Signature Songs: The Bangles

Starting a new series today called "Signature Songs". In it, I'm going to be talking about the songs that are the best examples of the work of individual recording artists. For example, the signature song for Madonna would be "Like a Virgin". Why?... Because in addition to being a major hit, it includes many of the musical elements Madonna is best known for.

Making a determination like this requires a lot of generalization, because over the course of her  career, Madonna recorded songs in many different styles. For example, consider "Hung Up", which features an ABBA "Voulez-Vous" sample and is very "techno-ey"; "Take a Bow" is a sad ballad replete with violins and other classical instruments; and "Physical Attraction" is classic, "synth-ey" 80's dance-pop.

But the reason "Like a Virgin" is Madonna's signature song is because it's the best representation of  "classic" Madonna. In other words, if you were forced to time capsule, that is, choose one song to save for future generations to understand what type of artist Madonna was and what type of music she made, the best choice would be "Like a Virgin". This has less to do with how big a hit "Like a Virgin" was than it does the fact that "Like a Virgin" includes a large combination of ingredients from classic Madonna's musical style. "Like a Virgin", for example, includes a lot of synthesizers -- as did most of Madonna's early hits ("Everybody", "Borderline", "Lucky Star", "Angel", "Dress You Up", "Into the Groove".) Additionally, like many Madonna songs, "Like a Virgin" is danceable, and to top it off, it's also overtly sexual, both in title and lyrics -- and we know that Madonna certainly put her sexuality at the forefront of much of her music and her life.

Again, I'm generalizing somewhat and I understand that whether it's a solo act, a group or a band, an artist's music typically evolves over time. Almost invariably, they begin to explore different genres and musical styles, draw inspiration from new sources, collaborate with other artists, and otherwise begin to make music that's entirely (sometimes radically) different from what they're most well known for and/or created earlier in their careers.

Notice I said, "almost invariably." There are in fact some music artists who don't evolve very much and continue to churn out the same type of music. Their sound never (or barely) changes and they remain pretty much the same from the start of their careers to the finish.

Punk-oriented bands like The Ramones and Green Day come to mind. Certain "heartland" rockers like Springsteen and John Mellencamp also seem to be making pretty much the same type of music they did when they were first starting out. For example, recent Springsteen tunes like "Radio Nowhere" off 2007's Magic and "The Last Carnival" from 2009's Working On a Dream, would fit in perfectly next to cuts like "Badlands" and "Prove it All Night" from Bruce's 1978 album Darkness on the Edge of Town. (And judging by the two photos above, it looks like Bruce's wardrobe hasn't changed much either!)

The presumption is that heartland rock and punk rock are extremely well-defined sub-genres that are closely married to very specific attributes, attitudes and ideals. When the music an artist produces is so "rooted" this way, it's understandable how their output might only minimally change, even over a long haul.

Punk rock is also deeply rooted in very strong and specific ideals. It's stripped-down, fast-paced, angry, and anti-establishment. So as soon as a punk rocker begins making music that moves away from these core themes and attributes, that artist immediately loses their "punk identity" and starts to become something completely different. (They also run the risk of completely alienating their fan base and the core audience they worked so hard to gain.) This may help explain why the sound of bands like The Ramones and Social Distortion barely changed over their 20+ year careers.

Okay, that was quite a digression. I was talking about "signature songs" and the artist I'm going to begin with is the Bangles. Their signature song is "If She Knew What She Wants".

No, not "Manic Monday", the Bangles first major hit and their most enduring song. And not "Eternal Flame", the band's only #1 record. "If She Knew What She Wants" gets the nod because the Bangles were formed largely based on founding members Susanna Hoffs, Vicki Peterson and Debbie Peterson's shared love of the Beatles, the Byrds, and sixties psychedelia. "If She Knew What She Wants" represents the perfect blend of these three influences. Not only does it borrow the "jangly" Rickenbacker guitars exemplified in the Beatles' "A Hard Day's Night" and the Byrds' "Turn! Turn! Turn! and "Mr. Tambourine Man", but it also adds a ton of terrific harmonies, reminiscent of not only the Beatles, but the Beach Boys and the Mamas and the Papas as well. Also, if you listen closely, you'll find "If She Knew What She Wants" is structurally similar to the Beatles' "Nowhere Man" (which also features Rickenbacker guitars by the way.)

I dug through the Pop Culture Fiend Archives and found this clip  of the Bangles performing "If She Knew What She Wants" on Late Nite with David Letterman (circa 1987, I believe.)

I've heard the group sing this song many times (including live) and this is arguably their best performance. From Susanna's distinct croon, to their clothes (check out Vicki's 60s-style go-go boots and hairdo) to their impromptu dance moves, this was the Bangles at their peak. The only question is, as an all-girl band that almost certainly had to go through a lot to be taken seriously, why are they not playing their own instruments?...

Oh well, in any case, enjoy!