Denise Mercedes and Anne Gustavsson - The Stimulators

Denise Mercedes is the founder and lead guitarist of The Stimulators. Anne Gustavsson was a talented lefty bass player and the two enjoyed jamming to existing songs and going to clubs. The Stimulators were an American punk rock band from New York City. Although they have a limited discography, they are notable for being consistently cited as an important transitional band between the late-1970s New York City punk rock scene and New York hardcore.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Denise Mercedes grew up in Manhattan and Queens, New York City. Teaching herself to play guitar, she became infatuated with punk rock after having seen the Damned play their first New York City show at CBGB. Mercedes set out to form her own band called the Stimulators, named after a piece of equipment used in acupuncture.

 

 

Denise booked live dates for her band before she had a singer. Patrick Mack, inspired by Iggy Pop, would go on to be noted as a wild, flamboyant, front man. Mack would also become the band's lyricist. Adding bassist Anne Gustavsson the last step was procuring a drummer. Drum tryouts with 1970s punk notables Johnny Blitz and Jerry Nolan failed to fill the vacant position, so Denise turned to her 11 year old nephew. Harley Flanagan had been raised in a Bohemian, rock 'n' roll environment. He had a book of poetry entitled Stories & Illustrations by Harley (Charlatan Press), with a foreword written by family friend Allen Ginsberg, published when he was nine. His mother was acquainted with members of the Velvet Underground/New York Dolls-era New York Rock scene, and Harley had frequently accompanied his aunt Denise to CBGB and Max's Kansas City. The line up featured two women, a gay man and a child.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Stimulators played regularly at city rock venues, including CBGB, Irving Plaza, Paradise Garage, Tier 3, Danceteria, A7, and Max's Kansas City, and also toured both nationally, and in Ireland. They shared bills with bands like Madness, Stiff Little Fingers, the Cramps, Bad Brains, James Chance & the Contortions, Teenage Jesus & the Jerks, the B-52's, Richard Hell, Pure Hell, the Blessed, the Mad, Suicide, The Rattlers, The Necros, and The Circle Jerks. In 1980 they recorded the single "loud, fast, rules!", and in 1982 released a live album of the same name, recorded live in Raleigh, North Carolina.

Gustavsson left the band unexpectedly and was replaced by the band's roadie, Nick Marden, who became the second and final bassist of the band. Patrick Mack died in 1983 of complications associated with AIDS, ending the Stimulators' run.

In 2005, Mercedes was reunited with The Stimulators for three shows including "Save CBGB’s," also a memorial for Stiv Bators (of the Dead Boys), and along with old friends the Bad Brains, played at the historic closing night of CBGB’s. In 2006 Mercedes teamed up with Patricia Nilsen and Tawny Lee to form Girls Girls Girls - the world’s 1st all-female tribute to Motley Crue.  The band was featured on VH1 Classic TV’s “That Metal Show,” were featured in the promo for “Rock Star” in 2014 and appeared on the cover of the Village Voice Fall Preview Issue. 2014. In 2018 Mercedes teamed up with longtime friend and collaborator Nick Marden and former singer of the iconic 60s girl group The Crystals, LaLa Brooks to work on a new project called  "Dae Lilies."

Christine Jorgensen

Christine Jorgensen (May 30, 1926 – May 3, 1989) was an American actress, singer and recording artist. She was the first person to become widely known in the United States for having sex reassignment surgery and her transition was the subject of a New York Daily News front-page story. She became an instant celebrity, known for her directness and polished wit, and used the platform to advocate for transgender people.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jorgensen worked as an actress and nightclub entertainer and recorded several songs. In summer stock, she played Madame Rosepettle in the play Oh Dad, Poor Dad, Mamma's Hung You in the Closet and I'm Feelin' So Sad. In her nightclub act, she sang several songs, including "I Enjoy Being a Girl", in which, at the end, she made a quick change into a Wonder Woman costume.

