“Getting Out of Hand” backed with “Call on Me” is the rare 1981 debut single from the Los Angeles-based band Bangs, who would soon be forced to rename themselves The Bangles. Released independently on their own DownKiddie Records imprint, the single captures the earliest recorded output of the group.
It reflects their deep affection for 1960s garage rock and jangle pop, heavily influenced by the likes of The Byrds, The Hollies, Beatles, and other pre-psychedelic pop bands. At this point, the group consisted of Vicki Peterson, Susanna Hoffs, and Debbi Peterson, all of whom would later become central figures in the 1980s revival of guitar-driven harmony pop.
The A-side, “Getting Out of Hand,” was written by Vicki Peterson. It is a sharp and sassy take on the local Los Angeles club scene, particularly taking aim at the way some all-female acts were being viewed or promoted, as more about fashion and attitude than musical substance. Peterson’s lyrics balance irony and frustration, expressing the band’s disillusionment with being dismissed as part of a trend. Musically, it’s a tight, bristling piece of garage pop,
led by jangly guitar lines and tight harmonies that give a nod to mid-‘60s rock while maintaining a distinctly modern edge. The original 7-inch recording is raw and unfussy, a reflection of the band’s limited studio time and DIY ethos.
The song didn’t chart but proved pivotal in the band’s trajectory. When Susanna Hoffs delivered a copy to Rodney Bingenheimer1, the influential DJ at KROQ-FM, he played the track on air and helped generate buzz. The attention led to more prominent club gigs and eventually set the stage for their signing to Faulty Products2,
the short-lived IRS Records offshoot, and later Columbia Records. Despite its underground origins, “Getting Out of Hand” remains one of the most culturally resonant Bangles tracks for fans who appreciate their early rawness before the polished pop of hits like “Manic Monday” and “Eternal Flame”.
Musicians
- Vicki Peterson – Guitars, Backing Vocals
- Susanna Hoffs – Rhythm Guitar, Lead Vocals
- Debbi Peterson – Drums, Backing Vocals
The B-side, “Call on Me,” is credited to Vicki Peterson, Susanna Hoffs, and David Roback3—the latter being a key figure in the Paisley Underground scene and future co-founder of Rain Parade and Mazzy Star. This collaboration between the core Bangs members and Roback reflects the tight-knit nature of the early 1980s Los Angeles neo-psychedelic community.
Unlike the biting wit of the A-side, “Call on Me” is gentler and more introspective, with lyrics that offer a kind of emotional refuge: a speaker willing to be there for someone in need. The song evokes the melancholic sweetness of 1960s ballads but is anchored by the same jangly guitar textures and vocal harmonies that became a Bangles signature.
Although “Call on Me” has not appeared on many subsequent compilations or reissues, it was included in Rhino’s Ladies and Gentlemen… The Bangles! collection in 2014, which helped reintroduce it to a wider audience. The 7-inch single was released in a very limited run—most sources suggest around 1,000 copies—and it remains a prized collector’s item.
Issued on the fictitious DownKiddie Records, the single bore the catalog number DK-001 and was packaged with handmade or minimal art, emphasizing its grassroots origins. At the time, the band was doing all their own promotion, recording, and distribution, reflecting the scrappy determination of a group that would later achieve worldwide fame.
The B-side photo of the band, on the re-released “Bangles” edition, includes the newly added bassist, Annette Zilinskas, who did not perform on the record.
The songs, though not commercially successful in the moment, played a crucial role in carving out space for a band of women writing and performing their own material in a male-dominated scene. “Getting Out of Hand” and “Call on Me” remain essential listening for fans interested in the band’s early identity.
They reveal a rougher, more punk-inflected version of the group, driven by sharp songwriting and a reverence for classic pop forms. Both songs also emphasize the band’s early collaborative spirit and deep entanglement with the L.A. underground scene that birthed other luminaries like The Dream Syndicate, Green on Red4, and The Three O’Clock.
These tracks may not have charted or received wide airplay beyond Bingenheimer’s show, but they laid the foundation for what would become one of the most successful female rock acts of the 1980s.
