Biography
The Bangles merged the ringing guitar lines and infectious hooks of 1960s British Invasion pop with a touch of new-wave drive, becoming one of the few all-female groups of the 1980s to earn both widespread praise and strong sales. Their initial acclaim rested on the self-titled debut EP and the album All Over the Place, while broader popularity followed once they refined their approach, incorporated synthesizers, and moved away from their signature chiming riffs. Platinum success proved short-lived for the band, yet they still produced a string of memorable pop singles before splitting.
The original lineup came together in 1981 after guitarist/vocalist Vicki Peterson and drummer/vocalist Debbi Peterson answered an ad guitarist/vocalist Susanna Hoffs placed in the Los Angeles paper The Recycler. Calling themselves the Bangs, the three musicians issued the single “Getting Out of Hand”/“Call on Me” on their own Downkiddie label. They adopted the name the Bangles in early 1982 to avoid confusion with an existing New York group called the Bangs. After appearing on the Rodney on the ROQ compilation and playing local shows that introduced new bassist Annette Zilinskas, Miles Copeland placed the band on the IRS subsidiary Faulty Products and secured them an opening slot with the English Beat. That summer they released a self-titled EP on Faulty Products.
Early in 1983 the Bangles signed with CBS Records; Zilinskas departed to join Blood on the Saddle and was succeeded by bassist/vocalist Michael Steele, formerly of the proto-punk band the Runaways. Their first full-length album, All Over the Place, arrived in summer 1984. Although it yielded no charting singles, the record reached number 80 on the U.S. charts thanks to college radio, MTV exposure, and favorable notices. A cover of Katrina & the Waves’ “Goin’ Down to Liverpool” and the original “Hero Takes a Fall” received particular attention on campus stations nationwide.
Their second album, Different Light, surfaced in spring 1986, led by the colorful, neo-psychedelic single “Manic Monday,” penned by Prince under the alias Christopher. The track climbed to number two in both America and Britain, lifting Different Light into the Top Five. A cover of Jules Shear’s “If She Knew What She Wants” stalled at number 29, yet the next single, “Walk Like an Egyptian,” held the top U.S. spot for four weeks and reached number three in Britain. Following a summer tour, Hoffs starred in The Allnighter, directed by her mother Tamara; the 1987 film fared poorly at the box office and curtailed any immediate acting prospects for Hoffs. The final single from Different Light, “Walking Down Your Street,” entered the charts early that year and peaked at number 11.
Later in 1987 the group recorded a hard-rocking take of Paul Simon’s “A Hazy Shade of Winter” for the Less Than Zero soundtrack. The single reached number two in early 1988, and the third album, Everything, followed that fall. Although more polished than prior releases, Everything did not match Different Light commercially; “In Your Room” rose to number five, and the ballad “Eternal Flame” became their second U.S. number-one hit in early 1989. Sales tapered after the third single, “Be with You,” which stopped at number 30. A brief summer tour preceded the band’s breakup, after which Hoffs launched a solo career with 1991’s When You’re a Boy; that album peaked at number 83 and its single “My Side of the Bed” reached number 30. She was later dropped by Columbia while working on a second record.
Vicki Peterson toured with the Go-Go’s from 1994 to 1995, filling in for the pregnant Charlotte Caffey, and later joined the Continental Drifters with future sister-in-law Susan Cowsill. Debbi Peterson formed the duo Kindred Spirit with Siobhan Maher, while Steele appeared in several short-lived groups after failing to secure a solo contract. In 1998 the members reunited after nearly a decade apart to record a track for the second Austin Powers film, followed by a tour in 2000. Over the next two years they prepared Doll Revolution, released in 2003 and marking Steele’s final album with the band; she departed in early 2004, reportedly disappointed by limited touring. The remaining Bangles continued with hired bassist Abby Travis for occasional dates.
In the latter half of the decade Hoffs collaborated with Matthew Sweet on two cover albums, both produced by Sweet. When the Bangles sought a producer for their fifth record, Hoffs turned to him again. The resulting Sweetheart of the Sun, a bright, California-inflected collection, appeared in September 2011. Subsequent years brought regular touring, including appearances at the 2012 Rewind Festival, the 50th-anniversary celebration of the Whisky a Go Go, and 2013’s Paisley Aboveground alongside reunited paisley-underground acts the Three O’Clock and Rain Parade. In 2014 the band issued Ladies and Gentlemen... The Bangles!, a collection of early singles, EP cuts, and rarities. In 2019 they joined Rain Parade, the Dream Syndicate, and the Three O’Clock on the Paisley Underground compilation 3X4, with each group covering songs by the others.
