The Chicago_Reader is please to present excerpts from jen_b_larson's new book on women in punk, courtesy of publisher feralhouse. Kate Fagan and hard-rock band Bitch are just two of the 90 artists spotlighted in 'Hit Girls.'|✍️ imLeor
During the late ’70s and early ’80s, a coven of all-girl bands whipped through the Windy City like a pack of wild wraiths. Bitch, Tough Love, The Girls, Surrender Dorothy, Illicit, and Rash, to name a few. The tempest’s catalyst was none other than songwriter and super-shredder guitarist Lorrie Kountz.
Lorrie approached songwriting by beginning with guitar riffs or bass riffs and building from there. Her first songs reflected teen angst. Titles like “Committed,” “Drag Her Under,” “You Come Too Fast,” and “I’m 18” became Bitch originals. They also threw in covers like “These Boots Were Made for Walking” and “Heartbreaker.”
“It was much easier than now. There were actual booking agencies, and you actually made money,” Lorrie says. “You had a lot of support from the crowds, too. The clubs would be packed five or six days a week, no matter who would be playing, so they had their own draw. They were very supportive of the original music back then.”
Bitch play a cover of Pat Benatar’s “Heartbreaker” and the original tune “Disconnected.” Both come from a 1981 concert recorded in mono to reel-to-reel tape for a local radio station. Lorrie’s patent integrity has always guided her decisions, even when it came to moving on from bands and beginning new ones. In 1981, Bitch changed their name to Tough Love to avoid censorship issues and make it easier to advertise. Tough Love added synths and tried to soften up their sound. With three second-generation Bitch members at the helm, Tough Love put out a few singles and got radio airplay.
“I took over the lead singing role in BB Spin. The original vocalist was a male, and I sang in the original keys. When we opened for the Ramones, Joey asked our manager, ‘Where’d you find a girl that sings like a guy?’ I took that as encouragement to be a ‘front man,’ like I was successful in a traditional man’s role.”
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