VARIATIONS ON A THEME CALLED
P U S S Y R I O T !
THE SECRET HISTORY OF
JOSIE + THE PUSSY CATS
FIRST VARIATION:
1970
¡HOLA AMIGOS! THIS IS DON SEÑORITO CARTOON SPEAKING TO YOU FROM THE DEEJAY BOOTH OF THE POP CULTURE CANTINA. THIS MONTH'S PODCAST IS DEVOTED TO THE MUSIC AND BIOGRAPHY OF JOSIE + THE PUSSY CATS! JOSIE JAMES'S ICONIC GIRL BAND PAVED A PATH FOR EVERY SUCCESSFUL FEMME ROCK ACT FROM THE 1970S FORWARD.
FOR THE INSIDE STORY OF THEIR RISE TO FAME AS WELL AS THEIR TRAGIC DEMISE, I INTERVIEWED CHEYENNE PEPPER. ARGUABLY THE MOST HIGH-PROFILE TRANSSEXUAL STAR ON THE POP MUSIC SCENE, CHEYENNE WROTE HITS FOR THE PUSSY CATS AT THE VERY BEGINNING OF THEIR STELLAR CAREER. LATER, HE BECAME JOSIE'S CO-WRITER AS WELL AS THE LEAD SINGER OF JOZETTA, THE BAND THAT SUCCEEDED THE PUSSY CATS.
RECENTLY I WEB-CAMMED CHEYENNE DURING A WIDE-RANGING, NO-HOLDS-BARRED CONVERSATION. IN THESE EXCERPTS YOU'RE ABOUT TO SEE AND HEAR, YOU'LL LEARN THINGS ABOUT JOSIE JAMES, MELODY MUNRO-JONES AND VALERIE SMITH CABOT THAT WILL AMAZE YOU! THESE PIONEERING WOMEN MORE THAN EARNED A PLACE AMONG ROCK'S BIGGEST LEGENDS, BUT YOU'D BEST BELIEVE IT WAS NO EASY CLIMB UP THAT LADDER OF SUCCESS. CHEYENNE PEPPER'S STORY BEGINS JUST AFTER THE END OF WORLD WAR II . . .
THE EVOLUTION OF CHEYENNE PEPPER
WELL, IT TOOK A LONG TIME FOR ME TO BECOME ME. I MADE MY DEBUT IN 1946 AT WIND RIVER INDIAN RESERVATION IN WYOMING. I WAS BORN BIOLOGICALLY FEMALE, AND MY BIRTH NAME WAS PRISCILLA POTTS. IT WAS UNDER THAT NAME I FIRST MADE MY LIVING AS A MUSICIAN. HOWEVER, MY FAMILY CALLED ME "PEPPER" BECAUSE I LOVED TO EAT SPICY FOOD! I GUESS I HAD SOMETHING OF A HOT TEMPER, TOO.
IN EARLY 1970, I HIRED ON AS A CONTRACT SONGWRITER FOR A PUBLISHER CALLED IGNACIO MUSIC. DON IGNACIO RABO VERDE RAN A PRODUCTION COMPANY THAT PROVIDED ORIGINAL MUSIC FOR CARTOON SERIES. THAT'S HOW I MET JOSIE + THE PUSSY CATS: IGNACIO MUSIC STAFF WROTE AND PRODUCED ALL OF THEIR EARLY SONGS. OVER THE YEARS, I CROSSED PATHS WITH JOSIE SEVERAL TIMES, AND SHE EVENTUALLY HIRED ME TO SING LEAD VOCALS FOR JOZETTA.
I BEGAN TRANSITIONING TO MALE A LITTLE OVER A YEAR AFTER I JOINED HER BAND. I ANTICIPATED PROBLEMS, BUT THE GROUP COULD NOT HAVE BEEN MORE SUPPORTIVE. IN FACT, THEY HELPED ME CHOOSE MY NEW NAME: "CHEYENNE" (THE NAME OF THE NATIVE NATION I COME FROM) WITH MY NICKNAME "PEPPER" FOR A SURNAME. BUT THAT'S ENOUGH ABOUT ME. I'M HERE TO TALK ABOUT THREE OF MY DEAREST FRIENDS, JOSIE, MELODY AND VALERIE!
SHE WORKS HARD FOR THE $$$
SHORTLY BEFORE I STARTED WORKING FOR DON IGNACIO, RAINBO ARTS ANIMATION STUDIOS CUT A DEAL WITH HIM. THEY WERE GOING TO COLLABORATE ON A CARTOON SERIES ABOUT AN ALL-GIRL ROCK BAND. TO PROMOTE THE CARTOON, THEY'D HIRE THREE SINGERS TO PORTRAY THE GROUP AT PUBLIC APPEARANCES. THESE SINGERS WOULD ALSO FEATURE ON THE TV SOUNDTRACK. THAT'S WHERE DON IGNACIO'S PRODUCTION COMPANY CAME IN: HIS STAFF WOULD PROVIDE THE ORIGINAL SONGS.
RAINBO ARTS HELD A DAY-LONG AUDITION AT THE CAPITOL TOWER IN HOLLYWOOD. OVER 100 WOMEN SHOWED UP! I WAS THERE, AND I HAVE TO SAY MOST OF THEM HAD LITTLE OR NO SINGING TALENT. ALL THOSE TONE-DEAF DIVAS LEFT MY EARS RINGING AND MY HEAD POUNDING! ALL EXCEPT FOR THE THREE THAT GOT CHOSEN: THEY WERE IMMEDIATE STANDOUTS.
JOSETTA DE CARLO WAS BORN IN ROME. SHE WAS THE CHILD OF ITALIAN JEWS WHO ESCAPED THE NAZIS BY EMIGRATING TO THE USA. THEY SETTLED IN KANSAS CITY. TRAGICALLY, HER PARENTS WERE KILLED IN AN AUTO ACCIDENT, AND SHE PRETTY MUCH RAISED HERSELF FROM THE AGE OF 15. JOSIE TOOK UP THE GUITAR AS A TEENAGER, AND SHE TOLD ME HOW MUSIC HELPED HER GET THROUGH SOME VERY HARD TIMES. THAT WOULD BE TRUE THROUGHOUT HER LIFE.
