| 3rd November 2006 02:27 PM |
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| Ten Thousand Motels |
Sandy West
Drummer in teenage girl rock group who overcame the 'bimbo' tag to lasting effect
Garth Cartwright
Wednesday October 25, 2006
The Guardian
The drumming of Sandy West, who has died of lung cancer aged 47, powered the mid-1970s female rock group, the Runaways. They achieved international notoriety with a self-titled debut album in 1976 as women in a then almost totally male-dominated rock world. That they were in their mid-teens, possessed a photogenic singer and were managed by a Svengali figure attracted media attention. Yet beyond the hype, and often sexist critical dismissals, existed a young band whose vision has proved highly influential.
West grew up in Long Beach, California, possessing great enthusiasm for surfing and skiing, animals and music. Her grandfather bought her a drum kit, and by the age of 13 she was the only girl in local bands who played at teenage parties. At 15, she met Kim Fowley, a notorious hustler/producer. Fowley put West in touch with 15-year-old guitarist Joan Jett. They jammed and agreed to form a band (briefly including Michael Steele, later of the Bangles). Guitarist Lita Ford, bassist Jackie Fox and vocalist Cherie Currie were recruited. Fowley named them the Runaways, co-wrote songs with West, Jett and Currie, and signed them to Mercury Records in February 1976.
Being so young and musically raw - West was the best musician - lent an edge to the group. Yet Fowley was known for hyping gimmicky acts, and his outspoken pronouncements meant many in the music industry dismissed the album. There was also the stage image of a lingerie-clad Currie, confirming suspicions that the band were being marketed as "jailbait on the run".
Yet the songs told something else: Cherry Bomb, Is it Day or Night, You Drive Me Wild are hard rocking, melodic and memorably direct. Young women singing of adolescent desire and alienation, getting high and casual sex, shocked many, and US radio stations refused to play them. Male critics dismissed the band with misogynistic loathing. "These bitches suck," declared Creem, while the liberal Village Voice dismissed them as "bimbos".
If the US sneered at the Runaways, in Europe they were welcomed by the nascent UK punk movement - Julie Burchill and Tony Parsons championed the band in the New Musical Express and in their musical manifesto, The Boy Looked at Johnny, as pioneers of what now could be called "girl power". In Japan they became huge stars, scoring No 1 hits, every album selling gold, playing stadiums.
In 1977 the band released their second album, Queens of Noise, and then a Live in Japan album. Yet the pressures surrounding five, unchaperoned young women, all attempting to live the rock lifestyle, were such that Currie and Fox left. Jett took over vocals and Vikki Blue was brought in on bass. The new line-up released a third album, Waiting for the Night, in late 1977 and continued to tour relentlessly.
When the group broke with Fowley, he claimed they were "guests in my concept". In the 1990s, the musicians sued him over financial discrepancies. "I owe him my introduction to the music business but he's also the reason I'm broke now," West said.
The band released album four, And Now ... the Runaways, in late 1978, but by early the next year they had disbanded. West was 19 and unemployed. Initially, she and Ford tried to carry on, but Ford embarked on a lucrative solo career managed by Sharon Osbourne and Jett became a big star of early-80s pop-rock.
West began working in construction while leading the Sandy West Band, which never achieved success. She appeared unable to escape the shadow of the Runaways and performed occasionally with Currie. The band influenced the LA hard rock and punk scene and inspiring women musicians to rock as hard as the boys. In the 1990s, all-women groups, such as L7, Shonen Knife and Bikini Kill, acknowledged the debt.
In 2004 the documentary Edgeplay: A Film about the Runaways told a sometimes disturbing story. "Even the rough times were good," said West. "How many teenage girls get to do what we did in a lifetime?"
She is survived by her mother, stepfather and six sisters.
· Sandy West, musician, born October 7 1959; died October 21 2006
[Edited by Ten Thousand Motels] |
| 3rd November 2006 02:51 PM |
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| Ten Thousand Motels |
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| 3rd November 2006 02:52 PM |
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| glencar |
Another boring trhead by TT
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| 3rd November 2006 02:56 PM |
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| Ten Thousand Motels |
quote:
glencar wrote:
Another boring trhead by TT
Now that's not fair. And it's not boring IF one has an appreciation for the history of rock n roll. |
| 3rd November 2006 02:57 PM |
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| jb |
quote:
Ten Thousand Motels wrote:
Now that's not fair. And it's not boring IF one has an appreciation for the history of rock n roll.
Was she the one that dated Fonzie on "Happy Days"? Leather Tuskcodaroo?(sic)
[Edited by jb] |
| 3rd November 2006 03:02 PM |
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| Gazza |
No - that was Suzi Quatro - who has been living and working in England since the early 70's |
| 3rd November 2006 03:02 PM |
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| Ten Thousand Motels |
quote:
jb wrote:
Was she the one that dated Fonzie on "Happy Days"?