 

She released a 7" on Jolt Records in 1957 called "Crazy Little Men" b/w "Nervous Jervis" and a interview LP called "Reveals" in 1958 in J Records. Jorgensen continued performing at Freddy's Supper Club on the Upper East Side of Manhattan until at least 1982, when she performed twice in the Hollywood area: once at the Backlot Theatre, adjacent to the discothèque Studio One, and later at The Frog Pond restaurant. This performance was recorded and has been made available as an album on iTunes. In 1984, Jorgensen returned to Copenhagen to perform her show and was featured in Teit Ritzau's Danish transsexual documentary film Paradiset er ikke til salg (Paradise Is Not for Sale). Jorgensen was the first and only known trans woman to perform at Oscar's Delmonico Restaurant in downtown New York.

Jorgensen continued performing at Freddy's Supper Club on the Upper East Side of Manhattan until at least 1982, when she performed twice in the Hollywood area: once at the Backlot Theatre, adjacent to the discothèque Studio One, and later at The Frog Pond restaurant. This performance was recorded and has been made available as an album on iTunes. In 1984, Jorgensen returned to Copenhagen to perform her show and was featured in Teit Ritzau's Danish transsexual documentary film Paradiset er ikke til salg (Paradise Is Not for Sale). Jorgensen was the first and only known trans woman to perform at Oscar's Delmonico Restaurant in downtown New York.

She died  of bladder and lung cancer on May 3, 1989, aged 62. Her ashes were scattered off Dana Point, California. In 2012 Jorgensen was inducted into the Legacy Walk, an outdoor public display which celebrates LGBT history and people. In 2014, Jorgensen was one of the inaugural honorees in the Rainbow Honor Walk, a walk of fame in San Francisco's Castro neighborhood noting LGBTQ people who have "made significant contributions in their fields". In June 2019, Jorgensen was one of the inaugural 50 American "pioneers, trailblazers, and heroes" included on the National LGBTQ Wall of Honor within the Stonewall National Monument (SNM) in New York City's Stonewall Inn. The SNM is the first U.S. national monument dedicated to LGBTQ rights and history, and the wall's unveiling was timed to take place during the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall riots.

Wendy Wu - The Photos

Wendy Cruise, also known as Wendy Wu (29 November 1959) is an English singer who fronted the new wave powerpop band The Photos, who had a top 5 album in the UK Albums Chart in 1980.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Photos were originally a punk band named Satan's Rats that formed in Evesham, Worcestershire in 1977, with the first stable line-up of Paul Rencher (vocals), Steve Eagles (guitar/vocals), Roy Wilkes (bass guitar), and Olly Harrison (drums). They released three singles as Satans Rats before Wilkes left, to be replaced by Dave Sparrow; and then Rencher left, after which the others deciding to expand the group with the addition of a female singer. 

 

 

 

 Wendy Wu, the former manager of pub rock band City Youth to joined in 1979. The band signed to CBS Records but moved on to Epic Records after one single. They released a self-titled album (Epic, 1980) and number of singles. These included "I'm So Attractive" and "Barbarellas" (concerning the closure of a Birmingham nightclub).

 

 

 

 

The album was successful, reaching number 4 in the UK Albums Chart. Initial copies of the vinyl release of the album came with a bonus album, The Blackmail Tapes, the additional tracks also included on the cassette release, and the album was supported by the group performing numerous concerts around the UK. They released several singles in the UK including "I'm So Attractive". which was added to the US album release. A second album, Crystal Tips and Mighty Mice, was released in promotional form in 1981, but withdrawn before it reached the shops, and reissued by Cherry Red Records in 2008. Wu left the band in 1981 and The Photos split up later that year.

 

 

Wu went on to release some solo singles during 1982 and 1983, and then joined Steve Strange to form the duo Strange Cruise in 1986.

Candy del Mar

 Candy del Mar is an American bass player. She has played in many bands Satan's Cheerleaders, The Cramps, Andy G And The Roller Kings and Los Primos among others.

Satan's Cheerleaders is a garage rock band formed around 1985. The formation has been changing during the years, but it counted with Bryan Gregory, Candy Del Mar, Gina Brune, Jeff McCann, Mark Chapman, Rod Wilson, Scott "Hacksaw" Dellamorte, Steve Pallow, Steve Savage and Wade Kramer during the different line ups.