SHE ALWAYS WANTED TO MAKE HER LIVING AS A MUSICIAN, BUT AT THE TIME SHE JOINED THE PUSSY CATS SHE WAS A MINOR STAR IN ROLLER DERBY. BABE WAS ALWAYS SCARED THAT SHE MIGHT INJURE HER HANDS! IT WAS A RELIEF FOR HER TO LEAVE ORGANIZED SPORTS. BELIEVE IT OR NOT, THE VERY SPANISH DON IGNACIO DIDN'T LIKE LATIN SURNAMES, SO HE TRIED TO RENAME HER JOSIE MCCOY. SHE WOULDN'T GO ALONG WITH IT, AND THEY WERE AT A STANDOFF! I HAPPENED TO BE READING A BOOK ABOUT JESSE JAMES, THE OLD WEST OUTLAW, SO I SUGGESTED "JOSIE JAMES". THAT WAS A COMPROMISE THEY BOTH COULD LIVE WITH.
MELODY RUTLEDGE ALSO HAD IT ROUGH. SHE WAS BORN IN LONDON TO AMERICAN MILITARY PARENTS. HER FIRST TEN YEARS WERE SPENT IN ENGLAND. HER PARENTS BECAME ULTRA-CONSERVATIVE AFTER THEY LEFT ACTIVE DUTY, MOVED TO SHREVEPORT, LOUISIANA AND EMBRACED FUNDAMENTALIST RELIGION. MEL WAS BAPTIZED AT ELEVEN AND PERFORMED AS A SOLOIST IN HER CHURCH'S YOUTH CHOIR; BUT WHEN SHE REACHED HER MID-TEENS, SHE REALIZED SHE WAS A LESBIAN. BABE UNWISELY DECIDED TO "COME OUT" TO HER FOLKS AND IT WAS A COMPLETE DISASTER! THEY THREW HER OUT OF THE HOUSE AND SHE BECAME HOMELESS. MEL SPENT SIX AWFUL YEARS ON THE STREETS.
SHE WAS ALWAYS A TOMBOY, BUT AS A SURVIVAL TACTIC, SHE BECAME EXTREMELY BUTCH: FOR YEARS, MEL DIDN'T WEAR GIRL'S CLOTHES AT ALL! SHE EVENTUALLY MADE HER WAY TO HOLLYWOOD AND MET UP WITH A KINDLY BEAUTICIAN WHO WAS ALSO GAY. MYRNA MUNRO (WHOSE SURNAME MEL ADOPTED) SAVED HER LIFE! SHE TOOK MEL IN, TAUGHT HER HOW TO DRESS "FEMME" (THAT WAS NECESSARY FOR LESBIANS BACK THEN), TAUGHT HER THE HAIRDRESSING TRADE AND GAVE HER A JOB IN HER BEAUTY SHOP. THIS KINDLED A LIFELONG INTEREST IN ALL KINDS OF DESIGN: COSMETIC, GRAPHIC, INTERIOR AND FASHION.
BY 1969, MEL MUNRO WAS A TOP BEAUTICIAN WORKING WITH TV AND MOVIE ACTRESSES. BABE DIDN'T GO TO RAINBO ARTS WANTING TO BE A SINGER; SHE OFFERED HER SERVICES TO THEM AS A STYLIST. THE SECRETARY SHE SPOKE TO WAS INVOLVED WITH THE PUSSY CATS AUDITIONS AND KNEW WHAT KIND OF GIRL THE STUDIO WAS LOOKING FOR. SHE THOUGHT MEL LOOKED THE PART. "CAN YOU SING?", SHE ASKED. WHEN MEL SAID YES, THAT SECRETARY URGED HER TO AUDITION. THE REST IS HISTORY!
VALERIE SANTIAGO WAS THE ONLY FINALIST WHO HAD PREVIOUS MUSIC INDUSTRY EXPERIENCE. BORN IN EAST LOS ANGELES, SHE WAS BOTH A MATHEMATICS AND MUSICAL CHILD PRODIGY. SHE COULD EASILY HAVE BECOME A TOP ENGINEER OR SCIENTIST, BUT MUSIC WAS HER PASSION. FIRST SHE TOOK UP PIANO, THEN GUITAR, AND FINALLY BASS. THROUGH HER DAD, A FORMER JAZZ MUSICIAN, VAL GOT HIRED TO PLAY AT SOME MOVIE SOUNDTRACK RECORDING SESSIONS. RIGHT AWAY SHE HELD HER OWN WITH SESSION GUYS TWICE HER AGE! ARRANGERS STARTED ASKING FOR HER. VAL JOINED THE UNION AND AT SIXTEEN, SHE WAS THE YOUNGEST STUDIO MUSICIAN IN HOLLYWOOD!
BY THE TIME SHE TURNED EIGHTEEN, SHE WAS BORED AND READY TO GO IN ANOTHER DIRECTION. GIFTED WITH AN EXCEPTIONAL SINGING VOICE, BABE WANTED TO BE A POP VOCALIST. SHE HAD ACQUIRED ENOUGH INDUSTRY CONNECTIONS TO CUT A RECORD OR TWO; BUT LABEL EXECUTIVES DIDN'T KNOW WHAT TO DO WITH HER! SHE WAS A BLACK MEXICAN GIRL WHO SANG IN A TRADITIONAL RANCHERA STYLE, AND THAT WASN'T A GOOD FIT FOR THE SOUL/R & B SONGS SHE WAS GIVEN. ON THE OTHER HAND, BECAUSE VAL WAS VERY DARK-SKINNED THEY DIDN'T THINK THE HISPANIC AUDIENCE WOULD ACCEPT HER SINGING LATIN MATERIAL.
