SWEET & LOVICH

Rip It Up, Issue 22, 1 May 1979, Page 14

SWEET & LOVICH

Louise Chunn

Lene Lovich and Rachel Sweet are the only women currently signed to Stiff Records. Although distinctly different from one another, both have managed to avoid what seems to have become the prevalent pitfall for a lady at the mic; neither of them is a ‘whimpy woman’ singer of the doe-eyed, sugared-up voice variety. And that’s a relief.

Rachel Sweet first. At 4’11” and 16 years of age, Rachel Sweet is something of a phenomenon in the business. Sure, her hometown Akron, Ohio and numerous American cities undoubtedly produce girls of her ilk with terrifying regularity. What’s rare is that a girl like that the drum majorette, the star jock’s girlfriend should end up touring Britain with the likes of Wreckless Eric, should sign with a record company which also promotes a somewhat degenerate Cockney cripple. But, as far as Ms Sweet is concerned, it’s all a part of the bid for fame and fortune. Rachel Sweet started in show biz at the age of 5. Seven years and several TV commercials later, she toured the States as the support act for Mickey Rooney. At 12 she made her first recording, a country single which flopped badly. Her next effort, a tune culled from seven she recorded with Ray Baker in Nashville, hit the American Country Charts; it reached No 94. But the answer to her dreams proved to be lurking far closer to home. Long-time friend and neighbour in Akron was Liam Sternberg, producer of Stiff Records’ Akron Compilation. He included Rachel in the local talent recorded for that disc and went on to produce her first album late in 1978. Critical reaction to Fool Around was mostly favourable. NME was impressed, saying ihe sang like a ‘girl re-incarnated’ and praising her subject matter anything that was adolescent, female and twittish. But, as Ms Sweet says, Fool Around is a ‘showcase’ a selection of all that is possible. Which takes us from the Dusty Spr-

lingtield standard "Stay Awhile” to the grittier Sternberg tunes like "Suspended Animation” and "Cuckoo Clock” and then right on down to

pure country/pop. Lene Lovich, by comparison (which is hardly a good idea) is playing with a completely different set of tricks. Where Rachel is coy, cute and quite possibly a pain in the arse, Lene plumps for the aged'and proven enigma formula. She won’t even reveal her nationality, for Chrissakes, although word has it that she too is an American. But there’s more to separate the two than Ms Lovich’s secrecy or even her kooky, feet-long plaits. There’s not a jot of the Yankee country sleaze on Lene’s debut album, Stateless. And it’s far more of a total component too, with cowriter/companion, Les Chappell contributing a fair amount to production. With a few exceptions notably Nick Lowe’s “Tonight” and the re-working of the already re-worked-by-The-Rubinoos “I Think We’re Alone

Now” almost all the tracks on Stateless are written by Lovich and Chappell. It seems she favours her own tunes above the others; she sings them harder and harsher in a voice not unlike Television’s Tom Verlaine or, with a stretch of the proverbial imagination, a tuneful Patti Smith. In addition to the backing provided by Chappell (guitar), Nicky Plytas (keyboards), Bobbi Irwin (drums), Ron Francois (bass) and Jeff Smith (synthesizer), Lene herself plays a fair saxophone, though not a great deal of it. NME has, rather curiously methinks, compared both Lene Lovich and Rachel Sweet with Deborah Harry from Blondie. Results were favourable on both counts. Which doesn’t really mean that either of these women are stunners. But they’re sure as hell not whimpy.