April 13, 2005

• www.wikipedia.com

  The Slits were a mostly all-women band.  The punk rock trio
  was formed in 1977 by members of the bands The Flowers of Romance and
  The Castrators. The members were Ari Upp (Ariana Foster), with Viv
  Albertine and Tessa Pollit replacing founding members Palmolive (Paloma
  Romera) (who left to join The Raincoats), Kate Korus and Suzi Gutsy.
  They were also augmented by male drummer Budgie (aka Pete Clarke,
  formerly of The Spitfire Boys and later to join Siouxsie and the
  Banshees, and indeed marry Siouxsie herself). At their outset, the
  Slits played a brand of brash, fun, snotty, catchy punk rock. However,
  their originally extremely raw and raucous live sound, captured on a
  legendary Peel Session, was cleaned up and considerably polished by the
  time of their reggae influenced, dub heavy, Dennis Bovell produced 1979
  debut album ”Cut” (Island Records). As well as the exceptional music
  this album contained, it was also notable for its cover art, a photo
  depicting the band naked save for mud and loin-cloths.
   
   Their sound and attitude became increasingly experimental and
  avant garde during the early 1980′s, when they formed an alliance with
  Bristol post punk mavericks The Pop Group, sharing a drummer (Bruce
  Smith) and releasing a joint single, “In The Beginning There was
  Rhythm/Where There’s A Will” (Rough Trade records). However, by the
  time of their second ‘official’ LP release ”Return Of The Giant
  Slits”(a ‘semi-official’ bootleg of poorly recorded early material
  having been released in the interim by Rough Trade), many felt that
  their initial energy, exuberance and innovativeness had deserted them.
  Various Slits became involved with On-U dub-jamming project New Age
  Steppers along with  free improvisers such as Steve Beresford and
  also a young Neneh Cherry.

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