THE YEAR IS 1986!
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Originally called The Bangs, they had to change it because another band had that name. That band offered the name to the girls for $20,000, but they refused. Some brainstorming led to “Bangles,” which sounds like “Beatles” and is also the name of a song by the Electric Prunes.
- Susanna Hoffs emerged as the group’s focal point, but that wasn’t the plan. All four members sing and write songs, although Hoffs and Vicki Peterson did most of the songwriting. They pushed for equal billing in promotional materials and stage presence, with no member getting priority placement. But the press gravitated to Hoffs, who sang lead on their biggest hits. This gave the impression she was the leader, or at least the lead singer, and it caused a rift that led to their breakup.
- The biggest hit for the Bangles, “Walk Like An Egyptian” gave them a new level of notoriety. The Bangles didn’t have a problem with the song itself, but when it made them as famous as it did, it also managed to make them miserable – they were burned out and their friendships fractured.
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This was offered to Toni Basil, but she turned it down. The Bangles needed one more song to complete their album, so they took it.
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Bangles drummer Debbi Peterson didn’t perform on this song at all; no singing, and no drumming. Percussion was done with a drum machine. When they performed it live, which you can see in the video, Debbi abandoned her drum kit and moved out front with a tambourine as a backing track played the drums.
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