| "Following" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by the Bangles | ||||
| from the album Different Light | ||||
| Released | 6 April 1987 (UK) | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length |
| |||
| Label | Columbia | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Michael Steele | |||
| Producer(s) | David Kahne | |||
| The Bangles singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
"Following" is a song by American pop rock band the Bangles, released in 1987 as the fifth and final single from their second studio album, Different Light (1986). The acoustic ballad carries vocals by Michael Steele, who composed the song.
"Following" is one of two songs on Different Light on which Michael Steele sang lead vocals, the other one being a cover of Big Star's "September Gurls". The song was written solely by Steele, her first original composition released with the Bangles.
Musically, "Following" is radically different from the rest of Bangles' material, being a folky acoustic ballad featuring minimal instrumentation. Its lead instrument is an acoustic guitar. "Following" also features hovering, atmospheric keyboard sounds. The musical input from the other three Bangles members on the song appears to be limited to occasional wordless, atmospheric backing vocal textures.
Lyrically, the song deals with the subject of jealousy, paranoia and obsession that follows the breakup of a relationship. Sung in first person, the narrator starts with the accusations of stalking by the ex-lover. The gender of the ex-lover is not explicitly stated, although ambiguities in the lyrics suggest that the narrator may be referring to a female ex-lover (or a situation involving another, similar type of love triangle). [1] As the song progresses, it is revealed both the narrator and the ex-lover accuse each other of obsessive behavior and paranoia. Steele half sings, half talks the lyrics, taking an approach similar to folk singer Bob Dylan or rock/jazz artist Rickie Lee Jones. Steele has indicated that Following was derived from personal experience, stating in a 2003 internet chat: "Yeah, it was about my high school sweetheart." [2]
"Following" was chosen as the band's fifth single from their successful Different Light album, and was released in April 1987 around Europe. It was never released in the USA. It would become the band's only single with Michael Steele on lead vocals.
For its single release, the track was edited from the album version, eliminating most of the outro. The single's B-side was "Dover Beach", a track from their 1984 album All Over the Place . The 12" single also included the "Bangles Hit Mix", a megamix including the band's previous four singles off Different Light and "Going Down To Liverpool" from their debut album.
The single was also released in two special editions, one including a poster of the single cover, and another including four badges.
No music video was done to support the release and the group did little promotion for it. "Following" peaked at #55 in the UK, [3] and was a top 40 hit in Ireland, peaking at #22. [4] It failed to chart in other European territories.
| Chart (1987) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Irish Singles Chart [4] | 22 |
| UK Singles Chart [3] | 55 |
The Bangles are an American all-female pop rock band formed in Los Angeles, California, in 1981. The band recorded several singles that reached the U.S. top 10 during the 1980s, including "Walk Like an Egyptian" (1986), "Manic Monday" (1986), "Hazy Shade of Winter" (1987), "In Your Room" (1988), and "Eternal Flame" (1989).
Michael Steele is an American retired musician, best known as the bassist for The Bangles. Under the name Micki Steele, she was a founding member of The Runaways but left in 1975, shortly before the band's major label debut. For the next several years, she played with various other musical groups for short periods of time.
"Eternal Flame" is a song by American pop rock group the Bangles for their third studio album, Everything (1988). Released on January 23, 1989, the power ballad was written by group member Susanna Hoffs with the established hit songwriting team of Billy Steinberg and Tom Kelly. Upon its 1989 single release, "Eternal Flame" became a number-one hit in nine countries, including Australia, Sweden, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Since its release, it has been covered by many musical artists, including Australian boy band Human Nature, who reached the Australian top 10 with their version, and British girl group Atomic Kitten, who topped four national charts with their rendition.
Killer is the fourth studio album by American rock band Alice Cooper, released in November 1971 by Warner Bros. Records. The album peaked at No. 21 on the Billboard 200 album chart, and the two singles "Under My Wheels" and "Be My Lover" made the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
"Walk Like an Egyptian" is a song by the American band the Bangles. It was released in September 1986 as the third single from the band's second studio album, Different Light (1986). It was the band's first number-one single, being certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), and was ranked Billboard's number-one song of 1987.
Different Light is the second studio album by American pop rock band the Bangles, released in January 1986. The album's Top 40 sound was a departure from their earlier 1960s-style rock'n'roll sound. It is their most successful album, reaching number two on the Billboard 200 and producing five charting singles, including the Billboard top two hits "Manic Monday" and "Walk Like an Egyptian". It is also the first album in which bassist Michael Steele sings lead vocals on some tracks.
