83-432: The Rubettes are an English pop/glam rock band put together in 1974 after the release of " Sugar Baby Love ", a recording assembled of studio session musicians in 1973 by the songwriting team of Wayne Bickerton , the then head of A&R at Polydor Records , and his co-songwriter, Tony Waddington after their doo-wop and 1950s American pop-influenced songs had been rejected by a number of existing acts. Waddington paired
166-551: A Lulu , I wouldn't have it. I'd say 'go to hell' and walk out." This was the height of the glam rock period of the 1970s and Quatro, who wore leather clothes, portrayed a wild image while playing music that "hinged mostly on a hard rock chug beneath lyrics in which scansion overruled meaning." In 1972, Quatro embarked as a support act on a UK tour with Thin Lizzy and headliners Slade . Rak Records arranged for her to use Thin Lizzy's newly acquired PA system during this, incurring
249-433: A book by Willie Rushton . It ran from February 14 to March 9 at Hornchurch , England, where it was billed as "You'll be amazed how Tallulah did it, and to whom – and how often!" The show received favorable reviews from the majority of critics. In more recent times, Quatro has hosted weekly rock and roll programs on BBC Radio 2 . The first one was titled Rockin' with Suzi Q , while her second programme
332-568: A cameo appearance as a nurse in the "Hospital" episode of the comedy Absolutely Fabulous . She also was filmed in the 1990 Clive Barker horror film Nightbreed , but the studio cut out her character. In 2006, Quatro performed the voice of Rio in the Bob the Builder film Built to Be Wild , and appeared in an episode of the second season of Rock School , in Lowestoft . She also appeared in
415-648: A charge of £300 per week that enabled the Irish band to effectively purchase it at no cost to themselves. In May 1973, her second single " Can the Can " (1973) – which Philip Auslander describes as having "seemingly nonsensical and virtually unintelligible lyrics" – was a No. 1 hit in parts of Europe and in Australia. "Can the Can" was followed by three further hits: " 48 Crash " (1973), "Daytona Demon" (1973) and " Devil Gate Drive " (1974). "Can
498-935: A cover of Goldfrapp 's "Strict Machine", but Quatro's version contains two lines from "Can the Can", referencing the similarity of the tunes for the two songs. In April 2013, she performed in America for the first time in over 30 years, at the Detroit Music Awards where she received the Distinguished Lifetime Achievement Award, presented to her by her sister, Patti. In 2017, Quatro released her sixteenth studio album backed by Andy Scott from Sweet on guitar and Don Powell from Slade on drums. In August 2023, Quatro released an album of duets with KT Tunstall entitled Face to Face . After discovering they were mutual fans of each other, they were put in touch with each other by
581-718: A date to a fraternity formal with Ralph Malph . Marshall offered Quatro a Leather Tuscadero spin-off, but she declined the offer, saying she did not want to be typecast. Other acting roles include a 1982 episode of the British comedy-drama series Minder (called " Dead Men Do Tell Tales ") as Nancy, the singer girlfriend of Terry ( Dennis Waterman ). In 1985, she starred as a mentally disturbed ex-MI5 operative in Dempsey and Makepeace – "Love you to Death". In February 2022 Quatro gave an exclusive interview to Paul Stenning regarding her appearance in both shows. In 1994, she made
664-430: A group of session musicians featuring the distinctive falsetto and lead vocals of Paul Da Vinci (born: Paul Leonard Prewer). However, Da Vinci did not join the others to become a member of the band put together by John Richardson, and instead pursued solo work, having signed a contract with Penny Farthing Records . "Sugar Baby Love" was their only UK No. 1 and sole US Top 40 entry. For public appearances to promote
747-568: A hit for Mac and Katie Kissoon ). They originally intended to submit it for the Eurovision Song Contest but instead offered it to Showaddywaddy and Carl Wayne , who both turned it down. They then offered it to the demo musicians, provided that they would become an actual group with the exception of the recording's lead singer, Paul Da Vinci , who had signed a solo recording contract with Penny Farthing Records . Surprisingly, only John Richardson , who played drums and spoke
830-516: A musician. She was influenced at the age of six by seeing Elvis Presley perform on television. She has said that she had no direct female role models in music, but was inspired by Billie Holiday and liked the dress sense of Mary Weiss of the Shangri-Las "because she wore tight trousers and a waistcoat on top – she looked hot". Quatro received formal training in playing classical piano and percussion—her first instrument
