Isis was an horn rock band from New York. They took their name from the Egyptian goddess, and were an early example of professional women in rock music in the 1970s. The band was formed in 1972 by Carol MacDonald (vocals/guitar) and Ginger Bianco
(née Panabianco; drums), former members of 1960s female rock band Goldie & The Gingerbreads. To fill out the line-up, they recruited Susan Ghezzi (guitar), Stella
Bass (vocals/bass), Nydia 'Liberty' Mata (percussion) and a horn-section
featuring Jeanie Fineberg (sax/vocals), Lauren Draper (trumpet/vocals)
and Lolly Bienenfield (trombone/vocals).
They built a solid following on the New York club circuit, and in 1973 were signed to a major label, Buddah Records. In the fall of 1974 they released their self-titled debut album. The Isis album was produced by George "Shadow" Morton and drew comparisons to Chicago, Santana, as well as Black Sabbath, Yes and Jethro Tull.
The album cover - a photograph of the bandmembers in nothing but metallic
bodypaint - created a sensation, and the LP reached Billboard's Top 100
chart.
Despite receiving positive reviews for the album and live
appearances, Isis failed to reach mainstream audiences. One possibility
for the resistance encountered by the band may have been singer Carol
MacDonald's unwillingness to deny her homosexuality, which she sang
about in the song "She Loves Me".
As time went on, the group scored support slots with the biggest acts
of the day, including KISS, Aerosmith, The Beach Boys and Lynyrd
Skynyrd, among others. In 1974, Susan Ghezzi (guitar) was replaced by
Renata
Ferrer and Lauren Draper was replaced by Ellen Seeling. The band also
added Edith Dankowitz (sax/vocals) and former Gingerbreads organist,
Margo Lewis.
In 1975, this incarnation of Isis recorded the group's follow-up album Ain't No Backin' Up Now, with producer/songwriter Allen Toussaint at his studio in New Orleans. Without commercial success, it was difficult to keep the group together. By 1976, the core line up was Carol MacDonald, Margo Lewis, Jeanie Feinberg, Ellen Seeling and new members Faith Fusillo (vocals/guitar), Barbara Cobb (bass), Vivian Stoll (drums) and Lynx (sax/guitar/vocals).
In 1977, the band signed with its second label, United Artists, and released their third album Breaking Through.
Frustrated by the inability to turn great reviews into commercial
success, the LP was a departure from its two previous releases and was
geared specifically to the commercial market. However, this LP, like the
others, was once again a commercial disappointment. Alumni members
Nydia Mata, Ellen Seeling, Lolly Bienenfield, Lauren Draper and Jeanie
Fineberg, as well as newcomer Laurie Frink, also appeared on the album. The band (with Frink and other guest members) toured to support
the release of the LP throughout the US and the Caribbean. The group
opened for chart topping BT Express and Dr. Buzzard's Savannah Band on the west coast swing, and for Blondie on the east coast dates. After the tour the group took up residence for a time at Greenwich Village landmark Trude Heller's on 6th Avenue and 9th Street, where they played nightly. However, the
continued lack of commercial success eventually led the group to disband
by the end of the 1970s.
