Music: Fanny – The Reprise Years 1970-1973

“The Godmothers of Women Who Rock” Drops August 23

Prologue

In the heart of the 1970s, amidst a landscape dominated by male rock bands, a revolutionary force emerged: Fanny. Their story is not merely about music but courage, resilience, and the unwavering pursuit of creative expression.

Comprised of Filipina-American sisters June and Jean Millington, along with Nickey Barclay and Alice de Buhr, their groundbreaking presence as an all-female rock band was not just an anomaly. It was a clarion call for equality and representation in an era that had yet to invent or understand those terms.

Cherry Red Records will release on August 23 their repertoire from the period 1970 to 1973, collectively known as the Reprise years in a 4CD set, replete with the band’s four original studio albums. Plus many of the band’s single versions, B-sides, and live performances.

Fanny - Hey Bulldog (1971) LIVE/℗© Sony/ATV Tunes LLC/YouTube

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The Reprise Years 1970 to 1973 is a treasure trove and rockin’ journey of four remarkable women who defied expectations and paved the way for generations of female musicians.

Listening to these tracks, one can't help but be struck by the band's sheer power. Their harmonies soar, their guitar riffs bite, and their rhythm section drives with an infectious energy. They weren't just playing notes; they were expressing themselves, unconsciously breaking barriers, and carving out a space for themselves in a male-dominated industry.

They were extraordinary: they wrote everything, they played like motherf*ckers, they were just colossal and wonderful, and nobody's ever mentioned them. They're as important as anybody else who's ever been, ever; it just wasn't their time.

— David Bowie

Last Night I Had a Dream - Fanny | The Midnight Special/℗© Warner Chappell Music, Inc/YouTube

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While it’s hard to imagine a more trying set of circumstances of their musicality (all-female band = girl group), it’s also not hard to imagine how the band was treated in that short time. While misogyny and its bad habits (de Buhr was chastised for cutting her long hair) carried over to presentation and delivery (admittedly, their manager was a complete a-hole), they benefited from the production of a few outstanding and legendary creative collaborators.

Fanny, 1970 outside Warner Bros. studio. Left to right: Nickey Barclay, Jean Millington, Alice de Buhr, June Millington. Photo: Linda Wolf.

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Producer Richard Perry helmed the first three albums. Already a known entity within the industry, having produced Captain Beefheart and Fats Domino, he helmed Fanny’s eponymous debut in 1970, Charity Ball (1971) and Fanny Hill (1972). The group’s fourth and final album from the original members – Mother’s Pride (1973) – was produced by Todd Rundgren. Said Barclay in 1973 to New Musical Express, “The only person that the four of us could agree on to produce us — that was available to produce us – was Todd, and he was into it. We'd done a few gigs with him, and he liked the idea.”

Unfortunately, the underlying discord beset by dominant personalities had set in by that time and the pressure to ‘perform,’ coupled with the women’s disparate personalities and musical tastes, signaled the conclusion of the first incarnation of the band.

Fanny - You're The One - on BBC Old Grey Whistle Test/℗© EMI Music Publishing Ltd / Tinkle Tunes/YouTube

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A brief breakdown of each disc from the press release:

CD1: The band’s 1970 debut album Fanny produced by Richard Perry plus 10 related bonus tracks including the single version of “Changing Horses,” the German single edit of “Seven Roads” and the B-side edit of the album track “Shade Me.” All appearing on CD for the first time.

CD2: Released in 1971, Charity Ball was the band’s second album, again produced by Richard Perry. All eleven tracks from the original album are featured plus the single version of the title track, “Charity Ball,” along with demos from the period.

CD3: The eleven-track album, Fanny Hill was released in 1973 and is featured here with ten bonus tracks including the single version of “Ain’t That Peculiar,” various live performances and extra tracks.

CD4: Todd Rundgren was recruited to produce the band’s final album for Reprise Records. Mother’s Pride, released in 1974 features 13 tracks along with eight bonus tracks including the single versions of “Summer Song,” “Wonderful Feeling,” “I Need You Need Me” and “Last Night I Had A Dream.”

All tracks have been sourced from the Warner Bros tape archives. Eight tracks are appearing on CD for the first time. Presented in a clamshell box, with each disc housed in a printed card sleeve. The CD booklet features exclusive sleeve notes written by band members June and Jean Millington and Alice De Buhr, sharing their memories of the period. There is also a UK discography.

Epilogue

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