Fem2fem
Encyclopedia
Fem2Fem was a 1990s techno
group who released two albums. With actress Lezlie Deane
of Freddy's Dead: The Final Nightmare
as a member, Fem2Fem were the first and (so-far only) openly lesbian
pop group to chart. But only some of the members of Fem2Fem were lesbians, and according to lead singer Michele Crispin their intentions at the beginning were to promote a healthy view of sexuality with their music, regardless of sexual orientation. However, an appearance by the band in the December 1993 issue of Playboy
magazine and the non-political nature of their sapphic
lyrics led to criticism by some in the LGBT
community that the band was merely playing to the prurient interests of a heterosexual male audience.
The group was assembled by producers Peter Rafelson and Michael Lewis as a "pop project of dance music for girls by girls." But Michele Crispin (who along with Jennifer Wolf and Christina Minna had refused to pose nude in the Playboy pictorial) objected to what she described as the increasingly exploitive direction the band's management and production team were leading them. Michele left the band shortly after they released their first album, Woman to Woman.
Following their tour with Nine Inch Nails
and Marilyn Manson
, LaLa Avedis was invited to join the group as the new lead singer. Fem2Fem went on to star in the erotic cyber-musical "Voyeurz" at The Whitehall Theatre, London
in July 1996, running for six months and drawing an audience of celebrities including Jack Nicholson
. The original cast album sold out its entire pressing. Some of the songs from the second album, Animus, were featured in the show. That album generated three top-40 singles, including Obsession and Where Did Love Go?, reaching #1 on the British import charts.
Produced by Peter Rafelson, with songs written by Rafelson and Lewis, Fem2Fem's clean post-Rave
pre-Trance
arrangements were very similar to the music of Haddaway
. The cover of their first album, including the font, was designed to be a distaff
version of Trans-Europe Express
by Kraftwerk
.
Christina Minna ( manager Michael Lewis' step daughter) was not in the group when Julie Ann Park, Michelle Crispin, Lynn Pompei and Lezlie Deane and Jennifer Wolf posed for Playboy magazine. Jennifer Wolf left the group before a live performance occurred. Michelle left the group after financial disagreements with the management and Julie soon followed. Michelle Crispin is still following her passion, music and writing. Julie Anne Park died March 30, 2010. (b.Sept 7th 1969 ) Alitzah Wiener left the group early on and later became the lead singer for the American pop girl group Nobody's Angel
.
Techno
Techno is a form of electronic dance music that emerged in Detroit, Michigan in the United States during the mid to late 1980s. The first recorded use of the word techno, in reference to a genre of music, was in 1988...
group who released two albums. With actress Lezlie Deane
Lezlie Deane
Lezlie Deane is an American singer, musician, rollerderby athlete, and actress who has starred in film and made some television appearances...
of Freddy's Dead: The Final Nightmare
Freddy's Dead: The Final Nightmare
Freddy's Dead: The Final Nightmare is a 1991 American slasher film. It is the sixthand as the title suggests, intended to be the lastfilm in the series of films featuring Freddy Krueger...
as a member, Fem2Fem were the first and (so-far only) openly lesbian
Lesbian
Lesbian is a term most widely used in the English language to describe sexual and romantic desire between females. The word may be used as a noun, to refer to women who identify themselves or who are characterized by others as having the primary attribute of female homosexuality, or as an...
pop group to chart. But only some of the members of Fem2Fem were lesbians, and according to lead singer Michele Crispin their intentions at the beginning were to promote a healthy view of sexuality with their music, regardless of sexual orientation. However, an appearance by the band in the December 1993 issue of Playboy
Playboy
Playboy is an American men's magazine that features photographs of nude women as well as journalism and fiction. It was founded in Chicago in 1953 by Hugh Hefner and his associates, and funded in part by a $1,000 loan from Hefner's mother. The magazine has grown into Playboy Enterprises, Inc., with...
magazine and the non-political nature of their sapphic
Lesbian
Lesbian is a term most widely used in the English language to describe sexual and romantic desire between females. The word may be used as a noun, to refer to women who identify themselves or who are characterized by others as having the primary attribute of female homosexuality, or as an...
lyrics led to criticism by some in the LGBT
LGBT
LGBT is an initialism that collectively refers to "lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender" people. In use since the 1990s, the term "LGBT" is an adaptation of the initialism "LGB", which itself started replacing the phrase "gay community" beginning in the mid-to-late 1980s, which many within the...
community that the band was merely playing to the prurient interests of a heterosexual male audience.
The group was assembled by producers Peter Rafelson and Michael Lewis as a "pop project of dance music for girls by girls." But Michele Crispin (who along with Jennifer Wolf and Christina Minna had refused to pose nude in the Playboy pictorial) objected to what she described as the increasingly exploitive direction the band's management and production team were leading them. Michele left the band shortly after they released their first album, Woman to Woman.