The original lineup came together in 1981 after guitarist/vocalist Vicki Peterson and drummer/vocalist Debbi Peterson answered an ad guitarist/vocalist Susanna Hoffs placed in the Los Angeles paper The Recycler. Calling themselves the Bangs, the three musicians issued the single “Getting Out of Hand”/“Call on Me” on their own Downkiddie label. They adopted the name the Bangles in early 1982 to avoid confusion with an existing New York group called the Bangs. After appearing on the Rodney on the ROQ compilation and playing local shows that introduced new bassist Annette Zilinskas, Miles Copeland placed the band on the IRS subsidiary Faulty Products and secured them an opening slot with the English Beat. That summer they released a self-titled EP on Faulty Products.
Early in 1983 the Bangles signed with CBS Records; Zilinskas departed to join Blood on the Saddle and was succeeded by bassist/vocalist Michael Steele, formerly of the proto-punk band the Runaways. Their first full-length album, All Over the Place, arrived in summer 1984. Although it yielded no charting singles, the record reached number 80 on the U.S. charts thanks to college radio, MTV exposure, and favorable notices. A cover of Katrina & the Waves’ “Goin’ Down to Liverpool” and the original “Hero Takes a Fall” received particular attention on campus stations nationwide.
Their second album, Different Light, surfaced in spring 1986, led by the colorful, neo-psychedelic single “Manic Monday,” penned by Prince under the alias Christopher. The track climbed to number two in both America and Britain, lifting Different Light into the Top Five. A cover of Jules Shear’s “If She Knew What She Wants” stalled at number 29, yet the next single, “Walk Like an Egyptian,” held the top U.S. spot for four weeks and reached number three in Britain. Following a summer tour, Hoffs starred in The Allnighter, directed by her mother Tamara; the 1987 film fared poorly at the box office and curtailed any immediate acting prospects for Hoffs. The final single from Different Light, “Walking Down Your Street,” entered the charts early that year and peaked at number 11.
Later in 1987 the group recorded a hard-rocking take of Paul Simon’s “A Hazy Shade of Winter” for the Less Than Zero soundtrack. The single reached number two in early 1988, and the third album, Everything, followed that fall. Although more polished than prior releases, Everything did not match Different Light commercially; “In Your Room” rose to number five, and the ballad “Eternal Flame” became their second U.S. number-one hit in early 1989. Sales tapered after the third single, “Be with You,” which stopped at number 30. A brief summer tour preceded the band’s breakup, after which Hoffs launched a solo career with 1991’s When You’re a Boy; that album peaked at number 83 and its single “My Side of the Bed” reached number 30. She was later dropped by Columbia while working on a second record.
Vicki Peterson toured with the Go-Go’s from 1994 to 1995, filling in for the pregnant Charlotte Caffey, and later joined the Continental Drifters with future sister-in-law Susan Cowsill. Debbi Peterson formed the duo Kindred Spirit with Siobhan Maher, while Steele appeared in several short-lived groups after failing to secure a solo contract. In 1998 the members reunited after nearly a decade apart to record a track for the second Austin Powers film, followed by a tour in 2000. Over the next two years they prepared Doll Revolution, released in 2003 and marking Steele’s final album with the band; she departed in early 2004, reportedly disappointed by limited touring. The remaining Bangles continued with hired bassist Abby Travis for occasional dates.
In the latter half of the decade Hoffs collaborated with Matthew Sweet on two cover albums, both produced by Sweet. When the Bangles sought a producer for their fifth record, Hoffs turned to him again. The resulting Sweetheart of the Sun, a bright, California-inflected collection, appeared in September 2011. Subsequent years brought regular touring, including appearances at the 2012 Rewind Festival, the 50th-anniversary celebration of the Whisky a Go Go, and 2013’s Paisley Aboveground alongside reunited paisley-underground acts the Three O’Clock and Rain Parade. In 2014 the band issued Ladies and Gentlemen... The Bangles!, a collection of early singles, EP cuts, and rarities. In 2019 they joined Rain Parade, the Dream Syndicate, and the Three O’Clock on the Paisley Underground compilation 3X4, with each group covering songs by the others.
Albums
