Who's ready for more hard rock?
Born Lita Rossana Ford to her British father, and Italian mother, the Ford's relocated from the UK to the USA in 1965, eventually settling in Long Beach, California. Drawing inspiration from Ritchie Blackmore of Deep Purple, she began learning guitar at the age of eleven.
At the age of sixteen, she was recruited by Kim Fowley to join The Runaways, serving as lead guitarist. They would release their self titled debut in 1976, and make a fairly significant impact on the heard rock scene. However, by 1977, lead singer Cherie Currie, and bassist Jackie Fox would quit. Currie would sight burnout as her reason for departing. Fox, unfortunately, would face far worse circumstances prompting her to leave, citing sexual assault from her manager.
The band would part was with manager Fowley, and continue on, bringing Vickie Blue in on bass. Lita Ford and Joan Jett would share lead vocal duties. However, by 1978, the girls found themselves disagreeing on their musical style. While Ford and Sandy West wanted to continue on as a hard rock band, Jett pushed for a more punk sound, influenced by The Ramones. Unable to compromise, The Runaways disbanded in 1979.
It wouldn't be until 1982 that Lita would sign with Mercury Records, and record her solo debut, Out For Blood (1983). Unfortunately, the album would prove unsuccessful for her, garnering very little, if no attention.
Upon its initial release, the cover featured a leather clad Ford standing in front of a spider web, and holding a bleeding guitar. However, being deemed too controversial for the label, this would soon be changed to a cleaner version, having her stand before a purple backdrop, still in leather, and still holding a guitar, but free of blood. She would quip in an interview how the label was worried about blood on a guitar, but made no comment about her wearing a leather g-string.
Personally, I was never a big fan of her work, mainly because I don't know much of it. I picked up her 1988 released Lita, but really only to get the Ozzy Osbourne duet. With the exception of a handful of tracks from that record, that's about the extent of my knowledge on any of her music.
If you're not new to this Blog, and you've read my Retro Spins before, you know that I often end up with albums I initially have no interest in, and simply obtain them to check an 80's box. That's where we're at with Lita Ford. This album, and her 1984 follow-up, Dancin' On The Edge, ended up in my collection on a whim while completing my Alice Cooper 80's discography.
Playing through Out For Blood, it definitely had a hard rock sound to it. It even reminded me a bit in its overall presentation as a Runaways album. However, what it lacked was anything which stood out as good. For the most part, it was just mediocre and forgettable.
Her second album would fair a bit better, bringing with it two hits in multiple countries, but sadly, not the USA. Despite this, she would soon find herself without a label, and it would be another four years before she released her third album. But we're getting too far ahead. First stop tomorrow is 1984's Dancin' On The Edge.
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