go's are an American Rock music, rock band formed in Los Angeles in 1978. Except for short periods when other musicians joined briefly, the band has had a relatively stable lineup consisting of Charlotte Caffey on lead guitar and keyboar ...

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 Mathew Jay Roach (born June 14, 1957) is an American filmmaker. He is best known for directing the ''Austin Powers'' film series, '' Meet the Parents'', '' Dinner for Schmucks'', '' The Campaign'', '' Trumbo'', and '' Bombshell''. Roach also e ...

(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 The Vocal Group Hall of Fame (VGHF) is an American-based hall of fame that honors vocal groups throughout the world in every genre of music. Headquartered in the Columbia Theatre in Sharon, Pennsylvania, it includes a theater and a museum. It was ...

. From 2001–2002, they were in the studio recording the album ''

Doll Revolution ''Doll Revolution'' is the fourth studio album by American pop rock band The Bangles. It was released in March 2003 in Europe and Japan, and in September of that year in the United States. It is the first album by the group since their 1998 reunio ...

'' 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 (; German for "''Wanna bet, that..?''") is a German-language Saturday entertainment television show. It is the largest and most successful television show in Europe. Its format was the basis for the British show ''You Bet!'' and the American sho ...

'', 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. One ...

presented the Bangles with "honorary rock'n'roll diplomas" from his

Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts The Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts (LIPA) is a performing arts higher education institution in Liverpool, founded by Paul McCartney and Mark Featherstone-Witty and opened in 1996. LIPA offers 11 full-time BA (Hons) degrees in a range ...

. In 2005, Michael Steele left the band due to disputes over touring and recording. Steele was replaced by touring bassist Abby Travis 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. The Bangles 2007

In the spring of 2009, the Bangles returned to the studio to begin work on a new album entitled ''

Sweetheart of the Sun ''Sweetheart of the Sun'' is the fifth studio album by American pop rock band the Bangles, released on September 27, 2011. It is the band's second album since their 2003 reunion, and their first as a trio after the departure of longtime member ...

'', 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 Antigone Rising is an all-female rock band based in New York City. The band's current line up is Cathy Henderson (lead guitar), Kristen Henderson (bass guitar and drums), and Nini Camps (lead vocals and rhythm guitar). History The band origin ...

and power pop band A Fragile Tomorrow. In December 2013, the Bangles played two nights with three other reunited Paisley Underground bands—

the Dream Syndicate The Dream Syndicate is an American alternative rock band from Los Angeles, California, originally active from 1981 to 1989, and reunited since 2012. The band is associated with neo-psychedelia and the Paisley Underground music movement; of the ba ...

the Three O'Clock The Three O'Clock is an American alternative rock group associated with the Los Angeles 1980s Paisley Underground scene. Lead singer and bassist Michael Quercio is credited with coining the term "Paisley Underground" to describe a subset of the ...

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 Fillm ...

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 hosted l ...

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 The Whisky a Go Go (informally nicknamed "the Whisky") is a historic nightclub in West Hollywood, California, United States. It is located at 8901 Sunset Boulevard on the Sunset Strip, corner North Clark Street, opposite North San Vicente Boule ...

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

and

, with each of the four bands covering songs by the other bands. Following the initial

Record Store Day Record Store Day is an annual event inaugurated in 2007 and held on one Saturday (typically the third) every April and every Black Friday in November to "celebrate the culture of the independently owned record store". The day brings together fa ...

first-release as a double album on "psychedelic swirl" purple

vinyl Vinyl may refer to: Chemistry * Polyvinyl chloride (PVC), a particular vinyl polymer * Vinyl cation, a type of carbocation * Vinyl group, a broad class of organic molecules in chemistry * Vinyl polymer, a group of polymers derived from vinyl m ...

Yep Roc Records Yep Roc Records is an American independent record label based in Hillsborough, North Carolina, and owned by Redeye Distribution. Since 1997, the label has released albums from North Carolina and international artists, including Nick Lowe, Paul W ...

released the album on LP, CD and digital in February 2019.

Discography

;Studio albums * '' All Over the Place'' (1984) * ''

'' (1986) * ''

'' (1988) * ''

'' (2003) * ''

'' (2011)

Awards and nominations

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Brit Awards The BRIT Awards (often simply called the BRITs) are the British Phonographic Industry's annual popular music awards. The name was originally a shortened form of "British", "Britain", or "Britannia" (in the early days the awards were sponsored ...

, rowspan=2, Themselves , Best International Group , , - ,

Smash Hits Poll Winners Party The Smash Hits Poll Winners Party was a British awards ceremony which ran from 1979 (as the Smash Hits Readers' Poll) to 2005. Each award winner was voted by readers of the '' Smash Hits'' magazine. It ended with the closure of the magazine in F ...

, Most Promising New Act , , - , American Video Awards , rowspan=3, "

" , Best Group Performance , , - , rowspan=3, MTV Video Music Awards ,

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, , - , Best Choreography , , - , rowspan=3, 1988 , " Hazy Shade of Winter" ,

Best Video from a Film The MTV Video Music Award for Best Video from a Film was first awarded in 1987, recognizing the best videos whose songs were a part of a movie soundtrack or featured in a film. As time went on, though, music videos taken from movie soundtracks beca ...

, , - , Nickelodeon's

Kids Choice Awards The Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards (also known as the KCAs or Kids' Choice) is an annual American children's awards ceremony show that is produced by Nickelodeon. Usually held on a Saturday night in late March or early April, the show honors ...

, rowspan=3, Themselves , Favorite Music Group , , - ,

Pollstar ''Pollstar'' is a trade publication for the concert and live music industry. The publication was purchased by Oak View Group, a venue consultancy founded by Tim Leiweke and Irving Azoff, in July 2017. History and profile Founded in 1981 in Fr ...

Concert Industry Awards , Next Major Arena Headliner , , - , 1989 ,

, Best Group , , - , 1990 ,

ASCAP Pop Music Awards The American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers (ASCAP) () is an American not-for-profit performance-rights organization (PRO) that collectively licenses the public performance rights of its members' musical works to venues, broadca ...

, "

" , 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) *

– drums, backing and lead vocals, acoustic guitar, percussion (1981–1989, 1998–present) * Annette Zilinskas – bass guitar, harmonica (1981–1983, 2018–present) *

– lead guitar, backing and lead vocals (1981–1989, 1998–present)

Former member

– bass guitar, backing and lead vocals, acoustic guitar (1983–1989, 1998–2005)

Touring musicians

* Abby Travis – 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
*
Interview
in ''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