Complicated Girls: What’s Become of the Bangles?

Jennifer Otter Bickerdike’s soon-to-be-released "Eternal Flame: The Authorized Biography of the Bangles" sounds like a must-read for fans of the '80s band, who in short order had three platinum albums and eight Top 40 singles, including two chart-toppers. 

After an acrimonious breakup in 1989, the Femme Fab Four reunited in 1999 -- going on to tour over the next two decades and record two more acclaimed albums.

Mysteriously, however, the Bangles have gone quiet since 2019. What would have been an obvious next move -- reuniting to perform their signature cover of "Hazy Shade of Winter" for the televised Paul Simon tribute in 2022 -- shockingly saw Susanna Hoffs go it alone.

So why an "authorized" book now? Perhaps they have decided it's truly over, and this is their chance to document their history once and for all. (If the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is listening, please refer to my first paragraph.)

But if, as reviewer Bob Ruggiero says, the book can't answer the most confounding question -- why they were all so miserable in their heyday -- might I hazard a guess? It could be the same reason they're not together now. (If Fleetwood Mac has taught us nothing else it's that bandmates can hold grudges for a lifetime!) 

What we've been told is that tension over Susanna Hoffs (rhythm guitar/vocals) being singled out as the lead singer is what led to the breakup. Indeed, of their eight hit singles, Hoffs was the primary vocalist on five and co-lead on two others, "Walk Like an Egyptian" and "Hazy Shade," which the label was undoubtedly behind. Still, it's hard to put the notion entirely on outside forces when the Bangles (as the Bangs) self-released their first single and opted to feature Susanna as the lead on the A and B sides, which suggests to me that even the Petersons saw her as their best bet for success.

But I've long theorized (with scant evidence) that Vicki Peterson (lead guitar/vocals) was relatively sanguine being wildly successful even with the Susanna situation so long as the group's round-robin lead vocals and shared songwriting remained intact -- but that her little sis, Debbi Peterson (drums/vocals), was having none of it, furious that they were being pushed into the background of "their own" band.

This, I surmise, then made Vicki -- peacemaker in chief -- miserable as well, ginning up her own Sue envy (now penning hits with outside songwriters) while at the same time forcing her to constantly run interference, protectively calming and comforting her angry kid sister. (I’d be miffed too!) Add to the disgruntledness the fact that Michael Steele (bass/vocals) -- the "serious Bangle" whom to nobody's surprise did not participate in this new book -- was bound to feel like the odd one out as the sole non-founding member, likely leaving Vicki to reassure Steele that she was a full member and that her songs would eventually be used. (Steele had zero writing credits or lead vocals on the debut album and just one writing credit on the second.) 

That the band's two non-Susanna-lead singles both featured Debbi on lead vocals ("Going Down to Liverpool" and "Be With You") rather than Vicki -- arguably the leader of the pack and its best songwriter -- has appeasement written all over it. (They're both great songs; but it definitely raised my eyebrows at the time.) 

(Another tea leaf: Vicki wrote the sublime "James" and "He's Got a Secret" and co-wrote "Dover Beach" -- the standout track on their debut "All Over the Place" LP -- yet allowed Susanna to sing lead on all three … what I see as further proof that Vicki just wanted more rocking and less drama.) 

Debbi is also known for having had dustups with Gina Schock (of the Go-Go's), producer David Kahne -- not saying she was at fault in either case, but perhaps a pattern? -- and her social media seems to go out its way to avoid photos that feature Susanna. Debbi has also openly mocked what she saw as Sue's "little sex kitten" persona back in the day: "I personally wanted the Bangles to be seen more as musicians and a band and not just little sex poodles up there."

Whatever the case, I'd like nothing more than for the women to reunite once again. That former bassist Annette Zilinskas had been playing live with them in recent years and was on their last recordings makes me even more sad that they've vanished.

Until then, if anyone knows what the truth is, please set me free. I love Debbi and all of them, but love gossip even more!

P.S. I ran my theory by Jennifer Otter Bickerdike, author of "Eternal Flame: The Authorized Biography of the Bangles," and she replied: "Being in a band is difficult. Hope you enjoy the book and thank you for reaching out." 

Sounds like someone missed her calling in diplomacy! 

