The Bangles: "Different Light" Album (1986)

The Bangles’ Different Light was released as an LP album in the US by Columbia Records (catalog number BFC 40039) on January 2, 1986, with a UK release in February 1986. It was their second studio album, and included the song 'Manic Monday' penned by Prince, using the alias "Christopher". Initially, it was meant for the group Apollonia 6 in 1984. The lyrics depict a woman waking up on a Monday, wishing it were still Sunday so she could keep relaxing.

The single, released by Columbia Records in late December 1985, garnered generally positive feedback from music critics, with some comparing it to the Mamas & the Papas' "Monday, Monday". It marked the Bangles' first major hit, reaching No. 2 in the United States (ironically, it was held from the top spot by Prince's "Kiss"), the United Kingdom, Austria, Canada, Germany, and Ireland, and secured a place within the Top 5 in Australia, New Zealand, Norway, and Switzerland. It was later awarded a silver certification in the UK by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI).

An 18-second clip of "Manic Monday" includes the line "I wish it were Sunday ... My 'I-don't-have-to-run day'," which music critic Dorian Lynskey called "painful".

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Prince composed "Manic Monday" in 1984 and initially recorded it as a duet for Apollonia 6's self-titled album, but later chose not to include it. Two years later, he offered the song to the Bangles under the pseudonym "Christopher", a character he played in the 1986 film Under the Cherry Moon. Various writers speculated that after hearing the band's 1984 debut album, All Over the Place, Prince gave the song to Bangles rhythm guitarist Susanna Hoffs, aiming to win her affection. An original demo featuring Apollonia and Prince was included in the 2001 bootleg, The Work - Volume 1. An official version with Prince as the main vocalist was released posthumously 18 years later, appearing on the 2019 demo compilation, Originals.

Susanna Hoffs on "Manic Monday"

"When I first heard that 'oh whoa' melody, I thought of the Velvet Underground. Then, when I heard the title, I thought of Jimi Hendrix [who sang 'Manic Depression']. But then, with the Monday part and the harmonies, I thought of the Mamas & the Papas. It has a lot of the elements of emotion and style that [the Bangles] connect to. And [young people] really pick up on the nursery rhyme appeal: like 'Sally Go 'Round the Roses', [there's] a nice simplicity to it."

In an interview with MTV UK in 1989, Debbi Peterson explained why Prince gave them the song: "[Prince] really liked our first album. He liked the song 'Hero Takes a Fall', which is a great compliment, because we liked his music. He contacted us and said, 'I've got a couple of songs for you. I'd like to know if you're interested,' and of course, we were. One of the songs Prince brought to the group was 'Manic Monday', written under the pseudonym of Christopher." Peterson talked about the evolution of what Prince brought them: "It was a Banglefication of a Prince arrangement. He had a demo that was very specifically him. It was a good song, but we didn't record it like 'This is our first hit single! Oh my God! I can feel it in my veins!' We just did the song and the album, and then sat back and thought about it."

"Manic Monday" is a pop song in D major, with a tempo of 116 beats per minute and set in common time. The chord progression follows D–A7–G–D–A7–G. The lyrics describe a person waking up from a romantic dream at six o'clock on a Monday morning and dealing with a busy commute to work, wishing instead to be relaxing on Sunday, her "I-don't-have-to-run day." The first verse mentions actor Rudolph Valentino.

This album's Top 40 sound marked a shift from their earlier 1960s-style rock'n'roll. It became their most successful album, reaching number two on the Billboard 200 and spawning five charting singles, including the Billboard top two hits "Manic Monday" and "Walk Like an Egyptian." This album also features bassist Michael Steele singing lead vocals on some tracks for the first time.

The 2008 CD reissue by Wounded Bird Records (WOU 4039) includes a bonus track: "Walk Like an Egyptian (Extended Dance Mix)."

Singles

"Different Light" generated five singles, with the first three penned by writers outside the Bangles. The lead single, "Manic Monday," was written by Prince under the pseudonym "Christopher" in 1984 for a duet on the Apollonia 6 album and reached number two in both the United Kingdom and the United States in 1986. "If She Knew What She Wants," the second single, was originally recorded by Jules Shear on his 1985 "Eternal Return" album. Although the song was initially written in the first person, the Bangles revised the lyrics to the third person, finding it more fitting; their version reached number 29 in the United States and number 31 in the United Kingdom. "Walk Like an Egyptian," inspired by Liam Sternberg after observing people on a ferry trying to maintain balance like figures in Ancient Egyptian reliefs, became one of the Bangles' most successful singles, topping charts in the United States, Denmark, and the Netherlands, and reaching number three in the United Kingdom. "Walking Down Your Street" climbed to number 11 in the United States and number 16 in the United Kingdom, while a fifth single, "Following," was released exclusively in the latter country.