Pleasure Seekers, finally

[beccabear67]

I remember at the old board asking about this Michigan girl group with the Quatro sisters in it. I see by the Patti and Nancy Quatro run website there is now a CD collection available of '60s recordings! It looks to have the two released singles and unreleased tracks plus an overview booklet. I'm sure everyone here has heard the original 1965 Hideout single sides but I've never heard the Mercury one (they're much harder to find than the New Colony Six ones), so am looking forward to that and the unreleased stuff. Anyone gotten their copy yet? I'll let you know what I think when mine shows. I'll probably grab the Cradle release later as I like Fanny and Suzi Quatro solo stuff too, but not sure how garagey Cradle might be. They later had Jerry Nolan on drums for a bit though, wonder if they lent him his heels for that bigger gig that followed?

In the latest Ugly Things it was fascinating to read about The Pleasure Seekers doing a USO tour in Southeast Asia circa 1968 and how some shows were cancelled because another group had been attacked and all but the girl singer in it killed! I remember this group was talked about online a bit and that it wasn't The Bubble Gum Machine. I may be a bit hallucinatory, but that story about a '60s group in a Vietnam war zone sure reminds me of either a Tour Of Duty or China Beach episode, anyone remember those shows?

 

[mansson66]

I seem to recall that it's the Hideout 45 that is IT with'em... but can't say that with 100% certainty. The cd sounds interesting and probably worth getting - thanks for the heads up!

Regarding a 60's group in Vietnam see this: http://www.amazon.com/Rock-n-Roll-S...=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1305704819&sr=1-1
It's a good, interesting and touching book.

 

[beccabear67]

That book looks interesting, I'll bet they make a movie from it before long.

Forgot to include the Quatro website earlier, some photos of the SE Asia tour there too...

http://quatrorock.com/quatrorock/

 

[Westex]

I rather enjoy the Mercury 45... nice girl pop with horns... bit edgy. Night and day compared with "What A Die".

 

[franku]

So, is anybody else going to the Pleasure Seekers reunion show this friday (8/24/2012) at 8pm in downtown Detroit? They are playing outdoors at Campus Martius, opening for local garage pop combo Amy Gore and her Valentines, who play at 10 (hi, Derf!). Not much info out there about the show, though one hopes that Patti Quatro will be with them. It is billed as the Pleasure Seekers/Cradle, so the material played will evidently span both groups. Oh, and the show is free - !

http://www.campusmartiuspark.org/events/summer_events

For those who can't make it... check out the vintage LIVE video of the Pleasure Seekers that is on youtube! It appears to be from '68, supposedly from a Pacific NW tv show. You might need to take a cold shower afterwards - WOW!!!!

It's linked from this site, which is full of great photos and info. The video link is the very last item on the page:

http://psychorizon.wordpress.com/2011/12/04/the-pleasure-seekers/

 

[franku]

The Pleasure Seekers rocked on Friday! Though some garage purists might have been disappointed as the band focused on later 60s/early 70s material (as they morphed into Cradle), they were super tight both instrumentally and vocally, and Patti Quatro played some hot leads (using her original 60s guitar, no less).

There were five original members in attendance, out of maybe a dozen who were in the band as it evolved. Four took the stage, including two drummers, who played throughout and switched kits for different songs (the woman who didn't play with them was yet another drummer!), with the only non-original being the bassist (as always seems to be the case in reunions - ?!).

Most tunes of the nearly 1.5 hour set were originals, with the covers (including a CSN song and an oldies medley that they used to perform live) being probably the least compelling part of the show. One song was dedicated to "Iggy Stooge", who one of the two drummers had dated. I dug it, Patti stomped on some pedals and got the Ron Asheton guitar sound sizzling.

They were selling self-issued CDs of Pleasure Seekers and Cradle tunes, most originally unreleased. I bought the Pleasure Seekers disc, and it is pretty solid, with some excellent psych-tinged numbers. Patti Quatro told me afterward that it is getting a vinyl release soon (via Sundazed?).

Somebody should revive Cavestomp and hire these gals to play - so long as people realize that the Hideout 45 was their earliest effort, and in their heyday they had more of a Grande Ballroom style.

Oh, and they did proudly perform "What A Way To Die" in all it's glory!!!