SUZI QUATRO
By Strings Direct – 29 August, 2023
- PLAYER SPOTLIGHT -
“My title is the: 'Queen of Rock 'n' Roll' which I accept like that: 👋 and like that: 👊 “
This week we feature a real staple icon of rock ’n’ roll, a revolutionary player in more ways than one. A wild, androgynous character who’s taken it every step of the way and "played the boys at their own game”!
Respected and treasured worldwide we find ourselves awe-inspired by this multi-award winning artist who’s racked up over 50-million album sales over the years!
Let’s all bow for rock ’n’ roll glamour doll: Suzi Quatro.
THE PATHWAY TO QUATRO
Letus head to Detroit, Michigan 1950, on 3rd June of that very historic year a revolutionary rocker was born into the universe: welcome Susan Kay Quattrocchi aka Suzi Quatro. The names descends from Italian her Italian grandfather and translates to: “Four eyes - bespectacled”.
Suzi like many people from that generation was born into a musical family and shared the love of music with her parents and her siblings. Quatro’s father was a part-time semi-professional musician as well as worker at the General Motors Co., and he would have great influence on her. However, the key moment came when Suzi first witnessed Elvis Presley performing on television which was her spellbinding and life-changing event!
In those times it was a real rarity to find a strong, powerful female role model in the entertainment industry, she had inspiration from the great Billie Holiday and warmed to the dress sense of Mary Weiss, but relating to a female character in the music biz was almost unheard of to some degree.
Suzi has always stated that she doesn't really do gender she just likes to think of herself as a great RocknRolla rather than a great female RocknRolla. Her punk rock attitude really shines through in both her charisma and playing; to quote a very good overview of her character:
“Before I did what I did, we didn't have a place in rock 'n' roll. Not really. You had your Grace Slick and all that, but that's not what I did. I was the first to be taken seriously as a female rock 'n' roll musician and singer. That hadn't been done before. I played the boys at their own game. For everybody that came afterward, it was a little bit easier, which is good. I'm proud of that. If I have a legacy, that's what it is. It's nothing I take lightly. It was gonna happen sooner or later. In 2014, I will have done my job 50 years. It was gonna be done by somebody, and I think it fell to me to do because I don't look at gender. I never have. It doesn't occur to me if a 6-foot-tall guy has pissed me off not to square up to him. That's just the way I am. If I wanted to play a bass solo, it never occurred to me that I couldn't. When I saw Elvis for the first time when I was 5, I decided I wanted to be him, and it didn't occur to me that he was a guy. That's why it had to fall to somebody like me.”
Suzi Quatro Interview 2012 - Via Wiki.org
The foundations of a young person’s musical journey is always of great interest; to see where they started and to see where they end up is really fascinating. Suzi received formal training and began playing classical piano along with some percussion - allegedly her first instrument was in fact the bongos!
The beauty of the scene back then was the children seemed to get involved with the parents, and as such Suzi played drums and parts of percussion at an early age with her fathers jazz band: ‘Art Quatro Trio’.
As a teenager in 1964 the Quatro siblings formed what was pretty much a girl band back in the 60s after seeing The Beatles perform on television. An all-female garage rock band called ‘The Pleasure Seekers’, Suzi was brought on board with her sisters and would sing and play the bass in the band. It was this key moment that Quatro picked up the bass and would find her identity on the instrument whilst learning it, incredible really. 🤘.
JUST AN OLD BASS
The beauty of having a musical family is that there is always lots of equipment to lend out and there’s always something laying around being neglected: the idea is generally beg, steal and borrow as required 😉
As such Suzi’s first bass guitar was given to her by her father. At the time it would've just been an old guitar but to us it's a 1957 Fender Precision bass - phenomenal! To this day it’s still one of her most prized possessions and favoured instruments, continually used in the studio and coveted of course. 🎸
SUZI QUATRO: ROCK 'N' ROLL REVOLUTION
As The Pleasure Seekers built a good following and reputation throughout the Detroit area, they recorded three singles and these were released on Mercury Records. A brief contract was formed but eventually the outfit separated and began to break away due to differences of opinion regarding going forward and future direction.
