The Starr ★ Company

It's just another manic Monday
I wish it was Sunday
Cuz that's my fun day
It's just another manic Monday

The song was written by Prince (under the pseudonym Christopher, a reference to his character Christopher Tracy from Under The Cherry Moon).

Initial tracking for Prince's original version took place on 4 February, 1984 at Sunset Sound, Hollywood, CA, USA (the day before recording Ooo She She Wa Wa); the song was intended for Apollonia 6 (as a duet between Prince and Apollonia), and was included as the third track on the 29 February, 1984 and Spring 1984 configurations of the Apollonia 6 album, but was withdrawn from the album prior to release. It was offered to The Bangles after Prince met lead singer Susannah Hoffs on a flight to London, England, in early February, 1985 (while flying over for the BPI Awards, 11 February, 1985); Hoffs asked Prince to provide songs for their next album, and he provided them with Manic Monday and Jealous Girl, which they rejected. The Bangles' version of Manic Monday was mostly re-recorded (information on recording dates and location are needed), but it features some of Prince's original backing tracks (Brenda Bennett's background vocals can still be heard on the released version). -PrinceVault.com

Prince - all other instruments (uncredited)

Brenda Bennett - background vocals (uncredited)

6 o'clock already, I was just in the middle of a dream
I was kissing Valentino by a crystal blue Italian stream
But I can't be late cuz then I guess I just won't get paid
These are the days when U wish your bed was already made

CHORUS:
It's just another manic Monday
I wish it was Sunday
Cuz that's my fun day
My "I don't have 2 run" day
It's just another manic Monday

Have 2 catch an early train, got 2 be 2 work by 9
If I had an airplane, I still couldn't make it on time
Cuz it takes me so long just 2 figure out what I'm gonna wear
Blame it on the train, but the boss is already there

CHORUS

All of the nights, why did my lover have 2 pick last night 2 get down?
(Last night we got down)
Doesn't it matter that I have 2 feed the both of us? Employment's down
But when he tells me in his bedroom voice
"Come on, honey, let's go make some noise," what he says
Time, it goes so fast (when U're having fun)

It's just another manic Monday
I wish it was Sunday
Cuz that's my fun day
It's just another manic Monday

Bangles:Vicki Peterson – guitar, background vocals

Peterson explained in an interview with MTV UK in 1989 about 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."

8.18.1986 Ahoy Sportpaleis Rotterdam, Netherlands

Parade Tour

Manic Monday performed live by Prince & the Revolution lead vocal Wendy Melvoin

Performed regulary on tour

AVC: What was it like to have Prince say, “So, hey, I’ve got this song for you”?

Susannah Hoffs: It was all very mysterious. I got a call… We were working with Peggy and David Leonard, a husband-and-wife engineer team who had done a lot of stuff with Prince in Minneapolis, and then I guess everybody came west, and they were working in studios in L.A. I think Peggy was working with us at the time, and David was working with Prince? Anyway, somehow word got to me to go to Sunset Sound and pick up the cassette from Prince. It was the old days of cassettes, you know. There were two songs on it, and one of them was “Manic Monday.” I didn’t actually see Prince that day, because… I don’t know, either he wasn’t there or he just wasn’t coming out of the studio or something. [Laughs.] But I just got the tape and played it on the way back to the studio where The Bangles were, and we immediately thought that “Manic Monday” was… [Hesitates.] I’ve got to look for that tape, ’cause there was another song on it, and… I have it somewhere—thank God I didn’t throw it out!—but I just haven’t had a chance to go through my old box of cassette tapes. I should probably do it soon, because that tape’s going to start degrading! [Laughs.] But it was cool. The title was really great. It just reminded me of “Manic Depression,” the Hendrix song, and had kind of a psychedelic thing. And then it had these great harmonies, and I don’t know, there were a lot of things about it where I just thought, “This is a really good fit for The Bangles. So I’m ever after grateful to him for giving us that song, because it ended up being our first radio hit.

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AVC: I’ve read both that he is singing background vocals on the song and that he is not singing background vocals. I mean, I can’t actually hear him, but…

Susannah Hoffs: He is not singing background vocals. The tape that I had was more than a demo—it was a good sounding recording, and there was a woman singing on it, I’m pretty sure. I don’t think it was him singing. He was singing on the other song, but on “Manic Monday,” I’m pretty sure it was a girl’s voice. Gosh, time has passed since those days… [Laughs.] But at any rate, I think typically when he gave artists songs, which he was doing a fair amount of at that time, they would use his tracks. So I think when he came to the rehearsal studio when we were getting ready to go on the tour and he had finally heard our version of it, we were told—or maybe he said it at the rehearsal studio—that he was surprised that we had re-recorded it, because we could’ve just asked for the tracks and used his tracks. Maybe he even sent the tracks over. I’m trying to remember. But, anyway, he was really happy with how it turned it out. He was really happy with it, so that felt good. And after that, we ended up… He would show up at other concerts, and a couple of times we jammed with him. It was a lot of fun. He’s so great—such a great musician and writer and player and… everything!

http://www.avclub.com/art...les,63099/

May 14. 1986
Warfield Theater, San Francisco
Bangles Concert

Manic Monday
Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On

I thought they did use the basic prince tracks and worked over it - I actually doubt Hoffs had any input into the production side of things to any great extent, she seems pretty sketchy on a few things, so she could be wrong about that.

October 20. 1986
The Palace, Los Angeles
The Bangles Gig
Manic Monday
Hero Takes A Fall


Guest-Prince & Wendy

I'd never heard Susannah and The Bangles' side of the story. Thanks OldFriends4Sale

SuperSoulFighter said:

It always amazed me how someone who never did a day's work in his life ( I mean a 9-5 job) can write about that monday morning feeling so perfectly.

Listening 2 this performance, just reminds me how big Prince still was, the crowd went crazy for Prince and it wasn't even his show...

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Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On (with Prince)

May 14. 1986
Warfield Theater, San Francisco
Bangles Concert

Guests: Prince(guitar) Wendy Welvoin(guitar)

electic guitar screaches

We are so excited, we're speachless

electric guitar continues to screach

A little electronic problem...

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What it is??

Aww you all are awefully nice

we're gonna play a little blues is that cool?

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thisisreece said: