The Bangles
Formerly known as the Colours, the Bangs and finally the Bangles, this all-female Los Angeles quartet mastered the art of melodic West Coast guitar-based pop and like the Go-Go's immediately before them, led the way for all-female groups in the latter half of the '80s. The band was formed in 1981 and originally comprised Susanna Hoffs (b. 17 January 1962, Newport Beach, California, USA; guitar/vocals), Debbi Peterson (b. 22 August 1961, Los Angeles, California, USA; drums/vocals), Vicki Peterson (b. 11 January 1958, Los Angeles, California, USA; guitar/vocals) and Annette Zilinkas (bass/vocals). They emerged from the ‘paisley underground’ scene which spawned bands like Rain Parade and Dream Syndicate. The Bangles' first recordings were made on their own Downkiddie label and then for Miles Copeland's Faulty Products set-up which resulted in a flawed self-titled mini-album. On signing to the major CBS label in 1983, the line-up had undergone a crucial change. Zilinkas departed (later to join Blood On The Saddle) and was replaced by former Runaways member Michael Steele (b. 2 June 1954; bass/vocals). Their superb debut Hero Takes A Fall failed to chart, as did their interpretation of Kimberley Rew's Soft Boys/ Katrina And The Waves song Going Down To Liverpool. The idea of four glamourous middle-class American girls singing about trotting down to a labour exchange in Liverpool with their UB40 cards, was both bizarre and quaint. The Bangles' energetic and harmonious style showed both a grasp and great affection for '60s' pop with their Beatles and Byrds-like sound. Again they failed to chart, although their sparkling debut ALL OVER THE PLACE scraped into the US chart. Following regular live work they built up a strong following, although it was not until the US/UK number 2 hit single Manic Monday, written by Prince and the huge success of DIFFERENT LIGHT that won them a wider audience. The media, meanwhile, were picking out Hoffs as the leader of the group. This sowed the seeds of dissatisfaction within the line-up that would later come to a head. Both album and single narrowly missed the top of both US and UK charts, and throughout 1986 the Bangles could do no wrong. Their interpretation of Jules Shear's If She Knew What She Wants showed touches of mid-'60s' Mamas And The Papas, while Walk Like An Egyptian (composed by former Rachel Sweet svengali Liam Sternberg) was pure '80s quirkiness and gave the group a US number 1/UK number 3 hit. The unusual choice of a cover of the Simon And Garfunkel song Hazy Shade Of Winter, which was featured in the film Less Than Zero, gave them a US number 2 hit/UK number 11 hit in 1988. The third album, EVERYTHING continued to offer a collection of classy pop which generated the hit singles In Your Room (US number 5, 1988) and the controversial Eternal Flame in the spring of 1989, which gave the group a UK/US number 1 hit. Both these songs featured lead vocals from Hoffs, but Eternal Flame, was viewed by the other group members as an unnecessary departure from the Bangles' modus operandi with its use of string backing and barely little instrumental contribution from the rest of the group. Rather than harking back to the '60s the song was reminiscent of the pop ballads of the early-mid-'70s of Michael Jackson and Donny Osmond. It also once again compounded the illusion in the public's eye that the Bangles were Hoffs' group. The year that had started so well for the group was now disintegrating into internal conflict. Be With You and I'll Set You Free failed to emulate their predecessors success and by the end of the year the decision was made to dissolve the group. Susanna Hoffs embarked on a solo career while the remaining members have yet to make any impact with their respective plans.