WHEN PROMOTERS COMPLAINED THAT HER SPANISH SURNAME WAS "CONFUSING", SHE CHANGED IT TO SMITH. (LATER ON, WHEN HER LITTLE BROTHER TREVOR PURSUED A MUSIC CAREER, HE WOULD ALSO USE THAT SURNAME.) HOWEVER, THE CHANGE DIDN'T HELP: VAL JUST WASN'T WHAT PEOPLE EXPECTED! HER LOOKS DIDN'T GO WITH HER SOUND. SO SHE WAS FEELING PRETTY DESPERATE WHEN SHE AUDITIONED FOR THE PUSSY CATS. VALERIE FELT IT MIGHT BE HER LAST SHOT AT HAVING A SINGING CAREER!
DON IGNACIO HEADED THE COMMITTEE OF EXECUTIVES THAT JUDGED THE AUDITIONS. FORTUNATELY, HE DIDN'T HAVE VETO POWER BECAUSE IF HE HAD, VAL AND MEL WOULD NEVER HAVE MADE THE CUT! LET'S JUST SAY IT: HE DIDN'T WANT A BLACK WOMAN IN THE GROUP! AND HE COMPLAINED THAT MELODY WAS "UNFEMININE". I REMEMBER HIS CHOICES: TWO BIG-BUSTED BLONDES WITH TINY WASP WAISTS, NEITHER OF WHOM COULD SING WORTH A DAMN! BUT JOSIE SURE GOT HIS VOTE. AFTER SHE AUDITIONED, DON IGNACIO COULDN'T TAKE HIS EYES OFF HER!
THE GANG'S ALL HERE
ONE WEEK AFTER THE AUDITIONS, JOSIE, MEL AND VAL WERE OFFICIALLY HIRED. THEY SIGNED THEIR CONTRACTS AND THEN MET THE STAFF OF DON IGNACIO'S PRODUCTION COMPANY. LAURA PINTO WAS HIS LINE PRODUCER AND SOUND ENGINEER. HUNKY BLOND ALAN MAYBERRY WAS HER ASSISTANT. HE'S A FAMOUS DEEJAY NOW, BUT ALAN M WAS JUST STARTING OUT IN THE MUSIC BUSINESS BACK THEN. DANNY JANSSEN WAS IN CHARGE OF VOCAL ARRANGEMENTS; WE CALLED HIM "DANNY J". THE GIRLS WOULD WORK VERY CLOSELY WITH HIM.
LEADING THE GROUP OF SONGWRITERS WAS ALEXANDRA CABOT. IN 1970, BABE WAS ONE OF THE HOTTEST UP-AND-COMERS IN THE MUSIC BUSINESS! DAVY JONES, THE LETTERMEN, THE PARTRIDGE FAMILY AND BOBBY SHERMAN HAD ALL SCORED HITS WITH HER SONGS. SHE HAD, AND STILL HAS, VERY GOOD EARS: WHEN IT CAME TO CHOOSING LEAD SINGERS, DANNY J OFTEN DEFERRED TO HER JUDGMENT.
ALSO ON STAFF WAS COLLINS GREGORY, AN AS-YET HITLESS BUT PROMISING YOUNG WRITER WHO'D RECENTLY EMIGRATED FROM EGYPT. I WAS THE THIRD MAIN WRITER ON THAT PROJECT. IN ADDITION TO WRITING THE SONGS, WE ALSO SANG BACKGROUND VOCALS ON THE TV SOUNDTRACK; SO YOU CAN THINK OF ME AS AN HONORARY PUSSY CAT! AT THAT TIME, JOSIE, MEL AND VAL ONLY SANG LEAD ON THEIR RECORDINGS.
JOSIE AND I HIT IT OFF IMMEDIATELY, BUT IT WAS JUST THE OPPOSITE WITH HER AND XANDIE. THEY'VE MADE LOTS OF GREAT MUSIC TOGETHER OVER THE YEARS, BUT THEY WERE LIKE OIL AND WATER IN THE BEGINNING! IT COULD GET PRETTY INTENSE WHEN THEY LOCKED HORNS; BUT XANDIE USED TO BRING HER CAT SEBASTIAN TO THE STUDIO. THAT BIG BLOND FURBALL JUST HAD A GIFT FOR DIFFUSING TENSION AND RELAXING US! THAT IS, EVERYBODY BUT DON IGNACIO: HE CLAIMED TO LIKE CATS, BUT I THINK HE WAS SCARED OF SEBASTIAN. HE'D TELL ALEXANDRA TO LEAVE HIM AT HOME, BUT SHE PAID HIM NO MIND; XANDIE HAS ALWAYS DONE EXACTLY WHAT SHE WANTS TO DO!
THE PUSSY CATS' FIRST REHEARSAL
ALEXANDRA'S FAMILY WAS FILTHY RICH! I'M TALKING REALLY OLD CALIFORNIA MONEY. THEY HAD A HUGE MANSION IN BEVERLY HILLS. SHE AND DANNY J REHEARSED THE GIRLS THERE. COLLINS GREGORY AND I ATTENDED MOST OF THOSE REHEARSALS. IT WAS STRICTLY ABOUT VOCALS, BUT JOSIE AND VAL CAME PREPARED TO ACCOMPANY THEMSELVES: THEY BROUGHT THEIR INSTRUMENTS WITH THEM! ALEXANDRA'S DRUM KIT WAS IN THE REHEARSAL SPACE, AND WHEN MEL SAW IT, SHE ASKED IF SHE COULD PLAY, TOO. "I USED TO PLAY DRUMS IN CHURCH SOMETIMES," SHE SAID.
WE WERE SURPRISED TO HEAR WHAT COMPETENT MUSICIANS ALL OF THEM WERE. VALERIE WAS A PROFESSIONAL BASSIST, OF COURSE, BUT JOSIE'S GUITAR SKILLS WERE JUST PHENOMENAL! MELODY WASN'T TOO BAD A PERCUSSIONIST, EITHER. "THEY SOUND GREAT!" DANNY DECLARED. "WHY DON'T WE USE THEM ON THE ACTUAL TV SOUNDTRACK?." BUT THE ORIGINAL PLAN WAS TO HIRE STUDIO MUSICIANS, AND DON IGNACIO WANTED TO STICK TO IT. LAURA PINTO REMINDED HIM OF HOW THE MONKEES HAD BEEN RIDICULED FOR NOT PLAYING ON THEIR EARLY HITS! SHE ARGUED: "WHY COURT CONTROVERSY WHEN THEY'RE SUCH GOOD PLAYERS?"
