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Fifth Column - the Canadian, dyke-punk-pop band I mention too many times. Ah, but how can one over-cite genius?
I can't claim a total knowledge of the herstory involved in the band, though the invaluable assistance of the banned book 'GB Jones' ($15 US/CAN to G.B. Jones, P.O. Box 55, Station E, Toronto, Ontario, CANADA, M6H 4E1) was, er, invaluable.
The band's first single was a three song 7" of: Boy/Girl; Monsieur Beauchamps; Legionnaires in 1985. I haven't heard it. Next!
Then there was the "To Sir With Hate" LP. I remember seeing the LP when I was in Grade 13, and seeing the band on "The New Music", which used to be a good show. In those days, they consisted of: Caroline Azar on vocals and organ; GB Jones on drums and vocals; Anita Smith on bass; and Charlotte Briede on guitar. I only managed to get the LP in 1995 by begging (and paying) - I'd say I got down on my knees, but that only works for Henry Rollins rarities. ;o)
It's way produced and experimental, and features GB's only lead vocal, on the Nicoesque "Modern Diseases". It also has the classic song (and, evidently, video) "Fairview Mall Story", about a washroom sex sting operation, featuring Bruce "why, no, I DON'T have an original idea!" LaBruce.
Then there was something called the Work cassette, which was a movie soundtrack (all instrumental except for one track), in 1988. Haven't heard it...
Then came "All Time Queen of the World" (by this point, GB had mostly switched to guitar, and Beverly Breckinridge was on bass). It is less produced, and the vocals could be louder, but it rocks out and is super-catchy. It can be obtained on tape for $10 from the GB Jones address above.
And then the All Women Are Bitches/Donna 7" on K Records in 1992. The A-side is super-fierce, got the band banned from CBC for life, and was turned down for video funding. The B-side is a swoon over dyke icon Donna Dresch, and has a hilarious prison/lesbian exploitation video to go along with it.
I heard them do their version of the Carter Family's "Chewing Gum" live, which came out in 1993, but I have not heard the studio rendition.
The soundtrack to "Yo-Yo Gang", one of GB's films (she also makes films and does marvelous drawings), features a song called "Yo-Yo". I've seen the film, but I don't have the soundtrack, which is 10 minutes, available for $5 from that P.O. Box again.
A split single with God Is My Co-Pilot followed on Outpunk in 1994, featuring a more theatrical rendition of "Don't!", a song about defending oneself from a stalker, than is found on...
36C, the only album (well, tape/CD) you can probably get independent of the P.O. Box (at least in the States). It is just produced enough, and also has Donna/AWAB on it (same versions). It's too short (29 minutes), but fab nevertheless.
Then there was a split single on Dark Beloved Cloud of Sixties classics. A band called Trailer Queen got the flip side, with "These Boots...", but Fifth Column rule with "I Love You, But", the classic Ann-Margaret (or, for the Flintstones fan, Ann Margrock) number.
Around this time, I first saw them live, a treat not to be missed - and I even got hit on by their (boy) drummer - or so I was told later - I can be SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO oblivious...
I saw them for the last time in the summer of 1995, at a museum gig in Ottawa, when they finally had a female drummer live for the first time in years.
Around that time, there was supposed to be a bilingual single of "Imbecile" - but it appears it won't be coming out.
Since then, the band has focused on outside projects. GB has worked on films and art exhibits. Caroline has written and directed plays, as well as guesting on organ on Kickstand's self-titled debut ([email protected]), (a band whose female drummer, Torri Colichio, had played on 36C), and contributed vocals to a track on Greek Buck's "Messin' With" LP. Beverly has been in Phonocomb and It's Patrick (the latter with Michelle, who was a guest guitarist with Fifth Column at times).
Hopefully, something more will appear some day - there is some word of a video project. However, at least to my mind, their place in herstory is established.
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