 PreviousNext UNDER-APPRECIATED ROCK BAND OF THE MONTH FOR MAY 2012: TINA AND THE TOTAL BABESBesides the Trashwomen, the other bands she has been in are all just names in a list from what I know, but I do have an album by one of Tina Lucchesi’s bands – this time fronting an otherwise male group – called TINA AND THE TOTAL BABES. The “total babes” backing Lucchesi on lead vocals are Johnny O’Halloran (bass), Jacques Wait (guitar), and Travis Ramin (drums); Wait and Ramin also helped out in the studio as the engineer and producer, respectively. O’Halloran and Ramin had previously been in a band called the Short Fuses with Miss Georgia Peach, who provides background vocals for Tina and the Total Babes. Their only album She’s So Tuff came out in 2001 on the Sympathy for the Record Industry label. This album is basically an homage to – or even a send-up of – the kind of female punk and power-pop that was rampant in Los Angeles 20 years earlier. There are mostly original songs here, but there are a few covers as well, such as Holly and the Italians’ “Tell that Girl to Shut Up”. Writing for Allmusic, Stewart Mason gives their album four stars (out of five) and states: “The songs themselves are absolutely terrific; the melodramatic ‘Tragedy’, which sounds like the Go-Go’s covering the Shangri-Las, is alone worth the price of admission; but the presentation and attitude are so equally perfect that She’s So Tuff is every bit the equal of the records that inspired it. In fact, it may be better!” The campy front cover – with Tina Lucchesi wearing a button showing the album name and stretching a long string of bubble gum from her mouth – is perfect to illustrate the fun that is found on the music within. Johnny O’Halloran and Travis Ramin were later in a band called Nikki Corvette and the Sting Rays that released an album in 2006; Nikki Corvette’s earlier band Nikki and the Corvettes released an album called Nikki and the Corvettes on Bomp! Records in 1980 and is one of the groups that Tina and the Total Babes are honoring in their album. This was one of the first records that I cleaned up after the storm – it was among the first 19 that also included the UARB for May 2010, the Not Quite – and I used to get funny looks when I mentioned the band name to friends as I was telling them about records that went through Hurricane Katrina that I was now playing. My Trashwomen album was also among the early ones; it was in the third group of 19. (May 2012) * * * Items: Tina and the Total Babes * * *
Flashback: The Under-Appreciated Rock Band of the Month for May 2012 – Tina and the Total Babes Oh, this is a fun band. Tina Lucchesi had previously been a member of the all-female Trashwomen, and she fronted an otherwise male band in this venture. YouTube has several songs by the band, all audio only. One of the standout cuts on their sole album, “Why Do I Like You” can be heard at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZPqJTgsC-oI&list=PLNTskUNB9DGXsgdwqFx6RZ8KBidGExicL . The faster “All About Makin’ Out” is at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vwqDIZvLfnA&list=PLNTskUNB9DGXsgdwqFx6RZ8KBidGExicL&index=2 . Tina and the Total Babes slow it down for “Christy”: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZFfldG78C_o&list=PLNTskUNB9DGXsgdwqFx6RZ8KBidGExicL&index=3 . Officially or unofficially, these are ranked as the most popular songs on YouTube by the band, but there are several more.
(May 2014)
* * *
PICTURE GALLERY: The Under Appreciated Rock Band of the Month for May 2012 – TINA AND THE TOTAL BABES
This is their album, She’s So Tuff:
Here is a photo of the band:
This is the back cover of the LP:
And also the back of the CD:
(May 2015)
* * * Here is a rundown of the past year’s (2011-2012) Under-Appreciated Rock Bands and Rock Artists: April 2012 – 1960’s folk-rock singer-songwriter LINDA PIERRE KING (several songs on two compilation albums) May 2012 – 2000’s punk rock band TINA AND THE TOTAL BABES (1 album) (Year 3 Review) |
Home > UARA Articles >
