MICHAEL STEELE
Born: June 2, Never Mind.
Birthplace: Newport Beach
Instruments: Bass, Additional Guitar, Vocals
Other band experience:
The Runaways,Eton Duck, Slow Children, Snakefinger, Toni & The Movers, Nadia Campishe, Psycho Sisters, Continental Drifters, Crash Wisdom, Eyesore & many others.
Michael Steele has been a member of many different bands over the
years - most of them before she joined the Bangles. Micki's first band
experience was when she was approached by producer/manager/arranger Kim
Fowley to be the lead singer of an all-female hard rock band he was
putting together - The RUNAWAYS. This was in 1976. She didn't last long in
that slot and was eventually "fired" because she was "too old for the
concept." Burned by this experience... she resolved never to involve
herself in an all-girl band and to become the best bass player she could
possibly be.
So she played in as many bands as she could...a total of
almost 14. As for the all-girl band thing.... we are all glad that
Michael never said never... ;)
(Photo Credits: Top Right, Risty/ All Concert Shots, Copywrite Mike Koller)
Michael Steele was perhaps the most quiet and introspective of the Bangles. Her activities following the breakup were purposely shrouded in mystery. Certainly over the 1990s, she kept a low profile. She spent the early part of the decade writing songs and recording demos for a possible solo record. A potential solo deal with Columbia Records never materialized and a development deal with Geffen Records, which promised to finally deliver a Michael Steele solo record... didn't result in the recording of an album. By 1993, Michael Steele was fronting a new band, Crash Wisdom... which giged here and there all over the LA basen. Crash Wisdom's biggest claim to fame was an awesome performance at LA Disc Jockey Rodney Binginheimer's 25th Anniversary Party. Unfortunately, Crash Wisdom lived up to it's name and the band split late in 1994. (Coinciding with Michael's decision to abandon LA and move to Northern California.)
The decision to abandon the rock and roll lifestyle for a bit was
motivated by personal circumstances - a chance to finally heal the wounds
from past experiences. With a new life in a new setting, Michael took up
painting and living a more simple existance. A year later, Michael was
approached by Bay Area songstress and Ex-Moth Macabe member Michelle
Muldrow. Her band, Eyesore, was looking for a bass player. Micki accepted
the invitation. (Eyesore, oddly enough, was a 1970s style goth band that
had already recorded material for commercials and were in the midst of
grearing up to record a CD.) Her Eyesore gig lasted 4 months and it ended
when the band broke up in Sept 1996.
In between, Michael has also done some session work for artists such as Jan Krist, Kings X Guitarist Ty Tabor and ELiza. She also did a guest stint as a member of Vicki Peterson's band, The Continental Drifters for a series of shows while primary bassist Mark Walton was away for a period. (She is credited on the Drifters's self-titled release but did no singing or playing on the album.)
On November 21,1998 Michael Steele made her first public apparence in quite some time, performing lead vocals for two songs at the Sandy Denny Tribute Show at St Ann's Church New York. The show was hosted by the Continental Drifters and included guest apprearences by Darrius Rucker (Hootie and The Blowfish), Mike Stills(??) (REM), and a huge list of others.
The evening went very well, according to those who attended, and Michael Steele was given a very warm reception. Michael also appeared at the Continental Drifters show at Acme Underground in New York on Nov 23rd. She, along with Steve Wynn, provided vocals on the Drifters set ending encore of "Counting Backwards (From 110)", which proved, according to Peter Holsapple on the Offical Cont Drifters site, that "math and music don't mix."
When The Bangles started cooking again in 1999, Michael was the last member to return to the fold. She was cautious. "Why do this again if everything will be the same as before?" But that famous chemistry clicked. She too, along with the rest of the band, has missed the friendship and music and fun that they had when they started the band. "Bangles have fun.. film at 11! " Michael has joked. One thing lead to another and another...
Currently, Michael is busy with the Bangles attending to planning and practicing/reherseing for a tour to support the Bangles' first new album in nearly 15 years, DOLL REVOLUTION... due spring and summer of 2003!
Albums:
1. (1976) - Born To Be Bad - The unofficial Runaway's first recording. Produced by Kim Fowley and features Michael on lead vocals. Essentially a reel on reel demo. Released officially in 1993.
2. (1994) - Credited on Continental Drifters Lp.
3. (1996) - Credited on Jan Krist's album "Curious" She is listed
as a performer in the cd credits
5. (1997) - Recorded two as yet unreleased songs with King's X
guitarist Ty Tabor. Reportedly for Ty's solo album, "Naomi's Solar
Pumpkin."
6. (1996/1997 - ??) -Reputed work on a solo album.
Non Album and Compilation listings:
1. El Pollo Loco - (From the 1984 Lp Neighborhood Rythems.)