Bangles

[Ivan May]

My record collection is pretty massive, that it would take days to count. One of the mainstays in my record collection is Bangles. Whilst The Go-Go's are a fabulous example of a pioneering all female rock band who played their own instruments and occasionally wrote their own songs, they were nothing compared to other female bands. Heart, The Waitresses, The Runaways, Joan Jett and the Blackhearts.

 

Based out of Los Angeles, CA, The Bangles formed in 1982, with lead vocalist, guitarist and primary songwriter Susanna Hoffs, guitarist Vicki Peterson, drummer Debbi Peterson (who is Vicki's sister) and bassist Annette Zilinskas. The group originally released an EP in 1982, that caught the attention of legendary Los Angeles DJ Rodney Bingenheimer and Miles Copeland, manager of such classic groups as The Police and Wishbone Ash. (Copeland was also the older brother of The Police drummer Stewart Copeland.)

 

After Annette left to join short lived Rockabilly act Blood on the Saddle (she has since rejoined the Bangles), the group recruited Michael Steele (who famously served as the original bassist for The Runaways before being sacked in 1975), and signed with Columbia Records in 1984. Their debut album, All Over The Place, came out in 1984. Whilst the chart positions hadn't happened yet, the Bangles took the doo wop of Carole King, Gerry Goffin and the Shangri-Las and blended it with the Beatles, the Byrds and Strawberry Alarm Clock to create the psychedelic AOR that became their trademark. They toured with Cyndi Lauper, Huey Lewis and the News and Prince (who went on to write their first Top 40 hit, Manic Monday). Once MTV started playing the video for Manic Monday, success was increasingly assured. Different Light reached #2 on the Top 200, and also spawned their first #1 hit, Walk Like An Egyptian. After spending 1987 with more extensive touring, Rick Rubin contracted them to record a cover of Simon and Garfunkel's Hazy Shade of Winter for the Less Than Zero soundtrack, which also made #2. A third studio album, Everything, was released in 1988 and made another chart topper, Eternal Flame, before the group split up in 1990. They have since reformed, putting out 2 albums in 2003 and 2011.

 

It should also be noted that Susanna Hoffs was the first female guitarist to have a signature model guitar (Rickenbacker presented her with a signature model in 1985, which she is most commonly seen playing.)

 

There should be a biopic about the Bangles. Sarah Hyland would be my choice to play Susanna Hoffs, whereas Emily Osment would do a good job playing Vicki Peterson.

 

[KuruPrionz]

We must not forget Sister Rosetta Tharp or Fanny, historically important rockers who proceeded all of the musicians you mention above. 

[surfergirl]

4 hours ago, KuruPrionz said:

We must not forget Sister Rosetta Tharp or Fanny, historically important rockers who proceeded all of the musicians you mention above. 

David Bowie about Fanny. "They were extraordinary: they wrote everything, they played like motherf****ers, they were just colossal and wonderful, and nobody's ever mentioned them. They're as important as anybody else who's ever been, ever; it just wasn't their time."

[skipclone 1]

Love The Bangles! `Eternal Flame` is in junior high school textbooks in Japan. One of these days I want to cover

`Walking Down Your Street`.

That said-and not passing judgement at all, we`ve all been there-in the 80s I was gigging pretty regularly. A bandmate of

mine told me he was working at a music store in southern CA, I guess this would have been early 80s. Then one day in walks-The Bangles, the whole group. I guess they were on a safarii for instruments. The main thing he remembered was the guitarist-Vicki Peterson I suppose-saw one she liked. She wanted to try it but, er...didn`t know how to tune it. Both of us agreed,that takes away nothing from their success, which was well-deserved.

[surfergirl]

I don't want to give the impression that I don't like The Bangles and the other female bands, I like them a lot. I also like the girl groups from the 50's and 60's. 

When I see the Millington sisters and Brei Howard-Darling I see women who look like me, someone I can relate to. I don't know of any other Filipina female guitarist, bassist or drummer. 

[KuruPrionz]

I do like the Bangles, they made good records. Never saw them live. 

 

I've seen some wonderful live performances by female artists, starting with Joan Baez a LONG time ago. 

Also Bonnie Raitt, Chrissie Hynde (who I think was a huge influence on the Bangles), the Raylettes (Ray Charles backup singers, they were baddass!!!), Cyndi Lauper, Christina Amphlett from the Divynyls, Joan Jett, Astrid Plane, the lead singer for Red Zone - who also fronted Animotion, Debra Iyall (Romeo Void, I went to high school with her), Sue Sadd (and the Next), Emmylou Harris and probably some others I am forgetting right now. 

 

[Shamanzarek]

One of the first all-female rock bands was Goldie and the Gingerbreads who were active from 1962 to 1967. They toured with The Beatles, Rolling Stones, Animals, Yardbirds, Who, and played the Star-Club in Hamburg.

Lead singer Genya Ravan co-founded Ten Wheel Drive in 1968. Two other band members were in the female horn band Isis beginning in 1972.

 

Another all-girl group was the Clinger Sisters who started in Utah in the late 50s much like the Osmonds and even appeared with the Osmonds on Andy Williams TV show. In the late 60s they became a rock band managed by Kim Fowley.

 

The Pleasure Seekers were a Detroit all-female band formed in 1964 by Suzi Quatro and her sister Patti who later joined Fanny in the 70s.

 

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

IMHO, The Go-Gos deserve a bit more respect than they usually get.  That said, they were never my cup of tea.  They were eclipsed by The Bangles in my collection.

 

The question of the best band I got to see perform live fronted by a woman is a tough one. The main problem is that I’ve seen so few women rockers live…but the ones I can remember were mostly killer.

 

In no particular order:

 

Garbage (at Edgefest)

Evanescence (at the same Edgefest)

Siouxsie & The Banshees (Lollapalooza)

Black Pearl (opening for Galactic Cowboys and Blue Öyster Cult in an Austin Bar)

Eye & I (in an Austin bar, opening for Bodycount and Ice-T…as in both of his bands)