Different Light

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 most successful album, reaching number two on the Billboard 200 and producing 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.

For other uses, see A Different Light.
Different Light
Studio album by
the Bangles
ReleasedJanuary 2, 1986 (1986-01-02)
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: April 1986
  3. "Walk Like an Egyptian"
    Released: September 1, 1986
  4. "Walking Down Your Street"
    Released: January 1987
  5. "Following"
    Released: April 1987 (UK only)

The 2008 reissue CD on the Wounded Bird Records label (WOU 4039) adds a bonus track: "Walk Like an Egyptian (Extended Dance Mix)".

Singles

Different Light produced five singles, the first three of which were written by someone other than the Bangles. Lead single "Manic Monday", written by Prince under the pseudonym "Christopher"[1] in 1984 as a duet for the Apollonia 6 album, peaked at number two in the United Kingdom and the United States in 1986.[2][3] "If She Knew What She Wants", the second single from Different Light, was recorded by Jules Shear on his 1985 Eternal Return album. The song was 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[2] and number 31 in the United Kingdom.[3] "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,[2] Denmark,[4] and the Netherlands,[5] as well as peaking at number three in the United Kingdom.[3] "Walking Down Your Street" hit number 11 in the United States[2] and number 16 in the United Kingdom,[3] and a fifth single, "Following", was released exclusively in the latter country.

Album cover variations

The covers of 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.

Critical reception
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[6]
The Baltimore Sun[7]
Los Angeles Times[8]
Orlando Sentinel[9]
Record Mirror3+1⁄2/5[10]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide[11]
Slant Magazine[12]
Smash Hits7/10[13]
Spin Alternative Record Guide6/10[14]
The Village VoiceB[15]

Rolling Stone critic Laura Fissinger wrote that Different Light finds the Bangles "using less hook-happy song structure and more modernized production" than on their 1984 debut All Over the Place, "covering their roots without burying them ten feet under."[16] She disagreed with objections to the more "deliberate, sophisticated and airwaves ready" nature of the production and felt that the album "puts then and now in significantly better balance", while also finding that the band had advanced "past the fan-apes-idol phase" in their musicianship.[16]

In 2012, Slant Magazine ranked Different Light at number 78 on its list of the best albums of the 1980s.[17]

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, V. PetersonD. Peterson2:56
6."Return Post"Hoffs, V. PetersonV. Peterson4:22
7."If She Knew What She Wants" (Jules Shear cover, 1985)Jules ShearHoffs3:49
8."Let It Go"Hoffs, D. Peterson, V. Peterson, Michael SteeleGroup2:32
9."September Gurls" (Big Star cover, 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 CertificationCertified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[42] 2× Platinum 140,000^
Canada (Music Canada)[43] 2× Platinum 200,000^
New Zealand (RMNZ)[44] Platinum 15,000^
United Kingdom (BPI)[45] Platinum 300,000^
United States (RIAA)[46] 3× Platinum 3,000,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

