Saturday, March 6, 2010

LADIES FIRST: "Can't You Hear My Heartbeat?" - Goldie And The Gingerbreads > Herman's Hermits



LADIES FIRST heralds classic songs that actually 'she did first'.

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The first all-female rock band signed to a major record label was Goldie And The Gingerbreads in the mid-'60s.

They held their own while touring with The Rolling Stones, The Animals, The Yardbirds, The Hollies, and The Kinks. But they had an uphill struggle against both a sexist industry and radio stations that thought they sounded 'too black'.

They did the original version of "Can't You Hear My Heartbeat?", sounding fresh out of a Brill Building Soul recital.

GOLDIE AND THE GINGERBREADS -"Can't You Hear My Heartbeat?" (1965)



Their single went weakly promoted, while this cover version by Herman's Hermits escaped those hurdles.

HERMAN'S HERMITS -"Can't You Hear My Heartbeat?" (1965)


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"Goldie" (Genya Zelkowitz), the singer and group leader, later became the fiery Rock'n'Soul singer Genya Ravan of Ten Wheel Drive, and producer of The Dead Boys' debut album.

TEN WHEEL DRIVE -"Tightrope" (1969)


GENYA RAVAN / THE WARRIORS soundtrack: "Love Is A Fire" (1979)



Guitarist Carol MacDonald and drummer Ginger Bianco went on to form the formidable all-female FunkRock collective Isis.

(Note: there is nothing inappropriate about the following video, YouTube are just prudes and censors. I should know, since I made all three.)

ISIS -"Do The Football" (1974)


ISIS -"April Fool" (1974)


ISIS -"Ain't No backin' Up Now" (1975), produced by Allen Toussaint




© Tym Stevens



See Also:

YOU DON'T OWN ME: The Uprising of the 1960s GIRL GROUPS, with Music Player!

SHE'S A REBEL: Decades Of Songs Influenced By The GIRL GROUPS, with Music Player!

WOMEN OF ROCK: The 1960s, with 2 Music Players!

THE BRITISH INVASION!, with Music Player!

THE RUNAWAYS, And Why Women Of Rock Are Essential!

FUNK, The True History: 1970-1974, with 3 Music Players!


The Real History of Rock and Soul!: The Music Player Checklist


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