On the 15th of March 1986, The Bangles were at No. 2 on the U.S. singles chart with “Manic Monday.” It is the first single released from their second studio album, Different Light (1986). The song was written by American musician Prince under the pseudonym “Christopher” (a character he played in the 1986 film Under the Cherry Moon). Prince had intended the song for the group Apollonia 6, in 1984, but he offered it to The Bangles 2 years later.
The single, released by Columbia Records on Monday, January 27, 1986, received positive reviews from music critics. It became the Bangles’ first hit, reaching No. 2 in the United States and the United Kingdom, as well as in Austria, Canada, Germany, and Ireland, and peaked within the Top 5 in Australia, New Zealand, Norway, and Switzerland. It was later certified silver in the UK by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI).
“Manic Monday” debuted at number 86 on the Billboard Hot 100, on the week ending January 25, 1986, and reached a peak of number two, on the issue dated April 19, 1986, behind Prince and the Revolution’s single “Kiss”.
It was rumored by various writers that after Prince listened to the band’s 1984 debut album All Over the Place, he gave the song to Bangles rhythm guitarist Susanna Hoffs, in hopes of winning her affection.
In an interview with MTV UK in 1989 Debbi Peterson explained why Prince gave them the song: “Prince really liked our first album. He liked the song ‘Hero Takes a Fall’, which is a great compliment, because we liked his music. 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. Peterson talked about the evolution of what Prince brought them: “It was a Banglefication of a Prince arrangement. He had a demo, that was very specifically him. It was a good song, but we didn’t record it like ‘This is our first hit single! Oh my God! I can feel it in my veins!’ We just did the song, and the album, and then sat back and thought about it.”
The Bangles is an American pop rock band formed in Los Angeles, California, in 1981. The band recorded several singles that reached the U.S. top 10 during the 1980s, including “Manic Monday” (1986), “Walk Like an Egyptian” (1986), “Hazy Shade of Winter” (1987), “In Your Room” (1988), and “Eternal Flame” (1989).
The band’s classic lineup consisted of founding members Susanna Hoffs (guitar and vocals), Vicki Peterson (guitar and vocals), Debbi Peterson (drums and vocals), with Michael Steele (bass and vocals). As of June 2018, the band consisted of sisters Vicki and Debbi Peterson, Susanna Hoffs, and founding bassist Annette Zilinskas.
The Bangles, cover photo: Getty Images
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