In between the Klitz and the Hellcats, Memphis had the Marilyns. The (mostly) all-girl group started out playing three-chord rock ‘n’ roll with traditional songs thrown in (Memphis Minnie, Jimmy Reed and Elvis). Headquartered at Mongo’s Pizza, the Marilyns eventually became regulars at the legendary Antenna Club. Just as things started to get rolling, guitarist Kim Kruger moved to L.A. with the Modifiers, ending the first phase of the Marilyns (1984-1985).

The Marilyns regrouped in 1988 with the help of Randy Chertow (Randy Band), expanding to a six-piece. The band recorded at Easley Studios before drummer Thomas Smith moved to NYC, bringing a final end to the Marilyns in 1989. Until now, the group’s recorded output consisted of two locally distributed cassette tapes.

“I’m on Acid” was recorded in 1984 and “I’m Glad I’m not a Man” was cut in 1988 at Easley Studios. This 7” is limited to 300 copies. For fans of the Klitz, Pandoras and Hellcats.

The Marilyns (1984-1985)
Marilyn Albert (guitar, vocals)
Jeannie Tomlinson-Saltmarsh (bass, vocals)
Kim Kruger (guitar, vocals)
Carno Farris (drums)

The Marilyns (1988-1989)
Marilyn Albert (guitar, vocals)
Cheryl Neely (guitar, vocals)
Leigh Ann Jordan (guitar, vocals)
Jeannie Tomlinson-Saltmarsh (bass, vocals)
Betsy Elias (keyboard, vocals)
Thomas Smith (drums)

A very belated first vinyl appearance for the MARILYNS, a group of Memphis women (and eventually, a male drummer) who, in defiance to the plastic artifice of the mid-to-late ’80s, kicked out a joyous mix of early rock’n’roll grit, ’60s garage stomp, and primitive punk. The tremolo-twanging Girls in the Garage shimmy-shake of “I’m Glad I’m Not a Man,” recorded in 1988 with an expanded six-piece MARILYNS lineup, has a skeletal, sneering spark that’s like Patti Paladin and Judy Nylon of SNATCH if they’d come up in the Paisley Underground alongside the PANDORAS, and even doubles as a CYNDI LAUPER diss track (“Cyndi Lauper / She’s so stupid / Says girls just want some fun,” amazing). B-side “I’m on Acid,” from the the MARILYNS’ quartet incarnation in 1984, is even more raw than the flipside—a ramshackle pop jam balanced on a tangle of post-VELVETS guitar strum, collapsing drums, and budget synth effects, sounding very much like it should have been sandwiched between the CANNANES and BEAT HAPPENING on an early K Records cassette comp, Let’s Kiss/Let’s Together-style. The fact that there’s only two tracks here is such a tease; I demand more MARILYNS now.
-Erika Elizabeth, Maximum Rocknroll