Ten genuine all-girl bands join forces with similar 60s females of the species on this new volume in our ear-grabbing “Girls With Guitars” series, providing further confirmation that girls can do what the guys do.
The CD kicks off in great style with three of the best tracks to feature in the series so far: the Belles’ ‘Melvin’, a great gender-switched version of Van Morrison’s ‘Gloria’; a rendering of John Lee Hooker’s ‘Dimples’ by the Missfits; and Girls Take Over’s uninhibited proto-punk treatment of Tommy Tucker’s ‘Hi Heel Sneakers’. The Missfits, a young five-piece from Blackpool with a taste for R&B, also tackle Bo Diddley’s ‘You Can’t Judge A Book By The Cover’ and ‘Chuck Berry’s ‘I’m Talking About You’; all three of their tracks are previously unreleased.
For the record, lest anyone’s keeping tally, the other featured guitar-toting all-girl bands are She, Goldie & the Gingerbreads, the Debutantes, the Liverbirds, the Beat-Chics, the Ace Of Cups and the Mysteries. Elsewhere, Debbie Williams sings lead with the all-male Unwritten Law, ballsy-voiced Joyce Harris is backed by Texas bar band the Daylighters, the teenage Chymes trio are accompanied by the un-billed Turtles and, well, you get the picture.
Naturally, those so inclined can learn more about all the artists in the accompanying 24-page booklet containing a picture-packed 4,000-word track commentary by series compiler Mick Patrick.
1 Melvin - the Belles
2 Dimples - the Missfits
3 Hi Heel Sneakers - Girls Take Over
4 Don't Leave Me Baby - She What Kind of Man Are You - Goldie & the Gingerbreads
5 Little Latin Lupe Lu - the Debutantes
6 Diddley Daddy - the Liverbirds
7 Now I Know - the Beat-Chics
8 Circles - the Ace of Cups
9 Give Me Rhythm and Blues - the Mysteries
10 You Can't Judge a Book By the Cover - the Missfits
11 We Gotta Get Out of This Place - the Debutantes
12 Ask Me - Debbie Williams & the Unwritten Law
13 I Don't Know Why - the Wrongh Black Bag
14 I Got My Mojo Working - Joyce Harris & the Daylighters
15 Pink Dominos - Chiyo & the Crescents
16 Really Gonna Shake - Sandra Barry & the Boys
17 Come Back - the Belles
18 Skinny Minnie - the Beat-Chics
19 Never Till Now - the Bootles
20 I'm Talking About You - the Missfits
21 Love Seems So Hard to Find - Debbie Williams & the Unwritten Law
22 Quite a Reputation - the Chymes
23 Wake Me, Shake Me - the Wrongh Black Bag
24 Stardust Come Back - Girls Take Over