References
  1. Stichting Nederlandse Top 40, 500 Nr. 1 hits uit de Top 40, Page 234, 9023009444
  2. Billboard.com the Bangles singles chart history Accessed: November 4, 2006
  3. Everyhit.co.uk UK Top 40 database Accessed: November 4, 2006
  4. Infinity charts German Top 20 - The Chart Of December 1986 Accessed: November 2, 2006
  5. Top4000.nl Chart week 49, 1986 Accessed: November 2, 2006
  6. Deming, Mark. "A Different Light – Bangles". AllMusic. Retrieved April 4, 2007.
  7. Gilbert, Kelly (January 22, 1986). "Bangles, Different Light (Columbia)". The Evening Sun.
  8. Pond, Steve; Strauss, Duncan; Hochman, Steve; Hunt, Dennis; Willman, Chris; Johnson, Connie; Hilburn, Robert; Atkinson, Terry; Cromelin, Richard; Grein, Paul; McKenna, Kristine; Matsumoto, Jon (December 21, 1986). "Stars Twinkle on Top 40 Shopping List". Los Angeles Times.
  9. Defendorf, Richard (January 26, 1986). "Bangles". Orlando Sentinel.
  10. Cross, Di (March 8, 1986). "Bangles: Different Light". Record Mirror. p. 16.
  11. Evans, Paul; Lechner, Ernesto (2004). "The Bangles". In Brackett, Nathan; Hoard, Christian (eds.). The New Rolling Stone Album Guide (4th ed.). Simon & Schuster. pp. 43–44. ISBN 0-7432-0169-8. Retrieved October 12, 2011.
  12. Cinquemani, Sal (September 23, 2003). "Review: The Bangles, Different Light". Slant Magazine. Retrieved October 23, 2007.
  13. Hibbert, Tom (February 26 – March 11, 1986). "The Bangles: In a Different Light". Smash Hits. Vol. 8, no. 5. p. 59.
  14. Sheffield, Rob (1995). "Bangles". In Weisbard, Eric; Marks, Craig (eds.). Spin Alternative Record Guide. Vintage Books. p. 29. ISBN 0-679-75574-8.
  15. Christgau, Robert (June 3, 1986). "Christgau's Consumer Guide". The Village Voice. Retrieved April 28, 2008.
  16. Fissinger, Laura (March 13, 1986). "The Bangles: Different Light". Rolling Stone. No. 469. Archived from the original on February 8, 2008. Retrieved July 26, 2007.
  17. "The 100 Best Albums of the 1980s". Slant Magazine. March 5, 2012. Retrieved January 3, 2022.
  18. Kent 1993, p. 26.
  19. "Hits of the World" (PDF). Billboard. Vol. 99, no. 18. June 27, 1987. p. 71. ISSN 0006-2510 – via World Radio History.
  20. "Top RPM Albums: Issue 0780". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved August 24, 2021.
  21. "Dutchcharts.nl – Bangles – Different Light" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved August 24, 2021.
  22. "European Hot 100 Albums" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 4, no. 10. March 14, 1987. p. 21. OCLC 29800226 – via World Radio History.
  23. 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.
  24. "Offiziellecharts.de – Bangles – Different Light" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved August 24, 2021.
  25. "Classifiche". Musica e dischi (in Italian). Retrieved June 8, 2022. Select "Album" in the "Tipo" field, type "Different Light" in the "Titolo" field and press "cerca".
  26. "Charts.nz – Bangles – Different Light". Hung Medien. Retrieved August 24, 2021.
  27. "Norwegiancharts.com – Bangles – Different Light". Hung Medien. Retrieved August 24, 2021.
  28. "Swedishcharts.com – Bangles – Different Light". Hung Medien. Retrieved August 24, 2021.
  29. "Swisscharts.com – Bangles – Different Light". Hung Medien. Retrieved August 24, 2021.
  30. "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved August 24, 2021.
  31. "The Bangles Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved August 24, 2021.
  32. "Top 100 Albums of '86". RPM. Vol. 45, no. 14. December 27, 1986. p. 9. ISSN 0033-7064 – via Library and Archives Canada.
  33. "European Hot 100 Albums – Hot 100 of the Year 1986" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 3, no. 51/52. December 27, 1986. p. 35. OCLC 29800226 – via World Radio History.
  34. "Top 100 Albums (January to December 1986)" (PDF). Music Week. January 24, 1987. p. 25. ISSN 0265-1548 – via World Radio History.
  35. "Year End Charts – Top Billboard 200 Albums". Billboard. 1986. Archived from the original on December 9, 2012. Retrieved August 24, 2021.
  36. Kent 1993, p. 439.
  37. "Top 100 Albums of '87". RPM. Vol. 47, no. 12. December 26, 1987. p. 9. ISSN 0033-7064 – via Library and Archives Canada.
  38. "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.
  39. "Top Selling Albums of 1987". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved August 24, 2021.
  40. "Gallup Year End Charts 1987 – Albums" (PDF). Record Mirror. January 23, 1988. p. 37. ISSN 0144-5804 – via World Radio History.
  41. "Top Pop Albums of 1987". Billboard. December 31, 1987. Archived from the original on August 2, 2012. Retrieved August 24, 2021.
  42. "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.
  43. "Canadian album certifications – Bangles – Different Light". Music Canada. February 26, 1987. Retrieved August 24, 2021.
  44. "New Zealand album certifications – Bangles – Different Light". Recorded Music NZ. August 2, 1987. Retrieved August 24, 2021.
  45. "British album certifications – Bangles – Different Light". British Phonographic Industry. January 5, 1987. Retrieved August 24, 2021.
  46. "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.
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