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Women in Rock – part 1

Posted on 21. Oct, 2009 by Mike in Memories, Music

There are many women in rock who have made a lasting impact on the music scene – Siouxsie Sioux, Marianne Faithfull, Joan Jett, Patti Smith, Nico, Annie Lennox to name but a few. But the four ladies who have created the most impact on me are Deborah Harry, Lene Lovich , Kate Bush – and the one who started it all for me Suzi Quatro.

These women paved the way for singers like Madonna, Gwen Stefani and Lady Ga Ga.

Suzi Quatro

Suzi Quatro burst into the charts in 1973 with the smash hit “Can the can” and she was an instant hit dressed in a black leather jump suite playing a bass guitar and had a hard sexy edge, something we had never seen from a woman popstar before.

Suzi had a string of hits from 1973 through to 1977 mostly written by Glam writers Nicky Chinn and Mike Chapman .She always hated working in the studio but loved going out on the road performing live.

As her chart career faded she tried her hand at acting and in 1977 she was offered a part in the hit TV show ¨Happy Days¨ along side Henry Winkler “the Fonz”. She was known in the show as Leather Tuscadaro,

In the 80´s Suzi also appeared in the TV shows “Minder” and “Dempsey and Makepiece” and in 1986 she secured her first stage musical when Andrew Lloyd Webber offered her the starring role in “Annie Get Your Gun”.

While her recording career was on hold Suzi still toured throughout the 80´s and 90´s usually with other glam bands from the 70´s on the nostalgia circuit.

She made her first album after almost fifteen years in 2006 (the best of her career) titled “Back To the Drive” with the help of the Sweet´s guitarist Andy Scott and the title track was again written by Mike Chapman.

Suzi Quatro would be the proto-type for many rock women such as Joan Jett who later followed her style and attitude.

Lene Lovich, real name Lili Marlene Premilovich, was born in the USA to an English mother and a Serbian father. She came to live in the UK when she was 13 years old. Lene had been in the music business for quiet a few years before she hit it big with “Lucky Number”.

Lene Lovich

In her varied career she recorded screams for horror movies, worked with Arthur Brown and wrote lyrics for French disco star Cerrone including the sci-fi dance smash “Supernature”.

I first became aware of Lene Lovich in 1978 when I heard Lucky Number on the radio. Wow!! What a voice and song – I had to have it.

She also had a distinctive and new way of dressing which would later be popularised and described as Goth.

Lene recorded for the now legendary Stiff label and produced three great albums from 1978-1982 and had six chart hits.

I saw her live for the first time in 1978 in a little converted cinema in Lenton Abbey. Her voice was even more incredible live and she blew me away. I saw her live for a second time a couple of years later at The Theater Royal in Nottingham, which was recorded and broadcast on ITV. I am sure I saw myself in the crowd!

Thomas Dolby also came on as a special guest and sang the single “New Toy” which he wrote for Lene. On this occasion I actually met Lene backstage and got her autograph, she seemed very down to earth and friendly.

In 1979 she appeared in the film “Cha Cha” which she co-wrote with Nina Hagen and Heron Brood and in the early 80´s she co-wrote the play/musical “Mata Hari” with her partner Les Chappell.

Her last album “Shadows and Dust” was released in 2005 when she also recorded some vocals for the Hawkwind album “Take me to your leader”.

The last I heard she toured a little in 2007. So keep your eyes peeled, I highly recommend her live shows.

Tags: Lene Lovich, Suzi Quatro, women in rock

Mike Belshaw

Author for the online friendship and dating site Sparkle and creator of the very successful blog "Off the Record"

Mike - has written 46 posts on Sparkle in my life. Contact the author

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