Different Light |
|
Released: January 13, 1986 Peak: 2 US, 3 UK, 8 CN, 2 AU, 13 DF Click for codes to charts. Sales (in millions): 3.0 US, 0.3 UK, 3.66 world (includes US and UK) Genre: pop/new wave |
Tracks:
Total Running Time: 38:48 The Players:
|
Rating: 3.950 out of 5.00 (average of 28 ratings)
Awards:(Click on award to learn more).
|
About the Album:The Bangles’ first album, All Over the Place, “ earned them a smattering of radio and MTV airplay” AM on the strength of the song “Hero Takes a Fall.” With their sophomore effort, however, “they were aiming for much higher stakes” AM and reached them.At least commercially. “Certainly the album’s Top 40 sound was a departure from their earlier ‘60s-style sound.” WK “Different Light turned the Bangles into bona fide pop stars” AM although the cynic, such as AllMusic.com’s Mark Deming argued that the effort “transformed a spunky and distinctive band into a comparatively faceless vehicle.” AM The Hit Singles…and BeyondDifferent Light generated four top-40 singles in the U.S. and had a minor hit with “Following” in the UK. Beyond the singles, the album also offered “the Doors-ish, carnival-like keyboards and quirky guitars of Standing in the Hallway and Return Post.” SL They also cover September Gurls (with lead vocals by Michael Steele), originally recorded by Big Star, the shoulda-been-big band from the 1970s whose jangly pop influenced Tom Petty and R.E.M.“Album tracks like Angels Don’t Fall in Love and Let It Go, which were written by the Bangles themselves, are the glue that holds Different Light together.” SL “The title track rollicks along with genuine pop-punk fervor. Guitarist Vicki Peterson’s voice might pale in comparison to Susanna Hoffs’s distinctive vocal, but her songwriting skills are clearly the strongest here: ‘I wanna paint your portrait / Hang your colors on my wall / Discussing form and content with my friends and drinks.’” SL Here are more details about the singles. |
 |
Manic MondayBangles |
Writer(s): Prince Released: 12/23/1985 as a single Peak: 2 BB, 3 CB, 3 GR, 5 RR, 43 AR, 2 CO, 2 UK, 2 CN, 3 AU, 4 DF Click for codes to charts. Sales (in millions): -- US, 0.25 UK, 0.30 world (includes US + UK) Airplay/Streaming (in millions): -- radio, 129.25 video, 267.44 streaming |
Awards:(Click on award to learn more).
|
About the Song:Considering how omniprescent the all-girl group became on MTV, it’s laughable to call them “faceless.” Susanna Hoffs in particular became the go-to-crush for every ‘80s teenage boy. Sure, the album “was considered a slicker, more commercial move for the Bangles at the time of its release” SL it “sounds surprisingly fresh in hindsight.” SLInfatuation for Hoffs was actually a major catalyst in launching the success of the album. Fresh off his superstar-making-turn with 1984’s Purple Rain, Prince wrote Manic Monday for the Bangles, reportedly because he was enamored with Hoffs. AM Read more about his version here. The song’s “baroque, keyboard-dominated sound was a far cry from anything the Bangles had recorded before, and…Hoffs’ breathy voice and her bandmates’ fine harmonies fit the song like a glove.” AM The song was the lead single from the album, reaching #2 on the Billboard Hot 100. |
 |
If She Knew What She WantsBangles |
Writer(s): Jules Shear Released: 4/14/1986 as a single Peak: 29 BB, 28 CB, 19 GR, 28 RR, 24 AC, 4 CO, 31 UK, 31 AU, 13 DF Click for codes to charts. Sales (in millions): -- Airplay/Streaming (in millions): -- radio, 12.63 video, 9.05 streaming About the Song:The follow-up single, If She Knew What She Wants, was another top-40 hit. It was also written by someone outside the band – in this case, Jules Shear. He recorded it for his second solo album, 1985’s The Eternal Return. The Bangles crossed paths with Shear on several occasions in 1985, serving as his faux backing band when he performed his single “Steady” on American Bandstand, and co-writing thei song “I Got Nothing” for the soundtrack of The Goonies.Peter Bothum of the Wilmington, Delaware paper News Journal, described the song as ‘what the Byrds would have sounded like if they were chicks,” NJ effectively countering Deming’s assertion that “Manic Monday” led the band “away from the '60s-influenced pop/rock that was their strongest suit.” AM In fact, Slant magazine’s Sal Cinquemani emphasized how much the album eluded to the ‘60s: “From their Beatles-inspired moniker to their warm, Mamas & the Papas-esque harmonies, the band seemed determined to pay homage to the past. But their ‘60s-style pop melodies and classic rock references…were deftly matched with the then-current new wave and rock rhythms of the early ’80s.” SL |
 |
Walk Like an EgyptianBangles |
Writer(s): Liam Sternberg (see lyrics here) Released: 9/1/1986 as a single Peak: 14 US, 11 CB, 12 RR, 1 CO, 3 UK, 11 CN, 12 AU, 3 DF Click for codes to charts. Sales (in millions): 1.0 US, 0.25 UK, 1.3 world (includes US + UK) Airplay/Streaming (in millions): -- radio, 132.6 video, 187.45 streaming |
Awards:(Click on award to learn more).
