Maps of Music

Doll Revolution (2003)

Where the lyrics of Doll Revolution take you, and where it was really made.

Bassist Michael Steele left the band during the promotional tour in January 2004, and twelve years later the group's original bassist, Annette Zilinskas, replaced her.

Key places

Recording location listed for the album (2003)

Recording site Tiny Voice Production — The album's recording is listed at Radio Tokyo in Tokyo. The source gives only the city, so the pin marks the city center rather than the studio building. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

Where the album was mixed (2003)

Recording site Conway Recording Studios — Brad Wood mixed the album at Conway Studios in Los Angeles. The release credits list this studio as the mixing location. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

Album story

Overview

• Doll Revolution is the fourth studio album by American pop rock band The Bangles
• Released in March 2003 in Europe and Japan, and in September 2003 in the United States
• The first album by the group since their 1998 reunion
• Contains 15 songs, making it the group's lengthiest album
• Final Bangles album to feature bassist and vocalist Michael Steele
• Steele left the band in January 2004, during the promotional tour
• Twelve years later, Annette Zilinskas, the group's original bassist, replaced Steele

Background

• The Bangles disbanded in 1989 after the disappointing sales of Everything
• They reunited in 1998 and released "Get the Girl" on the Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me soundtrack
• That song's success allowed four years of touring to finance the next record
• The group self-released the album through their independent label Down Kiddie Records
• Down Kiddie had been largely defunct since the 1981 debut single "Getting Out of Hand"
• Europe and Japan releases came through deals with the EMI subsidiary Liberty Records and Victor
• The US release came on Koch Records in September 2003
• Apart from Elvis Costello's "Tear Off Your Own Head (It's a Doll Revolution)", all tracks were written by band members

Recording

• Brad Wood is credited with production, alongside The Bangles themselves
• Mixing credits list Brad Wood, at Conway Studios
• Several songs had earlier versions released by members with other groups, such as Continental Drifters and Kindred Spirit

Sources: en.wikipedia.org · www.discogs.com

Tracklist

Sources: musicbrainz.org

Artist

Formation

• Formed in Los Angeles in 1981 as an all-female pop rock band.
• Susanna Hoffs and sisters Vicki and Debbi Peterson came together in December 1980 after responding to classified ads in The Recycler.
• Annette Zilinskas joined on bass as the original fourth member.
• Began as part of the Los Angeles Paisley Underground scene, influenced by 1960s rock and psychedelic music.
• Early work blended jangly guitar melodies with power-pop sensibilities.
• Renamed themselves the Bangs shortly after forming, later becoming the Bangles.

Members

• Susanna Hoffs: lead vocals, rhythm guitar, piano.
• Vicki Peterson: lead guitar, backing vocals.
• Debbi Peterson: drums, acoustic guitar, percussion, backing vocals.
• Annette Zilinskas: original bassist (1981–1983), rejoined in 2018.
• Michael Steele: bassist and vocalist from 1983 to 1989 and 1998 to 2005, formerly of the Runaways.

Career

• Debut album All Over the Place (1984) on Columbia Records received critical acclaim.
• Prince gave them "Manic Monday," originally written for his group Apollonia 6, which reached number two in the US, UK and Germany.
• Different Light (1986) reached number two on the Billboard 200, driven by the worldwide number-one hit "Walk Like an Egyptian."
• Cover of Simon & Garfunkel's "A Hazy Shade of Winter" (1987) from the film Less than Zero reached number two in February 1988.
• Everything (1988) included the top-five hit "In Your Room" and their biggest-selling single "Eternal Flame."
• "Eternal Flame" became the biggest single by an all-female band in history.
• Disbanded in 1989 after internal friction; reunited in 1998 to record for Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me.
• Released Doll Revolution (2003) and Sweetheart of the Sun (2011).
• Reunited with founding bassist Annette Zilinskas in 2018, the first time the original four members had played together since 1983.

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

Reception

At release

• Lead single "Something That You Said" reached No. 38 in the UK
• Elsewhere in Europe the lead single was a minor hit
• "Tear Off Your Own Head (It's a Doll Revolution)" was released as the second single
• "I Will Take Care of You" followed as the third single, reaching No. 79 in the UK
• All three singles had lead vocals by Susanna Hoffs
• The album spawned three singles in total
• The US edition of the album was released in September 2003 on Koch Records
• The US version included a bonus DVD with interviews, a photo gallery and a video
• Japanese CD release in 2003 added bonus tracks from the group's 1981 debut single

Reappraisal

• Reissued in 2020 and 2021 as a 2-LP set in the US
• Real Gone Music issued the reissue on four different colored vinyl editions
• The reissue covers the album's US market after its original 2003 release

Records

• UK single chart position of "Something That You Said": No. 38
• UK single chart position of "I Will Take Care of You": No. 79
• Release in March 2003 in Europe and Japan came before the US release
• The album contains 15 songs, the group's lengthiest album

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

Trivia

• The Japanese CD in 2003 added both songs from the band's 1981 debut 7-inch single as bonus tracks, the first time they reached CD.
• The limited edition DVD included a documentary, a photo gallery, lyrics, an audio player and the video for "Something That You Said".
• The tracks "Nickel Romeo" and "Between the Two" were never released, but Michael Steele had performed them live with her band Crash Wisdom from 1994.
• "Ask Me No Questions" had been released earlier by Debbi Peterson's band Kindred Spirit.
• The album's Mixing was credited to Brad Wood at Conway Studios, and mastering was done at Marcussen Mastering.

Sources: en.wikipedia.org · www.discogs.com

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