The Fans: Debbie [sic] Peterson, Lynn Elkind, Amanda Hills and Vicki Peterson 

UPDATE: I hadn't seen the band's "Behind the Music" since it first aired in 2000 so I just re-watched it. It confirmed much of what I wrote -- it undoubtedly informed some of my thoughts even if I'd forgotten -- and made me realize that Susanna had tired of the finger-pointing ("Eternal Flame? More like eternal blame!), so I have a feeling that if any of that began resurfacing she'd have had a much easier time walking away this time around. I'm guessing she and the Peterson sisters as well are at the age where they're thinking: "Who needs this, again?"... but what a loss for us fans.

And while I'm imagining Vicki took the latest split the hardest, it's nice to see that she and hubby John Cowsill have recorded an album together. New single above! Read more HERE.

And if you don't now about John's family history, I highly recommend watching "Family Band: The Cowsills Story." It's a fascinating story -- they were the inspiration for "The Partridge Family" -- although I might warn that it should probably have every trigger warning known to man on it.

Song of the Day: 'Walking Down Your Street' by the Bangles

I was reminded of this quirky clip featuring Little Richard(!) by reading what I now believe to be definitive piece on the history of the Bangles on Chris O’Leary's blog called 64 Quartets, which somehow left me -- who bought the gals' debut EP in 1982, saw them open for the Psychedelic Furs in 1984, attended their reunion show on the Sunset Strip in 2000, produced a compilation of their rarities in 2004, befriended Annette Zilinskas on Facebook, and have attended every tour and meet-and-greet since -- feeling like a Bangles neophyte. Set aside a couple hours to read and click through on all the wonderful links HERE.

Song of the Day: 'Walk Like an Egyptian' (demo) by Marti Jones

Finally thought to track down and listen to the original demo of "Walk Like an Egyptian," which writer Liam Sternberg got singer Marti Jones to record in 1984. Sternberg offered it to Toni Basil -- who was riding high after Mike Chapman slipped her a "Mickey" -- but she passed. Lene Lovich then reportedly recorded the song but it went unreleased after she decided to take a break to raise a family. (Would KILL to hear that version!) It then made its way into the hands of producer David Kahne who was at the helm of the Bangles' second album, and the rest is rock 'n' roll history. 

Ava's Analysis writes:

Liam Sternberg sat on a ferry, watching people struggle to maintain balance as the boat rocked. Their awkward yet rhythmic movements inspired him to write "Walk Like an Egyptian" in 1984. Sternberg, a songwriter and producer, originally intended the song for Toni Basil, famous for "Mickey," but her label rejected it. The demo, featuring singer Marti Jones, soon landed in the hands of The Bangles' producer David Kahne, who saw its quirky appeal. The Bangles, an all-female band gaining momentum in the 1980s, recorded the track with lead vocals divided among Vicki Peterson, Susanna Hoffs, and Michael Steele. 

The recording process was unusual. While Susanna Hoffs, the band's rhythm guitarist, had already sung several of their hits, Kahne wanted different voices to make the song even more distinctive. He had each member try singing it, then selected the best takes, resulting in a dynamic, varied sound. Drummer Debbi Peterson, however, didn't get a lead part, leading to internal frustrations within the band. 

The song’s instrumentation added to its unique style. Instead of a traditional drum kit, a LinnDrum machine created the beat, reinforcing the electronic feel of the song. The guitar riffs were sharp, complementing the playful yet hypnotic vocal delivery. The track’s whistle sound, mimicking an ancient Egyptian flute, was actually produced on a synthesizer. 

Upon its release in September 1986 as part of the album "Different Light," "Walk Like an Egyptian" quickly gained attention. The song’s lyrics described people in various settings adopting the Egyptian-like pose, head tilted, arms bent at right angles. The phrase wasn't meant to be taken literally but rather as a playful observation of human behavior. The infectious melody and irresistible groove helped push the single to radio airwaves worldwide. 

MTV played a significant role in its success. The music video featured clips of The Bangles interspersed with everyday people doing the "Egyptian" pose, enhancing its appeal. MTV’s heavy rotation of the video helped "Walk Like an Egyptian" climb the charts at a rapid pace. By the end of 1986, it had become a cultural phenomenon. 

