Fanny (band)
Fanny | |
---|---|
Los Angeles, California , United States | |
Genres | |
Years active |
|
Labels | |
Spinoffs | Fanny Walked the Earth (2018–2021) |
Past members | June Millington Jean Millington Alice de Buhr Nickey Barclay Patti Quatro Brie Brandt Cam Davis |
Website | fannyrocks |
Fanny was an American rock band, active in the early to mid 1970s. They were one of the first all-female rock groups to achieve critical and commercial success, including two Billboard Hot 100 Top 40 singles.
The group was founded by sisters June and Jean Millington (on guitar and bass respectively), who had been playing music together since they moved from the Philippines to California in the early 1960s. After playing through several variations of the band, they attracted the interest of producer Richard Perry who signed them to Reprise Records in 1969 as Fanny. The band recorded four albums together before June quit the group, leading to the original line-up splitting. Following a final album, Fanny disbanded in 1975. The Millington sisters have continued to play music together since the split, and with a former drummer, Brie Howard-Darling, formed the spin-off group Fanny Walked the Earth in 2018.
The group had attracted critical acclaim for rejecting typical girl group styles and expectations of women in the rock industry, and emphasizing their musical skills. Later groups such as the Go-Go's, the Bangles, and the Runaways cited Fanny as a key influence.
Fanny billboard, Sunset Boulevard[1][2] |
Career
Sisters
Lee and de Buhr later formed another all-female band, Wild Honey.
Perry convinced
The band was then renamed Fanny, not with a sexual connotation but to denote a female spirit.[7] The initial lineup consisted of June on guitar, Jean on bass, de Buhr on drums, Barclay on keyboards, and Brandt on lead vocals and percussion. Perry dismissed Brandt because he wanted the group to be a self-contained four-piece band like the Beatles.[10] The Millingtons and Barclay all assumed lead vocal duties on alternating songs, while de Buhr sang lead occasionally on later albums.[11]
Perry produced the band's first three albums, beginning with
The group continued to pick up well-known fans;
The group's third album,
Their fourth album, Mothers Pride (1973), was produced by Todd Rundgren.[4] By the time Mothers Pride was released, June was feeling constrained by the group format. The record label wanted her to wear certain designer clothes and adopt a hard rock image, which she resisted. She decided to quit the group, later saying "I needed to figure out who I was"[3] and regularly clashed with Barclay due to conflicting personalities.[13] June moved to Woodstock to study Buddhism, but insisted that the group continue without her.[3]
De Buhr also left the band, with a returning Brandt replacing her on drums. Patti Quatro (sister of Suzi Quatro) replaced June on guitar. This lineup signed with Casablanca Records and released the final Fanny album, Rock and Roll Survivors, in 1974.[4] The first single, "I've Had It" reached number 79 on the Billboard Hot 100.[25] Brandt left the band shortly after the album's completion when she married composer James Newton Howard, and was briefly replaced by Cam Davis. Barclay quit the group at the end of 1974 to pursue other interests.[26] Concurrently, the album's second single, "Butter Boy", written by Jean about Bowie, became their biggest hit, reaching number 29 on the Billboard Hot 100 in April 1975.[3][15] By the time that single was released, the group was through.[26][3]
Post-split activities
After the breakup in 1975, the Millington sisters put together a new line-up of Fanny for a short tour, though no older Fanny material was played. This group ultimately morphed into a renamed all-women band called the L.A. All-Stars. Some interest was shown by record labels who stipulated that the band tour as Fanny and play only Fanny songs, which June opposed. This ended the chance of a Fanny reunion.[4]
June subsequently released three solo albums in the 1980s and has had a career as a
Patti Quatro continued to work as a session musician for her sister Suzi and was involved in the reissue of material by the Quatro sisters' early band
In 2002,
In 2016, Brie Howard joined a live performance by the Millington sisters. This inspired the formation of a new band called Fanny Walked the Earth.[41] An album also titled Fanny Walked the Earth was released in March 2018. The album marks the first time June, Jean, and Brie all recorded at the same time in nearly 50 years.[42][43]
Fanny were the subject of the documentary film Fanny: The Right to Rock, released in 2021 and directed by Bobbi Jo Hart.[44][45] Fanny performed at Yerba Buena Gardens on May 20, 2023.[46]
Musical style and legacy
Though Fanny was not the first all-female rock band to sign with a major label (they came after
The band resisted suggestions by the record company to dress in a typical girl group style, or emphasise any sex appeal, and rehearsed regularly, wanting to acquire a reputation based on their musical talent.[13][32] Jean later said that Fanny had to have a strong live presence in order to overcome audience's perceptions that women could not play rock music well.[48] June added, "We knew we had to prove we could play and deliver live. Otherwise, no one would believe it."[47] The group were more successful in the UK and Europe, where audiences appreciated their music and respected their work, than in the US. De Buhr was disappointed to discover that some record company executives merely treated Fanny as a gimmick that should not be taken seriously.[32] Promoter Bill Graham was reluctant to give the group a headlining slot at venues, for fear the group would split up as the members got married and had children, though the group have stressed this was due to business pragmatics and not chauvinism. During tours, female fans would ask the group how to form a band.[49] Later all-female bands such as the Runaways and the Bangles cited Fanny as a key influence.[42]
A retrospective review of the group's career in Rebeat stressed that Fanny were simply a good band, irrespective of gender.
