"Following" is a song by female band The Bangles

The Bangles

The Bangles are an American all-female band that originated in the early 1980s, scoring several hit singles during the decade.-Formation and early years :...

. It was the fifth and last single released off their album Different Light

Different Light

Different Light is an album by The Bangles released in January 1986. It is their best known album, with a Top 5 hit single and a No. 1 hit. The album's Top 40 sound was a departure from their earlier 60s-style sound...

.

Background

"Following" is one of two songs on Different Light

Different Light

Different Light is an album by The Bangles released in January 1986. It is their best known album, with a Top 5 hit single and a No. 1 hit. The album's Top 40 sound was a departure from their earlier 60s-style sound...

on which Michael Steele

Michael Steele (musician)

Michael Steele is an American bassist, guitarist, songwriter, and singer. She performed with The Bangles and numerous other bands.-Career:Steele began her professional career as Micki Steele in the teen-girl band The Runaways, among the first all-female rock groups.Steele's stay in the Runaways was...

 sang lead vocals, the other one being a cover of Big Star

Big Star

Big Star was an American rock band formed in Memphis, Tennessee, in 1971 by Alex Chilton, Chris Bell, Jody Stephens and Andy Hummel. The group broke up in 1974, but reorganized with a new line-up nearly 20 years later...

's September Gurls

September Gurls

"September Gurls" is a song written by Alex Chilton for Big Star's second album Radio City, released in 1974. The song was also released as a single...

. The song was written solely by Steele, her first original composition released with the Bangles.

Musically, "Following" is radically different from the rest of Bangles' material, being a folksy acoustic ballad featuring minimal instrumentation. Its lead instrument is an acoustic guitar, played by Steele. "Following" also features hovering, atmospheric keyboard

Keyboard instrument

A keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...

 sounds, which in this context render it similar in style to Suzanne Vega

Suzanne Vega

Suzanne Nadine Vega is an American songwriter and singer known for her eclectic folk-inspired music.Two of Vega's songs reached the top 10 of various international chart listings: "Luka" and "Tom's Diner"...

's "Night Vision" from her album Solitude Standing

Solitude Standing

Solitude Standing is Suzanne Vega's platinum second album, released in 1987. It is the most popular and critically acclaimed of her career. As can be seen by the CD insert, many of the songs had been written prior to 1987 ....

(also released in 1987), giving both semi-acoustic songs a somewhat haunting feeling. The musical input from the other three Bangles members on the song appears to be minimal or nonexistent.

Lyrically, the song deals with the subject of jealousy, paranoia and obsession that follows the breakup of a relationship. Sung in first person, the narrator starts with the accusations of stalking by the ex-lover. The gender of the ex-lover is not explicitly stated, although ambiguities in the lyrics suggest that the narrator may be referring to a female ex-lover (or a situation involving another, similar type of love triangle). As the song progresses, it is revealed both the narrator and the ex-lover accuse each other of obsessive behaviour and paranoia. Steele half sings, half talks the lyrics, taking an approach similar to folk singer Bob Dylan

Bob Dylan

Bob Dylan is an American singer-songwriter, musician, poet, film director and painter. He has been a major and profoundly influential figure in popular music and culture for five decades. Much of his most celebrated work dates from the 1960s when he was an informal chronicler and a seemingly...

 or jazz artist Rickie Lee Jones

Rickie Lee Jones

Rickie Lee Jones is an American vocalist, musician, songwriter, and producer. Over the course of a three-decade career, Jones has recorded in various musical styles including rock, R&B, blues, pop, soul, and jazz standards.-Childhood:...

. Steele has indicated that Following was derived from personal experience, stating in a 2003 internet chat: "Yeah, it was about my high school sweetheart."

Release and reception

"Following" was chosen as the band's fifth single off their successful Different Light album, and was released in April 1987 around Europe. It was never released in the USA. It would become the band's only single with Michael Steele on lead vocals.

The single featured the song "Dover Beach", a track from their 1984 album All Over The Place

All Over the Place

For other meanings of the phrase, see All Over the Place All Over the Place was The Bangles' first full length album for Columbia Records. Released in 1984, the sound is lively and shows more Bangles collaboration and less keyboard overdubs that were used later on their more commercially successful...

, as its b-side. The 12" single also included the "Bangles Hit Mix", a megamix including the band's previous four singles off Different Light

Different Light

Different Light is an album by The Bangles released in January 1986. It is their best known album, with a Top 5 hit single and a No. 1 hit. The album's Top 40 sound was a departure from their earlier 60s-style sound...

and "Going Down To Liverpool" from their debut album.

The single was also released in two special editions, one including a poster of the single cover, and another including four badges.

No music video was done to support the release and the group did little promotion for it. "Following" peaked at #55 in the UK, and was a top 40 hit in Ireland, peaking at #22. It failed to chart in other European territories.

Charts

Chart (1987)	Peak position
UK Singles Chart UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...	55
Irish Singles Chart Irish Singles Chart The Irish Singles Chart is Ireland's music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by the Irish Recorded Music Association and compiled on behalf of the IRMA by Chart-Track. Chart rankings are based on sales, which are compiled through over-the-counter retail data captured...	22