The Cramps were an American rock band formed in 1976 and active until 2006. Their line-up rotated frequently during their existence, with the husband-and-wife duo of Lux Interior and lead guitarist Poison Ivy comprising the only ever-present members. In 1986 Candy del Mar (of Satan's Cheerleaders) joined in bass and made her recorded debut with The Cramps with the raw live album RockinnReelininAucklandNewZealandxxx, which was followed by the studio album Stay Sick in 1990. She left the band in 1991.

Hailed as a "New York super group" that reflects upon the '50s roots of rock & roll, R&B and soul, Los Primos picked up right where the Devil Dogs left off after their 1993 break-up. Featuring the Fabulous Andy G on guitar and vocals, and Mighty Joe on drums, the band are also accompanied by ex-Cramps bassist Candy Del Mar and saxophonist Pete Linzel formerly of the Raunch Hands. Crypt Records immediately took notice and released their first seven-inch single "On My Floor" in 1995. Candy del Mar carry on playing with Andy G And The Roller Kings releasing a 10" in 2001 on Sympathy For The Record Industry.

Huggy Bear

Huggy Bear were an English riot grrrl band, formed in 1991 and based in Brighton. They called themselves "girl-boy revolutionaries", both in reference to their political philosophy and the gender makeup of their band. For the majority of their existence, they refused to be photographed or interviewed by mainstream press, nor gave their full names once they began releasing records formally. In spite of a major label bidding war, Huggy Bear stayed with indie label Wiiija.

 

 

 

 

 

The line up consisted of Niki Eliot on bass and vocals, Jo Johnson on guitar and vocals, Karen Hill on drums and piano, Chris Rowley on vocals, trumpet and piano and Jon Slade on guitar. Their avant-garde debut EP, Rubbing the Impossible to Burst, was released in 1992, and in the same year they began working closely with Bikini Kill as riot grrrl's popularity peaked on both sides of the Atlantic, culminating in a split album on Catcall Records (Huggy Bear) and Kill Rock Stars (Bikini Kill) called Our Troubled Youth/Yeah Yeah Yeah Yeah, the names of the Huggy Bear and Bikini Kill sides, respectively. Huggy Bear then released a series of EPs, which were collected on Taking the Rough with the Smooch. No longer featuring Slade on guitar, Huggy Bear released two more singles and Weaponry Listens to Love in 1994, their first full-length album as well as their final release.

 

On 14 February 1993, Huggy Bear performed "Her Jazz" on the British television programme, The Word. After their set, the band stayed in the studio to watch a report on two American models who called themselves "the Barbi Twins". Huggy Bear and their fans became upset at this and started shouting at the show's presenter Terry Christian. They were ejected from the studio, and a spokesperson for The Word later claimed that one of the band's friends had "bit the face of a member of our production team." Future Goldblade frontman and editor of music blog Louderthanwar, John Robb was with the band in the studio and said no-one got bitten and the security was heavy-handed and had to be calmed down. The performance was given a Melody Maker cover story, the event being compared to the Sex Pistols' Bill Grundy incident.

Members of Huggy Bear also played as the Furbelows. In 1993, Rowley and Johnson released an EP as The Element of Crime on Soul Static Sound records, with members of Linus, Skinned Teen, Sister George and Blood Sausage. Elliott and Johnson also joined Blood Sausage, while Rowley assisted Skinned Teen live and with artwork, and Elliot guested on their 1994 album. After leaving Huggy Bear, Hill formed Phantom Pregnancies with Delia from Mambo Taxi and Sean from Wat Tyler.

Das Fürlines

Das Fürlines from New York City, USA were an influential, all-female "punk-polka" band in the mid-1980s, renowned for their performances. They were Wendy Wild on vocals, banjo and guitar, Holly Hemlock on guitar and vocals; Deb O'Nair on keyboards, vocals and accordion; Liz Luv on bass and Rachel Schnitzel on drums.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Das Fürlines appeared on the US TV shows Entertainment Tonight and Andy Warhol's 15 Minutes in 1985, and released their debut album Das Fürlines Go Hog Wild on their own label, Palooka Records. Their next album, Lost in the Translation (1986), was a lot more contextual than Go Hog Wild.