Little Feat bandleader Lowell George was a fan of Fanny and jammed with the group when they were in Los Angeles.[47] In a 1999 interview with Rolling Stone, Bowie revealed his respect for the band:[24]
They were extraordinary: they wrote everything, they played like motherfuckers, they were just colossal and wonderful, and nobody's ever mentioned them. They're as important as anybody else who's ever been, ever; it just wasn't their time.
— David Bowie[24]
Personnel
Original line-up
- Jean Millington – bass, vocals (1969–1975)[4]
- June Millington – guitar, vocals (1969–1973)[4]
- Nickey Barclay – keyboards, vocals (1970–1974)[4]
- Alice de Buhr – drums, vocals (1969–1973)[4]
Later members
- Patti Quatro – guitar, vocals (1974–1975)[51]
- Brie Howard – drums, vocals (1973–1974)[51]
- Cam Davis – drums (1974–1975)[26]
Discography
Studio albums
- Fanny (1970)[12]
- Charity Ball (1971)[52] (No. 150)[53]
- Fanny Hill (1972)[54] (No. 135)[53]
- Mothers Pride (1973)[11]
- Rock and Roll Survivors (1974)[55]
- Fanny Walked the Earth (2018, as Fanny Walked the Earth)[3]
Live albums
Compilation albums
- First Time in a Long Time – The Reprise Recordings (4-CD box set, 2002)[59]
U.S. singles
- "Ladies' Choice" / "New Day" (1970)[60]
- "Nowhere to Run" / "One Step at a Time" (1970)[60]
- "Changing Horses" / "Conversation with a Cop" (January 1971)[60]
- "Charity Ball" / "Place in the Country" (September 1971) (No. 40)[60]
- "Ain't That Peculiar" / "Think About the Children" (March 1972) (No. 85)[60]
- "Wonderful Feeling" / "Rock Bottom Blues" (July 1972)[60]
- "Young and Dumb" / "Knock on My Door" (October 1972)[60]
- "All Mine" / "I Need You Need Me" (January 1973)[60]
- "Last Night I Had a Dream" / "Beside Myself" (April 1973)[60]
- "I've Had It" / "From Where I Stand" (June 1974) (No. 79)[60]
- "Butter Boy" / "Beggar Man" (January 1975) (No. 29)[60]
See also
- List of all-female bands
- List of guests appearing on The Midnight Special
- List of sibling musical groups
References
Citations
- ^ a b Gaar, Gillian G. (August 3, 2021). "Alice de Buhr Says New Fanny Film, The Right to Rock, is a Tool to Cement the Band's Legacy". Audiofemme. Retrieved October 5, 2022.
- Easy Reader News. Retrieved October 5, 2022.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j Farber, Jim (March 1, 2018). "Fanny: behind the reunion of a groundbreaking all-female rock band". The Guardian. Retrieved February 23, 2019.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j "How It Began". Fanny Rocks. Archived from the original on October 2, 2011. Retrieved July 25, 2014.
- Ms. Magazine. Retrieved October 5, 2022.
- Orange County Register. Retrieved October 5, 2022.
- ^ a b Carson, Lewis & Shaw 2015, p. 85.
- ^ Wolf, Linda (December 14, 2013). "June Millington – A legend in her own time – November 2013". Teen Talking Circles. Retrieved October 5, 2022.
- ^ a b c d e f "ROCKRGRL Honors Fanny, Legendary Female Band, at Berklee". Berklee College of Music. Archived from the original on May 15, 2008.
- ^ "Brie Howard Darling – From Rock Star To Cake Diva". Riveting Riffs. Retrieved February 25, 2018.
- ^ a b "Mother's Pride – Fanny". AllMusic. Retrieved February 23, 2019.
- ^ a b "Fanny – Fanny". AllMusic. Retrieved February 23, 2019.
- ^ a b c Unico, Grethcen (October 3, 2016). "Rock Photographer Linda Wolf at Home With Fanny and on the Road With Joe Cocker". Rebeat. Retrieved February 25, 2018.
- ^ a b Ankeny, Jason. "Fanny – Biography". AllMusic. Retrieved February 22, 2019.
- ^ a b c "Chart Awards: Fanny". Allmusic. Retrieved July 1, 2011.
- ^ Anderman, Joan (April 20, 2007). "Rocking the Boat". The Boston Globe.
- ^ "Barbara Joan Streisand: Credits". Allmusic. Retrieved January 31, 2012.
- ^ Gaar 2002, p. 142.
- ^ "Military Madness". Sounds. Spotlight Publications. August 28, 1971. p. 3.
- ^ "About Fanny". Fanny Rocks. Retrieved February 23, 2019.
- ^ a b "Fanny – Fanny Hill". Rebeat Magazine. Retrieved February 27, 2019.
