Almost Too Rebellious?

[wilkinss77]

Jan 3, 2011 10:43:51 GMT -5 rob59 said:

As a UK rock fan the same age as the band, I remember the tone of the British music press coverage. Nothing explicit about girls not being able to play, but plenty suspicion of Kim Fowley, and a belief that the Runaways were "not real" but just a creation of the music industry/Kim Fowley. At the time this was the ultimate crime, and plenty artists careers were ruined by such suspicions. Its probably true though that their being all girls increased the suspicion.

The reason they were big in Japan is that all pop music in Japan is created by record companies and producers and Japanese artists are basically puppets. Then and now. So the Runaways fitted really well into the Japanese commercial music scene. They were just the latest Idols presented to Japanese teens to adore and consume. The fact that they were actually real musicians and not just total puppets actually made them seem edgy in Japan, which increased their appeal.

They were definitely not too rebellious. Its just that people did not believe it was for real.

America in particular was incredibly snobbish about rock not being contaminated by pop. Totally different now. But thats why glam rock, which was pop/rock crossover, failed to take off in the US, and only got played in places like Rodney's and the Starwood where Cherie and Joan hung out. The Runaways were a glam rock band in a country that never liked glam rock, and after glam rock was really over elsewhere. Under Joan, they then went into UK punk, but that never took off in the US mainstream until Green Day started to turn out their corporate McPunk. (I like Green Day,btw).

Anyway that's my almost 52 year old's take on it.

hi rob- i too am a UK runaways fan the same age as you. you are right about the press & their attitude, but a lot of rock fans sneered too, as soon as i mentioned them, i got told things like 'how can you take them seriously? they're women!' & the press tended to downplay the band's talent, calling them 'ok', 'not bad' or 'alright', even when they were brilliant! only a handful of critics (sandy robertson, julie burchill) really gave them rave reviews.

[mueber]

Mismanagement or nonmanagement certainly was a factor.

[wilkinss77]

Jan 7, 2011 8:54:58 GMT -5 mueber said:

Mismanagement or nonmanagement certainly was a factor.

yep- especially seeing as fowley even slagged the band off in mag interviews, whilst still managing them!