Pamela Des Barres & friends
Soho McNally Robinson NYC
Jul 9 2007
sponsored by
WWWhatsup Online Pinstand
with thanks to Soho McNally Robinson
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PUNKCAST#1177 Pamela Des Barres & friends Soho McNally Robinson NYC Jul 9 2007 sponsored by WWWhatsup Online Pinstand with thanks to Soho McNally Robinson |
| 'Let's Spend the Night Together' |
| I met Miss Pamela back in 1970 when I was working for the Pink Fairies. A member of the GTO's, in London with Frank Zappa's 200 Motels circus, she hooked up with Sandy the Fairies bassist. Unsurprising, as the Pinks were the hippest thing in town at that time, and Sandy the sexiest member. Her exotic and glamorous presence caused a sensation in the grubby UK underground. As we went around the country spreading our message of drug-fueled debauchery to loud rock music she, joined by her friend Renée would blow many english hippy braincells by getting up onstage in the middle of the set for a rendering of the doowop classic 'Angel Baby'. She soon went on to move up the ladder of Brit music royalty. In retrospect, I believe she was very likely a major catalyst in the transition of the scene from 60s patchouli to 70s glitter. Later she wrote a successful book 'I'm With The Band' about her experiences in the music world, proudly asserting her groupie status. In 'Let's Spend the Night Together: Backstage Secrets of Rock Muses and Supergroupies' - her new, and 4th, book - she revisits the topic. It's a collection of 24 reminiscences, gathered via interviews, with the women behind, or under, or on top, of some of the leading musical heroes of the last half-century. For this very well attended reading, she was joined by a couple of her subjects, Pattis D'Arbanville and Johnsen, who read passages from their own and other's experiences. Pamela first herself read from the introduction, where she invokes the spectre of Mary Magdalene as the patron saint of all groupies, and defends the vitality and necessity of the role. Then it was on to the meat, as it were, as Ms D'Arbanville read the chapter on Tura Satana, a japanese beauty queen/stripper who taught Elvis his moves - on and off the stage (1st clip). Ms Johnsen was up next reading the memoirs of 'Miss B' - a pseudonym - about Kurt Cobain. Apparently his penchant for women's clothing was deeper than one knew. Pamela herself read about Sweet Connie of Little Rock, immortalized in song, a veritable sexual angel who would 'take care' of every member possible of visiting touring parties. Patti D. then read from her own chapter, about her lengthy love affair with Cat Stevens at the height of his creativity, when she inspired some of his best songs. The dish here is that dressing up like a schoolgirl would drive Cat wild (2nd clip). Then it was forward 20 years as Patti J. related her experiences working as a waitress at Hollywood's Rainbow Room in the 80s. Patti never did bag her main target - Nikki Sixx - but she didn't do so bad. Top of her list was Billy Idol, who she became regular buddies with. She relates some of his more peculiar requirements (3rd clip). After all this there followed a lively Q&A session. The question of whether the musicians involved might prefer discretion by their paramours was met with much mirth, particularly after Patti Johnsen flatly declared "If you don't want to be a part of my life story, don't stick your dick in it!" |
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| You can watch/download the entire reading here and the Q&A here via Google. Clicking on the images above will take you to those clips on YouTube. The h.264's are iPod ready. There is a DVD. You can buy the book direct from the publisher Chicago Review Press or there's an Amazon link on Pam's homepage. |
www.pameladesbarres.com
www.pattidarbanville.com
Myspace Pamela Des Barres
Myspace Patti Johnsen
Myspace Old School Groupies
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