Lita Ford has appeared again at her early days with the Runaways, noting that the all-female band needed to push previous sexist prejudices to make a reputation for themselves.
“We had been earlier than our time, for certain,” Ford defined throughout an look on The Kenny Aronoff Periods podcast. “There have been no ladies within the viewers in any respect. There have been most undoubtedly no youngsters within the viewers. After we performed the festivals, it was just about a giant sea of denim and leather-based. And we had been younger, and folks checked out us like tits and ass. However then after they heard us play, it simply did one thing to them and so they received excited. We had been simply earlier than our time.”
The Runaways’ basic lineup featured Ford alongside Joan Jett, Cherie Currie, Jackie Fox and Sandie West. Being an all-female group in a male-dominated trade put a chip on Ford’s shoulder, one she admitted she later needed to let go of.
“I felt like I needed to compete with each male musician within the music trade. Not simply those that had been on the High 10 Billboard 100 or no matter. I felt like, ‘I’ve to play nearly as good as him. Or nearly as good as my favourite document,’” Ford defined. “After which as time went on, I began being onstage with these guys and in studios with these guys and jamming backstage with these guys. And I’m considering ‘I can’t allow them to scare me simply because they’re a man. They’re simply guitar gamers.’ And so, I form of put that entire factor out of my head. ‘You’re a lady, he’s a man.’ No, no, that doesn’t apply anymore. I’m not afraid of you.”
You may watch the interview beneath.
One different space of rock stardom was “utterly completely different” for the Runaways compared to their male counterparts: groupies.
“I feel a variety of the fellows had been afraid of me,” Ford famous. “And so they wished to speak to me and so they wished to place their palms on me, however didn’t. , that is me. Loads of the opposite women [in the Runaways] weren’t into males, so they’d ladies groupies. And it was completely different for them. However that left extra guys for me. So what would occur is I’d find yourself going with one of many musicians. Just like the Intercourse Pistols got here round a couple of occasions. And simply completely different musicians that may come round, the Ramones. And you’d simply find yourself having enjoyable for the night time and shifting on. However they had been those that might relate, and the groupies had been simply scared.”
High 100 ’70s Rock Albums
From AC/DC to ZZ High, from ‘Bridge Over Troubled Water’ to ‘London Calling,’ they’re all right here.