On December 20, 1986, the song reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, staying there for four weeks. It became the first No. 1 hit for The Bangles, turning them into superstars. The track also topped charts in several countries, including Canada, Australia, and the UK. By early 1987, it had sold over a million copies in the United States alone. 

Despite its lighthearted nature, the song faced controversy. Some radio stations removed it from their playlists during the Gulf War in the early 1990s, fearing that its references to Egyptians might be considered insensitive. However, its legacy remained intact, and it continued to be a party and karaoke favorite. 

The Bangles later admitted that while they appreciated the success, the song's popularity overshadowed some of their other work. Nonetheless, "Walk Like an Egyptian" remains one of the defining tracks of the 1980s, capturing the era’s eccentricity and pop sensibilities. 

Its lasting appeal is evident in films, commercials, and TV shows where it continues to make appearances, ensuring its status as an unforgettable classic.

The Two Things the New Go-Go's Documentary Got Wrong

The Go-Go's are receiving a lot of much-deserved recognition since Alison Ellwood's documentary was released on Friday. It's a great film, filled with thrilling rare footage and fascinating insights from two early members and one replacement. (Manager Ginger sold her car to support them!) My only quibble is that I wish it had done a better job to not promulgate two misconceptions about the band: that a new generation of female musicians failed to come along to follow in their footsteps and that they were some one-off success story, neither of which is really accurate.

The Go-Go's were total trailblazers. But their efforts were certainly not as much in vain as they have been made out to be by focusing on the number of all-women bands that have come since them. Perhaps the main reason there haven't been that many is because women musicians aren't seen as a novelty anymore -- in large part because of the Go-Go's. So girls and women join bands of all different gender configurations. That's progress. Off the top of my head I can think of more than a dozen bands the Go-Go's helped pave the way for, including the Pandoras, Throwing Muses, the Breeders,  Luscious Jackson, Bikini Kill, L7, Veruca Salt, Hole, Sleater-Kinney, Belly, Le Tigre, the Donnas, Murmurs, Heavens to Betsy, the Like, the Muffs, Pussy Riot, Best Coast, Haim, Bleached ... and the list goes on.

And then there's the Bangles. The Go-Go's and the Bangles are nothing alike and have been unfairly compared for decades. But if we're lamenting that the Go-Go's were the first but "still the only" all-female band to write and play their own instruments to have a No. 1 album we should also remember they're not the only ones to come from DIY beginnings to achieve great success.

Although "Beauty and the Beat" does indeed hold that distinction 40 years later -- having spent six weeks at No. 1 and being certified double platinum for sales of two million plus -- the Bangles' "Different Light" reached No. 2 and was certified triple platinum for sales of three million plus.

The Go-Go's "Vacation" was certified gold and "Talk Show" sold fewer than 500,000. The group's "Greatest" album also sold less than 500,000 copies.

The first Bangles album, "All Over the Place," wasn't a big hit but did spend 30 weeks on the Billboard albums chart. I've mentioned the second album's being certified triple platinum. Their third, 'Everything," was also a million-seller in the U.S., as was their "Greatest Hits."

"Different Light," "Everything" and "Greatest Hits" were also certified platinum in Australia, U.K., and Canada, a much lower bar than in the U.S. but impressive nonetheless. The only Go-Go's album to be certified outside the U.S. was "Beauty and the Beat," which went platinum in Canada.

The Bangles had two No. 1 singles, two No. 2 singles and eight Top 40 singles overall. The Go-Go's had one No. 2 single, one No. 8 single and five Top 40 singles overall.

This isn't a competition. But it is progress that another all-female band came along and sold twice as many records shortly thereafter. And then the Breeders and Hole had platinum albums and Belly and Luscious Jackson went gold. The Go-Go's helped pave the way for all of this. Also might be worth noting that the onetime-Dixie Chicks have sold at least 33 million albums in the U.S. alone, according to RIAA, and have three No. 1 albums. 

As a side note: The Bangles are often maligned for recording "so many covers," whereas the Go-Go's only recorded one for an album. First of all, I don't necessarily see that as a bad thing. The first Rolling Stones album was all covers. The Beatles, Bob Dylan, Neil Young, Ziggy Stardust and Paul Simon did covers. Blondie released "Denis" off "Plastic Letters" and did three covers on their classic "Parallel Lines." (In fact, "Hanging on the Telephone" was written by the guy who co-wrote "Tonite" with Charlotte Caffey.) Madonna's first two Top 20 hits were songs she didn't write. (When they finally released one of hers, it went Top 5!) None of these things discredit their artistic abilities. (The Go-Go's developed a following and got signed via their live shows, which included covers of "Johnny, Are You Queer," "Let's Have a Party" and "Remember [Walking in the Sand]," all of which I'd have preferred over some of the filler on "Vacation.") 