913-464: A mutual friend. Quatro is possibly best known in the United States for her role as the bass player Leather Tuscadero on the television show Happy Days . The show's producer, Garry Marshall , had offered her the role without having an audition after seeing a photograph of her on his daughter's bedroom wall. Toby Mamis , who was acting as her U.S. representative at that time, helped broker
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#1732783208752996-421: A new song: "From sitting at my piano in my front room, writing down a title (always first), picking up my bass, figuring out the groove, going back to the piano ... working on the lyrics, playing electric guitar ... and finally I type out the lyrics. Only then is it officially a song. Next it goes down on my tiny 8-track , [with] me playing everything ... this is the version all muso's use to get into
1079-660: A practical addition to the ensemble.. [as] we all had long hair, which didn't suit the image we'd gone for.. We compromised by having our hair pinned up inside the caps...". Williams sang lead on later recordings, and the Rubettes went on to have a number of other top ten hits across Europe during the mid-1970s, such as "Tonight", "Juke Box Jive" and "I Can Do It", mostly written by the Bickerton–Waddington songwriting team. The Rubettes' success encouraged Bickerton and Waddington to set up State Records , so that ten months after
1162-637: A rocket and sold 6 million copies worldwide. Gerry said to me, 'I'm keeping my mouth shut and will concentrate on conducting the strings.'" "Sugar Baby Love" became a UK No. 1 hit in 1974, also reaching No. 37 and No. 30 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and Cashbox charts, respectively. It also reached No. 1 in Germany, Switzerland, Sweden, the Netherlands, Austria and Belgium, and No. 2 in Australia, South Africa and Italy. "Sugar Baby Love"
1245-463: A vocal group sings 'Bop-shu-waddy' over and over for about 3 minutes. Gerry Shury , who did the string arrangements, said, 'This is not going to work: you can't have a vocal group singing 'Bop-shu-waddy' non-stop.' A lot of people said the same thing to us and the more determined I became to release it. The record was dormant for 6 or 7 weeks and then we got a break on Top of the Pops and it took off like
1328-637: A way to apply it to their own lives, because grouping together takes away the whole idea of Women's Lib. The interviewer, Charles Shaar Murray , considered her viewpoint to be "... somewhat anomalous, because unless the woman in question happens to be well known, she has no way of letting people hear her unless she unites with other women and then elects a spokesman." He also noted the apparent contradiction that Quatro seemed proud that girls were writing to her saying that they were emulating her look and her attitude. In 1974, Quatro believed that, unlike men, women were burdened with emotional responses and that it
1411-631: Is only led by them, by having the phrase "featuring __" after "The Rubettes". In March 2012, Thorpe digitally released the No Hits, No Jazz Collection and performed at Darwen Library Theatre with a live eight-piece band for his '50th Anniversary 1-Gig-Tour'. It featured session musicians Iain Reddy, Liam Barber, Justin Randall and Greg Harper. "You're the Reason Why" was played. In 2002, the group hit
1494-596: Is reported to have sold over 50 million records worldwide, and continues to perform live. Quatro's most recent studio album, Face to Face , was released in 2023 and follows the 2021 collaboration The Devil in Me with her son Richard Tuckey who had already taken part in No Control in 2019. Quatro also remains active in radio broadcasting. Quatro was born and raised in Detroit, Michigan , United States. Her father, Art,
1577-572: The If you knew Suzi... album. A year later, Quatro released Suzi ... and Other Four Letter Words , but none of her other work had much US success. This featured the hits "She's in Love with You", which made No. 11 in Britain, "Mama's Boy" (number 34), and "I've Never Been in Love" (number 56). In 1980, after Quatro's contract with Mickie Most had expired, she signed with Chapman's Dreamland Records. In
1660-600: The Pete Best Four in Liverpool in the early 1960s. Their biggest success had been writing " Nothing but a Heartache ", a US hit for the Flirtations in 1968. In the early 1970s, they came up with the idea for a rock 'n' roll musical . They co-wrote and produced a demonstration recording of "Sugar Baby Love", recorded October 1973 with " Tonight ", " Juke Box Jive " and "Sugar Candy Kisses" (which became