Doll Revolution is the fourth studio album by American pop rock band The Bangles. It was released in March 2003 in Europe and Japan, and in September of that year in the United States. It is the first album by the group since their 1998 reunion. It is also the final album to feature bassist and vocalist Michael Steele who left the band following the promotional tour.
Bangles is the eponymous first EP by The Bangles. It was released in 1982 by Faulty Products and reissued in 1983 by I.R.S. Records when Faulty Products went out of business. The songs remained widely unavailable thereafter, with only occasional rereleases of individual songs. The whole five-song EP was eventually reissued as part of the Bangles' 2014 compilation, Ladies and Gentlemen... The Bangles!.
Stranger in This Town is the first solo studio album by Richie Sambora, the guitarist from the New Jersey band Bon Jovi. The album was released in 1991, while Bon Jovi was on a 17-month hiatus. Jon Bon Jovi also released a solo album, Blaze of Glory (1990), during this period.
"Different Drum" is a song written by American singer-songwriter Michael Nesmith in 1964. It was first recorded by the northern bluegrass band The Greenbriar Boys and included on their 1966 album Better Late than Never!. Nesmith offered it to his group the Monkees, but the producers of the TV show turned it down, though he did perform a short comic version of the song in one episode.
"Las Palabras de Amor (The Words of Love)" is a rock ballad by the British rock band Queen. It was released as the third single from their 1982 album Hot Space. It is sung mostly in English, but with several Spanish phrases. Written by guitarist Brian May, the song proved more popular in the United Kingdom than their previous single ("Body Language"), reaching No. 17 in the UK Singles Chart.
"Waiting on a Friend" is a song by the English rock band the Rolling Stones from their 1981 album Tattoo You. Written by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards and released as the album's second single, it reached No. 13 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart in the US.
"September Gurls" is a song written by Alex Chilton that was first released by Big Star on their second studio album Radio City in 1974. "September Gurls" was also released as a single.
"A Hazy Shade of Winter" is a song by American music duo Simon & Garfunkel, released on October 22, 1966, initially as a stand-alone single, but subsequently included on the duo's album Bookends (1968). It peaked at number 13 on the Billboard Hot 100.
"Break Down Here" is a debut song written by Jess Brown and Patrick Jason Matthews, and recorded by American country music singer Julie Roberts. It was released in February 2004 as the lead-off single from her self-titled debut album that was released on May 24, 2004, via Mercury Nashville. The song debuted in February 2004 and peaked at number 18 on the country music charts.
Sweetheart of the Sun is the fifth studio album by American pop rock band the Bangles, released on September 27, 2011. It is the band's second album since their 2003 reunion, and their first as a trio after the departure of longtime member Michael Steele. The twelve-song album was co-produced by the Bangles and Matthew Sweet.
"Going Down to Liverpool" is a song written by Kimberley Rew for his group Katrina and the Waves, although best remembered for a cover version by the Bangles.
Music from Another Dimension! is the fifteenth studio album by American rock band Aerosmith, released on November 6, 2012, by Columbia Records. Their first studio album since 2004's Honkin' on Bobo, as well as the first to feature all-new material since 2001's Just Push Play, its release marks the longest gap between Aerosmith's studio albums. The album was released in a single CD edition, along with a deluxe version. It is the last album in Aerosmith's recording contract with Sony/Columbia Records and was produced by Jack Douglas, Steven Tyler, Joe Perry, and Marti Frederiksen. It is also their longest studio album with total track time of nearly 68 minutes.
"Wig-Wam Bam" is a song by British glam rock band The Sweet, written by songwriters Nicky Chinn and Mike Chapman, released as a single in September 1972. It was the first Sweet single on which the band members actually played their instruments, as previous singles featured producer Phil Wainman on drums, and session musicians John Roberts and Pip Williams on bass and guitars respectively.
"My Old Man" is a song by American country music band Zac Brown Band. The song is the lead single to their fifth major-label studio album, Welcome Home. The song was written by Zac Brown, Niko Moon and Ben Simonetti.
| Studio albums | |
|---|---|
| Compilation albums | |
| Extended plays | |
| Singles | |
| Related articles | |
