Babes in Toyland (band)
Encyclopedia
Babes in Toyland was an American alternative rock
band formed in Minneapolis, Minnesota
in 1987. The band was formed by Oregon native Kat Bjelland
(lead vocals and guitar
), with Lori Barbero
(drums
) and Michelle Leon (bass
), who was later replaced by Maureen Herman
in 1992. Courtney Love
— a close friend and former bandmate of Bjelland when the two lived in Portland
and San Francisco
- had a very brief stint in the band in 1987 as a bass player, before being kicked out and forming Hole
in 1989.
Between 1989 and 1995, Babes in Toyland released three studio albums; Spanking Machine
(1989), the commercially successful Fontanelle
(1992), and Nemesisters
(1995), before becoming inactive in 1997 and eventually disbanding in 2001. While the band was inspirational to some performers in the riot grrrl
movement in the Pacific Northwest
, Babes in Toyland never associated themselves with the movement.
met drummer Lori Barbero
at a friend's barbecue. Originally from Woodburn, Oregon
and a former resident of San Francisco, Bjelland had moved to Minneapolis to form a band. Over the following months, Bjelland convinced Barbero to play drums and formed Babes in Toyland in winter 1987. In its initial formation in 1987, in addition to Bjelland and Barbero, the band included Chris Holetz on bass and singer Cindy Russell. After Holetz and Russell left, the band briefly recruited Bjelland's friend - and former bandmate of the band Pagan Babies
- Courtney Love
on bass. Love, who later went on to form the successful band Hole
, only lasted a number of weeks before being kicked out by Bjelland. After Love's departure, Michelle Leon was recruited as bassist. It has been noted that several songs from the Babes In Toyland's debut album shared lyrics and verses with several songs by Hole, most notably Hole's first several singles
, including b-sides from "Retard Girl
" and "Dicknail
". It is thought that Courtney Love and Bjelland had collaborated on songs in their previous bands and during Love's brief time in Babes In Toyland, which resulted in the sharing of the lyrics.
The band achieved their initial notoriety through Bjelland's "babydoll" image — sometimes referred to as the kinderwhore
look — which contrasted dramatically with the raw power of her singing voice and her aggressive lyrics. After a number of live shows in 1988, the band released their first single, "Dust Cake Boy", through Sub Pop
records' singles club in 1989. As the single reached significant underground success, Babes in Toyland entered the studio in 1989 to record their debut album. Originally titled Swamp Pussy, Spanking Machine
was recorded with grunge
producer Jack Endino
at Seattle's Reciprocal Recording
and released in April 1990 on Minneapolis' Twin/Tone Records
.
Other bands interested in the underground music scene - most notably Sonic Youth
- were fans of the album, so much so that Sonic Youth's Thurston Moore
invited the band to perform on Sonic Youth's 1990 European tour to promote their latest album, Goo
. The band also performed alongside Sonic Youth at 1991's Reading Festival, which was documented by Dave Markey
's music documentary, 1991: The Year Punk Broke
.
British DJ, John Peel
, was also a fan of the album citing it as his "favourite album of 1990." During the band's tour with Sonic Youth in 1990, Babes in Toyland recorded a radio session for John Peel, one of the many Peel sessions. The band also did a second session with Peel in 1991, and the sessions were released as The Peel Sessions - the band's second EP
- in 1992. The band's first EP, To Mother
, was composed of outtakes from Spanking Machine and was released in 1991 and received critical acclaim entering the independent charts and staying there for a thirteen weeks, ten of which the EP held the number one spot.
. Maureen Herman
was recruited as her replacement. With this new line-up, Fontanelle
was recorded in Cannon Falls, Minnesota and released in 1992, selling around 200,000 copies in the United States alone. The lead song on the album, "Bruise Violet," is said to be an attack on Courtney Love. The lyrics - which included the lines "you see the stars through eyes lit up with lies / you got your stories all twisted up in mine." - supported this. However, in a more recent interview Bjelland has denied this, saying instead that "Violet" was the name of a muse to both her and Love. The song's video was shown on Beavis and Butt-Head
, where the band was described as "chicks" who are "cool."
In 1993, the band was chosen to take part in that year's Lollapalooza
tour, playing alongside such acts as Primus
, Alice in Chains
, Dinosaur Jr. and Rage Against the Machine
. During dates at Lollapalooza, the band released their third and final EP, Painkillers, in June 1993, which was a re-recording of one of their most notable songs "He's My Thing", as well as outtakes from Fontanelle.
The band was the subject of the 1994 book Babes in Toyland: The Making and Selling of a Rock and Roll Band by Neal Karlen, which dealt with the band's signing to Warner and the recording of Fontanelle. Bjelland described the book as being "like cartoon caricatures of us," while Herman said that Karlen "would make a great fiction writer." The band also appeared in the 1995 documentary Not Bad for a Girl
.
