Oh, Susanna!

 

As I mentioned earlier in the week, three very Kenneth events happened while Damian and I were on the coast, including a performance by Susanna Hoffs. Ironically, the last time I was in L.A. was exactly 10 years ago, when I made a special trip to see the Bangles beauty perform ... at Largo! 

That outing was nearly derailed by an epic snowstorm here in NYC -- my flight kept getting canceled and eventually I made it there for only one of the two shows I had tickets for, which both featured guest Belinda Carlisle.

This time around, we were fortunate that my friend and former roommate James was available to join us. He happened to work on (Susanna's husband) Jay Roach's "High Desert," so we chatted with him after the show and found it adorable how the famed director went out of his way to make sure James's selfie was to his liking. 

Before the concert, we ran into our mutual pal and film reviewer extraordinaire Glenn Gaylord, whose write-up is so spot-on I will just share it with you here. 

He writes:

I went to see Susanna Hoffs & Friends at Largo last night. She did a wonderful 14 song set of Bangles classics, a couple of new songs, and, to our delight, she and her small band performed the first 7 songs off of The Beatles' classic album, HELP! She sounded as good as ever, with that angelic yet raspy voice which always cuts through. If you've never been to Largo, it's a small, intimate 200+ seat venue and artists keep things SUPER casual. No photos or recording was allowed, which made it feel evern more special. 

Susanna, admittedly scattered, gave off a "you're in my living room" vibe, stopping and restarting songs, forgetting lyrics, changing tempos, all while being beyond adorable. In the biggest surprise of the evening, Conan O'Brien came out to workshop jokes from his upcoming Oscar monologue. If the jokes he told are any indication of what he's gonna do, this will be one for the books. I really hope he goes there with the Timothee Chalamet bit.

As much as I love The Bangles...and why, oh why, are they not in The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame yet????...I have really worshipped her three cover songs albums she recorded with Matthew Sweet (another favorite of mine). Their voices blend together so well. Did I mention I'm a huge power pop fan?  Each album covers a specific decade in music....60s, 70s, and 80s.  

I have been hungering for their 90s collaboration, but tragedy struck Matthew in October 2024 when he suffered a debilitating stroke while on tour in Toronto. It's been a long, slow road to recovery and it's not clear he'll ever be able to play guitar or sing again. Visit his GO FUND ME page for more details and if you have felt he (and Susanna) have enriched your life with their artistry, maybe consider donating. 

In the meantime, here's the setlist from Susanna's concert last night.

  1. In Your Room

  2. None of Them Were You (The List)

  3. Bad Case of Loneliness

  4. Help!

  5. The Night Before  

  6. You've Got to Hide Your Love Away

  7. I Need You  

  8. Another Girl

  9. You're Going to Lose That Girl

10. Ticket to Ride  

11. Manic Monday

12. Hero Takes a Fall

13. Hazy Shade of Winter

14. Encore: Eternal Flame

Kenneth and James on the real Melrose Place, circa 1992

We finished the night off with James by cruising Melrose Avenue before getting a bite at Canter's. xo

At Le Poisson Rouge, Susanna Hoffs Lets the Songs (and Others) Talk

Susanna Hoffs was in fine form on Friday night at Le Poisson Rouge, performing Bangles classics, a couple covers (Jimmy Cliff's “Sitting in Limbo” and Nesmith/Stone Poneys/Ronstadt's “Different Drum”) and trying out a bunch of new songs from a forthcoming album -- “Casablanca,” “None of Them Were You,” “Sometimes You Gotta Learn Your Lesson Twice,” “Bad Case of Loneliness” and “Good Luck” -- as well as one (“It’s My Time”) from a possible musical (with Edie Brickell!) based on the diminutive Bangle’s debut novel.

It’s been a particularly prolific era for Hoffs -- who released just two solo albums in the 1990s, zero in the 2000s, and one in the 2010s*, but has put out three in the past four years -- so any disappointment I felt about the set list was largely assuaged by my gratefulness for where she is now.

