THE BANGLES: THEY’VE GOT EVERYTHING!

Imagine a small, dimly-lit club in Hollywood about six years ago. Amidst the clinking of cocktail glasses and the buzz of people talking, hardly anyone seems to notice as four attractive young women, dressed in outfits that seem more appropriate for the 1960s than the 1980s, stroll onto the stage and quietly plug in their instruments.

A short, dark-haired woman with a Rickenbacker guitar slung over her shoulder strums the first, ringing chord, steps up to the microphone and begins to sing in warm tones that suddenly have people paying attention. When the other guitarist and the drummer come in with sparkling harmonies the effect is chilling, and before the set is over, you'd be hard-pressed to find a person in the house who hasn't been thoroughly won over by this terrific female quartet.

That setting was a common one for the Bangles soon after they started playing clubs around Los Angeles. They were quickly associated with a number of '60sinfluenced bands around the L.A. area that made up a scene that was eventually dubbed the Paisley Underground, a colorful coterie of groups that embraced the attitudes of the peace and love generation and worshipped bands like the Beatles.

But even those who were so impressed with the Bangles in their early days couldn't have predicted the success that awaited them. After the release of a selftitled EP on an independent label, original bassist Annette Zilinskas was replaced by Michael Steele and the band—which also included drummer Debbi Peterson and guitarists Susanna Hoffs and Vicki Peterson—was signed to Columbia Records. Their debut album, All Over The Place, wasn't nearly as raw as their first record, but the paisley influences remained intact.

It wasn't until the release of their second full-length album, titled Different Light, that the world at large began to take notice of the Bangles. Their breakthrough hit came with the Princepenned "Manic Monday," and the irresistable "Walk Like An Egyptian" followed soon after.

With their newest record, Everything, the Bangles have proven that they have staying power and they've really gained the respect of their peers and their fans. Before embarking on their current summer tour, the group travelled to New York to perform in the first-ever "International Rock Awards" show, and Debbi flew to England to tie the knot with Stephen Botting, the band's stage designer. The love bug recently bit Susanna too—she's been hanging out with Donovan Leitch, Jr., son of the famous '60s singer Donovan. Only time will tell what the future holds for these four wondergals, but for now, it would appear that they've got everything! ★