IN THE END, THE GIRLS WERE AUGMENTED IN THE STUDIO BY SIDEMEN. JOSIE GOT TO PLAY LEAD GUITAR ON THE TRACKS, BUT MEL USUALLY WASN'T ON DRUMS. SHE HAD TO PRACTICE UNTIL LAURA FELT SHE WAS GOOD ENOUGH TO RECORD. LEAD VOCALS WERE ASSIGNED TO VAL OR MEL, DEPENDING ON THE SONG. AS YOU KNOW, JOSIE HAD A VERY RASPY, BLUESY VOICE; DANNY J DIDN'T THINK IT WAS MELODIC ENOUGH FOR BUBBLEGUM MUSIC AND ALEXANDRA JUST DIDN'T DIG IT AT ALL!
RAINBO ARTS DECIDED THAT THEIR CARTOON GROUP WOULD BE CALLED THE PUSSY CATS. THEN THEY FOUND OUT THAT NAME WAS ALREADY TAKEN. COLLINS GREGORY SUGGESTED A MODIFICATION: "JOSIE + THE PUSSY CATS". JOSIE OBJECTED BECAUSE SHE DIDN'T WANT TO BE SEEN AS THE LEADER. ALEXANDRA WAS AGAINST IT, TOO, BUT THE RAINBO EXECUTIVES THOUGHT "JOSIE" WAS A CUTE NAME FOR A CARTOON CHARACTER! HER ROLE AS GROUP LEADER EVOLVED NATURALLY FROM THAT POINT ON. I REALLY CAN'T IMAGINE JOSIE BEING JUST A BACKING MUSICIAN: SHE HAD A REAL TAKE-CHARGE KIND OF ATTITUDE! XANDIE DID, TOO, AND THAT'S ONE OF THE REASONS WHY THEY CLASHED SO OFTEN.
MEL MUNRO, DESIGNING LESBIAN
IGNACIO RABO VERDE TOOK CREDIT FOR THE LOOK OF THE GROUP, BUT HE HAD VERY LITTLE TO DO WITH IT. DUDE FANCIED HIMSELF A COSTUME DESIGNER; LORD ONLY KNOWS WHY! HE CAME UP WITH A CRUDE, PLAYBOY BUNNY-DERIVED DESIGN FOR THEIR COSTUMES. RAINBO ARTS TOOK ONE LOOK AND REJECTED IT OUT OF HAND! THOSE OUTFITS WOULD'VE BEEN MUCH TOO PROVOCATIVE. MEL MUNRO USED HIS IDEA AS A JUMPING-OFF POINT: SHE TONED DOWN THE SEXINESS AND CAME UP WITH A STYLE THAT SHE, JOSIE AND VAL WOULDN'T FEEL EMBARRASSED TO WEAR.
MEL RE-DID THE PUSSY CATS' OUTFITS THE FOLLOWING YEAR, AND I REALLY LOVED THAT NEW LOOK; BUT HER MOST FAMOUS DESIGN WAS THE TIGRESS/MOTORCYCLE MAMA COSTUMES THAT THE GIRLS SPORTED FOR THEIR MOVIE DEBUT. MELODY EVEN DESIGNED THE MOD STREET CLOTHES THAT SHE, VAL AND JOSIE WORE! SHE CREATED A TOTAL IMAGE FOR THE GROUP BUT NEVER TOOK CREDIT.
TODAY, EVERYBODY KNOWS WHAT A BRILLIANT DESIGNER SHE WAS, BUT BACK THEN MEL KEPT A LOW PROFILE. BEING GAY MADE HER WARY OF DRAWING A LOT OF ATTENTION TO HERSELF; BUT WHEN WE'D COMPLIMENT HER CREATIVITY, SHE'D JOKINGLY SAY SHE WAS A "DESIGNING LESBIAN"! BABE WAS DEFINITELY MORE THAN JUST THE BLONDE BEHIND THE DRUM KIT, THAT'S FOR SURE.
"JOSIE" + THREE
ALEXANDRA CABOT, COLLINS GREGORY AND I WORKED OUR ASSES OFF WRITING SONGS FOR THAT FIRST SEASON OF "JOSIE + THE PUSSY CATS". MANY OF OUR COMPOSITIONS NEVER GOT RECORDED BECAUSE DON IGNACIO ONLY ACCEPTED THE CREAM OF THE CROP! HE WANTED A HIT RECORD RIGHT OUT OF THE BOX, AND ACTUALLY, WE ALL DID.
SO WE WERE DUMBFOUNDED WHEN, FOR THE FIRST SINGLE, HE CHOSE "JOSIE", THE TV SERIES THEME SONG. "THE CARTOON SERIES DEBUTS NEXT WEEK, AND THIS IS THE PERFECT MUSICAL PREVIEW", HE TOLD US. DON IGNACIO WROTE THE TUNE HIMSELF. GRANTED, IT WAS A VERY CATCHY THEME SONG, BUT THAT DIDN'T MEAN IT WAS COMMERCIAL ENOUGH TO COMPETE ON THE POP CHARTS. DESPITE VALERIE'S EXUBERANT LEAD VOCAL, "JOSIE" GOT ALMOST NO AIRPLAY AT ALL: IT WAS A TOTAL FLOP!
ONCE HIS EGO HAD COME TO TERMS WITH THE RECORD'S FAILURE, DON IGNACIO WENT INTO CONFERENCE WITH LAURA PINTO AND DANNY J. THEY CAME OUT OF THAT MEETING WITH TWO VERY STRONG CANDIDATES FOR THE FOLLOW-UP: COLLINS GREGORY'S "LIE! LIE! LIE!" FEATURING MELODY'S LEAD, AND "WATCH OUT FOR THE ROADRUNNER" BY ALEXANDRA, WITH VAL AND MEL TRADING OFF VERSES. THE FINAL DECISION WAS BY STAFF VOTE, AND IT WAS UNANIMOUS: EVEN COLLINS CHOSE ALEXANDRA'S SONG!