1743-586: The Rock Hard album, titled "Lipstick", was released in February 1981, but radio refused to play it as they claimed it sounded too much like Gloria by Them . Suzi Quatro's Greatest Hits , which was released in 1980, peaked at No. 4 in the UK charts, becoming her highest-charting album there. After Chapman's Dreamland Records folded in 1981, Quatro was left without a record label. Her last UK hit for some time
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#17327832087521826-458: The "please take my advice," Alan Williams, who sang in the chorus backing vocal group and Pete Arnesen who played piano would sign up and later become a member of The Rubettes . For public appearances including Top of the Pops , Williams, who claimed to be the only member of the group able to duplicate Da Vinci's falsetto, performed the lead vocals. Bickerton said: "We had Paul DaVinci singing in that incredibly high falsetto voice and then
1909-512: The 1990s, Quatro released four new albums, though Unreleased Emotion had been recorded several years previously. What Goes Around – Greatest & Latest was released in 1995 and consisted of mainly older hits rerecorded; this proved a success in Denmark. Except for 1999's Free the Butterfly self-help album, it would take a further 11 years for Quatro to release a new album. Back to
1992-434: The Can " (1973) and " Devil Gate Drive " (1974) reaching No. 1 in several countries. Quatro released her self-titled debut album in 1973. Since then, she has released fifteen studio albums, ten compilation albums, and one live album. Other songs, including " 48 Crash ", " Daytona Demon ", "The Wild One", and "Your Mama Won't Like Me", also charted highly overseas. Following a recurring role as bass player Leather Tuscadero on
2075-626: The Can", "48 Crash" and "Devil Gate Drive" each sold over one million copies and were awarded gold discs , although they met with little success in her native United States, where she had toured as a support act for Alice Cooper . Rak Records' artists had generally not succeeded in the US and her first album, Suzi Quatro , was criticised by Alan Betrock for its lack of variety, for its Quatro-written "second-rate fillers" and for her voice, described as "often too high and shrill, lacking punch or distinctive phrasing." Writing for Rolling Stone , Greg Shaw
2158-620: The Drive in 2006 showed a return to Quatro's harder rock roots, rather than the smoother sounds of her previous albums. Back to the Drive also returned Quatro to the worldwide charts – her first album to do so since 1980s Rock Hard . Back to the Drive also produced a download only single "I'll Walk Through the Fire with You". Quatro released In the Spotlight in 2011 with the lead single, "Whatever Love Is". Quatro marked her 50th anniversary in
2241-604: The Essex manor house. Toward the end of 2008, Quatro's children had moved out of the house and she temporarily put it up for sale, stating that she had empty nest syndrome . Quatro continues to live in Essex and Hamburg , and sometimes in Detroit . Since 2011, she has published music videos on YouTube . On March 31, 2012, Quatro broke her right knee and left wrist while boarding an aircraft in Kyiv , Ukraine , where she had performed
2324-617: The German television station ZDF , with Williams claiming Hurd had breached the terms of the original agreement. On 2 February 2006, a High Court judge found that Hurd and Williams had both been guilty of breaching the 2002 agreement. Costs of the trial were, however, awarded to Williams in view of the severity of Hurd's breaches. Hurd appealed against this decision, but on 3 November 2006, the Appeal Court in London ruled against him, awarding
2407-717: The Kinks , Eddie and the Hot Rods and Dr. Feelgood on the Mark Cunningham-produced cover version of David Bowie 's " Heroes ", released the following year as the 1986 BBC Children in Need single. Quatro also released a cover version of " Wild Thing " in November 1986, as a duet with The Troggs singer Reg Presley . "Can the Can"/"Devil Gate Drive" were re-released in 1987 as a single and reached number 87 in
2490-528: The Rubettes featuring John, Mick, and Steve. In 2020, the trio recorded, produced, and released their album "Glamnezia". They are currently the only version of the Rubettes to have released a full-length studio album. Members of the original Rubettes are in Bold Sugar Baby Love " Sugar Baby Love ", recorded in autumn 1973 and released in January 1974, is a bubblegum pop song, and
2573-481: The Spotlight (and its single, "Spotlight"). This album is a mixture of new songs written by Mike Chapman and by herself, along with some cover versions. A second single from the album, "Whatever Love Is", was subsequently released. On November 16, 2011, a music video (by Tischler-Blue) for the track " Strict Machine " was released onto the Suzi Quatro Official YouTube channel. The track is
