THE RUNAWAYS THE MERCURY ALBUMS ANTHOLOGY 24TH MAY 2010 Theirs was a story truly born on the streets of Hollywood and left for all to review in the annals of recorded music. The history of the Runaways, now coming to life again on the big screen (with Kristen Stewart in the role of Joan Jett), is one of discovery, strong determination, bravado, teen lust and what would later become, to some, ³a can of worms.² The film will be released in the U.S. in April, with the UK release date still to be announced. But what we have to reflect back on are four albums: The Runaways, Queens of Noise, Live in Japan, and Waitin¹ For the Night. All 42 songs that were included on those original albums made for Mercury are contained on two CDs in this brand new limited edition package, The Mercury Albums Anthology. In 1976, after making several personnel changes since their seminal formation just a year prior, the newly assembled, five-member, all-female, L.A.-based band‹all underage minors at the time‹and their Svengali-like producer, Kim Fowley, caught the attention of Mercury Records and, soon enough, the dotted lines were signed. In a span of under three years, with different band members and their relentless producer/manager, they generated three studio albums and one live recording, taped at performances in front of enthusiastic crowds with their biggest fans present, in Japan. The phenomenon may have been lopsided with their spotty, regional appeal, but they broke the mold and set the trend for future female rockers to come. Comprised of teenagers using various ³stage names,² the original members often referred to as ³jailbait rockers² within the industry‹Joan Jett, Cherie Currie, Lita Ford, Sandy West and Jackie Fox‹had stars in their eyes and a fire in their bellies. And they learned and mastered their instruments on the fly while developing their songwriting skills under the supervision of Fowley, who would subsequently yield his role as the band, literally, began to disintegrate, since, like a lot of rock Œn¹ roll tales, all was not rosy below the surface. THE RUNAWAYS THE MERCURY ALBUMS ANTHOLOGY
