Pearl Harbour reissue with Paul Simonon, Mick Jones & Topper Headon of The Clash

PEARL HARBOUR LEADS "WOMEN'S HISTORY MONTH" RELEASES FROM LIBERATION HALL Vinyl and CD reissue of Harbour’s 1980 album Don’t Follow Me, I’m Lost Too features members of the Clash, Dr. Feelgood, Ian Dury’s the Blockheads, and Graham Parker’s the Rumour, among others   Plus, three additional titles from the Contractions, the Brat, and Shakin’ Street, the latter featuring Ross “The Boss” Friedman of the Dictators and Manowar

TOP: Pearl Harbour, Shakin' Street BOTTOM: The Contractions, The Brat

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE | January 11, 2024 — To celebrate Women’s History Month, Liberation Hall will release four titles on March 22 that capture California’s vibrant punk, post-punk, hard rock, and rockabilly scenes from 1979-1981. The lineup includes an expanded edition of Pearl Harbour’s Don’t Follow Me, I’m Lost Too, a live album from French/American rockers Shakin’ Street, the first-ever compilation from San Francisco’s the Contractions, and a limited edition colored vinyl repressing from Los Angeles’ the Brat. The selections by the Contractions and Shakin’ Street are additions to the label’s ongoing “Sounds from the San Francisco Underground” series. All titles will be distributed by MVD Entertainment Group.    PEARL HARBOUR – Don’t Follow Me, I’m Lost Too (CD: LIB-5168 / LP: LIB-5169) Patricia Gilbert began her career in San Francisco’s burgeoning music scene in the 1970s, dancing on stage with the Tubes in 1976 before becoming part of another local act, Leila and the Snakes. In 1978, she adopted the stage name “Pearl Harbor” and formed Pearl Harbor and the Explosions alongside two of the Snakes. They recorded a well-received, self-titled debut album for Warner Bros. Records and toured extensively. When it came time to record a second LP, the band split due to disagreements over musical direction. At the time, Pearl was dating Clash associate and sometime manager Kosmo Vinyl, and the couple relocated to London. Pearl decided she wanted to go in a rockabilly direction for Don’t Follow Me, I’m Lost Too, and Kosmo went about assembling an all-star studio band which included Paul Simonon, Topper Headon, and Mick Jones from the Clash; Wilko Johnson from Dr. Feelgood and Ian Dury & the Blockheads; Nigel Dixon from Whirlwind; Steve New from the Rich Kids; and Steve Goulding from Graham Parker & the Rumour. Produced by Blockheads keyboardist Mickey Gallagher, the LP also features contributions from pedal steel guitarist BJ Cole, keyboardist Geraint Watkins, and saxophonist Gary Barnacle. Since Pearl was now living in the UK, Warners’ London office insisted she update her name to the British spelling of “Harbour.” Don’t Follow Me, I’m Lost Too was released in December 1980, and despite being a crackling blend of rockabilly, country, rock ‘n’ roll, and Pearl’s own unique star quality, Warner Bros. failed to get behind the album. Within the year, she was touring as a special guest with the Clash, performing Wanda Jackson’s “Fujiyama Mama” as an encore with the band. In May 1982, she married Simonon and the union lasted for seven years.  This new expanded edition of Don’t Follow Me, I’m Lost Too includes four bonus tracks on purple grape vinyl and six on the CD. It will be the first time the album has been officially released on CD. Both formats feature new liner notes from Pearl alongside photos and memorabilia from her personal collection. In addition to “Fujiyama Mama,” all formats include Pearl’s interpretations of Billy Cox and Cliff Hobbs’ “Filipino Baby,” Ian Dury’s “Rough Kids,” and LaVern Baker’s “Voodoo Voodoo.” Pre-order at Amazon.    TRACKLIST: 1. Alone in the Dark | 2. Fujiyama Mama | 3. Everybody’s Boring but My Baby | 4. You’re in Trouble Again | 5. Do Your Homework | 6. Cowboys & Indians | 7. Losing to You | 8. Filipino Baby | 9. Let’s Go Upstairs | 10. Rough Kids | 11. Out with the Girls | 12. Heaven Is Gonna Be Empty | 13. At the Dentist | 14. Nerves # | 15. You Got Me All Wrong # | 16. Voodoo Voodoo # | 17. You Don’t Fool Me # | 18. What I Should Have Said (demo) * | 19. I Can’t Tell You on the Phone * (demo)    # Non-LP singles & B-sides * Previously unreleased Tracks 1-13 appear on the Don’t Ask Me, I’m Lost Too album issued by Warner Bros. Records in 1980 Tracks 1-17 appear on the expanded edition LP Tracks 1-19 appear on the expanded edition CD

