GLAM ROCK Glam Girls

OK, I freely admit that here is where I am in disagreement with many of the genres fans. There is a widespread belief that SUZI QUATRO was the queen of the glam rock movement, if not the genres only female star. On this subject I would beg to differ, question Suzi’s glam rock credentials, and offer up a host of alternative subjects for your consideration.

Why has SUZI QUATRO earned such an exalted position in the glam rock fraternity? Obviously a large part of this has to be with her being one of the RAK label’s Chinichap artists, but if these were the sole credentials needed then HOT CHOCOLATE and NEW WORLD would also be glam rock legends. She rocked, in a fun way, but in reality bore more in common musically with glam pretenders Sweet and Mud (in itself no bad thing), and her image was more anti-glam, full leather and not a hint of make-up or glitter between her entire band. Suzi was actually quoted as saying that "the guys in my band don't wear glitter - they're real men", although this hasn't stopped her from making frequent appearances on the glam revival circuit.

In my humble opinion FOX (and in particular lead singer NOOSHA FOX) were far more deserving of the title usually afforded to Suzi. Fox did not appear on the UK charts until late in the day (Only You Can in Feb ‘75), but their glam credentials of having been the house band at London’s glam-fashionable Biba’s store outstripped Suzi’s US TV star rocker 10-1. Image and sound wise FOX were also streets ahead of the female competition, being totally original in both. I hereby nominate NOOSHA FOX as the No.1 female glam rocker.

Noosha and Suzi were by no-means the only women to be found on the glam rock scene, though the remainder are often ignored or passed over as glam artists. Why LYNSEY DE PAUL is usually totally passed over, especially when her writing partner BARRY BLUE is more often grudgingly included, is anyone’s guess, Lynsey’s over-the-top make-up, Lady Penelope styled outfits and fab singles ‘Sugar Me’ and ‘Getting A Drag’ should have made her a natural shoo-in. Amazingly Lynsey still had the same image when she was Britain’s Eurovision entry at the height of ‘77’s punk explosion.

An even more surprising omission in most listings of glam rock artists is Bowie/Ronson protégéé DANA GILLESPIE. Dana may have never achieved chart status, but aside from this slight hindrance to people’s memories (it is worth noting that glam artists had a higher ratio of artist/chart placing than any other musical genre), Dana surely had more glam credibility than anyone on the planet, songs and production provided by Bowie, musical backing from Mick Ronson, management from Bowie’s Mainman team, and a commissioned portrait from Warhol.

BOBBIE McGEE hailed from South Africa, and was rather unkindly labelled by the British music press as 'Gladys Glitter', primarily due to her outrageous dress sense. She produced at least five singles during the early 70's. Check out my new BOBBIE McGEE PAGE.

Other female artists in the glam firmament included ZENDA JACKS, who gained plenty or airplay with 'Rub My Tummy', LULU too, with her Bowie produced top 10 hit ‘The Man Who Sold The World’ made a short lived, but impressive, bid for glam stardom. Let us also not forget those icons of 70’s pop TV PAN’S PEOPLE and AYSHEA BROUGH (one time girlfriend of Wizzard's Roy Wood), both of whom made unsuccessful bids at chart stardom with glam sounding singles.

Other female artists on the fringes of glam included FANNY (who at one point included Suzi Quatro's sister, Patti, among their number), PATRICIA PAAY (who covered Cockney Rebel's 'Sebastian' and recorded with Dutch glam group HEART), THE PEARLS (who were on Bell, but were musically closer to 60's girl groups), YVONNE ELLIMAN, MAGGIE BELL and CHER.

American female glam latecomers THE RUNAWAYS, BETTE MIDLER and THUNDER THIGHS are dealt with more fully on other pages, as are BONNIE ST. CLAIRE and KRISTINE SPARKLE.

Suzi Quatro