Today, I would like say a few words about Fanny's eponymous debut album released 52 years ago this month in December 1970. This, of course, marked the first time an all-female rock 'n roll band playing their own instruments would release an album on a major label. That alone makes Fanny rock 'n roll pioneers.
But what of Fanny itself? Did Richard Perry bring out the spark and thunderbolts which prompted his secretary Norma Goldstein Kemper (no relation) to tell him he needed to sign these women she had seen at an open mic night at The Troubadour in Hollywood?
There would be significant changes for the band between the triumph at the Troubadour and making rock 'n roll history. The group had gone from being called Wild Honey to being rechristened Fanny. Lead guitarist Addie Lee departed and June Millington went from rhythm to lead guitar and several keyboard players were auditioned before tapping Nickey Barclay to join. Brie Howard-Darling would briefly make Fanny five before Reprise brought it back down to four. Of course, Darling would formally join Fanny for Rock 'n Roll Survivors. But that is another story for another day.
As I noted shortly before Canada Day, it was Canadian rock 'n roll fans who got the first taste of Fanny when Reprise Records "mistakenly" released the wrong set of masters. Although several of the songs would be part of Fanny's proper debut the track listing released north of the border is significantly different for which I have dubbed it "Fanny's Secret Canadian Album".
Fanny opens with drummer Alice de Buhr counting off into the June and Jean Millington composition "Come and Hold Me" which appears in the middle of side two of Fanny's Secret Canadian album. "Come and Hold Me" had started out as "I Find Myself", the demo of which appears on the 2002 Fanny compilation album First Time in a Long Time: The Reprise Recordings. I must confess I prefer to "I Find Myself" because it has such a strong Byrds feel to it, but "Come and Hold Me" is a good song in its own right.
"Come and Hold Me" is followed by "I Just Realized" which is one of only two songs in the Fanny canon composed by June Millington and Nickey Barclay. An up tempo rocker with strong harmonies this could have been the beginning of a beautiful songwriting partnership but as has been well documented the two were at odds with each other and a creative resolution could not be found.
The Millington sisters return with "Candlelighter Man". Also an up tempo song with strong harmonies complimented by Barclay on keyboards. From there we hear "Conversation With a Cop", the first of five Barclay solo compositions on Fanny. "Conversation With a Cop" is a story about a woman out late at night for walk with her dog who is confronted by a suspicious police officer. Given the tragic encounters many Americans, particular people of color, have had with police in recent years this song takes on a more significant meaning.
Side one of Fanny concludes with a cover of the Cream classic "Badge". Co-written by Eric Clapton and George Harrison, the highlight of Fanny's rendition is June Millington's guitar solo which proves she is worthy of the company of both Clapton and Harrison. Needless their live version of "Badge" on French TV is even better.
Side two of Fanny begins with three consecutive Barclay solo compositions - "Changing Horses", "Bitter Wine" and "Take a Message to The Captain". "Changing Horses" begins with a minute long piano solo by Barclay in which she talks in a stream of consciousness manner before de Buhr interjects, "It's alright, mama!!!" This is by followed the hardest driving two minutes and 48 seconds of the album. This should have been a hit single!!! Begin from "It's alright mama!!!" and then go from zero to sixty!!!
If there is a Fanny recording I want to hear live it is "Changing Horses". Knowing how good Fanny was live, I can only begin to imagine how audiences would have reacted. I can only hope June or Alice have a live recording of "Changing Horses" somewhere amid their archives.
Outside of "A Little While Later" (which closes Fanny's second album Charity Ball), "Bitter Wine" is Barclay's most emotionally vulnerable song. From the harmonies which open the song to lyrics likes Seems I hear my prayer/Falling on empty air/Bitter wine/The taste of things that cannot be this song is full of foreboding desperation.
It is well known that Barclay did not want to join an all-girl band and in one of her rare interviews said, "I hated just about every hour of being in Fanny though....some of the actual minutes weren’t too bad." "Take a Message to The Captain" can certainly be read as expressing Barclay's ambivalence about being in Fanny with lyrics such as Yes, I’ll join you at your table/Though I cannot stay for long/I had thought I would be able/But I can see now I was wrong. It is worth noting that "Take a Message to The Captain" also appears on Fanny's Secret Canadian album.