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2656-521: The UK Top 30, her first hit to have done so in three years. It would take another year for another big hit, this time with a change to a more mellow style giving Quatro a 1978 single " If You Can't Give Me Love " that became a hit there and in the United Kingdom. Later that year, " Stumblin' In ", a duet with Chris Norman of the band Smokie , reached No. 4 in the US. Both tracks were featured on
2739-500: The UK charts. She was also part of the Ferry Aid charity single " Let It Be ", which was a UK No. 1, 13 years and 26 days after Quatro's last UK No. 1. In 1989, Quatro released a prerecorded backing track single "Baby You're a Star", which was released in the UK, though it failed to chart. By the late 80's, it was clear that Quatro's hitmaking days were over, though she still recorded persistently despite lack of chart success. During
2822-535: The appointment of John Summerton (ex Flintlock ) on guitar and vocals, and the arrival of drummer Damian Fisher. Current Former Members of the original Rubettes are in Bold Timeline In February 2019, founding members of "The Rubettes featuring Alan Williams" John Richardson, Mick Clarke, and Steve Etherington (who with the exception of Etherington are original members of the band) decided to break away from Alan Williams, and formed
2905-665: The band along with Clarke, Richardson, and ex- Kinks keyboardist Mark Haley. On 21 September 2014, as part of the Rubettes' 40th anniversary, it was announced that Alan Williams, John Richardson, and Mick Clarke would return to the Olympia in Paris, the same venue at which the Rubettes made their first appearance in France in 1974 when "Sugar Baby Love" topped the French and European charts. The band broke up in February 2019. A new Rubettes
2988-406: The band and Arlene had left following the birth of her child. Quatro moved to England in 1971, after being spotted by the record producer Mickie Most , who had by that time founded his own label, Rak Records . Most had been persuaded to see Cradle by her brother Michael , who was managing the band. Like other music producers at the time, Most was looking for a female rock singer who could fill
3071-569: The band began at the age of seven or eight, and whether the instrument she played was a drum kit or percussion ( bongo or congas ). Subsequently, she appeared on local television as a go-go dancer in a pop music series. In 1964, after seeing a television performance by the Beatles , Quatro's older sister, Patti, had formed an all-female garage rock band called the Pleasure Seekers with two friends. Quatro joined too and assumed
3154-471: The band continued as a four-piece; Hurd joined Suzi Quatro 's band, touring and playing on a number of worldwide hits, which included the Top 20 success " She's in Love with You " in 1979, before re-joining the Rubettes in 1982. In another attempt to get away from the 'doo-wop' glam image, Thorpe insisted that the trademark vocal harmonies were left off of his composition, "You're the Reason Why". Gerry Shury and
3237-530: The band continued to tour well into the 2000s with two line-ups in existence. The Rubettes' first and biggest hit was " Sugar Baby Love " (1974) which was a number one in the United Kingdom , going on to sell around 500,000 copies in the UK and three million copies globally. With three more songs, "Sugar Baby Love" was recorded for Polydor in October 1973 at Lansdowne Studios in Holland Park, London, by
3320-431: The band dissolved in 1980. The band reformed in 1982, with a line-up consisting of Williams, Clark, Hurd, and drummer Alex Bines to exploit the German market for 1970s nostalgia. This line-up remained relatively stable until 1999, with the only line-up changes being the departure of Clark in 1987, to be replaced first by Steve Kinch and then by Trevor Holliday, before he returned to the fold in 1993. John Richardson, under
3403-570: The band in 2006 and was replaced by George Bird, and guitarist Rufell leaving in 2009 and replaced by Ian Pearce. In June 2009, Bill Hurd's Rubettes played at the East Kilbride ArtBurst Festival. In 2010, Bill Hurd's Rubettes covered the 1997 Thorpe composition "Where the Angels Fear to Tread" on their album 21st Century Rock 'n' Roll on Angel Air Records. 2013 saw the beginning of the most turbulent period in
