She’s a Rebel: The History of Women in Rock and Roll PDF
Preview She’s a Rebel: The History of Women in Rock and Roll
Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2017 with funding from The Archive of Contemporary Music https://archive.org/details/shesrebelhistorOOgaar A SHE'S REBEL IMEN THE HISTORY OF IN ROCK & ROLL GILLIAN G. GAAR Preface by Yoke One SEAL Fnrss Copyright© 1992byGillianG. Gaar Allrightsreserved. Nopartofthisbookmaybereproducedinwholeorinpart, except forthequotationofbriefpassagesinreviews, withoutpriorpermissionfromSealPress, 3131 Western Avenue, Suite410, Seattle, Washington98121. DesignbyClareConrad Coverphotos, toptobottom:JanisJoplin, photoby SherryRaynBarnett; Aretha Franklin, photocourtesyoftheLasVegasNewsBureau; BonnieRaitt, photobySherry RaynBarnett;TinaTurner, photobySherryRaynBarnett. Allrightsreserved. PortionsoftheinterviewswithMarianneFaithfullandDeborahHarryhavepreviously appearedin TheRocketmagazine. LibraryofCongressCataloging-in-PublicationData Gaar, GillianG., 1959— She’sarebel : thehistoryofwomeninrockandroll / GillianG. Gaar. p. cm. Includesindex. ISBN 1-878067-08-7 1. Womenrock musicians—Biography. 1. Title. ML394.G28 1992 781.66082-dc20 Firstprinting, October 1992 987654321 10 ForeignDistribution: In Canada: Raincoast BookDistribution, Vancouver, B.C. Everyefforthasbeenmadetolocate, identifyandcreditproperlyphotographers, songwritersand songpublishers. Allphotographsarecopyrightedbythephotographercited, allrightsreserved. In caseswherethephotographerisnotknown,orapublicityshothasbeenused, thesourceorcollection thathassuppliedthephotographislisted. Acknowledgmentsforpermissiontoquoteselectedsong lyricsarcindicatedbelow. Anyinadvertentomissionsorerrorswillbecorrectedinfutureeditions. Acknowledgmentisherebymadeforpermissiontoquotesongmaterialandprosefromthefollow- ingpublishersandcopyrightholders,towhomallrightsarereserved:FolksingerbyPhranc.Copyright ©1989FolkswimRecords. Allrightsreserved. Usedbypermission. PenisEnvybyAndrewRatshin& ArniAdler. Copyright© 1984LivTunes. Allrightsreserved. Usedbypermission. IAm Womanby HelenReddyandRayBurton. Copyright©1971 BuggerlugsMusic. Allrightsreserved. Usedby permission. SteppingOutofLinebyL. Woods, P. Ford,J. Munro, P. Hammond. Copyright©1982 IdealHomeNoiseProductions. Allrightsreserved. Usedbypermission. TheRealRoxannebyShaun Fcquicrc, FrederickReeves,JeffreyCampbell,HughClark, MauriceBailey, LucienGeorge, Brian George, CurtisBcdcau, GeraldCharles, PaulGeorge. Copyright© 1985AdraMusic, K. E. D. Music &MokojumbiMusic. Allrightsreserved. Usedbypermission. CowboyMouthbySamShepardand PattiSmith. Copyright© 1976BantamBooks, Inc. Allrightsreserved. Usedbypermission. Gloria (VanMorrison. Copyright©1965HydeParkMusicCo. Ltd., BerniceMusicInc.,JanuaryMusic Inc.)preludebyPattiSmith. Copyright© 1975AristaRecords. Allrightsreserved. Usedby permission. ACKDOWltDGMElirS This book was put together with the generous help and support of a number ofindividuals and organizations. I am especially grateful to all the women who agreed to be interviewed, including: Arni Adler, Annette Aguilar, Laurie Anderson, Michele Anthony, Roma Baran, Ivy Bauer, Pamela Brandt, Ruth Brown, Bonnie Bucking- ham, Charlotte Caffey, Kristi Callan, Exene Cervenka, Linda Clark, Gail Colson, Danielle Dax,Judy Dlugacz, Carol Dodds, Lisa Fancher, Celia Farber, Rachel Felder, Ferron, Karen Finley, Lita Ford, Deborah Harry, Nona Hendryx, Una Johnston, Leslie Ann Jones, PeggyJones, Holly Knight, Lene Lovich, Carol MacDonald, Lisa Macek, Rachel Matthews, June Millington, Holly Near, Roberta Peterson, Phranc, Helen Reddy, Poison Ivy Rorschach, Donna Russo, Boden Sandstrom, Lori Seid, Lisa Shively, Michelle Shocked, Jane Siberry, Susan Silver, Penelope Spheeris, Alison Steele, Teresa Trull, Maureen “Moe” Tucker, Vicki Wickham, and Nancy Wilson. Thanks also to those who were interviewed but whose stories were not ultimately used. Special mention should be made of Lori Twersky, who was not only interviewed for She’s A Rebel, but who also referred me to other potential interviewees, pro- vided me with a near-complete set ofBitch magazines, and who tele- phoned frequently to convey a piece ofnews or gossip. Regrettably, Lori Twersky died in November 1991 in the midst ofcompiling her own book on women performers; I am thankful for the time we did get to spend together. Other people who provided me with referrals