Going Down to Liverpool

Last updated
"Going Down to Liverpool"
The-Bangles-Going-Down-To-Liverpool 1986.jpg
1986 UK reissue cover
Single by The Bangles
from the album All Over the Place
B-side "Dover Beach"
ReleasedSeptember 1984 (US) [1]
March 1985 (UK) [2]
Recorded1984
Genre
Length3:40
Label Discos CBS, Columbia Records
Songwriter(s) Kimberley Rew
Producer(s) David Kahne
The Bangles singles chronology
"Hero Takes a Fall"
(1984)
"Going Down to Liverpool"
(1984)
"Manic Monday"
(1986)
Music video
"Going Down to Liverpool" on YouTube

"Going Down to Liverpool" is a song written by Kimberley Rew for his group Katrina and the Waves and best remembered for a cover version by the Bangles. [4]

Contents

Background

The original version of the song appeared on Katrinia and the Waves' 1982 EP Shock Horror! (with the band then simply named The Waves). Soon thereafter, they re-recorded the song for inclusion on their 1983 debut full-length album Walking on Sunshine , which was only released in Canada. The version included on both releases featured Rew on lead vocals.

When the band signed with major label Capitol Records, the song was re-recorded again with Katrina Leskanich on lead vocals and included on their 1985 self-titled album. Although never released as a single, it was featured as the B-side of two of the band's singles, "Plastic Man" and their breakthrough hit "Walking on Sunshine".

The Bangles version

American band the Bangles covered the song on their 1984 major label debut album All Over the Place . The song features lead vocals by Debbi Peterson and it was released as the album's second single, one of only two singles with Peterson on lead vocals, the other being "Be with You". The song had been introduced by a friend to Vicki Peterson, who immediately liked it and urged the band to record a cover.

The single failed to chart in the U.S., and became a minor UK hit in April 1985, peaking at No. 79. The single's B-side was the album track "Dover Beach", and the 12" single featured three songs from their Bangles EP on the B-side.

When the band found success with their subsequent album Different Light , "Going Down to Liverpool" was re-released as a single in the UK and Ireland in 1986 after the release of "If She Knew What She Wants", with new cover artwork and featuring the Different Light album track "Let It Go". This time the single fared better but still only became a minor hit, peaking at No. 56, while it became a top 40 hit in Ireland peaking at No. 21.

Music video

The music video for the song was directed by Tamar Simon Hoffs, the mother of Bangles member Susanna Hoffs. The video features the band inside a car being driven around by a chauffeur, who appears to be unimpressed by the group (at one point he turns off the car radio, stopping the song). The car stops inside a tunnel and the girls walk towards the end of it, which cuts to the band playing and dancing over a red background. After the girls leave the car, the chauffeur ends up tapping his fingers on the steering wheel. Leonard Nimoy played the part of the chauffeur; this came about due to Nimoy being a friend of Tamar and Susanna's family. [5] [6] The video entered rotation on MTV in mid-October 1984. [7]

Charts

Chart (1985)Peak
position
UK Singles Chart [8] 79
Dutch Singles Chart48
New Zealand Singles Chart42
Chart (1986)Peak
position
UK Singles Chart [8] 56
Irish Singles Chart21

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Bangles</span> American pop rock band

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).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Katrina and the Waves</span> British-American rock band

Katrina and the Waves were a British rock band formed in Cambridge in 1981, widely known for their 1985 hit "Walking on Sunshine". They also won the 1997 Eurovision Song Contest with the song "Love Shine a Light".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Katrina Leskanich</span> American singer

Katrina Elizabeth Leskanich is an American musician and the former lead singer of the pop rock band Katrina and the Waves. Their song "Walking on Sunshine" was an international hit in 1985. In 1997, the band won the Eurovision Song Contest for the United Kingdom with the song "Love Shine a Light". Both songs were written by her long-term bandmate Kimberley Rew.

<i>Katrina and the Waves</i> (album) 1985 studio album by Katrina and the Waves

Katrina and the Waves is the third studio album by American/English new wave band Katrina and the Waves, released in March 1985 by Capitol Records. It was their first album on a major label, and a Top 30 hit in the US and the UK. The majority of tracks were re-mixed and overdubbed versions of songs that had appeared on their first two albums; the tracks "Walking on Sunshine" and "Going Down to Liverpool" were entirely re-recorded versions of songs from their first independently released album.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Susanna Hoffs</span> American musician (born 1959)

Susanna Lee Hoffs is an American singer-songwriter and actress. She, Debbi Peterson, and Vicki Peterson founded the Bangles in 1981. Their debut album, All Over the Place, (1984) was acclaimed by critics but sold poorly. Their second album, Different Light, (1986) was also warmly received by critics and was certified double-platinum in 1987 and triple-platinum in 1994. It contained the US number two single "Manic Monday" written by Prince and the number one single "Walk Like an Egyptian". The group's third album, Everything (1988), included the US top ten charting "In Your Room" and number one "Eternal Flame", both written by Hoffs with Billy Steinberg and Tom Kelly. Hoffs was lead vocalist on five of the seven Columbia singles by the Bangles, which contributed to a public perception that she was a lead singer, even though all four members took lead vocals across their output. Following tensions including resentment at Hoffs's perceived leadership and the stress of touring, the band split in 1989. It reformed in 1999 and released the albums Doll Revolution (2003) and Sweetheart of the Sun (2011).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Manic Monday</span> 1986 single by the Bangles

"Manic Monday" is a song by the American pop rock band the Bangles, which was the first single released from their second studio album, Different Light (1986). The song was written by American musician Prince, under the pseudonym "Christopher". Originally it was intended for the group Apollonia 6 in 1984. Lyrically, it describes a woman who is waking up to go to work on Monday, wishing it was still Sunday so that she could continue relaxing.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eternal Flame (song)</span> 1989 song by the Bangles

"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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Walk Like an Egyptian</span> 1986 single by the Bangles

"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.