And even this is exaggerated, exacerbated by the fact that the Bangles' label chose to release several covers as singles. (Like Blondie and Madonna, sometimes you have to go along with what the label tells you to do.) Of the five Bangles albums the band wrote 54 songs and did nine covers. They also wrote the A and B sides of their debut standalone single (that they released as the Bangs on their own label); wrote four songs on their debut EP and did one cover; wrote original songs for "The Goonies" and "Austin Powers" soundtracks and did a cover for "Less Than Zero"; and wrote one original B-side, one original new song for "Greatest Hits" and did one cover on a B-side. And while none of the Go-Go's singles were certified, three of the Bangles' were -- and their biggest of all was co-written by Susanna Hoffs.

If what the documentary was trying to say is that the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame has (thus far) been unfair to the Go-Go's, then I fully agree. But no one should come away with the idea that women musicians haven't flourished because of their achievements.

P.S. Make that three things!

Operator: 911, what's your emergency? 

Me: I'd like to report an anachronism.

Song of the Day: 'Following' by the Bangles

Today's song is my favorite Bangles deep cut -- written and sung by the "dark" Bangle: Micki Steele. How about a Bangles documentary next?

Song of the Day: 'Live' by the Bangles

It was less than a year ago I posted "Live," Emitt Rhodes's cult classic with the Merry-Go-Round, as my Song of the Day when I learned my friend Russell had passed away. Now comes word that the singer/songwriter has died at 70. (No cause of death was given.) Here is the Bangles' take on "Live" -- and read tributes to Rhodes HERE.

Sung by the great Debbi Peterson.

Song of the Day: 'Manic Monday' by Billie Joe Armstrong and Susanna Hoffs

New cover by Billie Joe Armstrong of Green Day and Susanna Hoffs of the Bangles. I'm not sure how manic it is to merely sit up in my bed to begin working these days. But it is Monday!

Song of the Day: 'Walk Like an Egyptian' by the Bangles

From HERE.

My friends and I got so excited one time when this came on the radio in my VW Rabbit convertible back in college that I took my eyes off McClintock Road for a second and rear-ended someone -- which is almost as upsetting (it was my new car!) as what drummer Debbi Peterson went through recording the novelty smash.

Song of the Day: 'Hero Takes a Fall' by the Dream Syndicate (with Vicki Peterson)

Not everyone was thrilled with "3 x 4: The Bangles, The Three O’Clock, The Dream Syndicate, Rain Parade," on which the four famed Paisley Underground acts covered each other's songs. But I thought it had its moments, particularly this should-have-been-hit off the Bangs' debut album.

Song of the Day: 'Good Day Sunshine' by the Bangles

So it turns out obsessively (re)reading Wikipedia entries can actually pay off -- like discovering the Bangles covered "Good Day Sunshine" on a 2008 kids' album! Just imagine how thrilled Bea Arthur Michael Steele, Vicki Peterson, Susanna Hoffs and Debbi Peterson must have been in when they met legendary Fab Four producer George Martin at the Hollywood Bowl back in 1999, shortly after reforming! I was just thinking how it seemed like the gals were broken up forEVER, yet the time they were apart (nine years) is a fraction of the time they've been back together ... or were even together in the first place. Getting older is funny that way.

P.S.

And because the gals can't get enough of Paul, John, George and Ringo, here's a 2012 radio appearance I'm also just discovering, posted in 2018. 

Song of the Day: 'Live' by the Merry-Go-Round

This one's for Russell, an old friend whom I just found out died about a year ago. Because of a series of health and addiction issues, I hadn't seen him in about 10 years -- he, Scooter and I went to Trump Tower, of all places -- but always kept a watchful eye on him online. Scooter -- through whom I met Russell, who started as a patron of his arts -- also just found out, noting: "I saw him go from millionaire to completely broke four times."

 It certainly was a life of extremes, one I'm happy to have crossed paths with. RIP, Russell.

