THE HAND THAT RULES THE CRADLE,
ROCKS THE WORLD
The QUATRO SISTERS hail from Detroit, Michigan. Reared in a very musical family, their musical abilities were nurtured by their father Art Quatro, who enjoyed much musical success with his own band, a booking agency, and being house organist for the Detroit Red Wings and Detroit Pistons. Brother Michael was a well-know agent, musician, and concert and festival promoter of era's legends such as The Rolling Stones, Jimi Hendrix, Ted Nugent, Bob Seger, Alice Cooper, Pink Floyd, etc.
In 1964, 16-year-old Patti started The Pleasure Seekers, an all girl band, with friends Nan Ball (drums), and Diane Baker (keyboards). With a bass guitar lying around the house, Patti enlisted younger sister, Suzi Quatro to take on that instrument, and Marylou Ball (rhythm guitar) was added to round out the band. The Pleasure Seekers challenged local club owner, Dave Leone, to feature them with a 3-song set list. He did, and they were on their way. The band played the college and bar circuits in Michigan and nearby states.
Their first record was for Golden World, in 1964, by noted engineer John Rhys,
recording "Long White Line" (an original), and He's So Fine as the B side.
Seeing the novelty of a kick ass, all-girl rockin band, Dave Leone recorded their next released record, "Never Thought You'd Leave Me" and "What A Way To Die" on Hideout Records, which did well locally. That same year, Golden World, a local Detroit label, released "He's a Rebel" and an original song called, "Long White Line". The girls were 15, and 17 years old. Shortly after, Diane, Marylou, and Nan left the band for college. After challenging struggles to find talented female musicians, sister Arlene Quatro (keyboards), Darline Arnone (drums), and Eileen Biddlingmeier (rhythm guitar) joined up.
With musical worlds colliding, the era was rich with the Motown r & b sound,
the English invasion, San Francisco's acid rock, and the wealth of the "motor
city" sound erupting out of Detroit's young teen musicians, including the girls.
The band developed a remarkable show (including a never seen before light show), rocking every genre of music of that era, from a Motown Revue, Sgt. Pepper Revue, and everything in between. With a new manager, they toured their way to NYC "village" hot spot Trude Heller's. Tweaking the musicianship higher, they added Pami Benford (lead guitar), and quickly were signed to ABC Booking and Mercury Records. Their first 1968 Mercury single, "Light of Love" and "Good Kind of Hurt" charted high in several regions, as the band toured heavily, gaining momentum, ending with a major Northwest Tour, TV shows, national interest, and touring with Eric Burdon and the Animals, Canned Heat, and other greats of that era.
In the fall of 1968, the band and Mercury parted ways, with the girls discouraged by the "pop" direction Mercury Records wanted to force them into. While shopping another record label, the band ventured heavily into writing their own original material, recording the unreleased "Elevator Express" and "Gotta Get Away" at a Detroit studio in the fall of 1968. During this time, the band struggled through the breakup of Arlene's marriage, and Darline's exit, who was replaced by Nancy Rogers (drums). The band went on a tour of special concerts in the Far East, and Hawaii.
After a few missteps, the exit of Arlene, and the addition of younger sister Nancy Quatro (vocals, bass, percussion), the girls changed direction, moving into the burgeoning popular trend of heavier music, and continuing their original compositions. Changing their name to Cradle, by the fall of 1969, the girls were touring extensively with their new, heavier and more original sound. As they gained speed, they played on major concert and festival bills gaining respect from the greats of the day such as Led Zeppelin, Mountain,
ELP, etc., while seeking out a record label brave enough to take on an all-girl hard rock band.
Jeff Beck and Micki Most entered the picture soon, (as well as the Mountain gang), wanting to take the girls into the studio and record. Fate intervened,
as Jeff and Micki split up, and Micki decided to take Suzi to England to build a male band around her (being gun shy of female bands after his bad experience with another female band). This created a huge shift as Patti and Suzi ended a 7-year collaboration as sisters. Patti and Nancy decided to regroup with two strong musicians, Lynn Serridge (bass) and Lee Serridge (drums). By 1973, Nancy and Patti decided to explore new directions. They sang back-up vocals on brother Michaels album, with Patti joining his classical rock Jam Band to play and co-produce "Look Deeply Into the Mirror".
Patti soon took an offer to join Fanny in L.A., with sister Nancy joining her for a short stint as a soloist with the same management, Roy Silver. Nancy decided to leave the business shortly after, while Patti's group, Fanny recorded "Rock and Roll Survivors", accomplishing two charted singles in less than a year together, with "I've Had It" and "Butter Boy", before the group disbanded in 1975. Patti then dabbled in many TV, movie, studio musical work, and music projects and live album with a female orchestra for Frances Gall touring Europe, Keith Moon, and ELO, etc. During this time, Suzi had been through many struggles of her own abroad, in paving her career success with Micki Most. With the right song in place, Suzi had hit huge with "Can the Can", followed by many other hits, as she toured extensively throughout the world, at the top of her game in the music industry. Diversifying into many areas, Suzi had enjoyed success in TV (Happy Days, guest roles), musicals and theatre abroad, as well as her own radio show. Her dreams had been realized.
The Quatro girls, all married with children, have continued to come together for special projects through the years, for tv shows, Suzi's records and special guest appearances with Suzi.
Arlene has 4 children, and is involved in some environmental project that are both timely and groundbreaking. She is creatively working on a script with Patti for tv.
Patti has 2 children, and with husband, runs Starflight Travel, catering to the music industry for concert tours. She is staying creative with a tv script and PS/C Rocks Project, involving the unreleased music of the early years.
Nancy, with 3 kids, is back in the music business as a promoter, manager of talented band Overscene, restaurant owner, and collaboration with Patti on
the PS/C Rocks Project.
Suzi, with 2 kids, continues to rock it hard all over the world. She has just released her autobiography, with a movie to follow, as she remains creatively diversified in many areas of entertainment.
Stay tunedmore to come from these Quatro gals who dared to rock their world as female musicians, breaking barriers for women musicians.
Always determined to stay creative, a collabrative project is in the works for the Quatro sisters, as they have not yet had their "last dance" together.
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