FOR THE MUSICLINK INCLINED
by
Donn J.
Hi! Welcome back to the LINKSTER'S Column!
Reading about one of this month's feature artists, DRAIN S.T.H., brings
to mind the question: Who are the hardest rocking women out there? We're talking Bad -
Ass Mommas, who play balls-to-the-wall rock and roll, as well as any mere male! With this
goal in mind I have sifted throught the Stevie Nicks' and Pat Benatars' to get to those few
that really know how to "walk this way".
The first stop on this tour is Suzi Quatro. Back when most females in the business were singing folk tunes or protest songs. SUZI QUATRO strapped on some leather, and blasted out some of the hardest rock this side of the Stones. This site has an excellent bio, discography, and good pictures. However, Suzi's biggest success in the U.S. was not as a rock artist, but as an actress playing a rock artist. All you "Happy Days" fans should remember Leather Tuscadero - the female equivalent of the Fonz. Most of the show's fans probably never realized that Leather was but a pale image of the real Suzi! She is still banging them out, but mainly in Europe and the U.K. I can still remember almost blowing out my car speakers playing "Can the Can."
While SUZI never really hit it big in the U.S., another group of female rockers appeared, and while moderately popular, were more famous as being the steppingstone for two of the most well known female rockers of the 80's. The group was THE RUNAWAYS and featured both JOAN JETT and LITA FORD. Even though this group is no longer in existence there is a web page for The Runaways, with a bio and promise of pictures in the future.
When the group fell apart, the members went their separate ways, and JOAN JETT'S way led to the formation of her own group - the BLACKHEARTS. She took the U.S. by storm, via MTV and one of a handful of rock anthems, "I Love Rock and Roll." As with many female rockers, she is more popular in the U.K. and Europe, and Joan's official fan page originates there.
LITA FORD took the solo route also, and like Joan, found some fortune via MTV and her video of "Kiss Me Deadly." Lita's web page has loads of background info, and links to the World Wide Music Lobby, where you can sample cuts from her albums.
Visuals being an important element to video success, THE WILSON SISTERS, and their band HEART, became an instant hit. Big hair, bared flesh and a bitchin' beat made them the Heartthrob of many a pubescent boy's dreams. To see why check out
Heart's fan page.
Others who have found success by pounding out the beat include Chrissy Hynes and the Pretenders, the latest hard rocker, Melissa Etheridge, and Courtney Love & Hole.
A record label that is looking to promote the Riot Grrrl (the nineties version
of Betty Friedan) is Queenie, home to
such bands as COBALT and SEXPOD.
Finally, touring now, and as noted above featured here in the pages of this 'Zine, one of the few all - girl metal bands is DRAIN S.T.H., whose home page proves the legacy of the RUNAWAYS is still strong, and when the rock is right, gender doesn't matter!
The Linkster
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