Michael Steele is best known as bassist with The Bangles during the group\u2019s hit-making era. Born Susan Thomas, Steele joined the group in 1983, replacing founding member Annette Zilinskas, who had played on the group\u2019s 1982 indie-label debut EP. Steele was with The Bangles until the group went inactive in 1989, and she returned when the band got back together in 1998, remaining on board through 2005. After leaving the group a second time, Steele retired from music and has kept a very low profile.<\/p>\n
But while her work with The Bangles was Steele\u2019s most widely-known work, the talented and versatile bassist-singer had a long and creatively fruitful career, playing in and\/or guesting with other groups of note. In honor of Steele\u2019s recent 70th birthday (June 2) here are five noteworthy tracks from five bands, all featuring Michael Steele.<\/p>\n
\u201cYesterday\u2019s Kids\u201d from The Runaways\u2019 Born to Be Bad<\/em> (released 1991)<\/strong>
\nLos Angeles scenester and self-styled svengali Kim Fowley groomed, launched (and sort of managed) an all-female rock group, The Runaways, in 1975. Always controversial, the group never gained traction in its native U.S., but The Runaways were, as the saying goes, \u201cbig in Japan.\u201d Known at the time as Micki Steele, the bassist was an original member of the group, but she left before the band recorded its self-titled 1976 LP. Steele did play on Runaways recordings, though; two albums released long after the group\u2019s demise feature her work. One of those, 1993\u2019s Born to Be Bad<\/em> features an embryonic garage power trio lineup of Steele, Joan Jett and drummer Sandy West. It\u2019s a roughly recorded demo (Fowley was no skilled producer) but the band\u2019s raw talent shines through.<\/p>\n