The Runaways - Live In Japan (1977)

(U.S 1975 - 1979)

For those of you who do not know, The Runaways were an American girl group who released their first album in 1976. They were all aged about 16. The band came together in '75 in L.A. (of course) under the watchful eye of veteran rock hypester / houdini Kim Fowley, who has garnered himself a reputation (and rightfully so) of being truly crazed, fashioned a group containing young girls, all sixteen and seventeen. The girls, on command, played raunchy, overtly sexual music. In short, it was jailbait with a back-beat. The little boys (and the big boys, for that matter) went wild as the leather-encased, open-shirted batch of girls-next-door hit the road. Seeing the Runaways on stage, wielding their instruments like St. Valentine's Day assassins, was truly stirring, in a variety of ways.

The Runaways, though never a major success in the United States, became a sensation overseas, especially in Japan, thanks to the hit single "Cherry Bomb". As the Runaways were much better known in Japan than the U.S., it stands to reason that their only live album was recorded in that country and is the focus of this post.

Except for a handful of bootlegs, Live in Japan is the only documentation of the Runaways on stage. The album was never released in the United States. Consequently, the live LP was only available in the U.S. as a Japanese import and sold for around ten to 12 dollars, which was a lot to pay for vinyl in the late '70s. Luckily, the LP was released in Australia (sporting a different cover to the Japanese pressing) and of course I purchased a copy. Sadly, I sold it sometime later at the Camberwell Market back in the 90's.

But American Runaways fans who were willing to make that investment found a lot to admire about the album, which boasted superior sound quality (by '70s standards) and explosive, uninhibited versions of "You Drive Me Wild," "Cherry Bomb," "California Paradise," and other hard rock pearls. The original Runaways lineup (Joan Jett, Cherie Currie, Lita Ford, Jackie Fox, and Sandy West) was still in place, and the rockers' primary focus is on material from The Runaways and Queens of Noise.

Album Review

"Tokyo. Good evening. Please welcome from Hollywood and California. The Queens Of Noise....The Runways!"

It ain't exactly the most riot inciting kill tape plunder and destroy them hype up but as soon as the band crashes into a raging version of Queen Of Noise you know it's just gotta be good. They're spunky sheilas after all. They gotta be good mite.

It's hard rock 'n' roll and this band has got (sorry, had) balls. Hardly feminine dear. But if it's sexy purring heavy breaths that you're after then forget it, cos Cherie Currie sounds like a rusty can opener.

Sandy West handles the vocals department on Wild Thing and comes across as hard and fast as her drumming does which is mixed up front. Lita Ford's lead guitar work has certainly improved since that debut album last year.

Lou Reed's Rock 'n' Roll is virtually unrecognisable; the Runaways tearing it apart with raw cracking precision. I Wanna Be Where The Boys Are is great. Lita soars above Joan Jett's grinding guitar and bassist Jackie Fox as Cherrie screams "I am the bitch with the hot guitar...I wanna fight where the boys fight." No wonder she quit.

Their first single Cherry Bomb is even raunchier than their original version but what, one wonders, did the Japanese (for that is where it went down) think of this raw L.A noise. They screamed just like any Sherbet audience did. They even shouted for "More More.." before the Runaways returned sounding like Quo, to do C'Mon.

Okay, so this is the last recording by the Runaways with Jackie Fox and Cherie Currie. If you claim to be into raunchy rock 'n' roll then get into this - at full volume nothing less - cos this is about as raunchy as it gets. Plus it's one of the few live recordings that I think works.

Oh yeah, when you get the album you'll find a note at the bottom with their fan club address - and they want you to send your photo so they can see what you look like. Cute huh. Hardly.

[Review by Andrew McMillan, RAM Magazine October 21, 1977 p17]

This post consists of FLACs ripped from CD and includes full album artwork for both CD and vinyl media. I have to agree with Andrew McMillan's critique of this 'live' album, it is well produced/recorded and has captured the true rock 'n' roll essence of these Queens Of Noise.  Enjoy!

Tracklist

01 Queens Of Noise

02 California Paradise

03 All Right You Guys

04 Wild Thing

05 Gettin' Hot

06 Rock-n-Roll

07 You Drive Me Wild

08 Neon Angels On The Road To Ruin

09 I Wanna Be Where The Boys Are

10 Cherry Bomb

11 American Nights

12 C'mon

Recorded at the Tokyo Koseinenkin Kaikan and the Sibuya Kokaido 5 / 6 / 12 Jun 1977

Band Members:

Joan Jett (Rhythm Guitar, Lead Vocals)
Lita Ford (Lead Guitar)
Cherie Currie (Piano, Vocals)
Jackie Fox (Bass, Vocals)
Sandy West (Drums, Vocals)

Runaways Live Link (362Mb)

The Runaways - Rock Legends Series (1980)