We are then treated to Fanny's cover of "It Takes a Lot of Good Lovin'". Co-written by Al Bell and Booker T. Jones of Booker T. & The MGs, it was originally recorded for Stax Records by Judy Clay in 1967 as "It Takes a Lot of Good Love". Even more notably it was produced by Isaac Hayes. Jean Millington's vocal and the arrangement stays mostly faithful to the original with the notable exception of a Barclay solo on the Hammond B-3 in lieu of a flute and horn section.
"Shade Me" is the fifth and final Barclay solo composition on Fanny and it begins with an absolutely tasty bass part by Jean Millington before Barclay gets into the driver's seat on her piano. Fanny closes with "Seven Roads" which has the distinction of being de Buhr's first writing credit having collaborated with the Millington sisters. While Barclay was not involved in the composition of "Seven Roads" it opens with a hellacious Hammond B-3 organ solo before June's guitar steps into the picture. While "Seven Roads" did appear on Fanny's Secret Album, Jean's vocals are slightly different on Fanny but no less on point. While there may have been spots where Richard Perry watered Fanny down more than the band would have liked, "Seven Roads" ends Fanny on a strong note and leaves the listener wanting more.
And I certainly plan to write more about Fanny in 2023 with the 50th anniversary of the release of Fanny's fourth album Mother's Pride in February. Mother's Pride would be Fanny's final album recorded for Reprise and the final Fanny album with the classic lineup of June Millington, Jean Millington, Nickey Barclay and Alice de Buhr.
Hi Aaron, good stuff, just need to point out that the evening at the Troubadour was very late summer/early Fall of '68. Many adventures ensued, including Wild honey playing that super-rich debutante's-high-school-graduation-party in Atherton (as related in "Land of a Thousand Bridges"), held at her grandmother's estate - with its own private polo grounds! - which Wild Honey played with the Turtles and the Youngbloods, and where they were both fired because no one could dance to them live, and we re-played our set again! (it doubled our fee:)) I absolutely cannot forget, it was one of the best chapters in the Svelts/Wild Honey experience as far as I'm concerned. We did not move to Fanny Hill until May 1969, our dad driving us down to Hollywood in the blue bus. I never would have remembered that without discovering letters between both my Dad and Mom, in fact to my Mom I speak about our cleaning the house top to bottom before being mentally able to set up and rehearse (or play at all:)), and how Richard was coming over for the very first time, the next day. Thank god for those chatty letters! xx
ReplyDelete(oh, and p.s. I have found quite a few live renditions of "Changing Horses" from the super-early days, live at the Whiskey and at the WB soundlot rehearsing/playing sets for Reprise executives, etc. They would need to be cleaned up, tho, and in in some cases the right speed restored ... too fast! And finally, I find it ironic that the French tv show is held up to be so special (and beloved! which of course I'm glad of), because on the inside, from my view, we were doing just another gig, similar to Beat Club. But whereas on Beat Club the technicians were so over the top excellent, I almost lost my mind with the French crew ... right around where the video kicks in (just after) I finally got the rest of the band in my monitors, and that saved the day. You can't really tell I was so very upset, I didn't know if I could do it. But you know, the rest of the band carried on and I just went along! Another day on the job ...
Hi June!!! Regarding the date at the Troubadour when I look into "Land of a Thousand Bridges" between your description of your night at the Troubadour and the audition at Wally Heider Studios you write, "Hollywood 1969 was a great place to be - it was still a big neighborhood." This made me think it took place in 1969. Given that there is some ambiguity as to the exact date, I'll rephrase the sentence.
ReplyDeleteI do remember reading the private concert with The Turtles and The Youngbloods. You do mention the Paris TV appearance very briefly and mention "struggling with your sounds." I prefer the rendition of "Young and Dumb" on Beat Club to French TV. The sound is so much clearer. When I introduce people to Fanny that is my go to performance.
Glad to hear you came across multiple recordings of "Changing Horses". I understand there would be need to be a restoration process. Hopefully this process will come to pass and there will yet be another Fanny treasure come to light and sound. As always you and Fanny keep me wanting more.
Take care.