# Different Light

Different Light is the second studio album by American pop rock band the Bangles, released in January 1986. The album's Top 40 sound was a departure from their earlier 1960s-style rock'n'roll sound. It is their most successful album, reaching number two on the Billboard 200 and producing five charting singles, including the Billboard top two hits "Manic Monday" and "Walk Like an Egyptian". It is also the first album in which bassist Michael Steele sings lead vocals on some tracks.
The 2008 reissue CD on the Wounded Bird Records label (WOU 4039) adds a bonus track: "Walk Like an Egyptian (Extended Dance Mix)".

## Singles

Different Light produced five singles, the first three of which were written by someone other than the Bangles. Lead single "Manic Monday", written by Prince under the pseudonym "Christopher" in 1984 as a duet for the Apollonia 6 album, peaked at number two in the United Kingdom and the United States in 1986. "If She Knew What She Wants", the second single from Different Light, was recorded by Jules Shear on his 1985 Eternal Return album. The song was written in the first person, however the Bangles rewrote the lyrics in the third person as they considered it more appropriate; their version charted at number 29 in the United States and number 31 in the United Kingdom. "Walk Like an Egyptian" was written by Liam Sternberg after seeing people on a ferry walking awkwardly to keep their balance as figures do in Ancient Egyptian reliefs; it became one of the most successful singles by the Bangles, hitting number one in the United States, Denmark, and the Netherlands, as well as peaking at number three in the United Kingdom. "Walking Down Your Street" hit number 11 in the United States and number 16 in the United Kingdom, and a fifth single, "Following", was released exclusively in the latter country.

## Album cover variations

The covers of most of the album's cassette pressings and the sheet music songbook only show 12 (out of 16) of the "different" snapshots, eliminating the third column to best fit the rectangular layout of cassette cases and book.
The back cover of European-made CDs replicates the back cover of the vinyl LP edition, with all 16 snapshots and the track index at the top. The back cover of the US version, however, only shows the first column of four snapshots, with the track index list occupying the rest of the space – a rare deviation for Columbia's CD issues during the 1980s.

## Critical reception

Professional ratings :
| Review scores ||
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic | |
| The Baltimore Sun | |
| Los Angeles Times | |
| Orlando Sentinel | |
| Record Mirror | 3+1⁄2/5 |
| The Rolling Stone Album Guide | |
| Slant Magazine | |
| Smash Hits | 7/10 |
| Spin Alternative Record Guide | 6/10 |
| The Village Voice | B |
In their review, Billboard noted that "the Californian quartet's spare '60s influenced pop/rock gets a facelift from producer Kahne, who shepherds the band's shift toward a more emphatic pop sensibility by focusing on a lusher, more layered vocal sound. Old fans will be divided over whether the change represents new subtlety or simply a softer edge, but the polish should help broaden their radio profile. Points scored for material, too, with savvy cover choices including Jules Shear's "If She Knew What She Wants," Alex Chilton's "September Gurls" and the first single, "Manic Monday."
Cashbox stated "Bangles seems destined for the top. The all-woman quartet has taken its ragged L.A. street image and polished it for what looks like a national campaign. Its American sound, repleat with guitar-laden nascent psychedelia, makes this second Columbia LP from Bangles right in line with current musical taste."
Rolling Stone critic Laura Fissinger wrote that Different Light finds the Bangles "using less hook-happy song structure and more modernized production" than on their 1984 debut All Over the Place, "covering their roots without burying them ten feet under." She disagreed with objections to the more "deliberate, sophisticated and airwaves ready" nature of the production and felt that the album "puts then and now in significantly better balance", while also finding that the band had advanced "past the fan-apes-idol phase" in their musicianship.
In 2012, Slant Magazine ranked Different Light at number 78 on its list of the best albums of the 1980s.

## Personnel

The Bangles
* Susanna Hoffs – vocals, guitars
* Vicki Peterson – vocals, lead guitar
* Michael Steele – vocals, bass
* Debbi Peterson – vocals, drums
Additional musicians
* Mitchell Froom – keyboards
* David Kahne – keyboards, LinnDrum programming
* Rusty Anderson – additional guitars
* Barbara Chapman – additional guitars, harp
* William Jones – electric sitar (uncredited)
* Carlos Vega – additional drums

## Production

* Producer – David Kahne
* Engineers – Tchad Blake and Peggy McLeonard
* Assistant engineers – David Glover and Mike Kloster
* Mixing – David Leonard
* Art direction – Nancy Donald and Tony Lane
* Photography – Raul Vega
* Wardrobe – Genny Schorr and Tony Riviera

## Certifications

Certifications for Different Light :
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
| Australia (ARIA) | 2× Platinum | 140,000$^^$ |
| Canada (Music Canada) | 2× Platinum | 200,000$^^$ |
| New Zealand (RMNZ) | Platinum | 15,000$^^$ |
| United Kingdom (BPI) | Platinum | 300,000$^^$ |
| United States (RIAA) | 3× Platinum | 3,000,000$^^$ |
| $^^$ Shipments figures based on certification alone. |||