[Edited by jb]
I don't know. I had never heard of her until I read the obit. I read it today and thought it was worthy of note. I never kept up with punk like I should have probably. |
| 3rd November 2006 03:03 PM |
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| jb |
quote:
Gazza wrote:
No - that was Suzi Quatro - who has been living and working in England since the early 70's
Yes!!!!! |
| 3rd November 2006 03:03 PM |
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| glencar |
You don't even go to Stones concerts! |
| 3rd November 2006 03:03 PM |
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| jb |
quote:
glencar wrote:
You don't even go to Stones concerts!
He is funny!!! I like him. |
| 3rd November 2006 03:04 PM |
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| Ten Thousand Motels |
quote:
glencar wrote:
You don't even go to Stones concerts!
So what?  |
| 3rd November 2006 03:05 PM |
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| jb |
quote:
Ten Thousand Motels wrote:
So what?
It would help the gross!!! |
| 3rd November 2006 03:06 PM |
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| glencar |
And give him some validity!!!! |
| 3rd November 2006 03:09 PM |
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| Dan |
Stones concerts are overpriced, and at times, over-rated! |
| 3rd November 2006 03:11 PM |
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| jb |
quote:
Dan wrote:
Stones concerts are overpriced, and at times, over-rated!
Wow!!! Interesting . |
| 3rd November 2006 03:12 PM |
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| Ten Thousand Motels |
quote:
glencar wrote:
And give him some validity!!!!
Well alot of things would give me validity. But I'll bet I bought my first Stones record before you did son. |
| 3rd November 2006 03:14 PM |
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| jb |
quote:
Ten Thousand Motels wrote:
Well alot of things would give me validity. But I'll bet I bought my first Stones record before you did son.
Are you older than Glencar? |
| 3rd November 2006 03:24 PM |
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| Ten Thousand Motels |
quote:
jb wrote:
Are you older than Glencar?
I don't know. I'm 53. ....so far...LOL.
Yesterday one of my two Uncles (by marriage) died of a heart attack at age 59. He walked to the ambulance though, they told me. My aunt's pretty shattered. Age doesn;t matter....life today is what matters. |
| 3rd November 2006 03:27 PM |
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| jb |
quote:
Ten Thousand Motels wrote:
I don't know. I'm 53. ....so far...LOL.
Yesterday one of my two Uncles (by marriage) died of a heart attack at age 59. He walked to the ambulance though, they told me. My aunt's pretty shattered. Age doesn;t matter....life today is what matters.
I am sorry for your loss. |
| 3rd November 2006 03:27 PM |
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| Ten Thousand Motels |
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| 3rd November 2006 03:28 PM |
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| glencar |
You're WAY older than me. I bought the Miss You single in 1978 & then the Between The Buttons LP in 1980. Those were my first Stones purchases. My first Stones CD was Steel Wheels. My first show was Philly 1981. I've seen them several dozen times. I start several threads, most of some interest. I too have dead uncles. |
| 3rd November 2006 03:30 PM |
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| Dan |
quote:
glencar wrote:
You're WAY older than me. I bought the Miss You single in 1978 & then the Between The Buttons LP in 1980. Those were my first Stones purchases. My first Stones CD was Steel Wheels. My first show was Philly 1981. I've seen them several dozen times. I start several threads, most of some interest. I too have dead uncles.
I sense a dead uncles appreciation thread coming. |
| 3rd November 2006 03:30 PM |
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| glencar |
Gee, TTM is on it NOW! |
| 3rd November 2006 03:31 PM |
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| nanatod |
quote:
glencar wrote:
Another boring trhead by TT
This particular thread is not boring. When Ten Thousand posts obituaries for extremely obscure and/or run-of-the-mill blues performers like Willie Kent, thinking that they are important, that's when the threads are boring.
[Edited by nanatod] |
| 3rd November 2006 03:34 PM |
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| Egbert |
quote:
Dan wrote:
I sense a dead uncles appreciation thread coming.
No you didn't! |
| 3rd November 2006 03:36 PM |
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| Ten Thousand Motels |
quote:
jb wrote:
I am sorry for your loss.
I didn't know him that well. He was married to my Aunt (blood aunt)late 80's and early 90's when I was living out of state.
They divorced and then hooked up again a few years ago. He seemed to be a good guy. I always got along with him. Like I said I feel worse for my Aunt...things were just starting to go right for her. They started a business together a couple of years ago that was just starting to get off the ground. I dunno.
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| 3rd November 2006 03:40 PM |
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| jb |
My uncle was in the doctors office when he died of a heart-attack. |
| 3rd November 2006 03:42 PM |
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| Dan |
quote:
jb wrote:
My uncle was in the doctors office when he died of a heart-attack.
My uncle was hit by a train. |
| 3rd November 2006 03:51 PM |
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| jb |
quote:
Dan wrote:
My uncle was hit by a train.
I'm sorry for your loss. |
| 3rd November 2006 03:51 PM |
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| glencar |
My uncle was a mailman! |