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3486-489: The band out-voted him. The version with no vocal backing has been available as a bootleg recording in certain parts of Europe. In 1979, Thorpe and the band separated over musical differences. Thorpe can be heard on lead vocals on the last Still Unwinding track, "Does It Gotta Be Rock 'N' Roll". His guitar parts and backing vocals remained. After Thorpe's departure, the group's success began to dwindle. The band replaced Thorpe with Bob Benham, but he departed shortly thereafter and
3569-487: The band underwent a major personnel upheaval again, as everyone other than Hurd departed the band. The line-up then solidified with the arrival of vocalist Ken Butler, drummer Martin Clapson, and guitarist Dave Harding; with Mike Steed joining them on bass (on loan from The Marmalade ) for a few months. The band line up has remained fairly settled since 2014 with the only changes following the death of Ken Butler in 2018 saw
3652-400: The band's history, as line-up instability was common for the next two years. First Bines, Hill, and Pearce all left the band to be replaced by Paul Callaby (drums), Ray Frost (guitars), and John Sorrell (bass) respectively; leaving Hurd as the last remaining 'founding member' of his version of the group left in the band. Late 2013 saw Bird depart the band to be replaced by Yvan Silva. By mid-2013
3735-650: The charts. This was a solo effort, although aided by people such as Duncan Browne , Peter Frampton and Alan White . Subsequently, with the approval of Most, she auditioned for a band to accompany her. It was also after this record that Most introduced her to the songwriting and production team of Nicky Chinn and Mike Chapman , who wrote songs specifically to accord with her image. She agreed with Most's assessment of her image, saying that his influence, at which some of his artists – such as Jeff Beck and Rod Stewart – balked, did not extend to manufacture and that "If he tried to build me into
3818-401: The charts." Around this time, Quatro recorded a new album that was shelved until 1997, when it was issued as Unreleased Emotion . Quatro briefly returned to recording for two more singles, "I Go Wild" in 1984, and in 1985 her " Tonight I Could Fall in Love "/"Good Girl (Looking for a Bad Time)" single reached No. 140 in the UK charts. Quatro also collaborated with Bronski Beat and members of
3901-558: The costs of the appeal to Williams. Hurd has since gone bankrupt. In July 2022 Alan Williams and his company won a High Court trial for the ownership of The Rubettes name, against Clarke, Richardson and Etherington. Sitting in the High Court in London, Judge Pat Treacy ruled for Williams and said: "The defendants' conduct amounts to a misrepresentation sufficient to engage the tort of passing off. The claimants have succeeded." Former Timeline In 2000, Williams formed his version of
3984-431: The deal and generate enormous media attention to it, elevating Quatro's profile in her home country. Leather was the younger sister of Fonzie's former girlfriend, motorcycle trick rider Pinky Tuscadero. Leather fronted a rock band joined by principal characters Richie Cunningham , Potsie Weber , Ralph Malph , Chachi Arcola , and even Joanie Cunningham once. The character returned in other guest roles, including once for
4067-567: The debut single of the Rubettes . Written by Wayne Bickerton and Tony Waddington and produced by Bickerton, engineered by John Mackswith at Lansdowne Recording Studios, and with lead vocals by Paul Da Vinci , "Sugar Baby Love" was the band's only number one single on the UK Singles Chart , spending four weeks at the top of the chart in May 1974. Bickerton and Waddington had been writing songs together since they were both members of
4150-474: The drama series. The single peaked at No. 20 on Oricon 's singles chart and sold over 61,000 copies. All lyrics are written by Joe Lemon ; all music is arranged by Shirō Sagisu . Suzi Quatro Susan Kay Quatro (born June 3, 1950) is an American singer, bass guitarist, songwriter and actress. In the 1970s, she scored a string of singles that found success in Europe and Australia, with both " Can
4233-410: The episode " The Axeman Cometh " of Midsomer Murders in the role of Mimi Clifton. Quatro has also performed in theatre. In 1986, she appeared as Annie Oakley in a London production of Annie Get Your Gun and in 1991 she performed the title role in a musical about the life of actress Tallulah Bankhead . Titled Tallulah Who? , which had music and lyrics co-written by her and Shirlie Roden, with
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#17327832087524316-406: The exception of Australia, her chart success faltered thereafter, as proven with her 1975 hit "Your Mamma Won't Like Me", which proved to be a moderate success in the UK. Further singles "I Bit off More Than I Could Chew" and "I May Be Too Young", both failed to reach the UK Top 50. Quatro recorded the album Aggro-Phobia in 1976 and released a new single in 1977 called "Tear Me Apart" which reached
