Here’s a fun one for ya from the NWOBHM days. Girl. Just sprung to mind for no apparent reason on a Sunday morning so I thought I’d jot down a few words for your general entertainment about another of the many bands shining fast and (reasonably) bright during the New Wave of British heavy Metal heydays.
Girl was not strictly NWOBHM – definite leanings in style and sound towards glam/punk as well so perhaps better described as a fusion of all three styles. They spring up in 1979 as I recall and lasted about three years or so. They looked different certainly and sounded a bit different too.
My first memory of Girl was buying their first single – My Number – which was offered up on clear vinyl including a poster (I think). The same song on both sides. Then their debut album – Sheer Greed which I have to admit to not remembering much about (long since lost the album) other than a frantic and sleazy Hollywood Tease and their cover of the Kiss anthem Do You Love Me?
It did start promisingly for Girl with some heavy support slots – including Kiss themselves. I saw them both indeed on the Kiss Euro ’80 tour at the marvellous Stafford Bingley Hall. Kiss was in full-on theatrical mode and I can’t recall if Girl included Do You Love Me? in their set.
Anyhoo – Sheer Greed sold well and charted. And Hollywood tease made a minor dent in the singles chart. It all looked good though ultimately came to naught and Girl was no more in about 1982 I think. Line-up changes, a poorly-selling second album (Wasted Youth), guitarist Phil Collen baled out to join Def Leppard and that was about that. Vocalist Phil Lewis has been around a bit and pops up here and there including LA Guns.
Add to the long list of NWOBHM-era bands who looked good, promised much and flamed out fast. Their stuff from way back then is available on CD but somewhat hard to find and expensive. If when meandering round a car boot sale and you find a copy of Sheer Greed then haggle and see if you can get it for next to nothing as it’s probably likely that the seller doesn’t know it’s a bit rare.