“One of the most important female bands in American rock has been buried without a trace. Fanny were one of the finest rock bands of their time. They were extraordinary.” So said David Bowie back in 1973. Yet despite widespread critical acclaim by the end of that year the band were frustrated by their lack of success and were broke.
Signed to Warner Bros despite two Top 40 hits in the US and the assistance of two major league producers in Richard Perry and Todd Rundgren the original quartet didn’t translate that into album sales. In a bid to make them more marketable their label wanted to change the image of the band into a glam hard rock style but this was resisted and led to them being dropped.
Guitarist June Millington and drummer Alice de Buhr left at this point but June’s sister bassist Jean Millington and Nickey Barclay on keyboards decided to soldier on. Recruiting Suzi Quatro’s sister Patti on guitar and Brie Brandt on drums the band signed to the newly formed Casablanca imprint. Signing to a label that featured glam rockers Kiss it was no surprise that Fanny re-emerged with the kind of look Warners had wanted – all mascara and poodle perms!
It’s hard to make a proper assessment of the album due to the slick production by Vini Poncia whose talents were more suited to other genres. The title cut that opens the album is a case in point with the guitars so low in the mix it effectively neuters what could have been a statement of intent for the new line-up saying “We’re Back!”
Lame production apart though, to be fair to their producer there was a definite lack of direction at this point. The Joie De Vivre and straight forward approach that was part of the original band is patently missing to be replaced by rockers like ‘Rockin’ All Night Long’ and ‘Got Out Of The Jungle’ or cover versions of late fifties and early sixties pop like ‘Sally Goes Round The Roses’ – I kid you not. All a long way from the original band’s masterful interpretations of the Beatles’ ‘Hey Bulldog’ or Cream’s ‘Badge.’
All this means that there is a palpable air of uncertainty surrounding this album. For all that being said the band did muster a hit single from the wreckage with the pop-tastic ‘Butter Boy’. Starting off with a doo-wop style intro, this R’n’B flavoured tune was a controversial number born out of Jean Millington’s fling with David Bowie and containing the couplet, “He was hard as a rock, but I was ready to roll ” Banned by the BBC of course.
Remastered for this issue the package also contains bonus tracks from the new line- ups first ever gig recorded on Xmas Eve 1974 at the famous Whisky A Go Go. Also included are live recordings from the proposed ‘Rock’n’Roll Survivors Rock Opera,’ released here for the first time. Don’t expect soundboard quality though, these are lower-fi recordings taped on a cassette. For the die-hards it is a purchase and worth careful exploration by the rest. Though whether some tracks would be politically correct today is a point for discussion.
Lyndon Noon.
www.cherryred.co.uk