It was a delightful, low-key evening with just Sue and the two young men she’s currently collaborating with -- CJ Camerieri (horns; piano) and Ryan Lerman (guitar; clarinet) -- on stage, and she only played guitar during the one-song encore. As ever, she was her usual diffident self, deferring to these young guys the audience had never seen or heard of before to tell her own 40-year-old stories(!), and repeatedly re-doing guitar parts until she got them just right. (My friend Greg felt that perhaps she was a bit too low-key, half-joking that “she looks great, but that basic black Ann Taylor pantsuit infuriates me. It’s a show, not a TED talk.”)

Then, in a sweet moment, she choked up while preparing to perform a new song about her husband of over 30 years, Jay Roach, who looked equally overcome as he filmed her on his phone from the sidelines -- which struck me as particularly poignant given that he’s a world-famous filmmaker. (“Directors -- they’re just like us!”)

When I told my childhood best friend about the concert, he mentioned that he was in the middle of reading Jennifer Otter Bickerdike’s authorized biography of the Bangles, which inspired me to follow suit. I’d kind of dismissed the book at first, thinking there couldn’t be anything I didn’t already know about this group I’ve followed religiously since I was a kid. 

But boy, was I wrong -- Annette Zilinskas was in the band twice before exiting prior to “All Over the Place” and had never played bass before joining, a la Kathy Valentine! Maria McKee’s mom responded to one of Susanna Hoffs’s flyers for bandmates but then abruptly hung up when she was told Maria couldn’t be the singer! Thomas Newman is the person who got the Bangles involved in "Less Than Zero"! -- even if it also annoyingly confirmed what I had long suspected about the issues within the band, which seem to plague them to this day.

Yes, I can understand why the Peterson sisters -- whom I adore and think are incredibly talented -- were unhappy that the “everything is split evenly four ways” idea fell apart. But are they really naive enough to believe this kind of success would have ever come their way if not for Sue’s distinctive voice and star quality? If that were the case, why didn’t Crista Galli, Aishi, the Muze, the Fans or Those Girls -- the pre-Hoffs incarnations of the group -- ever get signed and shoot to the top of the charts the way the Bangles did? And it cuts both ways: Susanna bombed as a solo artist -- so it clearly was about alchemy. (See also: Mac, Fleetwood.)

So instead of being so bitter (especially Debbi) about how it happened, why not be grateful -- because, as the Go-Go’s bassist will tell you, lightning rarely strikes twice.

* Children, Matthew Sweet and the reformation of the Bangles all being limiting factors, of course.

 

 Venue note: LPR has always been a general admission venue, but perhaps because of the, um, maturity of the crowd they decided to have tables and chairs. Somehow they sold out before I could get one, so we were forced to get “standing at the bar” tickets, which were horrendous. In addition to being quite far from the stage, the path to the bathroom runs right through that section, so we spent the entire night being jostled and having our view obstructed. Buyer beware!

P.S.

Just learned that Sue does a duet of "Happy Together" with Rufus Wainwright and "Love Hurts" with Eric D. Johnson on the soundtrack of "The Roses." 

Also: 

Damian and I have been wanting to try this Georgian restaurant near our gym on the Upper West Side then noticed the very cute looking Old Tbilisi Garden on Bleecker Street near the concert venue -- so ate there instead. As you can see, I didn't like it at all! 

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.

Golden 'Nuggets'

 The Wild Honey Foundation put on a hell of an autism benefit last week in Glendale, Calif., featuring seminal garage rockers from the Seeds, Love and the Chocolate Watchband. Lenny Kaye served as emcee, resident historian, cheerleader and intermittent singer-guitarist for this semi-reconstruction of the 1972 compilation album “Nuggets." 

Read about the seminal album HERE.

Susanna Hoffs performed "I Want Candy" by the Strangeloves and teamed up with Weird Al and Owen Elliot (Mama Cass's daughter) for "Sit Down, I Think I Love You" by the Mojo Men.

