The Runaways formed in 1975 in Los Angeles, and while their time together may have been short, they certainly made their mark. Joan Jett, Lita Ford, Cherie Currie, Sandy West, and Jackie Fox would be the most famous incarnation of the band (there were a few replacements along the way) that would last until 1979. During that time they released four studio albums, 1 live album, and in the years since, have released 8 compilation albums. Their standing as the first all girl metal band is firmly entrenched, though the band had very little commercial success outside of Japan (Japan absolutely adored this week's featured tune and gave them a Beatlesque welcome to The Land of the Rising Sun--so many cool kids in Japan!). After their break-up, Joan Jett had a great deal of success with several top ten hits, and eventually was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2014. Lita Ford had a top ten hit with a duet with, of all people, Ozzy Osbourne. The other members remained in music or left the music industry for other careers (Fox became a lawyer). Sadly, Sandy West passed away in 2006 from complications from lung cancer. Their influence on female bands and artists (including the Go-Go's Courtney Love, the Donnas, and White Flag), as well as on the punk and alternative movements, is widely acknowledged.
"Cherry Bomb" was released as a single in 1976 from the Runaways quite aptly named debut LP The Runaways. Neither the album nor the single had much commercial success, though the single did make it to #106 (with a bullet!) on Billboard's "Bubbling Under" (the Hot 100) chart.
"Cherry Bomb" was originally written by Joan Jett as a vehicle for Cherie Curie to audition for the band's lead vocalist (the band didn't know the song Curie actually wanted to do--oh the joys of youth). The song is your basic "I'm not Mommy and Daddy's little girl anymore" tune (none of The Runaways were out of their teens when the song was released), and Curie sings it with all the exuberance you would hope for from a liberated teen. Ford (lead guitar) and Jett (rhythm guitar) play off each other well and produce a staccato effect (with help from West on drums) that gives "Cherry Bomb" the bad ass feel that the song's protagonist is projecting. And when you throw in a catchy as all hell chorus, replete with a head banging stutter, we have a winner. In the end it's a stellar piece of youthful exuberance, made all the more powerful by the fact that it's an all female rock band from a time when women were fighting like hell to be accepted into virtually every male dominated profession in America, including rock and roll musicians...and The Runaways succeeded quite nicely.
Lyric Sheet: "Hello Daddy, hello Mom/I'm your ch ch ch ch ch cherry bomb..."
Enjoy:
Fuck Donald Trump,
emaycee
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