Back in the summer "Girlschool" released "WTF45" the 13th album of original material since 1980'S "Demolition" stormed the UK Top 30 albums it included the electrifying cover version of "Race with the Devil" a track which when Jeff Beck heard it for the first time it's understood he refused to believe it was played by "Girls" it also included the other rock disco staple "Nothin to Loose" both of which still exist in my record collection as 45's .
With the band gearing up for another busy year including a final tour of the US and UK dates with Raven, Alcatraz on the "Heavy Metal Assault Tour" it seemed like the perfect time to sit down with Kim to look back at how it all started back in South London in the early to mid 70's..
But first, if you haven't managed to buy or stream the new album then take a look at this video for "It is what it is " which has a feel of "Hit'n Run" but overall has the classic "Girlschool" sound .
So whenever you read or whenever you sit and go back through and reread features and interviews about the band, I get the feeling that some of the real achievements are often overlooked. So let's start by saying that you are the most successful all time female
rock band in British music history. Now, now whatever else this is some accolade isn't it?
kim
Well, yes, well, it's quite amazing really. Because obviously when we first started out, if we had known then that we'd still be around all these years later, we would have just said, don't be bloody stupid. Well, if we'd known, if we'd just thought about it, we would have said, that would just be bloody stupid. Because what actually happened is when we were all together, I still remember it to this day.
We've been quite successful and we just played a gig and we'd come off and we were going, oh, this is brilliant, blah, blah. And we just came out and said, because oh yeah, what we gotta do is, when we all hit 40, round when we're all sort of hitting 40 years of age, no matter where we are in the world, we've all got to meet up somewhere and have a celebration. And we were actually saying, yeah, it'd be great. Where can we meet up? Oh, on the top of the monument in the city, because we always loved it up there. Oh, on top of St Paul's Cathedral, you know.
And we had all these amazing plans. You know, that would only be in about, well, we were sort of early 20s then. That would only be in about, I don't know, 15 years. So.
tim caple
So we're obviously here to celebrate this new album, which by the way is such a great return to form. And it really does sit with the best as well. But we have to celebrate not just the album, but the journey to get here, which began I remember you saying in past conversations.
how hard it was to growing up in the early 70s in Wandsworth. You were in a working class area where nobody had much expectation.
kim
Yeah, yeah. Well exactly, that's how it was. I mean, we were, I mean these, oh god, I feel so old sometimes because, you know, I'm looking at like the kids, you know, whatever, and we're talking about, when they're going about kids aren't getting enough exercise these days, we're thinking, we're going, hang on, we used to be running around in the street, you know, playing and just like, just getting up to mischief, you know, and that's how long ago it was, and of course, in those days as
to us, you know, growing up.
tim caple
What were you listening to when you were growing up as kids? glam rock?
kim
Yeah. Oh, God, yeah. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah. Well, basically, my mum and dad always had music on in the house. I was the only child in the house, well, the flat, in fact. And it was always Beatles and the Stones, you know, and I must admit, I always sort of tended towards the Stones more than the Beatles. That might show a bit more where I, you know, how I ended up here. And and then, of course, Glam Rock came along, of course, Enid, obviously the founder member with me as well.
kim
We both lived in the same street and we literally grew up together. I mean, we, you know, our mums used to put us in the same pram and push us down the road and all that sort of thing, you know. And, um, but it's funny because I've actually known her all her life. She's only known me part of my life because she's, I'm one year older. So I've known her all her life. She's only known me for whatever, all my life, minus one year. And, um.
tim caple
Yeah, I get it. Your cousin, it was, wasn't it, that got you turned on to music . He played in a band. this was the thing about families as well back in those days. They weren't scattered all over the country. You had family more often than not They were in the same street
kim
Yeah your right sadly, there's no longer any of us left there anymore. We literally at one point, I think we had like, I don't know, 20 members of our family living down there in the old days then, they used to have thing called key money, where, you know, they'd rent the flat and then pass it on to, you know, the family. Oh, it was so long ago. Anyway, and so we ended up with a big family down there.
and my mum was the youngest of 14. And yeah, yeah. And my uncle Ronnie, who actually lived next door to us in Isley Street, he was the 13th. So of course they grew up together in the war and all that, you know. And then they had Lee, who was an only child. So obviously I grew up with him like a brother. Of course the best thing was that we both could go home at night and go to our own bedrooms. But of course he was a great...
influence on me. He was a couple of years older and I remember when he first got his first guitar and I remember my mum and dad saying to me don't you get any ideas and then of course yeah and of course yeah within the year I'd got Lee's guitar because he'd gone on to get a better one. I never forget it was a Rapier 33 and it was red and I wish I still bloody had it but anyway yeah so that's how it sort of started then of course
tim caple
Painted Lady. Where did the name come from? I mean, that's quite an ironic title, isn't it? Because you were never into makeup by your own admission, "we were all real tomboy's". So Painted Lady ?
kim
Yes, we... I know it's dreadful. It's absolutely dreadful.