THAT SOPHOMORE SINGLE BECAME A TOP FIVE SMASH JUST AS THE TV SHOW BEGAN AIRING, AND THE SHOW'S RATINGS JUST WENT THROUGH THE ROOF! THE TIMING WAS PERFECT. AS INSURANCE, THOUGH, DON IGNACIO PUT "LIE! LIE! LIE!" ON THE FLIP SIDE. COLLINS' SONG GOT QUITE A BIT OF REGIONAL AIRPLAY, BUT THERE WAS JUST NO STOPPING THAT "ROADRUNNER"!
THE FALL OF ALBERT FOX
ALEXANDRA MADE NO SECRET OF THE FACT THAT SHE CRAVED A SOLO CAREER. SHE ALREADY HAD A MANAGER: HER TWIN BROTHER ALEXANDER! HE ATTENDED AN EARLY BAND REHEARSAL AND WAS VERY IMPRESSED BY THE PUSSY CATS' LOOK AND SOUND. DUDE FELT THAT THEIR TALENT WAS BEING WASTED ON A SATURDAY MORNING CARTOON SHOW. I HEARD HIM SAY MORE THAN ONCE: "THEY SHOULD BE PLAYING ROCK CLUBS!" XANDIE GOT JEALOUS BECAUSE IT WAS OBVIOUS THAT LEX WANTED TO MANAGE THEM; BUT HIS MIND WAS MADE UP. DUDE WAS PREPARED TO DO WHATEVER IT TOOK TO GET THAT JOB!
LEX CABOT WAS DEFINITELY RUTHLESS BACK THEN, BUT I DON'T KNOW IF THE RUMORS ARE TRUE: THAT HE ENGINEERED THE SCANDAL THAT BROUGHT DOWN ALBERT FOX! FOX AND ASSOCIATES WAS THE ORIGINAL MANAGEMENT FIRM FOR JOSIE + THE PUSSY CATS. AS I RECALL, THEY HAD A PRIOR RELATIONSHIP WITH RAINBO ARTS STUDIOS. WHEN JOSIE, MEL AND VAL SIGNED THEIR CONTRACTS, ALBERT FOX SORT OF CAME WITH THE DEAL.
LEX CERTAINLY KNEW THAT FOX WAS GAY; IT WAS AN OPEN SECRET IN HOLLYWOOD. ALAN M KNEW A LOT OF MALE HUSTLERS, AND HE SAID THEY ALL HAD STORIES TO TELL ABOUT HIM! LEX'S RUMORED INVOLVEMENT IN WHAT HAPPENED NOTWITHSTANDING, FOX LACKED DISCRETION. THAT WAS HIS REAL DOWNFALL! SOMEBODY TOOK SOME VERY EXPLICIT PHOTOS OF AN ORGY HE HELD AT HIS HOME. THEN THOSE PICTURES GOT SOLD TO A CELEBRITY TABLOID, AND THERE WAS NO QUESTION ABOUT ALBERT FOX BEING IN THEM. THE SUBSEQUENT OUTCRY LED HIS CLIENTS TO DROP HIM EN MASSE! RAINBO ARTS WAS ONE OF THE FIRST TO DO SO.
IT WAS A CRIME TO BE HOMOSEXUAL BACK THEN, AND GAY PEOPLE WERE OFTEN EQUATED WITH PEDOPHILES! THAT'S WHY MEL AND I WERE SO DISCREET ABOUT OUR FEMALE LOVERS. FOX AND ASSOCIATES WAS OUT OF BUSINESS BY THE END OF 1970, AND LEX CABOT QUICKLY STEPPED INTO THE BREACH. THE "JOSIE + THE PUSSY CATS" CARTOON SERIES WASN'T EVEN HALFWAY THROUGH ITS FIRST SEASON, BUT HE IMMEDIATELY STARTED SHAPING A MORE ADULT IMAGE FOR THEM.
IRENE BANG, QUEEN OF CLUBS
EVERYBODY THINKS THE CARTOON SERIES IS WHAT MADE JOSIE + THE PUSSY CATS SUCCESSFUL, BUT THEY HAD SEVERAL GOOD THINGS GOING FOR THEM. THE FIRST WAS THE MUSIC WE WROTE! THE SECOND WAS THE CONCEPT OF AN ALL-GIRL BAND, WHICH WAS UNPRECEDENTED ON SATURDAY MORNING TV. THIRD, JOSIE, MEL AND VAL WERE THREE BOSS-LOOKING BABES, AND YOU CAN'T BEAT A STRONG VISUAL APPEAL. THE LAST THING THE PUSSY CATS HAD IN THEIR FAVOR WAS A BITCHIN' LIVE ACT, AND MOST OF THE CREDIT FOR THAT GOES TO IRENE BANG.
IF YOU REMEMBER, IRENE WAS THE BIGGEST CLUB IMPRESARIO ON THE WEST COAST BACK IN THE DAY. SHE IMMEDIATELY SAW THE POTENTIAL OF THE PUSSY CATS AS A LIVE ACT. WHEN LEX CABOT SUGGESTED THAT SHE BOOK THEM INTO HER NEW FIREHOUSE DISCO AND JUICE BAR, SHE DIDN'T HESITATE. BABE WAS ALWAYS ON THE CUTTING-EDGE! IT WAS CONTROVERSIAL WHEN SHE HIRED MALE GO-GO DANCERS TO ENTERTAIN AT THE FIREHOUSE. THE IDEA SEEMED TO FIZZLE AT FIRST, BUT PAIRING SPEEDO-CLAD HUNKS IN FIREMEN'S HATS WITH AN ALL-FEMALE ROCK TRIO PROVED TO BE A WINNING COMBINATION!
IT WAS A NOVELTY NOBODY WANTED TO MISS. ADULTS GALORE STARTED CLAMORING TO GET INTO THIS UNDER-21 CLUB! THEY WERE BARRED, OF COURSE, BUT MANY WOULD SNEAK INSIDE. WHENEVER JOSIE, MEL AND VAL APPEARED, THE VENUE WAS STANDING ROOM ONLY! AND IT WAS DURING THEIR GIGS AT THE FIREHOUSE THAT THE BAND STARTED TO BUILD ITS FANATICAL FOLLOWING.
