Getting out of Hand
Encyclopedia
"Getting Out Of Hand" is the debut single by American female band The Bangles
, released in 1981 and produced by the band themselves.
The group was named at the time The Bangs, and its line-up consisted of Susanna Hoffs
, Debbi Peterson
and Vicki Peterson
. The group was part of the Paisley Underground
movement, a musical scene based around Los Angeles
in which groups mixed 1960s-inspired pop with garage rock
.
Getting Out Of Hand, written by Vicki Peterson and sung by Hoffs, was released as The Bangs' debut single on their own label DownKiddie Records, and distributed locally around Los Angeles in 1981. In order to gain more exposure, Hoffs personally handed a copy of the single to radio DJ Rodney Bingenheimer
, pleading for the song to be aired on his radio show Rodney on the ROQ. In December 1981, Bingenheimer started playing the single, resulting in an increase of the audience on the band's live shows. The Bangles would later contribute an instrumental song, Bitchen Summer, to the Rodney On The Roq: Volume 3 compilation issued in 1982.
In early 1982, The Bangs had to rename themselves Bangles after a New Jersey band of the same name threatened to sue the band. Accordingly, the single was reissued (again on the DownKiddie label) with the name change, with the subtitle "formerly The Bang's" on the cover. A group photograph on the back of this reissued single showed Bangles' bass player Annette Zilinskas
, who had joined the band at the time, although she didn't play on the record.
The b-side, "Call On Me", was co-written by Hoffs, Vicki Peterson, and David Roback
, a friend of Hoffs' brother and lead singer of fellow Paisley Underground
band Rain Parade
.
In 1982, while the group was still known as The Bangs, "Getting Out Of Hand" was rewritten with new lyrics but with the same musical structure, for a short radio commercial for an underground L.A. magazine named NO MAG, announcing a new issue of the magazine. The radio commercial (named NO MAG Commercial) was later released on the 1983 compilation "The Radio Tokyo Tapes".
Getting Out Of Hand was not a success and did not hit the charts, but it did gain the attention of Miles Copeland, who signed the band to his label Faulty Products. The Bangles then released the EP Bangles in 1982, although neither "Getting Out Of Hand" nor "Call On Me" were included on the record.
Getting Out Of Hand and Call On Me were never included on any Bangles album, and with the band shifting their sound as the 80's progressed, the record fell into relative obscurity. In 2003 however, The Bangles resurrected both songs and released them for the first time on CD in remastered form as b-sides to their new singles, the former as a b-side to their Something That You Said single and the latter on the Tear Off Your Own Head (It's A Doll Revolution) single. Both were included on the Japanese edition of their Doll Revolution
album as bonus tracks.
The Bangles
The Bangles are an American all-female band that originated in the early 1980s, scoring several hit singles during the decade.-Formation and early years :...
, released in 1981 and produced by the band themselves.
The group was named at the time The Bangs, and its line-up consisted of Susanna Hoffs
Susanna Hoffs
Susanna Lee Hoffs is an American vocalist, guitarist and actress. She is best known as a member of the all-female pop band The Bangles.-Early life:...
, Debbi Peterson
Debbi Peterson
Deborah Mary 'Debbi' Peterson is the younger sister of Vicki Peterson, and the drummer of the all-girl group, The Bangles...
and Vicki Peterson
Vicki Peterson
Vicki Peterson is an American rock musician ....
. The group was part of the Paisley Underground
Paisley Underground
Paisley Underground is an early genre of alternative rock, based primarily in Los Angeles, California, which was at its most popular in the mid-1980s.- History :...
movement, a musical scene based around Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
in which groups mixed 1960s-inspired pop with garage rock
Garage rock
Garage rock is a raw form of rock and roll that was first popular in the United States and Canada from about 1963 to 1967. During the 1960s, it was not recognized as a separate music genre and had no specific name...
.
Getting Out Of Hand, written by Vicki Peterson and sung by Hoffs, was released as The Bangs' debut single on their own label DownKiddie Records, and distributed locally around Los Angeles in 1981. In order to gain more exposure, Hoffs personally handed a copy of the single to radio DJ Rodney Bingenheimer
Rodney Bingenheimer
Rodney Bingenheimer, born December 15, 1947, is a radio disc jockey on the long-running Los Angeles rock station KROQ who is notable for helping numerous iconic bands become successful in the American market. His contribution to the music business has been described as important...
, pleading for the song to be aired on his radio show Rodney on the ROQ. In December 1981, Bingenheimer started playing the single, resulting in an increase of the audience on the band's live shows. The Bangles would later contribute an instrumental song, Bitchen Summer, to the Rodney On The Roq: Volume 3 compilation issued in 1982.
In early 1982, The Bangs had to rename themselves Bangles after a New Jersey band of the same name threatened to sue the band. Accordingly, the single was reissued (again on the DownKiddie label) with the name change, with the subtitle "formerly The Bang's" on the cover. A group photograph on the back of this reissued single showed Bangles' bass player Annette Zilinskas
Annette Zilinskas
Annette Zilinskas is an American musician and singer of Lithuanian ancestry who was the original bass guitarist for The Bangles then later lead vocalist with Blood on the Saddle. She was also a member of L.A...
, who had joined the band at the time, although she didn't play on the record.
The b-side, "Call On Me", was co-written by Hoffs, Vicki Peterson, and David Roback
David Roback
David Roback is a guitarist and songwriter best known as a member of the duo Mazzy Star.Roback grew up in Los Angeles and attended Palisades High School, graduating in 1975. He was a classmate and neighbor of John Hoffs, the brother of Susanna Hoffs, who would eventually become the lead singer of...
, a friend of Hoffs' brother and lead singer of fellow Paisley Underground
Paisley Underground
Paisley Underground is an early genre of alternative rock, based primarily in Los Angeles, California, which was at its most popular in the mid-1980s.- History :...
band Rain Parade
Rain Parade
The Rain Parade was a band active in the Paisley Underground scene in Los Angeles in the 1980s.-History:The band was founded by college roommates Matt Piucci and David Roback in 1981, originally as The Moving Sidewalks. David's brother Steven Roback joined the band shortly thereafter...
.
In 1982, while the group was still known as The Bangs, "Getting Out Of Hand" was rewritten with new lyrics but with the same musical structure, for a short radio commercial for an underground L.A. magazine named NO MAG, announcing a new issue of the magazine. The radio commercial (named NO MAG Commercial) was later released on the 1983 compilation "The Radio Tokyo Tapes".
Getting Out Of Hand was not a success and did not hit the charts, but it did gain the attention of Miles Copeland, who signed the band to his label Faulty Products. The Bangles then released the EP Bangles in 1982, although neither "Getting Out Of Hand" nor "Call On Me" were included on the record.
Getting Out Of Hand and Call On Me were never included on any Bangles album, and with the band shifting their sound as the 80's progressed, the record fell into relative obscurity. In 2003 however, The Bangles resurrected both songs and released them for the first time on CD in remastered form as b-sides to their new singles, the former as a b-side to their Something That You Said single and the latter on the Tear Off Your Own Head (It's A Doll Revolution) single. Both were included on the Japanese edition of their Doll Revolution
Doll Revolution
Doll Revolution is the first album of original material by The Bangles since 1988's Everything. It was released in 2003 on Koch Records....
album as bonus tracks.