Bangles were a part of LA's "Paisley Underground" of the mid 1980s (along with The Three O'Clock, Rain Parade, Green On Red and The Dream Syndicate among others). They started out as Colors, then became The Supersonic Bangs, then simply The Bangs. After it was discovered another band shared the name they became Bangles. Many erroneously think the name change was due to Bangs meaning the slang term (after all, it WAS a girl band, so what were the naughty-minded of the 80s supposed to think?), but they actually named themselves for the haircut feature...
After releasing an independent single in 1981
of "Out Of Hand"/"Call On Me" on their own Downkiddie
Records, (pictured at right) they caught the ears of Miles Copeland who signed them to his fledgling Faulty
Products label, where they worked with producer David Leon and produced the BANGLES EP.
After Faulty's demise in 1983, I.R.S. quickly reissued the EP. The packaging between the two versions is identical with only the number being different and the I.R.S. Man replacing the Faulty logo. The IRS version also has a fine print credit that reads, "thanks to everyone at Faulty Products for getting it all started -- R.I.P." A touching and poignant comment...
In 1983 Annette Zilinskas left the band to join Blood In The Saddle another LA band, and was replaced by former Runaway Michael Steele. At this time Bangles also switched labels to Columbia where they became a major musical force in the 1980s, producing such hits as "Walk Like An Egyptian", "Manic Monday", "In Your Room" and others...
BANGLES
Produced by Craig Leon
Photos by Bob Seideman
Album Design by Ewa Wojciak
Musicians:
Susanna HoffsRhythm Guitar, Backing Vocals. Lead Vocals on 1 & 4
Debbi Peterson Drums , Backing Vocals. Lead Vocals on 2
Vicki Peterson Lead Guitar, Backing Vocals. Lead Vocals on 3-5
Annette Zilinskas Bass, Harmonica, Backing Vocals
Additional Musicians:
Ethan James Piano on 1
Craig Leon Piano on 1 & 4
Track Listing:
On their debut EP, Bangles do a splendid job of replicating the layered vocal harmonies of the 60s bands that obviously influenced them. Those influences run the gamut from the obvious (The Mamas & The Papas and The Beatles) to the more obscure (Emitt Rhodes' Merry-Go-Round and The La Dee Dahs, who originally did the EP's "How Is The Air Up There?"). Indeed, Bangles often covered tunes by some of these bands.
While there isn't a bad track here, the best are the Bangles original, "The Real World' (which should've been used as the theme to that gawdawful eMpTy-V er, MTV Show), "I'm In Line" and the aforementioned cover "How Is The Air Up There?".
REAL WORLD CD3
Musicians:
Susanna HoffsRhythm Guitar, Backing Vocals. Lead Vocals on 1 & 2
Debbi Peterson Drums , Backing Vocals. Lead Vocals on 3
Vicki Peterson Lead Guitar, Backing Vocals. Lead Vocals on 2
Annette Zilinskas Bass, Harmonica, Backing Vocals
Additional Musicians:
Ethan James Piano on 1
Craig Leon Piano on 1 & 2
Track Listing:
This CD3 features three cuts off the Bangles EP, one of which ("Real World") is remixed by producer David Kahne (who produced Bangles' follow-up LP for Columbia) and actually comes in a few seconds shorter than the previously released version. The remixing seems to be little more than an enhancement of the stereophonic attributes of the song. The packaging is slightly modified reworking of the original EP...
HEARING AIDS (I.R.S. Promotional cassette, No #)
: Bangles appear on side 1 performing "Real World" and on side 2 performing
"I'm In Line"
LIVE! FOR LIFE (IRSD-5731): Bangles appear on side 2 performing "Hero Takes A Fall" (Live).