|
All news is attributed to the source from which it was received so that readers may judge the validity of the statements for themselves.
Have Joan Jett news to report? Email us at jettfc@aol.com, and please include the source of the information so it can be validated.
She loves rock 'n' roll: Collaborator sings praises of rock pioneer JOAN JETT
from: californiachronicle.com
by Jennifer K. Bauer
July 16--It's 1980. You're a woman with a guitar. You want to ROCK.
The problem is, it's 1980, you're a woman with a guitar and you want to rock.
Every major and minor label in the United States rejected the woman who spawned the iconic rock anthem, "I Love Rock 'n' Roll."
"Warner Brothers, they didn't get it," says JOAN JETT's longtime collaborator KENNY LAGUNA.
"The head of Atlantic Records said, 'Maybe if she'd hide behind the guitar and rock out like Pat Benatar.' "
Others said she couldn't sing, that her voice was horrible. Then there was the famous sound engineer who told Laguna, "Rock 'n' roll is a stag scene."
"It was pretty dramatic," says Laguna, who plays in Jett's band the BLACKHEARTS. "They didn't want a woman in what they considered a traditional male role."
Laguna met Jett as her high-school girl band, the RUNAWAYS, disintegrated in 1979. Laguna's wife had read about Jett and encouraged him to take her on as Jett embarked on a solo career.
He recalled the first time he heard Jett sing.
"Oh baby," he says, "Something in my head went, 'Wow, this girl's amazing.' "
Laguna has a decadeslong history in the music world. He was a member of Tommy James and the Shondells and produced the soundtrack to an Andy Warhol movie called "Lonesome Cowboys." He produced Jay and the Americans, Tony Orlando, and Edwin Star, as well as for the Who's record label in London. In the late 1970s, he wrote and produced new wave punk hits for the legendary Beserkley Record Label.
Even with all these connections he couldn't get Jett a record deal. Laguna's mother was a Greenwich Village feminist artist, and he wasn't going to give up on Jett because she was a woman, he says. He put her solo album out himself.
Despite positive press it didn't sell. After a year of touring with her new band, the BLACKHEARTS, Jett issued a second LP, which exploded. "I Love Rock 'n' Roll" hit No. 1 in 1982. Hits like "Crimson and Clover," "I Hate Myself for Loving You," and "Little Liar" followed.
Decades later, Jett, 49, is in high demand again upon the release of the movie, "The RUNAWAYS," about her first band. Jett is played by Kristen Stewart of "Twilight" fame. With all the interview requests her publicists only grant those that will end up on the covers of magazines. Other requests, including this newspaper's, are directed to Laguna, who Jett refers to as her primary songwriting partner.
Jett never wanted a movie about the band, says Laguna. "She thought it would ruin what the RUNAWAYS were."
He talked her into it and Jett was on the set nearly every day making sure the film stayed true to what being in the band was like. Dakota Fanning stars as bandmate Cherie Currie, on whose book, "Neon Angel: A Memoir of a Runaway," the film is based.
The film portrays Jett as the band's "rock 'n' roll heart," according to trailers, while Currie, who wore lingerie onstage, is "the sex kitten." The movie, playing at the Orchards Cinemas in Lewiston this weekend, comes out on DVD Tuesday.
"Joan thought the movie was dark but still liked it a lot. She thought it was accurate of the vibe of what it was like to be in the RUNAWAYS," says Laguna.
Since the movie is based on Currie's book, it's her perception of the band, he says.
"Joan loved being in the RUNAWAYS and never had a bad day. Cherie had a lot of bad days."
Famous since she was 15, Laguna says Jett is a down-to-earth person who is not into having an image.
"She is exactly what you see, day and night."
Outside the spotlight Jett is involved in animal activism, children's charities and politics. She frequently performs for troops overseas. She supports the troops, not the wars, Laguna says. He adds that at one point she was recognized by the Pentagon for being in more war zones as a noncombatant than anyone else in 15 years.
Jett's declaration of love for rock is still ringing through the music world. She's worked with some of today's cutting-edge female rockers, including Bikini Kill's Kathleen Hanna. Miley Cyrus and Avril Lavigne have both done Jett covers. Jett was a headliner on the Warped Tour in 2006 and is just off a European tour with Green Day.
"JOAN JETT has crossed that generational divide," says Laguna, who believes their best work is still ahead.
JOAN JETT AND THE BLACKHEARTS' Saturday outdoor concert at Clarkston's Rockin' on the River features the hits, beginning, middle and end, Laguna says.
"We don't bore 'em. It's pure rock 'n' roll, traditional three-chord rock 'n' roll that's a dying art."
If you go
What: Rockin' on the River with JOAN JETT AND THE BLACKHEARTS
When: 3:30 p.m. Saturday
Where: Gateway Golf, 720 Port Way, Clarkston
Admission: Advance: $25 each or $60 for family (two adults and three children, ages 6-15); Saturday: $30 each, $75 family
Tickets available at Rick's & Height's Family Foods, Clarkston; A&B Foods, Lewiston; Price Right Real Estate, Clarkston.
Of note: No outside food or drink is allowed; there will be a beer and wine garden and food vendors. Parking is $3. Children under 5 are admitted free.
Music starts at 4:30 with opening bands Many Mini Elephants, Katz Band and Vial 8. Jett takes the stage at 8:30.
|
| |
This Week:
No shows scheduled this week.
Click on the LIVE DATES link for upcoming shows |
Item Of The Month:
|