. I have no idea where that came from. Deidre Cartwright, who was our guitarist at the time, we have to give her so much credit for what she did for us because she sort of was like our mentor, you know, because she was a bit older and obviously an amazing musician. And she sort of took us under her wing. And because she was part of the band, we were actually able to play gigs.
you know, she sort of elevated us into a, you know, a state where we can actually play . Because when Enid and I first started we wanted to be in a band. And of course, quite rightly, my cousin and his friends, they didn't want to know. Well, which I can't really blame them for because we didn't know how to play really anyway. We just knew we wanted to be in a band. Yeah. So.
tim caple (07:11.672) talking about great stories, this is another one. you were advertising in Melody Maker, and I love this. There was a reply came in from a 16 year old girl who was on a trip to the UK with her mother, for the first time. And she went on to have a bit of a career, didn't she?
Yeah, Cathy Valentine, the "Go Go's"
kim
Yeah.
kim
Kathy. Yeah, bless her. Yeah, yeah. Yeah. That was funny as well, because they were the great days as well, like Melody Maker, where you just look in the back, you know, in the ads and everything, funny enough that's how we found Jackie. But anyway, that's another story. But yeah, I still remember meeting Kathy underneath the clock at Waterloo station.
kim
You can't miss it in the big clock there, the meeting point. And she ended up staying with me and mum and dad for a little bit. And yeah, but it sort of didn't work out. She had to go back, obviously being American and whatever. But yeah, I'm so thrilled that she got her success, you know. But yeah, we had fun times together, that's for sure.
tim caple
What do you remember of that February 1976, the first gig that you played? You got the name Girlschool from the B side of Paul McCartney's Mull of Kintyre
kim
Well, yes, sort of the reality was that in those days, there were such things as girls schools, you know, all girls schools. And we all of us actually did go to an all girls school. And for us, it meant all girls together, like a girls school meant all girls. So, yeah. And then, of course, we heard that and we thought, oh, yeah, of course, a lot of people thought that might be it, but it wasn't really. It was the fact that we all went to girls schools.
And we thought great name because we're all girls together, like a school. So yeah, that's how it came about really. Better than blood, better than bloody painted lady, which I still can't, I have no idea where that came from.
tim caple
How aware were you of the imminent arrival of punk rock? I know people, most people seem to think that they went to sleep one night and woke up and the Sex Pistols suddenly came into existence with Never Mind the Bollocks, but there was a very, very vibrant underground scene and it had been bubbling along for a while. So how aware of it were you?
kim
Yeah.
Oh, God. Yeah. Well, again, my cousin next door, I mean, he was the one who got me into Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple and all that sort of stuff after the glam rock fling, you know. Glam rock fling? It was a fling, and then he sort of started to say about, oh wow, okay, whatever, whatever. And then of course we started to hear bands like The Damned, who I still love to this day, I think, they are absolutely tremendous.
And then of course, you know, the Sex Pistols came along and it was just like, wow, you know, we hadn't seen anything like it before. And obviously to this day, I still think Nevermind the Bollocks is one of the best rock albums ever. You know, it's absolutely incredible. I mean, Kelly and I used to crank it up before we used to go out at night, you know, and yeah, it was brilliant.
tim caple
There was some great female vocalists and bands around at that time in the very early days. I mean, obviously in the States they had Debbie, Harry and Blondie. But yeah, the Raincoats, Toyah Wilcox, Suzy Sue, the Suzy Sue, unbelievable. And the slits, Wendy O'Williams.
kim
Yeah.
kim
Yeah, loved her. Yeah.
kim
Yeah. Oh, Suzy Sue, incredible.
Yes, yeah, well, of course we sort of knew, we didn't really know her, but you know, through the association with the management and motorhead and stuff, you know, but I thought she was scary. I was too frightened of her, you know.
tim caple
Now, listen, money was pretty tight, wasn't it, at the time? And all of your sets of parents sort of weighed in time again, which couldn't have been easy because parents didn't have that much money at the time, you know, so buying vans, you need parents putting their house as security so as you could buy a P.A.
kim
Yes! Yes, exactly, wow you know all this stuff. Yeah, bless them. Yeah, Margaret and Fred. Yeah, they helped us buy our first PA and actually my mum and dad didn't actually buy us the van, we nicked it from them. I ended up driving it to the ground but there you go, yeah, but they were sort of quite happy.
tim caple
That tells you something. There's a couple of things in that. One, the value of houses at the time and how cheap they were. Or how expensive was the PA that you had?
kim
Right. Oh, yeah.
