x cd - po uc vfs wz

i n t h i s i s s ue : r o ck n’ r ol l wome n
4fdhbcmbn
septe mber
ne
a monthly fanzi
2015
r uth less zi ne
3 2 2 14 t h a v e ,
scranton, pa 1
8504
RUTHLESS
xcdpouc
vfswz
w r ite to the e
d itor at
Th is issue of
Ruth less pays tr ibute
to a l l-fema le rock
b a n d s o f t h e 19 2 0 s
through the early
19 9 0 s . R e f l e c t i n g
the sound of the
era, each band
ex per imented w ith
inst r umentat ion and
voca l s to emu l ate
or sometimes reject
cur rent music trends.
From big band and
sw ing to punk and
g la m met a l, women
have been at the
foref ront of often
l it t le -k now n ba nd s
wor th the l isten.
Here are just a sma l l
percentage of those
rock bands.
The Early Days
of Rock N’ Roll
TH E I NGEN U ES
VAU DEV I LL E , JA ZZ | CI RCA 192 0 -194 0
One of t he ea rl ie st g roups
to con si st ent i rely of women
wa s a l a rge mu sica l orche st r a
f rom Ch ica go ca l led t he
Ingenue s. T hei r i n st r u ment s
va r ied f rom sa xophone,
v iol i n, f lute, pia no, a nd
d r u m s to ba njo, h a r p,
accord ion, oboe a nd even
ba s soon. T he g i rl s’ sou nd
h ig h l ig hted element s of ja zz,
Di x iel a nd cou nt r y, cl a s sica l, a nd ea rly rock n’ rol l where
t hey pl ayed i n t heater s a nd i n f i l m s.
TH E PA R ISI A N R EDH E A DS
JA ZZ , SW I NG | CI RCA 192 0 -194 0
O f ten a s it were, m a ny
a l l- g i rl ba nd s were cr a f ted
by power f u l bu si ne s s men
of t he mu sic i ndu st r y. T he
Pa r i sia n Red head s were
no except ion. E st abl i shed
by Ind ia n a a gent Ch a rl ie
Green, t he sm a l l en semble
con si sted of cl a s sica l ly
t r a i ned , col lege - educated
women. T hey pl ayed t he
vaudev i l le c i rcu it on m a ny big -n a me st a ge s of t he d ay
such a s Ti me s Squ a re Pa l ace, a nd even recorded a n
a lbu m relea sed on t he Br u n sw ick l abel before ch a ng i ng
t hei r n a me to t he Br icktops.
THE SWEETHEARTS OF RHYTHM
BE BOP, ROCK N’ ROLL | CI RCA 194 0 -1950
Cer t a i n ly one of t he
most r ac ia l ly d iver se
act s ever a s sembled , t he
( Inter n at ion a l) Sweet hea r t s
of R hy t h m showca sed
seventeen teen a ge g i rl s
of A f r ica n A mer ica n,
Hawa i ia n, Mex ica n,
Ch i ne se, a nd Nat ive
A mer ica n de scent. A lt houg h
r ace m i x i ng wa s i l leg a l at
t he t i me, t he ba nd d id not cont a i n a ny Cauca sia n women
a nd t herefore, per for m a nce s i n f ront of bl ack a nd wh ite
aud ience s were a l lowed. T he ba nd a l so f aced gender
d i scr i m i n at ion a s m a ny bel ieved men to be t he f i ne st
ja zz pl ayer s of t he t i me per iod. A s a re su lt, m a ny women
were con sidered “novelt y item s” of t he ja zz world , u nder
t he ex pect at ion s to d re s s seduct ively, sm i le repet it ively,
a nd leave t he aud ience wonder i ng i f t hey cou ld act u a l ly
pl ay t hei r i n st r u ment s. Becau se of t he se soc ia l st ig m a s,
t he Sweet hea r t s rem a i n one t he le s ser k now n act s i n
mu sic h i stor y, but ju st one l i sten i l lu m i n ate s t hei r
t a lented accord a nd upbeat, f i nger - sn appi ng melody
– t wo f actor s i n sepa r able f rom ja zz.
1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s
TH E BOBBETTES
R& B, ROCK N’ ROLL | CI RCA 1955 -1975
Ha i l i ng f rom t he st reet s
of Ha rlem i n New York,
t he Bobbet te s beca me a s
school m ate s i n a g lee club.