On April 8, 1994, Babes in Toyland played a benefit show for Rock Against Domestic Violence with 7 Year Bitch
, and Jack Off Jill
in Miami at the Cameo Theater, the same day lead-singer of American grunge rock band Nirvana
, Kurt Cobain
, had been found dead in his Seattle home. Around the same time, the band were featured on the cover of Entertainment Weekly, and were referenced in an episode of the sitcom Roseanne
as well as an episode of Absolutely Fabulous
.
More than a year later, in May 1995, the band released their final album, Nemesisters
. Though receiving mixed reviews, the band described the album as "diverse", "experimental" and "spontaneous" and that the writing and recording process was "very different" as the band were working under pressure. Tours for the album took place throughout Europe - notably with a date at Denmark's Roskilde Festival
- the United States, and Australia.
: A Soundtrack to the Comic Book, which Bjelland co-produced. Bjelland and Barbero played with a new bassist, Jessie Farmer, in 2000.
However, a year earlier, Bjelland had formed a new band, Katastrophy Wife
, which seemed to replace Babes in Toyland as her main musical project. Babes in Toyland performed a reunion show billed as "The Last Tour" on November 21, 2001 — which was released as a live album called Minneapolism
- and this was not only the last Babes in Toyland show, but also the last official activity. Bjelland played a number of shows in Europe in 2002 under the title Babes in Toyland with a new drummer and bassist from the British band Angelica
, however, Bjelland stopped using the name after Barbero and Herman raised legal issues.
Alternative rock
Alternative rock is a genre of rock music and a term used to describe a diverse musical movement that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1980s and became widely popular by the 1990s...
band formed in Minneapolis, Minnesota
Minnesota
Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
in 1987. The band was formed by Oregon native Kat Bjelland
Kat Bjelland
Katherine "Kat" Bjelland is an American musician who is currently the lead singer-guitarist of the band Katastrophy Wife, and is the former lead singer and guitarist of the punk rock band Babes in Toyland....
(lead vocals and guitar
Electric guitar
An electric guitar is a guitar that uses the principle of direct electromagnetic induction to convert vibrations of its metal strings into electric audio signals. The signal generated by an electric guitar is too weak to drive a loudspeaker, so it is amplified before sending it to a loudspeaker...
), with Lori Barbero
Lori Barbero
Lori Barbero was the drummer for the Minneapolis-based band Babes in Toyland. She subsequently played drums for the bands Eggtwist and Koalas....
(drums
Drum kit
A drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
) and Michelle Leon (bass
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
), who was later replaced by Maureen Herman
Maureen Herman
Maureen Herman was from 1992 until 1996 the bass player for the Minneapolis-based Babes in Toyland.-Early years:Herman was raised in Libertyville, Illinois, and attended Libertyville High School...
in 1992. Courtney Love
Courtney Love
Courtney Michelle Love is an American rock musician. Love is the lead vocalist, lyricist, and rhythm guitarist for alternative rock band Hole, which she formed in 1989, and is an actress who has moved from bit parts in Alex Cox films to significant and acclaimed roles in The People vs...
— a close friend and former bandmate of Bjelland when the two lived in Portland
Woodburn, Oregon
Woodburn is a city in Marion County, Oregon, United States. Incorporated in 1889, the community had been platted in 1871 after the arrival of the railroad. The city is located in the northern end of the Willamette Valley along Interstate 5 between Portland and Salem...
and San Francisco
San Francisco, California
San Francisco , officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the San Francisco Bay Area, a region of 7.15 million people which includes San Jose and Oakland...
- had a very brief stint in the band in 1987 as a bass player, before being kicked out and forming Hole
Hole (band)
Hole is an American alternative rock band that originally formed in Los Angeles in 1989. The band is fronted by vocalist/songwriter and rhythm guitarist Courtney Love, who co-founded Hole with former songwriter/lead guitarist Eric Erlandson...
in 1989.
Between 1989 and 1995, Babes in Toyland released three studio albums; Spanking Machine
Spanking Machine
-Musicians and personnel:*Kat Bjelland - lead vocals, guitar*Lori Barbero - drums, backing vocals *Michelle Leon - bass*Jack Endino - producer, engineer...
(1989), the commercially successful Fontanelle
Fontanelle (album)
Fontanelle is the second studio album by the American punk rock band Babes in Toyland, released on August 11, 1992. It was the band's first release on a major label , and their first recording to feature Maureen Herman on bass.-Background and production:After extensive touring throughout 1991, the...
(1992), and Nemesisters
Nemesisters
Nemesisters is the third and final studio album recorded by Babes in Toyland. It was produced by Tim Mac, and released 5 May 1995 by Reprise Records.-Track listings:All song by Babes in Toyland, except as noted:#"Hello" - 4:45#"Oh Yeah!" - 3:16...
