August 29, 2017

45 RPMs 19: Leila And The Snakes, Obiko & Kaisik Wong

45 RPM record jacket
cover photo by Eddie Troia
photo of record jacket by Styrous®


Déjà vu has raised it's ubiquitous head and life is coming around full circle for me again. Since the 50's I've always recorded a record I liked on tape so I wouldn't wear out the record. This was the case with this 45 by Leila And The Snakes. I have listened to both songs on it, Rock and Roll Weirdos and Pyramid Power, for decades but did not look at the record jacket after I bought it until I decided to write about it for this blog entry.       

As I was reading the cover to gather information, I discovered Lisa Jear did the makeup for the photo on the cover! So what? Jear was the makeup artist for some of the Sandra Sakata (link below) fashion shows for Obiko (link below) I produced from 1980 to 1997 . . .


45 RPM record jacket detail
cover photo by Eddie Troia
detail photo of record jacket by Styrous®


. . . as well as modeling the designs of Kaisik Wong (link below) who was instrumental in getting me the position to produce those shows.       


Lisa Jear 
Kaisik coat and collar 
photo by Kaisik Wong


Jear also did the makeup for Dim Sum: A Little Bit of Heart, a 1985 film directed by Wayne Wang and starring Laureen Chew, Kim Chew, Victor Wong, Ida F.O Chung, Cora Miao, Amy Hill, and Joan Chen.        



WOW!



45 RPM record jacket back
photos by Eddie Troia
photo of record jacket by Styrous®



Leila And The Snakes was an American rock group based out of San Francisco in the 1970s and 1980s. The lead singer of the group was Jane Dornacker, who went under the name of Leila. Dornacker had previously toured with the group The Tubes. Other members of the group were Pamela Wood on the bass and Scott Free on drums. Wood and Free were later replaced by the brothers Hilary and John Hanes (Stench). Also featured was guitarist Miles Corbin, who went on to form the surf instrumental band the Aqua Velvets. The sons of Wood now play in the group, Major Powers & The Lo-Fi Symphony (link below).          







Also appearing on the two-song 45 RPM referenced below (which was referred to as "The Album" during subsequent live sets) was Pearl E. Gates. She went on to front Pearl Harbor and the Explosions, marry Paul Simonon of The Clash, and sing backup on Sandinista!. Pearl was featured prominently in the Leila live act. Eventually she resigned from the band.               





Dornacker, who had run for Homecoming Queen at San Francisco State as a 6-foot freshman, eventually became a prominent radio personality in San Francisco. She also played Nurse Murch in the 1983 motion picture "The Right Stuff". In 1985 she migrated to New York, in order to make it big in show business. In 1986, she died when the traffic helicopter she was reporting from crashed into the Hudson River in New York City.          


biography insert
photo by Styrous®



Leila And The Snakes released the 45 RPM recording in the late 1970s. It was produced by Roger Clark of Little Roger & the Goosebumps and arranged by Dick Bright. Side A features Rock and Roll Weirdos, copyright Lucky Pork Music, written by Dornacker. Side B features Pyramid Power, copyright Lucky Pork Music, written by Dornacker/Clark. The band also recorded an album produced by Hugh Cornwell of The Stranglers. No final mix was done, however, and it went unreleased.             


biography insert detail
detail photo by Styrous®








biography insert detail
detail photo by Styrous®




biography insert detail
detail photo by Styrous®









biography insert detail
detail photo by Styrous®







Leila And The Snakes ~ Rock and Roll Weirdos
45 RPM record, side 1
photo by Styrous®









Leila And The Snakes ~ Pyramid Power
45 RPM record, side 2
photo by Styrous®






Tracklist:

Side 1:
A - Rock And Roll Weirdos, written by Jane Dornacker

Side 2:   
B - Pyramid Power, written by Dornacker*, R. Clark*

   
Companies, etc.

    Recorded At – Beggs/AZ
    Mixed At – Beggs/AZ

Credits:

Notes:

Includes biography insert
     
Leila And The Snakes ‎– Rock & Roll Weirdos
Label: ASP Records (2) ‎– A0001
Format: Vinyl, 7", Single
Country: US
Released: 1978
Genre: Rock
Style: New Wave        
            
        
       
         
Viewfinder links:             
              
Obiko     
Sandra Sakata         
The Tubes - White Punks On Dope        
Kaisik Wong            
             
YouTube links:             
              
Leila & The Snakes -      
            Rock and Roll Weirdos        
            Pyramid Power              
Major Powers & The Lo-Fi Symphony -          
            93,000,000 Miles        
            I Need Your Help                
              
         
     
Styrous® ~ Tuesday, August 29, 2017           
      












No comments:

Post a Comment

PLEASE NOTE: comments are moderated BEFORE they are posted so DO NOT appear immediately.

Thank you.