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.
Viola Smith (née Schmitz; November 29, 1912 – October 21, 2020) was an American drummer best known for her work in orchestras, swing bands, and popular music from the 1920s until 1975. She was one of the first professional female drummers. She played five times on The Ed Sullivan Show, as well as in two films and the Broadway musical Cabaret.
Schmitz was born in Mount Calvary, Wisconsin on November 29, 1912. She grew up there with seven sisters and two brothers. All learned piano first, but only the girls were to be in an "all-girl" orchestra conceived by their father. She chose to drum because the other instruments she liked were already played by her older siblings. Her parents operated a concert hall and tavern in neighboring Fond du Lac. In the 1920s and 1930s, Smith played in the Schmitz Sisters Family Orchestra (later, Smith Sisters Orchestra) that her father founded in Wisconsin. Irene (Schmitz) Abler played trombone, Erma Schmitz on vibraphone, Edwina Schmitz on trumpet, Viola Schmitz on drums, Lila Schmitz on saxophone, Mildred (Schmitz) Bartash on bass violin, Loretta (Schmitz) Loehr on piano, and Sally (Schmitz) Ellenback on bass saxophone. They toured the Radio-Keith-Orpheum (RKO) circuit of vaudeville and movie theaters on weekends and summer vacation while some of the sisters were still in school. In 1938, Viola and Mildred started the Coquettes, an all-female orchestra, which existed until 1942.
In 1942 Smith moved to New York, was given handmade snare drums from one of her teachers, Billy Gladstone, received a summer scholarship to Juilliard, and joined Phil Spitalny's Hour of Charm Orchestra, a commercially-successful all-girl orchestra. Later, she would play with the NBC Symphony Orchestra. Her signature style of 13 drums, particularly, two 16 inch tom-toms at shoulder height, was never copied; however, Smith noted Louis Bellson using 2 bass drums after meeting and observing Smith with the tom-toms. During this time, Smith recorded music for the films When Johnny Comes Marching Home and Here Come the Co-Eds as a member of the National Symphony Orchestra, and even performed with Ella Fitzgerald and Chick Webb. She gained notoriety as the "female Gene Krupa" and the "fastest girl drummer." Smith performed at president Harry Truman's inauguration in 1949. She remained with the Hour of Charm orchestra until 1954.
After Hour of Charm disbanded, Smith led her own band, Viola and her Seventeen Drums. From 1966 to 1970, she played with the Kit Kat Band, which was part of the original 1960s Broadway production of Cabaret. At the time of Smith's 107th birthday in November 2019, it was reported that she occasionally still drummed with bands in Costa Mesa, California, as one of the oldest living mainstream musicians. Smith died on October 21, 2020.
The Ikettes were a trio (sometimes quartet) of backing vocalists for the Ike & Tina Turner Revue. Despite their origins, the Ikettes became successful artists in their own right. In the 1960s they had hits such as "I'm Blue (The Gong-Gong Song)" and "Peaches 'N' Cream." The group started as The Artettes, the backing group of Art Lassiter. The first official incarnation of The Ikettes was composed of Robbie Montgomery, Venetta Fields, and Jessie Smith.The original trio of Ikettes later morphed into The Mirettes.
When Art Lassiter didn't show up for a recording session in early 1960, Ike Turner took Lassiter's backup singers, the Artettes (Robbie Montgomery, Frances Hodges, and Sandra Harding) and had them accompany Tina Turner on the recording "A Fool in Love." Following the success of the single, Ike formed the Ike & Tina Turner Revue, but with a new group of backup singers: Delores Johnson, Eloise Hester, and Jo Armstead. Montgomery was unable to tour at that time. They recorded "I'm Blue (The Gong-Gong Song)" the following year, which was produced by Ike and leased to Atco Records. Released in November 1961, the single reached No. 3 on the Billboard R&B chart and No. 19 on the Hot 100.
Montgomery rejoined the revue shortly after and was teamed with Jessie Smith (recruited from a group called Benny Sharp and the Zorros of Rhythm) and Venetta Fields (a gospel singer from Buffalo) to form the first official incarnation of The Ikettes. The revue toured constantly through the country on the Chitlin' Circuit in the segregated South. Occasionally they'd play at major venues such as the Apollo Theater in New York, Howard Theater in Washington, D.C., and Uptown Theater in Philadelphia. In 1962, Ike switched them to his Teena record label for two singles: "Crazy in Love" (credited as Robbie Montgomery & the Ikettes) and "Prisoner in Love." Soon after its release, the title of "Prisoner in Love" was changed to "No Bail in This Jail" in order to avoid confusion with "Prisoner of Love" by James Brown.