The original Emitt Rhodes version ...

Russell and Scott in 1989 

Scott writes:

Our good friend Russell Beer passed away on Monday from a heart attack. Russ had been a part of my life for 30 years. On his best days, Russ was an incredibly generous friend. Smart and funny and dark and complicated. He was an interesting guy. Loved his Heavy Metal, and his awesome fishing boat, Kalifornia. Those fishing trips down in Cabo were some of the best days. And I am glad that I was able to spend quality time with him on his boat. He was responsible for taking care of virtually every bar tab our last couple years of college, much to my educational demise. But, I wouldn't trade those moments for anything now. He was my Fraternity brother, hockey teammate, drinking buddy, concert goer, travel partner, wingman, and confidant. However, we were not very close the past few years, and that is bothering me today. The Russ that we knew will be missed. My heart is heavy today, thinking about his recent struggles. I hope he has found peace. He deserves to be remembered! God bless you Russ, and my thoughts and prayers are with your family.

Remains of the Day (11/25)

Washington Post: Sweet to see my brother mentioned in this column: Thanks to the late Bill Walsh, an acclaimed Post copy editor who wrote about usage and grammar and collected books about language, our newsroom has copies of Post stylebooks dating to 1963.

YouTube: The final season of "EastSiders" premieres Dec. 1 and the trailer is here now!

We Are Cult: How one edition of "Top of the Pops" killed the ’80s

Salon: An editor who got my old job at the New York Times when it moved to Florida claims he was fired over one minor edit he suggested to a story about Trump

San Francisco Chronicle: Jack Porter, historian and keeper of the National AIDS Memorial Grove, dies at 81

WSJ: Who will be the first American counted in the 2020 census? It came down to two.

People: NFL player Ryan Russell, boyfriend Corey O'Brien share PDA in London 

PinkNews: Boris Johnson refuses to apologize for "tank-topped bum boys" jibe. Again.

Dlisted: The trio of Splash Mountain go-go miners are your hot sluts of the day!

YouTube: The Mary Tyler Moore apartment tour I've always dreamed of!

Business Insider: If we had just stuck to Classmates.com we wouldn't be in this mess

Gr8er Days: A fleshbeck of Maxwell Caulfield for the ages

Rolling Stone: Stumbled upon Susan Orlean's  unvarnished look at the Bangles and couldn’t help but wonder what the band thought about it when it appeared back in ‘87!

Queerty: He asked out a McDonald’s cashier and set off an Internet debate

Boy Culture: Peter Berlin unveils new book at NYC signing

The WoW Report: David Byrne performs Talking Heads’ “Road to Nowhere” on "The Tonight Show"

Greg in Hollywood: Sexy eye doc Andrew Neighbors goes places!

The Randy Report: Minneapolis City Council bans so-called "conversion therapy"

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Life with/without a cat #letspurr

A post shared by THE PURR HOUSE (@the.purr.house) on Nov 15, 2019 at 11:31pm PST

Hot Cat of the Day: This little guy shows you what it's all about!

Song of the Day: 'When I Was Your Man' by Derrick Anderson

This one  is filled with emotions. First, I didn't realize the Bangles had actually "replaced" the great Micki Steele on bass -- with an actual man, no less! And that the replacement, Derrick Anderson, ended up releasing a solo album that featured the Peterson sisters plus Kim Shattuck of the Muffs, who we just lost ALS at just 56.

Plus outtakes!

Song of the Day: 'Manic Monday' by the Bangles

NPR has a great interview with Susanna Hoffs about the Bangles' experience with Prince, including his presenting them with the song "Manic Monday."

Not only did the Purple One discover the Bangles' early music, he sought out the performers themselves. It happened one night at one of the band's shows in Hollywood.  

"Suddenly, word gets to us Bangles backstage that Prince had come to see us," Hoffs remembers. But he wasn't just there to see them. He was there to perform the new band's single, "Hero Takes a Fall," with them onstage. Hoffs calls the experience "magnificent on so many levels." "It was truly mind-blowing," Hoffs says of playing alongside Prince. 

"I'd never seen anybody play a guitar like that. It was almost like his guitar was just part of his body; There was no disconnect."