Following their tour with Nine Inch Nails
Nine Inch Nails
Nine Inch Nails is an American industrial rock project, founded in 1988 by Trent Reznor in Cleveland, Ohio. As its main producer, singer, songwriter, and instrumentalist, Reznor is the only official member of Nine Inch Nails and remains solely responsible for its direction...
and Marilyn Manson
Marilyn Manson (band)
Marilyn Manson is an American metal band from Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Formed in 1989 by Brian Warner and Scott Putesky, the group was originally named Marilyn Manson & the Spooky Kids with their uniquely theatrical performances gathering a local cult following in the early '90s. This attention...
, LaLa Avedis was invited to join the group as the new lead singer. Fem2Fem went on to star in the erotic cyber-musical "Voyeurz" at The Whitehall Theatre, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
in July 1996, running for six months and drawing an audience of celebrities including Jack Nicholson
Jack Nicholson
John Joseph "Jack" Nicholson is an American actor, film director, producer and writer. He is renowned for his often dark portrayals of neurotic characters. Nicholson has been nominated for an Academy Award twelve times, and has won the Academy Award for Best Actor twice: for One Flew Over the...
. The original cast album sold out its entire pressing. Some of the songs from the second album, Animus, were featured in the show. That album generated three top-40 singles, including Obsession and Where Did Love Go?, reaching #1 on the British import charts.
Produced by Peter Rafelson, with songs written by Rafelson and Lewis, Fem2Fem's clean post-Rave
Rave
Rave, rave dance, and rave party are parties that originated mostly from acid house parties, which featured fast-paced electronic music and light shows. At these parties people dance and socialize to dance music played by disc jockeys and occasionally live performers...
pre-Trance
Trance music
Trance is a genre of electronic dance music that developed in the 1990s.:251 It is generally characterized by a tempo of between 125 and 150 bpm,:252 repeating melodic synthesizer phrases, and a musical form that builds up and breaks down throughout a track...
arrangements were very similar to the music of Haddaway
Haddaway
Nestor Alexander Haddaway , better known by his stage name Haddaway, is a Trinidadian-German singer. He is most famous for his worldwide 1993 hit, "What Is Love".- Early life :...
. The cover of their first album, including the font, was designed to be a distaff
Distaff
As a noun, a distaff is a tool used in spinning. It is designed to hold the unspun fibers, keeping them untangled and thus easing the spinning process. It is most commonly used to hold flax, and sometimes wool, but can be used for any type of fiber. Fiber is wrapped around the distaff, and tied in...
version of Trans-Europe Express
Trans-Europe Express (album)
Trans-Europe Express is the sixth studio album by German electronic music band Kraftwerk. Recorded in mid-1976 in Düsseldorf, Germany, the album was released in March 1977 on Kling Klang Records. The album's themes were influenced by friends who suggested writing songs about the Trans-Europ...
by Kraftwerk
Kraftwerk
Kraftwerk is an influential electronic music band from Düsseldorf, Germany. The group was formed by Ralf Hütter and Florian Schneider in 1970, and was fronted by them until Schneider's departure in 2008...
.
Christina Minna ( manager Michael Lewis' step daughter) was not in the group when Julie Ann Park, Michelle Crispin, Lynn Pompei and Lezlie Deane and Jennifer Wolf posed for Playboy magazine. Jennifer Wolf left the group before a live performance occurred. Michelle left the group after financial disagreements with the management and Julie soon followed. Michelle Crispin is still following her passion, music and writing. Julie Anne Park died March 30, 2010. (b.Sept 7th 1969 ) Alitzah Wiener left the group early on and later became the lead singer for the American pop girl group Nobody's Angel
Nobody's Angel
Nobody's Angel was an American pop girl group of the late 1990s. The group consisted of four members Ali Navarro, Alitzah Wiener Amy Hardy and Sarah Smith. The band was put together after they became friends and discovered they had something in common: a shared taste for music, dancing and...
.
Woman To Woman (1993)
Critique Records- Switch 5:17
- Obsession 5:09
- Woman to Woman 3:50
- All About Eve 4:35
- I Lose Myself 5:12
- Coming Out 4:20
- Waiting in Tangier 4:39
- Charmed 4:33
- Freedom of Choice 4:47
- Switch [Erotic Trance Mix] 7:01
- Woman to Woman [Extended Mix] 6:17
Animus (1995)
Critique BMG/Ave. Foch- Animus
- Sin
- Insatable
- Naked Heart
- Compulsive Jane
- Where Did Love Go
- Cruel And Unusual
- Make Me Love U
- Screem Queen
- Worship
- Animus
- Where Did The Love Go
- Take Control
- Switch
- Obsession
- Woman To Woman
Members
- Michelle Murlin - Lead Vocals
- LaLa Avedis - Lead vocals
- Michelle Crispin - Keyboards, lead vocals
- Lezlie Denise Lonon (aka Lezlie DeaneLezlie DeaneLezlie Deane is an American singer, musician, rollerderby athlete, and actress who has starred in film and made some television appearances...
) - Christina Minna- Lead vocals
- Julie Park
- Lynn Pompey
- Jennifer Wolf
- Alitzah (aka Ali Navarro) (aka Alitzah Wiener - Dallas) - Left the group early on.
Sources
http://www.myspace.com/lalaavedis- [ Fem2Fem on Allmusic]
- Peter Rafelson interview
- Michele Crispin interview
- http://www.michellemurlin.com