(1995), before becoming inactive in 1997 and eventually disbanding in 2001. While the band was inspirational to some performers in the riot grrrl
Riot grrrl
Riot grrrl was an underground feminist punk movement based in Washington, DC, Olympia, Washington, Portland, Oregon, and the greater Pacific Northwest which existed in the early to mid-1990s, and it is often associated with third-wave feminism...
movement in the Pacific Northwest
Pacific Northwest
The Pacific Northwest is a region in northwestern North America, bounded by the Pacific Ocean to the west and, loosely, by the Rocky Mountains on the east. Definitions of the region vary and there is no commonly agreed upon boundary, even among Pacific Northwesterners. A common concept of the...
, Babes in Toyland never associated themselves with the movement.
Formation and early years (1987-1991)
Babes in Toyland formed in 1987, after frontwoman Kat BjellandKat Bjelland
Katherine "Kat" Bjelland is an American musician who is currently the lead singer-guitarist of the band Katastrophy Wife, and is the former lead singer and guitarist of the punk rock band Babes in Toyland....
met drummer Lori Barbero
Lori Barbero
Lori Barbero was the drummer for the Minneapolis-based band Babes in Toyland. She subsequently played drums for the bands Eggtwist and Koalas....
at a friend's barbecue. Originally from Woodburn, Oregon
Woodburn, Oregon
Woodburn is a city in Marion County, Oregon, United States. Incorporated in 1889, the community had been platted in 1871 after the arrival of the railroad. The city is located in the northern end of the Willamette Valley along Interstate 5 between Portland and Salem...
and a former resident of San Francisco, Bjelland had moved to Minneapolis to form a band. Over the following months, Bjelland convinced Barbero to play drums and formed Babes in Toyland in winter 1987. In its initial formation in 1987, in addition to Bjelland and Barbero, the band included Chris Holetz on bass and singer Cindy Russell. After Holetz and Russell left, the band briefly recruited Bjelland's friend - and former bandmate of the band Pagan Babies
Pagan Babies (band)
The Pagan Babies were a short-lived American rock band from San Francisco, California, formed by Kat Bjelland and Courtney Love circa late 1985...
- Courtney Love
Courtney Love
Courtney Michelle Love is an American rock musician. Love is the lead vocalist, lyricist, and rhythm guitarist for alternative rock band Hole, which she formed in 1989, and is an actress who has moved from bit parts in Alex Cox films to significant and acclaimed roles in The People vs...
on bass. Love, who later went on to form the successful band Hole
Hole (band)
Hole is an American alternative rock band that originally formed in Los Angeles in 1989. The band is fronted by vocalist/songwriter and rhythm guitarist Courtney Love, who co-founded Hole with former songwriter/lead guitarist Eric Erlandson...
, only lasted a number of weeks before being kicked out by Bjelland. After Love's departure, Michelle Leon was recruited as bassist. It has been noted that several songs from the Babes In Toyland's debut album shared lyrics and verses with several songs by Hole, most notably Hole's first several singles
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
, including b-sides from "Retard Girl
Retard Girl
"Retard Girl" is a song by American alternative rock band Hole, written by vocalist and rhythm guitarist Courtney Love. The song was released as the band's debut single in April 1990 on 7" vinyl by Sympathy for the Record Industry. The single was produced by Love's then-husband, James Moreland,...
" and "Dicknail
Dicknail
"Dicknail" is a song by American alternative rock band Hole, written by vocalist/rhythm guitarist Courtney Love and lead guitarist Eric Erlandson. The song was released as the band's second single in March 1991; however, like the band's first single, "Retard Girl", it was only released on 7" vinyl....
". It is thought that Courtney Love and Bjelland had collaborated on songs in their previous bands and during Love's brief time in Babes In Toyland, which resulted in the sharing of the lyrics.
The band achieved their initial notoriety through Bjelland's "babydoll" image — sometimes referred to as the kinderwhore
Kinderwhore
Kinderwhore was an image used by a handful of mostly female punk rock bands in the US during the early to mid 1990s.The kinderwhore look consisted of torn, ripped tight or low-cut babydoll dresses or nighties, heavy makeup, and leather boots or Mary–Jane shoes of various colors...
look — which contrasted dramatically with the raw power of her singing voice and her aggressive lyrics. After a number of live shows in 1988, the band released their first single, "Dust Cake Boy", through Sub Pop
Sub Pop
Sub Pop is a record label founded in 1986 by Bruce Pavitt and Jonathan Poneman in Seattle, Washington. Sub Pop achieved fame in the late 1980s for first signing Nirvana, Soundgarden, Mudhoney and many other bands from the Seattle music scene...
records' singles club in 1989. As the single reached significant underground success, Babes in Toyland entered the studio in 1989 to record their debut album. Originally titled Swamp Pussy, Spanking Machine
Spanking Machine
-Musicians and personnel:*Kat Bjelland - lead vocals, guitar*Lori Barbero - drums, backing vocals *Michelle Leon - bass*Jack Endino - producer, engineer...