The single "Here's Your Heart" came out on Innis Records in 1964 but failed to go national; nor did "What'cha Gonna Do (When I Leave You)" released on Phi-Dan Records in 1966. From 1964 through 1966, they released six singles on Modern Records, including "The Camel Walk" (1964), and two hits, "Peaches 'N' Cream" (1965) and "I'm So Thankful" (1965). Ultra-funky remakes of "Sally Go Round the Roses" and "Da Doo Ron Ron" did not go as well; neither did "He's Gonna Be Fine, Fine, Fine," though it sounded like a precursor to the music Betty Davis did later. When "Peaches and Cream" became rapidly popular, Ike sent a different set of Ikettes — Janice Singleton (Hughes), Diane Rutherford and Marquentta Tinsley — on the road with "The Dick Clark Caravan of Stars" and kept Montgomery, Smith, and Fields on tour with his revue. In the meantime, Turner hired new Ikettes after Montgomery, Fields and Smith left to form the Mirettes. The first set included Pat Arnold (a.k.a. P. P. Arnold), Gloria Scott, and Maxine Smith.
The first album by the Ikettes, Soul The Hits, was released on Modern Records in 1966. Instead of the Ikettes, the Blossoms provided backing vocals for Tina Turner on the Phil Spector-produced 1966 record "River Deep – Mountain High." Following the success of the single in Europe, Ike & Tina Turner were asked to tour with The Rolling Stones during their British tour in the fall of 1966. The Ikettes on that tour were Rose Smith, Pat Arnold, and Ann Thomas. Shelly Clark (later of Honey Cone) was also an Ikette in 1966 until she was injured in a bus accident in Wichita, Kansas. Other Ikettes during this period include Pat Powdrill, Paulette Parker (later of Maxayn), Rose Smith, Jean Brown, and Juanita Hixson. In 1968, Pompeii Records issued "So Fine" credited to Ike & Tina Turner & the Ikettes, it charted at No. 50 on the R&B chart.
Minit Records and its parent label Liberty Records issued singles credited to The Ikettes (with Ike & Tina Turner) in 1969 and 1970 respectively, resulting in the hits "Come Together" by the Beatles and Sly & the Family Stone's "I Want to Take You Higher." In November 1969, The Rolling Stones once again asked Ike & Tina Turner to open for them, but this time on their American tour. The Ikettes on that tour were Claudia Lennear, Esther Jones and Pat Powdrill. This lineup also performed on Playboy After Dark in December 1969. The Ikettes changed once again in 1969 when Edna Richardson became ill and was temporarily replaced by Stonye Figueroa. Figueroa along with Esther Jones and Claudia Lennear went on to perform on The Ed Sullivan Show with Ike & Tina Turner on January 11, 1970. That month, the Ikettes performed In Las Vegas at the Hilton Hotel opposite Redd Foxx. Vera Hamilton and Jean Brown joined Jones in 1970, and this trio performed on The Andy Williams Show and The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson. In 1971, Liberty Records was absorbed into United Artists Records. The Ikettes released their first single,"Got What It Takes (To Get What I Want)," on United Artists later that year. In 1972, "Two Timin', Double Dealin'" was released, the last known single by the Ikettes.
There were quite a few lineup changes in 1973 with the absence of Esther Jones and Enda Richardson. Jones temporarily left after she was fined for being late onstage. She was the "longest-lasting Ikette" and was referred to as "Motha" Ikette. She was the group's trainer and came up with most of the choreography. Linda Sims was joined by Edna Richardson and Charlotte Lewis. The next month Linda Sims, Charlotte Lewis and Debbie Wilson performed on the music program Hits à Gogo in Switzerland.
The last album by the Ikettes, (G)Old & New, was released on United Artists in January 1974. In March, Edna Richardson, Stonye Figueroa and Linda Sims appeared on Don Krishner's Rock Concert. Esther Jones, Yolanda Goodwin and Marcy Thomas soon replaced them for most of 1974. Richardson, Goodwin and Jones became the final lineup for the Ike & Tina Turner Revue by late 1975. They performed on Don Krishner's Rock Concert in March 1976. Late that year, the revue was disbanded after the Turners had an altercation.
Romi Mori is a japanese musician and rock photographer based in London, England since the early 1980s. Born in Kawasaki City she couldn't get used to Japan, so she moved to London with her Nikon. She played first guitar and then bass on The Gun Club and Freeheat.