With everything as wonderful as it was, I'm baffled as to why someone felt the need to aggressively filter this cute photo of the Bangles singer/guitarist with fellow musicians Carnie Wilson and Kathy Valentine. See the original BELOW.

Song of the Day: 'When You Walk in the Room' by Susanna Hoffs

I first heard the Bangles beauty perform "When You Walk in the Room" in 2012 during a solo concert at the City Winery. Of course it was a Jackie DeShannon song, recorded a few years before I was even born. (I have Hoffs -- the big sister I never had -- to thank for introducing me to so many old tunes.) DeShannon had hits with Bacharach-David's "What the World Needs Now Is Love" and her own "Put a Little Love in Your Heart," then became rich when Kim Carnes covered her song "Bette Davis Eyes." But as good as they all were, it was "When You Walk in the Room" that has to be her finest moment. The song stalled at No. 99 on the Billboard Hot 100 when DeShannon's version was released as a single in 1964. But with everyone from Bruce Springsteen and ABBA singer Agnetha Fältskog to Paul Carrack (ex-Squeeze) and country star Pam Tillis covering it over the years, it's clear that the general public didn't have the final word on this gem.  

Performing on the "World Café" radio show in Philadelphia

Notice adorable Jackie start lip-synching prematurely!

Paul Carrack's version, from his album "One Good Reason" (1987), reached #90 in the U.S. and #48 in the U.K. It was also a Top 10 hit in Australia, peaking at #7.

ABBA singer Agnetha Fältskog's version is one of my favorites -- so upbeat and joyful. It was released as the second single off her 2004 album, "My Colouring Book." The track peaked at #11 in Sweden and #34 in the U.K.

Wikipedia notes that Bruce Springsteen has covered the song several times live, especially during concerts on his "Born to Run" tours. This version, played at the Bottom Line in 1975, stands out.

In 1994, Pam Tillis covered it for her 1994 album, "Sweetheart's Dance." Her version peaked at #2 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart. The video depicts Tillis as a 1960s singer on Dick Clark's "American Bandstand"! 

Song of the Day: 'Dangerous' by Ronnie Spector (Featuring Susanna Hoffs)

Saddened to hear about the death of Ronnie Spector at 78. Cancer has taken yet another great one, but her once-in-a-lifetime voice will live on for eternity. If life were fair then Ronnie would have had a Tina Turner-size comeback, having endured a similarly traumatic marriage to another psychotic music man. But instead she had to settle for a brief moment in the sun again with a few "oh oh oh"s on Eddie Money's "Take Me Home Tonight," which for a moment reminded the world how special she was.

Today's pick is from her comeback album right after her Money shot. Although the aptly titled "Unfinished Business" tanked, it did add to her resume 10 more songs, including this should've-been hit featuring another girl band singer gone solo. Rest in peace, Veronica Bennett. xo

Song of the Day: 'To Sir, With Love' by Susanna Hoffs

 

This one's in honor of the great Sidney Poitier, who died Thursday at 94. It's been sweet -- and educational -- reading all the tributes friends of mine have posted, most notably these two.

Steve wrote: 

Only, us older Black folks TRULY understand the significance of Sidney Poitier. While young folks may not "get" his importance because their worldview is limited. Non-Black folks, who are old enough to experience him only saw him  through his charisma and acting ability. For those of us who were raised on him, he was us and offered us possibilities which weren't being presented. Through Poitier, we saw we could be doctors, teachers, cops, cowboys, jazz musicians. He was a handyman who was a reluctant helper to a group of nuns and he did it with unequalled swagger.  He then showed people like Ava Duvernay, Spike Lee, Ryan Coogler that we could run things behind the camera. All I'm trying to say is thank you Sir, with love and respect. Rest now.

To which Natasha replied: 

He also meant so much to our tiny island nations. Being a man of Bahamian descent, he represented “every Caribbean National,” regardless of the country. We were all so proud to claim him as an island boy. I bought his book, “The Measure of a Man,” for my husband. The roles he tackled in his career were astounding to the viewing audience. What a great loss. 

