This was meant to be a book tour. But since we have put the world on stand-by, we will talk about the book both my take and speaking to Kathy. She has put together a book that begins in the olden days of the 60’s and 70’s there were hippy parents, fiercely conservative parents and then there were the children, running around unsupervised in most cases. Her home was in Austin, Texas. The land of hippies, the blues and live music to her hearts content. She was the daughter of an English mother and was taken back to England on several occasions. Per her book her decision on what she wanted to do with her life was solidified after seeing Suzi Quatro on Top of the Pops. "Suzi Quatro split that ground wide open. She was a fucking earthquake." After seeing this when she returned to Austin she had a new direction in life, be a female rock and roll star. She learned how to play the guitar and set off to buy her own and she did by hook or crook. When she started in the direction of her dream nothing stopped her. She found other women who wanted to play rock and roll like she did. The music scene in Austin was as strong as ever and it introduced her to another band that would further cement the road she would walk on. That band was "the Runaways." They played at the internationally knowm Armadillo World Headquarters. She noticed the musicianship of Lita Ford played a lead on a song like no woman she had ever seen before. She says of the show, "Seeing the Runaways made me think if they can do it, so could I. That show lit a fire under my ass." She took another trip to England with her mother, while playing in a band called "Painted Lady" comprised of women who would go on to become "Girls School." This was also the time of Punk Rock, the British part, was all over the streets. She came back from London this time to start hanging out at Club Foote, Rauls and many others. She put her girl band together and they were called "the Violators." This was the band that put her on the road to California and to the sit in for a bass player of a new band called "the Go-Go's." This book is written much like a diary. It is a quick and good read, full of ups and downs and the highs and lows of being a Go-Go. I got to speak to Kathy on the phone and ask her some questions about her life as a Rock and Roll Star.
Punk Globe: I had no idea that you were from Austin!
Kathy Valentine: Yea, I grew up here and I moved back about 14 years ago. I have spent quite a bit of my life here.
Punk Globe: I was reading about the Go-Go's playing their first gig at Club Foote. I was also reading about them shutting down Threadgills, which had all of the Armadillo World Headquarters flyers, pictures and other memorabilia. That is a real punch to the gut. I am also sorry about the halt of the book tour.
Kathy Valentine: That was my history up on the walls in there. The book tour is done, you know you go out and tour book stores to promote and sell more books. I don't see that coming back.
Punk Globe: So reading through the book and a lot of it is about the relationship between you and your mother, do you think that helped you to become more fearless in the way you approached life? Did she give you some of the courage you needed.
Kathy Valentine: I think so, my mom...the way it filtered down to me was that she was fearless. The truth was that she was reckless and irresponsible. She wasn't there on things like boundaries but she was always there with support and love. She didn't have all the pieces but she had a lot of the big ones.
Punk Globe: So when you left Austin and went to L.A.?
Kathy Valentine: Yes I moved to L.A. in 1978.
Punk Globe: So what were some of your favorite spots to go in L.A.?
Kathy Valentine: I mention this in the book but they used to have a swap meet in the parking lot of Capital Records, you could see all kinds of people there. The Whiskey was another, the VIP area was really cool.
Punk Globe: Your position in the Go-Go's was initially a stand in gig?
Kathy Valentine: It was going to a temporary replacement for 8 shows. I think once I played with them they realized that I was a better fit for them.
Punk Globe: Was the fact that you wrote songs also a selling point for them?
Kathy Valentine: I don't think is was a deal sealer but I think it wasn't a bad thing either. I think the fact that I was a good musician was the main thing.
Punk Globe: So when was your first big tour outside the United States?
Kathy Valentine: We toured as the opening band for "the Police" in the winter of 1981.
Punk Globe: What was your favorite city to play in Europe?
Kathy Valentine: Paris, we played many cities in France but Paris was my favorite.
Punk Globe: When the Go-Go's play together now is it just the United States or do you play Overseas as well?
Kathy Valentine: Since 1990 the Go-Go's have played together rarely but when we do it has been here in the United States.
Punk Globe: Speaking again about when you released the first album "Beauty and the Beat," it stayed on the charts for over 6 weeks? You are the only all female band to have had an album on the charts for that long.
