My Top 1000 Songs #549: James

[I've been writing up my Top 1000 songs on a daily basis--you can see them all in descending order by hitting the All My Favorite Songs tag.]

Maybe not the Bangles' best-known track, but it's always been my favorite. The pre-fame cut off their 1984 debut LP All Over The Place features a reliably alluring Susanna Hoffs vocal over catchy, jangly bubblegum hooks with some terrific harmonies. Pure pop that didn't need the later production flourishes to shine.

Live in 1986 (an early reminder that they were one hell of a live act):

Live 2015: