Friday, July 13, 2018

Everybody's Boring But Pearl Harbour (Part 1)


The singer known as Pearl Harbour was born in 1955 to an American soldier and a Filipino mother, and was raised in Germany with four older brothers. At the age of 17, she moved to San Francisco with ambitions of becoming a country singer. At 18, she joined a dance troupe called the Wood Nymphs. In 1976, Pearl became a dancer for The Tubes (after beating a hundred other performers in a talent contest). She then joined a Tubes-related cabaret act called Leila And The Snakes. "We did four sets a night: punk, cocktail hour, comedy, skits, tap dancing, twirling hula hoops while singing. It was kind of like being in a play. Interesting and fun for awhile, but you got tired of it.... Then I wanted to branch out into rock and roll." Leila And The Snakes released a 1978 single called "Rock & Roll Weirdos".  Pearl, John Hanes (drums) and Hilary Hanes (bass) split from the Snakes, added guitarist Peter Bilt, and formed Pearl Harbor and the Explosions. Their debut single Drivin' was a local hit in SF for 415 Records, and was re-released by Warner Bros. A self-titled album followed.


The Explosions imploded after two world tours. "I wanted the show to be more wild rock & roll. They were more interested in jazz, funk, and rhythm & blues and a little bit straighter kind of show," Pearl recalled in an interview. (The Explosions did perform the Sparkletones' classic Black Slacks and Pearl's rockabilly tune Nerves.) The Explosions' drummer and bassist John and Hilary Hanes (aka the Stench brothers) joined Damon Edge and Helios Creed in Chrome. Pearl moved to London, where she knew members of the punk and pub rock scenes. Pearl had a contract with Warners for a solo album. She wrote songs with guitarist Nigel Dixon (from British rockabilly band Whirlwind) and pianist Geraint "Otis" Watkins. Micky Gallagher from Ian Dury's Blockheads was the producer. Musicians who participated in the sessions included Paul Simonon and his brother Nick, Mick Jones, Topper Headon, Wilko Johnson, Steve New, Steve Goulding, and BJ Cole. Pearl's first single was a cover of Fujiyama Mama (first recorded by Anisteen Allen, then made famous by Pearl's rockabilly role model Wanda Jackson), with Pearl's original composition Nerves on the flipside.


The music on Pearl's debut solo albumDon't Follow Me, I'm Lost Too (1980), ranged from rockabilly to country (Losing To You), girl groups (Everybody's Boring But My Baby), New Orleans R&B (Let's Go Upstairs), and the autobiographical Filipino Baby. The LP was a showcase for Pearl's eclectic taste, her sense of humor, and the expressive range of her voice. According to her website, Pearl didn't think it suited the spirit of the punk era to print the all-star guest list on the album cover

Pearl and Paul Simonon married in 1982. There are live videos from this period of Pearl singing Fujiyama Mama with the Clash, and Pearl and Wilko Johnson joining the Stray Cats onstage at Montreux for Be Bop A Lula. Wilko produced Pearl's next single, a cover of Voodoo Voodoo (first recorded by LaVern Baker). Pearl's next album was recorded at Abbey Road. Nigel Dixon, Otis Watkins and BJ Cole were back, along with members of Tenpole Tudor. Warners didn't pick it up, but Pearls Galore (1983) was released in Japan, on Epic/Sony.

Another album (also called Pearls Galore) was recorded with producer Richard Gottehrer and a Japanese punk band called The Mods. Nigel Dixon and Chris Spedding also contributed guitar work. This LP was released by in Europe by Island Records in 1984. Some of the songs from the previous album were rerecorded, along with a new version of Nerves and covers of the Rocky Fellers' Killer Joe and the Buddy Knox hit Hula Love. Gottehrer had produced the Go-Go's, Blondie, and other New Wave artists, but his songwriting and production credits go back to the girl group era. He seemed to be a perfect match for Pearl (who had been singing the Shangri-Las' song Out In The Streets since she was in Leila And The Snakes), but the album and its singles didn't chart. Pearl made several tours of Japan with The Mods between 1983 and 1985. After her marriage ended in 1987, she moved back to SF. Her former writing partner Nigel Dixon joined her ex-husband Paul Simonon in the short-lived band Havana 3 A.M. Nigel Dixon died in 1993. Pearl is alive and well (and still gorgeous), and she occasionally performs in LA and SF.

First photo of Pearl (with Leila And The Snakes) by Chester Simpson.  Third photo by Richard McCaffree (from the 1980 book X-Capees).  Second and fourth photo (with The Mods) appeared on Pearl Harbour's Instagram. Pearl noted that she lived for three years in the storage shed seen in the second photo. Interview quotes from Mary Campbell, "Singer Pearl Harbour has curious past, bright future." (AP)

17 comments:

  1. Here is my rip of Pearls Galore (1983), the Epic Sony album.
    tinyurl.com/y9qxqn7o

    This is PBTHAL's vinyl rip of Pearls Galore (1984), the Island Records album.
    tinyurl.com/yac2fvaf

    Check out draftervoi's excellent rip of the "Drivin" single:
    voodoowagon.blogspot.com/2018/01/pearl-harbor-explosions-45.html

    In this 1983 appearance on Japanese TV, Pearl lip syncs "Get Out Of Here" with Nigel Dixon (and "Old Bob, Dick & Gary" from Tenpole Tudor), then performs "Everybody's Boring" backed by The Mods. Fans of Amy Winehouse's sense of style, take note of Pearl's hair and clothes (and fake tattoo!)

    youtu.be/rkPm_gkwnho

    Here's another one from Japanese TV featuring Pearl, Nigel, Bob, Dick and Gary on two songs from the 1983 LP:

    youtu.be/4TBo0oXVisU

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  2. Hey Jonder:

    Pearls "comeback" album HERE COMES TROUBLE is a stone cold classic that contains members of the legendary Buck Naked's band!

    Here's a Pearl Harbor & The Explosions show (LIVE IN OAKLAND '79) that I digitized, tweaked the sound on, and broke into individual tracks!
    https://www72.zippyshare.com/v/rrhgN8rV/file.html

    I love your blog,
    Stinky

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    1. I'm so glad you found my blog, Stinky. You have an open invitation to share goodies here from your record collection and your fantastic mixtapes! I thought of you when I found this video from 2015 with Pearl backed by East Bay Ray and Stinky Le Pew of the Buck Naked boys: youtu.be/zTLLoAB5SQs And don't miss instagram.com/pearlharbourmusic with photos dating back to her childhood, her career, marriage to Paul Simenon, and her cute little dog Earl Harbour!

      Pearl Harbour Part 2 is coming soon and will include Here Comes Trouble.

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    2. PS - there's a Leila And The Snakes collection at CD Baby, featuring "Rock & Roll Weirdos", "Out In The Streets" and "Don't Touch Me There" (cowritten by Leila and Ron Nagle). Listen to clips and buy it here: store.cdbaby.com/cd/milescorbin4 Lead singer Jane Dornacker (aka Leila) became an actress and radio reporter, first in SF and later in NYC. She died in 1986 when her traffic helicopter plunged into the Hudson River. She had survived a previous helicopter crash into the Hackensack River.

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    3. Just to clarify, the Leila And The Snakes album on CD Baby was recorded after Pearl left the group. The album versions of "Rock & Roll Weirdos" and the flipside "Pyramid Power" are not the same as those on the single. The album was slated to be produced by Hugh Cornwell, but it went unmixed and unreleased until Leila and the Snakes' guitarist Miles Corbin completed it. Here's a cool article and more pics:

      styrous.blogspot.com/2017/08/45-rpms-19-leila-and-snakes-obiko.htm

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    4. The Swinging Singles Club has posted the original single by Leila And The Snakes (with Pearl):
      https://seveninchesisenough.blogspot.com/2020/02/for-bi-coastal-punk-rock-novelty-lover.html

      And here's a new link to Stinky's homemade Live In Oakland '79:
      https://www.mediafire.com/file/y6zotxtzlwifbqd/Pe@rl_Harbour_%26_The_Explo%24ion%24_Live_In_Oakland_CA_%2779.zip/file

      There was a 2016 release by Interference Records (on vinyl and CD) of a 1979 UC Berkeley show broadcast on KALX:
      http://www.odmcy.com/catalog/index.php/catalogue/5-interference/582-pearl-harbor-the-explosions-live-79-lp

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  3. Great historic much needed post again...will try to give you a plug with a Screaming Blue Messiah repost since i got some those files from you...just a short note to get their butts over here for last 2 posts.

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    1. I appreciate that. My wife got me the Messiahs box set for Christmas, bless her!
      I hope everybody is digging the vinyl goldmine at downunderground.blogspot.com!

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  4. There's a video on Pearl on the "Girl George Show" (local cable access show in the East Bay) at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UJ2zUuKar9A The sound is off center in the mix. Here's another version with just "Drivin' but with better sound: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q4nYl2U5GTg

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    1. Dang, she was so cute! No wonder Paul Cinnabon fell in love. I'm jealous that you got to see Pearl with the Tubes and the Explosions. Thanks for the video links!

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  5. I was a fan from the start, although I recall thinking the Leila & the Snakes single was a bit "fake punk" (oh, how we cared about "authenticity" back then...). I first saw her as one of the Tubes dancers; I may be mixing her up with someone else, but I think she did a "tap-dancing boxer" routine, complete with boxing gloves. (Come to think of it, I also remember the Tubes had this old man (a guy in his 50's...I'm older than that now!) named "Mr. Penguin" who stalked about the stage in a penguin costume, yelling, "I'm Mister Penguin! I'm Mister Penguin!" for no particular reason)....I remember running into Pearl Harbor & the Explosions playing inside the San Francisco State student center, a horrific concrete nightmare that looked like a cement tapeworm...); they were playing IN THE HALLWAY, not even on a stage or in the cafeteria...what a weird gig to get...).

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    1. I think your memory serves you right, because Pearl is wearing boxing gloves with her Tubes t-shirt in the second photo above. BTW the 2015 video of Pearl with East Bay Ray and Stinky LePew also features Prairie Prince from the Tubes on drums -- youtu.be/zTLLoAB5SQs

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  6. Hi guys. I'm a huge fan of Pearl. Met her a few times when I was tiny. A good (Much Older) friend of mine, who had Drawn the "Translator" Poster when they signed with Colombia, met her at that signing and said she had some great stories. One was about how Stewart Copeland was a shitty fuck.

    Thanx for all the stuff you folks!!!

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    1. Glad you found the blog, Leesa! I would love to meet Pearl one day, hear some of those stories, and tell her how much her music has meant to me. The NY Times recently printed an article on "12 Forgotten Classics by Women-Led New Wave Bands". "Shut Up And Dance" was one of the twelve classics, and Pearl is fondly remembered in many of the reader comments. I hope she got to see it.

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    2. Big thanks for explaining how two versions of "Pearls Galore" came to be. I finally caught up with them both and don't know what took me so long.

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    3. You're welcome, Steve! I'm happy to share the music here, and I'm glad that people are still visiting to read and listen.

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    4. Thanks again, somehow I missed this cool post!

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