I guess every writer finds himself saying, "How did I not write this" at some point or another. But a New York Times piece about "12 forgotten songs by women-led New Wave bands" -- featuring Josie Cotton, Holly and the Italians and the Waitresses? Seriously, how did I NOT write this?!!!! Best part: I've recently been on a Rachel Sweet kick -- someone I haven't given my full attention despite loving "Voo Doo" and her theme for John Waters's "Hairspray" -- so this confirmed I'm totally on the right track. Read HERE.
On her second album, released when she was just 17, this Midwestern squeaker and howler convincingly covers the Damned’s 1976 classic about the glory of the burgeoning British punk movement. Strangely, her version replaces the signature slashing opening riff, as she employs her Ronnie Spector-ish pipes to make the song all her own. Perhaps even stranger, after leaving the music business Sweet went on to write and produce TV sitcoms, including “2 Broke Girls” and “The Goldbergs.”
P.S.
Click HERE to find out what Rachael has in common with Jenna Elfman, Katey Sagal and Madonna.
5 comments:
I was just talking up Rachel Sweet to a coworker yesterday!
Thank you for linking to this article! I plowed through all 207 comments hoping SOMEONE brought up Martha & the Muffins, Carolyn Mas or Ellen Foley. Near the end, Martha & the Muffins made it in, but nope to the latter two.
The Nervous Rex & Spider reminds me: They were both on Dreamland Records, which was a short-lived label started by MIKE CHAPMAN. I still own the Quatro, Shandi and Holly Penfield on vinyl: http://www.bsnpubs.com/rso/dreamland.html
Wow. The Cosmopolitans were just an early version of Kathleen Hanna's Le Tigre/Julie Ruin phase.
'Protect the Innocent' is a masterpiece and highly underrated / overlooked. The U.S. version of her debut is markedly better than the UK one. There is some overdone guitar work on the latter version that is SO distracting. I dislike how much Sweet talks down or ignores her music career. She was another great one from Akron.
Her debut was mostly written and produced by the guy who'd finally make $$$ writing 'Walk Like an Egyptian'.
She was also in the Movie "Sing". The one in Brooklyn, not the animated one.
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