Yeah.
well the funny thing is, the properties were cheap, I mean ridiculously cheap, but I remember my dad still had to have a mortgage and still compared to his wages was sort of, you know, not the same, but you know, it was quite a hefty chunk for him to pay because in those days again, like the rent was something stupid,
tim caple
So how much pressure did that then put on you guys to actually make this work? Because you've been backed up by your parents. It was your turn to get out and deliver. And what people tend to forget is that you honed your craft the hard way on the road and not just in the UK either, because your promoter had links.
in France and Ireland and you were there and touring a lot.
kim
Yeah, yeah, oh yeah, we used to, that's the thing, we used to all pile into my mum and dad's Bedford van, which they actually bought to turn into like a nice little camper van so they could go away sort of thing, you know, but that didn't happen because we commandeered it, and we used to pile in the back with all the gear at the back, and we used to have our sleeping bags, and off we'd go to Europe to like, you know, wave goodbye to our mums and dads in Iser Street.
and go, oh yeah, they'd be a bit worried, but you know, we were all right. We were with our trusted team, our driver and another mate of ours. And they used to sleep in the front seats and we'd all be tucked toe to toe in the back of our sleeping bags, sleeping on the bloody equipment at the back. And yeah, we had no money. We used to just take off and go to these really far flung places in France and Germany and these great clubs but the best thing about them was they used to feed us.
So they take us to a restaurant, you know, something, and you've never seen anybody dive in, you know, foods are quick, as we used to.
tim caple
And this, let's remind people that are listening to this, this is in the days before anybody had a mobile phone, a computer, right? Or even the big one, sat nav, you had to use a map for guidance.
kim
Oh God! Yeah, yeah, yeah!
kim
Satnav! No. Maps! I still like maps. I still like maps. And I was good. I used to sit up the front with Tim and I used to be reading the map. Otherwise we would have ended up god knows where if we'd left it to the others. .
tim caple
So, if punk's coming to an end, we've got the new wave of British heavy metal out. It's often said that it was difficult to actually categorise you from a media perspective. Were you a punk band? Were you a rock band? Were you a new wave band? What did you believe that you were?
kim
Well, we were just us really. And yeah, we just sort of, that's the reason why we wanted to get away from the Painted Lady thing and start as "Girlschool" as an original band. You know, when we found Kelly, we thought, oh, that's it. And of course Denise had already been coming to see us as Painted Lady, because she lived only a couple of miles away in Clapham. So once we all got together and realised we really worked well together.
the idea was to actually start writing our own songs. And of course, it all came from the influences of like glam, punk and heavy metal, really.
tim caple
The first song, that got airplay, "Take It All Away," recorded at City Records your friends, the UK subs, how were they involved in that?
kim
Oh my God, well, yeah, well, still one of the best bands live that we used to see in those days, you know, and we finally bumped into Charlie not long ago. I understand he's finally retiring. But anyway, no, what happened was we shared a flat with him. Um, yeah, so it's simple. Well, like Kelly was going out with Pete, the drummer, and then I was with Tim. And then and then there was another.
guy who was with a friend of ours and we were all sharing this flat. Can you imagine the mayhem? My dad used to call it the commune. But the best thing about it was that if any time of the night somebody, because we did actually have a phone in the flat then, and any time of the night one of us would break down, one band would break down, it was like, oh god, the other ones used to have to get up and go, you know, fetch us, rescue each other.
So we were quite close and yeah.
tim caple
You know, I mentioned that thing about New Wave and New Wave and British Heavy Metal and punk or whatever. In the early days, it was John Peel, wasn't it? Who was very much more in punk and new wave that played the single."Take it all away" before you obviously morphed over to the Friday Rock Show. But yeah, it was John Peel was the man.
kim
Oh, yeah, yeah.
kim
Yeah, well you must have heard this story then, but what happened was, and funny enough this all sort of happened not down the youth club, but a lot of it stemmed from our local youth club where they used to have gear set up for bands to come in and rehearse and all that sort of thing and they let you play gigs there, you know, which was great before you could even learn to play basically, you could just get up and do it, you know, and that is where we met Phil Scott and Phil...
from City Records. He was a mate, an old mate, and he you know put a single out with UK subs, you know, obviously our mate UK subs, which was tremendous and I always remember us sitting around in the front room listening to their first single. We were all going, oh, this is incredible, you know. And then um, and then of course Phil asked us if we wanted to do, to do a single. So can you imagine? It was like, well, that's every band's dream, isn't it? You're touring around and then of course
We all thought it was going to be so glamorous. Yeah, we're going in the studio. But of course, this was punk days, and this was city records with no money. And so we ended up four hours in some dingy basement in Soho. Just like, oh, I'll never forget it. I still, because it was such an iconic thing for us to go and record, you know, go in a studio. Well, it was just like some dingy, smelly basement. But anyway, whatever. We knocked out take it all away. and we came up
up the stairs, I remember the black blinking into the sunlight and there was John Peele standing at the top of the stairs and you know, full people and then we were with our guitars and stuff and he sort of went, oh hello, what are you lot doing sort of thing and you know, started the conversation with him and then of course when the single came out he played it on his show. So yeah, and I remember he still said it's not his usual thing that he'd play because it was more of the real heavy punk stuff you know.
at that time, but he explained how we met and all that. And so yeah, that was amazing for us, because we used to listen to him anyway. So yeah, so that's how... Yeah. Oh yeah, yeah.
tim caple
What was more amazing though was Lemmy coming to watch your rehearsals. I mean, Motörhead were nowhere near close to what they became, but they were still a very, very well-known quantity. And the result of that, watching you prepare, was you're on the Overkill Tour, 79.