T hey were d i scovered by
producer Ja me s Da i ley at
Apol lo T heater’s a m ateu r
n ig ht. Upon l i sten i ng, he
qu ick ly got t he g roup a
record dea l w it h At l a nt ic.
T hei r sou nd wa s ver y
upbeat, of ten feat u r i ng sa xophone a nd h a nd- cl appi ng.
T hei r big ge st h it wa s “M r. L ee,” a song about a teacher
t he g i rl s d i sl i ked ver y much. In f act, t hey h ad a fol lowup song ca l led “I Shot M r. L ee.”
TH E BON N I E SISTE RS
DOO WOP, ROCK N’ ROLL | CIRCA 1954-1958
A shor t-l ived si ng i ng
ca reer wa s i n t he m a k i ng
for t he se one -h it-wonder s.
T he Bon n ie Si ster s st a r ted
a s a n idea out of a hospit a l
a s t h ree nu r se s n a med Pat
Rya n, Sylv ia Tot ter, a nd
Jea n Borg ia t houg ht to
become over n ig ht sen sat ion s
w it h t hei r rend it ion of “Cr y
Baby” by t he Sca rlet s. T h i s
spaw ned cont rover s y for it s t i me becau se t he Bon n ie
Si ster s were a wh ite, a l l-fem a le g roup cover i ng a song
by a bl ack, a l l-m a le g roup. T hey qu it t hei r d ay jobs,
ch a nged t hei r n a me s, a nd d re s sed i n ident ica l penc i l
sk i r t s a nd blou se s i n order to become more wel l-k now n.
Event u a l ly, t hey i mpre s sed M ickey Ba ker, a t a lent scout
on t he A r t hu r God f rey show, a nd soon a f ter, relea sed
t hei r on ly h it si ng le. T hey were never able to reach
popu l a r it y a g a i n a f ter “Cr y Baby.”
TH E DI N N I NG SISTE RS
T R A DITIONA L POP | CIRCA 1941-1955
Tw i n k l i ng a nd sweet, t he
Di n n i ng Si ster s’ voice s
were not h i ng shor t of a
m id su m mer n ig ht’s d rea m.
Compr i sed of ident ica l t w i n s
Jea n a nd Gi nger Di n n i ng,
a nd t hei r si ster Luc i l le,
t he Di n n i ng Si ster s were
Capit a l Record s’ a n swer
to t he A nd rew Si ster s
si ng i ng for Decca Record s.
Grow i ng up i n Ok l a hom a i n a qu iet, re ser ved a rea,
t he g roup won a m ateu r si ng i ng conte st s before bei ng
sig ned a nd m a i nt a i ned a shy, endea r i ng qu a l it y to t hei r
per son a l it ie s. M a ny of t hei r song s r ad iated a slow, sof t
sou nd a s t hei r voice s i nter m i ng led on ba l l ad s l i ke “Sa n
A nton io Rose,” “Sweet hea r t s or St r a nger s,” a nd “We’ l l
Meet A g a i n,” si m i l a r to t he L en non Si ster s.
TH E LI V E R BI R DS
ROCK N’ ROLL , BE AT | CI RCA 1962 -1968
T he Liverbi rd s were a
rock qu a r tet or ig i n at i ng
f rom Liver pool, Eng l a nd.
A lt houg h t hey proud ly
f l au nted t hei r Eng l i sh
st yle, t he ba nd wa s act u a l ly
more popu l a r w it h Ger m a n
aud ience s. T hey were sig ned
to St a r - Club Record s,
cover i ng Bo Didd ley’s
“Didd ley Daddy,” “Mon a,”
a nd “You Ca n’t Jud ge a Book by L ook i ng at t he Cover.”
Con sequent ly, t he Liverbi rd s projected a t wa ng y, l ively
qu a l it y w it h song s l i ke “W hy Do You Ha ng A rou nd
Me,” a nd t he eccent r ic “Pea nut But ter.” W h i le tou r i ng
t he cou nt r y, t hey were of ten bi l led a s “Die Weibl ichen
Beat le s” ( T he Fem a le Beat le s ). T hey wou ld of ten don
m a scu l i ne clot h i ng such a s t a r t a n su it s a nd leat her
jacket s a s wel l a s shor ter h a i r st yle s. Becau se of t hei r
ca ref ree at t it ude a nd ch a r m , t hey beca me a popu l a r g i rl
g roup for decade s wel l beyond t hei r st a rdom yea r s.
