The Runaways : Live In Japan 1977

 

The Runaways were an all-female teenage American rock band that recorded and performed in the second half of the 1970s. The band released four studio albums and one live set during its run. Among their best-known songs are "Cherry Bomb", "Hollywood", "Queens of Noise" and a cover version of the Velvet Underground’s "Rock & Roll". The Runaways, though never a major success in the United States, became a sensation overseas, especially in Japan, thanks to the hit single "Cherry Bomb".

The Runaways were formed in late 1975 by drummer Sandy West and rhythm guitarist Joan Jett after they had both introduced themselves to producer Kim Fowley, who gave Jett's phone number to West.
Often dismissed during their existence as a crass marketing gimmick, the Runaways have grown in stature over the years as the first all-female band to make a substantial impression on the public by playing loud, straight-up, guitar-driven rock & roll.
Since all of the members were teenagers (some of whom were still learning to play their instruments when they passed their auditions), the band's music was frequently raw and amateurish, but it neatly combined American heavy metal with the newly emerging sound of punk rock.

Because the Runaways were much better known in Japan than the U.S., it stands to reason that their only live album was recorded in that country.

This hard to find LP was available in the U.S. only as a Japanese import and sold for around ten to 12 dollars, which was a lot to pay for vinyl in the late '70s.

But American Runaways fans who were willing to make that investment found a lot to admire about the album, which boasted superior sound quality (by '70s standards) and explosive, uninhibited versions of "You Drive Me Wild," "Cherry Bomb," "California Paradise," and other hard rock pearls. The original Runaways lineup (Joan Jett, Cherie Currie, Lita Ford, Jackie Fox, and Sandy West) was still in place, and the rockers' primary focus is on material from The Runaways and Queens of Noise. Holding nothing back, Ford is at her most metallic.

Except for a handful of bootlegs, Live in Japan is the only documentation of the Runaways on stage.

The album was never released in the United States. A 2004 Compact Disc version was issued by Cherry Red UK, after Phonogram dropped the album from its catalogues.

Tracklist

SIDE 1 


01 .Queens Of Noise     3:19
02. California Paradise     2:57
03. All Right You Guys     3:34
04. Wild Thing     3:45
05. Gettin' Hot     4:10
06. Rock-N-Roll     3:15

SIDE 2

07. You Drive Me Wild     3:15
08. Neon Angels On The Road To Ruin     3:46
09. I Wanna Be Where The Boys Are     2:50

10. Cherry Bomb     2:12
11. American Nights     4:04
12. C'mon     4:14

The Runaways

    Cherie Currie – lead vocals
    Joan Jett – rhythm guitar, lead vocals
    Lita Ford – lead guitar, backing vocals
    Jackie Fox – bass, backing vocals
    Sandy West – drums, backing vocals, lead vocals on "Wild Thing"

An on the road production for kim Fowley,
Produced by KENT J. SMYTHE AND THE RUNAWAYS
Recorded at the Tokyo Koseinenkin Kaikan
and the Shibuya Kokaido 5 / 6 / 12 Jun 1977
Mixed at Onkio-Haus-Studio 18 / 19 Jun 1977
Mixed by Kent J. Smythe & Takashi Kitazawa
Engineer : Toshio Kobayashi

Format : Vinyl LP
Year : 1977
Label ; Mercury Records
Made in : Holland

MP 3 @ 320 Size : 96.7 MB
FLAC   Size : 295 MB