kim
Yeah.
kim
Yeah, yeah, but there's even better stories than this. Yeah, yeah, but there's a brilliant story to that, which I still think is quite amazing. Talk about serendipity. The weirdest thing is that my mum knew a bloke that worked in the record industry and used to give her lots of albums for me. I mean, used to give me things like Elton John and all this sort of weird, you know, whatever, whatever. And then one day she, oh, what's this? And we came back and there was Motorhead's
First single, ten inch, first single, you know, Motorhead, which was called then, with the picture on. And so, and mum said, oh look, just got given this, you know, whatever, thought you might like it. And we'd never heard Motorhead. So we put the record on, it was me and Kelly, because Kelly at this point had come to live with me and mum and dad. Anyway, and so we put it on, we went, oh bloody hell, that's a brilliant racket, because it sounded a bit like what we were doing, you know.
But funny thing, and then of course we saw the photo of them on the cover and we went, oh my God, you know, getting a bit scary. And then really, this is the weirdest thing. I could say a couple of months later, we get a phone call from our agent saying that as a band called Motorhead, they're looking for a support band and they'd like to come and meet you. So how weird was that?
tim caple
incredible. Do you remember the first gig?
kim
The first gig with Motorhead was the West Runton Pavilion. Yeah, I remember it so well. Yeah, because, you know, the West Runton Pavilion. I just, yeah, I was always remembering it. It was just like mind blowing. Yeah.
tim caple
you've got demolition out.
kim
Mmm.
tim caple
and this is where I heard you first of all it was the single, it was Race With The Devil. I remember hearing it at a venue I'm sure you played at actually. It was a club called The Granary in Bristol. Yeah, yeah. But what a song that was. Whose idea was it to record that
kim
Yeah, Bristol. Yes, we used to love it there. Yeah.
kim
Mm-hmm.
kim
Well again it was our lovely producer Vic Mayall who was responsible for St Valentine's Day massacre as well. So yeah that was his idea. So yeah, because of course we heard the original, you know, from the original gun and he just thought it would be a brilliant one for us to do, to sort of show off Kelly's playing as well, you know.
tim caple
I mean, it was amazing sound. And what I remember also, which I think you have recounted in the past, Radio One used to do this thing called Round Table on a Friday and they got Jeff Beck on there saying, well, come on, this is all wrong. This isn't the girl playing this. Can't possibly be.
kim
Yeah, yeah. I know. And do you know what? He helped us out so much. I mean, he literally was responsible, I think, for us, you know, for our success with that song for a start because we got so much publicity out of it. Because of course we all went, how dare he say blah, everybody was up in arms, you know. And I'm sure he did it tongue in cheek. Or he learnt his lesson because don't forget, from then on, he always had female musicians.
And he was such a lovely bloke. And of course, we challenged him to come and see us, which he did. And I forget he came in, gig in LA and he ate his words and he admitted it, and gave us so much publicity. Bless him, we love him for it.
tim caple
That November, after you've done the Motorhead Overkill tour, you're on another amazing tripleheader, aren't you? The then legendary venue that nobody ever plays at anymore. I don't even think they do gigs there anymore, do they? It's the Bingley Hall in Stafford. And that ACDC's highway to hell. AC/DC, the main event, Def Leppard and you.
kim
Ah, yes.
kim
Well, yeah, well, yeah, also known as, of course, the heavy metal barn dance. Yeah.
tim caple
November the 8th 1979
tim caple
Metal barn dance. Ha ha ha. Oh, listen, no wonder people want to get into a time machine and head back to this generation because they had so much fun. What was it then that clicked between you and Motörhead? Why did you bond the way that you did?
kim
Well, because I mean, basically, I think we were doing the same sort of thing because they were into sort of like the punk stuff as well, as well as heavy rock, you know, and that's what we were sort of doing. And what I mean Lemmy just he decided he wanted to form this band and have it the way he wanted it. And that's how we wanted it. You know, I think I think at one point he said he wanted to call it the bastards.
kim
Yeah, and people probably thought, that's probably not a great idea.
tim caple
Saxon were originally son of a bitch. but they were told by their record label, listen, you know, you can't have that. You're never going to get on the radio, are you?
kim
Oh, really, were they? Oh, right. Yeah.
kim
Yeah. I can't imagine Biff and his boys called that, I must admit. No. Saxon suits much better. Yeah.
tim caple
There were some quotes I picked up over time, differing views, I think. Enid said, talking about the relationship with Motorhead, that she felt that it held you back, whereas your view was, without them, we wouldn't have been anything. Which is an interesting...
kim
Well, I mean, this is the... Yeah, yeah. Well, I didn't say we wouldn't have been anything, but I just think that it, again, it's like the serendipity thing, you know? It's like the fact that we first got given that album, and the album, sorry, single, and then we met John Peel and then meeting Lemmy. And so, yeah, I just, I felt that it...
sort of meant to be, here we go, you know, so...
tim caple
But for people that weren't around at the time, you were a major headline act in these years. After that, after demolition, then hit and run coming out, which is charting everywhere. You get a gold disc from Canada. Were you surprised at the reach? Because you were charting, it might have been in the lower regions, but you still made the charts in the US. You charted in New Zealand. And Canada loved you.
