Nikki & The Corvettes - Selftitled Album + Back To The Detroit (1980 + 2006) [2CD on 1 combined repost]

Seriously catchy jailbait power pop from Detroit, Nikki & the Corvettes mixed punk thump with girl-group innocence and 1960s pop jangle to create a genuinely timeless sound. Though they never cracked the charts in any way during their brief existence in the late '70s/early '80s, their sound can be heard all over the various pop-tinged punk acts of the '90s and 2000s, especially kindred spirits the Donnas. Their self-titled 1980 album was reissued by Bomp in 2000 and is augmented with two killer singles that are utterly brilliant in their simplicity. A true delight.

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1977 saw the birth of Nikki Corvette's career with the release of the Nikki Corvette and the Convertibles single "Young and Crazy" b/w "Backseat Love" and "Criminal Element". This was all happening in Detroit during the punk rock explosion where Nikki would see herself sharing the stage with The Ramones, Johnny Thunders, The Romantics and many more. Up untill then she had acquired a pretty decent rock and roll education by attending MC5 and Stooges gigs and by being on the road with The New York Dolls. By 1980 the band name was changed to Nikki and the Corvettes, a band name that would become synonymous with being the template for many female fronted punk groups to come. They would release their legendary debut album on BOMP! Records, an incredible mixture of 60's style girl group vocals, twangy guitars and teenage pop with plenty of punk rock attitude, with songs about cruisin for boys and fun in the sun. The album and band would influence everyone from The Go-go's (to go for more of a "pop" sound) all the way to The Donnas, and around the world to Japan with Shonen Knife & The 5.6.7.8's. The album has consistently stayed in print and by the early to mid 90's bands began to record and release cover versions of the classic Corvette tunes. The new interest drummed up by the second generation of Corvette fans prompted BOMP! to re-release the album on CD for the first time along with the early singles in 2000... Led by Nikki Corvette, the Detroit trio Nikki & the Corvettes played basic new wave power pop with girl group influences. Nikki Corvette and the girls storm through 12 quick power poppers about time-honored subjects like boys, cars, and summertime on this breezy, lightweight slice of power pop. The backup is closer to the Ramones than to Blondie, the vocals are closer to Blondie than to the Ramones, and the songwriting, production, and performance aren't up to the standards of either of those bands. But the comparisons are unavoidable, and it's not bad, though certainly on the lightweight side. The 2000 CD reissue adds the 1977 single "Young & Crazy"/"Criminal Element" and the 1981 single "I Gotta Move" (not the Kinks song)/"Girls Like Me" as bonus tracks. You'll have to kind of piece together the story of the band if you're not familiar with their history (a category including most listeners) because the 12-page booklet is comprised solely of vintage press clippings and photos. This leaves such matters as exact band personnel and career details open to speculation, unburdened by factual baggage, liberating picky reviewers from their responsibilities of bursting whatever bubble of mystique remains around such artists. ~ Richie Unterberger, all media guide

”

Tracklist:

01. He's A Mover
02. You're The One
03. C'mon
04. Just What I Need
05. Boys, Boys, Boys
06. Let's Go
07. Shake It Up
08. Back Seat Love
09. I Wanna Be Your Girlfriend
10. Summertime Fun
11. Gimme, Gimme
12. You Make Me Crazy
13. Young And Crazy (1977 Single) [Bonus track]
14. Criminal Element (1977 Single) [Bonus track]
15. I Gotta Move (1981 Single) [Bonus track]
16. Girls Like Me (1981 Single) [Bonus track]

all songs written by Nikki Corvette & Peter James


Original Album Produced by Peter James
Reissue Produced by Nikki Corvette, Peter James & Patrick Boussel
Mastered by Mark Wheaton at Catasonic.

• Nikki Corvette • Lori Jeri • Sally Dee • and Peter James (of The Romantics) •

Original Release Date: 1980
Re-Released on CD: June 20, 2000
Format: Original Recording Remastered
Label: Bomp Records
Catalog No.: BCD 4012-2



First album of all new originals in 25 years, "Back To Detroit", is a mixture of classic Nikki and the Corvettes sound and all of the great powerpop and punk rock that preceded it and that it inspired. From the Chuck Berry/MC5 driven title track "Back To Detroit" to the pure power pop of "I've Got A Heartbreak" , the summertime sound of "Just Can't Say" and the '77 NY punk swagger of "So, Kiss Me", Back to Detroit offers just what Nikki's die hard and new fans have been waiting for ... high energy Rock and Roll!

“

1978 saw the birth of Nikki Corvette's career with the release of the Nikki Corvette and the Convertibles single "Young and Crazy b/w Backseat Love and Criminal Element". This was all happening in Detroit during the punk rock explosion where Nikki would see herself sharing the stage with The Ramones, Johnny Thunders, The Romantics and many more. Up until then she had acquired a pretty decent rock and roll education by attending MC5 and Stooges gigs and by being on the road with The New York Dolls. By 1980 the band name was changed to Nikki and the Corvettes, a band name that would become synonymous with being the template for many female fronted punk groups to come. They would release their legendary debut album on BOMP! Records, an incredible mixture of 60's style girl group vocals, twangy guitars and teenage pop with plenty of punk rock attitude, with songs about cruisin’ for boys and fun in the sun. The album and band would influence everyone from The Go-Go's (to go for more of a "pop" sound) all the way to The Donnas (see the lyric "I wanna be like Nikki Corvette" from Gimmie My Radio), and around the world to Japan with The 5.6.7.8's. The album has consistently stayed in print and by the early to mid 90's bands began to record and release cover versions of the classic Corvette tunes. The new interest drummed up by the second generation of Corvette fans prompted BOMP! to re-release the album on CD for the first time along with the early singles in 2000. The success of the cd gave Nikki the chance to return to the stage in 2001 and '02 when she traveled to Mpls, MN to play the Rock Action festival to meet Travis Ramin (producer, songwriter, musician for The Short Fuses, Candygirl, Tina and the Total Babes) and Miss Georgia Peach (singer songwriter and bassist for The Short Fuses and one time guitarist for The Gloo Girls). Together they would play Nikki's biggest show in over 20 years and go on to record a new 45 single Love Me / Whats On My Mind , which received rave reviews. Once the world heard that Nikki Corvette was back the demands poured in. With the addition of Johnny O'Halloran (Dogmatics, Magnolias, Tina and the Total Babes) to the group the band soon to be known as Nikki Corvette and the Stingrays would play LA , NY and go on two Japanese tours, where the response could have been referred to as "Nikkimania". After four years of playing together the new band decided that the time was right to record a new album...

”

Tracklist:

01. Back To Detroit
02. Tokyo Boy
03. I've Got A Heartbreak
04. Just Can't Say
05. Lipstick Letters
06. Please Don't Stay Away
07. Well Allright
08. Who Wants To Be My Boyfriend
09. Thinkin' 'Bout You
10. So Kiss Me
11. He Rocks Me, He Rocks Me Not
12. Trapped In The City
13. Special Life


Produced by Travis Ramin & Johnny O'Halloran
Recorded at It's A Secret Studio, Minneapolis, MN.
Mastered by Brad Cassetto.

• Nikki Corvette - lead vocals
• Travis Ramin - guitar
• Georgia Peach - bass, vocals
• Johnny O'Halloran - drums

Release Date: June 1, 2006
Label: Dollar Record Records
Catalog No.: DRR 017 CD