All Over the Place (The Bangles album)

All Over the Place
Studio album by
the Bangles
ReleasedMay 23, 1984 (1984-05-23)
RecordedOctober 1983 – February 1984
StudioCrystal Sound and Soundcastle (Hollywood, CA); Skyline Recording (Topanga, CA).
Genre
Length31:33
LabelColumbia
ProducerDavid Kahne
The Bangles chronology
Bangles
(1982) 		All Over the Place
(1984) 		Different Light
(1986)
Singles from All Over the Place
  1. "Hero Takes a Fall"
    Released: June 1984[2]
  2. "Going Down to Liverpool"
    Released: September 1984[3]

All Over the Place is the debut studio album by American pop rock band the Bangles. Released in May 1984 by Columbia Records, the album was not a major commercial success – peaking at number 80 on the Billboard 200 albums chart. It sold respectably, mostly through steady airplay on college radio stations. It also gave the band 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.

Two singles were released from the album: "Hero Takes a Fall", which peaked outside the top 40 on the UK Singles Chart, and "Going Down to Liverpool", written by Kimberley Rew of Katrina and the Waves. The video for "Going Down to Liverpool" features Leonard Nimoy, who plays the part of the band's chauffeur.

The album was reissued in 2008 on the Wounded Bird Records label (WOU 9220) adding a bonus track: "Hero Takes a Fall" (Single Remix). In 2010, UK label Cherry Pop re-released the album with one bonus track, their cover of the Grass Roots' "Where Were You When I Needed You", which was originally released as the B-side to "Hero Takes a Fall".

Commercial performance

In the US, All Over the Place spent 30 weeks on the Billboard 200 albums chart and reached its peak position of number 80 in November 1984.[4]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[5]
Number One4/5[6]
Rolling Stone[7]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide[8]
Sounds[9]
Spin Alternative Record Guide8/10[10]
The Village VoiceA−[11]

Reviewing All Over the Place for The Village Voice in October 1984, Robert Christgau found the songs "thoroughly realized in both the writing and playing", with "familiar heart-stopping harmonies", and wrote in conclusion: "Though the style is as derivative and even retro as on EP, they don't seem to be dabbling any more. Maybe they project such confidence because they know exactly what they want to say: don't fuck me over."[11]

Cashbox stated "the debut single from this Los Angeles—based all female combo displays a lyrical intelligence while capturing a musical sound appealing to both album oriented and hit radio formats. Forget about comparisons to that other girl group, the Bangles have forged a unique, commercially satisfying sound. Susanna Hoff’s straight ahead vocals backed by Vicki Peterson’s guitar artistry produce a down to earth rock and roll cut sure to find its way on to summer playlists."[12]

AllMusic's Mark Deming deemed All Over the Place "easily their best and most satisfying LP" in retrospect, noting that "it's the record that most openly embraces the folk-rock and garage rock influences that fueled their earliest music ... Susanna Hoffs hadn't yet been singled out as the star of the show, and the round-robin lead vocals, stellar harmonies, and tight, concise arrangements make them sound like a real-deal rock band."[5]

Track listing

No.TitleWriter(s)Lead vocalsLength
1."Hero Takes a Fall"Susanna Hoffs, Vicki PetersonHoffs2:54
2."Live" (cover of the Merry-Go-Round, 1967)Emitt RhodesDebbi Peterson2:36
3."James"V. PetersonHoffs2:36
4."All About You"V. PetersonV. Peterson2:26
5."Dover Beach"Hoffs, V. PetersonHoffs3:48
6."Tell Me"Hoffs, V. PetersonHoffs and V. Peterson2:15
7."Restless"Hoffs, V. PetersonV. Peterson2:41
8."Going Down to Liverpool" (cover of Katrina and the Waves, 1983)Kimberley RewD. Peterson3:41
9."He's Got a Secret"V. PetersonHoffs2:42
10."Silent Treatment"V. PetersonV. Peterson2:07
11."More Than Meets the Eye"V. PetersonV. Peterson and D. Peterson3:19

Notes

"James" was originally sung by Vicki Peterson but the lead vocals were sung by Hoffs by the time the album was recorded. The song's opening chords echo their arrangement of "The Rock and Roll Alternative Program Theme Song",[13] recorded in 1982 for DJ George Gimarc's syndicated radio show (and later included on the band's Ladies and Gentlemen... The Bangles! retrospective of early material, released in 2014).