Oh yeah.
kim
Yeah.
Yes, we love Canada. Yeah, bless them. We actually really didn't know what was going on. We were young and just enjoying ourselves, not even thinking about the future, you know. It was just like...
tim caple
But what did you do when, because at this time, you actually, for the first time, had a bit of money. So what was it like? .
kim
What do you mean they had a bit of money? I don't think so. We were on top of the pops, getting paid 50 quid a week and having a pat on the head, you know.
tim caple
seriously, was there not a point where you looked in the bank and thought, we were doing alright here? Right, I'm gonna go out and splash out a bit.
No! When you look back at most of the bands, obviously apart from the ones that went mega because they knew what they were doing like Def Leppard, I think we're still lucky to have hung in there really. I must admit I was sensible and got a mortgage and bought a flat, but you know, which obviously Girlschool, you know, set me up, which was great,
Yes, set me on the road to being okay. But no, in those days, and you just trusted the people around you, and we just got on with it. We were going, having fun. We just didn't really care about the business side.
tim caple
Redding Rock Festival 1980, this is when Redding was a real festival. Whose idea was the pink Cadillac with a roof down driving up the M4?
kim
Oh, that was Doug Smith Actually, yeah, it was really funny.
tim caple
are there any pictures? is there any camera footage of this?
kim
I think there are a few, but of course this is Jane Mansfields car apparently, not the one where she died in, fortunately, whatever, but we're on the way and you never forget, you just won't believe it, we had a prang! The bloody driver drove into something, you know, we're thinking, oh Christ,
tim caple
I'm looking back, if then was now, you'd have all had smartphones and cameras and stuff would be filmed. I mean, just imagine what you could have. All those people that you were touring with, after that Reading gig, you were playing in these enormo domes with Rush at the end of the year.
kim
Yes. Yes! Yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah. I never forget that.
tim caple
What did you know about Rush
kim
Yeah, well, yeah, yeah. But no, they really weren't our thing, you know. And so we were sort of like thinking, well, this is a bit odd, you know. And I still remember, it was so funny because we were playing, yeah, massive places. And I was sitting up, I think right in the back, watching them soundcheck and they were like little things. And all of a sudden I remember, because obviously the crew had put our names on the mics so they knew which one of us would be using mics. And I remember Geddy Lee looking at us and he went,
What's an enid? I was by myself and I just burst out laughing. You know, it was just like, yeah. What's an enid? Enid? What's an enid? Yeah. I know it's hilarious, you know.
tim caple
But again, just going back to that thing about attitudes and whatever, i am trying to get my head around the fact that you guys sat there watching Uriah Heap warm up because you're on tour with them and security trying to throw you out because they think you're a gaggle of groupies.
kim
Well I mean that sort of happened a couple of times ish because, well I remember one time we were headlining Hammersmith Odeon and Denise had snuck out for a fag and they wouldn't let her back in and we were just about to go on stage in about 15 minutes because she'd didn't have her pass or whatever and she's going I'm just about go on stage oh yeah right so and the security didn't even know who was headlining you know so
There was a couple of bits like that, but not too much, not too much.
tim caple
Lemmy was a bit of a champion for the band. There was another great quote from him talking about Kelly. I'm not sure whether this came after that quote by Jeff Beck about girls can't play, but he came out and said, listen, on a good night, she could play like Jeff Beck, he said, and people would say, oh, she's good for a girl. I just turn around and say, she's better than you
kim
Yeah.
Yeah, yeah, that's true. He did. He did. And she was. And when I look back and hear her play sometimes, you know, it's just incredible how she was. She wasn't technically fast or anything like that, but she had such a brilliant feel, you know, and she literally wrenched that bloody guitar, you know, all the emotions out of it. And that really, you know, anybody can play on this.
technical, fast, bloody stuff, whatever. But to have that feel that she had, where you literally, you know, the hairs stand on the back of your head when you hear her play, is something else, yeah.
tim caple (33:02.152)
We had that fabulous St. Valentine's Day massacre. it was just unlike everything else. It was a bit like that moment listening to Race with the Devil for the first time. To hear the beginning of that is just like, oh my God, what is this? you talked about Vic so what was it like when he proposed this as a potential project? What were your initial feelings? Hit?
kim (33:18.668)
Ha.
kim (33:27.23)
Well, what happened of course, yeah, we obviously had quite a bit of success with Vic producing us and then of course Motorhead decided they wanted to go with him, record with him and him and Lemmy got on so well because of course they went back to the old rock and roll days, you know, and Lemmy loved, of course it's no secret, he loved all the old rock and roll stuff, you know. And so yeah, obviously they were chatting away and then Vic came up with the idea again I was like, well, why not because obviously at this point we were great mates you know, same management, same record label, same producer now, you know, and why not come out with this, you know, do a song together, you know, sort of talk about collaborating, and they came up with this idea of Please Don't Touch, which is a song I must admit we'd never heard of, but you know, Johnny Kidd and the Pirates, but of course Lemmy had
That's how it came about really, yeah, through Vick and Lemmy.