was recorded with grunge
Grunge
Grunge is a subgenre of alternative rock that emerged during the mid-1980s in the American state of Washington, particularly in the Seattle area. Inspired by hardcore punk, heavy metal, and indie rock, grunge is generally characterized by heavily distorted electric guitars, contrasting song...
producer Jack Endino
Jack Endino
Jack Endino is a producer and musician based in Seattle. Long associated with Seattle label Sub Pop and the grunge movement, Endino worked on seminal albums from bands such as Mudhoney, Soundgarden, and Nirvana...
at Seattle's Reciprocal Recording
Reciprocal Recording
Reciprocal Recording was the name of a recording studio in Seattle, Washington, USA, that was founded in 1984 and officially closed in July 1991.-History:Chris Hanzsek and Tina Casale opened Reciprocal Recording in Seattle in 1984...
and released in April 1990 on Minneapolis' Twin/Tone Records
Twin/Tone Records
Twin/Tone Records was a record label based in Minneapolis, Minnesota that operated from 1977 until 1994 and helped several local groups receive national attention. The label was born from the Minneapolis punk rock music scene, which included venues like Jay's Longhorn Bar. The label was begun by...
.
Other bands interested in the underground music scene - most notably Sonic Youth
Sonic Youth
Sonic Youth is an American alternative rock band from New York City, formed in 1981. The current lineup consists of Thurston Moore , Kim Gordon , Lee Ranaldo , Steve Shelley , and Mark Ibold .In their early career, Sonic Youth was associated with the No Wave art and music scene in New York City...
- were fans of the album, so much so that Sonic Youth's Thurston Moore
Thurston Moore
Thurston Joseph Moore is an American musician best known as a singer, songwriter and guitarist of Sonic Youth. He has also participated in many solo and group collaborations outside of Sonic Youth, as well as running the Ecstatic Peace! record label...
invited the band to perform on Sonic Youth's 1990 European tour to promote their latest album, Goo
Goo (album)
Goo is the sixth album by the American alternative rock band Sonic Youth, released on June 26, 1990. Goo was the first album released after the band signed to major label Geffen Records.-Background and recording:...
. The band also performed alongside Sonic Youth at 1991's Reading Festival, which was documented by Dave Markey
Dave Markey
Dave Markey is an American film director.As a self-taught filmmaker and musician, Markey directed, produced, edited, and photographed most of his films, the majority of which has been self-funded and distributed. His work documents the punk scene in Southern California throughout the 1980s and 1990s...
's music documentary, 1991: The Year Punk Broke
1991: The Year Punk Broke
1991: The Year Punk Broke is a 1992 documentary directed by Dave Markey featuring American alternative rock band Sonic Youth on tour in Europe in 1991. While Sonic Youth is the focus of the documentary, the film also gives attention to Nirvana, Dinosaur Jr., Babes in Toyland, Gumball and The Ramones...
.
British DJ, John Peel
John Peel
John Robert Parker Ravenscroft, OBE , known professionally as John Peel, was an English disc jockey, radio presenter, record producer and journalist. He was the longest-serving of the original BBC Radio 1 DJs, broadcasting regularly from 1967 until his death in 2004...
, was also a fan of the album citing it as his "favourite album of 1990." During the band's tour with Sonic Youth in 1990, Babes in Toyland recorded a radio session for John Peel, one of the many Peel sessions. The band also did a second session with Peel in 1991, and the sessions were released as The Peel Sessions - the band's second EP
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
- in 1992. The band's first EP, To Mother
To Mother
To Mother is the first EP recorded by Babes in Toyland consisting of the outtakes from the previous release Spanking Machine, but was rerecorded in Europe after their tour with Sonic Youth which can be seen on 1991: The Year Punk Broke...
, was composed of outtakes from Spanking Machine and was released in 1991 and received critical acclaim entering the independent charts and staying there for a thirteen weeks, ten of which the EP held the number one spot.
Fontanelle, Nemesisters and mainstream success (1992-1995)
After touring in 1991, the band entered the studio for a second time to record their major label follow-up to Spanking Machine. Bassist Michelle Leon left the group in December 1991, shortly before the recording of their second album, due to the death of her boyfriend, Joe ColeJoe Cole (roadie)
Joseph Dennis "Joe" Cole was a roadie for Black Flag and Rollins Band. He was the best friend and roommate of the musician/author/actor Henry Rollins. His memoirs were published posthumously by 2.13.61 publishing, Planet Joe, in which he documented his experiences on the last Black Flag tour and...