"Hero Takes a Fall" was given a subtle remix for its single release. It was backed by the non-album track "Where Were You When I Needed You", a cover of the Grass Roots tune by P. F. Sloan and Steve Barri. The single mix and B-side were both included on the Bangles' Greatest Hits compilation in 1990.

Personnel

The Bangles

Guest musician

Production

  • Producer and Engineer – David Kahne
  • Additional Engineering – Andrew Berliner
  • Mixing – Joe Chiccarelli
  • Mastered by Jack Skinner at Sterling Sound (New York, NY)
  • Art Direction – Nancy Donald and Tony Lane
  • Inner Sleeve Collage Design – Pete Lamson
  • Collage Photography – Ed Colver, Mike Condello, Terry Dorn, Bruce Kalberg, Pete Lamson, Larry Rodriguez, Jeffrey Scales and Bob Seidemann

Charts

Chart performance for All Over the Place
Chart (1984–1985) Peak
position
New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)[14] 32
Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan)[15] 40
UK Albums (OCC)[16] 86
US Billboard 200[4] 80
US Cash Box Top 200 Albums[17] 64

References

  1. ^ "The 50 Best New Wave Albums". Paste. September 8, 2016. Retrieved August 3, 2025.
  2. ^ "Bangles singles".
  3. ^ "Bangles singles".
  4. ^ a b "The Bangles Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Archived from the original on November 17, 2021. Retrieved August 28, 2021.
  5. ^ a b Deming, Mark. "All Over the Place – The Bangles". AllMusic. Retrieved April 28, 2008.
  6. ^ Pearson, Deanne (March 16, 1985). "Albums". Number One. No. 91. p. 37.
  7. ^ Puterbaugh, Parke (August 16, 1984). "The Bangles: All Over the Place". Rolling Stone. No. 428. p. 38.
  8. ^ Evans, Paul; Lechner, Ernesto (2004). "The Bangles". In Brackett, Nathan; Hoard, Christian (eds.). The New Rolling Stone Album Guide (4th ed.). Simon & Schuster. pp. 43–44. ISBN 0-7432-0169-8. Retrieved October 12, 2011.
  9. ^ Simmons, Sylvie (August 25, 1984). "Jewels in the Crown". Sounds. p. 34.
  10. ^ Sheffield, Rob (1995). "Bangles". In Weisbard, Eric; Marks, Craig (eds.). Spin Alternative Record Guide. Vintage Books. p. 29. ISBN 0-679-75574-8.
  11. ^ a b Christgau, Robert (October 30, 1984). "Christgau's Consumer Guide". The Village Voice. Retrieved April 28, 2008.
  12. ^ "Album Reviews" (PDF). Cash Box. No. 30 June 1984. p. 7. Retrieved December 8, 2024.
  13. ^ "The Bangles - Rock and Roll Alternative (Theme Song)". YouTube. August 2017. Archived from the original on December 21, 2021. Retrieved January 26, 2021.
  14. ^ "Charts.nz – Bangles – All Over the Place". Hung Medien. Retrieved August 28, 2021.
  15. ^ "Swedishcharts.com – Bangles – All Over the Place". Hung Medien. Retrieved August 28, 2021.
  16. ^ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved August 28, 2021.
  17. ^ "Cash Box Top 200 Albums" (PDF). Cash Box. November 3, 1984. p. 16. Retrieved July 26, 2024.
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