Manic Monday, the 1980s Office Worker’s Anthem

Prince and the Bangles

In 1984, a Minneapolitan named Prince wrote a song called “Manic Monday.” This infectious tune became an anthem for beleaguered office workers around the globe, as well as the breakout hit for American pop group the Bangles.

Two years before the Bangles hit, an American trio called Apollonia 6 recorded a version of “Manic Monday.” And before that, Prince himself recorded an impressive demo of the song.

As an 80s kid, I loved “Manic Monday” for its upbeat tempo, Susanna Hoffs’ sweet-sounding voice, and the song’s dismissal of all things dull, like work. I was too young to work, but I wasn’t looking forward to it and sure would prefer to be kissing Valentino, whoever he was.

Prince in 1984

1984 was a good year for Prince.

Purple Rain came out. The film and its soundtrack were hugely successful. 1984 was also the year Prince wrote the songs “Nothing Compares 2 U” and “Manic Monday”. He intended that the “Manic Monday” original be a duet between himself and Apollonia, the lead singer of Apollonia 6, on the band’s self-titled debut album.

Prince demo

Prince recorded a demo of “Manic Monday” in 1984, which later appeared on the 2019 album, Originals. The version sung by Prince sounds great, although he did intend the lyrics to be sung by a girl. Even though boys are perfectly entitled to dream about “kissin’ Valentino,” this wasn’t sung about so much in the 80s.

Even though Prince’s recording of “Manic Monday” is clearly a demo, his singing and the archival footage you can view in the above clip show his hard-working genius. It was the early stages of “Manic Monday,” but Prince already had every element of the song planned out.

When we hear the Bangles hit two years later, there is little difference between Prince’s demo and the Bangles version.

Prince’s “Manic Monday” is my favourite version of this song. It’s just so darn cute and funky. Years later, Susanna Hoffs reflected on how she felt when she heard Prince’s rendition of “Manic Monday.”

“I knew it was an incredible gift. It was like putting on the slipper in a fairy tale.” Susanna Hoffs, interview with the New York Times

Apollonia 6

In the early 80s, Prince assembled a trio of singers called Vanity 6, led by Denise Matthews (aka Vanity). However, Vanity clashed with Prince and left the group to pursue a solo career. This meant that there was an opening for both the group Vanity 6, and the female lead role in Prince’s musical drama film, Purple Rain.

Patricia Apollonia Kotero (known as Apollonia) stepped into Vanity’s roles in the group and the film. She joined the two remaining members of Vanity 6, Brenda Bennett and Susan Moonsie. The trio changed their name to Apollonia 6. And yes, there were only three members, not six.

Apollonia stated she was most interested in the Purple Rain movie role and wasn’t fully committed to the band. Prince likewise lost interest in the group and pulled “Manic Monday” from Apollonia 6’s album prior to its release. The group stayed together into 1985 and promoted their album, but none of them were interested in producing a follow-up album, so things quickly fizzled.

The Apollonia 6 version of “Manic Monday” is musically identical to the Bangles version, although Apollonia’s voice has a huskier edge than that of Bangles vocalist Hoffs. I prefer Hoffs’ voice for a pop song like this.

The Apollonia 6 version of “Manic Monday” is rougher than the Bangles version as it’s a demo, so comparing the two versions is hard. But I think Prince made the right choice giving the song to the Bangles.

The Bangles

In 1986, Prince offered “Manic Monday” to the Bangles. He communicated with them using the pseudonym “Christopher,” a character he’d played in the 1986 film Under the Cherry Moon.

The Bangles were an American pop group formed in Los Angeles in 1981. The group’s original members were Hoffs (lead vocals and rhythm guitar), Debbi Peterson (drums and vocals), Vicki Peterson (lead guitar and vocals), and Michael Steele (bass and vocals).

The group attracted Prince’s attention around 1984, either when they were the opening act for Cyndi Lauper’s 1983–84 Fun Tour or through their MTV video clip for “Hero Takes a Fall,” a single from their 1984 debut studio album, All Over the Place.

The Bangles “Manic Monday”

In a 1989 interview with MTV UK, Peterson explained why Prince gave “Manic Monday” to the Bangles.

“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.” Debbi Peterson

In January 1986, Columbia Records released the Bangles version of “Manic Monday” as the lead single from their second studio album, Different Light.

The catchy tune was easy to sell to MTV and radio and quickly became the Bangles’ first hit. “Manic Monday” reached number two in the US, UK, Austria, Canada, Germany, and Ireland and peaked within the top five in Australia, New Zealand, Norway and Switzerland. It was certified silver in the UK by the British Phonographic Industry and received positive reviews from music critics.

“It’s a clever and deceptively simple pop narrative, an infectious pop confection … There is also an excellently written bridge that shows Prince/Christopher to be an excellent craftsman, and, to their credit, the Bangles carry it off with style and wit.” Matthew Greenwald, AllMusic

I think the Bangles rendition of “Manic Monday” is a cute and catchy pop song. Everything (lyrics, vocals, instrumentals, and the video clip) fits together nicely.

Prince joined the Bangles twice on stage to perform “Manic Monday” with them. First in May 1986 at the Warfield Theatre in San Francisco, then in October 1986 at The Palace in Hollywood.

Bangles hits

The Bangles went on to record several other top-10 hits in the mid-late 80s, including “Walk Like an Egyptian” (1986), “Hazy Shade of Winter” (1987), “In Your Room” (1989), and “Eternal Flame” (1989).

The band intended that all four members play an equal part, and all four always appeared on Bangles album covers. But as Hoffs sang lead for a lot of the major hits like “Manic Monday” and “Eternal Flame,” that intention didn’t work out, which caused tension within the group.

The Bangles broke up in 1989 but regrouped in 1998.

Billie Joe Armstrong Version

In April 2020, as part of his “No Fun Mondays” quarantine series, Green Day’s Billie Joe Armstrong made a video where he performed “Manic Monday” accompanied by Hoffs on guitar. This is a brilliant version with a touch of Green Day rock. It’s joyful to see two great musicians having so much fun. Armstrong’s dog, Lenny, takes part too.

Now in her mid-60s, Hoffs is still rocking. The great Buddy Gott wrote the following piece if you want to learn more about Hoffs’ musical achievements.

What’s your favourite version of “Manic Monday”?

References Billie Joe Armstrong Covers ‘Manic Monday’ With The Bangles’ Susanna Hoffs Manic Monday by The Bangles Prince — Manic Monday (Official Music Video) PrinceVault — Apollonia 6 PrinceVault — Manic Monday