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Poll of Greater Consequence

Which Bangle song gets on the mix tape?

"Going Down To Liverpool"	1 votes
"Hazy Shade Of Winter"	6 votes
"Hero Takes A Fall"	1 votes
"If She Knew What She Wants"	0 votes
"In Your Room"	1 votes
"Manic Monday"	4 votes
"Walk Like An Egyptian"	1 votes
"Walking Down Your Street"	0 votes

Edgy DC Jul 16 2007 12:32 PM

I always like bands that trade lead vocals around, and the Bangles did liberally, but you'd never know it, because Susannah Hoffs got most of the face time in the videos and on the singles. In "Walk Like..." they each take a turn on leads, though drummer Debbi Peterson only gets to whistle. They had a nice run, until they signed with Satan Records and had their biggest hit and jumped the shark with the same song, "Eternal Flame," not included here. One of these songs bangles more than the others. "Going Down To Liverpool" A lot of bands covered this song, including the American Bangles, even though it was about British unemployment. Debbi sang lead, so it didn't get on MTV, despite the strange guest star. "Hazy Shade Of Winter" Bangle pop mixes dancefloor stomp with acid rock. Everybody sings. "Hero Takes A Fall" A staple of 1980s music videos: mannequins. "If She Knew What She Wants" Susannah's gets her Rickenbacher on. "In Your Room" The new-waviest of these tracks. "Manic Monday" Prince threw away better songs than most'll ever write. "Walk Like An Egyptian" Debbi grinds it out in her body suit while playing tamborine. At the end is the only known music video appearance of Mark Gastineau. "Walking Down Your Street" Slumber party fun!

Willets Point Jul 16 2007 12:37 PM Re: Poll of Greater Consequence

Edgy DC wrote: They had a nice run, until they signed with Satan Records and had their biggest hit and jumped the shark with the same song, "Eternal Flame," not included here. Ready yourself for a cooby beatdown.

metirish Jul 16 2007 12:39 PM

I was in love with Hoff as a teenager ,but who wasn't....voted for "Hazy Shade Of Winter",great,great guitar riff.

seawolf17 Jul 16 2007 01:01 PM

"Hazy Shade" gets my vote too, for so many reasons, not the least of which is the soundtrack it appears on ([url=http://www.amazon.com/Less-Than-Zero-1987-Film/dp/B0000024K5/ref=pd_bbs_sr_4/103-4807840-0184651?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1184612308&sr=8-4]Less Than Zero[/url]), which is excellent: LL Cool J's "Going Back To Cali," vintage Poison covering KISS, PE's "Bring The Noise," Slayer butchering "In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida," and one of my favorite Aerosmith songs, their cover of "Rocking Pneumonia and the Boogie Woogie Flu."

Frayed Knot Jul 16 2007 01:22 PM

'Hazy Shade' was, of course, an old Simon & Garfunkel tune. Bangles did a nice job with it even though they skipped a verse.

Edgy DC Jul 16 2007 01:25 PM

And, remind me, the guitar lick comes from the bassline of the orignal recording, right?

Rockin' Doc Jul 16 2007 01:27 PM

It came down to Hazy Shade of Winter and Manic Monday After some deliberation, I went with Hazy Shade of Winter. Susannah Hoff sure was easy on the eyes.

Centerfield Jul 16 2007 01:30 PM

I'm going with Monday. There might be some better songs on that list, but none of them are enough to beat Susanna Hoffs saying "Come on honey, let's go make some noise."

Johnny Dickshot Jul 16 2007 01:32 PM

Tha Bangles sorta pissed me off by selling other people's songs with a cute singer. And Susanna knew she looked adorable when she gave that corner-of-her-eyes look so she did it all the time. Crazy I tellya. In the end, a good vocal group with some OK material. Tell me, am I selling them short? For me it's down to "Liverpool," written by a guy named Kimberly, performed by a chick named Michael; or "What She Wants" which sells their singing best. Hmmmm...

Edgy DC Jul 16 2007 02:03 PM

Mostly true. Credit you're not giving them is that (1) a lot of material was internal, particluarly Vycki Peterson's contributions, and (2) the four voices and jangly guitars (sometimes 12-stringers) could make for some nicely layered and textued recordings, and for maybe a four-song swing here and there on one of their albums, you'll be feeling 1965 all over again. Often, however, the insistence of their sound gets drowned in the keyboards. This is like the Democratic primary. A lot of horses are in the field, but only two are in frame.

smg58 Jul 16 2007 02:08 PM

I've always liked "Hero Takes A Fall," but I could never stand anything that came after that. They were another one of those bands who got big by making their music less interesting.

metirish Jul 16 2007 02:21 PM

Edgy,regarding point # 2, the use of 12 stringers back in the eighties was rampant,especially amongst the LA set,it looked really cool.

Edgy DC Jul 16 2007 02:28 PM

I don't doubt it, but it sounded good, and gave them a Rubber Soul jangle.

Johnny Dickshot Jul 16 2007 02:34 PM

I remember hearing radio commercials for the local band the Bangs which apparently made the Bangles change their original monicker. They played The Salty Dog, Speaks and the Bordy Barn.

Batty31 Jul 16 2007 05:22 PM

Hazy Shade of Winter

MFS62 Jul 16 2007 09:38 PM

Hazy Shade. I, too, was a Hoffs fan. She now shows up as a interviewee on MTV and VH1 when they talk about the "best 100 ....... " lists of songs of that era. Love her great eyes. Later

Johnny Dickshot Jul 18 2007 08:19 AM

I finally cast my vote, for "Liverpool." Didn't expect such a blowout: Hazy Shade is cool but they didn't improve the original all that much I'd say.

Edgy DC Jul 18 2007 09:09 AM Edited 1 time(s), most recently on Jul 18 2007 10:39 PM

I agree. And under all that Hazy Shade guitar is an angst-ridden lyric about life slipping away while you do nothing of substance. Yike. "Liverpool" is a funny story. The Bangles heard the Katrina and the Waves version, did their own, and, while it wasn't a hit, it eclipsed the success of the Waves' version, and a wily record exec followed up on the sounce, signed up the Waves, and got one hit out of them that'll bring in money forever. I've been singing Bangles songs for three days now. The key is to replace "Valentino" with "Greta Garbo."

Centerfield Jul 18 2007 11:33 AM

Or not depending on your preference.

Edgy DC Jul 18 2007 12:15 PM

Well, Farrah Fawcett, Robert Redford, Lou Pinella, and Mott the Hoople alll scan in there as well. I just figured that would have been Prince's orignal lyric.

Batty31 Jul 18 2007 08:42 PM

Edgy DC wrote: I agree. And under all that Hazy Shade guitar is an angst-ridden lyric about life slipping away while you do nothing of substance. Yike. I guess that's why the song always spoke to me..reflecting my depression. And I prefer their version of it more....captures the angst better.