tim caple (34:28.628)
It was such a big success. Was there any conversation about doing something similar, taking other tracks and doing it again?
kim (34:32.79)
Yeah.
kim (34:40.638)
Yes, yes there was actually. And in fact there was talk about doing All Shook Up, because that's one of Lemmy's favourites and so yes there was talk about doing it, but of course because of schedules and everything else, you know, and it didn't actually happen. But it would have been fun if it hadn't. Yeah.
tim caple (35:02.372)
I don't know whether you remember this, this was the quote from the music press on this track. It said, the purists described this as they move into novelty territory, a worrying tendency for Motörhead to get involved in projects that are just beneath them. Yeah. Well, the counter to that, the counter to that would obviously be the... you're talking out of
kim (35:23.095)
I've never heard that.
tim caple (35:29.216)
top of your head because it sold a quarter of a million copies as a single.
kim (35:33.458)
Yes. Yeah, yeah, it did. And of course, those were the days when to get to number one, you were selling like a ridiculous amount because don't forget, we only got to number five, and we sold a quarter of a million got silver disc. In fact, it's actually, I haven't actually put it on the wall after all these years. But I'm thinking of actually putting it up on the wall with the other ones. But yeah, it shows you that I think these days you're never selling back 10,000 you get to number one or whatever you, you know, do. But
tim caple (36:02.209)
Do you not remember Iron Maiden did the thing when they released that track? They picked the time, they did it over, was it before or just after Christmas? They did Bring Your Daughter to the Slaughter and it sold, what was it, 18,000 copies to get to number one.
kim (36:13.617)
Oh yeah, yeah.
kim (36:17.702)
Yeah, yeah, there you go then. Yeah, yeah, I know. So, what I mean, so weird, because even I'll take it all away, you know, singles then sold about 10,000. And that was on the little, you know, city record. So it's all bit strange.
We can't believe it, we were just like in Europe somewhere and we'd gone at the charts at number five. I think we'd gone somewhere that got up to number five, you know. And yeah. Yeah.
tim caple (36:54.872)
Appearing, appearing on top of the pops. But again, these days, it turned into quite a little heavy rock show, hadn't it? Between about 79 and 84. I mean, you'd be meeting Judas Priest, Def Leppard, Iron Maiden, Saxon, were on there are quite a lot as well. I mean, you know, it was quite incredible. None of them used to sing.
Yeah, yeah.
kim (37:21.322)
Yeah, well that's the thing as well because you were supposed to re-record and do all this stuff, but of course you never did. Most bands never did. You sort of pretended and then it was all very strange, you know, in those days and then presented them with the tapes and yeah, very strange. But again, such an experience because don't forget, obviously again, we all grew up watching Top of the Pops. It was the most exciting thing that happened on the Thursday night, you know.
tim caple (37:50.088)
Hey, did you ever do tiswas?
kim (37:52.178)
Oh my god, I loved Tiswas it's the best in the world. Yes, yeah, yeah. Well, it was lucky enough, me and Denise, we actually did one of the programs where it was on the rooftop of, I can't remember now, in Kensington, rooftop gardens, and we did the flan flinger thing. And yeah, and it was just like, instead of musical chairs or whatever, every time it stopped, he'd come and.
tim caple (38:12.052)
Oh, the Phantom Flanflinger!
kim (38:20.298)
you know, anyway, yeah. And they did that, it was filthy, yeah, it was filthy. Let me think, Rick Parfitt, oh Christ, I can't remember now, but yeah, there's footage of that actually, that was one of the funniest days, yeah. Sally James, yeah, me and her, and that was just hilarious. Of course, Motorhead loved being on it, you know,
Did you meet Spit the Dog? ha ha
tim caple (38:43.244)
But image was getting to be a bit of a thing, wasn't it, in the 80s, because the new wave of British heavy metal had moved on and we were moving into this sort of slick American glam or hair metal I hate that term, hair metal, but that's what they called it.
kim (38:46.444)
Yeah.
kim (38:55.562)
Yeah.
tim caple (38:59.976)
Saxon suffered a similar issue with pressure to change and Americanize. How much pressure did you get to Americanize the look and the sound? Because Running Wild only ever got released over there, didn't it?
kim (39:01.643)
Yeah.
kim (39:13.254)
Yeah, well we signed to Phonogram, or one of them begins with P, I don't know, for some ridiculous amount of money, and the amount of money we spent on the album, we could have actually built our own recording studio and still had a few bob left over. And yeah, we shouldn't have been called Girlschool at that point, it was a new project, we should have called ourselves something else, you know, and I enjoyed it and I still think the album's pretty good.
tim caple (39:42.804)
It seems a shame that it's never had any release over here.
kim (39:56.803)
Yeah, well, I think it's on, I don't know, I do see it pop up occasionally. Don't forget, Tim, we don't own any of our stuff. I don't even know what's happened to it after time. You know, I mean, I see the stuff on the internet or on Facebook, I go, oh, right, okay. That's what happened to it. That's where they've gone. You know, I mean, the back catalogue has been passed around so many times now.
