The Bangles, Susanna Hoffs — Hero Takes A Fall

JUL 01 1984 · 12:00

The Bangles, Susanna Hoffs — Hero Takes A Fall (1984) Director: David Rathod Era: MTV Early Era / Paisley Underground (1984) - First wave of all-female rock bands asserting songwriting credibility on music television during the embryonic MTV rotation period High curatorial value as a primary-source document of the Paisley Underground's visual and sonic identity, and as an early MTV-era artifact capturing The Bangles before mainstream commercial success. The video's street-level San Francisco production, mannequin-tableau concept, and ensemble performance style make it a distinctive and historically significant promotional clip worthy of preservation and academic study. Context: Released in May–June 1984 as the debut single from The Bangles' first album 'All Over the Place' (Columbia Records), 'Hero Takes A Fall' positioned the band within the Los Angeles Paisley Underground scene — a jangle-pop, 60s-revivalist movement that drew from The Byrds, The Beatles, and British Invasion aesthetics. The song was co-written by Susanna Hoffs and Vicki Peterson, establishing the band's songwriting credibility at a time when all-female rock acts were routinely dismissed by mainstream media. The video, shot on the streets of San Francisco, was one of the earliest Bangles clips to enter MTV rotation, arriving before the band had any chart success in the US, and helped build the college-radio and underground fanbase that would eventually translate into mainstream success with 'Manic Monday' (1986). Director notes: Per IMDb (imdb.com/title/tt6760074), the video was directed by David Rathod and released in 1984. Per Yperano Records research, the video was filmed on San Francisco's Market Street in May 1984 and features the band navigating various scenarios as mannequins come to life — a concept that predated the Hollywood film 'Mannequin' (1987) by three years. The video appeared in MTV rotation as early as the week of June 27, 1984, per IMDb user-compiled MTV programming lists. The warm, moderate-brightness look (brightness 91.96/255, color temp 2.31) and fast cut pace (87 scene changes over 176s) are consistent with a 16mm location shoot with limited post-production.