IN THE MIX Vicki Peterson Edition Vol. 2 with Bangles, HOODOO GURUS Steve Wynn, ACTION SKULLS!

IN THE MIX Vicki Peterson Edition Vol. 2.  My musical mash note to VICKI PETERSON continues.

On Vol. 2, there are more BANGLES tracks Vicki sings lead on, which include two of my favorite songs by the group; James, and Crash & Burn.  Their amazing early track Want You is here along with More Than Meets The Eye, I Got Nothing, Lay Yourself Down, & Get The Girl (Live At The House Of Blues).  There’s even Make A Play For Her Now which Peterson co-wrote with Vinnie Vincent (formerly of KISS!)

In the early days of THE BANGLES, the whole group supplied backing vocals for HOODOO GURUS.  Vicki & her sister Debbie sang behind MATTHEW SWEET, and Vicki backed STEVE WYNN & GIANT SAND on her own.  

Vicki Peterson seems to love to be in a group, and there are tracks from her bands; THE PSYCHO SISTERS (with SUSAN COWSILL), THE ACTION SKULLS (with John Cowsill & Billy Mummy), & CONTINENTAL DRIFTERS.  And of course a cut from her newest & highly recommended release Long After The Fire (with her husband, JOHN COWSILL).  

Long After The Fire is available on bandcamp as a download, a CD, or on vinyl: Vicki Peterson & John Cowsill

 

IN THE MIX Vicki Peterson Edition Vol. 1 Bangles PSYCHO SISTERS Continental Drifters

IN THE MIX Vicki Peterson Edition Vol. 1

I’ve loved THE BANGLES since day one.  They perfected a mixture of jangle pop, folk, psychedelic garage rock, and Beatlesque harmonies that I never get tired of, and when I saw them live on their reunion tour, they really delivered.

Guitarist VICKI PETERSON sang lead on maybe a third of the band’s songs, and she wrote, or co-wrote, a lot of them.  I was surprised to discover (in my researching this post) that one of my favorites by The Bangles; Hero Takes A Fall was one of the first songs she wrote with Susannah Hoffs.

IN THE MIX Vicki Peterson Edition Vol. 1 starts off with an early collaboration between Australia’s HOODOO GURUS & THE BANGLES.  They also backed TOM PETTY & THE HEARTBREAKERS.  

Aside from her Banglemates, Peterson’s voice blends best with SUSAN COWSILL’s (her sister-in-law) with whom she formed THE PSYCHO SISTERS.  The two originally supplied guest vocals for THE CONTINENTAL DRIFTERS, and were asked to join the group which also included Peter Holsapple of The dBs, & Mark Walton of The Dream Syndicate.

PETERSON is a born collaborator—and a fantastic harmony singer.  She’s also sang background vocals on recordings by REDD KROSS, GIANT SAND, & JOHN DOE, & I’ve included a track from her newest & highly recommended release Long After The Fire (with her husband, JOHN COWSILL) on bandcamp as a download, a CD, or on vinyl:  Vicki Peterson & John Cowsill After The Fire

I’ve mixed in some live performances.  Three tracks by THE CONTINENTAL DRIFTERS were recorded in New Jersey bars, two by THE PSYCHO SISTERS recorded live on L.A.’s KCSN FM.