The song was an immensely successful regional hit in Texas, precipitating "Bad Girl"'s national release on Mercury Records later in the year.

Forming in early 1966, the Zakary Thaks rose to prominence in Corpus Christi, Texas, becoming a popular fixture, and rival to fellow group the Bad Seeds, while performing in the music venue known as the Carousel Club.

[3] Entering Jimmy Nicholls’ (who owned the local Pharaoh Records label, releasing material by several other Texas musical acts) studio in McAllen, Texas along with the Bad Seeds, the Zakary Thaks recorded "Bad Girl", for all intents and purposes as a live number on a basic two-track tape.

[2] Indeed, the composition reflects upon the group's adolescent sound inspired by early-Kinks music, though Gerniottis's bluesy vocals are remarkably mature given that he was only 15-years-old at the time of the song's recording.

[7] In 1979, "Bad Girl" was finally recognized as a quintessential garage rock composition as a result of its inclusion on Pebbles, Volume 2.