The Bangles transformed from a critically acclaimed but little-known group to one of the biggest bands on the planet. It took place on the album Different Light, which took the quartet to the stratospherehe of pop music, but before that, at least originally, the band featured more of a raw, rocking sound. Their 1984 debut album All Over The Place contained nine originals out of 11 songs on the record, including five songs that were written solely by bassist Vicki Peterson. Peterson shared vocals pretty evenly with Susannah Hoffs. Sound-wise, they hearkened back to 60s garage rock and power pop on the album.
A confluence of events helped change their sound and commercial prospects. First, Prince took a shine to them, and he offered them a song called "Manic Monday" that was pretty much ready to heat and serve. That song featured a softer, more pop-friendly tone than the first record. In addition to that, the band's writers just didn't have as many original songs in the hopper that seemed single-worthy. Producer David Kahne saw the opportunity to take advantage of the anticipated burst of popularity. He commissioned some other songs that seemed perfect for mid-80s pop radio. Kahne also took the playing out of the band's hands on these tracks, heavily relying on session instrumentalists to fill out the sound
The Bangles also struck gold on MTV with a series of increasingly popular videos. It's understandable that The Bangles might not have loved the cover songs being chosen as the key singles. But they deserve credit for putting their stamp on them in undeniable fashion. Susannah Hoffs, who became the unofficial voice of the group because of her prominence on the big hits, deserved a lot of credit for that. Indeed this was the beginning of the end for the band, cause the media's focus on her would cause problems for the band down the line.
Hoffs injected sultriness into the narrator's harried tale in "Manic Monday". She captures the pathos in Jules Shear's lovely character sketch "If She Knew What She Wants". And she runs wild with the final verse of the novelty "Walk Like An Egyptian". But Hoffs' leads wouldn't have proven quite so effective without the gorgeous harmony vocals provided by the other members of the band Vicki Peterson, her drummer sister Debbi Peterson, and bassist Michael Steele. The album tracks might not pop like the singles, but they’ve got heart and style. Steele's solo lead on the downcast "Following" stands out from that pack. Their hearts might have belonged to a different musical era. But Different Light proved that The Bangles were right on time.
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