June and Jean Millington have been playing music since they were very young. As they grew up they formed several girl bands which eventually evolved to “Fanny” and they were one of the first all-girl groups to be signed to a record label. They became a musical success and continued to play and tour through the 80’s and 90’s.
Strongly interested in the womens movement, June founded the Institue for the Musical Arts – a teaching, performing and recording facility for women and girls. The IMA teaches everything a musician needs to know from playing instruments to managing the business side.
Their music is genuine and catchy. I would describe them as a cross between Heart, Bonnie Raitt and Tracy Chapman with a little India Arie thrown in for fun. It’s very rock/blues/folk oriented with a few twists.
Their latest CD features a track called “Play Like A Girl.” I usually run the music at my girls’ sports events and I am soooo going to play this one. Check out this new tune in the video below. These ladies rock! This should be on every girl’s playlist…
What did you think?
You can find out more about June and Jean from their web site.
1 comment
Robert Meyer
Fanny was a great band who never got the credit they deserved. It was Fanny who battered down rock’s locked gate with its ‘Men Only’ sign so others, like the Wilson sisters in Heart five years later, could walk through. I was first introduced to them in the best venue possible (other than seeing them live), one of the ‘In Concert’ type of TV shows that were popular in the late 60s / early 70s; best because I could see that they were playing their own instruments, and rocking as hard, or harder, than the current hit makers, like Steppenwolf. One of the most endearing things about Fanny was their choice of ‘cover versions’ of songs by legendary bands before them. When covering Buffalo Springfield, instead of going for the obvious (like “For What It’s Worth” or “Rock & Roll Woman”), they did the lesser known “Special Care”; and when covering the Beatles they didn’t play it safe with any of the dozens of major hits, they dared to do “Hey Bulldog” that only serious fans would recognize. Both of those songs, however, were tight little rockers that show off Fanny’s instrumental prowess. My favorite Fanny songs are “What Kind Of Lover” and “No Deposit No Return” for the ‘in your face, Mick Jagger’ attitude.
I also love “Play Like A Girl” and think it’s tailor-made for girls sports.