- ^ "Fanny Hill – Fanny". AllMusic. Retrieved February 23, 2019.
- ^ Fanny Hill (Media notes). Reprise Records. 1972. K44174.
- ^ a b c Edwards, Gavin (June 11, 2015). "20 Rock Albums Rolling Stone Loved in the 1970s That You Never Heard". Rolling Stone. Rolling Stone. Retrieved February 25, 2018.
- ^ "Fanny". Billboard. Retrieved February 27, 2019.
- ^ a b c "The End of the Road". Fanny (official website). Retrieved February 24, 2019.
- ^ Russell, Roberta (August 3, 2004). "June Millington's Attitude of Fearlessness". Expository Magazine. Archived from the original on April 3, 2007. Retrieved February 23, 2019.
- ^ Hinkle-Turner, Elizabeth (2006). Women Composers and Music Technology in the United States: Crossing the Line. Ashgate Publishing, Ltd. p. 213.
- ^ Bryan, Beverly (August 18, 2011). "Play Like A Girl By June And Jean Millington". Mtv Iggy. Retrieved July 25, 2014.
- ^ "Diamond in a Junkyard – Nickey Barclay – Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic.
- ^ Mary Pieper. "Former resident part of pioneering female rock band". Mason City Globe Gazette.
- ^ a b c Barton, Geoff (September 4, 2015). "Fanny: The Untold Story Of The Original Queens Of Noise". Classic Rock. Retrieved March 13, 2019.
- ^ "The Pleasure Seekers". Austin Chronicle. July 29, 2011. Retrieved February 26, 2019.
- ^ American Girls (Media notes). IRS Records. 1986. IRS-5702.
- ^ a b Strong & Griffin 2008, p. 311.
- ISBN 978-0-814-77995-8.
- ^ Eldorado / A New World Record (Media notes). Columbia. 1997. SMPACK10.
- ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on April 12, 2023. Retrieved March 17, 2023.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) - ^ "ROCKRGRL To Present Women Of Valor Award To Fanny, The First All Female Band To Release Major Label Album". Music Industry News Network. January 31, 2007. Retrieved February 25, 2018.
- ^ "Real Gone Reissues Fanny's Mother's Pride". That Devil Music. June 17, 2016. Retrieved February 25, 2018.
- ^ Giles, Jeff (2018). "Rock Pioneers Fanny Return with a New Album and a New Name". Ultimate Classic Rock. Retrieved February 25, 2018.
- ^ a b Powers, Ann (February 14, 2018). "Songs We Love: Fanny Walked The Earth, 'Lured Away'". NPR Music. NPR. Retrieved February 25, 2018.
- ^ "Fanny: The Female Rock Pioneers Are At It Again with Help from the Runaways, Go-Go's and Bangles". Guitar World. May 1, 2018. Retrieved February 23, 2019.
- ^ Martoccio, Angie (March 23, 2021). "Joe Elliott, Bonnie Raitt, Cherie Currie Talk Fanny's Influence in New Doc". Rolling Stone. Retrieved May 29, 2023.
- Point of View. Retrieved May 29, 2023.
- ^ "CAAMFest: Directions in Sound". Yerba Buena Gardens Festival. Retrieved April 11, 2023.
- ^ a b c d Johnson, Kathleen (September 2016). "Fanny's June Millington". Vintage Guitar. Retrieved February 23, 2019.
- ^ Carson, Lewis & Shaw 2015, p. 84.
- ^ "There aren't many girls in hard rock, but a new day (and attitude) is dawning". Billboard. November 6, 1971. p. 12. Retrieved February 26, 2019.
- ISBN 978-0-879-30782-0. Retrieved July 25, 2014.
- ^ a b "Working Their Way Up That Hill". Fanny Rocks (official website). Retrieved March 13, 2019.
- ^ "Charity Ball". AllMusic. Retrieved March 13, 2019.
- ^ a b "Fanny Chart History". Billboard. Retrieved March 13, 2019.
- ^ "Fanny Hill". AllMusic. Retrieved March 13, 2019.
- ^ "Rock and Roll Survivors". AllMusic. Retrieved March 13, 2019.
- ^ "Fanny – Live". Discogs. Retrieved September 22, 2022.
- ^ "The Music – Fanny Live in 1972". fannyrocks.com. Retrieved September 22, 2022.
- ^ "Fanny Live". AllMusic. Retrieved March 13, 2019.
- ^ "First Time in a Long Time". AllMusic. Retrieved March 13, 2019.
- ^ ISBN 0862417279– via the Internet Archive.
Sources
- Gaar, Gillian G. (2002). She's a rebel: the history of women in rock & roll (2 ed.). Seal Press. ISBN 1-58005-078-6.
- Carson, Mina; Lewis, Tisa; Shaw, Susan (2015). Girls Rock!: Fifty Years of Women Making Music. University Press of Kentucky. ISBN 978-0-813-15010-9.
- Strong, Martin Charles; Griffin, Brendon (2008). Lights, camera, sound tracks. Canongate. ISBN 978-1-847-67003-8.