July 1981: Girls Just Want To Rock

Stevie Nicks : Edge of Seventeen

On July 27, 1981, Stevie Nicks, who wrote Fleetwood Mac’s only #1 hit, releases Bella Donna, her debut album which would four million copies on its way to #1 thanks to heavy radio airplay for the US#3 “ Stop Draggin’ My Heart Around”, the US#6 “Leather And Lace” and the US#11 “Edge of Seventeen”. Pristine Jimmy Iovine production and musicianship throughout. That said, I didn't understand a word of “Edge of Seventeen” until I read a lyric sheet. Apparently it has something to do with John Lennon.

Debbie Harry : Backfired

Debbie Harry and Chris Stein team up with Chic’s Nile Rodgers and Bernie Edwards on Koo Koo. Despite the musical talent, the songs here are overshadowed by the album cover photographed by Brian Aris and then painted over by H. R. Giger of “Alien” fame to create an image both memorable and so severe, posters were banned from the London Underground stations. “Backfired” is the best tune here but Harry is not a soul singer or rapper and her delivery only works as a counterpoint to the funky Chic sound.

Siouxsie and the Banshees : Arabian Knights

Siouxsie and the Banshees release the UK#32hit “Arabian Knights ”, perhaps the only song that contains the word “orifices” played on the BBC. The B side is a cover of Ben E. King’s 1975 smash “Supernatural Thing”.

 

Name-checking in April of 1980

Family Fodder : Debbie Harry

[Purchase]

"Debbie Harry" is the English post-punk band Family Fodder's offbeat love letter to Blondie's front-woman from a bargain 12" single titled "Sunday Girls".

Deborah Harry I'm aiming at you 
You got your raygun and I got mine too 
I'm gonna stun you with my transgalactic lasers 
I'm gonna blast you with controlled vector phasers 

Stains : John Wayne Was A Nazi

[Purchase]

Based in Austin, Texas, The Stains released 500 copies of "John Wayne Was A Nazi" before moving to California and changing their name to Millions of Dead Cops.

John Wayne slaughtered our Indian brothers 
Burned their villages and raped their mothers 
Now he has given them the white man's lord 
Live by this, or die by the sword

Splodgenessabounds : Simon Templar

[Purchase]

Signed to the Moody Blues label Deram Records, Splodgenessabounds released their "Simon Templar" EP in April of 1980 about the Leslie Charteris character The Saint. 

Simon Templar is so hunky

All his birds are very funky

Simon's got a hairy chest

Goes to bed without his vest on

        By July the octet would grace the cover of Smash Hits. On page 15 Roger Rodent explains the band philosophy:

"It's getting sillier all the time, and we work on the principle that if we're having a good time, the people are going to have a good time. If we've got a philosophy it's that".