Fanny Hill at Fifty: A Retrospective Review on International Women's Day

Last month, I reviewed June Millington's new album Snapshots. It included one song recorded during the heyday of Fanny called "The Ballad of Fanny" complete with producer Richard Perry's spoken baritone voice. 

In honor of International Women's Day and June's ongoing efforts to mentor girls and women in music through the Institute for the Musical Arts (IMA), I think it appropriate to honor the pioneering efforts of Fanny with a retrospective review of their album Fanny Hill which is commemorating its 50th anniversary this year. The cover alone of Fanny wearing all black is arguably the group's most iconic image and occupies a special place in the barn at IMA.

After recording their first two albums Fanny and Charity Ball at Wally Heider Studios in L.A., Fanny traveled to London to record Fanny Hill at Apple Studios. Richard Perry was again at the helm as he was for Fanny's first two albums. But Perry would be joined by Geoff Emerick, The Beatles' longtime recording engineer. The result was 11 songs - 9 originals and two covers. 

"Ain't That Peculiar" - A Top 10 hit for Marvin Gaye in 1965, Fanny would have a much different take on the Motown classic penned by Smokey Robinson, fellow Miracles Bobby Rogers and Pete Moore as well his longtime guitarist Marv Tarplin. Whereas Gaye's version is pensive and uncertain, Fanny's is fiery and defiant with emphasis by June Millington's slide guitar. On a personal note, this is the first Fanny song I ever heard albeit the Beat Club version. It's very hard to top the Beat Club because live Fanny is the best Fanny. Nevertheless, Fanny finds a way to take songs and make them their own. The common denominator between the two versions is the presence of percussionist Bobbye Hall, a female rock 'n roll music pioneer in her own right.

"Knock on My Door" - Written by Nickey Barclay and sung by Jean Millington, "Knock on My Door" is written from the point of view from the other woman. This piano driven song features yet another brilliant guitar solo from June Millington.

"Blind Alley" - If there is a Fanny song which should be heard on classic rock every day it is this one with Barclay's Joplinesque vocals accompanying her powerful piano playing. But drummer Alice de Buhr gets the star turn earning every bit of that songwriting credit by stumbling and falling down that alley without losing any balance.

"You've Got a Home" - There is a lot to be said for sequencing on an album and perhaps the best sequencing in the Fanny canon is going from Barclay and de Buhr's hard driving "Blind Alley" to June Millington's introspective yet mesmerizing "You've Got a Home". Although the subject is a male child, the inspiration for this song was Brandi Brandt, daughter of longtime Svelt and future Fanny member Brie Howard-Darling, during her time at Fanny Hill where she was affectionately known as Punkin. June's slide guitar evokes some of the early music of Carly Simon. Of all the songs on Fanny Hill, this was the one I kept on repeat.

"Wonderful Feeling" - This was Jean Millington's lone solo writing credit on Fanny Hill which is a classic minor verse, major chorus song. 

"Borrowed Time" - Side one closed with another Barclay rocker which borrowed from The Rolling Stones particularly with the inclusion of Stones' sidemen Bobby Keys and Jim Price on saxophone and trumpet, respectively. Keys and Price were no strangers to Barclay as they were all part of Joe Cocker's Mad Dogs & Englishmen tour nor were they strangers to Richard Perry as he deployed on Harry Nilsson's Nilsson Schmilsson and Son of Schmilsson. When I listen to "Borrowed Time" I invariably hear "Brown Sugar". This too is worthy of airtime on every classic rock station.

"Hey Bulldog" - As side one ended with an homage of the Stones, side two begins with a Beatles cover. Unless you're a fan of Yellow Submarine, "Hey Bulldog" is something of a deep cut and an unconventional choice to cover. As with "Ain't That Peculiar", I am partial to the Beat Club version. However, the studio recording opens with a sick bass line from Jean Millington which makes it well worth the price of admission.

"Think About The Children" - If June Millington's music has a credo this is surely it. Are you ready to think of the future?/To think about somebody else?/It may be your children's children/And not just yourself. She and her longtime partner Ann Hackler certainly live up to this ethos through IMA. Indeed, when reviewing Snapshots, I made the point that "Letter From The Heart" is a companion piece to "Think About The Children". Nigel Langridge described it as "a sister song." As for the song itself, it is among Fanny's funkiest.

"Rock Bottom Blues" - This song represented two Fanny firsts. "Rock Bottom Blues" was the first (and only) Fanny song in which all four members received songwriting credit. It was also the first Fanny song to feature Alice de Buhr on lead vocal. She would take on lead vocal duties again the following year on "Solid Gold" off the Mother's Pride album. For reasons known only to Richard Perry, he used this particular take when de Buhr was battling a cold instead of one eventually released by Rhino Records 30 years later on First Time in a Long Time The Reprise Recordings she was fully healthy and screamed, "It's so fucking hard!!!" With apologies to June Millington, no one says "it's so fucking hard" quite like Alice de Buhr.

"Sound and The Fury" - The best part of this June Millington penned country sounding song is an uncredited "Sneaky" Pete Kleinow of Flying Burrito Brothers fame on pedal steel guitar.

"The First Time" - Another strong Nickey Barclay banger. While Keys and Price are perfectly fine on "Borrowed Time" and "Rock Bottom Blues", their Mariachi band solo during the bridge is out of place. This space ought to have been occupied by June Millington's guitar. 

Fanny Hill ought to have included their cover of Ike and Tina Turner's "Young and Dumb" which may very well have been their hardest rocking song. Fanny played it regularly live. Why it wasn't included in the final cut of Fanny Hill is one of life's mysteries.

Nevertheless, 50 years after it was first released, Fanny Hill is an essential part of Fanny's discography and a major contribution in the history of women in rock 'n roll. If you have not heard Fanny Hill, feel free to listen online or by ordering a copy at Fanny's official website.