And may I also recommend Tim Gray's poignant piece for Variety: "Sidney Poitier: A Legend Who Changed Hollywood."

Song of the Day: 'I Want to See the Bright Lights Tonight' by Susanna Hoffs

When I was a kid, every critic's list of best albums always mentioned Richard and Linda Thompson, two people I didn't know the first thing about. Although the reviews were obviously raves, with no radio play or any way to sample the merchandise I was hard-pressed to justify spending $8.99 out of my meager babysitting earnings on something I had no idea if I'd like. Jump ahead a few decades and I've long appreciated the duo's catalog -- in particular 1982's "Shoot Out the Lights," which was recorded "Rumours" style as they were divorcing -- and have even seen their cute son in concert. Susanna Hoffs has previously covered "Walking on a Wire" from the couple's aforementioned classic 1982 LP. And now today's pick is her spin on the title track from Richard and Linda's first album together, which came out in 1974, two years before Teddy! Susanna discusses her new album, "Bright Lights," HERE.

Speaking of which: 

Does anyone know if Teddy is gay? I got a vibe, plus he has contributed to the soundtracks of "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel," "Glee" and "Brokeback Mountain" (singing lyrics written by Bernie Taupin), among others, as well as performing backup vocals for Rufus Wainwright. (I think I just came out again typing that!)

Song of the Day: 'You Just May Be the One' by Susanna Hoffs

Susanna Hoffs's new album -- a collection of covers of lesser-known songs by well-known artists -- is out and I'm in heaven. It's hard to pick a favorite, but if pressed I might just have to go with this Monkees gem, penned by the great Michael Nesmith. 

Review: Susanna Hoffs Shares Some Classic Covers

Song of the Day: 'Name of the Game' by Susanna Hoffs (featuring Aimee Mann)

Susanna Hoffs has written some of the best pop songs of my youth -- "Hero Takes a Fall" should have been the Bangles' breakout hit, and "In Your Room" was an instant classic -- yet I still cannot get enough of her covers. (When your voice and taste in music is as good as hers, it's hard not to lap it up.) Lucky for me, the follow-up to 2012's sublime and all-originals "Someday" will be "Bright Lights," featuring her take on classic and obscure songs by the Merry-Go-Round, Nick Drake, the Monkees, Prince, Syd Barrett, the Velvet Underground and more. Today's pick is her version of Badfinger's “Name of the Game,” featuring a little help from Aimee Mann. Enjoy!

Complete track listing HERE.

Song of the Day: 'Midnight Confessions' by Belinda Carlisle, Molly Ringwald and Susanna Hoffs

 Last summer I wrote about "The Most '80s Night Ever," when a Who's Who of the Los Angeles music scene got together for one night at the Palace Theater to raise money for the homeless. With a backing band consisting of Kathy Valentine (the Go-Go's), Christine McVie (Fleetwood Mac), David Lindley, Gary Myrick, Ran Manzarek (the Doors), Phil Chen and Curly Smith, three of my favorite women -- Belinda Carlisle, Molly Ringwald and a not-quite-super-famous Susanna Hoffs -- took the stage to perform the Grass Roots song "Midnight Confessions," the audio of which just popped up on YouTube over the weekend. Enjoy!

Can anyone hear Susanna? Her voice is very distincitive and all I hear are Belinda and Molly! 

Hear the original HERE.

Song of the Day: 'Manic Monday' (live) by Susanna Hoffs

 Great to hear this '80s gem with real violins, cellos, etc. rather than synthesized ones. 

P.S. Listen to Sue and the orchestra perform "Eternal Flame" HERE.

Song of the Day: 'The Only Thing' by Travis (featuring Susanna Hoffs)

I'd never heard of the Scottish band Travis before. But I'm OK with anyone who wants to work with Bangles beauty Susanna Hoffs. The song is apparently the fourth the band has shared from their forthcoming album "10 Songs," having previously released the tracks "Valentine," "A Ghost" and "Kissing in the Wind.") 

