Fanny
"Rock And Roll Survivors"
© Red Cherry
April 02 - 08, 2023
Year of Release: 1974
Rating:
Rock 'N' Roll Survivors
Butter Boy
Long Distance Lover
Let's Spend The Night Together
Rockin' (All Nite Long)
Get Out Of The Jungle
Beggar Man
Sally Go 'Round The Roses
I've Had It
From Where I Stand
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The all-female band Fanny makes their mark here at WSVNRadio, with their 1974 release, Rock And Roll Survivors. I had a few of the famous K-Tel
vinyl albums whenn I was younger (and to this day, I am still awaiting for the reissues of these classic albums on CD). One K-Tel album was Sounds Spectacular
(the one with Gloria Gaynor's version of the Jackson 5 hit "Never Can Say Goodbye" as it was the first song on Side A; there were two versions of this
Sounds Spectacular album, released in 1975). Fanny's "Butter Boy" was on the K-Tel album. In researching Fanny, they had released a total of 5 albums
throughout the early 1970s decade. Their first 4 albums (1970-1973) was released as a box set - First Time In A Long Time - The Reprise Recordings, with live
recordings, outtakes and promotional items. (The band's first four albums were released on the Reprise label.) 1974's Rock And Roll Survivors was originally
released in 1974 on the Casablanca label (which would be the label for another 1970s band, Kiss.) Cherry Red Records would re-release this album in 2009. Fanny may
not have been remembered, but like other all-female bands, such as The Runaways, the gals from Fanny knew how how to Rock. "Butter Boy" would be the band's
most popular "hit"; it was written by Jean Millington. The song was written about David Bowie.
The band members were June Milington (guitar), her sister Jean Millington (bass), Alice De Buhr (drums), and Nickey Barclay (keyboards, vocals). They would remain
together for the band's first four albums. For Rock And Roll Survivors, June Millington and Alice De Buhr left the band, replaced by Brie Brandt (Drums)
and Patti Quatro (guitar). If the last name Quatro sounds familiar, Patti is the sister of Suzie Quatro, who would have a rock and roll career of her own, in the
1970s.
"Rock And Roll Survvors" is a true Rock track, where "Butter Boy" had more of a Pop Rock style. Likewise, "Long Distance Lover" has the
Pop style, and even their version of the Rolling Stones' "Let's The Spend The Night Together." "Rockin' (All Nite Long)" returns the band with a more harder
Rock sound, easily fitting the 1970s decade of Rock bands. Continuing the great Rock sound is on the next track, "Getting Out Of The Jungle." "Beggar Man"
has a more soulful approach. "Sally Go 'Round The Roses" is the remake by 1960s hit by the girl group The Jaynetts. Fanny puts their own style to it,
all in good Pop favor. "I've Had It" was the other hit single from the album; it was a remake of the 1958 song by The Blue Notes. There was a "new sound"
in music forming at the time, Glam Rock. Most of the songs on this album could have fit this style, and "I've Had It" is one of those that is easily fitted
for Glam. "Butter Boy" was the better hit song of the two. Ending the album is "From Where I Stand," having a 1970s sound, mixing both Pop and Rock,
and, it has a somewhat 1960s girl group atmosphere about it.
Rock And Roll Survivors moved towards a more polished and commercial sound, being influenced by the current Glam Rock scene. With two original members
replaced, and the band's sound changing, Rock And Roll Survivors would be Fanny's last studio album. The band's core was heard in their past four albums.
Reviews included of how "Fanny was one of the more powerful and exciting rock bands around," and "they once again put together a set of potential singles and another
step forward. Another review stated that the music was described as "somewhere between hard rock and the rock and roll of the Fonz and the Shangri-La's."
True, the band's core, and best material was within those first four albums. (A review of the box set of these four will be reviewed at a later date.)
"Butter Boy" was the band's highest charting hit. But despite the band's best music from earlier albums, the name Fanny was never a well-remembered name in
Rock music. It would take a K-Tel album to put what would be the band's biggest hit, "Butter Boy" on the map, and for Rock fans wanting to know more about
Fanny, they would want to hear their first four albums. As David Bowie said about Fanny: "They were extraordinary; they wrote everything, they played like
motherfuckers, they were just colassal 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."
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