On this blog I will talk about Rock´n´Roll women that I love. From Blues and Rockabilly, to Punk passing through 60s Garage Punk and 70s Glam, this is my tribute to the wonderful women of the Rock´n´Roll underground.
Please note that suggestions are welcome but there is no guarantee that I will publish it as this is a personal project.
The Nixe were an early punk band from Utrecht, The Netherlands. They gained worldwide notice in collector circles during the Killed by Death explosion, particularly with their appearance on the Killed by Epitaph double LP, as a photo of one of the members looking rather menacing appeared on the sleeve.
The band was formed by Ilva Poortvliet singing, Marian De Beurs on guitar, Nikki Meijerink on bass and Simone Luken on drums. Initially they played with the Lullabies and other punk bands from Utrecht like Rakketax, Bizon Kidz,Noxious and The Ex. In 1981 they releases an EP with 7 tracks that had hand painted sleeves.
The band eventually call it a day because they had no time to do new songs. In 2008 the french label Polly Magoo Records released a compilation LP with all the tracks from the EP, some outtakes and some live songs.
Okuno Atsuko, also known by the nickname Illya, after the character from the '60s TV action show The Man from U.N.C.L.E., is the frontwoman and guitarists of the Japanese band Juicy Fruits. The band represents an important turning point in the development of Japanese pop music. Formed by the backing members of producer and musician Chikada Haruo's band Beef, the group took the then new techno-pop sounds pioneered by P-Model, the Plastics, and Hikashu, and combined them with a songwriting sensibility that drew from Japanese kayoukyoku (postwar, Western-influenced mainstream pop) and group sounds ('60s and '70s bands inspired by the Beatles).
Together with Okuno Atsuko, guitarist Shibaya Toshihiko, bassist Okiyama Yuji, and drummer Takagi Toshio completed the lineup. Juicy Fruits' hit debut single was swiftly followed up by the albums Drink! and Juicy a la Mode, both released the same year, and while the band never followed up with another song to match the enduring popularity and influence of "Jenny wa Gokigen Naname," the main songwriting partnership of lyricist Okiyama and composer Chikada remained prolific; they released one album a year until 1984's Come on Swing. The group split after this, with Okuno embarking on a brief solo career and Chikada continuing his work as a producer.
Nevertheless, the emergence of Juicy Fruits in the early '80s foreshadowed the increasing use of synthesizers and electronic instruments in mainstream Japanese pop music, as well as signalling the decline of techno-pop as an underground phenomenon. The large number of cover versions of "Jenny wa Gokigen Naname" and the variety of different kinds of artists who have recorded them attests to Juicy Fruits' enduring influence.
The Neptunas are an American trio playing stripped-down surf instrumental and garage-pop vocal songs with a modern twist.
Back in 1994 in Los Angeles, bassist Pamita Neptuna mailed out flyers looking for girls to join a surf. She recruited guitarist Leslita Neptuna and original drummer Toastita Neptuna. They recorded their first album “Scratch and Surf” for infamous punk rock label Sympathy for the Record Industry, and their lo-fi sound was solidified. Touring across the US commenced, and along with San Francisco’s Trashwomen and Japan’s 5-6-7-8s, they became one of the few all-female bands to attack the surf instro sound.
In 1996, drummer Laura Bethita Neptuna replaced Toastita and by 1998 they released a second album for Sympathy called “Let Them Eat Tuna.” On the cover of the album, the three Neptunas are dressed as mermaids with Marie Antoinette wigs. By 2000, the band were on a quiet hiatus as they began other musical projects but would get together for the occasional one-off show.
In 2014, after several years off, the band was approached by the Breeders asking if they would they like to open for them on a West Coast tour. They got back together, proceeded to relearn their old set, and played fairytale shows in storied venues like the Showbox in Seattle and the Fillmore in San Francisco. Buoyed by the encouraging reception they received on the Breeders tour, they were invited by their friend Danny Amis of Los Straitjackets to play the Wild-O Fest in Mexico City in 2017. Their experience with the amazing surf music scene in Mexico was so positive that they made plans to return to Mexico City to record a new album with Danny producing. The result of that recording is “Mermaid a Go Go” a brand new album with 12 tracks of pure surf and garage goodness to be released by Altered State of Reverb in 2020.
Lucille Nelson Hegamin (November 29, 1894 – March 1, 1970) was an American singer and entertainer and an early African-American blues recording artist.
Lucille Nelson was born in Macon, Georgia. From an early age she sang in local church choirs and theater programs. By the age of 15 she was touring the US South with the Leonard Harper Minstrel Stock Company. In 1914 she settled in Chicago, Illinois, where, often billed as "The Georgia Peach", she worked with Tony Jackson, Jelly Roll Morton and the pianist-composer Bill Hegamin.
In November 1920, Hegamin became the second African-American blues singer to record, after Mamie Smith. Hegamin made a series of recordings for Arto Records and then Paramount in 1922. One of her biggest hits was "Arkansas Blues", recorded for Arto and released on many other labels, including Black Swan. She recorded one of Tom Delaney's earliest compositions, "Jazz Me Blues", in 1921, and it went on to become a jazz standard.
On January 20, 1922, she competed in a blues singing contest with Daisy Martin, Alice Leslie Carter and Trixie Smith at the Fifteenth Infantry's First Band Concert and Dance in New York City. Hegamin placed second to Smith in the contest, which was held at the Manhattan Casino. From 1922 through late 1926 she recorded over forty sides for Cameo Records; in this association she was billed as "The Cameo Girl". In 1926, she recorded with Clarence Williams's band for the Columbia label. She sang with a band that was led by George "Doc" Hyder in 1927 for a show in Philadelphia. Further into the decade she performed in further revues with Hyder that were staged in Harlem theaters. She performed in Williams's Revue at the Lincoln Theater in New York and then in various revues in New York and Atlantic City, New Jersey, through 1934. In 1929 she performed on the radio program Negro Achievement Hour, on WABC, in New York. In 1932 she recorded two sides for Okeh Records.
In 1934, she retired from music but then she came out of retirement in 1961 to record four songs, accompanied by a band led by Willie "The Lion" Smith, on the album Songs We Taught Your Mother, for Bluesville Records. In 1962 she recorded Basket of Blues for Spivey Records. She performed at a benefit concert for Mamie Smith at the Celebrity Club in New York City in 1964. Hegamin died in Harlem Hospital, in New York City, on March 1, 1970.
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 (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 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.