You know, as long along with a lot of the other bands from those days as well. So I sort of lose track of it,
tim caple (40:39.168)
But from then on, you were lucky because in a lot of... Well, not lucky actually, but I think you know what I mean. You always had a very, very solid fan base. If the records weren't coming out, you could generate income by going out on tour because you know that people were always gonna come out and watch you.
kim (41:00.558)
Well, yes, lovely. I mean, we've had some, well, our fans still, our Barmy Army lot, you know, they still come to every gig. And of course, some fans as well bring their kids, you know, which is always lovely to see. And it's so weird when, or if like we play a gig and a lovely young lad comes up and he goes, Oh, my dad used to have all your records. Oh my God.
tim caple (41:28.847)
But the 90s only produced one album for Girlschool, Were you really going to call that album No Bollocks?
kim (41:59.51)
Yeah right that sounds like something our drummer would say. So yeah I can't claim that one at all.
tim caple (42:56.94)
so when you turn into the new millennium, at a time when a lot of bands are saying, well, that's it, records don't sell anymore, we ain't going to do anything, what's the point? There isn't any point. We may as well just do live tours and a few greatest hits, but you didn't.
kim (43:07.734)
Oh, I see. Yeah. That's what I thought you said. No, no, because, well, basically, what we've ever done really is sort of, if anything sounds good, or we think it's a good idea, then we do it. Mind you, we've done a lot of things that didn't sound good and obviously turned out to be bad ideas.
You said after Legacy, I think, that, you know, where you'd had these great collaborations, Tony Iommi was in, Dio was in there, there was a lot of great contributors on there. That was probably going to be it. And then you were back again.
kim (43:41.486)
kim (43:51.618)
Yes.
Well, I know, because the thing is that you always sort of think, oh, well, you know, I don't know. Basically what it is, is if people still want us, then it's worth doing, you know. Yeah.
tim caple (44:52.18)
Yeah. So what gave you the idea to take a classic album, some would say maybe your best album, and rework it? Yeah.
kim (45:04.256)
Well, basically, again, it's because, as I was saying earlier, because we don't own anything of our back catalogue, we thought it might be quite good to actually own or, you know, redo one of our most sort of iconic albums and actually, you know, actually have a bit of it for ourselves. So, you know, sort of like, you know, sort of get it back a bit. So that's why we did that. And of course it was the anniversary of it.
tim caple (45:28.841)
Yeah, yeah.
kim (45:37.098)
and yeah so we quite like that idea.
tim caple (45:41.036)
It's good and it worked, actually, I have to say.
kim (45:42.642)
Yeah, well obviously, because with Jackie, you know, as well, you know, in the band. And of course, you know, Jackie is the new girl. She's only been with us 23, 24 years. So yeah.
tim caple (45:55.642)
Yeah, she's just bedding in there really, isn't she? and then, you know, you've done guilty as sin was a great return to form.
and then you come up to that was 2015. So we've had eight year wait obviously we've had COVID. So when did you begin discussing, hey girls, let's do it again the previous album got really well received. And if you look at the comments in the press, you're now approaching that status where people only have nice things to say.
kim (46:09.336)
Yeah.
kim (46:14.282)
Yeah.
tim caple (46:29.832)
Nobody wants to bitch and to criticize or critique. They take it for what it is. Hey guys, these people deserve some respect for being around for this length of time and playing what they do to the people that want to hear it.
kim (46:45.022)
Well the thing is, I suppose, from being, you know, the only thing I can say is we're either very stubborn or very stupid because we don't seem to go away. We don't seem to want to go away. So it's a bit like people are finally going, oh well, you know, if they won't bloody go away, I suppose we'll have to put up with them, you know. And give us a bit of respect for it.
tim caple (47:06.22)
So had that been in planning, the WTF45, for a few years, or was this recent?
kim (47:10.098)
No, no, well, what had happened was we actually owed the record company an album. I mean, it might not have happened if we hadn't, you know. So they kept saying, oh yeah, when you're going to give us this new album? Oh yeah, we'll get round to it, you know.
Yeah.
So we sort of like got away with it there for a bit. And then of course, after that, they go, look, there's no excuses now. We want this album out. And so of course me and Jackie go, oh my God, you know what we're gonna do? It's just gonna be like. So we had a collection of bits and pieces over the years, over the years, all these years. I mean, I didn't realize it was eight years. I mean, I literally have no concept of time.
which is probably why it's 45 years, because I just think it's been, I don't know, 20 years, I have no idea of time, no concept. Anyway, so they literally put their foot down and we had this new manager Giles and he said, look, you've really got to do this new album
You know, we literally needed that kick up the backside to get it done. And I'm so pleased we did because we had such a laugh doing it and such great fun.
tim caple (49:01.088)
, I know you love tech and all to do with tech. How much different is it? I mean, you think back to Demolition and Hit and Run when you recorded an album, you'd be in a studio or four or five of you and...
kim (49:11.223)
Yeah.
