HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Wingham Advance-Times, 1974-01-17, Page 15�?a
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Not too long ago when the sub-
ject of female music groups came
up, names like the Lennon Sis-
ters, The Supremes, or. the Allen
Sisters popped into mind. These
groups epitomized femininity,
with their long gowns and
,gracious `vocal styles..
But, one nippy December
nigh; an all -girl group known as
Otherwise livened up the Twin
Gables .room in 'Listowel with
their hard rock music and excel-
lent
musicianship.
Here were five girls doing two
things which, unfortunately, up to
this point, have been unorthodox.
for female groups: playing all
their own instruments and per-
forming gutsy blues and loud
rock music.
They don't wear gowns or,
makeup. They don't sing songs
like "I Am Woman" because they
believe that fact is obvious when
anyone sees them, and it is. And
they don't perform on the basis
that they are women. They are
14_! •
musicians. That is_ all that I am in this business. I think it is ridden rock sound. She has been
matters to them. That, and good a toss-up between my mother and playing only eight months, wants
music and being together. my father. My mother likesthe. to make it her career, •and
How would you feel if you had a idea because she lodes music and judging from her progress thus
daughter who made her living by my father is worried that it will , far she stands an excellent
travelling from stage to stage ' be a rough life, but basically, it chance of doing just that.
every week as a musician? - comes down to the fact that if you London -born Sherry Shute, a
Joanne Mackell, spokeswoMan are a musician it is up to you and guitarist with foul years' experi-
and lead vocalist of the group it isn't something you just all of a ` Renee, can be ranked high with the
says her parents are split on their sudden decide to do. A music best rock and roll pickers and
opinions., career is something you know strummers around.. She has three
"I've been singing since 1 was a you have to go after and even- things going for ' her to get her
kid and I think some of the people tually you will do it if you are a what she wants in .music: talent,
. in my family are really glad that musician pr any type of perform- ambition and more talent.
er who has that need to get on Cathie MacKay of Moncton,
stage and do what he or she was :; I.B., has the most formal'
born to do." hweducation in music of the group,
Before going totally into the *', having studied voice for almost
music field Joanne worked in a - INtro years in university. Aside,
shoe stores in Boston and Toron- from playing bass guitar, which
to. Prior to turning professional •.she picked up six years ago, she
she worked in coffee houses `as a sings solos and harmonizes with
singer and ' "on the ,streets in the band.
Montreal". She says, "I did a lot Joanne Mackell is a seasoned
of street Singing." ' vocalist with her soul wedged in
Prior to my interview. with the blues. It wouldn't be fair to
Otherwise; I had conjured up all compare her to Billie Holliday or
sorts of 4aterzlible images of Janis Joplin or some other blues
women's lib advocates, setting singer, .because her sound is quite
fire to their bras in the middle of ,distinctly her own,
.our conversation. " I was wrong. : *' Originally, from Boston, Mass.,
And the girls aren't attempting to She has also lived in Montreal and
build their platform out of the ¢tiow makes her home in Torontd
remnants of the women's lib .With the'restof the group. She has
movement. As far as they are • • - a professional singer , for
concerned feminist politics and _, 4 • t two of the five years she
music don't mix. hks spent as a vocalist.
So, before you .get any wrong .Along with Cathie she has
impressions about this all -girl .'kilned– many . songs for the
band, let's meet them.
SON'GWRITING—Cathie, Lynda and Joanne take a moment from practising with the
other members of the band, known as Otherwise, to go over some original material.
Joanne, lead vocalist and spokesman of the group says, "We haven't been able to write
original compositions as a band yet, but Cathie, Lynda and I have writteri'',ongs which we
• have included in our repertoire."
OTHERWISE ---Five girls, musicians all, met in Toronto
and decided to form ,a band called Otherwise, formerly
known as Sackville. Despite hard times when playdates
sometimes aren't plentlfol, Cathie Mac Kay of Moncton,
THE GIRLS:
The group is composed of five
girls with ages ranging from 19 to
25. Their varied backgrounds
blend to enrich the overall sound
and character of the band.
Lynda Lesney of Timmins
played drums and bass guitar for
five years prior to picking up on
electric guitar about four months
ago. She studied percussion for
about eight months at the Ontario
College of Percussion in Toronto
and has taught the unit's present
drummer, Dauna Staite, a good
deal about drumming techniques
—at least according to Dauna.
Lynda maintains that if you
haven't got the gift of rhythm, no
one can teach you how to play
drums. And after watching and
listening to Dauna, who hails
from Brockville, Ontario, it soon
becomes evident that she has the
gift.
Dauna's style stems from a
hard-hitting blues -jazz origin that
has constantly proven itself to be
the backbone of the full, beat-
.
Lynda Lesney of Timmins, Sherry Shute of London, Joanne
Mackell of Boston and Dauna Staite of Brockville are de-
termined to mance it as an all -girl band, by playing good
music and not relying on any feministcoriented image.
'$rOup's repertoire although she
i says, "We haven't had much
chance to write as . a complete
group, but we are getting there."