Romi and Jeffrey Lee Pierce met in December 1984 in London, and when The Gun Club broke up in January 1985, Pierce assembled a band, the Jeffrey Lee Pierce Quartet, consisting of former members of the Cure and Roxy Music, and released Wildweed in 1985. He organized a new band to tour in support of the album, including Mori on guitar and Nick Sanderson of Clock DVA on drums. After a short stint doing spoken word performances, Pierce decided to reform a new version of The Gun Club in October 1986. Powers, who had also been recruited into Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds at this time, resumed his place at guitar, with Mori switching to bass and Sanderson retaining his spot on drums. This lineup of the Gun Club recorded a handful of albums, including Mother Juno, released October 19, 1987 on Red Rhino Records. This album, produced by Robin Guthrie of the Cocteau Twins, was a successful comeback, garnering a positive critical reception. After the release of Nick Cave's album The Good Son, Powers departed the Bad Seeds in May 1990 to focus more on the Gun Club.
The band's fifth studio effort, Pastoral Hide and Seek, which Pierce produced himself, was released October 1, 1990 on the Fire label. Sanderson departed in December 1990 to focus on his other project, World of Twist. Desperate rejoined to record the Divinity album, released in August 1991 on New Rose Records, but the band were inactive during the remainder of that year as Pierce was hospitalized during his travels in India and Vietnam. Simon Fish, who had previously played with Pierce on one of his solo albums, joined the band in March 1992. At the conclusion of a European tour in May 1992, Powers left the band to focus on his other project, Congo Norvell. In February 1993, the band reconvened as a trio of Pierce, Mori and the returning Sanderson, to record the Lucky Jim album. For their spring 1993 European tour, they were joined by guitarist Rainer Lingk of Die Haut. Lucky Jim was released September 20, 1993 by Triple X Records, and Robert Marche (formerly of Subway Sect and JoBoxers) joined on guitar in October. In May 1994 Mori and Sanderson left the Gun Club.
Freeheat are a British indie rock band formed in 1999 by Jim Reid and Ben Lurie of The Jesus and Mary Chain and Romi Mori and Nick Sanderson of The Gun Club. After releasing an EP, Don't Worry Be Happy (later released with a bonus track as Retox), their debut album, Back on the Water was released, after several delays, on 13 June 2006, on Planting Seeds Records.
If you want to check her rock photography out, here is her website. https://www.romimori.com/
The Luv’d Ones were an American garage rock band in the 1960s, active between the years of 1965 and 1969. The band featured Char Vinnedge (vocals, lead guitar), Chris Vinnedge (bass), Mary Gallagher (rhythm guitar) and Faith Orem (drums). Char was the undisputed leader of the gang; not only did she sing lead vocals, play lead guitar and write the original songs, but also took care of their equipment, bookings and artwork, and even drove the van when required.
Char Vinnedge's career as lead guitarist / singer began in the early 1960s with her group The Tremolons, in which she initially played all instrumentals and recorded a single on Wildwood Records (Benton Harbor, Michigan) for Komotion Music that contained: "Please Let Me Know" (w/vocals) and "Theme For A DJ" (instrumental). About a year later, they signed a record deal with Dunwich Records, changed their name to The Luv'd Ones, and released several more singles over a five-year period. They never got to make an album – only seven songs were released in the 1960s. Their recorded output (three singles and previously unissued demos) was released as Truth Gotta Stand by Sundazed in the late 1990s.
The band’s repertoire consisted of covers of popular songs with some originals added to the mix (this is in line with most garage bands’ repertoires during the period). What set them apart from other groups were Char’s moody and dark, but melodic originals. From the Beatlesque Yeah, I’m Feeling Fine to the bittersweet Dance Kid Dance (‘Dance kid dance, have your fun, winter is coming, summer’s gone…’) the Luv’d Ones sound like no other band. Char had a habit of tuning her Gibson SG down a full step, which played a huge part in why the group’s music has frequently been described as ‘dark’, ‘gloomy’ or even ‘haunting’. In addition, Char’s preference for minor keys, her lead vocals (she usually sings in her lower register and hardly ever uses any expressive singing techniques) and the accompanying harmonies contribute to the ‘darkness’ often heard in the music. Compared to most garage rock from the period which often celebrated directionless teenage angst and partying, the Luv’d Ones sound rather grown-up. In fact, even though Char had started playing the piano as a child, she only learned to play the guitar and formed the Luv’d Ones in her early 20s.