Pearl Harbour and Paul Simonon | From the collection of Pearl Harbour

SHAKIN’ STREET – Scarlet: The Old Waldorf, August 1979 (CD: LIB-5148 / LP: LIB-5157) Fabienne Shine (pronounced “sheen”) was born in Tunisia but grew up in France, becoming a kind of Renaissance woman: fashion model, actor (appearing in 1968’s Barbarella), musician. By the early 1970s, Shine had fallen in with Led Zeppelin, becoming romantically involved with Jimmy Page. Page and Robert Plant encouraged her to put together a band of her own. In 1975, alongside guitarist Eric Lévi, she formed a group in Paris that eventually became known as Shakin’ Street. Working with their first manager, Mark Zermati, the group landed high-profile opening slots across the Channel in England, supporting the Damned and other groups in the nascent punk scene. But Shine never considered her group a punk band. “Hard rock,” she insisted. “I always loved hard rock.” After releasing the debut album Vampire Rock on CBS Records in 1978, Shakin’ Street relocated to San Francisco to cut a follow-up LP. Shine asked Sandy Pearlman to produce, impressed by the hard, metallic sound he routinely captured for Blue Öyster Cult. He agreed and sessions commenced at the Automatt in San Francisco. By this point, the band’s original lead guitarist was gone. In his place came Ross “The Boss” Friedman, a founding member of the Dictators, and later, Manowar. “We had love at first sight,” said Shine. “He was really crazy about us… and he was good.” In 1980, Shakin’ Street embarked on “The Black and Blue Tour” as openers for the Ronnie James Dio lineup of Black Sabbath, alongside Blue Öyster Cult.   Scarlet: The Old Waldorf, August 1979 was recorded during the same period as the Automatt sessions for 1980’s Shakin’ Street LP. The group was opening for the Jim Carroll Band and the show was captured by KALX radio deejay and producer Terry Hammer. This concert now makes its debut on CD and limited ruby red vinyl. Due to time limitations, the vinyl features nine tracks while the CD includes 13. Liner notes are by Bill Kopp, author of Disturbing the Peace: 415 Records and the Rise of New Wave. Pre-order at Bandcamp or Amazon.    TRACKLIST: 1. Solid as a Rock | 2. Soul Dealer * | 3. Generation X | 4. Where Are You Babe * | 5. Blues is the Same | 6. Scarlet | 7. Every Man, Every Woman Is a Star | 8. Suzie Wong * | 9. No Time to Lose | 10. I Want to Box You * | 11. No Compromise | 12. I Want to Be Your Dog (Iggy Pop) | 13. Vampire Rock   All songs by Shine/Lévi except #12  * Only appears on CD & download Recorded at the Old Waldorf in San Francisco on August 15, 1979, by Terry Hammer

SHARE: Shakin' Street performs "Scarlet"

THE CONTRACTIONS – 1980 (CD: LIB-5175) From 1979-1984, the female post-punk trio known as the Contractions not only built a San Francisco following, but they also toured nationally and released a pair of singles and the Something Broke album. Now — with the cooperation of the group’s three founding members, and thanks to the live recordings and endeavors of archivist Terry Hammer — this live compilation from two dates at the Mabuhay Gardens comes as a new addition to the group’s catalog. Mary Kelley, Deb Hopkins and Kathy Peck all wrote songs on their own, but the musical arrangements were collaborative. “We thought of ourselves as a three-legged chair,” Kelley told liner notes writer Bill Kopp. “Always a team. It wasn’t The Contractions without the three of us.” During their time together, the Contractions opened for a cavalcade of punk and new wave artists: Dead Kennedys, Jim Carroll, Glenn Branca, the Go-Go’s, Bush Tetras, Flipper, and even Duran Duran. “People described us as ‘musically dangerous,’” said Hopkins. “Years later, I am still meeting women who tell me that they decided to learn an instrument and start a band after seeing us. And that is what I hope our legacy is: empowering females to play music, and to expect to be treated and respected for their music and not treated like sex objects.”  In addition to the 11 live tracks featured on 1980, the CD also includes three long out-of-print studio recordings. All songs are by the Contractions. Pre-order at Bandcamp or Amazon.    TRACKLIST: 1. Shut the Door (Slam It) | 2. Breaking Up Is Not Hard to Do | 3. No Questions | 4. Water Beast | 5. Shadow Boy | 6. Tribute to Industry | 7. Magazine Phobia | 8. End of the World | 9. Secretary Sacrifice | 10. Saw My Baby | 11. Rules and Regulations | 12. You Touched Me * | 13. Early Warning # | 14. Bewitching Me #   Tracks 1-11 recorded by Terry Hammer at the Mabuhay Gardens, May & November 1980 * B-side of the Q’n’D single “Rules and Regulations” # From the Trotter Records album Something Broke    THE BRAT – Straight Outta East L.A. (RockBeat Records / LP: ROC-3467) The Brat was a Chicano punk rock ensemble formed in the barrios of East Los Angeles. Its three core members were lead singer Teresa Covarrubias, lead guitarist Rudy Medina, and second guitarist Sidney Medina. From 1979 to 1985, the Brat was a hardworking and politically conscious band, nurtured by the Do-It-Yourself punk scene of East L.A. In late 1980, The group was signed as the flagship act for Fatima Recordz, the upstart label of another local punk band, the Plugz. This collaboration resulted in the Brat's only official recording issued during their existence, the 5-song Attitudes EP.  In the past decade, the Brat’s classic recordings have enjoyed a resurgence in attention. Liberation Hall issued the 21-track Straight Outta East L.A. compilation on CD and vinyl in 2017. Due to demand, the title is now being reissued on limited edition red & blue-swirled vinyl by RockBeat Records, an affiliate of Liberation Hall. The Brat also featured prominently in the documentary film, Chinatown Punk Wars, which debuted on PBS in October. Pre-order at Amazon.    TRACKLIST: 1. Slaughter of an Ancient Tribe | 2. Vicious Love | 3. Swift Moves | 4. Leave Me Alone | 5. Starry Night | 6. Tombstone Blues | 7. The Wolf | 8. The Promise | 9. High School | 10. Misogyny | 11. Brain Sparks | 12. Attitudes | 13. Corner of the World | 14. The Cry | 15. Indian Ink Tears | 16. Hard Sometimes | 17. Believe | 18. Just Another Day | 19. Soldier | 20. It’s a Climb | 21. We Are the One (Houston/Ingraham/Wilsey/O’Brien)