. Maureen Herman
Maureen Herman
Maureen Herman was from 1992 until 1996 the bass player for the Minneapolis-based Babes in Toyland.-Early years:Herman was raised in Libertyville, Illinois, and attended Libertyville High School...
was recruited as her replacement. With this new line-up, Fontanelle
Fontanelle (album)
Fontanelle is the second studio album by the American punk rock band Babes in Toyland, released on August 11, 1992. It was the band's first release on a major label , and their first recording to feature Maureen Herman on bass.-Background and production:After extensive touring throughout 1991, the...
was recorded in Cannon Falls, Minnesota and released in 1992, selling around 200,000 copies in the United States alone. The lead song on the album, "Bruise Violet," is said to be an attack on Courtney Love. The lyrics - which included the lines "you see the stars through eyes lit up with lies / you got your stories all twisted up in mine." - supported this. However, in a more recent interview Bjelland has denied this, saying instead that "Violet" was the name of a muse to both her and Love. The song's video was shown on Beavis and Butt-Head
Beavis and Butt-Head
Beavis and Butt-head is an American animated television series created by Mike Judge. The series originated from Frog Baseball, a 1992 short film by Judge. After seeing the short, MTV signed Judge to develop the concept. Beavis and Butt-head originally aired from March 8, 1993 to November 28, 1997...
, where the band was described as "chicks" who are "cool."
In 1993, the band was chosen to take part in that year's Lollapalooza
Lollapalooza
Lollapalooza is an annual music festival featuring popular alternative rock, heavy metal, punk rock and hip hop bands, dance and comedy performances, and craft booths. It has also provided a platform for non-profit and political groups. The music festival hosts more than 160,000 people over a...
tour, playing alongside such acts as Primus
Primus (band)
Primus is an American rock band based in San Francisco, California, currently composed of bassist/vocalist Les Claypool, guitarist Larry "Ler" LaLonde and drummer Jay Lane. Primus originally formed in 1984 with Claypool and guitarist Todd Huth, later joined by Lane, though the latter two departed...
, Alice in Chains
Alice in Chains
Alice in Chains is an American rock band formed in Seattle, Washington, in 1987 by guitarist and songwriter Jerry Cantrell and original lead vocalist Layne Staley. The initial lineup was rounded out by drummer Sean Kinney, and bassist Mike Starr...
, Dinosaur Jr. and Rage Against the Machine
Rage Against the Machine
Rage Against the Machine is an American rock band from Los Angeles, California. Formed in 1991, the group's line-up consists of vocalist Zack de la Rocha, bassist and backing vocalist Tim Commerford, guitarist Tom Morello and drummer Brad Wilk...
. During dates at Lollapalooza, the band released their third and final EP, Painkillers, in June 1993, which was a re-recording of one of their most notable songs "He's My Thing", as well as outtakes from Fontanelle.
The band was the subject of the 1994 book Babes in Toyland: The Making and Selling of a Rock and Roll Band by Neal Karlen, which dealt with the band's signing to Warner and the recording of Fontanelle. Bjelland described the book as being "like cartoon caricatures of us," while Herman said that Karlen "would make a great fiction writer." The band also appeared in the 1995 documentary Not Bad for a Girl
Not Bad for a Girl
Not Bad for a Girl is a rockumentary on women musicians of the 90's from the indie rock music genre grunge and Riot Grrrl and celebrates madness, creativity, and gender play. Tina Silvey was the executive producer. Silvey Co...
.
On April 8, 1994, Babes in Toyland played a benefit show for Rock Against Domestic Violence with 7 Year Bitch
7 Year Bitch
7 Year Bitch was an American punk rock band from Seattle, Washington that was active for 7 years, between 1990 and 1997. Their career yielded three albums, and was impacted by the deaths of their guitarist Stefanie Sargent and close-friend Mia Zapata of fellow Seattle punks The Gits.-Career:7 Year...
, and Jack Off Jill
Jack Off Jill
Jack Off Jill was an American alternative rock band from Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, founded in 1992 by Jessica Fodera, Tenni Arslanyan, Robin Moulder, and Michelle Oliver. Though these four young women were the initial founders, twelve members rotated through the group in its lifespan, including...
in Miami at the Cameo Theater, the same day lead-singer of American grunge rock band Nirvana
Nirvana (band)
Nirvana was an American rock band that was formed by singer/guitarist Kurt Cobain and bassist Krist Novoselic in Aberdeen, Washington in 1987...
, Kurt Cobain
Kurt Cobain
Kurt Donald Cobain was an American singer-songwriter, musician and artist, best known as the lead singer and guitarist of the grunge band Nirvana...
, had been found dead in his Seattle home. Around the same time, the band were featured on the cover of Entertainment Weekly, and were referenced in an episode of the sitcom Roseanne
Roseanne (TV series)
Roseanne is an American sitcom broadcast on ABC from October 18, 1988 to May 20, 1997. Starring Roseanne Barr, the show revolved around the Conners, an Illinois working class family...
as well as an episode of Absolutely Fabulous
Absolutely Fabulous
Absolutely Fabulous, also known as Ab Fab, is a British sitcom created by Jennifer Saunders, based on an original idea by her and Dawn French, and written by Saunders, who plays the leading character. It also stars Joanna Lumley and Julia Sawalha, along with June Whitfield and Jane Horrocks...
