Eternal Flame - The Bangles (1989) 6/22/23

In 1988, when Susanna Hoffs, lead singer of the Bangles met songwriters Billy Steinberg and Tom Kelly, they decided to join forces and write a few songs for the next Bangles album, 1989's "Everything."

One day, Susanna was telling Billy about a trip The Bangles made to Graceland to see Elvis Presley's grave. It was raining that day, and the eternal flame at the site was not lit.

So much for being eternal.

This reminded Billy of the Synagogue he attended as a child, which also had an eternal flame...and he thought that would make a great song title.

After writing the basic melody and lyrics for "Eternal Flame," they took it to Tom, who started adding the chords and the middle-8.

To put it simply, a middle-8 is a short, typically 8-measure middle section that is different than the rest of the song. It's also known as a "bridge." In this case, it was used instead of a chorus.

Together, Susanna, Tom and Billy decided to layer the harmonies in that section as a nod to The Beatles and Beach Boys--intricate and beautiful.

Producer Davitt Sigerson knew Susanna loved the music of Patsy Cline, so he came up with the idea of giving "Eternal Flame" somewhat of a Patsy Cline sound with an arrangement he called a "music box."

When the demo was presented to the rest of the Bangles, the group REJECTED IT!

Why? Because it was a keyboard-heavy arrangement, and nobody in the group played keyboards!

That was easily solved by bringing in Canadian composer John Phillip Shenale to "man the ivories."

In the end, Susanna was thrilled with her vocals, and everyone involved was thrilled with the finished song--with one exception: Bangles manager Miles Copeland,told them it would never be a hit...because there weren't enough DRUMS on the track.

Miles was wrong.

When the song was released as a single, it reached the Top 10 in 19 countries--topping the charts 1 in 9 of them, including The US, Canada, Australia and The UK!

Fun Fact(?): Susanna recorded her vocals naked and alone in a darkened studio for a more vulnerable feel. She was told that Olivia Newton-John recorded songs that way.

It was a prank...but according to Susanne, it worked so well, she recorded the rest of her vocals for the album that way!

"Eternal Flame" by the Bangles instantly became an eternal hit, and a Great Song of 1989! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PSoOFn3wQV4

Tomorrow: Cross Wind