Kathy Valentine: I do think that it was a remarkable achievement, one that no one can every take away from us.
Punk Globe: Since your band there have been a few all girl bands like the Pandora's, L7, Betty Blowtorch, The Bangles, Bikini Kill amongst others. Why do you think there has not been more?
Kathy Valentine: I really don't know, I still put all women bands together I have been in at least 5 or 6. I'm not sure why there isn't more people doing it.
Punk Globe: What do you think of the way that music is put out now days, the album is there but most people buy the song the want. Do you think it is detrimental to the music industry?
Kathy Valentine: It's just the way things change, there is much that is the same.
Punk Globe: Do you think it is changing the way things are recorded?
Kathy Valentine: I don't really know, I play in a rock and roll band and we record songs and make records. We just do it our way. I'm fine with just doing song's, that way you don't have to write as much. It doesn't really affect me at all.
Punk Globe: So it doesn't change how you work, you are still making music regardless of how it gets distributed?
Kathy Valentine: I'm a musician, so what the industry or music business does... doesn't really register with me. I don't really think or worry about it because I already made it in that business, I don't think it will happen again. I wrote a really great book and I wrote a really fucking good soundtrack to it as well. I'm 61, I play with my band and do things to try and make my community and the world better.
Punk Globe: That was one thing I was going to mention, the book and the soundtrack you made go together so well and make the whole thing a really special experience. Did you do this with your band or is it something you did solo?
Kathy Valentine: I played every instrument, wrote every song, I produced it and recorded it. The only thing I did not do was the mixing.
Punk Globe: I wanted to also complement you on the way it was written, It is like reading someones deep dark secret's but with their okay. It makes you want to get to the end so you know that everything works out for our heroine.
Kathy Valentine: Thank you, that is really nice to hear.
Punk Globe: I also wanted to say how brave it is of you to tell the story of when you were raped as a teenager.
Kathy Valentine: It is very therapeutic to get it out of you.
Punk Globe: So was this written in linear order or did you write parts and then put them together?
Kathy Valentine: I wrote it consecutively and in order for about 2 and a half years.
Punk Globe: I like the fact that when you write an autobiography, you are writing a story about a character. That character is you. I think it is something that people who do it should be very proud of. Do you think young women who are just starting to play or are in a band can read for example your book, Debbie Harrys book, Marianne Faithfuls book and all of the other autobiographies and find that courage and strength they need to just go and do it?
Kathy Valentine: I think there are a lot of things to be gained from it.
Punk Globe: Is there any advice you would offer to a girl who is just starting out in music?
Kathy Valentine: I would tell them to discern at some point is this is a hobby or something they want to devote the rest of their lives to. There is a certain commitment they have to make to play in a band as a career there are things you have to give up. You have to be ready to make not as drastic of a decision when playing as a hobby, with a band on the weekends there is still a level of commitment that has to be made. Really though don't bullshit yourself mainly, if you suck at something just accept it and move on.
Thank you Kathy Valentine for taking the time our of o very busy schedule to talk to us. There is a trailer out of this that I will put up here
The music on the soundtrack is much like a movie or musical, the songs are very much written to go with there chapter. They represent quite beautifully the emotion and the message of the writings of Kathy Valentine. They are uniquely her sound and go along with her story. It is included with your book. If you wish to have her read it to you, that is possible as well. I am going to list all of the important links to purchase the book or the audio book. This effort by Kathy Valentine is a brave and bold realization to making her life a kind of Rock and Roll how to and how not to. She is not afraid to tell about her triumphs and her downfalls. This was a book I enjoyed reading very much and will probably end up going to buy a hard cover to keep around. I am going to list all the links below so that you can go and experience all of this on your own.
https://www.hachetteaudio.com/titles/kathy-valentine/all-i-ever-wanted/9781549133084/
Audio book
:https://open.spotify.com/album/0mNqTdzUsxaId8eYNdrk97?si=xZQ4yOX3Q_WsqMZKf953cw
sound track on spotify
https://utexas.app.box.com/v/AllIEverWanted?mc_cid=b93d179f48&mc_eid=%5bUNIQID%5d
publisher website
There is a personal website but there is no address to copy, just type in Kathy Valentine.
I hope you enjoy the book as much as I did. Remember to stay safe, stay inside if you can,