.
More than a year later, in May 1995, the band released their final album, Nemesisters
Nemesisters
Nemesisters is the third and final studio album recorded by Babes in Toyland. It was produced by Tim Mac, and released 5 May 1995 by Reprise Records.-Track listings:All song by Babes in Toyland, except as noted:#"Hello" - 4:45#"Oh Yeah!" - 3:16...
. Though receiving mixed reviews, the band described the album as "diverse", "experimental" and "spontaneous" and that the writing and recording process was "very different" as the band were working under pressure. Tours for the album took place throughout Europe - notably with a date at Denmark's Roskilde Festival
Roskilde Festival
Roskilde Festival is a festival held south of Roskilde in Denmark and is one of the six biggest annual music festivals in Europe . It was created in 1971 by two high school students, Mogens Sandfær and Jesper Switzer Møller, and promoter Carl Fischer...
- the United States, and Australia.
Herman's departure, Katastrophy Wife and breakup (1996-2001)
The band lost their contract with their record label when Herman left the band in 1996. Dana Cochrane, formerly of the band Mickey Finn, played bass with the band on live gigs in 1996 and 1997. Original bassist Michelle Leon briefly rejoined the band for a short period in 1997, when Babes in Toyland were constantly breaking up and reforming. In 1998, the band was credited with the song Overtura: Astroantiquity/Attacatastrophy on the CD Songs of the WitchbladeWitchblade
Witchblade is an American comic book series published by Top Cow Productions, an imprint of Image Comics, from 1995 until present. The series was created by Top Cow editors Marc Silvestri and David Wohl, writers Brian Haberlin and Christina Z, and artist Michael Turner.The series follows Sara...
: A Soundtrack to the Comic Book, which Bjelland co-produced. Bjelland and Barbero played with a new bassist, Jessie Farmer, in 2000.
However, a year earlier, Bjelland had formed a new band, Katastrophy Wife
Katastrophy Wife
Katastrophy Wife is an American rock band formed by Kat Bjelland and her former husband Glenn Mattson in 1998. Bjelland also fronted the alternative rock band Babes in Toyland between 1987 and 2001. The band currently consists of Bjelland on lead vocals and guitar and her boyfriend, Adrian Johnson,...
, which seemed to replace Babes in Toyland as her main musical project. Babes in Toyland performed a reunion show billed as "The Last Tour" on November 21, 2001 — which was released as a live album called Minneapolism
Minneapolism
Minneapolism is a live album recorded by Babes in Toyland. It was released in May, 2001 by Cherry Red Records.- Track listing :All song by Babes in Toyland#Bruise Violet#Swamp Pussy#Vomit Heart#Oh Yeah#Handsome and Gretel...
- and this was not only the last Babes in Toyland show, but also the last official activity. Bjelland played a number of shows in Europe in 2002 under the title Babes in Toyland with a new drummer and bassist from the British band Angelica
Angelica (band)
Angelica were an all-girl punk rock band from Lancaster, England. Holly Ross , Brigit Colton , Claire Windsor and Rachel Parsons formed the band while still at school in 1994 and performed until 2003...
, however, Bjelland stopped using the name after Barbero and Herman raised legal issues.
Members
- Kat BjellandKat BjellandKatherine "Kat" Bjelland is an American musician who is currently the lead singer-guitarist of the band Katastrophy Wife, and is the former lead singer and guitarist of the punk rock band Babes in Toyland....
– lead vocals, guitarElectric guitarAn electric guitar is a guitar that uses the principle of direct electromagnetic induction to convert vibrations of its metal strings into electric audio signals. The signal generated by an electric guitar is too weak to drive a loudspeaker, so it is amplified before sending it to a loudspeaker...
(1987–2001) - Lori BarberoLori BarberoLori Barbero was the drummer for the Minneapolis-based band Babes in Toyland. She subsequently played drums for the bands Eggtwist and Koalas....
– drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
, vocals (1987–2001) - Jessie Farmer - bassBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
(1997–2001)
- Michelle Leon - bassBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
(1987–1991, 1997) - Maureen HermanMaureen HermanMaureen Herman was from 1992 until 1996 the bass player for the Minneapolis-based Babes in Toyland.-Early years:Herman was raised in Libertyville, Illinois, and attended Libertyville High School...
– bassBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
(1991–1996) - Cindy Russell - vocals (1987)
- Chris Holetz - bass (1987)
- Courtney Love - bass (1987)
Studio albums and extended plays
| Year | Title | Type | Label | US Sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | Spanking Machine Spanking Machine -Musicians and personnel:*Kat Bjelland - lead vocals, guitar*Lori Barbero - drums, backing vocals *Michelle Leon - bass*Jack Endino - producer, engineer... |
Studio album | Twin Tone Records | 70,000 |
| 1991 | To Mother To Mother To Mother is the first EP recorded by Babes in Toyland consisting of the outtakes from the previous release Spanking Machine, but was rerecorded in Europe after their tour with Sonic Youth which can be seen on 1991: The Year Punk Broke... |
EP | Southern Records Southern Records Southern Records is an independent record label closely associated with Crass Records, Corpus Christi Records and Dischord Records. It is based in London and previously had offices in Chicago , Le Havre and Berlin .Southern was originally a recording studio owned and operated by John Loder... |
50,000 |
| 1992 | Fontanelle Fontanelle (album) Fontanelle is the second studio album by the American punk rock band Babes in Toyland, released on August 11, 1992. It was the band's first release on a major label , and their first recording to feature Maureen Herman on bass.-Background and production:After extensive touring throughout 1991, the... |
Studio album | Reprise Records Reprise Records Reprise Records is an American record label, founded in 1960 by Frank Sinatra. It is owned by Warner Music Group, and operated through Warner Bros. Records.-Beginnings:... |
220,000 |
| 1993 | Painkillers Painkillers (album) Painkillers is the second EP recorded by Babes in Toyland. It consists of a re-recording "He's My Thing", outtakes from Fontanelle, and a live version of the tracks from Fontanelle, titled "Fontanellette", recorded at CBGB's... |
EP | 60,000 | |
| 1995 | Nemesisters Nemesisters Nemesisters is the third and final studio album recorded by Babes in Toyland. It was produced by Tim Mac, and released 5 May 1995 by Reprise Records.-Track listings:All song by Babes in Toyland, except as noted:#"Hello" - 4:45#"Oh Yeah!" - 3:16... |
Studio album | 150,000 |
Compilation albums
| Year | Title | Type |
|---|---|---|
| 1992 | The Peel Sessions | Strange Fruit Records Strange Fruit Records Strange Fruit Records was an independent record label in the United Kingdom.The label, established by Clive Selwood and John Peel in 1986, was the primary distributor of BBC recordings, including Peel Sessions.... |
| 1994 | Dystopia Dystopia (Babes in Toyland album) Dystopia is a compilation album consisting of earlier albums, Spanking Machine, To Mother, and the Handsome and Gretel Single recorded by Babes in Toyland... |
Insipid Records |
| 2000 | Lived Lived (album) Lived is the first compilation of the trilogy released by Babes in Toyland. It was produced by Tim Mac, and released May 2000 by Almafame.-Track listing:All songs by Babes in Toyland #Introduction: Dr... |
Almafame |
| Devil Devil (Babes in Toyland album) Devil is the second compilation of the trilogy released by Babes in Toyland. It was produced by Tim Mac, and released May 2000 by Almafame.-Track listing:All songs by Babes in Toyland... |
||
| Viled Viled Viled is the third compilation of the trilogy released by Babes in Toyland. The previous two were Lived and Devil. Viled was produced by Tim Mac, and released May 2000 by Almafame.-Track listing:... |
||
| Natural Babe Killers Natural Babe Killers Natural Babe Killers is a compilation album recorded by Babes in Toyland. The album consists of alternate versions of previously released tracks, as well various previously unreleased material... |
Recall Records | |
| 2001 | Collectors Item | Digimode Entertainment |
| The Further Adventures of Babes in Toyland | Fuel 2000 Records | |
| 2004 | The Best of Babes in Toyland and Kat Bjelland The Best of Babes In Toyland and Kat Bjelland The Best of Babes In Toyland and Kat Bjelland is a CD/DVD compilation featuring songs by Babes in Toyland and Kat Bjelland's other projects.-CD Track Listing:# Introduction: Dr... |
Warner Music Records |
Singles
| Year | Title | Album | Label |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1989 | Dust Cake Boy | Spanking Machine Spanking Machine -Musicians and personnel:*Kat Bjelland - lead vocals, guitar*Lori Barbero - drums, backing vocals *Michelle Leon - bass*Jack Endino - producer, engineer... |
Treehouse Records |
| 1990 | House | (None) | Sub Pop |
| 1991 | Handsome and Gretel | Fontanelle Fontanelle (album) Fontanelle is the second studio album by the American punk rock band Babes in Toyland, released on August 11, 1992. It was the band's first release on a major label , and their first recording to feature Maureen Herman on bass.-Background and production:After extensive touring throughout 1991, the... |
Insipid Records |
| 1992 | Bruise Violet | Southern Records | |
