Walk Like an Egyptian

"Walk Like an Egyptian"
Single by The Bangles
from the album Different Light
B-side	"Angels Don't Fall in Love" "Not Like You"
Released	September 1, 1986 (UK)
Format	7" single 12" maxi
Recorded	Sunset Sound Factory (1985)
Genre	Rock
Length	3:24
Label	Columbia
Writer(s)	Liam Sternberg
Producer	David Kahne
The Bangles singles chronology
"If She Knew What She Wants" (1986) "Walk like an Egyptian" (1986) "Walking Down Your Street" (1986)

"Walk Like an Egyptian" is a number-one hit from the album Different Light by The Bangles in 1986.

Origin

Liam Sternberg wrote the song after seeing people on a ferry walking awkwardly to keep their balance, which reminded him of figures in Ancient Egyptian reliefs. The opening lyrics state, "All the old paintings on the tombs/They do the sand dance don't you know". The reference to the sand dance possibly refers to a music hall routine performed by Wilson, Keppel and Betty where Wilson and Keppel danced around in the postures portrayed on the reliefs wearing the fez while Betty watched.^[1][2]

Sternberg offered his song to Toni Basil, who turned it down. David Kahne, the producer of Different Light, took the song to the Bangles who agreed to record it. ^[3] Kahne had each member of the group sing the lyrics to determine who would sing each verse, with Susanna Hoffs, Vicki Peterson and Michael Steele each singing lead vocals on a verse in the final version.

Chart performances

"Walk Like an Egyptian" was released as the third single from Different Light. It debuted on the Billboard Hot 100 in September 1986. The song reached a peak of number three on the UK Singles Chart in November 1986 and reached number one in the U.S. on December 20, staying at the top of the Hot 100 for four weeks, carrying it over into January 1987. The song is the first song by an all-female group playing their own instruments to top the Billboard singles chart.^[4] The success of the song and "Manic Monday" propelled Different Light to number two on the Billboard 200 chart, making it the group's most successful album.^[5]

On the American Top 40 Top 100 of 1987 radio show, host Casey Kasem reported the song was added to the album as a joke, to which he added, "Some joke. Here's the punchline: The Bangles' sand dance of the ancient pharaohs walks away with the pyramid prize of the year!" contrasting how the song was added to the album with how popular it became, as it topped the year-end Billboard Hot 100 singles chart, which is the chart the American Top 40 was using at the time.

The song was also the Bangles' last non-cover Top 40 hit that wasn't co-written by at least one band member. Subsequent charted singles (with the exception of "Hazy Shade of Winter", which is a cover) were co-written by Susanna Hoffs and Debbie Peterson.

Music video

The music video for "Walk Like an Egyptian" was nominated for Best Group Video in the 1987 MTV Video Music Awards.^[6] It featured people dancing in a pose similar to the pose depicted in the Ancient Egyptian reliefs that inspired songwriter Liam Sternberg. In a popular scene from the video, Hoffs was filmed in a close-up where her eyes moved from side-to-side, looking left and right. When asked about the scene in an interview with online magazine PlanetOut.com, Hoffs explained that she was actually looking at individual audience members during the video shoot, which took place with a live audience. Looking directly at individual audience members was a technique she used to overcome stage fright, and she was unaware that the camera had a close-up on her while she was employing this technique, switching between one audience member on her left and one on her right.^[7]

Deemed inappropriate

"Walk Like an Egyptian" was one of the songs deemed inappropriate by Clear Channel following the September 11, 2001 attacks, presumably due to its reference to Egypt.^[8]

Cover versions

The cover of the cover "Geh'n wie ein Ägypter" by Die Ärzte.

• A German language cover of the song was done by the German punk rock band Die Ärzte ("Geh'n wie ein Ägypter"; the title is a literal translation), which also features the Incredible Hagen on vocals. It was the first track and the first single from their 1987 album Ist das alles? (13 Höhepunkte mit den Ärzten). The woman on the cover is Die Ärzte's mascot Gwendoline (from "Sweet Gwendoline").
  Although a video wasn't officially released, there is a video done for it. It was revealed in 2008 in an MTV-show^[9] about their videography, along with the video of "Bitte bitte". In the video, Bela and Farin play children, whom parents have put to bed to go out themselves. When they're gone, Bela and Farin get up and a party ensues. When the parents come back, they're in the bed again.
• A version by Alvin and the Chipmunks, done in their signature style, can be found on their 1988 album Born to Rock.
• The Italian rock band Linea 77 produced a metal version of this track.
• A cover recorded by Deep Forest and featuring Beverly Jo Scott can be found on the soundtrack for the 2002 French film Astérix & Obélix: Mission Cléopâtre. It is played during the closing credits of the film.
• A cover recorded by the Egyptian singer Hakim, featuring a singer named Cleopatra is included on the 2004 album Desert Roses 3.
• This song has been covered by the vocal rock group Rockapella.
• The song was covered by Jamaican singer Wilman de Jesus in 2006.
• It was covered by The Puppini Sisters on their 2007 album The Rise and Fall of Ruby Woo.
• The defunct Grand Rapids, MI Pop-Punk band Molly covered the song on their album Sex Sells.
• In the summer of 1989, Henry Mancini conducted the Utah Symphony in a concert at Snowbird Ski Resort performing the song from an orchestrated arrangement that he wrote.

Live cover performances

• In 2007, KT Tunstall began performing this song while on her UK tour. A cover version of the song serves as a B-side to her single "If Only", and is also available to owners of KT's album Drastic Fantastic through the disc's Opendisc feature.
• A version by The Feeling can be heard on the 2007 compilation album, The Saturday Sessions: The Dermot O'Leary Show.

Sampling

• The British rock group The Laddz^[10] use the tone of the song for support of the England national football team for the 2006 FIFA World Cup in a chant called "Chant Like an English Fan".

Parodies

• J.B.O., a German band who does parodies of modern rock and dance songs, parodied this song, renaming it "Walk With an Erection".
• Boston band, the Swinging Erudites, parodied this song in the mid- to late-80s as "Walk With an Erection".

Appearances in other media

• In the episode "420" from Family Guy, Carter Pewterschmidt sings his own version of this song.
• The ad's for a Chilean lotto-like game called "La Piramide", used a cover version with altered lyrics to reflect on the name of the game.
• The song was available to download for Rock Band on November 17, 2009.
• In the episode "The Way We Almost Weren't" from Hannah Montana, Miley's mother sings a line from the song while wearing headphones. However, the episode was set in 1982.

Track listings

Certifications

End of year charts

Charts

See also

• Tutting

References

Additional sources used:

• Allmusic song review
• Jay Warner, On This Day in Music History: Over 2000 Popular Music Facts Covering Every Day of the Year Hal Leonard 2004 ISBN 0-634-06693-5 pages 272, 321, 356

External links

• The Bangles' official website