10 fascinating Bangles facts every fan should know
The Bangles are one of the most iconic girl bands of all time. They had several huge hits in the 1980s, and still perform to huge crowds to this day. Here's all you need to know about the American pop rock group.
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1. The Bangles: Who are the band members?
Susanna Hoffs and sisters Vicki and Debbi Peterson first formed the band in 1980. Annette Zilinskas later joined, but was later replaced by Michael Steele. The current lineup is Hoffs and the two Petersons.
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2. The Bangles now: What do they look like today?
By the mid-1990s, the group had split, but they reunited by the 2000s and have played live sporadically ever since. In January 2018, they played their first show since 2016 at Honda Center in Anaheim. It also was their first gig with original bassist Annette Zilinskas since 1983.
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3. Who is the lead singer?
The Bangles technically don't have a lead singer, but arguably their most famous member is Susanna Hoffs, who has also released several solo albums.
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4. The Bangles songs: What are their most famous hits?
The Bangles have released five albums from 1984 to 2011, and have scored several huge hits - including 'Manic Monday', 'Walk Like an Egyptian', 'Eternal Flame', 'Going Down to Liverpool' and 'Hazy Shade of Winter'.
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5. Susanna Hoffs recorded 'Eternal Flame' completely nude
Hoffs once revealed that she sang the studio recording of the song completely naked, after producer Davitt Sigerson pranked her by telling her Olivia Newton-John had done the same thing, but he later admitted that he had been lying the whole time.
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6. 'Walk Like an Egyptian' caused massive tensions in the group
Producer David Kahne had each member sing the lyrics to determine who would sing each verse. Vicki Peterson, Michael Steele, and Susanna Hoffs sang lead vocals in the final version on the first, second, and third verses. However, Kahne didn't like Debbi Peterson's vocals, so she was relegated to backing. This angered her, and later a drum machine was used in place of her drumming.
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7. What song did Prince write for The Bangles?
Prince wrote 'Manic Monday' and recorded it as a duet for the band Apollonia 6's self-titled album. However, he eventually pulled the song and two years later, he offered it to The Bangles under the pseudonym 'Christopher', a character he played in the film 'Under the Cherry Moon'. Debbi Peterson later said: "Prince really liked our first album. He contacted us, and said, 'I've got a couple of songs for you. I'd like to know if you're interested', and of course we were."
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8. Are The Bangles sisters?
Two of them are! Vicki and Debbi Peterson. However, the rest of the band are unrelated.
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9. How did they get their name?
As a trio, the group were originally called The Bangs. A legal issue later forced the band to change their name at the last minute, so they dropped 'The' and added the letters 'les' to the end to become Bangles. However, 'The' has since been added on various occasions.
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10. Susanna Hoffs is married to the man who directed Austin Powers
In 1993, Hoffs married Jay Roach, the director of the 'Austin Powers' movies and 'Meet the Parents'. They have two sons together. The Bangles got back together to write a song for Roach's 'Austin Powers 2: The Spy Who Shagged Me'.
![Bangles Rewind - The 80's Festival 2012 [02]](https://assets.smoothradio.com/2012/04/bangles-2-1327408560-view-0.jpg)