| 1993 | Catatonic | To Mother To Mother To Mother is the first EP recorded by Babes in Toyland consisting of the outtakes from the previous release Spanking Machine, but was rerecorded in Europe after their tour with Sonic Youth which can be seen on 1991: The Year Punk Broke... |
Insipid Records |
| 1995 | Sweet '69 Sweet '69 "Sweet '69" is a song by Babes in Toyland, released in 1995. B-sides, "S.F.W." and "Swamp Pussy", are live recordings from the Roskilde Festival in 1994 by Radiomafia. "Sweet '69" is the first single by Babes in Toyland to get a lot of radio airplay in the US, reaching #37 on the Billboard Modern... |
Nemesisters Nemesisters Nemesisters is the third and final studio album recorded by Babes in Toyland. It was produced by Tim Mac, and released 5 May 1995 by Reprise Records.-Track listings:All song by Babes in Toyland, except as noted:#"Hello" - 4:45#"Oh Yeah!" - 3:16... |
Reprise Records |
| We Are Family We Are Family (song) "We Are Family" is a 1979 dance hit song by Sister Sledge, composed by Bernard Edwards and Nile Rodgers. Rodgers and Edwards offered the song to Atlantic Records; although the record label initially declined, the track was released as a single from the album of the same name and quickly began to... |
Nemesisters |
Chart positions
| Year | Single | Chart | Peak Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1991 | To Mother To Mother To Mother is the first EP recorded by Babes in Toyland consisting of the outtakes from the previous release Spanking Machine, but was rerecorded in Europe after their tour with Sonic Youth which can be seen on 1991: The Year Punk Broke... |
UK Indie Chart UK Indie Chart The UK Independent Chart or Indie Chart is a chart of the best-selling independent record releases in the UK.- History :In the wake of punk, small record labels began to spring up, as an outlet for artists that were unwilling to sign contracts with major record companies, or were not considered... |
1 |
| 1992 | Fontanelle Fontanelle (album) Fontanelle is the second studio album by the American punk rock band Babes in Toyland, released on August 11, 1992. It was the band's first release on a major label , and their first recording to feature Maureen Herman on bass.-Background and production:After extensive touring throughout 1991, the... |
UK Albums Chart UK Albums Chart The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart... |
24 |
| 1993 | Painkillers | UK Albums Chart | 53 |
| 1995 | "Sweet '69 Sweet '69 "Sweet '69" is a song by Babes in Toyland, released in 1995. B-sides, "S.F.W." and "Swamp Pussy", are live recordings from the Roskilde Festival in 1994 by Radiomafia. "Sweet '69" is the first single by Babes in Toyland to get a lot of radio airplay in the US, reaching #37 on the Billboard Modern... " |
Modern Rock Tracks Modern Rock Tracks Alternative Songs is a music chart in the United States that has appeared in Billboard magazine since September 10, 1988. It lists the 40 most-played songs on modern rock radio stations, most of which are alternative rock songs... |
37 |
| We Are Family We Are Family (song) "We Are Family" is a 1979 dance hit song by Sister Sledge, composed by Bernard Edwards and Nile Rodgers. Rodgers and Edwards offered the song to Atlantic Records; although the record label initially declined, the track was released as a single from the album of the same name and quickly began to... |
Hot Dance Music/Club Play | 22 |
Other contributions
| Year | Title | Album | Label |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1989 | "Watching Girl" | Every Band Has A Shonen Knife Who Loves Them | Giant Records |
| 1991 | "Handsome & Gretel" | Indie Top 20 Volume 13 | Beechwood Music |
| "Ripe" | New Season - The Peel Sessions | Strange Fruit | |
| "Flesh Crawl" | Teriyaki Asthma Vols. I-V | C/Z Records | |
| House | The Grunge Years | Sub Pop Records | |
| 1992 | Handsome & Gretel | Best Of Independent | Beechwood Music |
| Sometimes | Volume 4 | Volmume | |
| 1993 | Dirty | Milk for Pussy | Mad Queen Records |
| Dust Cake Boy | Sonic Youth In 1991: The Year Punk Broke (VHS) | Geffen Home Video | |
| 1994 | Calling Occupants Of Interplanetary Craft | If I Were A Carpenter | A&M Records |
| Say What You Want | S.F.W. | ||
| 1995 | Sweet '69 | Alternative Final Mix 11 | Warner Music |
| More, More, More | Spirit Of '73: Rock For Choice | 550 Music | |
| Sweet '69 | Triple J: This Is Twelve - Too Louder Compilation | Australian Broadcasting Corporation | |
| 1996 | Handsome & Gretel (Live) | Volume Fourteen - Reading '95 Special | Volume |
| 1998 | Overtura: Astroantiquity | Songs Of The Witchblade | DreamWorks |
External links
- Babes In Toyland music videos at VH1VH1VH1 or Vh1 is an American cable television network based in New York City. Launched on January 1, 1985 in the old space of Turner Broadcasting's short-lived Cable Music Channel, the original purpose of the channel was to build on the success of MTV by playing music videos, but targeting a slightly...
- [ Allmusic: Babes in Toyland]
- article on cult cargo To Mother