I love pure pop music. It’s a much-maligned genre at times, though I’ve never truly understood why. The only genuine reason I can see is that many will see it as not being cool, and therefore sneer at it. Though the stats don’t lie. Pop music has sold huge amounts over the years and has formed the soundtrack to so many of our lives. It is wonderful, and no-one should be ashamed to admit that. I’m certainly not, which leads into this post. The Bangles are one of the finest pop bands of the 80’s, and will feature significantly in this blog over time.
The artist
Formed in Los Angeles in 1981, singer/guitarist Susanna Hoffs, plus sisters Vicki and Debbi Peterson (lead guitarist and drums respectively) joined forces with bassist Annette Zilinskas. First performing as The Colours, they quickly renamed themselves The Bangs and became part of the LA pop scene which was, at that time, heavily influenced by 1960s pop and rock. This line-up released a single and an EP before realising another band had registered the name The Bangs and would not let them use it without payment. They renamed themselves The Bangles, just prior to Zilinskas leaving the band, to be replaced by Michael Steele. The classic line-up was now in place. Having signed to Columbia Records, they released their first album, All Over The Place, including the singles Hero Takes A Fall, and Going Down to Liverpool, in 1984 – the start of a hugely successful 4-5 year period for the band. The success of the singles and album, plus a tour as the impressive opening act for Cyndi Lauper, grabbed the attention of a certain Prince Rogers Nelson. Prince had written a song for a group of his, Apollonia 6, but decided it was better suited to The Bangles. The opening track on their second album, Different Light, it became a worldwide smash in 1986. Many more huge hits followed, and at least 2 or 3 more of them will feature here at some point in the future!
Why I’ve chosen to write about this song
So many reasons! Firstly, it is a brilliant pop song. Catchy as hell, it sticks in your head and remains there for the entire day. Even tone-deaf people can join in a chorus which features a good old ‘whoa-oh-oah’ after every line! The harmonies, as was always the case with The Bangles, are just gorgeous. Then there’s the lyric. Who can’t identify with a singer not wanting to head to work on a Monday morning? Surely that’s a shared experience for most of us?
One of the main things I love about The Bangles is that they produced brilliant pop music which was driven by guitar. That 60’s influence really shines through in their songwriting and production. Although this song wasn’t written by them, that familiar sound is still present, and how glorious it is.
Another reason for choosing this song is that it gives me an opportunity to wax lyrical about one of the greatest singer/songwriter/musicians in the history of pop – Prince. Clearly there’ll be much, much more on him in future blogs (his songs will certainly feature here on multiple occasions), though how insanely talented must a man be to write a song this strong and give it away? There are plenty of other examples of Prince songs which became huge hits for other artists, such as:
- Chaka Khan – I Feel For You
- Art of Noise featuring Tom Jones – Kiss
- Sinead O’ Connor – Nothing Compares 2 U
- Martika – Love… Thy Will Be Done
Not a bad CV, is it?! That brief smattering of praise for one of the greatest pop stars of all time is enough for now though – future posts will pay tribute to him in much greater depth.
The video
Oh, Susanna Hoffs! Be still my beating heart! The teenage me was absolutely in love with her (and the twentysomething me, thirtysomething me, etc. etc.). The opening line in the song features Susanna giving a sideways glance (the one in the image below – any excuse to include this!), which she must surely have known would drive men wild. She also does it in the Walk Like An Egyptian video.
Let’s be honest – celebrity crushes form a large part of those formative teenage years, and Susanna was right up at the top of my list. Apart from that, the video is perfectly fine, depicting the band members in what is supposed to resemble a busy city, though it really doesn’t seem that way. Supposedly shot in L.A., I’m sure they could have made it look far more manic! It’s a decent enough but unremarkable video. But oh my word, it will always hold a special place in my heart for that sideways glance…!
The stats
The song spent 5 weeks in the UK top 10 during the early stages of 1986, peaking at number 2 in mid-March. It was kept off the top spot by Diana Ross’s Chain Reaction and, in what must be one of the most eclectic weeks at the top of the charts during the whole decade, it peaked just ahead of Sigue Sigue Sputnik’s Love Missile F1-11 at 3, and Frank Sinatra’s Theme From New York, New York at 4. It reached the same position in the US charts where, rather ironically, it was kept off the top spot by Prince and the Revolution’s Kiss.
The cover version
Bizarrely, there aren’t too many cover versions of this song out there, either by amateur or professional musicians., I’ve opted for Kate Rusby’s beautiful version. I know there can be some criticism for stripped back acoustic versions of songs these days, particularly as they seem to be everywhere (thanks, Boyce Avenue, for spearheading the saturation of that market…), though I love them, in the main. Yes, I’m biased, as my acoustic duo plays many covers in this vein, but, when done well, they make for great versions. This is no exception. Kate has been one of the most highly regarded folk singers in the UK for the past 25 years or so, and she’s a good old Northern lass to boot. Her vocal here is angelic and a delight to listen to. The video is also a joy – a homemade effort, shot during the 2020 Covid lockdown here in the UK, it is a heartwarming example of what can be done when circumstances are extremely limiting. I urge you to check out some of Kate’s own songs and albums too – she’s a ridiculously talented lady.
The wrap-up
I hate the term guilty pleasure, and it’s applied far too often to pop music/songs. That really does grind my gears. Why shouldn’t we be able to profess pure and utter love for pop music? It’s a hugely popular genre. Pop records have sold huge amounts since the UK charts began back in 1952. I’ve written about this song as The Bangles were a brilliant pop band and Manic Monday is a brilliant pop song. Pop music isn’t a guilty pleasure of mine – it’s a genre I adore. Quite frankly, people who sneer at it are ignorant. People who feel they can’t admit to liking pop music should try to conquer that fear and shout from the rooftops just how good it is. People who instantly dismiss it should try writing a pop song one day, even if it’s just a lyric – it is bloody difficult to do. Pop is wonderful. I’ll be covering many genres in this blog, though I’ve no doubt pop will feature more than any of them, particularly as the 80’s truly was the golden age of pop music.
Always remember the words attributed to the great Jimi Hendrix: Music is a safe kind of high. Make sure a part of every single day is filled with music you love; music that makes you feel something.
Best wishes.
Mick
