A number one song from 1989 by a group of women who came together as a band in Los Angeles in 1981. These same women would break up for the first time just six months after this song hit number one.
Friction arose among band members after music industry media began singling out one of their members as the lead singer of the group. In fact, singing duties on the band's albums were divided among the band's members, each of whom wrote or co-wrote songs.
The band broke up as a result, with one beginning a solo career, and another touring as a fill-in member of The Go-Go's (who just got into the RR Hall of Fame, btw).
The band started drifting back together in 1998,and officially reformed to record a song for the soundtrack of Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me, at the request of the film's director Jay Roach (who had married a member of this band in 1993).
The reunion continued with a tour in 2000. Later the same year, the group was also inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame ( which honors outstanding vocal groups throughout the world).
Upon its 1989 single release, today’s song became a number-one hit in nine countries, including Australia, Sweden, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
There is an Eternal Flame at the gravesite of Elvis Presley in Memphis that inspired this song. Band member Susannah Hoffs explains how a visit to that gravesite inspired today’s song, “The day we were there we were taken out to the Garden of Memories, and there was this little box which was supposed to have a lit flame in it, an eternal flame. Actually, that day it was raining so the flame was not on. [someone said] Oh, eternal flame is a good title for a song...I was really thrilled when I had a demo of this somewhat simple, pure, melodic, almost like a lullaby that I came up with."
Hoffs also added, “I remember our manager at the time, Miles Copeland, came in and said, 'Nice song, but this'll never get played on the radio. It doesn't have drums on it.' and then, of course, it went to number one.
The Bangles...Eternal Flame...I Know That Song!