FUNKY FELLAS AT FIREHOUSE DISCO
WITH HER SEXY FIREMEN DANCING THE WATUSI, AND JOSIE + THE PUSSY CATS APPEARING REGULARLY, IRENE BANG WAS RAKING IN THE PROFITS BIG TIME! FIREHOUSE DISCO WAS PACKED TO THE CEILING EVERY WEEKEND. TRUE, SOME PEOPLE TOOK UMBRAGE AT THE IDEA OF TEENAGE GIRLS GOING TO A CLUB WHERE BEEFY DUDES WERE STRUTTING THEIR STUFF IN SPEEDOS; THEY COMPLAINED ABOUT HOW "LEWD" IT SUPPOSEDLY WAS. BUT IRENE CALLED BULLSHIT ON THEM: SHE WAS QUICK TO REMIND PEOPLE ABOUT ALL THE TEEN CLUBS THAT FEATURED SCANTILY-CLAD GO-GO GIRLS. "AND THOSE WOMEN OFTEN FRATERNIZE WITH THE PATRONS," SHE ADDED, "WHICH I NEVER ALLOW MY MEN DANCERS TO DO!"
SHE PROMOTED HER FIREHOUSE FLOOR SHOWS AS GOOD CLEAN FUN, AND THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT THEY WERE. IT SOON BECAME CLEAR, THOUGH, THAT SHE HAD TO DO SOMETHING TO SATISFY DEMAND FROM PEOPLE OVER THE AGE OF TWENTY-ONE. THAT'S WHEN IRENE OPENED HER ADULTS-ONLY FIREHOUSE IN SAN FRANCISCO. YES, THAT WAS THE CLUB WHERE SHE PIONEERED MALE BURLESQUE ROUTINES THAT THE CHIPPENDALE DANCERS LATER COPIED! THE PUSSY CATS DIDN'T PLAY THAT VENUE UNTIL AFTER THEIR CARTOON SERIES WENT OFF THE AIR.
"YOU'VE COME A LONG WAY BABY" + THREE
THE THIRD JOSIE + THE PUSSY CATS SINGLE SCORED A DOUBLE-SIDED HIT. HAVING WRITTEN "WATCH OUT FOR THE ROADRUNNER", IT WAS EXPECTED THAT ALEXANDRA WOULD GET FIRST CRACK AT PENNING THE FOLLOW-UP. "STOP, LOOK AND LISTEN" WAS A FUNKY LITTLE DANCE NUMBER WE ALL LOVED. AS IT HAPPENED, MY SONG "YOU'VE COME A LONG WAY, BABY" WAS IN THE SAME VEIN. DON IGNACIO DECIDED IT WOULD MAKE A LOGICAL FLIP SIDE.
EVERYBODY, INCLUDING ME, WAS SURPRISED WHEN DEEJAYS STARTED FLIPPING THE RECORD OVER. EVEN WITH SPLIT AIRPLAY, THE SINGLE SOLD WELL: "YOU'VE COME A LONG WAY, BABY" PEAKED AT #9 ON THE CHARTS, AND "STOP, LOOK AND LISTEN" TOPPED OUT AT #26. THAT REALLY PISSED ALEXANDRA OFF, BUT SHE HAD TO ADMIT "STOP" WASN'T AS STRONG A COMPOSITION AS "WATCH OUT FOR THE ROADRUNNER."
I HONESTLY CAN'T REMEMBER WHAT SONG I SUBMITTED FOR THE FOURTH SINGLE, BUT IT LOST OUT TO ALEXANDRA'S "VOODOO" IN A STAFF VOTE. YEARS LATER, HIP-HOP ARTISTS SAMPLED THE HELL OUT OF THAT RECORD, AND IT'S WELL-REMEMBERED TODAY FOR THAT REASON. AT THE TIME, THOUGH, "VOODOO" BARELY SCRAPED INTO THE TOP FIFTY! WHAT WITH ALL THE SONIC OSCILLATORS ON THAT TRACK, I THINK RADIO PROGRAMMERS THOUGHT IT WAS TOO GIMMICKY; THAT SINGLE WAS DEFINITELY AHEAD OF ITS TIME.
"EVERY BEAT OF MY HEART" + THREE
I WAS VERY EXCITED WHEN DON IGNACIO CHOSE MY SONG "EVERY BEAT OF MY HEART" TO BE THE NEXT SINGLE. IT HAD BEEN ON THE B-SIDE OF "JOSIE", AND I ALWAYS BELIEVED IT WOULD HAVE CAUGHT ON IF DEEJAYS HAD FLIPPED THE RECORD; VALERIE'S BOLERO RANCHERO PHRASING WAS JUST FABULOUS! LAURA PINTO THOUGHT SO, TOO, AND CONVINCED HIM TO RELEASE IT AGAIN.
WHEN IT CLIMBED INTO THE TOP TWENTY, EVERYBODY CONGRATULATED ME BUT ALEXANDRA! WOULD YOU BELIEVE SHE TOOK PITY ON ME? "DON'T BE DISAPPOINTED," SHE SAID. "MY SONG 'IT'S ALL RIGHT WITH ME' WAS MORE COMMERCIAL THAN YOUR BALLAD, AND IT WOULD'VE GONE TOP TEN! DON IGNACIO WASTED IT AS A FLIP SIDE, BUT THAT WASN'T YOUR FAULT." BACK THEN, XANDIE BELIEVED THAT THE WHOLE WORLD REVOLVED AROUND HER! THAT'S THE WAY SHE WAS, AND YOU JUST HAD TO ACCEPT IT (OR NOT)! BABE HAS MELLOWED OUT QUITE A BIT OVER THE YEARS, THOUGH.