Her lyrics, like her voice, have.
more meaning behind them than
many of the contemporary words
to songs.
In her song, "Sweet Water
Time" she writes:
"I'm going to 'cruise out to
glory
Because that•is where I belong
Going to sing out the story
That I've been dreaming on.
I can touch it in a smile
Like a pat on my back
It's rushing like the fire
From a whiskey glass.
Like the ocean roaring before a
splash •
I can feel it solid in my tracks."
(Reprinted with permission
from Joanne Mackell, C.A.P.A.C.
copyright 1973)
The song is dramatically
embedded in a web of good
rhythm and strong sound. Poeery
in blues. Meaning in ,song. It's
what she writes for.
TORONTO ORIGIN:
The girls began. working to-
gether as an all -girl Unit in
Toronto. Joanne, elected as
spokeswoman by the others,
remembers how the group,
known as Otherwise, came to-
gether.
"We ,had all been working out
of Toronto in different bands and
met each other through the circle
of musicians. Different bands we
were in broke up so we decided to
form this one because we all had
the same musical interests. That
is about how it started."
All of the girls have played in
bands with male musicians and
have had experience in totally fe-
male groups prior to the current
band. Which do they prefer?
"We're just musicians. We just
want a band and ittdoesn't matter
if there are guys or girls in the
group. It's just that sometimes it
works out better when there ate
all girls or all guys," says
Joanne.
"For me," she said, "it would
be easy to work with a male band
because I am a singer. You just
don't see a lot of female
musicians in male bands, unless
they are token women in the
band, which happens many times
and looks ridiculous."
Lynda said, "If an organist
tried out for the band and was a
good musician, whether male or
female, we would accept that
musician. As far as I am con-
e: ned good music is what counts
and it doesn't really matter what
sex the musician is."
The girls do not hold down even
part-time jobs. What money they •
live on, they make from the
music. "This is it. This is what we
want to be doing and we want to
go further." Joanne's sentiments
are quickly agreed with by nods
from her fellow -musicians.
Most of the girls are self-
taught, performing basically
rock and blues. "Basically we
can be called a rock band, al-
though we are trying to do enough
commercial material to be com-
mercial when required. It's rock
and blues with some ballads,"
explains •Joanne.
How do five people agree • on
what specific type of music they
will play? Joanne said everyone
in the group has different musical
interests but "you have to be
business -like about it in the sense
that if you are going:to work as a
band, you have to be a tight unit
with a main theme and image, so
that the audience knows when it
goes to see a certain band, it is
going to hear the type of music it
wants to hear."
"I'm into swing -jazz, but it isn't
really all that commercial •right
now and I also, like reek so we
decided to play what we like and
what will sell. We are not a "
variety band. We do strictly rock
and blues. We don't try to do a
little bit of everything. We want
to do one area of material well, •
rather than be versatile and
really have nothing."
At the time of our interview,
Otherwise had been together a
little more than a month, during
which time the group had com-
piled thirty songs.
"We started practising," says
Joanne,' "and people found tunes
they liked and brought them into
the band. We had rehearsals for
three weeks and we would sit and
listen to recorded material, de- •
ciding whether we could do cer-
tain songs, • and more -important-
ly, ifwe could do them well and
liked them. If a song passed on
those three points, we worked on
it
BODY AND SOUL:
"Other than the fact that they
worry about my income, whether
I ,keep body and soul together, I
have my parents' blessing. As
long as I am happy, that's what
matters to them," Lynda says.
Cathie said her parents are
"behind me 100 per cent.. I want
to make it in this business and
they understand that and want it
too."
Dauna's Barents stand behind
her on her decision to become a
professional musician but she
says, "I. think they would rather
that I was in something else."
"My playing in a group is al-
right with my mother and every-
thing. They might be happier if I
was "doing something else
though," says Sherry, who, prior
to becoming a professional musi-
cian, graduated from Grade 13
and had ambitions to continue on
in university in a phys-ed pro-
gram. "I decided to take a year
off before I went and I never did
get back. I haven't been sorry
about it yet. I can't see myself
doing anything else but perform-
ing music."
Previous to selecting the name
Otherwise•, the group was known
as Sackville. Much consideration
went into the name selection.
"We didn't want to have a name
that would specifically denote we
were an all -female band. We
don't want to make the impres-
sion that we are en all -female
group as such. We just want to be
known by the type of music we
play, and so that was one of the
main determining factors. Other-
wise seemed really non -commit-
tal."
CRUSHED EGOS:
"The problem is," says Jo-
annes "even now, a lot of people
da not accept a female musician
as valid because there are many
token women musicians around.
That is why it was a lot easier for
us to start up an all -girl group.
For instance, if Sherry wanted to
join a male band, they might
think it was sort of cute that she
Please turn to Page 8
Photos and
feature .by
Doug McCann
SHERRY: "I can't see myself doing anything else but
1y ,
performing.'
LYNDA: "Aside from worrying about my income, whether
I can keep body and soul together, my parents are all for my
music career:" ;,