The Bangles Are Back - Page 2
© Michele Morabito
That Fall, Everything was released with a mixture of many musical styles. That was the signal all was not well with the band. The album did well spawning singles, "In Your Room" and ballad "Eternal Flame" which went on to #1 and the fifth biggest selling hit single for 1989. The Bangles went on tour dubbed "Everything Everywhere Tour" and the band continued spiral downward with Susanna given so much attention from every facet, mistaking her as the lead singer, leaving the others a bit in the cold.
Along with these tensions, the band saw their manager, Miles Copeland giving more of his attention elsewhere, notably to Sting's career. They switched management companies but it was not the cure-all the girls were counting on. The new management was more interested in Susanna as a solo artist and did not regard the band as equals. At this point, tour plans were cancelled, album and film projects were put on hold.
A few weeks later, Susanna and Michael wanted out citing creative differences, though a press release just called it a "hiatus" after ten years together. As with all things, a Greatest Hits album was released in 1990 with a video companion. It contained all the Bangles hits plus three more tracks. It did well in the U.S. and UK, breaking sales records. In forthcoming years, there would be a few more greatest-type collections including, Super Hits in 1998.
Susanna Hoffs launched a solo career in 1991 with When You're A Boy reconnecting with old producer David Kahne. She began to write with Cyndi Lauper, Diane Warren and ex-Go-Go's Charlotte Caffey and Jane Wiedlin, eventually contributed to several soundtracks up until the present time.
Vicki joined a band called the Continental Drifters and dealt with the tragedy of her fiancée's death from leukemia.
Debbi went on to start a band called Kindred Spirit with Siobhan Maher (originally with Go-Go's Gina Schock).
Michael rested her mind and body except rare performances with the Continental Drifters for several years, then hooking up with a San Francisco-based band, Eyesore for a short period of time that did not have any releases unlike the other three members. By the end of the '90s, she would loose both her parents.
However, as time progressed, these four friends gradually came back together by marriage and children bonds (Susanna Hoffs married to Jay Roach who did the Austin Powers' films and Debbi Peterson married an former Bangles road manager, Steve Botting in an English dream wedding). But none matched the success of The Bangles.
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