 

 

 

 

In 1988, they released a concept album, The Angry Years, which was inspired by the self-help book Women Who Love Too Much. They split up acrimoniously in 1988 after a spate of betrayal and infighting during a tour. They released the four-CD compilation Bratwurst, Bierhalls, and Bustiers: The Box Set, which contained various outtakes, B-sides, and rarities.






 

They reformed in 1996 to perform a few benefit concerts to raise money for lead singer Wendy Wild's medical bills. She died of cancer in 1996.

Gyda Gash

 Gyda Gash is an American bass player, she grew up in New York City and has played in several heavy metal and rock bands.

 

 

 

 

Mother Superior was her first band writing and performing her own music. She was also the bass player in Tomboys NYC with Chip English on drums who later joined Lunachicks and Blare Bitch on guitar, later of Betty Blowtorch. She also played bass in the extraordinary all-girl gothic band Maria Ex Communikata. Another of her bands where she wrote songs and played bass was Transisters, with trans singer Chloe.

 

Gash played bass in SheWolves with Donna from the Cycle Sluts from Hell and Tony (Wolf) Mann. They recorded a couple of tunes with Jayne County. In 2009 she played bass with Psychic TV for their European Tour. She made her imprint in the heavy music scene playing bass in the seminal doom band Angel Rot, with White Zombie axe man, Tom Five. They toured the USA doom circuit more than once to promote the band's Man's Ruin Records release.

She currently plays bass in The Voluptuous Horror of Karen Black with the legendary Kembra Pfahler. She is also the proud co-founder of Judas Priestess, The World's Only All-Girl Tribute to the Metal Gods with singer Militia Vox, guitarists Josette and Rena Sands Petrucci, and drummer Hillary Blaze.

Brenda Holloway

Brenda Holloway (born June 26, 1946) is an American singer and songwriter, who was a recording artist for Motown Records during the 1960s. She left Motown after four years, at the age of 22, and largely retired from the music industry until the 1990s, after her recordings had become popular on the British "Northern soul" scene.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Brenda took up violin, flute and piano and sang in her church choir, as well as developing a love of classical music. At the age of 14, Brenda began working on demonstration records and singing backup for Los Angeles-based R&B acts, and with the young Patrice. In 1962, she made her recording debut with the single, "Hey Fool", released on the small Donna record label. That same year, at the age of 16, she recorded the first version of Ed Cobb's ballad, "Every Little Bit Hurts", released as a single by Del-Fi Records. She also recorded duets with Hal Davis for the Minasa and Snap labels, and worked with other local recording artists. After graduating from Jordan High School, she also studied music at Compton Community College. In late 1963, she was invited by Davis to a deejay's party which Motown CEO Berry Gordy Jr. was attending, and lip-synced to Mary Wells' hit "You Beat Me to the Punch". Gordy was impressed by her vocal power, and opted to sign her to Motown. Holloway was 17 at the time, and was Motown's first West Coast signing.

 

 

 

 

 

After signing with Motown's Tamla division, Holloway was given the option either to move to Detroit to record at Motown's Hitsville studios or stay in Los Angeles where Motown began hiring West Coast staffers. Holloway chose to stay in Los Angeles for the time being, and her early Motown records were produced there by Hal Davis and Marc Gordon. Holloway's first recording was "Every Little Bit Hurts", a song she had recorded two years earlier while working as a session musician. Holloway was reluctant to record the song, and later said she was upset during the sessions; several takes were recorded before producers felt that Holloway had hit her mark. Released in April 1964, three months before Holloway's eighteenth birthday, the song peaked at number thirteen on the Billboard Hot 100, winning her a spot on Motown's Motortown Revue.

Later in 1964, Holloway won a spot on Dick Clark's "Caravan of Stars" tour on the condition that then-struggling Motown girl group The Supremes join them. During the tour, the Supremes' star rose following the release of "Where Did Our Love Go". Motown issued Holloway's debut album, Every Little Bit Hurts, and released the modestly successful ballad, "I'll Always Love You", which reached no. 60 on the pop chart. When Mary Wells, who was Motown's first solo hit-maker, left the label, Motown began billing Holloway as the next female solo star and soon had Holloway recording several songs originally intended for Wells, including her next top 40 single, "When I'm Gone", which like many of Wells' hit singles, had been composed by Smokey Robinson. This time, Holloway recorded the song in Detroit. Released in early 1965, the song reached number 25 on the Hot 100 and number 13 on the R&B chart.



