This was the first live band I ever saw-August 1970 in Garden City, Kansas-when I was 13 years old. I was in love and in awe. Great video!

Following an entertaining intro (by DJ The Lord, of Shangrlaradio.com), the Quatro sisters original composition “Gotta Get Away” comes on heavy with a wall of organ and guitar like a snarly Detroit version of an Avalon ballroom mainstay! This is the first taste of seven previously unreleased 60’s recordings by Michigan’s Pleasure Seekers. It was long rumored the girls had laid down more in the studio than the three singles well known to serious rock & roll fanatics, but now the wait is over. The first thing that becomes clear is how Arlene Quatro’s organ work is impeccable throughout, providing a solid foundation to the tracks she performed on. The second track “Never Thought You’d Leave Me” is of an earlier vintage however, when the Ball sisters, Nan and Marylou were in the group, and Arlene, the eldest Quatro had yet to join. Not yet out of their teens, Patti Quatro’s lead guitar and Suzi’s vocals are already solid on their 1966 debut on the Hideout record label, from the people who gave Detroit it’s Hideout club. Suzi’s bass is a real highlight here. On the title track from the same single you can hear how the Pleasure Seekers held their own on the same stages as The Rationals and Bob Seger & the Last Heard. In fact, Suzi Q’s vocals are pretty much as strong as they would be later at the height of her solo 70’s fame.

From the Mercury era the standout track here is “Light of Love”, an upbeat rocker that equals the best sides by label mates The New Colony Six. There is a cool chant aspect to the chorus here making me wonder why some glam group didn’t cover this in the early-mid 70’s, it would’ve outshone much of the repertoire from the period! A Stax/Booker T style organ with solid harmonies tend to dominate the remaining cuts, but Patti’s guitar licks get elastic and really shine making possibly average material something more engaging. There is one great vocal performance, by drummer Darline Arnone apparently, on “Good Kind of Hurt” also worth mentioning. The set closes with a slower experimental freak-out song called “Mr. Power” which comes over like Joe Meek, a great surprise and a cool note to end on, definitely leaving me still wanting to hear more.

With the addition of Nancy Quatro, The Pleasure Seekers evolved into the group Cradle, and there is an album’s worth of this material also available for the first time on CD.

Four young girls in the mid-1960’s with a band leader for a father and a child protege on the piano as a brother. One of the girls has a dream; all of them have talent. The result….?

The Pleasure Seekers were formed in 1964 and became the pioneering driving force behind the female rock artists who were to follow in their wake. From the minute you first hear the sound of Patti’s guitar and Suzi’s soulful voice you know instinctively that you are witnessing something special and very unique for the time. Add to this the driving beat of Nan Ball’s drumming and the keyboards and rythm guitar of Arlene and Marylou and you can understand why the Pleasure seekers were so highly sought after.
This latest CD from QuatroRock is a must have for any serious Rock lover. But … it doesn’t end there.
Bring into this mix the ethereal and quite stunning voice of the fourth sister – Nancy – and the development into Cradle is a natural progression.

So here you have what seems to be spontaneously creative guitar work from Patti but in reality each note is carefully planned and constructed; Suzi providing bass riffs that put many top male bassists to shame and at the same time sharing vocals with the hypnotic Nancy. The end result is an album that literally transports you back in time to the late 60’s and early 70’s – the genesis of progressive rock.

Although there were many talented musicians who passed through both the Pleasure Seekers and Cradle the real accolades have to go to the four equally talented and pioneering Quatro Sisters who drove the sound forward and made it possible for the Female bands that followed to find success.

These two albums are a snapshot of Rock History – A moment in time that moulded the sounds we hear today.

~The Lord – Shangrla Radio 2011

They were the very first all girl rock group in my eyes! Before all of them! The Runaways, the Go Go’s, the Donnas, and the Bangels.  They started it all! They pathed the way.

“To all those who are still infants of Rock-n-Roll and to those who are mature to the roots of Rock”¦

To all those in search of the meaning of Rock and to those sitting on their porch with memories of Detroit Rock¦
The day has come and the time has arrived¦
CRADLE Rock-n-Roll is once again upon us¦
Classic Detroit Rock at its best is now at our fingertips¦
The long awaited music of CRADLE is available at:

http://www.cdbaby.com/Artist/Cradle1

The Quatro girls were the first all female band that played instruments well, and the forerunners for many bands to follow. One kick-ass band!

They (Cradle) came out of same scene and came up with Iggy/Stooges, Mitch Ryder, Amboy Dukes, etc. Toured with Zeppelin! their disc is available through CD Baby.  Doing well and their fan base is this crazy mix of global and all ages. Psych meets garage meets Detroit rock. On YouTube you can watch video where they are dressed like Glam witches. Was Nancy (Rogers) a big fan of Carmine Appice, Ginger Baker and the like? Reminds of a band from that era, Black Widow. The whole swinging Occult scene was happening in this track, even the rowdy seance bit. Fucking A, a Les Paul in Patti’s hands, lovely.

Cradle breakdown: tracks 1-5
Living Machine – Enchanting gypsy hymn that finds a killer Captain Beyond groove
Man Is A Man – Simon & Garfunkel if had darker intentions
Sally and Johnny – In the vein of Spirit and Rare Earth
See The Two – Surf guitars
Heat – psychedelic not too far removed from the Haight district
Peter Porno – interesting use of swing, doo-wop and that dirty Detroit twang. Explicit renderings to boot. Was Peter the male Cynthia Plaster Caster?
Funny Man – nasty guitar bits. imagine seedy bars and ashtrays overflowing. layered bits of ethereal charm. nice jazzy groove behind Patti’s playing
Ted – Is that our man Nugent? Anyway, its got that propulsive Amboy Dukes thing
Soothsayer – dark and gothic.  Sounds like the devil being summoned.
Last Laugh – My favorite track on the disc. Vanilla Fudge, Budgie and some decent Cream styles working here. Wicked groove. Good, drunk vibe for ruining an otherwise clean bed
Dream – Leon must’ve like this one. Nice take on the Carpenter’s version of Superstar.

Is this a 4-track recording?

“I was digging in my box of 1969 stuff and I discovered my tie-dyed t-shirt has faded, my patchouli oil vial has dried up, my headband is now too tight, my incense has lost its smell, my MC5 poster is now ripped, my bell-bottoms have shrunk, my record player is fried, my blacklight bulb is burned out, my Woodstock album is all scratched and my smoke has lost its kick!.. The Only Thing That Has Survived Is The Rock-n-Roll Music Of Cradle!!

“These girls were a cross between Ozzy Osbourne and Led Zeppelin with tits”