Before Bangles

Better to be remembered for your worst work than to not be remembered at all, I suppose, but long before "Walk Like an Egyptian" the Bangles had a wonderful run as part of Los Angeles' Paisley Underground scene. My favorite moment for the band was the self-titled EP in 1982, but today let's go back to the very beginning for a really fun single. This self-released 7" from 1981 was when they were a trio of Susanna Hoffs and sisters Vicki and Debbi Peterson. They called themselves the Bangs at the time and, like the aforementioned EP and even the full-length debut 'All Over the Place,' this recording isn't all mucked up with the slick radio-friendly '80s production that plagued Bangles' later work. It's merely perfect pop. Vicki wrote the A-side. The B-side was co-written by David Roback, Susanna and Vicki. If you're into Paisley Underground, you may recognize Roback's name from Rain Parade... a band that deserves its own post very soon.

The Bangs - Getting Out of Hand
The Bangs - Call on Me