WELCOME TO THE BANGLES MAILBAG!  Got a burning Banglequestion? Want to send a message to the gurls?  Every month the Bangles will answer YOUR letters, right here on the Mailbag Page!                    So write in now, and check back each month to see if the gurls chose YOUR letter! The Bangles' email addresses can be found on the Contacts Page.

The Bangles rock Morongo

Weathering the storm at Meadowbrook
- photo courtesy of S. Lumetta

Hey Miss Stephanator -
How can I NOT remember the thunderstorm and show on that night in Michigan? 
Not to be a complete megalomaniac or anything, but I felt personally responsible for the storm (and the dousing our poor audience members received because of it.)  Living back in California, I miss the summer storms I used to enjoy in New Orleans, and I sent my prayer to the Rain Gods...
I'm so pleased that the Bangles' music inspired you to pick up a guitar (and actually take lessons and stick to them!) and that you're still playing.  Thanks for sharing that with me, because it does make my day.
I expect we'll return to Michigan in the not-so-distant future - it's where Debbi's and my mother grew up, where we spent many family vacations, so it feels familiar and sweet.
As one  "crazy blonde" (sorta) to another - Rock on, girl!
Cheers,
Vicki

Dressing room sign from the NOLA HoB

Hey Carlos,
You have to know how happy I was to play that night. I'd been back several times post-K and had a sense of what my friends and family members had been going through - but only the slightest sense, really.  I don't think anyone can really understand what it is to lose everything - including loved ones -unless he or she has been through it.  What I see in New Orleans when I go back is a fierce will to survive, combined with an overwhelming sense of loss for the parts of the city which will never return.  It's one thing for a city to undergo changes -it's another when those changes happen literally overnight.
It felt particularly right to me that we had Susan's band open the show. She is such a radiant talent and I'm proud of and in awe of her at the same time.
If we could have made it work logistically, I would have her on the bill with us all summer.
Unfortunately, we don't have footage of the New Orleans show, but we're planning to record our performances this summer for a new live CD... stay tuned.  In the meantime you can checkout the DVD of a show at the House of Blues Los Angeles, which was recorded back in 2000, while Michael was still in the band.  We'll have that with us on the road, so I hope you can make another show soon.
Carlos, I'm so glad that you're staying and rebuilding, dealing with the inconveniences and frustrations of a traumatized region, being one more soul who would not let go.  And I'm glad you were with us that night at HOB - I hope we get back there very, very soon.
Thanks for your letter.
Peace,
Vicki

Thank you so much for your sweet letter, Jules!
We love Holland and have played many concerts there - I'm really hoping we will have a chance to come back.  Last summer my husband and I had a chance to spend some time in Amsterdam, we loved walking around the canals and seeing all the people riding around on bikes.
Thanks again for writing!
Peace,
Susanna

Hi Joe -
Okay you've got to be referring to one of my Carvin guitars.  I had a beautiful plum-colored one, double cutaway, but it only had one pickup.  So you're probably talking about my navy blue one.  (This is how you know I'm anything but a gearhead - I can't rattle off serial numbers and model types off the top of my head).  Carvin made some good guitars in the 80's (may still do, actually) and I somehow became sponsored by them.  I still have my beautiful three-pickup double-cutaway white one (the "In Your Room" White Room guitar), a gorgeous custom-made maple 12-string, and a truly terrifying red 12-string with a head stock that could be used as a lethal weapon.  The latter you may see pop-up on Bangl-eBay one of these days...
Please come see us in Michigan and say hello!
Cheers,
Vicki

The dressing-room door sign from the NOLA HOB show

Hey Carlos,
Although I've been back to New Orleans a couple of times since Katrina, I found this visit to be special. Not only were we Bangles playing there for the first time in YEARS (with the exception of a private Endymion party we played a few years back...), but I was able to share the warmth and acceptance of a Bangles crowd with my sister-in-law and her band.  Susan was moved by the reception she received from the audience-I knew y'all would love her!
I have a lot of respect for everyone who has returned to New Orleans to rebuild and I know it's not been an easy time.  Even the lucky ones who sustained less damage, or who have the wherewithal to repair and rebuild suffer the psychological injuries of a community lost.  There's been enormous healing already, but a long way to go.  It's hard to see if one doesn't live there and experience it everyday, I know.  I'm still looking for the best ways to help-I'll be back down during the second week of Jazzfest and hope to have a little more time to spend in the area.  Keep an eye out for a Carrollton Station show with Susan and me...
We've never put out an official live CD before, but we are right now putting the finishing touches on a live DVD which we're hoping to have out this summer.  There may be a separate audio CD in the package.  Hope ya like it!
Enjoy the beautiful spring weather in New Orleans, and I'll see you in May...
Peace,
Vicki