<i>All Over the Place</i> (The Bangles album) 1984 studio album by The Bangles

All Over the Place is the debut studio album by American pop rock band the Bangles. Released in 1984 by Columbia Records, the sound is lively and shows more Bangles collaboration and fewer keyboard overdubs than were used later on their more commercially successful albums. Although the album was not a major commercial success – peaking at #80 on the Billboard 200 albums chart – and did not produce a hit, it sold respectably, mostly through steady airplay on college stations. It also gave them the chance to perform as an opening act for Cyndi Lauper and Huey Lewis and the News, and brought the group to the attention of Prince, who would write "Manic Monday", their first hit.

<i>Doll Revolution</i> 2003 studio album by The Bangles

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.

<i>Bangles</i> (EP) 1982 EP by The Bangles

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!.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">If She Knew What She Wants</span> 1985 promotional single by Jules Shear

"If She Knew What She Wants" is a song written by American singer-songwriter Jules Shear and introduced on his 1985 album The Eternal Return. The Bangles recorded the song for their 1986 album Different Light. That version, a call-and-response rendition with Susanna Hoffs as the main voice, was issued as a single and became a Top 40 hit. A mid-tempo ballad, it is sung from the viewpoint of someone, per songwriter Shear, "who wants to satisfy someone else but doesn't quite know how to do it because the other person is capricious." The song, especially The Bangles' version, is typically described with such adjectives as "bittersweet", "plaintive" and "wistful".

<i>Walking on Sunshine</i> (Katrina and the Waves album) 1983 studio album by Katrina and the Waves

Walking on Sunshine is the debut studio album by English new wave band Katrina and the Waves, released on December 1, 1983, by Attic Records. The album was only officially released in Canada, but now appears worldwide on the 2003 compilation The Original Recordings 1983–1984. Several of these original 1983 vinyl releases are evidently still in circulation, primarily in the band's native UK, with the record being simply titled Katrina and the Waves. The same cover for this UK release was used when the album was remastered and re-released with four bonus tracks on CD in 2010, under the title Katrina and the Waves. To complicate things further, a later greatest hits album by the band is also called Walking on Sunshine. "Que Te Quiero" was released as a single in the UK where it reached #84 on the UK Singles Chart in January 1984.

<i>Belinda</i> (Belinda Carlisle album) 1986 studio album by Belinda Carlisle

Belinda is the debut studio album by American singer Belinda Carlisle. It was released on May 19, 1986 by I.R.S. Records. Carlisle began work on the album in 1985 following the breakup of the Go-Go's, for whom she was the lead singer. The album was supported by four singles, with lead single "Mad About You" peaking at number 3 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and No. 1 in Canada.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Be with You (The Bangles song)</span> 1989 single by The Bangles

"Be with You" is a song by The Bangles. Taken from their third album Everything (1988), it was released as a single in 1989.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Getting Out of Hand</span> 1981 single by the Bangles

"Getting Out of Hand" is the debut single by American female band the Bangles, produced by the band themselves and released in 1981.

<i>Sweetheart of the Sun</i> 2011 studio album by the Bangles

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Everything I Wanted (The Bangles song)</span> 1990 single by The Bangles

"Everything I Wanted" is a song by band The Bangles. The song, with lead vocals by Susanna Hoffs, had been recorded for the band's 1988 album Everything but did not make the final track listing. It was co-written by Susanna Hoffs with Eric Lowen and Dan Navarro of Lowen & Navarro and features a barbershop quartet-style a capella bridge.

<i>Ladies and Gentlemen... The Bangles!</i> 2014 compilation album by The Bangles

Ladies and Gentlemen... The Bangles! is a compilation album of early material by The Bangles. It was released by the band on Thanksgiving Day, 2014.

<i>Shock Horror!</i> 1983 studio album by The Waves

Shock Horror! is a mini-album and the first release by new wave band Katrina and the Waves, released in 1983 by Aftermath Records.

References

  1. "Bangles singles".
  2. Great Rock Discography. 1995. p. 40. ISBN   978-0-86241-541-9.
  3. 1 2 3 Molanphy, Chris (November 20, 2021). "Be the One to Walk in the Sun Edition". Hit Parade | Music History and Music Trivia (Podcast). Slate . Retrieved March 3, 2024.
  4. Greenwald, Matthew. Going Down to Liverpool at AllMusic . Retrieved 15 December 2016.
  5. Jordan, Chris (23 February 2015). "Leonard Nimoy drove the Bangles to video stardom". App.com. USA Today. Retrieved 15 December 2016.
  6. banggothebangles (11 May 2014). "Bangles MTV News interview, 1984" via YouTube.
  7. "MTV Programming". Billboard . October 20, 1984. p. 32. Retrieved July 29, 2019.
  8. 1 2 "UK Official Charts". Officialcharts.com. Official Charts Company. 2016. Retrieved 15 December 2016.