When Prince presented the band with a cassette of "Manic Monday," she said they were "smitten" with the song. Still, she goes on to explain that the band was adamant about "Bangle-fying" the song, although this just-released demo shows it remained pretty darn close to the original. (It doesn't even sound like they re-recorded the music!)

The classic Bangles version ...

The Prince demo featuring Apollonia 6

Song of the Day: 'Talking in My Sleep' (Rain Parade cover) by the Bangles

Love this photo of Vicki, Susanna and rejoined bassist Annette Zilinskas of the Bangles, Dream Syndicate, the Three O'Clock and Rain Parade celebrating the release of the "3x4" Paisley Underground album at the Valley Performing Arts Center in Northridge, Calif. 

The Bangles contributed a cover of the Three O'Clock's "Jet Fighter," "That's What You Always Say" by the Dream Syndicate and this gem by Rain Parade. I want to kiss whoever came up with this idea! Info HERE.

Rain Parade cover 



The Three O'Clock cover

Dream Syndicate cover

This is 60?

Remains of the Day (07/26)

Gothamist: Who says romance is dead?

Variety: YouTube deletes videos posted by Infowars, suspends alt-right channel from live-streaming

Dlisted: Alleged girlfriend beater Ryan Phillippe is still one hot piece

The Daily News: Novak Djokovic's wife's grandfather kidnapped, left tied up in field after robbery

Towleroad: A gay man's boozy quest to meet his icon, Diane Keaton

EW: Chelsea Handler to play a "high-powered lesbian" on "Will & Grace" -- even though it's not her story tell(!)

Instagram: Has original bassist Annette Zilinskas rejoined the Bangles?

Deep Dish: Nothing sexier than two hot men kissing

The New York Times: Mueller examining Trump's tweets in wide-ranging obstruction inquiry

Baseline: Should all majors have deciding-set tiebreakers

Brooklyn Vegan: Hunky Frye Festival founder pleads guilty to fake ticketing scheme

Gre8er Days: A review of Renee Taylor's "My Life on a Diet"

Metrosource: Prince Harry, Elton John launch new effort at World AIDS Conference

The Advocate: LGBT activist David Mixner will not be put out to pasture

Toledo Blade: Betsy DeVos's poor $40 million yacht -- good thing she has nine other ones

PinkNews: Trump whore Chadwick Moore alerts FBI after being banned from Grindr

NYT Magazine: Do you live in a political bubble? (Yes, thank God!)

OMG Blog: Disney actor Ryan Potter flaunts his junk 

Song of the Day: 'Yes It Is' by the Bangles

The female Fab Four have always been obsessed with the Beatles, who how fabulous to hear three-fourths of them do a live version of this sweet b-side from "Ticket to Ride." 

The Bangles Return to the Sunset Strip

Order "Ladies and Gentlemen ... the Bangles!" HERE.

Great interview with the Bangles -- Susanna Hoffs, Vicki Peterson and Debbi Peterson -- about their upcoming three-night stand at the Whisky A Go Go HERE.

But will founding bassist Annette Zilinskas be there?

Music Box: Annette Zilinskas

Longtime readers know I am a Bangles fanatic, dating back to their 1982 EP that featured original bassist Annette Zilinskas, a delicate blonde of Lithuanian and Scandinavian ancestry from the Van Nuys section of the Valley. 

Although I embraced her replacement, Michael Steele -- "Following" is arguably the Bangles' best original song, and "Glitter Years" isn't too far behind -- I always wondered what became of the quiet girl on the bass, who looked like a 1950s Hollywood starlet someone discovered in the basement of the Masque. I recall hearing she'd left the Bangles for a band called Blood on the Saddle, but back in those high-school days money was tight -- and YouTube didn't exist -- so I was never willing to take the risk and buy the group's debut album that came out in 1984, just as the Bangles put out their first LP. That "Blood on the Saddle" was distributed by a small label meant it wasn't always readily available, so the planets never seemed to aligned for me to even buy it as an impulse purchase when the babysitting gigs were coming fast and furious. As a result, my love affair with Annette sort of became a New Wave footnote, with fond memories whenever I heard her play the harmonica on "How Is the Air Up There?"

The Bangs get a "temporary" bassist

and harmonica player

The Bangs became the Bangles ...

when it was discovered another band had already laid claim to the name ...

