The Pandoras

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Pandoras were a women's rock band from Los Angeles .

history

The beginnings 1983–1984

Paula Pierce (guitar, vocals) from Chino (California) was the band's defining personality as a musician and songwriter. Before the Pandoras she had played in numerous local bands, e. B. Action Now, The Rage or The Direct Hits. The Pandoras were founded in the spring of 1983 by Pierce and Gwynne Kahn (keyboards), niece of Tin Pan Alley songwriter Gus Kahn , as well as Deborah Mendoza (also Debbie Mende or Debbie Menday) on bass and Casey Gomez on drums. As a band name they discarded The Keyholes and Hole, among others, in order to finally name themselves after the "Pandora's Box", a nightclub in the 1960s on the Sunset Strip , in which, among others, the Sky Saxon , who was admired by Pierce , had frequented.

The Pandoras were originally part of the Paisley Underground , the neo- garage rock scene in West Hollywood. With other local bands like Redd Kross , The Three O'Clock , The Dream Syndicate and The Rain Parade , she shared a penchant for garage rock and psychedelic rock of the 1960s.

Successful years at Voxx and Rhino 1984–1986

The band recorded various demos and an EP for Voxx Records. Then Mendoza left the band and was replaced by Bambi Lee Convay , who recorded the LP "It's About Time" with the band. The record received good reviews and established the Pandoras as a serious band of the paisley underground , while they were previously smiled at musically.

Despite this first success, the band split into two groups: Pierce on the one hand and Kahn, Convay and Casey, who left the band. The whole thing ended in a bizarre dispute over the name The Pandoras, as both factions claimed and used the name for their respective bands. The press and fans also called Pierce's band "Pauladoras", while Gwynne Kahn's band were called the "Gwynnedoras".

Pierce "won" this argument because she had written all of the band's songs, was far more successful with new musicians than her competitors and was also able to maintain the collaboration with Voxx Records. Gwynne Kahn called her band Mad Monster Party from then on.

Pierce recorded the single "Hot Generation" / "You Don't Satisfy" for Voxx in 1984 with Julie Patchouli (bass), Melanie Vammen (keyboards) and Karen Blankfeld (drums). As a promotion, Voxx gave them the opportunity to tour the east coast, where they played with the Fuzztones at Irving Plaza .

But then nothing came of another LP for Voxx because the new manager, Randall Wixen, got the Pandoras a better-paid contract with Rhino Records . During the recordings for the album "Stop Pretending" in the winter of 1985/86 Julie Patchouli was replaced by Kim Shattuck . The album, the title of which was originally a song by Pierce's former band Action Now, was finally released in February 1986 and is considered a successful example of garage rock with pop appeal. The Pandoras toured the United States for several months to promote the album.

Since "Stop Pretending" did not develop into a commercial success à la Bangles or The Go-Go's despite all its qualities , Pierce subsequently changed the musical style, appearance and image of the band. Instead of following a strict sixties style as before, music, clothes and hairstyles have been adapted in the direction of metal . This should better market the band and force the commercial breakthrough.

The flop at Elektra Records and the later years 1987–1990

Through the mediation of Steve Pross, they came to a record deal with Elektra Records , which was reportedly set up for eight albums. From 1986 to 1987 the Pandoras recorded the album "Come Inside" and revised it several times. But despite countless changes and new recordings that delayed the release by over a year, neither the band nor the record company were really satisfied. Elektra canceled the release of "Come Inside" in December 1987 just a week ahead of the scheduled date, and its partnership with the Pandoras was tacitly ended. The endless and inconclusive recording work also had personal consequences: Karen Blankfeld left the band in autumn 1987 and was temporarily replaced by Kelly Dilliard and then permanently by Sheri Kaplan.

In 1988 The Pandoras released the EP "Rock Hard" on Restless Records , which was well received by metal fans, and the video was even played on music television. At that time, the band toured with five new guitarists, especially with Rita D'Albert, who had taken part in the recordings of "Rock Hard", but also with Susan Hyatt and Lissa Belltri.

In 1989 Restless Records released the live album "Live Nymphomania", recorded at a concert in Dallas that year. The album was a Billigstprodukt, virtually no post-production, and was by the critics panned . The sales figures were correspondingly poor and the contract with Restless was terminated.

Melanie Vammen and Kim Shattuck then left the band and founded The Muffs . When drummer Sheri Kaplan left, Pierce put the Pandoras on hold, wrote new songs and looked for musicians to start over. While doing fitness exercises in her apartment on August 10, 1991, she suffered a stroke and died of a subsequent cerebral haemorrhage at the age of only 31.

Conclusion

Posthumously, the Pandoras achieved a certain feminist cult status: Paula Pierce's impetuous, self-confident and independent lifestyle, combined with talent and permissiveness, became the model for what the Riot Grrrl bands like Hole , L7 , Lunachicks , Bikini Kill or Seven did in the mid-1990s Year Bitch was continued. It was certainly no coincidence that the later icon of women's rock, Courtney Love , came from the same club scene in Los Angeles where the Pandoras had started 10 years earlier to establish women's rock as a serious, independent division.

The Pandoras now have the same cult status as the obscure garage rock bands of the 1960s that Paula Pierce revered as role models.

Band members

  • Paula Pierce: guitar, lead vocals, composer of most songs (1983–1990)
  • Melanie Vammen: Keyboard (1984–1990)
  • Kim Shattuck: Bass (1985-1990)
  • Julie Patchouli: Bass (1984–1985)
  • Karen Blankfeld: drums (1984–1987)
  • Gwynne Kahn: Keyboard (1983-1984)
  • Deborah Mendoza: Bass (1983-1984)
  • Casey Gomez: drums (1983-1984)
  • Bambi Lee Convay: Bass (1983-1984)
  • Sheri Kaplan: drums (1987–1990)
  • Rita D'Albert: guitar (1987–1990)

Trivia

In 1986 the band The Mr. T Experience recorded the song I'm in Love with Paula Pierce as a homage for their own album Everybody's Entitled to Their Own Opinion .

Discography

Singles, EPs

  • The Pandoras (EP, Moxie Records 1984, produced by Bill Inglot and Chris Ashford)
  • Hot Generation / You Don't Satisfy (7 ″, Voxx Records 1984)
  • In and Out of My Life (In One Day) (7 ″, Rhino Records 1986)
  • Hard Rock (EP, Restless Records 1988)
  • I Didn't Cry / Thunder Alley (7 ″, Dionysos Records 1999)

Albums

  • It's About Time (Voxx Records 1984: Recorded at Silvery Moon Studio, produced by Gary Stern and Greg Shaw )
  • Stop Pretending (Rhino Records 1986; produced by Bill Inglot )
  • Come Inside (Elektra Records, recorded 1986-1987. Not officially released)
  • Live Nymphomania (Live album on Restless Records 1989. Recorded concert in Austin, Texas)

Videos

  • "LA In" TV show, 1984
  • Concert video "Live At Irving Plaza, New York, October 12, 1984"

Compilations

  • Battle of the Garage, Part 3 (Voxx Records 1984. Song: MELVIN)
  • Various compilations from Bomp! Records

Bootlegs

literature

  • Timothy Gassen: Echoes In Time - The Garage and Psychedelic Music Explosion 1980 - 1990, Borderline Productions, Wolverhampton, England 1991.

Web links