Frontman Fran Healy told NME of the new video: “This is definitely my Covideo. One of the main prerequisites was to somehow get us all on the same stage and try to capture the spontaneity of a duet while the performers are in different locations.

“Leading up to the shoot, I would send Susanna a video of a great duet. ‘Summer Wine,’ ‘I Got You Babe,’ ‘Islands In The Stream. I hired a small film crew and persuaded Glasgow’s Theatre Royal to open its doors to us. I directed the shoot remotely, via three phones. One in the DP’s ear, one FaceTime trained on the monitor and one iPhone with the band. There were so many moving parts. I’m amazed we got there and it turned out great.”

Susanna seems a little embarrassed by the whole thing, but this is cute.

Learn more HERE.



And speaking of video finds: Over the weekend I discovered the "I.R.S. Presents the Cutting Edge" episode from MTV when the Bangles filled in for host Peter Zaremba of the Fleshtones. It's totally adorable. And how surprised was I to see in the credits that it was directed by Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris, the husband-wife team behind "Little Miss Sunshine" and, more importantly, "Battle of the Sexes." Damian and I actually met them at a Q&A and how I wish I could go back to ask them about this old MTV show.

This, of course, got me all the more excited about the upcoming documentary about I.R.S. Records, home to nearly all the coolest new wave bands, including the Go-Go's, R.E.M., the English Beat, Wall of Voodoo and the Alarm. to Watch the trailer HERE.

The Most '80s Night Ever

ICYMI: Would love to hear from anyone who attended this "Trouble in Paradise" gala, benefiting the Inner City Law Center's efforts on behalf of the homeless.

A little research reveals that it took place March 10, 1985, at the Palace Theatre in Los Angeles. Molly Ringwald, Belinda Carlisle and Susanna Hoffs teamed up to perform "Midnight Confessions," which sounds about right given the Bangles beauty's fondness for the Grass Roots.

Kathy Valentine -- who would be blindsided by the demise of the Go-Go's right around the time this event took place -- wrote on Twitter that she was in the backing band and helped select the artists and material for the night. In addition to Kathy, the band consisted of Christine McVie (Fleetwood Mac), David Lindley, Gary Myrick, Ran Manzarek (the Doors), Phil Chen and Curly Smith

Someone on Twitter asked Kathy: 

Is Christine McVie the coolest person or what? 

To which she replied: 

YES

Looks like a total riot. I also spot Vicki & Debbi Peterson and Michael Steele of the Bangles, Terri Nunn and John Crawford of Berlin, Jackson Browne, a pensive Carla Olson (Kathy's former Textones bandmate) and the late Phil Seymour, among many others.

As one person on Facebook put it, "There has never been so much cocaine in one room since Nicholson’s '79 Christmas party."

Do THESE THREE need to be separated?

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: 'Elevator Trio' by Theodore Shapiro (featuring Caroline Shaw, Petra Haden and Susanna Hoffs)

Three blameless women contributed to this atmospheric track from Jay Roach's film about the women of Fox News. Full soundtrack HERE.

Song of the Day: 'I Don't Know Why' by Susanna Hoffs

One of the dozens and dozens of unreleased songs by the Bangles shorty. This one's a Shawn Colvin cover that appeared on Colvin's "Fat City" LP back in 1992. The track was nominated for Grammy in the Best Female Pop Vocal category. Will these gems ever see a proper release? 

Song of the Day: ‘The Village Green Preservation Society' by Sid 'n' Susie

Hard to believe I could religiously follow and buy everything by Sid 'n' Susie -- including all three versions of their "Under the Covers, Vol. 1" duo debut to get the bonus tracks -- yet not know about these two additional outtakes. Up first is a Kinks cover followed by the Who's "I Can See for Miles." Guess this is what I get for not buying the first album a fourth time as part of "Completely Under the Covers."

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.