4399-513: The first Suzi Quatro – I didn't want to be the new anybody." Most had no interest in the other band members and he had no idea at that time of how he might market Quatro. She spent a year living in a hotel while being nurtured by Most, developing her skills and maturing. Most later said that the outcome was a reflection of her own personality. Quatro's first single, " Rolling Stone ", was successful only in Portugal, where it reached No. 1 on
4482-502: The group with manager John Morris, the husband of singer Clodagh Rodgers and under his guidance, the band duly emerged at the tail end of the glam rock movement, wearing trademark white suits and cloth caps on stage. Their first release, "Sugar Baby Love" was an instant hit remaining at number one in the United Kingdom for four weeks in May 1974, while reaching number 37 on the US chart that August, and remains their best-known record . Subsequent releases were to be less successful, but
4565-555: The headlines once more when, following an acrimonious split and legal action, the Rubettes became the latest in a long line of bands (including the Beach Boys and Spandau Ballet ) to end up in the courts in a dispute over ownership of the band's name. The court ruled that both Williams and Hurd could tour as the Rubettes, as long as it was clear which member was fronting the band. All was well until 2005 when Williams and Hurd were back in court following an appearance by Hurd's band on
4648-526: The most emancipated: a small girl leading an all-man group in which she herself plays bass guitar. The image is of a tomboy, lank-haired, tight-bottomed and (twice) tattooed; a rocker, a brooder, a loner, a knife-carrier; a hell-cat, a wild cat, a storm child, refugee from the frightened city of Detroit. In 2020, Quatro was awarded the Icon Award by the Women's International Music Network. In 2011, Quatro
4731-423: The much bigger European market by continuing to release more commercial pop singles all featuring lead vocals by Alan Williams such as "Julia" (1976), "Allez Oop" (1976), and "Ooh La La" (1977). The band became a quintet in early 1975 with the departure of Arnesen, and later became a quartet in mid-1976 when Hurd departed the band; to this day the original band has never expanded its line-up beyond four members. Whilst
4814-573: The music industry with an anthology, Girl from Detroit , in 2014 with two new tracks. Around 2005, a documentary chronicling Quatro's life, Naked Under Leather , named after a 1975 bootleg album recorded in Japan, directed by a former member of the Runaways , Victory Tischler-Blue , was made, but this has never been released. In February 2006, Quatro released Back to the Drive , produced by Sweet guitarist Andy Scott . The album's title track
4897-539: The name Jayadev, has recorded as a session percussionist, and played on Tight Fit 's version of The Lion Sleeps Tonight . In 2000, Williams and Hurd both formed their own versions of the Rubettes, which at the time both also included two members of the Rubettes in each group (Clarke and Richardson in Williams', Da Vinci and Bines in Hurd's). Due to legal issues, both versions of the band have to specify that their version
4980-479: The night before. As a result, she had to cancel her appearance at the Detroit Music Awards on April 27, where she was to perform and be inducted into the Detroit Hall of Fame along with her sisters. Had she been able to go, that would have been her first performance in America in over 30 years. Quatro also had to reschedule other concert dates, while some were canceled altogether. In a 2012 interview, Quatro
5063-417: The participants were ... completely hypocritical. Their leaders stand up there and say, 'We're individuals blab blab blab,' and yet they're all in a group following like sheep. For me, I cannot put the two together ... I'm talking about the masses that follow [the movement's leaders who get press attention] and who have nothing at all to say. It gives it all a very phony light. I hope they can find
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#17327832087525146-481: The popular American sitcom Happy Days , her duet " Stumblin' In " with Smokie 's lead singer Chris Norman reached No. 4 in the US, her only song to chart in the Top 40 in her homeland. Between 1973 and 1980, Quatro was awarded six Bravo Ottos , an award given to musicians as voted in the German teen magazine Bravo . In 2010, she was voted into the Michigan Rock and Roll Legends online Hall of Fame. She