SHE GOT HER SATISFACTION WHEN "INSIDE, OUTSIDE, UPSIDE-DOWN" WAS RELEASED AS THE FOLLOW-UP AND NEARLY MADE IT TO NUMBER ONE! DANNY J FELT THAT MELODY'S COUNTRY GOSPEL STYLE WAS JUST WHAT THE SONG NEEDED, AND HE WAS RIGHT. RAINBO ARTS AIRED "INSIDE, OUTSIDE, UPSIDE-DOWN" MANY TIMES ON THE CARTOON SERIES, BUT IT WAS SO DAMN CATCHY, I THINK IT WOULD'VE BEEN A HIT REGARDLESS. WAS I ENVIOUS? HELL, NO! XANDIE WAS COMPETITIVE WITH EVERYBODY, BUT I WAS NEVER JEALOUS OF HER TALENT. MUSICALLY, WE WERE ON TOTALLY DIFFERENT WAVELENGTHS.
PUSSY CAT ALBUM RECORDING SESSIONS
THE RAINBO ARTS PEOPLE WEREN'T EXPECTING THEIR CARTOON BAND TO HAVE A BLACK LEAD SINGER! THEIR ANIMATORS HAD TO CHANGE THE SKIN COLOR OF ONE OF THE CHARACTERS. I DON'T RECALL THEM HAVING A PROBLEM WITH IT, THOUGH, AND THAT'S TO THEIR CREDIT. ONCE VALERIE WAS CHOSEN, THEY TOOK IT FOR GRANTED THAT THE PUSSY CATS' MUSIC WOULD BE SOUL-ORIENTED. ALEXANDRA LOVED TO WRITE IN THAT STYLE, SO WE JUST RAN WITH IT.
LAURA PINTO HIRED THE JAZZ CRUSADERS AS SIDEMEN ON THE EARLY SINGLES: WILTON FELDER, JOE SAMPLE, JOE CARLTON, WAYNE HENDERSON AND STIX HOOPER WERE RESPONSIBLE FOR THAT "SPACE-AGE" VIBE THAT DEFINED THE GROUP'S SOUND. STIX TAUGHT MELODY MOST OF WHAT SHE LEARNED ABOUT DRUMMING PROFESSIONALLY. LATER ON, SHE TOOK OVER FROM HIM. BY THAT TIME, KEYBOARD PLAYER CLARENCE McDONALD, FLAUTIST AND TAMBOURINE PLAYER TYRONE YOUNGBLOOD AND LATIN PERCUSSIONIST DION CLAVE WERE SUPPORTING THE PUSSY CATS IN THE STUDIO.
CLARENCE, TY AND DION HAD BEGUN PLAYING WITH THEM ON STAGE, AND THEY WERE OFFICIALLY PART OF THE TOURING BAND. ALTHOUGH JOSIE + THE PUSSY CATS WERE MARKETED AS AN ALL-FEMALE TRIO FROM THE BEGINNING, THEY REALLY WEREN'T ONE UNTIL THE 1980s. I MEAN, THERE'S NO WAY YOU CAN PLAY CLASSIC SOUL MUSIC WITH JUST THREE MUSICIANS!
CLARENCE WAS IRENE BANG'S MUSIC DIRECTOR, AND HE HELPED THE PUSSY CATS GET THEIR STAGE ACT TOGETHER. THEY NEEDED TO FLESH OUT THEIR LIVE SOUND, AND JOSIE DUG THE WAY CLARENCE PLAYED ELECTRIC PIANO. SHE CONVINCED HIM TO JOIN THE ACT! DUDE RECOMMENDED TWO MORE SIDEMEN, AND THAT’S WHEN DION AND TY JOINED UP; SO IF YOU SAW THE PUSSY CATS IN PERSON DURING THE 1970S, IT WAS THREE GIRLS WITH TWO OR THREE GUYS. BEING A BARE-BONES TRIO ONLY MADE SENSE AFTER THE GIRLS STARTED PLAYING PUNK ROCK.
IN MY OPINION, IGNACIO MUSIC DID ITS FINEST WORK WITH JOSIE + THE PUSSY CATS. NOBODY HAD EVER HEARD MUSIC LIKE THAT BEFORE ON SATURDAY MORNING TV! JOSIE, LAURA PINTO AND DANNY J WERE ALL JEWS, AND THEY CALLED IT "JEWISH SOUL"! LAURA WOULD JOKE: "LIKE MY COOKING, IT'S GOT A LITTLE BIT OF THIS, AND A LITTLE BIT OF THAT, BUT EVERYTHING IS VERY KOSHER . . . MAYBE!" JEWISH SOUL WAS AN R & B SOUND TAILORED FOR PRETEENS, INFLUENCED BY KLEZMER, COUNTRY, LATIN, GOSPEL AND JAZZ: THOSE WERE THE INFLUENCES THAT THE INDIVIDUAL GIRLS, THE SESSION MUSICIANS AND THE PRODUCERS BROUGHT TO THE MUSIC. AND WHAT MADE IT EVEN MORE SPECIAL WAS THE FACT THAT WOMEN WERE PLAYING AS WELL AS SINGING IT!
JOSIE + THE PUSSY CATS TV SOUNDTRACK ALBUM
PROPELLED BY THE HIT SINGLES "ROADRUNNER", "INSIDE, OUTSIDE, UPSIDE-DOWN" AND "EVERY BEAT OF MY HEART", THE PUSSY CATS' DEBUT ALBUM SHOT INTO THE NATIONAL TOP TEN. I STILL LOVE LISTENING TO IT! ASIDE FROM THE SONGS I WROTE, MY FAVORITE TRACK WAS "CLAPPIN' YOUR HANDS". VALERIE SOUNDED A LOT MORE FUNKY THAN SHE USUALLY DID ON THAT ONE. DANNY J SPLIT LEAD VOCALS ON THE SOUNDTRACK SONGS BETWEEN VAL AND MEL, BUT THERE WAS OTHER MATERIAL RECORDED SPECIFICALLY FOR THE ALBUM. BOTH LEAD AND BACKING VOICES ON THOSE TRACKS WERE DONE BY THE PUSSY CATS; YOU CAN HEAR WHAT THEY SOUNDED LIKE IN CONCERT. THAT'S JOSIE OUT FRONT ON A GREAT COVER OF THE JACKSON FIVE'S "I'LL BE THERE."