In early 1967, Tamla released "Just Look What You've Done", which produced Holloway's best chart showing in two years, reaching no. 69 on the pop chart and no. 21 on the R&B chart. Later in 1967, the label finally issued a Holloway composition, "You've Made Me So Very Happy", which she co-wrote with her sister Patrice. Her album, The Artistry of Brenda Holloway, was released in 1968. However, midway through a recording session with Smokey Robinson in Detroit, she left the studio and returned to Los Angeles. 

Brenda Holloway recorded for Holland, Dozier and Holland's labels Invictus and Music Merchant in the late 1960s and early 1970s. With her sister Patrice, she also continued session work into the 1970s, including several sessions with British rock singer Joe Cocker.  Her records remained popular on Britain's Northern soul club circuit, and many tracks were reissued on compilation CDs. In 1987, Holloway returned to a secular singing career, recording for producer Ian Levine's UK label Motorcity Records, which recorded material featuring former Motown acts. Three years later, Holloway issued the album All It Takes. She only returned to a performing career after the death of her old Motown friend Mary Wells in 1992, when she restarted performing in the Los Angeles area and in Britain, often in tandem with Brenton Wood, and on one occasion with Blood, Sweat & Tears. She also spoke at schools, and at UCLA in 1993. In 1999, she released the album It's A Woman's World for the Volt label.

The Dishrags

The Dishrags (also known as Dee Dee and the Dishrags were a Canadian all-female punk rock band based in Vancouver, British Columbia in the late 1970s. Now considered the first punk group of note to emerge from the Vancouver music scene, the Dishrags were influenced by the work of the Ramones, and were forerunners in establishing the city's punk movement.

 

 

 

 

 

Originally known as Dee Dee and the Dishrags, the band was formed in 1976 in Victoria, British Columbia, a city 60 miles from Vancouver, and included the trio of high school students Jade Blade (lead guitar, vocals), Carmen "Scout" Michuad (drums), and Dale Powers (bass guitar). Moving to Vancouver, with its burgeoning punk rock scene, the Dishrags opened for the city's first punk concert, sharing the bill with the Furies at the Japanese Hall on July 30, 1977. The band performed sporadically thereafter while also attending high school in Victoria, and inspired the formation of three other punk female groups, the Visitors, Devices, and Zellots.

In 1978, the Dishrags returned to Vancouver where they gave many performances, including a concert at the Commodore Ballroom with the Clash in January 1979. By contributing the song "I Don't Love You", the band made its recording debut on the influential compilation album, Vancouver Complication, in 1979.

The Dishrags released their EP Past Is Past, containing three tracks, in 1980 on Modern Records. Prior to traveling to London to record their follow-up EP, Powers departed the group, and was replaced by bassist Kim Henriksen and guitarist Susan MacGillivray, both from Devices. Produced by musician Chris Spedding and titled Death in the Family, the EP was released in June 1980 and followed a more pop-based structure. The Dishrags disbanded soon after, but the original trio reunited as the Raisenettes, a Motown-inspired group.

On January 28, 2006, Other People's Music distributed the compilation album Love/Hate, featuring all of the Dishrags' released material, as well as demo recordings, live tracks, and the previously-unreleased song, "Bullshit" (which also appears on the reissued version of Vancouver Complication). The Dishrags reformed once in 2006 to tour, and two years later Jem Records released the singles collection, There's No Dee Dee.

Christine Martin - Christine et Ses Copains

Christine Martin was the singer of the Canadian band Christine et Ses Copains. The group from Montreal was formed by Pierre (vocals, guitar), François (rhythm guitar), Gilles (bass guitar), Michel (drums) and Christine Martin on vocals.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In 1967, the group signed a recording contract with the Élysée record company and subsequently released two singles. EY 122 - Mon coeur est épris de toi / A seize ans and EY 131 - Mon mini-croulant / Parce que je suis petite.

That same year, the group took part in the Starovan tour at the Paul-Sauvé Centre on Beaubien Street in Montreal. The group subsequently disbanded and Christine Martin released a solo single. before seemingly vanishing into thin air.