Suzi Quatro was not embraced by conservative American radio
 

Does anyone remember Chicago native and hot rock gal Suzi Quatro? I remember her from the mid 1970's, when she had a number of very big hits in places like Britain and Australia. These included songs like "Daytona Demon", "Can the Can" and "48 Crash". For various reasons, Suzi never really cracked it in the States with these thumping rock numbers. In fact, she had to mellow out by singing that duet (Stumblin' In) with that guy from Smokie before she had a top 5 hit there. Anyway, I think America is the poorer for not embracing Suzi at that time of her peak.

If you listen to her stuff today, it is still a hundred times better than 99% of the music that's being put out today.

The people of America need more Leather Tuscadero action in their boy-band-pop-girl music.

Granted, I've never heard her "heavy" stuff, but I'm a big lover of "Stumblin' in". I heard this song a lot in my childhood but it had vanished from for the next 14 years. Thanks to Van Wilder, I had a new appreciation!

It was nice hearing a joke about her in Spaced.

Also, 1970's radio wasn't all that conservative, was it? Some stuff just doesn't hit with the public, that's all. No conspiracy.

She's living in England now doing the radio thing.

Anyway, this happens all the time. Groups make it here, but don't do well in Europe and vice versa.


One of my favorite groups <b>Scissor Sisters</b> is barely getting attention here in the states. In fact, judging by some of the comments I've seen here on dvdtalk and other places folks seem to pretty much hate them. :lol::( But you know what? They're huge in the UK. That's just the way it is. I'm sure there are groups/singers that were ignored in the UK and embraced here in the US.

Scissor Sisters are wonderful.... love that stuff. Quatro may have not been huge, but it wasn't like she was totally ignored either.

Suzi/Joan Jett
 

Suzi got ripped off by Joan Jett. Stole her whole persona. She used to trail Suzi all over the place befiore the Runaways and when she joined the Runaways, she acted like Suzi. Suzi's straight though.

I imagine I have to thank XM for ever hearing them in the first place, so I shall. I enjoy their sound, and I still can't fathom why there are so many artists singing in English that are never heard over here just because they're "British". Are producers not keeping their eyes open for the next Beatles?

I think it was hard to take seriously an artist whose exposure to US audiences was playing the thigh-slapping little sister to Fonzie's girlfriend on Happy Days. Anyone knows it's all in the marketing, and unfortunately that's probably as hard as her management was willing to push her.

She's looking pretty damn good on her website!

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...fidel/suzi.jpg

Actually, I am pretty sure she was from Detroit.

He must have gotten that fact from his dictionary.

Agreed. Which totally defunks the OP's theory that "conservative America" had some sort of "conspiracy" against Suzi Quatro.

Shit, she had SEVERAL appearances on THE most popular TV series at the time: "Happy Days". It's not a conspiracy from the "conservative radio", more like the public just didn't "get it" or "catch on" to Suzi Quatro. Newsflash: it's a BUSINESS. Always has been, always will be (unless we're talking college radio, and even then... I got some stories...) It the public doesn't "catch on", then that's the way it goes. How many truly great bands do you know never "made it", who should have, despite having tons of chances. The Replacements, anyone?

Plenty of "radical", "rockin" groups/artists (far more "radical" and/or "rockin'" than Quatro; certainly more raunchy or "dangerous") got more than their fair share of airplay from "conservative" radio at the time: Alice Cooper, AC/DC, Aerosmith, KISS, Led Zepplin, Joan Jett, etc...

And I'm talking about the bands music, not their politics; all the bands I mentioned were pretty raunchy/radical for their time, yet got plenty of airplay.

Aren't they American? I think that's the screwed up part of the story. Their own country has yet to embrace them yet the UK did.

I first heard/saw them on Saturday Night Live. :up:

The Adventures of Suzi Quatro and Leather Escadero sounds like a really really bad (or really really good) title for a sci-fi film.

If you like Scissor Sisters, you should give El Presidente a listen...
Official Stuff here: http://www.el-presidente.co.uk/content.php
Review here: http://www.popmatters.com/music/revi...e-st2005.shtml

And, yes, XM rocks.

Not to go too far off topic, but that happens all the time. Jimi Hendrix was popular in England long before he made it in the US. No one in the UK has ever heard of (UK natives) The Fixx, but they sold millions of records here in the states in the 80s. The Pixies were never popular here but sold out stadiums all over Europe in their heyday, same goes for Dinosaur Jr. Cheap Trick made it in the US long after they were huge in Japan (sorry about the "Big in Japan" cliche).

Yeah I know.

Conservative radio of the 70s? Is this the same conservative radio that would play entire albums commercial free late at night, play 20+ minute jams from ELP or the Allman Brothers, then turn around and play a Marvin Gaye or Jim Croce album cut?

Compared to the corporate radio of today, 70's radio was liberal to the point of anarchy.

Can you believe they actually gave Dj's "creative input" on the play lists? :eek:

Very few Jocks on today have this. Jim Ladd(KLOS) and Rodney Bingenheimer(KROQ) here in LA are probably some of the last ones but that's because they've both been on radio for 100 years each.