Fanny – Charity Ball

Bonnie Raitt: Fanny was the first all woman rock band that could really play and get some credibility within the musician community. 

When people think of female rock bands, this band doesn’t come up much but should. The usual suspects are the Go-Go’s, Bangles, and Runaways because they had more commercial success. The Runaways had more after they broke up.

Out of those three bands, The Runaways resembled more of a “rock band” but the talent level wasn’t up to these ladies. The other two had their moments but were mostly top-40 pop-rock bands…nothing wrong with that. There have been a few all-female rock bands (not enough) but this one…to me is the most talented one I’ve heard. They were not a “girl group”…they were a full-fledged rock band.

Fanny was formed in the late sixties in Sacramento by two Filipina sisters, Jean and June Millington. Fanny would be the first all-female band to release an album on a major label (their self-titled debut, on Reprise, 1970) and land four singles on the Billboard Hot 100 and two in the top 40. The band played blues, rock, and some pop.

David Bowie, who wrote the band a fan letter in the early 1970s – and two decades later in a Rolling Stone interview was still talking about how criminally overlooked they were. Bowie said: “They’re as important as anybody else who’s ever been, ever; it just wasn’t their time, revivify Fanny. And I will feel that my work is done.”

They never got that one big hit single to break them to the masses. They had a few songs with a pop flavor that really should have made it such as All Mine… that would get my vote. Fanny broke up in 1975, reunited in 2018, and released an album titled Fanny Walked the Earth. I simply adore these women because they could rock.

The album Charity Ball peaked at #150 on the Billboard Album Charts. The title cut peaked at #40 on the Billboard Album Charts in 1971.

They have a documentary out called Fanny: The Right To Rock. 

Joe Elliott: “I had no idea who they were, but this four minutes of music, and I was hooked.”

Kathy Valentine: They made 5 records.  The Go Gos get a lot of attention for what we did and we only made 3 records. 

Earl Slick: It’s always the ones that start it gets f**ked

Charity Ball

Dance, ooh, stand, oohMove to charity ballDance, ooh, stand, oohMove to charity ball

Get the musicians readyGet them good and hot, good and hot, wooStand and deliverGive ’em everything you’ve gotYou got my number

Charity ballOoh, stand, oohMove to charity ballDance, ooh, stand, oohMove to charity ball

Come on and grab a partnerWe’re gonna roll ’till the break of dawnAnd I need youI need youI need youOh, charity ball

Oh yeah, now I’m ready (I wanna be there)Yes, I’m ready (I wanna be there)Oh, I’m ready (I wanna be there)Charity ball

Oh, I’m ready (I wanna be there)(I wanna be there)(I wanna be there)

…

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Author: Badfinger (Max)

Power Pop fan, Baseball, Beatles, Alternative music, old movies, and tv show fan. Also anything to do with pop culture in the 60s and 70s... I'm also a songwriter, bass and guitar player. Not the slightest bit interested in politics at all.

25 thoughts on “Fanny – Charity Ball”

  2. They were very talented and it is almost criminal that they weren’t more popular. I saw that Documentary when it came out a few years ago very interesting. They did have the problems of a typical Rock Band and for a time lived the life.

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  3. Fanny rocked and were truly amazing. Not only could these ladies play well, as Bonnie Raitt rightly pointed out, but they were trailblazers who opened the doors for other all-female rock bands. I also love the fact that they were formed by two Filipinas. I mean how many other bands from the Philippines do we know? Not to mention all-female?

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  4. Not bad. I like this song more than the previous song you’d put up by them maybe a year back. That said, I don’t know that it really had that ‘big hit’ sound but I have little doubt they had a tougher path to scythe through than a similar band made of guys, the industry probably wasn’t ‘ready’ for rock girls . As for Christian’s point, in my semi-limited experience, most Filipinos I’ve known are very musical… but the only one from there I can think of that’s become a star is the new Journey singer.

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    1. I think this band with the right chance might have done something. I think of all of the female bands of the 70s and 80s they were at the top talent wise.
      Yes they were rare for sure. What David Bowie said about them says a lot. He didn’t praise people a lot.

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  6. Bowie also said, “They were extraordinary: they wrote everything, they played like motherfuckers, they were just colossal and wonderful, and nobody’s ever mentioned them.”

    June Millington (guitar) went on to become one of the pioneers of the women’s music movement of the ’70s, contributing guitar work to several albums. She also worked with Barbra Streisand.

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    1. Them as a band worked with Streisand as well. I think it was a time when she wanted to toughen up her sound. They had the talent to do anything and came up with some really good songs.

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  7. I recently managed to get the ‘Rock and Roll Survivors’ album on CD – though it’s the ‘Mother’s Pride’ album that sticks in my mind, perhaps because of the album cover as much as anything else. I was at school – 1973 / 74 so 15 or 16 when I saw them support Jethro Tull at The Apollo here in Glasgow. They were incredible – one of a very few support acts at that level of gig who drew the fans of the main act in early. :)

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  8. One successful female musician with Filipino ancestry is Olivia Rodrigo.

    There were some English punk/new wave bands with all female members, like The Slits and The Raincoats. Not huge commercial forces, although The Raincoats were big favourites of Kurt Cobain.

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    1. There are some… I like some of the Japanese all female bands I’ve heard. I think with theis band it was their music talent level…very high for the time.

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    2. I just love the connections… related to your comment on my blog – I’m sure Lora Logic who was the original sax player with X -Ray Spex, later did some recording / collaboration with The Raincoats.

      ‘Music’ is all one bug (mostly) happy family.

      🎶😉😀🎶

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  9. I think in those days the expectation- rancidlysexist though it was- was for ‘the girls to sing and look pretty’ and leave the rocking to the guys. Sorta like a latter day Andrews Sisters. They were damned good, no doubt about it.

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  13. Legendary. Seriously. They weren’t a girl’s rock band, they were a rock band made up of four young women. They more than held their own with men, and outrocked many of them. As I’ve said before, they kicked some serious ass when they played. I’m glad they’re finally getting the attention they deserve 50 years later. Better late than never.

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    1. Yes they were…I was only 7 in 74 but I don’t remember ever hearing them which is a shame…but like you said…better late than never.

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