In addition to the unusual sound, the Luv’d Ones had something else going for them too: Char Vinnedge was a true guitar hero at a time when female guitarists were an extremely rare breed. This lady was very accomplished on her instrument (just listen to those fuzz guitar solos!), and she was always tinkering with her equipment, looking for new sounds. The band broke up in 1969.
After Luv'd Ones, Vinnedge founded the group Syrup. In 1971, she recorded an album, Nitro Function, with Billy Cox, the bass player for Jimi Hendrix. The group was signed to Pye Records in 1971. In the late 1990s the Luv'd Ones signed a five-year deal with Sundazed Records. In 1999 they released all of the Luv'd Ones' Dunwich Records singles and a large collection of their demos on the album Truth Gotta Stand, and at the same time released a four-song EP of the Tremolons music. The project was started in 1997, but Vinnedge died of a heart attack in December of that same year. In 2005, after the deal with Sundazed Records, Rhino Records signed the Luv'd Ones for the single "Up Down Sue", and released it on a four CD box set compilation album, One Kiss Can Lead To Another: Girl Group Sounds, Lost and Found.
Teenage Lust and the Lustettes was one of the first Glam rock bands to come out of New York. The band that was active from 1972 to 1974, was formed by Harold C. Black on vocals and harmonica, Billy Joe White on guitar and vocals, Charlie Wolf on guitar, Barry Fields of bass, Jimmy Chriss on drums, this formation changed in 1973 with Harold C. Black as original member, Don Kretmar on bass, Bill Lussenden on guitar and Tommy Coyne on drums. The band had four backing vocal singers called The Lustettes, Laurie Maloney, Laurie Weiss, Leslie Weiss and Loretta Vancore.
Harold conceives Teenage Lust in August 1971. Bringing in Billy Joe, Charlie, Barry, and Jimmy, playing their first show at the Hotel Diplomat in February 1972. In June that year they add their four friends as backup singers and christen them the Lustettes. In July 1972 Harold gets a phone call from David Peel, who is looking for backup singers for John Lennon's One to One concert and Harold agrees to bring in Teenage Lust to sing. In August The band play Max's Kansas City. In November they begins a six week stint at the Mercer Arts Center that ends in the second week of December. On the 22nd and 23rd of that same month they play the old Fillmore East renamed the Village East with the New York Dolls and The Magic Tramps. Bob Gruen is in the audience that night and takes pictures of all 3 bands. On the 31st of December 1972, the band is on the David Susskind Show entitled: "The mad mad world of freak rock".
In 1973 Barry, Charlie, and Jimmy leave the band and Bill, Don and Tommy came along. They played a week long stint at The Bitter End and in the summer Loretta left the band. In December they played at the academy of music. The band called it a day in 1974.
Mia Katherine Zapata (August 25, 1965 – July 7, 1993) was an American musician who was the lead singer for the Seattle punk band The Gits. After gaining praise in the nascent grunge scene, Zapata was murdered in 1993 while on her way home from a music venue. The crime went unsolved for a decade before her killer was tried, convicted and sentenced to 36 years in prison.
Mia Zapata was raised in Louisville, Kentucky and attended high school at Presentation Academy. Zapata learned how to play the guitar and the piano by age nine, and was influenced by punk rock as well as jazz, blues, and R&B singers such as Bessie Smith, Billie Holiday, Jimmy Reed, Ray Charles, Hank Williams, and Sam Cooke. In 1984, Zapata enrolled at Antioch College in Yellow Springs, Ohio as a liberal arts student. In September 1986, she and three friends formed the punk rock band The Gits. The band who included guitarist Andrew "Joe Spleen" Kessler, drummer Steve Moriarty, and bassist Matt Dresdner, met in Ohio in 1986. A few years later, they decided to move to Seattle to engage in city's burgeoning music scene. Within no time the Gits had developed a following amidst the local underground punk scene. Although the group was 75% men, the band as a whole and Zapata in particular became popular amongst the feminist community of Seattle at the time.
The Gits went on a successful international tour without the support of a record label. In 1992, their first independent album, Frenching the Bully, was released. The album had hits such as "Another Shot of Whiskey", "Second Skin", and "Here's to Your Fuck", receiving positive reviews. Throughout the recording of the second album, the band had planned a large U.S. and European tour as well as many local shows, all the while being courted by various labels. Unfortunately, before the band could finish and release their second album, Enter: The Conquering Chicken, Zapata was suddenly murdered. The band did continue making music, and found success in their second album with singles such as "Seaweed" and "Precious Blood".