TH E PL E ASU R E SE EK E RS
GARAGE ROCK, PSYCHEDLIA | CIRCA 1964-1973
TH E RU NAWAYS
PU N K , H E AV Y M ETA L | CI RCA 1975 -1979
V I X EN
A f ter a br ief encou nter
w it h producer K i m Fowley,
t he Ru n away s were bor n
out of a Ca l i for n ia teen a ge
n ig htclub ca l led t he Sug a r
Sh ack. Gu it a r i st Joa n Jet t
a nd Sa ndy We st were t he
f i r st to meet, a nd Jack ie Fox,
Lit a Ford , a nd Cher ie Cu r ie
soon fol lowed. T he ba nd wa s
u n l i ke a ny ot her g i rl g roup
at t he t i me : power f u l, ed g y, r aw. Wit h i n f luence s such
a s Dav id Bow ie, Su z i Qu at ro, a nd K ISS, t hei r energ y
a nd at t it ude a mpl i f ied t hei r per son a l it ie s a nd stone - cold
t a lent. Fa i rly popu l a r even by tod ay’s st a nd a rd s, t hei r
h it “Cher r y Bomb ” h a s rem a i ned a pu n k cl a s sic. T hei r
a lbu m s, i nclud i ng t hei r sel f-t it led , Queen s of Noi se,
Wa it i n’ for t he Nig h,t a nd Live i n Japa n, h a s spa rked
i ntere st i n t he movement for fem a le f ronted rock n’ rol l.
HEAVY METAL, ROCK N’ ROLL | CIRCA 1975-PRESENT
Fronted by t he or ig i n a l
“Su sie Q” her sel f, “L eat her
Tu scadero” Su z i Qu at ro,
t he Plea su re Seeker s f i r st
got t hei r st a r t i n teen n ig ht
clubs such a s t he H ideout i n
Det roit. At ju st f i f teen yea r s
old , Su z i Qu at ro a nd t he
Plea su re Seeker s recorded
t hei r f i r st a lbu m on t he
H ideout l abel. It i ncluded
t he song s “Never T houg ht You’ d L eave Me” a nd “W h at
a Way to Die,” bot h of wh ich showca se t hei r i nten se
rhy t h m a nd sh r i l l i ng, u nt a med voca l s. A mong t he
seem i ng ly end le s s, n a mele s s g i rl g roups t h at emerged out
of t he 1960 s, t he Plea su re Seeker s demon st r ated sa s s a nd
sol id a r it y l i ke no ot her.
TH E LU V’D ON ES
GARAGE ROCK, POP ROCK | CIRCA 1965-1969
TH E R A I NCOATS
PUNK, EXPERIMENTAL | CIRCA 1977-PRESENT
T he R a i ncoat s went t h rou g h
sever a l ba nd sh i f t s u nt i l
t hey fou nd t hei r n iche.
I ncor por at i n g rock n’
rol l , pu n k , reg g ae, a nd
rhy t h m a nd blue s, t hei r
f u sion of ex per i ment a l
mu sic prov ided somet h i n g
u n ique to fol lower s of t he
ava nt- g a rde movement.
A f ter meet i n g at Hor n sey
Col leg e of A r t i n L ondon , t he g roup for med a s st udent s,
g oi n g on t he record a lbu m s such a s 1979’s sel f t it led ,
1981’s Od y sh ape, a l ive record t it led T he K itchen Tape s
relea sed i n 1983, 198 4’s Mov i n g, a nd f i n a l ly, 19 96’s
L ook i n g i n t he Sh adow s.
GL A M M ETA L | CI RCA 1981-PR E SEN T
T here wa s a prom i nent,
g l it ter y h ig hway to met a l
m ayhem bei ng paved i n
Ca l i for n ia, a nd Vi xen
were r ig ht beh i nd t he
f ront wheel. T he cl a s sic
l i neup i ncluded Ja net
G a rd ner, Ja n Kueh nemu nd ,
Sh a re Peder sen, a nd Rox y
Pet r ucc i, a l l of wh ich
pl ayed a n i n st r u ment a nd
sa ng h a r mon iou sly. T hei r debut sel f-t it led a lbu m g ave
way to t hei r sig n at u re heav y met a l h it, “Ed ge of a
Broken Hea r t.” T he ba nd tou red w it h t he l i ke s of Ozz y
O sbou r ne, t he Scor pion s, a nd Bon Jov i, before t a k i ng a
h iat u s i n 1991 due to mu sica l d i f ference s. T hey for med a
reu n ion not on ly once, but t w ice, record i ng new mu sic
of f a nd on t h roug hout t he 199 0 s. T hei r l a st a lbu m , Live
& L ea r n, wa s relea sed i n 2 0 0 6 w it h m i xed rev iew s.