The Beach Girls

The girls go cruising with Rodney Bingenheimer of KROQ

EP promo

And then Dick Clark came calling ...

 Performing "Want You" on "American Bandstand" (March 26, 1983) 

Annette really wants to be your girl 

Decades later, Annette would still occasionally enter my mind. In fact, I was at a Susanna Hoffs and Matthew Sweet show at City Winery in 2009 when their backup band was having some technical difficulties, which led Sid 'n' Susie to doing an impromptu Q&A with the audience. I immediately asked Susanna if she had kept in touch with Annette, to which she smiled and said sort of wistfully, "No. I'm not really sure what ever became of her." 

With that in mind, imagine my surprise the other night when I stumbled upon a video of the Bangles performing at the Whisky in 2014 -- when their rarities LP came out that included that eponymous EP -- featuring none other than Annette Zilinskas on harmonica! From the looks of things, everyone -- including Susanna -- was overjoyed to have the old group back together again. (I'm guessing the Petersen sisters did, in fact, keep in touch with her -- she and Vicki seem very chummy.) Annette looks radiant and sounds like a day hadn't gone by.

But this opened the YouTube (and later Spotify) floodgates for me, and imagine how surprised I was to discover that "Blood on the Saddle" was indeed worth the $8.99 back in the day, and then some. 

AllMusic gives "Blood on the Saddle" four stars.

Although the debut is light on Annette -- something I had feared all along as I knew she had been added to a group that already had a male singer -- the band sounds like the love child of X and Lone Justice, and her starring moments give Maria McKee a run for her money.

"(I Wish I Was a) Single Girl (Again)" is the standout track, but the songs where she sings with founder Greg Davis -- with whom she appears to have been romantically involved back in the day -- are exhilarating as well, and have been described as making John Doe and Exene Cervenka sound like Steve Lawrence and Eydie Gorme, which isn't entirely untrue.

The two albums that followed -- "Poison Love" (1985) and "Fresh Blood" (1987)  make better use of Zilinskas.



But after three LPs and little mainstream success, the band called it a day (until reforming without her in 1993).

After leaving Blood on the Saddle, Zilinskas was a member of a six-person group called the Ringling Sisters, none of whom were sisters or named Ringling (two of them were dudes!). The group started out as a collective of sorts for artists who were in other bands but wanted another outlet without all the commitment -- Johnette Napolitano of Concrete Blond was a founding member -- but became a "real" band by the time Annette joined. Just got their one LP -- 1990's "60 Watt Reality," produced by the great Lou Adler -- and it's difficult to see why it wasn't a hit in the era of Melissa Etheridge and Alannah Myles as it builds on the alt-country influence Zilinskas mastered with Blood on the Saddle plus adds a nice touch of blues and some spoken word! (The band was quoted as calling their sound "punk rock with a smile.")

Although Annette again shares vocal duties, the band has a winning Lone Justice (but this time) by way of Memphis feel, with a brainy splash of Throwing Muses and Slow Children, propelled by lyrics like "the kind of eyes that stare back at you from a milk carton," According to the L.A. Times, Zilinskas then led a band called Weatherbell, although it doesn't appear they ever released anything. I sent Annette a message on Facebook last night to see if she'd be up for a chat (I'm dying to hear about her reunion with the Bangles!). Will let you know if she's game or if she's too busy living in the real world ... 

From the vault:



(Gifs via Bang Go the Bangles.)

UPDATE:

Some exciting news: After a few guest appearances, Annette has (officially) rejoined the Fab Four! For a number of years after her replacement, Michael Steele, opted to retire the gals employed Derrick Anderson and at one point Abby Travis, who you may recall filled in for Kathy Valentine following her injury and subsequent ouster from the Go-Go's. What a blast seeing the lovely Lithuanian in action again after all this time. More photos and details HERE and HERE.

Longtime fans will recall Annette was the only person who responded to Sue's ad in the Recycler back in the day. When Sue eventually hooked up with the Peterson sisters, they already had a bassist (Amanda Hills). It was only when Hills left for grad school did Annette join the band, once known as the Colours, Supersonic Bangs, Bangs and then eventually Bangles!

P.S. Speaking of former bass players:

Amanda Hills Podany (now a Ph.D.) has also occasionally reunited with the band on stage, bringing the whole story full circle! Read HERE.

Read all Music Box posts HERE.