Getting Out of Hand
A friend told me yesterday
You've been looking for me
If I've been staying out of your way
I've done it intentionally
Saw you walking with her
(Walking with her)
Always kept that few steps behind, yeah
Wonder if she knows for sure
(She knows for sure)
Her man's going on walking the line
Then I say to myself, "Beware"
It's getting out of hand
(Out of hand)
It's getting out of hand
(Don't look now)
It means loving you is like being true
You've got another woman, yeah
Look me right in the eye
Tell me I'm the one that you love
Right back into your lies
Forgetting how determined I was
Then I say to myself, "Beware"
It's getting out of hand
(Out of hand)
It's getting out of hand
(Don't look now)
It means loving you is like being true
You've got another woman, yeah
A friend told me yesterday, hey
Call on Me
Well, if you're feeling down
You know I'll be round
And you know that you can call on me
You'll wish you were dead
Take a breath instead
Yeah, take a piece of everything you see
And you know that the world was made for you
Life's in shape, so what're you gonna do
Your eyes are painted blue
Look again, you see it's true, yeah
Your head's spinning round
Your folks bring you down
But you know that you can call on me
And you know that the world was made for you
Life's in shape, so what're you gonna do
Your eyes are painted blue
Look again, you see it's true, yeah
Well, if you're feeling down
You know I'll be round
As you know that you can call on me
Call on me
Call on me (call on me)
Call on me (call on me)4
Footnotes
- Rodney Bingenheimer is a legendary American disc jockey best known for his long-running show Rodney on the ROQ, which aired on Los Angeles’ KROQ-FM from 1976 to 2004. Often referred to as “The Mayor of the Sunset Strip,” Bingenheimer played a pivotal role in breaking countless now-iconic artists to American audiences, including David Bowie, The Ramones, The Runaways, The Sex Pistols, Blondie, and later The Bangles, Nirvana, and No Doubt. Renowned for his deep passion for music and uncanny ear for emerging talent, Bingenheimer helped bridge glam rock, punk, new wave, and alternative scenes in L.A., giving airtime to acts long before mainstream radio would touch them. His club, Rodney Bingenheimer’s English Disco, was a glam-rock haven in the 1970s, frequented by musicians and scenesters alike. Revered for his dedication to underground and outsider artists, he was the subject of the acclaimed 2003 documentary Mayor of the Sunset Strip, which explores his cultural impact and bittersweet personal story. After leaving KROQ, he launched Rodney on SiriusXM on Little Steven’s Underground Garage, continuing his mission to spotlight new talent into the 2020s. ↩︎
- Faulty Products was a short-lived but notable independent record label and distribution company operating in the early 1980s as a U.S. subsidiary of I.R.S. Records, itself founded by Miles Copeland, brother of Police drummer Stewart Copeland. Designed as an outlet for more experimental or underground acts, Faulty Products became a vehicle for issuing music by emerging American post-punk, new wave, and Paisley Underground artists, including The Bangles, who released their 1982 debut EP on the label following their name change from Bangs. Although Faulty Products never achieved the longevity or visibility of its parent label, it played a crucial role in giving exposure to cutting-edge regional acts who were otherwise unlikely to receive national distribution. The label folded within a couple of years, with many of its artists absorbed into I.R.S. proper or moved on to other indie or major labels. Its brief existence is often cited as emblematic of the early 1980s independent scene in the U.S., straddling the line between DIY ethos and commercial infrastructure. ↩︎
- David Roback was a visionary American guitarist, songwriter, and producer best known as the co-founder of Mazzy Star, whose haunting 1990s hits like “Fade Into You” helped define the dream pop genre. Emerging from the vibrant Paisley Underground scene in early 1980s Los Angeles, Roback first gained attention with the neo-psychedelic band Rain Parade, which he co-founded with his brother Steven. He later formed Clay Allison and then Opal with singer Kendra Smith, before eventually teaming up with Hope Sandoval to form Mazzy Star. Roback’s signature guitar work—lush, reverb-drenched, and atmospheric—became the cornerstone of the band’s melancholic sound. Beyond his better-known projects, he played a crucial though often under-credited role in the early work of contemporaries, including co-writing “Call on Me” with Vicki Peterson and Susanna Hoffs during the Bangs era. A reclusive figure, Roback eschewed fame and gave few interviews, focusing instead on crafting intimate, moody soundscapes that have influenced generations of indie and alternative musicians. He died of cancer in 2020 at the age of 61, leaving behind a quietly monumental legacy. ↩︎
- Green on Red was a seminal American rock band that emerged from the early 1980s Paisley Underground scene in Los Angeles, known for blending psychedelic rock, garage, punk, and country influences into a gritty, roots-inflected sound that prefigured the Americana movement. Originally formed in Tucson, Arizona, the group—centered around vocalist and keyboardist Dan Stuart and guitarist Chuck Prophet—relocated to L.A. and gained attention with their 1982 self-titled EP on Down There Records, followed by a series of increasingly ambitious albums on major labels like Enigma and Mercury. Their 1985 release Gas Food Lodging is often cited as a landmark of the so-called “desert rock” or “cowpunk” subgenre, with its blend of Rolling Stones swagger and weary, Southwestern storytelling. Although they never broke through commercially, Green on Red developed a cult following in the U.S. and Europe, especially in the U.K., where their gritty Americana resonated strongly with post-punk audiences. The band dissolved in the early 1990s, but their influence endures through the solo work of Prophet and Stuart, and their legacy is often acknowledged by artists in alt-country and indie rock circles. ↩︎
Further Reading
Sources
- Wikipedia “Getting Out of Hand” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Getting_Out_of_Hand
- 45 Cat https://www.45cat.com/
- The Bangles https://www.thebangles.com/?lang=en
- Wikipedia https://www.wikipedia.org/
