AND NOW HERE’S THE NEWS: Who wrote...

AND NOW HERE’S THE NEWS: Who wrote “Manic Monday,” the new Bangles’ single? Officially, the song is credited to a mysterious character called Christopher, who the group’s management claims is a songwriter who has been an “avid fan” of the band. However, Christopher is actually a pseudonym for Prince, who also uses the moniker as the name of his character in his upcoming film, “Under the Cherry Moon.” Prince has been a longtime fan of the group, especially Bangles guitarist Susanna Hoffs. . . . Speaking of His Royal Badness: Prince gets a big assist for his contributions to “King Holiday,” a new single celebrating Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday, which is observed Jan. 20. Prince isn’t on the song, which features a host of black pop stars, including Kool & the Gang, Whitney Houston, Run-D.M.C., Stephanie Mills, New Edition, Kurtis Blow and the Fat Boys. But when financial problems disrupted plans for making a video, Prince stepped in, writing a check for $85,000 to pay for the clip, which will now be released later this month. According to Dexter King, the late civil rights leader’s son, Prince “saved” the day. Proceeds from sales of the project will go to the Martin Luther King Jr. Center for Non-Violent Social Change.