Different Light

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Different Light
The Bangles - Different Light.jpg
Studio album by
Released1986 (1986)
RecordedSummer–Autumn, 1985
StudioSunset Sound and Sunset Sound Factory, Hollywood, California
GenrePop rock
Length38:48
LabelColumbia
ProducerDavid Kahne
The Bangles chronology
All Over the Place
(1984)
Different Light
(1986)
Everything
(1988)
Singles from Different Light
  1. "Manic Monday"
    Released: January 27, 1986
  2. "If She Knew What She Wants"
    Released: 1986
  3. "Walk Like an Egyptian"
    Released: September 1, 1986
  4. "Walking Down Your Street"
    Released: 1987
  5. "Following"
    Released: 1987 (UK only)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic3/5 stars[1]
Encyclopedia of Popular Music4/5 stars[2]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide2.5/5 stars[3]
Slant Magazine4/5 stars[4]
Spin Alternative Record Guide6/10[5]
The Village VoiceB[6]

Different Light is the second studio album by American pop rock band the Bangles, released in January 1986. The album's Top 40 sound was a departure from their earlier 1960s-style rock'n'roll sound. It is their best-known album, with five charting singles, including the Billboard top two hits "Manic Monday" and "Walk Like an Egyptian". It is also the first album in which bassist Michael Steele sings lead vocals on some tracks.

The 2008 reissue CD on the Wounded Bird Records label (WOU 4039) adds a bonus track: "Walk Like an Egyptian (Extended Dance Mix)". Slant Magazine listed the album at number 78 on its list of "Best Albums of the 1980s".[7]

Singles[]

Different Light produced five singles, the first three of which were written by someone other than the Bangles. Lead single "Manic Monday", originally written by Prince under the pseudonym "Christopher"[8] in 1984 as a duet for the Apollonia 6 album, peaked at number two in the United Kingdom and the United States in 1986.[9][10] "If She Knew What She Wants", the second single from Different Light, was originally recorded by Jules Shear on his 1985 Eternal Return album. The song was originally written in the first person, however the Bangles rewrote the lyrics in the third person as they considered it more appropriate; their version charted at number 29 in the United States[9] and number 31 in the United Kingdom.[10] "Walk Like an Egyptian" was written by Liam Sternberg after seeing people on a ferry walking awkwardly to keep their balance as figures do in Ancient Egyptian reliefs; it became one of the most successful singles by the Bangles, hitting number one in the United States,[9] Denmark,[11] and the Netherlands,[12] as well as peaking at number three in the United Kingdom.[10] "Walking Down Your Street" hit number 11 in the United States[9] and number 16 in the United Kingdom,[10] and a fifth single, "Following", was released exclusively in the latter country.

Album cover variations[]

The covers of the most of the album's cassette pressings and the sheet music songbook only show 12 (out of 16) of the "different" snapshots, eliminating the third column to best fit the rectangular layout of cassette cases and book.

The back cover of European-made CDs replicates the back cover of the vinyl LP edition, with all 16 snapshots and the track index at the top. The back cover of the US version, however, only shows the first column of four snapshots, with the track index list occupying the rest of the space – a rare deviation for Columbia's CD issues during the 1980s.

Track listing[]

No.TitleWriter(s)Lead vocalsLength
1."Manic Monday""Christopher" (Prince)Hoffs3:06
2."In a Different Light"Susanna Hoffs, Vicki PetersonV. Peterson2:52
3."Walking Down Your Street"Hoffs, Louis Gutierrez, David KahneHoffs3:04
4."Walk Like an Egyptian"Liam SternbergV. Peterson, Steele and Hoffs3:24
5."Standing in the Hallway"Hoffs, Kahne, Debbi Peterson, Vicki PetersonD. Peterson2:56
6."Return Post"Hoffs, Vicki PetersonV. Peterson4:22
7."If She Knew What She Wants" (cover of Jules Shear, 1985)Jules ShearHoffs3:49
8."Let It Go"Hoffs, D. Peterson, V. Peterson, Michael SteeleGroup2:32
9."September Gurls" (cover of Big Star, 1974)Alex ChiltonSteele2:45
10."Angels Don't Fall in Love"Hoffs, V. PetersonV. Peterson3:23
11."Following"SteeleSteele3:21
12."Not Like You"Hoffs, Kahne, D. PetersonD. Peterson3:06

Personnel[]

The Bangles
Additional musicians

Production[]

  • Producer – David Kahne
  • Engineers – Tchad Blake and Peggy McLeonard
  • Assistant Engineers – David Glover and Mike Kloster
  • Mixing – David Leonard
  • Art Direction – Nancy Donald and Tony Lane
  • Photography – Raul Vega
  • Wardrobe - Genny Schorr and Tony Riviera

Charts[]

Certifications[]

Certifications for Different Light
Region Certification Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[34] 2× Platinum 140,000^
Canada (Music Canada)[35] 2× Platinum 200,000^
New Zealand (RMNZ)[36] Platinum 15,000^
United Kingdom (BPI)[37] Platinum 300,000^
United States (RIAA)[38] 3× Platinum 3,000,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

References[]

