‘It’s a heavy weight, the camera. Now we have modern and lightweight, small
plastic cameras, but in the ’70s they were heavy metal’ – Annie Leibovitz
‘Girls will be girls, and these four have got it just right’. – Sounds
‘According to legend, the first time Jeff Beck heard Johnson’s riffs on ‘Race With the Devil,’ he snorted, ‘there’s no way that’s a girl playing,’ a remark described by the DJ John Peel as the most sexist comment he had ever heard. On the other hand, Lemmy Kilmister, the leader of Motörhead, declared about Kelly Johnson that ‘the nights that she was really on, she was as good as Jeff Beck’.
‘Kim Mcauliffe … ‘we’re just a band playing rock music … if you listen to one of our tracks, it doesn’t sound like women playing. But, then again, what does women playing sound like?’ – Frock rock
‘When there’s more girl bands about it won’t be important any more.’ – Kelly Johnson – original Girlschool lead guitarist.
… ‘the title track of the album ‘Demolition’ …it’s sort of dedicated to Motorhead, it’s set in the future when instead of bringing demolition squads they get a band like Motorhead to tear the building apart.’ – Kim McAuliffe
Yeah Right – Girlschool – Bronze Records
‘This is a burning little rocker from those highly respected metal femmes, very commercial, very tough and boasts a bruising barrage of guitar. These girls can deliver’. – Sounds
In Kim McAuliffe’s words: ‘Gerry Bron at Bronze Records put us with producer Vic Maille and we recorded our first single, ‘Emergency’ and first two albums, ‘Demolition’ and ‘Hit and Run’ with him. We loved Vic and it was his idea for us and Motorhead to record ‘Please Don’t Touch’. It was one of his favourite songs and Lemmy loved it too.’
‘As you can imagine it was a lot of fun and chaos with us in the studio. Phil had managed to break his neck so could only just about manage the tambourine! We were on tour with them in Europe when we found out it had gone to no.5 and sold 250,000 copies!!’ – Kim McAuliffe
‘The guitar influence that affected my songwriting came from the New Wave of British Heavy Metal.’ – Dave Mustaine
‘Denise Dufort, a miniscule powerhouse who can bulldoze her way on the skins with the best of them; lead singer and bassist Enid Williams who pumps, pulsates and supports the main structure of the song with power and precision; front person Kim McAuliffe fulfilling her function as rivvum guitarist to the hilt; lead guitarist Kelly Johnson who plays with maximum guts and power and improves one each viewing.’ – Sounds
‘We didn’t think, at the beginning, we’re gonna make an album and go to number one … we took one step at a time … When we realised it was happening, we just thought, great!’ – Kim McAuliffe – Frock Rock
‘In full flight Girlschool can rock you rigid. They possess the pure ingredients of what heavy rock is really about.’
Hit and Run
Producer – Vic Maile
Recorded at Jackson’s Studios Dec ’80 – Jan ’81
Released 20th April 1981
Side 1 Writers Vocals
- C’mon Let’s Go (Kim McAuliffe, Kelly Johnson) Kelly Johnson
- The Hunter (Kim McAuliffe, Kelly Johnson) Kelly Johnson
- I’m Your Victim (Kim McAuliffe, Denise Dufort) Enid Williams
- Kick it Down (Kim McAuliffe, Kelly Johnson) Kim McAuliffe
- Following the Crowd (Enid Williams, Kim McAuliffe) Enid Williams
- Tush (Gibbons, Hill, Beard – ZZ Top) Enid Williams
Side 2
- Hit and Run (Kim McAuliffe, Kelly Johnson) Kelly Johnson
- Watch Your Step (Williams, McAuliffe, Johnson) Enid Williams
- Back to Start (Enid Williams, Kelly Johnson) Enid Williams
- Yeah Right (Williams, McAuliffe, Johnson, Dufort) Enid Williams
- Future Flash (Kim McAuliffe, Kelly Johnson) Kelly Johnson
Legacy
Produced by Tim Hamill and Girlschool
Sonic One Studios – Llangennech – Wales
Wacken Records / SPV 2008
Tracklist Writers Guest Musicians
- Everything’s the Same (Kim McAuliffe)
- From the Other Side (Chambers, McAuliffe)
- I-Spy (Girlschool Mix) (Williams, Chambers, McAuliffe) Lead Guitar – Phil Campbell
- Spend Spend Spend (Enid Williams) Lead Guitar – Eddie Ojeda
- Whole New World (Williams, Chambers) Lead Guitar – Phil Campbell Bass – Neil Murray
- Just Another Day (Chambers, Dufort)
- Legend (Jackie Chambers) Lead Guitar – Phil Campbell Bass – Neil Murray
- Still Waters (Enid Williams)
- Metropolis (Lemmy, Fast Eddie, Philthy Phil) Lead Guitar – Eddie Clarke
- Don’t Mess Around (Chambers, McAuliffe) Guitar Solo – J J French
- Zeitgeist (Enid Williams) Guitar – Phil Campbell, Jackie Chambers
- Don’t Talk to Me (Lemmy, McAuliffe, Chambers) Bass, Vocals – Lemmy Kilmister
Bonus Tracks
- I-Spy (Dio/Iommi Mix) (Williams, Chambers, McAuliffe) Vocals – Dio Lead guitar – Tony Iommi
- Emergency (Williams, McAuliffe, Johnson, Dufort)
- London (Kim McAuliffe, Kelly Johnson)
Guilty as Sin
Produced by Chris Tsangarides and Girlschool
The Ecology Rooms
Mastered by Tim Hamill – Sonic One Studio
November 13th 2015 – UDR Music
Tracklist Writers Guest Musicians
- Come the Revolution (Williams, Chambers) Enid Williams
- Take it Like a Band (Chambers, McAuliffe) Kim McAuliffe
- Guilty as Sin (Chambers, McAuliffe,) Kim McAuliffe
- Treasure (Enid Williams) Enid Williams
- Awkward Position (McAuliffe, Chambers) Kim McAuliffe
- Staying Alive (Barry, Robin, Maurice Gibb) Enid Williams
- Perfect Storm (Williams, Chambers) Enid Williams
- Painful (Chambers, McAuliffe) Kim McAuliffe
- Night Before (Chambers, McAuliffe, Dufort) Kim McAuliffe
- (Everybody Loves) (Enid Williams, Trad.) Enid Williams
Saturday Night
Bonus Tracks
- Tonight (Williams, McAuliffe, Johnson, Dufort) Enid Williams
- Coming Your Way (Williams, Chambers, McAuliffe) Enid Williams