5229-582: The pursuit of success. However, they would become well-known fixtures in the burgeoning Detroit music community. The Pleasure Seekers recorded three singles and released two of these: "Never Thought You'd Leave Me" / "What a Way to Die" (1966) and "Light of Love" / "Good Kind of Hurt" (1968). The second of these was released by Mercury Records , with whom they briefly had a contract before breaking away due to differences of opinion regarding their future direction. They changed their name to Cradle in late 1969, not long after another Quatro sister, Nancy, had joined
5312-426: The release of "Sugar Baby Love", the fourth Rubettes single "I Can Do It" was on State (catalogue reference STAT 1). In November 1974, NME music magazine reported that The Rubettes, The Glitter Band and Mud were among the UK bands who had roles in a new film titled Never Too Young to Rock . In 1976 the band abandoned glam nostalgia to enter more serious territory. "Under One Roof" (1976) sung by John Richardson
5395-404: The same year, she released the album Rock Hard ; both the album and title single went platinum in Australia. Rock Hard was also used in the cult film Times Square and was included on the soundtrack album. The single reached No. 11 in Australia, but only 68 in the UK due to distribution problems. It was clear at this point that the hit single career was beginning to wane. A second single from
5478-483: The song, initially on Top of the Pops , Alan Williams took on the role of lead singer, being the only one of the original session singers able to duplicate Da Vinci's falsetto vocals. The Rubettes then comprised Williams, Richardson, and Pete Arnesen (all three of whom had participated in the original recording) together with Tony Thorpe , Mick Clarke, and Bill Hurd. In performance, the group wore distinctive white suits and white caps which, according to Williams, "were
5561-412: The stage name of Suzi Soul; Patti Quatro was known as Patti Pleasure. Suzi would sing and play bass in the band. The band also later featured another sister, Arlene. Many of their performances were in cabaret , where attention was (initially) focused more on their physical looks than their actual music. They sometimes had to wear miniskirts and wigs, which Quatro later considered to be necessary evils in
5644-443: The tune ... then into the studio and we go from there." Quatro married her long-time guitarist, Len Tuckey , in 1976. They had two children together, and divorced in 1992. Before 1993, Quatro lived with her two children in a manor house not far from Chelmsford in Essex, England, that she and Tuckey bought in 1980. She married German concert promoter Rainer Haas in 1993. In 2006, her daughter and grandchild moved back into
5727-616: The void created by the death of Janis Joplin . According to the Encyclopedia of Popular Music , his attention to Quatro was drawn by "her comeliness and skills as bass guitarist, singer and chief show-off in Cradle." She had also been attracting attention from Elektra Records and subsequently explained that "According to the Elektra president, I could become the new Janis Joplin . Mickie Most offered to take me to England and make me
5810-435: The way I am. If I wanted to play a bass solo, it never occurred to me that I couldn't. When I saw Elvis for the first time when I was 5, I decided I wanted to be him, and it didn't occur to me that he was a guy. That's why it had to fall to somebody like me. In a 1973 interview, Quatro sympathized with many of the opinions voiced by the women's liberation movement while distancing herself from it because she considered that
5893-466: Was bongos . She taught herself how to play the bass, after her sister asked her to learn it for her first band, the Pleasure Seekers . Her father gave her a 1957 Fender Precision bass guitar in 1964, which she still uses in the studio. Quatro played drums or percussion from an early age as part of her father's jazz band, the Art Quatro Trio. Sources vary regarding whether her playing in
5976-647: Was " Heart of Stone " in late 1982. In 1983 another single "Main Attraction" was released. It failed to chart, but did become a moderate airplay hit. She commented in an article for Kerrang! in 1983, after playing a successful show at Reading Festival on August 27, that she did not care about being in the charts, but was more interested in releasing what she wanted to; commenting that she started in 1964, and did not become famous for nine years "I would never accept having my career molded by other people ... I've kept working consistently even though I've not been in
6059-417: Was a little bit easier, which is good. I'm proud of that. If I have a legacy, that's what it is. It's nothing I take lightly. It was gonna happen sooner or later. In 2014, I will have done my job 50 years. It was gonna be done by somebody, and I think it fell to me to do because I don't look at gender. I never have. It doesn't occur to me if a 6-foot-tall guy has pissed me off not to square up to him. That's just