Hey there, Alexandria,
How are you? Thanks for writing in. It's great to hear from a fellow female drummer!
I know how it is not to be taken seriously. That's cool that you're the only girl drummer in the school band!
As far as any drum hints go, I'd suggest to keep playing. The more you do, the better you get.
Good luck with your band, The Teenage Dirtbags. I love the name!!
Keep on rocking, girl.
Peace,
Debbi Peterson

Dear Claire,
I think that feeling insecurity and anxiety from time to time is just part of the process of making music.
Every time I attempt to write a song I wonder if I'm capable of doing it, and when I sing in the studio, I often worry that I haven't gotten it right.  It's sometimes hard to keep perspective, and it helps me to work with someone I respect whose enthusiasm becomes the best medicine for overcoming my self doubt.  I've always enjoyed working with other artists, and I almost always partner up with other songwriters because I value their feedback, and the process of bouncing ideas back and forth seems to liberate me from the tendency to second guess everything.
I think that over the years I've learned to embrace feelings of worry and anxiety, and work through them.  I find that as soon as I can let go of the doubt, I can start to focus on the emotion of the song - how the lyrics and melody come together in a magical way to convey the feeling of the song - and that really is the ultimate goal.  
In some ways, learning to overcome those moments is just part of the game - it's a really great feeling to get past the fear and just experience the bliss of being caught up in the music...
I've often described the feeling of learning how to sing a new song as being like driving a car on a road full of twists and turns - eventually you learn to feel the road and know how to keep ccontrol of your voice as you navigate the shape of that road...  You start to feel the moves in your throat as you journey through the song...  Maybe it sounds strange, but that's what it feels like to me.
Thank you so much for your letter. I hope you keep writing, singing and playing music, and learn to work through the fears so you can continue to find the joy in it! 
Peace,
Susanna

Vicki and Michael with Sir Paul McCartney at the Bangles' induction as
companions of McCartney's Liverpool Institute of Performing Arts

Hi Paul,
I did follow the solo careers of the Beatles members, but sporadically.  I loved the early Lennon/Ono stuff and also Paul's first two solo records.  All Things Must Pass, George Harrison's post Beatles tour de force almost needs to be considered in its own category, it's so amazing.  But as the years went by, I have to admit that I lost some fascination with the solo projects. I respect all of the members of that band enormously, but my favorite work by John, Paul, Ringo and George is still the music they made together.
Cheers,
Vicki

Click to see the Bangles in the 'Goonies R Good Enough' video - grab a sandwich, it's a loong one!

Hi Ingrid,
Cyndi Lauper is an amazing singer, and was very sweet to us when we toured the US with her. We both did a song for the "Goonies" soundtrack and somehow she convinced us to appear in her video along with "Hulk" Hogan-I never really understood that collaboration. I do remember her wanting to take over our hair and makeup for the shoot!  AUGHHHH!  She always was full of energy and ideas.
We sang background vocals on the chorus of  "Change of Heart," which was recorded in New York and LA.  We were gathered around a piano in New York working out the parts when Billy Joel walked in to say hello to Cyndi.  Very odd-but he was just another musician who thought Cyndi is incredible. She is.
Be well, Ingrid!
Vicki

Hi Kat.   I love  that you have a band, can I just tell you that?   When I was 14, I was still dreaming of having a band and touring...
Now.  Hazy Shade.  Hmmm. It IS really fun to play, once you get it, but I never tab anything (!) so I'm not gonna be too much help to you there.  And to make it more complicated, we now play that song capo I (first fret) to make it in F.  I think we recorded it in F#.  But I'm not sure.  And I haven't listened to the recording in forever.  So, you see?  Not very helpful, am i?  C'mon, though, you can figure it out...if I were in the room with you I could show you easily.  Maybe we should do that, huh?  A Bangles workshop.  That would be fun.
If you still are trying and can't get the riff, write me back.  I'll send you the notation.  In the meantime, rock on, girl!
Peace,
Vicki