  1. ^ Deming, Mark. "Different Light – Bangles". AllMusic. Retrieved April 4, 2007.
  2. ^ Larkin, Colin (2011). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music (5th concise ed.). Omnibus Press. ISBN 978-0-85712-595-8.
  3. ^ Evans, Paul; Lechner, Ernesto (2004). "The Bangles". In Brackett, Nathan; Hoard, Christian (eds.). The New Rolling Stone Album Guide (4th ed.). London: Fireside Books. pp. 43–44. ISBN 0-7432-0169-8. Retrieved October 12, 2011.
  4. ^ Cinquemani, Sal (September 23, 2003). "The Bangles: Different Light". Slant Magazine. Retrieved October 23, 2007.
  5. ^ Weisbard, Eric; Marks, Craig, eds. (1995). Spin Alternative Record Guide. Vintage Books. ISBN 0-679-75574-8.
  6. ^ Christgau, Robert (June 3, 1986). "Christgau's Consumer Guide". The Village Voice. Retrieved April 28, 2008.
  7. ^ "The 100 Best Albums of the 1980s - Feature - Slant Magazine".
  8. ^ Stichting Nederlandse Top 40, 500 Nr. 1 hits uit de Top 40, Page 234, 9023009444
  9. ^ Jump up to: a b c d Billboard.com the Bangles singles chart history Accessed: November 4, 2006
  10. ^ Jump up to: a b c d Everyhit.co.uk UK Top 40 database Accessed: November 4, 2006
  11. ^ Infinity charts German Top 20 - The Chart Of December 1986 Accessed: November 2, 2006
  12. ^ Top4000.nl Chart week 49, 1986 Accessed: November 2, 2006
  13. ^ Kent 1993, p. 26
  14. ^ "Top RPM Albums: Issue 0780". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved August 24, 2021.
  15. ^ "Dutchcharts.nl – Bangles – Different Light" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved August 24, 2021.
  16. ^ "European Hot 100 Albums" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 4 no. 10. March 14, 1987. p. 21. OCLC 29800226 – via World Radio History.
  17. ^ Pennanen, Timo (2006). Sisältää hitin – levyt ja esittäjät Suomen musiikkilistoilla vuodesta 1972 (in Finnish) (1st ed.). Helsinki: Kustannusosakeyhtiö Otava. ISBN 978-951-1-21053-5.
  18. ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – Bangles – Different Light" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved August 24, 2021.
  19. ^ "Charts.nz – Bangles – Different Light". Hung Medien. Retrieved August 24, 2021.
  20. ^ "Norwegiancharts.com – Bangles – Different Light". Hung Medien. Retrieved August 24, 2021.
  21. ^ "Swedishcharts.com – Bangles – Different Light". Hung Medien. Retrieved August 24, 2021.
  22. ^ "Swisscharts.com – Bangles – Different Light". Hung Medien. Retrieved August 24, 2021.
  23. ^ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved August 24, 2021.
  24. ^ "The Bangles Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved August 24, 2021.
  25. ^ "Top 100 Albums of '86". RPM. Vol. 45 no. 14. December 27, 1986. p. 9. ISSN 0033-7064 – via Library and Archives Canada.
  26. ^ "Hot 100 of the Year 1986 – European Hot 100 Albums" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 3 no. 51/52. December 27, 1986. p. 35. OCLC 29800226 – via World Radio History.
  27. ^ "Top 100 Albums". Music Week. London. 24 January 1987. p. 25. ISSN 0265-1548.
  28. ^ "Year End Charts – Top Billboard 200 Albums". Billboard. 1986. Archived from the original on August 2, 2012. Retrieved 24 August 2021.
  29. ^ Kent 1993, p. 439
  30. ^ "Top 100 Albums of '87". RPM. Vol. 47 no. 12. December 26, 1987. p. 9. ISSN 0033-7064 – via Library and Archives Canada.
  31. ^ "European Charts of the Year 1987 – Albums" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 4 no. 51/52. December 26, 1987. p. 35. OCLC 29800226 – via World Radio History.
  32. ^ "Top Selling Albums of 1987". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved August 24, 2021.
  33. ^ "Top Pop Albums of 1987". Billboard. December 31, 1987. Archived from the original on August 2, 2012. Retrieved 24 August 2021.
  34. ^ "The Bangles ARIA chart history, received from ARIA on February 11, 2019". Retrieved February 11, 2020 – via Imgur. Note: This contains chart data only from the era where the chart was produced by ARIA (June 13, 1988, onward). The "High Point" number in the "NAT" column indicates the release's peak position on the national chart.
  35. ^ "Canadian album certifications – Bangles – Different Light". Music Canada. February 26, 1987. Retrieved August 24, 2021.
  36. ^ "New Zealand album certifications – Bangles – Different Light". Recorded Music NZ. August 2, 1987. Retrieved August 24, 2021.
  37. ^ "British album certifications – Bangles – Different Light". British Phonographic Industry. January 5, 1987. Retrieved August 24, 2021.
  38. ^ "American album certifications – Bangles – Different Light". Recording Industry Association of America. October 7, 1994. Retrieved August 24, 2021.

Bibliography[]

  • Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.

External links[]


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