GI R L SCHOOL
A l so on t he bad a s s c i rc u it
wa s none ot her t h a n En g l i sh
met a l head s, Gi rl school.
O r ig i n a l ly n a med Pa i nted
L ad y, Gi rl school i s t he
lon g e st-r u n n i n g a l l-fem a le
rock ba nd , produc i n g mu sic
for over 35 yea r s tog et her.
T hey a re of ten a s soc i ated
w it h Motörhead , g a i n i n g
t he reput at ion for leat her,
den i m , on- st a g e a nt ic s a nd booz i n g, si m i l a r to L em my
K i l m i ster a nd h i s motor g a n g. Wit h t hei r h a rd - ed g e,
a nd g r ippi n g st a g e pre sence, t hei r son g s such a s “Ta ke
It A l l Away,” “R ace w it h t he Dev i l ,” a nd “Plea se Don’t
Touch,” proved ver y succe s sf u l i n t he New Wave of
Br it i sh Heav y Met a l movement , wh ich demon st r ated
for m s of t h r a sh met a l , pu n k , a nd t he empower ment of
t he work i n g cl a s s.
Compr i sed of si ster s Ch a r
a nd Ch r i s Vi n ned ge,
bot h si nger a nd ba s si st
re spect ively, t he Luv’ d
One s ju mped on t he
a l l- g i rl rock ba ndwa gon
t h roug h t he i ndependent
Ch ica go l abel, Du nw ich
Record s. Wit h h a r mon i zed
voca l s a nd r au nchy elect r ic
feedback, t hei r sou nd w it h
i nd icat ive of t he g a r a ge rock movement, complete w it h
i nter m i ng l i ng t wa ng s f rom a nd ja ng l i ng t a mbou r i ne.
A lt houg h t hei r prom i nence wa s ba sica l ly loca l a nd
shor t-l ived , t hei r si ng le s, “Up Dow n Sue,” “I’m L eav i ng
You,” a nd “Wa l k i n’ t he Dog reig n on i n m a ny c i rcle s.
and beyond
BA BES I N TOY L A N D
ALTERNATIVE, GRUNGE | CIRCA 1987-PRESENT
O f ten a s soc iated w it h t he
r iot g r r rl movement of t he
199 0 s, Babe s i n Toyl a nd wa s
t he neu rot ic br a i nch i ld of
K at Bjel l a nd , L or i Ba rbero,
a nd M au reen Her m a n. L aced
i n u nclench i ng voca l s,
spi r a l i ng g u it a r r i f f s, a nd
plu m met i ng ba s s l i ne s,
Babe s i n Toyl a nd rose to
m a i n st rea m succe s s f rom
1992 -1995 w it h a lbu m s such a s Spa n k i ng M ach i ne,
Font a nel le. a nd Neme si ster s before d i sba nd i ng i n 2 0 01.
Most not ably, t he ba nd h a s h ad a long - st a nd i ng feud
w it h lead si nger Cou r t ney L ove of Hole, who cl a i med
to be i n t he ba nd at t he beg i n n i ng. A f ter a decade -long
h iat u s a nd a refor m at ion of t he ba nd K at a st rophy Wi fe,
t he Babe s a re back toget her a nd cu r rent ly tou r i ng.
SPITBOY
A NA RCHO -PU N K | CI RCA 199 0 -1995
Wit h cr it ica l ly r ics
sug ge st i ng t he f a l l of
pat r ia rchy a nd que st ion i ng
gender role s, Spitboy h a i led
f rom Sa n Fr a nc i sco i n t he
ea rly 199 0 s ex pre s si ng a n
energet ic, more a g g re s sive
for m of pu n k rock. Song s
such a s “W h at a re Lit t le
Gi rl s M ade of ?,” “Sex i sm
I mpre s sed ,” a nd “World
Problem ,” Spitboy’s con f ront at ion a l at t it ude showed no
merc y a s t he sou nd s of t hei r cr u nch i ng r i f f s, d r i l l i ng
beat s, a nd a ng r y voca l s sat u r ated a n aud ience i n a mpedup f r u st r at ion a nd u lt i m ate relea se.