(U.S 1975–1979)
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For those of you who do not know, The Runaways were an American girl group who released their first album in 1976. They were all aged about 16. The band came together in '75 in L.A. (of course) under the watchful eye of veteran rock hypester/houdini Kim Fowley, who has garnered himself a reputation (and rightfully so) of being truly crazed, fashioned a group containing young girls, all sixteen and seventeen. The girls, on command, played raunchy, overtly sexual music. In short, it was jailbait with a back-beat. The little boys (and the big boys, for that matter) went wild as the leather-encased, open-shirted batch of girls-next-door hit the road. Seeing the Runaways on stage, wielding their instruments like St. Valentine's Day assassins, was truly stirring, in a variety of ways.
Now, legend has it the members were recruited in the car park of an L.A. glam rock disco's car park. I'd like to imagine this is true, that the girls were found sitting on car bonnets, drinking underage, and popping pills. The fact that The Runaways were a 'manufactured' group doesn't bother me that much. Some great groups - Public Enemy, The Supremes, Sex Pistols, Spice Girls - were put together this way. All that matters to me is the end result. And to me, both then and now, The Runaways are as authentic and valid as I need.
If you haven't heard them, The Runaways records sort of mixed a Suzy Quatroesque Glam thump with a pre-punk, almost Ramones type minimalism. The songs were snotty, bratty, and full of bravado, underlined with the vulnerability of being an adolescent. Key words in the song titles and lyrics were 'night', 'streets', 'wild', 'bomb', 'fire', 'wasted', and 'neon angels on the road to ruin'.
They were a profound mixture of hype and mascara, and were the first batch of girl rock and rollers really to capture the attention of the world at large. (Earlier, Fanny nearly made it, Isis didn't even come close, and Birtha bombed big). From the start, the music industry knew that if these kids made it, they'd make it big, with such show-stopping numbers as "Born to Be Bad", "I Love Playin' with Fire", "Cherry Bomb", and "You Drive Me Wild".
But, by the time their second album, 'Queens of Noise' was released, the girls were badmouthing Fowley and Fowley was responding in kind, each accused the other of having a profound lack of talent. However, a short separation proved that each needed the other and, as the group began to change members. Fowley finally returned to the fold, however, the damage was already done, and after making a couple of albums, The Runaways decided to play their last concert on New Year's Eve 1978, at the Cow Palace near San Francisco and officially broke up in April 1979.
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Life After The Runaways
Cherie Currie, the singer, went off to become a solo star and actress. I did see one film she did, 'Little Foxes'. In it she basically played herself, a no good, too fast to live pill popping wild girl who was born to lose. The film was pretty crappy. In real life, she did become a junkie, and after many years she kicked the habit, and now works as a drug counselor. Cherie wrote her biography a few years ago, and I have spent much time trying to track it down, to no avail.
The guitarist, Lita Ford, worked for years as a beautician, before launching herself as a sleek, cat-suited, heavy metal goddess. Her records were rubbish. She also married some tattooed Neanderthal from heavy metal grizzles W.A.S.P, and then I don't know what happened to her.
Joan Jett went on to be Joan Jett, Queen of Rock'n'Roll. I believe Joan to be (now bear with me on this one), in her purity and minimalism, as true an artist as John Cage or Yoko Ono, and in her tomboy leathers, to be as queer as Dennis Cooper or Kathy Acker. Her dedication to loud guitar music, hand claps and screaming choruses is so great, I think that if you were to cut Joan Jett in half, the words 'I love rock and roll' would run through her like a stick of seaside rock.
When people write about the birth of punk, they always talk about the same old stuff: The Velvets, The Stooges, The Dolls, etc. Well, for my money, The Runaways were just as radical, just as nihilistic, and just as suburbanly trashy [extracts taken from Lillian Roxon's Rock Encyclopedia, Angus & Robinson 1978, p435-436]
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I feel The Runaways should be remembered as the greatest 'chic band' of the century - but then again, I'm a male and I'm biased
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.This post consists of a rip (320kps) taken from my cassette tape version of this Rock Legends 'best of' compilation. Although the tape has been played relentlessly at many a party, it still plays true and the sound quality is still excellent. I have been able to source the artwork for the LP release, however, I suspect this compilation was never been released on CD. Select photos the band have also been included for your drooling !
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Track Listing
01. Cherry Bomb
02. You Drive Me Wild
03. I Love Playin' with Fire
04. Born to Be Bad
05. Queens of Noise
06. Neon Angels on the Road to Ruin
07. American Nights
08. School Days
09. Waitin' for the Night
10. Hollywood
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Band Members:
Joan Jett (Rhythm Guitar, Lead Vocals)
Lita Ford (Lead Guitar)
Cherie Currie (Piano, Vocals)
Jackie Fox (Bass, Vocals)
Sandy West (Drums, Vocals)
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Runaways Link (77Mb) Link Fixed  05/01/2021

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