BABE COULD ALSO THROW DOWN WITH A LIVE VERSION OF THE OLD MOTOWN HIT "MONEY"! BUT JOSIE JUST DIDN'T CRAVE BEING A LEAD SINGER; IN FACT, SHE NEVER REALLY LIKED HER OWN VOICE. SHE WAS A VERY DIFFERENT VOCALIST FROM VALERIE AND MELODY, BUT I ALWAYS THOUGHT SHE WAS JUST AS TALENTED. PRODUCER BOB CREWE, WHO LATER BECAME MY BOSS, ADORED THE WAY SHE SANG "I'LL BE THERE"! AS SOON AS HE HEARD IT, HE WANTED TO WORK WITH HER.
DAGMAR DIAMOND BRINGS THE GLAMOUR
YES, I REMEMBER DAGMAR DIAMOND, ALTHOUGH I DIDN'T KNOW HER THAT WELL. BABE WAS ONE OF THE HOTTEST FASHION PHOTOGRAPHERS ON THE HOLLYWOOD SCENE! LEX CABOT HIRED HER TO BE THE PUSSY CATS' OFFICIAL PHOTOGRAPHER. HER PUBLICITY PHOTOS PUT A GLAMOROUS SPIN ON THE MOD AND ULTRA-HIP IMAGE MEL HAD CREATED FOR THEM.
I DO KNOW SHE HAD A VERY RAUNCHY SENSE OF HUMOR, AND WOULD SAY THE MOST OUTRAGEOUS THINGS TO GET DIFFERENT FACIAL EXPRESSIONS FROM HER MODELS! VALERIE WAS MORE CONSERVATIVE THAN THE REST OF US, AND SHE WOULD GET REALLY UPTIGHT. THAT WOULD JUST MAKE DAGMAR DIAL HER DIRTY JOKES UP A NOTCH!
SOON AFTER THEY BEGAN WORKING TOGETHER, DAGMAR AND MEL BECAME AN "ITEM". THE PUBLIC WASN'T PRIVY TO THIS RELATIONSHIP, OF COURSE; NOBODY BUT CERTAIN PEOPLE IN THE PUSSY CATS' INNER CIRCLE KNEW ABOUT IT. WHEN THEY FIRST GOT INVOLVED, MELODY DIDN'T KNOW DAGMAR WAS MARRIED TO A MAN (AND IN THOSE DAYS, THAT WAS THE ONLY MARRIAGE OPTION)! WHEN SHE DID FIND OUT, IT WOULD PRECIPITATE A SERIES OF EVENTS THAT HAD A MAJOR IMPACT ON BOTH HER LIFE AND THE PUSSY CATS' FUTURE.
DISNEYLAND POP MUSIC FESTIVAL
BY THE END OF THEIR 1970 CONCERT TOUR, JOSIE + THE PUSSY CATS WERE ONE OF THE HOTTEST ATTRACTIONS IN THE COUNTRY! LEX CABOT WANTED TO CAP OFF THE TOUR WITH A SPECTACULAR EVENT: HENCE THE INFAMOUS DISNEYLAND POP MUSIC FESTIVAL. BUBBLEGUM ROCK FANS REMEMBER THAT FESTIVAL AS A KIND OF WOODSTOCK FOR TV CARTOON BANDS: THE BANANA SPLITS, THE HARDY BOYS, THE EVOLUTION REVOLUTION, THE BUGALOOS, THE GROOVIE GHOULIES AND THE CATTANOOGA CATS WERE ALL SCHEDULED TO APPEAR. HOWEVER, AS YOU KNOW, ONLY THE PUSSY CATS AND "SPECIAL GUEST STAR" ALEXANDRA EVER TOOK THE STAGE. BEFORE ANY OF THE OTHER ACTS COULD PERFORM, POLICE STAGED A DRUG RAID AND THE SHIT HIT THE FAN!
DRUG RAID AT DISNEYLAND
I'VE ALWAYS BELIEVED THAT IT WAS LEX CABOT WHO TOLD POLICE THERE WERE DRUG DEALERS AT THE FESTIVAL. WERE THERE? I DOUBT IT. THE DRUG TRADE WASN'T TARGETING YOUNG KIDS BACK THEN THE WAY IT DOES NOW. SO MAYBE A COUPLE OF PEOPLE IN THE AUDIENCE WERE SMOKING BLUNTS . . . WHO KNOWS? BUT BECAUSE IT WAS A CHILDREN'S EVENT, THE WHOLE THING GOT BLOWN OUT OF PROPORTION.
KNOWING LEX, HE'D PROBABLY PLANNED TO CALL IN THE COPS ALL ALONG! DUDE WOULD STOP AT NOTHING TO GENERATE PUBLICITY FOR HIS ACTS. THE FESTIVAL WAS SHUT DOWN RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF ALEXANDRA'S PERFORMANCE, AND MAN! BABE WAS SO ANGRY, HER HEAD WAS EXPLODING! THE SUBSEQUENT SCANDAL GOT THE PUSSY CATS IN TROUBLE WITH RAINBO ARTS STUDIO EXECUTIVES, BUT IT RAISED THEIR PUBLIC PROFILE AMONG ADULTS. THAT'S WHEN THEY BEGAN TO LEAVE THEIR BUBBLEGUM IMAGE BEHIND. LEX ALWAYS WANTED TO SELL THE PUSSY CATS TO AN OLDER DEMOGRAPHIC; HE DIDN'T MUCH CARE ABOUT THE JUVENILE MARKET!
AMIGOS, THAT'S THE END OF OUR FIRST PODCAST DEVOTED TO THE CAREER AND MUSIC OF JOSIE + THE PUSSY CATS. CHEYENNE PEPPER HAS MORE REVELATIONS ABOUT THEIR FASCINATING HISTORY TO SHARE, AND YOU'LL HEAR THEM WHEN WE GET TOGETHER NEXT TIME. UNTIL THEN . . . ¡HASTA LA PRÓXIMA!
CONCEIVED BY LAURA PINTO
WRITTEN BY HAMPTON JACOBS
DRAWN BY STUFFED ANIMAL
IMAGES BASED ON CHARACTERS CREATED BY DAN de CARLO
COLOR BY SHARPIE/EXPO
CARDSTOCK BY DICK BLICK