6142-429: Was a portrayal of a gay man disowned and later murdered by his father; along with Rod Stewart 's " The Killing of Georgie " (1976), it was one of the few songs that tackled the topic of homophobia . Their most successful self-composed hit was the country rock styled ballad "Baby I Know" (1977) sung by Tony Thorpe, which reached number 10 in the UK and Germany in 1977. During this period the band continued to cater for
6225-533: Was a semi-professional musician and worked at General Motors . Her paternal grandfather was an Italian immigrant to the U.S. and her mother, Helen, was Hungarian and she died in 1992. Her family name of "Quattrocchi" ("four eyes", meaning "bespectacled") was shortened to Quatro. Quatro's family was living in Detroit when she was born. She has three sisters, a brother ( Michael Quatro ), and one older half-sister. Her parents fostered several other children while she
6308-634: Was also downbeat, saying that the album "may be a necessary beginning". In 1973, Quatro played on the Cozy Powell hit " Dance With the Devil ", a track written by Mickie Most while Cozy Powell was part of the Rak Records roster. Musicians who acted as her backing band around this period included Alastair McKenzie, Dave Neal and Len Tuckey , with Robbie Blunt also being listed by some sources. Tuckey's brother, Bill, acted as tour manager. With
6391-426: Was asked what she thought she had achieved for female rockers in general. She replied: Before I did what I did, we didn't have a place in rock 'n' roll. Not really. You had your Grace Slick and all that, but that's not what I did. I was the first to be taken seriously as a female rock 'n' roll musician and singer. That hadn't been done before. I played the boys at their own game. For everybody that came afterward, it
6474-453: Was covered by Japanese idol duo Wink as their debut single, released on April 27, 1988 by Polystar. The Japanese lyrics were written by Yukinojo Mori , under the pseudonym "Joe Lemon". "Sugar Baby Love" was used as the theme song of the Fuji TV drama series Netsuppoi no! ( 熱っぽいの! , It's Hot! ) , which starred Yoko Minamino . The B-side, "Kaze no Prelude", was used as an image song in
6557-558: Was formed with the original members John Richardson, Mick Clarke, and Steve Etherington (producer/arranger since 1995). Current members Former members Members of the original Rubettes are in Bold Timeline Following the dissolution of the original band; Hurd formed his version of the group with longtime drummer Alex Bines, vocalist Paul Da Vinci (who had performed lead vocal on "Sugar Baby Love"), bassist Billy Hill, and guitarist Rufus Rufell. Da Vinci departed
6640-628: Was given the title Wake Up Little Suzi . She started writing songs alone, then collaborated with other songwriters (such as Len Tuckey, Rhiannon Wolfe, and Shirley Roden), and now mainly writes songs alone once again. Quatro's early recorded songwriting was deliberately limited to album tracks and the B-sides of singles. She said in late 1973, that "... [the] album tracks are a very different story from [the] singles. The two-minute lo-and-behold commercial single will not come out of my brain, but ain't I gonna worry about it." She describes creating
6723-400: Was growing up. Quatro grew up to be an "extrovert but solitary," according to Philip Norman of The Sunday Times , and she only became close to her mother after leaving the U.S. for Britain. Her sister Arlene is the mother of actress Sherilyn Fenn . Her sister Patti joined Fanny , one of the earliest all-female rock bands to gain national attention. Her brother, Michael Quatro , is also
6806-421: Was more difficult for them to succeed in the music industry because they are more prone to jealousy and thus female audiences tend not to buy the recordings of female artists. Her unusually free use of swear words in conversation was often picked upon by interviewers in the 1970s, as have been her diminutive stature and boy-ish nature. In 1974, Philip Norman said that Of all female rock singers, she appears
6889-627: Was written by her former collaborator, Chapman. In March 2007, Quatro released a cover version of the Eagles song " Desperado ", followed by the publication of her autobiography, Unzipped . By this time, Quatro had sold 50 million records. On June 11, 2010, she headlined the 'Girls Night Out' at the Isle of Wight Festival . Quatro was also inducted into the Michigan Rock and Roll Legends online Hall of Fame in 2010, following an on-line vote. In August 2011, Quatro released her fifteenth studio album, In
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