Bangles Releasing New Record in September 2011

Prior to forming the group that would become The Bangles with Susanna Hoffs and Annette Zilinskas, Vicki and Debbi Peterson were part of a band called Those Girls aka Hollywood Girls (Vicki and Debbi on the left) - I feel a little brain-dead that I don't remember the guitarist or bass player in this group, Those Girls... for it was the guitarist with whom I was in contact to do this photo session. I also can't remember if it was a journalist or if it was Kim Fowley who put me and the guitarist in touch with each other... anyway - this photo was taking in 1979 or 1980... we did a shoot in and around Century City - including the escalator that Mary Tyler Moore rode up in the opening sequence of her popular 70s sitcom... no - not ALL the scenes were filmed in Minneapolis! This shot, above, is in a parking garage below LA's Twin Towers - 2029 and 2049 Century Park East. I knew my way around that complex, as I had a part time job in one of the towers.

A couple years later, my friend, Gary Stewart, who worked at the Rhino Records store in Westwood put me in touch with Annette Zilinskas when I was booking an early show of up and coming local bands at the Whisky A Go Go for an otherwise empty Monday night on their stage. It was a Paisley Underground extravaganza with appearances by The Three O'Clock and The Last, and introducing The Bangs. (Read more about it here)

The Bangles were the one band associated with the Paisley Underground that made it into the mainstream pop charts, and garnered all the media attention, although the scene was rich with talent that continues to make music today.

At the end of this month, (September 27, to be exact) The Bangles will release Sweetheart of the Sun, a 12-song album recorded by pop meister, Matthew Sweet. Read more about it at thebangles.com