As they inevitably grew apart and life took over Suzi still wanted more and was seeking something else; she just didn't know what exactly but knew it was in the music industry and her soul would be tied to rock 'n' roll indefinitely.
The final run of performances of The Pleasure Seekers had attracted some very high calibre interest from both Electra Records and Rak Records founded by Mickie Most, and in a way both of these industry moguls were on the hunt for a female rock singer that could fill the void since the untimely passing of Janis Joplin.
The head of Electra Records conveyed a real positive interest and actually declared that they would look to make Suzi the next Janis Joplin. Which raised eyebrows, although complimentary it wasn't how Quatro worked, but when Mickie Most offered to fly Suzi over to England and make her the first Suzi Quatro all of a sudden somebody was speaking her language. 💫.
Suzi Quatro soon became a household name in the music industry and has become a multi award-winning participant in her own right. Throughout the journey Quatro has played with the very best of them! Revolutionising the path for female artists and rock 'n' roll around the world.
“Soon after Suzi began working with now legendary songwriters Chinn and Chapman (Mike Chapman also produced), which resulted the huge hit “Can The Can”, which went to number one in May 1973, and went on to sell two and a half million copies worldwide. Between 1973 and 1980, Suzi Quatro featured in the British charts for no less than 101 weeks, and has sold to date over 55 million records, and still counting. her hits include: “48 Crash”, “Too Big”, “Devil Gate Drive”, “Daytona Demon”, “The Wild One”, “She’s in Love With You”, “Mama’s Boy”, “If You Can’t Give Me Love”, “Rock Hard”, and a million seller in the USA., ‘Stumblin In’ a duet with Chris Norman . “
Excerpt - bio.html
SOUNDTRACK SUZI
Suzi Quatro has had an incredible career in the music industry and continues to thrive, she has also seen a recent resurgence after being featured in the soundtrack of the notorious “Dahma”.
“1989 Suzi was one of the first rock and roll acts to go to Russia, where she performed for over half a million people in just six weeks. 1991, She was triumphant again, realising a lifelong ambition by writing the music and lyrics, along with Shirlie Roden, and starring in ‘Talullah Bankhead’ it ran for its full season of 5 weeks, and Suzi received amazing critics, even though they were not officially allowed into review the show.
Jan, 1999 started Suzi’s radio career with BBC Radio 2, which is ongoing today. Suzi has done her own weekly programs, and many special documentaries including Elvis Presley, Otis Redding, Janis Joplin, Jim Morrison, Patsy Cline, and a recent special on her home town of Detroit. Suzi has met, interviewed or played on stage with most of her hero’s. Suzi is a very popular DJ. even being nominated for music broadcaster of the year at the Sony radio awards in 2006 1999 also saw Suzi honoured in ‘This Is Your Life’, complete with famous red book. they caught her on her 56 date UK tour, onstage at the Palladium.. completely off guard, there were a few expletives that had to be edited out!!“
Excerpt - bio.html
ROTOS THAT ROCK
Suzi has always been her own person and a strong, confident character, so plastic endorsements and disposable advertising for a quick buck were never going to be her style. So when Suzi Quatro says she uses certain strings we 100% know she definitely means it!
As far as the relationship goes with Rotosound both Suzi and her son are set for life it appears. Suzi in true rock 'n' roll style literally says: “I use Rotosound strings, they’re good strings actually!” pretty much all you need to know 😎!
So if you want that rock 'n' roll sound grab a leather jacket, silk scarves, some studs and a great haircut with a set of ROTOSOUND SM66 Swing Bass Stainless Steel Roundwound Bass Guitar Strings!
* * * * *
REFERENCES
http://www.suziquatro.com
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suzi_Quatro
https://www.metaltalk.net/suzi-quatro-interview-royal-albert-hall-was-just-like-being-home.php
http://brunoceriotti.weebly.com/the-pleasure-seekers--cradle.html
http://www.suziquatro.com/bio.html
https://www.rotosound.com/product/sm66/