Pussy Galore (band)
| Company type | Band |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1984 |
| Headquarters | New York City , United States |
| Products | Music albums, EPs, singles |
Pussy Galore was a garage rock group originating from the United States, established in 1984 by students at Brown University. Vocalist and guitarist Jon Spencer remained the sole consistent member until the band's dissolution in 1990. Their name was inspired by a character from the James Bond movie Goldfinger, and their musical style blended experimental blues rock with elements drawn from The Rolling Stones and Einstürzende Neubauten.
History
The founding members included Spencer, guitarist and vocalist Julia Cafritz, and drummer John Hammill. After independently releasing the 7" single Feel Good About Your Body, they expanded their lineup by adding guitarist Neil Hagerty and launched the EP Groovy Hate Fuck through their own Shove Records label. Following graduation, the band moved to New York City, where they further grew their ensemble by bringing in guitarist Cristina Martinez and replacing Hammill with former Sonic Youth drummer Bob Bert. Prompted by a challenge from Sonic Youth, they produced a limited-run cassette featuring a cover of the Rolling Stones' Exile on Main St. In January 1987, they followed up with the mini-album Pussy Gold 5000. Martinez eventually departed to start Boss Hog alongside Spencer.
In September 1987, Pussy Galore issued their first full-length album, Right Now!, via Caroline Records. Shortly thereafter, Hagerty exited the band and was succeeded by Kurt Wolf; Wolf later left to join Loudspeaker, allowing Hagerty to return. Their Sugarshit Sharp EP included a garage rock rendition of Einstürzende Neubauten's "Yu-Gung," which featured samples from both the original track and Public Enemy's "Don't Believe The Hype." This EP also introduced a distinctive logo that merged Neubauten's symbol with a distorted version of the Rolling Stones' lips-and-tongue emblem.
The 1989 release Dial 'M' for Motherfucker saw the band push further into abrasive guitar noise and punk aggression, enhanced by experimental studio techniques such as reversed audio segments. Initially intended to be titled Make Them All Eat Shit Slowly, the label rejected this name. The album's cover was minimalistic, displaying only a sticker stating "New Album By Pussy Galore," which occasionally led to confusion about its identity. Cafritz contributed partially to this record but soon left due to internal disputes.
Also in 1989, the band released split singles that included a cover of Black Flag's "Damaged II" for Sub Pop Records and another collaborative release with Black Snakes under Japan's Supernatural Organization label.
Following Cafritz’s exit, the remaining trio—Spencer, Hagerty, and Bert—produced their final album, Historia de la Musica Rock, released in 1990 through Caroline Records before disbanding. The album’s artwork parodied a well-known Spanish rock compilation series sharing the same title.
Aftermath
In the late 1980s, shortly before Pussy Galore ended, Spencer co-founded Boss Hog with former guitarist Cristina Martinez. The couple married in 1989 and remain together. Afterward, Spencer went on to establish the Blues Explosion. Neil Hagerty pursued his musical path with Jennifer Herrema in the blues-rock duo Royal Trux, which originated in Chicago in 1987. Meanwhile, Cafritz and Bert briefly joined forces during the early 1990s to release an eponymous album as Action Swingers.
Two years post-breakup, a compilation CD titled Corpse Love: The First Year was issued, compiling four tracks from their Exile On Main Street cassette alongside early recordings and brief interview segments.
Cassettes
- Exile on Main St Cassette (1986, Shove) (limited to 550 copies; includes four tracks later featured on Corpse Love)
Albums
- Right Now! LP (1987, Caroline; reissued in 1998 by Matador Records/Mute Records)
- Dial 'M' for Motherfucker LP (1989, Caroline; CD version contains five songs from Sugarshit Sharp, replacing "Yu-Gung" with a Devo cover; original vinyl tracklist restored in 1998 Matador/Mute reissue)
- Historia de la Musica Rock LP (1990, Caroline)
EPs
- Feel Good About Your Body 7" (1985)
- Groovy Hate Fuck EP (1986, Shove)
- Pussy Gold 5000 EP (1986, Shove)
- Sugarshit Sharp EP (1988, Caroline; reissued in 1998 by Matador/Mute featuring the additional track "Penetration in the Centerfold")
Compilations & live albums
- 1 Yr Live Cassette (1986, Shove)
- Groovy Hate Fuck (Feel Good About Your Body) LP (1987, Vinyl Drip) (UK compilation of early material)
- Corpse Love: The First Year CD (1992, Caroline)
- Live: In the Red LP, documenting final live performance at CBGBs (1998, In the Red Records)
Videos
- Maximum Penetration VHS (1987, Atavistic Video)