Susanna and I taking our morning jog while on tour in Europe

Hey Donna,
Thanks for such a sweet letter.  I love that you had the power and fortitude to follow your dream and become a secure and happy young woman.  What a lovely way to be.
We Bangles do strive to be healthy-eat well, exercise, etc.  It sounds so boring (and can be, actually) but it feels good to know that you're at your best.  I'm  a bit of a lazy sod, to be truthful, and have promised myself that I'll really get in shape for next summer's tour.  So watch out!
Stay true to yourself, and best of luck in all you strive for in the future.
Peace,
Vicki

Hi Paulo,
I wish we had plans to come to your country (we don't at the moment, I'm
afraid) because I've been intrigued by Brazilian music for years.  I love that there is a Bangles connection to Brazil.
Do you know the band Os Mutantes?  They were most popular in Brazil in the 60's, but I am a huge fan of their music and have recently become pen pals with Sergio Dias, the founding guitar player. He's got such a great spirit and love of music and I associate that with the Brazilian lifestyle - very colorful and full of life.
I agree with you that Michael Steele is wonderful and we always wish her the best.  I actually had a lovely conversation with her this week - she's doing very well, happy and healthy.

Thanks for writing, Paulo.  Keep your fingers crossed for a Bangles in Brazil tour one day!
Cheers,
Vicki

Dear Spencer and Erica,
Thank you so much for your kind letter. I'm so glad you enjoyed our show in Chicago.
I stay in shape by taking an hour-long walk almost every day. I've always been addicted to exercise - ever since I studied dance as a little girl. I danced all the way through college! I always tell people that I exercise as much for my mind as I do to stay fit. I love to walk because it's a chance to get outdoors, and I try to walk rain or shine, whether I'm home or on the road.
I think my energy comes from a combination of things - listening to music always seems to inspire me, and a good strong cup of espresso or green tea helps too!
As for your question about songs, "Hero Takes A Fall" and "In Your Room" are particularly fun to perform live - I love to get lost in the rock and roll spirit of those songs! "Eternal Flame," "I Will Take Care Of You," and "Something That You Said" are also fun to sing. I enjoy the challenge of singing ballads, it's a chance to really dive into the emotion of the song.
Peace,
Susanna

(c) Robert Killips, Lansing State Journal

Hi Rick,
Don't you love it when you're in the car and something comes on the radio - something you weren't expecting to hear - and it reminds you of a good time in your life, or simply puts you in a better mood... Music can do that, so powerfully. Dontcha love that?
Yes, the Bangles were about making music and sometimes that got complicated, because we didn't always agree on what our sound should be.  In addition, there was always the pressure to be something more than a band, i.e. fashion models/celebrities.  When I consider some of today's pop singers, I can't help but think that they actually consider those aspects of entertaining to be more important than the music itself. 
There is a lot of amazing music to be heard today, but you may have to do a bit of digging to find it. We're so lucky that in our instant-access culture we have the ability to easily experience music beyond commercial radio.
Thanks for the letter, Rick. Keep listening, keep Bangling, keep the faith.
Cheers,
Vicki

Hi Deric!!
After the Bangles broke up, I began to work with Gina Schock from the Go-Go's. We wrote and recorded some songs together, but it didn't quite work out. I then hooked up with Siobhan Maher from an english band called River City People (they're from Liverpool!). We got on great and wrote and recorded songs for our self titled CD,Kindred Spirit (a collector's item if there ever was one!!!)

Thanks so much for acknowledging my voice! It tends to get lost a bit in the shuffle..I appreciate that! I'm glad you wrote in and hope to hear from you again soon.
Take care!
Love,
Debbi

Dear Derrick,
Sometimes I close my eyes when I sing, and sometimes I look around to see the people in the audience. It's always good to see happy, smiling faces! During the filming of the "Walk Like An Egyptian" video the camera captured me looking at someone to my far right, then someone to my left. Or maybe it was the other way around. Anyway, since then people have asked my about my eyes. Thank you for your question.
Peace,
Susanna