|
About the Song:It looked like the Bangles’ Different Light might have run out of steam after two singles. While “Manic Monday” had reached #2, “If She Knew What She Wants” peaked at #29, suggesting a third single might not even make the top 40. Instead, the Bangles emerged with one of the most iconic earworms of the 1980s – the chart-topping Walk Like an Egyptian. The “slice of ’80s-pop kitsch” SL was named Billboard magazine’s song of the year.Like its predecessors, this was another song written outside of the band. Liam Sternberg was part of the ‘70s music scene in Akron, Ohio. He worked with Jane Aire & the Belvederes and wrote songs for Rachel Sweet, but didn’t find mainstream success. “Walk Like an Egpytian” was an anomaly as it would be his only top-40 songwriting credit. While riding a ferry boat across the English Channel, he noticed that as people struggled to maintain their balance, they held up their arms like they were doing Egyptian movements. SF He recorded a demo of the song with singer Marti Jones in 1984. He offered it to Toni Basil, who had a #1 hit in 1982 with “Mickey,” but she turned it down. Lene Lovich recorded the song, but she decided to take a break from music to raise a family and the song went unreleased. Dave Kahne, who produced the Bangles’ Different Light album, got a copy of the demo and presented it to the Bangles. He had each of the four members sing the song, eventually opting to have Vicki Peterson, Michael Steele, and Susanna Hoffs each sing a verse. WK Kahne didn’t like Debbie Peterson’s vocal, so he relegated her to backing vocals. She was even more angry when a drum machine was also used instead of her drumming. WK As for the whistling in the song – none of them do it. It was done by machine. WK The band didn’t think the song would be released because it was “a goofy romp” and “too weird.” SF |
 |
Walking Down Your StreetBangles |
Writer(s): Susanna Hoffs, Louis Gutierrez, David Khane Released: December 1986 Peak: 11 BB, 9 CB, 7 GR, 8 RR, 33 AC, 3 CO, 16 UK, 56 AU, 17 DF Click for codes to charts. Sales (in millions): -- Airplay/Streaming (in millions): -- radio, 3.50 video, 2.59 streaming About the Song:After two songs helmed by Hoffs, “Egyptian” also focused some attention on the other members since each verse was sung by a different member. The album’s fourth top-40 hit, though, returned the focus to Hoffs. Not only did she sing lead on Walking Down Your Street, but she co-wrote the song.
|
 |
FollowingBangles |
Writer(s): Michael Steele (see lyrics here) Released: 4/6/1987 as a single Peak: 24 CO, 55 UK, 1 DF Click for codes to charts. Sales (in millions): -- Airplay/Streaming (in millions): -- radio, 0.31 video, 2.19 streaming |
Awards:(Click on award to learn more).
|
About the Song:Different Light marked bassist Michael Steele’s first lead vocals, WK most notably on Following. It was Steele’s first original composition released with the Bangles WK and the band’s only single featuring her on lead vocals.It is “a dark acoustic ballad reminiscent of Joni Mitchell’s brand of ’70s folk.” SL Lyrically, it deals with “jealousy, paranoia and obsession that follows the breakup of a relationship” WK with the narrator stalking her ex. Steele has confirmed it was about her high school sweetheart. WK It was “radically different from the rest of Bangles’ material.” WK In an album review, PopRescue.com notes that the song “was perhaps a bit off-kilter with their other tracks.” PR It’s “softer than anything we’ve heard so far” PR but features “some great guitar work” PR and is “a nice contrasting track” PR with “a kind of ethereal drifting sound to it.” PR The song was released as a single in the UK where it was a minor hit, reaching #55. |
Resources/References
Related DMDB Links:
First posted 2/3/2011; last updated 8/9/2025. |
No comments:
Post a Comment