or source material include: Sam Andrew, Beth Berkley, Leon Ber- man, Pete Blecha, Kelly Curtis, Brian Hendel (Yoko Only), Faith Henschel, Bob Jeniker, Jim Keaton (The Helen Reddy Fan Club), Ken Keiran, Kathy Kelly, Chris Knab, Terry Morgan, Lisa Orth, Jesse Reyes, Kerri Uretz, Dennis White, and David A. Young. I am also grateful to the record companies, public relations firms, and or- ganizations who also provided me with material: Atlantic, Capitol, Chameleon, Chrysalis, Fantasy Inc., Enigma, MCA, Mute, the New Music Seminar, Next Plateau, Shorefire Media, and Tommy Boy, with the following individuals being especially helpful: Bill Bentley, Marge Falcon and Howie Klein (Warner Bros.), Bev Chin (A&M), Steve Levesque (Solters, Roskin, Friedman, Inc.), Brett Milano (formerly with Rhino), Bob Beak Myers (formerly with Island), Howard Paar (Mercury), Carrie Anne Svingen (Rykodisc), and Tim Thompson (Sony Music). Very special thanks are in order to my transcriptionists: Susannah litis, Mary Nugent, and especially the tireless Cydney Gillis; those who took on the task ofsecuring photo and lyric permissions: Gillian Anderson, Ingrid Emerick, Megan Knight, and Jennifer Rose; all the photographers and other individuals who provided us with photos; and my ever-scrupulous copy editor Cathy Johnson. Thanks also to those who provided a home-away-from home during my travels while researching this book: the Brooklyn Boys (Kimble Mead, Alan Neil, and Dan Romer), Eileen Money, and Shirley Soloman. Additional thanks are due to: William B. Abbott IV, Ed Beeson and Cynthia Payne at the Backstage, Dr. Helen Caldicott, Cloud 9 Prods., Susan Despenich, Group Health Cooperative, The Literary Center, V. Mary, S. J. McCarthy, Mary McFaul, Michael Phillips, Larry Reid and the Center on Contemporary Art, the entire staffat The Rocket maga- zine (especially Grant Alden, Art Chantry, and Charles R. Cross), Shoreline Community College, and The Swedish Housewife. My deepest thanks and appreciation to Yoko Ono for writing the preface. Finally, thanks to all the women at Seal Press who have helped make this book a reality, and especially my editor. Faith Conlon, who offered me the opportunity to write my first book in addition to providing me—on a sometimes daily basis—with ad- vice, materials, encouragement, support, and, of course, home cooked meals. They were all much appreciated. To my mother who told me “We had rocking before Elvis!” CONTENTS PREFACE by Yoko Ono IX XI ROOTS 1 Willie Mae “Big Mama” Thornton Ruth Brown LaVern . . . . . . Baker Lady Bo (PeggyJones) Bonnie Guitar (Bonnie . . . . . . Buckingham) WandaJackson Bobhettes Chantels . . . . . . . . . 1 GIRL GROOPS 33 Shirelles Ellie Greenwich Shangri-Las Grystals . . . . . . . . . . . . Darlene Love Lesley Gore Dusty Springfield Vicki . . . . . . . . . Wickham ("Ready, Steady, Go^ Carol MacDonald (Goldie and the . . . Gingerbreads) 3 TALKIN' 'BOOT A REVOLUTION 69 Mary Wells Martha Reeves Supremes Aretha Franklin . . . . . . . . . . . . Joan Baez Mamas and the Papas .JanisJoplin Maureen . . . . . . . . Tucker (Velvet Underground) Alison Steele (“The Nightbird”) . . . 4 HEAR ME ROAR ns Helen Reddy . . .Judy Dlugacz (Olivia Records) . . . Gris Williamson Pamela Brandt (Deadly Nightshade) .June . . . . . Millington (Fanny) Holly Near Teresa Trull Karen . . . . . . . . . Carpenter 5 OlVERSE OIRECTIONS i83 Carole King. . . Laura Nyro. . .Joni Mitchell. . .Joan Armatrading . . . Labelle. . . Donna Summer. . . Runaways. . . Ann and Nancy Wilson (Heart) . 229 Yoke Ono Patti Smith X-Ray Spex Lene Lovich . . . . . . . . . . . . Marianne Faithfull Debbie Harry (Blondie) Penelope . . . . . Spheeris fThe Decline ofWestern Civilization Exene . . . j . . . Cervenka (X) Kate Bush . . . 1 POSIPUNK WVE!; 271 Go-Go’s Chrissie Hynde (Pretenders) Pat Benatar . . . . . . . . . Danielle Dax Laurie Anderson Karen Finley Lisa . . . . . . . . . Fancher (Frontier Records) Lori Twersky (^Bitch magazine) . . . B SMILE FOR IHE CAMERA 323 Annie Lennox (Eurythmics) Cyndi Lauper Madonna . . . . . . . . . Bangles Whitney Houston Tina Turner. Bonnie Raitt . . . . . . . . 9 SlEP INTO THE EOTURE 363 Suzanne Vega Tracy Chapman Michelle Shocked . . . . . . . . . Phranc. . .k. d. lang. . . Sinead O’Connor. . .JanetJackson . . . Vixen Salt-N-Pepa Queen Latifah Diamanda Galas . . . . . . . . .
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