Vinnie Vincent

Dear Bill,
Thank you for your letter! We had such a blast in the land of Oz! We plan on coming back A LOT sooner than 16 years, believe me... Everyone was so enthusiastic and we felt such LOVE there! I'm glad you had the chance to see us finally (front row and all!). It was such a shame about what happened 16 years ago, but we made it after all.
We're feeling really good about our live performances now. Michael is definitely missed, but we're having fun right now with Abby.
Thanks again for writing and hopefully we'll see ya soon!
Love,
Debbi

Hey Shell -

Dontcha wonder where that cardboard guitar is now???  I myself was a young sing-into-the-curling-iron kind of gal (it has a cord!) Before that I used to sneak into the closet of my father's den and "play" his old Silvertone guitar.  I was a true closet guitarist.  Okay.  Sorry.  I'll stop now.

I do know what it feels like to lose the fire.  I've recently had to remind myself that any artistic endeavor - as much as I want to believe that all art is Divinely inspired - is really just plain ol' hard work.  Having said that, I want to tell you that I have been blessed a number of times with that magical "divine" moment when a song simply appears, fully formed and ready to rock.  Not all the time, though.  Not even often.  Most of the time it's a pre-planned, deliberate act of okay-today-I'm-gonna-sit-down-and-WRITE-SOMETHING-ism.  You have to stay open to inspiration, because it arrives in the most unlikely-looking packages.  And then you gotta do the work.  If I can, I go to the mountains, bring my guitar, and try to stay open.

I'm so glad you decided to give music another shot.  It can break your heart, but it can heal your soul.  Rock on, sister.

Vicki

In the meantime, we Cowsills are still avidly searching for our brother Barry, who was in New Orleans at the time of the storm, but has not been heard from for weeks now.  I'm praying for a happy ending to this tale, too, and welcome all incoming prayers from y'all...

I'll be writing more on this on the site, keeping you up-to-date. 

Thanks, Angie, for the prayers and good wishes.  Hope all is well with you, too.
Vicki

Hi Michael,
Yes, surprisingly enough that is my actual hair!  The photo session for that ad was a very surreal experience for me - the American Express campaign featured many different musicians, and was designed for colleges and universities around the country.  If I remember right, Matthew Rolston was the photographer.  I also remember that a team from the ad agency (all in power suits!) had flown in from New York City and they were in charge of everything else... I was soooo intimidated!  It was very nerve-wracking for me because I had no control whatsoever about my clothes, hair, or make-up.  Even though it was the hey-day of "big hair," I didn't know it was possible to make hair look THAT big - I think they used a whole bottle of spray on it! Ah... those were the days...
Peace,
Sue

Hey Steve,
Actually that wasn't me on the first episode of The Partridge Family!!! I'd be a bit older by now! It's funny, though, because in the very early days of the Bangles when I had short hair, I used to joke that I looked like Shirley Jones... That could've been the connection...
Thanks for your question...
Love,
Debbi

***A Message from Gracie***

On a slightly related note -
in the Banglevault we have this
great vintage autographed pic from 
Danny Bonaduce, addressed to the Bangles! 

In case ya can't read it, he writes
"Please cover a Partridge family tune
(I need the money)" !

Dear Steve,
Thank you for your letter. The black shirt was actually custom made for me, but it's a similar design to a blouse that was popular a few years ago.  In fact, I bought a similar one at Banana Republic last year. The design is kind of based on the classic black cocktail dress worn by Audrey Hepburn in the movie "Breakfast at Tiffany's" - the top of the dress is cut in to show a lot of shoulder, but the blouse I had made is actually more like a halter top (with a back) and has silk ribbons for straps.  Hope that helps!Thanks so much for your letter...
Cheers,
Susanna

Hey Steve -
Okay, you made me go back and actually listen to the record.  Yup, there is a phase effect on the opening guitar riff, which is played in octaves.  I can't remember, honestly, if the solo sound is an affected guitar, or one of the odd sitars or mandocellos that were available in the studio and which I picked up for other songs... (Like "I'll Set You Free")
But if you haven't got a phase-shifter I wouldn't sweat it.  These days I just play the riff with an open "E"  ringing out as a drone note and it seems to rock sufficiently.
Good luck with the band.  How fun.  Hope y'all have a blast and make some great music.
Vicki

Hey Randy,
I appreciate your kind words, especially since we were all a little nervous before that show.  It had (we realized) been a looooong time since we'd played other than short acoustic sets and we were trying some new/old (old/new?) songs that we hadn't played in... well, never mind how long.  "Watching the Sky" was one of them, and I'm glad that it won so many votes on the Fan Club Survey, or we may not have thought to do it.  It is a BLAST to play!