In the aftermath of Zapata's murder, friends created a self-defense group called Home Alive. Home Alive organized benefit concerts and released albums with the participation of many bands, including Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, Heart, and the Presidents of the United States of America. In 2005 a documentary film, The Gits Movie, was produced about Zapata's life, the Gits, and the Seattle music scene. ¡Viva Zapata!, by punk band 7 Year Bitch, was released in June 1994, on C/Z Records in Seattle, as a tribute to Zapata. Some of the songs on the album address the issue of Zapata's murder directly. In February 2013, a play called These Streets, inspired by the stories of and featuring music by Zapata and other female musicians in Seattle, debuted at ACT theatre in Seattle.
Raidia Visual-X, real name Rhaine Heissinger, was a member of LA Glam band Zolar X. The band was founded in 1973 and it became known for dressing and acting like space-aliens. They spoke an 'alien language' of their own invention. They are referred to as "Los Angeles' first glam rock band" in the 1998 book Glam! Bowie, Bolan and the Glitter Rock Revolution by Barney Hoskyns. The band had a string of musicians coming and going, here the list of their names: Ygarr Ygarrist, Zory Zenith, Romm Eclipse, Raidia Visual-X, Moto Bass Unit, Eon Flash, Ufoian Ufar, Zany Zatovian, Jett Starsystems and Qazar Quantor.
Zolar X enjoyed regional success as a live act, and national exposure via Lenny Kaye's Rock Scene Magazine, but commercial success eluded them. The band recorded, but were unable to get signed to a record label. In 1982 they released one independent record, Timeless, a collection of demos, on Pyramid Records. Zolar X's founder was vocalist, composer, and pianist Stephen Della Bosca, who later renamed himself "Ygarr Ygarrist", upon forming Zolar X. Ygarrist played in San Francisco bands The Hedge, and Bosca, before moving to Los Angeles in 1972, with Bruce Courtois (Zany Zatovian). Ygarrist and Zatovian met singer Zory Zenith at Rodney's English Disco. Zenith was the former drummer of the Los Angeles rock band, Shady Lady. Zenith not only sang, in Zolar X, but performed intricate mime routines onstage. The lineup was completed by drummer Craig Rhinehart (Eon Flash), a former member of San Francisco hard rock band Legs Diamond. Zolar X's week-long stint at the Troubadour with Jobriath was televised locally in Los Angeles. Zolar X were interviewed on one of the first episodes of Tom Snyder's The Tomorrow Show in 1974, along with Rodney Bingenheimer, Sable Starr and Chuck E. Starr.
In 1974, Zolar X recorded a two song demo, "Space Age Love" b/w "Energize Me", at Crystal Studios. They pressed approximately 10 vinyl singles of these tracks, which were given to various record companies. Ygarrist's sister kept one of them, which was used to press a limited edition '45 of this rare artefact in 2005.
Zatovian and Flash's departure in 1975 resulted in Ygarrist recruiting bass player Ufoian Ufar (Tom Lee) and drummer Romm Eclipse (Ron Eiseman). Zory left to pursue religious studies. Ygarr, Ufoian, and Romm briefly played out and recorded as The Spacers. Zory soon rejoined and Zolar X recorded with the record producer and audio engineer Jim Dickenson, at Memphis' Ardent Studios, Romm left, and Eon rejoined in 1977. While Zolar X were on hiatus, Ygarr formed another Los Angeles punk band, The Spys, with Rock Bottom. The two wrote a collection of new songs in one night, which they released as the single "Rich Girl" b/w "No Good, Deathtrap". Zolar X regrouped in 1979, but Zory Zenith was promptly fired. The band recorded as a three piece, with Ygarr handling all the lead vocals. Zory was asked to rejoin, and in 1980, Zolar X recorded one last time at Army St. Studios in San Francisco.
Longtime fan Jello Biafra released a deluxe edition of Timeless in late 2004. Zolar X reformed in 2005 and played for the first time since 1981. Ygarr and Eon Flash were joined by new bass player Jett Starsystems, formerly Jeff Porter, a former DJ at Rodney's English Disco, and founding member of Voodoo Church. Zolar X still play with metallic amp casings, silver platforms and backdrops, antennae headgear, and ever-changing outfits faithful to the 1970s glam era. They toured nationally in the United States in 2005-2006. In June 2007, Zolar X self-released a limited edition CD compilation entitled ZAP! You're Zolarized, which previewed four songs from the upcoming Alternative Tentacles release, and contained unreleased vintage Zolar X music, as well as soundtrack music from the upcoming Zolar X documentary.
