Timeline: New Book Covers ‘The Rise of The Bangles From the LA Underground'
By Dave Swanson - Summit FM Contributor
What with it being 'National Women's Month' and all, though, come on, women should be celebrated each and every day of every month! I thought it a good time to mention a new book just out for space on your shelves. It's a book about a great rock and roll band who, yes indeed, were all women!
The Bangles burst out of an unassuming garage, in Los Angeles, back in 1981. It was an ad placed in the local music paper ‘The Recycler,’ which brought guitarist Susanna Hoffs together with sisters Vicki and Debbie Peterson (guitar and drums respectively), as well as bassist Annette Zilinskas. The four members had previously played in bands, but nothing ever caught fire. It all started to gel when Hoffs answered the ad and got immersed in conversation with Peterson about music, as they shared favorite songs and artists, as well as commiserating over the recent assassination of John Lennon.
Initially christened The Colours, the girls soon changed their name to The Bangs, and began hitting local clubs. Their seamless mix of 1960s pop and garage tinged rock and roll, spurred on by a punk inspired DIY energy, quickly became their signature. They used to say it was "the B bands" that really influenced them, those being Beatles, Byrds, and Buffalo Springfield, but it was their vocal abilities in spot on harmonies that added the right topping to the mix.
The band issued their debut single in 1981 on their own label, Down Kiddie Records. 'Getting Out Of Hand' b/w 'Call On Me.' After learning there was already a New Jersey based band called The Bangs, they decided to borrow a few letters from their beloved Beatles, to become The Bangles. The single received heavy airplay on the local KROQ, which was enough to catch the attention of Miles Copeland, of I.R.S. Records, who signed them to his Faulty Records imprint, and released their debut self-titled EP in 1982.
The five song EP was a mini masterpiece of sorts, each song a shimmering example of great Pop music, that was awash in the colors of a previous era, while simultaneously glowingly modern. They had their own sound and weren't a second tier Go-Go’s, or any such creation. They had discovered they weren't alone in their pursuit of a musical future that owed to the past, as other like-minded bands such as The Salvation Army (later the Three O'Clock), Dream Syndicate, Rain Parade, and Long Ryders, were all thinking and creating along similar lines. An offhand quote in the local press from the Three O'Clock's Michael Quercio had this lot of bands labeled as 'the Paisley Underground,' a moniker that adheres to this day.
With the EP receiving heavy play from college radio, the band was soon snapped up by Columbia Records. At the same time, original bassist Annette Zilinskas left the band and was replaced by Michael Steele, a veteran of the LA music scene, having been a member of the very first line-up of The Runaways. 1984 saw the release of their major label debut, 'All Over The Place.' The album had a slightly harder edge and punchier production while retaining the 60s pop glow. Singles from the album 'Hero Takes A Fall' and 'Going Down To Liverpool' didn't sell in tons, but did get the ladies on to MTV, and ultimately to radio.
As all the original 'paisley underground' bands began to sign to the majors, and alter stylistic approach, so too did The Bangles. Two more albums followed, 'Different Light' and 'Everything', both hugely successful and adorned with hit singles like 'Manic Monday,' 'Walk Like An Egyptian,' 'If She Knew What She Wants,' and 'Eternal Flame.' The band had crossed over to the pop world with ease, though lost much of their own personality in the process. It all took its toll on them, and following the 'Everything' tour, The Bangles had called it a day.
All members have kept active in music along the way, working on a variety of projects. In 1998, a decade after packing it in, The Bangles reformed, sans Steele, and continue occasionally to this day, sporadically releasing new material - 'Doll Revolution,' in 2003, and 'Sweetheart Of The Sun' in 2011. To complete the circle, in 2014, Zilinskas rejoined as the original lineup lives on! Hoffs, meanwhile, has become an author. Her first book, ‘This Bird Has Flown,’ was published last year to rave reviews. A new book, 'All Over The Place – The Rise of The Bangles From the LA Underground' has just been released, by Hozac Books, and covers their complete history. Author, and unofficial band historian, Eric Shade started work on this project back in the 1990s. Seemingly every stone is unturned, and nook and cranny dusted for info here. His meticulous research and contagious enthusiasm provides a wide scope portrait of the band. Interviews with early bandmates, detailed information from forgotten fanzines, and overseas interviews, leaves no stone unturned.