We're getting back into writing now and actually have a few favorite songs left over from the Doll Revolution sessions that we're wanting to record, so yes, there is a new CD in the works.  We also are working on a home-spun record of music for and by children which will feature songs actually co-written by some talented kids we know.  Don't worry, this is anti-Barney stuff - a kid's record that rocks! 

You asked about fave guitarists?  Ty Taboris absolutely amazing, I agree. I was probably most influenced by George Harrison (who doesn't get a lot of kudos as a guitarist, but was genius in the make-up-a-simple-melodic-line-that-works-in-the-song mode of playing) and Paul Simon, who is also underrated as a guitarist.  Then there's Joni Mitchell and Bonnie Raitt, both guitarists who discovered and mastered a way to play a traditional style (open tuning and blues slide, respectively) with a unique voice. 

I never focused on really learning the guitar (all too obviously, I'm afraid) because I always approached it mainly as a writing tool, but I do appreciate those who've mastered the damn thing. 

Thanks for writing, Randy - hope to see you at more shows! 

Peace,
Vicki

Onstage at Pechanga

Hi Nikki,

What a sweet letter (and yeah, I'm a two-year-old on a Milky Way High most of the time, too...) 
We have been talking about getting Down Under forever, but that's because we've been trying to get there forever.  Unfortunately with us, it takes some extra planning and just the right touring opportunities to pull it off.  Personally, it's on my short list of places to visit very soon.  So, hopefully, you'll get a Bangles show somewhere on the continent at least! 
As far as song lyrics go, I've written them alone and with others. The two experiences are very different, but can each be rewarding.  When I write alone, it's more like what you describe when you write your own poetry - a solitary, contemplative act which can be quite therapeutic.  Most of these songs just sort of - happen.  Which in itself is magical.

When I sit down with someone else to write, I usually find myself talking on and on about unrelated things forever (especially if it's a good friend I'm writing with) and then finally we'll start throwing out ideas.  It's more like a dialogue, or a game of verbal volleyball.  I have to feel VERY comfortable with the person or nothing will emerge.  It's almost like taking your clothes off.  You have to know that it's okay to look foolish, to take a chance.  When the chemistry is good, you end up with something completely beyond what you would have done yourself, and that's a kind of magic, too. 
Be well, Nikki, and thanks for writing! 

Vicki

Hey Jack -
What a compliment!!! Thanks for writing such a sweet letter. As you can tell, the Beatles still have a firm grip on my influences. I felt so honored when we had the chance to work and perform with George Martin a few years back. Now, if I could just meet Paul McCartney! (hee hee-I was so close, but too pregnant!!) Anyway, I really appreciate the support and keep those letters coming!
Bangle on!!!
Love, Debbi

Debbi and Susanna pose with "The Fab Four" Beatles tribute band at the
Hollywood Bowl performance honoring Sir George Martin

hi florence....
thanks for asking about the song "stop"...it's been a long time since i thought about the song (which was untitled for ages)...it was not written for the film ...in fact i wrote it with the idea of recording it myself...
i actually perfomed the song a couple of times at solo shows during the 90's....i think a demo of the song found its way into the hands of a music supervisor who thought it would be good for the film...
the song is about a relationship and the wish to be in synch with that person...i tried to describe the fulfillment of that wish with the image of walking hand in hand in paris along the river seine on a cold night .... looking up at beautiful, old, stone buildings illuminated in gold light...
thanks for your question...it gave me the chance to revisit the song after so many years...
peace,
susanna

Hi Daniela,
When you're learning a new skill, the learning curve is such that one day you feel like you know what you're doing and the next day you feel like you know nothing... but I think that's normal.
When I was first starting, I had to sort of make a commitment to learning to play a particular song, even though it might be difficult. And I gave myself permission to basically not play very well - for a long time - because it takes awhile before you can hit a level of proficiency with any instrument.
So if you set small goals for yourself and don't get too frustrated and ENOJY YOURSELF in the process, you should be able to improve whatever natural rate you're going to improve at. The most important thing is if you're having fun with it.
Good luck
- Michael