Mo-dettes
were an English all-female
post-punk
Post-punk (originally called new musick) is a broad genre of music that emerged in late 1977 in the wake of punk rock. Post-punk musicians departed from punk's fundamental elements and raw simplicity, instead adopting a broader, more experiment ...
band, formed in 1979 by guitarist Kate Korris, an original member of
the Slits and brief member of
the Raincoats, and bassist Jane Crockford, a former member of Bank of Dresden.
Ramona Carlier (vocals) and
June Miles-Kingston (drums) completed the line-up.
Biography
Mo-dettes' best-known song is "White Mice", written by Jane Crockford, which was self-released as their first single in mid-1979 on Mode records, with "Masochistic Opposite" on the
B-side.
The single was produced by
David Cunningham and distributed by
Rough Trade and was a hit on the indie charts.
[
Mo-dettes got further exposure on ]BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. It specialises in modern popular music and Contemporary hit radio, current chart hits throughout the day. The station provides alternative genres at night, including ...
, DJ John Peel's show on 28 January 1980, broadcasting versions of "Norman (He's No Rebel)", "Dark Park Creeping", "Kray Twins" and "Bitter Truth". Further sessions followed on 26 August 1980 and 11 July 1981.
The band signed to Decca Records
Decca Records is a British record label established in 1929 by Edward Lewis (Decca), Edward Lewis after his acquisition of a gramophone manufacturer, The Decca Gramophone Company. It set up an American subsidiary under the Decca name, which bec ...
subsidiary Deram and released one album, '' The Story So Far'', ( Deram Records SML-1120) in November 1980.pop-punk
Pop-punk (also punk-pop, alternatively spelled without the hyphen) is a rock music fusion genre that combines elements of punk rock with power pop or pop music, pop. It is defined by its fast-paced, energetic tempos, and emphasis on classic pop s ...
originals, as well as covers of the Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones are an English Rock music, rock band formed in London in 1962. Active for over six decades, they are one of the most popular, influential, and enduring bands of the Album era, rock era. In the early 1960s, the band pione ...
' " Paint It Black" and Γdith Piaf's " Milord". Also in 1981, billed as Bomberettes, they provided backing vocals on the track "Fighter Pilot" on John Cale's album '' Honi Soit''. The band had a minor hit with "Paint It Black", just missing the top 40.
The band's final record was "Tonight", released in June 1981 and a minor hit. Two months later, at the request of Decca Records, who wanted to hear a fuller sound, Mo-dettes asked guitarist Melissa Ritter to join. She played her first show as a Mo-dette just four days after joining the band. In February 1982, Carlier left and Crockford sang for a couple of months. In May 1982, Sue Slack replaced Ramona on vocals, before Mo-dettes disbanded permanently on 11 November 1982.
Miles-Kingston is the sister of the former
Tenpole Tudor guitarist Bob Kingston.
Discography
Album
* ''
The Story So Far'' β 1981
Singles
* "White Mice" (1979) β Mode Records
* "Dark Park Creeping" (1980) β Deram Records b/w "Two Can Play"
* "
Paint It Black" (1980) β
Deram β
UK No. 42
* "Tonight" (1981) β Deram β UK No. 68
* "Kray Twins" (1981) β Human Records HUM10 β Live recorded at The Marquee /b-side: White Mice
Personnel
* Kate Korris (Korus) β guitar β (born in the United States)
* Jane Crockford (Perry Woodgate) β bass
* Ramona Carlier (now Ramona Wilkins) β vocals (from Switzerland)
*
June Miles-Kingston β drums
* Melissa Ritter β guitar
References
External links
Allmusic bio*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Modettes
All-female punk bands
English post-punk music groups
Musical groups established in 1979
Musical groups disestablished in 1982
Deram Records artists
Underground punk scene in the United Kingdom