Yeah. Oh, yeah, no, we still go in the studio together. I'm not having all this remote stuff.
We're lucky enough actually, because Tim Hamill is our producer, who we've used now since the Girlschool Live album. Yeah, we go to the studio in the middle of, Wales, and we're lucky.
tim caple (49:45.195)
I know, I was watching your videos on Facebook
kim (49:48.35)
Oh, all right. Yeah, there you go then. Oh, yeah. And of course we rent an apartment there. And yeah, I love it. I couldn't, I know a lot of bands can't afford the privilege we have of actually all being in the studio together. But for me, that's a really important part.
tim caple (51:11.389)
So what's the future you're touring? You've got that triplehead with Alcatraz and Raven.
you're busier than ever.
kim (51:15.818)
Yeah. Looking forward to that. Yeah. Looking forward to it.
kim (51:27.442)
Yeah, I know it's going to be next year. It's going to be nuts. And of course we've now and of course the record company on another album now we go what? And so we've actually thought that next if we do get around if we do manage to get another album recorded, we're going to call it FFS. But so yeah, for fuck's sake. Instead of what
tim caple (51:45.968)
Yeah. But the album itself, though, you must have been ecstatic with the way that it came out, right?
kim (51:56.75)
Oh yeah, I mean, yeah, I mean, obviously number one, straight number one in the classic, in the rock charts and stuff and 13 Scottish charts. I mean, top 20, all these other bloody charts. We were absolutely blown away. Yeah. And thanks so much. You know, we're just so thankful to the people that went and bought it and our fans and that. I mean, you know, it's unbelievable really, you know.
tim caple (52:18.9)
And when you look back on the 45, 50, 50 years, what are the standout moments or memories for you? If somebody had to say, look, you know, just what was your favorite album for one?
kim (52:27.959)
Well...
kim (52:34.394)
Well, obviously the last one! But I mean, I suppose I'm going to say, it's not my favourite really as in brilliant, but the favourite one's got to be really Demolition because it was the start of all this, you know, and meeting Vic and being in the proper studio. So yeah, of course it's got to be the favourite really because that's where it all started and I'm so proud of it. But obviously I'm so proud of the last album.
kim (53:01.258)
you know, writing with like Joe Stump and Nick Lashley and all these different people. And yeah, it was just like absolutely, oh yeah, Philippa from Thunder Mother. And yeah, I mean, it's just been such a great, great sort of, I was going to say journey then. I'm thinking, what the fuck, why would I say journey? Such a great time. That's about it, yeah.
tim caple (53:28.084)
And is there anything that you would like to achieve or people that you'd like to collaborate with? Is there anybody out there you think, so I've asked this question to a few people and I've got some unbelievable replies. I mean, Michael Schenker would love to do a collaboration with Rod Stewart.
kim (53:46.218)
Well, there you go there. I tell you what, since we've been touring with Alcatraz, and they do it because now Doogie's singing with them, and they do a Schenker song, Vigilante Man. I didn't realize how bright... So I've now gone to see Schenker, you know, got sort of, you know, Googled him and watching it. I think bloody, it was brilliant. I didn't realize how bloody brilliant he was. But anyway, that's sidetracking. I don't know. I don't know. Everything's... It's like even Duff playing.
you know, on our track. I mean, that was a total shock that he'd do that. But our lovely Phil as well, obviously, and Biff, you know, first time we sung. So I don't know, every time something like this happens, you just can't believe it. So who knows what's going to happen in the future. But I'm looking forward to it.
tim caple (54:35.344)
And when you're off the road, you're still doing this. I do like the fact that you're all into gardening. You love all to get out and do a bit of gardening. But I do want to know whether or not you still have Veronica around.
kim (54:41.707)
Ah!
kim (54:51.514)
Oh, I know, no, we lost her ages ago. And in fact, yeah, yeah. Yeah, well, we've had loads of rescue rabbits over the years. And I'm sad to say we've only one left now, Alfie. And he's out, he's an old boy. And I would, I'd love to get more, but it's just too heartbreaking. We only just lost Fanny Anne, his wife, not long ago. And she, it just like, so, it breaks your heart.
and I just can't take any more heartbreak at the moment with rabbits. So, um, Oh no, oh no, we lost our baby as well. We lost our baby. Yeah, sorry. Yeah, no, but funny enough, we haven't actually got now of course, baby's gone. The next door neighbor cat is coming in and keeps thinking he's going to worm his way in who's beautiful, but he's not our cat, but he's beautiful.
the point is, if I keep going away, then I'm not in a position to look after. But when I do stop all this nonsense, oh yeah, I intend to have loads of animals, rescue animals. I've got a half acre garden out there, it's just right for lots of goats and things and I don't know, whatever I can find. Whoever needs a hoe, but that won't be for a few years yet.