His Latest Flame-America Blue

Bio by She Rox, All Female Bands: Scotland as a country has many well-known musical artists from Sheena Easton, Altered Images to Simple Minds to name a few. However, the several all-female bands that help create Scotland’s rich history of musical artistry have all but been forgotten and overlooked for any of their contributions by the mainstream music industry. Scotland’s most successful all-female band would have to be Glascow’s, His Latest Flame, all though the band never broke through worldwide they were indeed on the cusp of stardom. The band itself began as Sophisticated Boom Boom in 1981 by vocalist Libby McArthur and drummer Jacquie Bradley-Heeps. Recruiting guitarists Trish Reid and Irene Brown along with bassist Laura Mazzolini (Armstrong) would spend the next several years playing throughout Glasgow’s club circuit and recording material for the BBC peel sessions. The band built quite a local following for their post punk infused pop rock that many compared to another all-female band, the Mo-Dettes. By 1983 vocalist Libby McArthur was fired from the band due to a pregnancy but refused to allow the remaining members to continue with the band name, by this time the members were already seeking a new vocalist and brought in Moira Rankin (Tateo). With a new vocalist the band was now known as His Latest Flame, the new name also came with a new musical direction, due in part to Moira’s vocal style which was far more pop than punk, the trajectory of the band was evident, and with the writing and Rankin’s impressive vocal chops, the band had adapted a commercial friendly pop rock sound that garnered the attention of several record labels. By 1986 the band released two singles, Somebody’s Gonna get Hurt, and Stop the Tide, by this time the band was well-known in the local Glascow circuit and had opened for such major acts as Simple Minds and the Housemartins and gigged quite extensively. Both singles failed to hit the U.K. charts however even with the singles going nowhere commercially, the sheer talent and potential of the band kept the music industry very interested. By 1989 the band was approached by several record labels to release a full-length album, and ultimately choose to sign with Londontown Recordings, home once to such acts as Bananarama, The Kinks and Genesis to name a few. The band’s debut album, recorded in London and released in 1989 was teased before its actual release with the record company putting out two of the albums' singles as a precursor to the forthcoming album release shortly before the debut hit the market. The singles, America Blue and Londonderry Road, each had their own releases on various formats, a smart move by the record company which proved to build a momentum to the debut's actual release. The debut album titled, In the Neighbourhood, received positive reviews for its radio friendly rock and pop and for the album’s stand out single America Blue. The single landed His Latest Flame on the U.K.s Top 100 chart reaching number 85, and a music video for the single received television and radio air play throughout the U.K. Major television appearances only opened the band up to an even larger audience and were once called the U. K’s version of the Bangles. With the band’s popularity growing rapidly, bassist Laura Mazzolini (Armstrong) became pregnant and wanted to focus on her pregnancy and felt the constant pressure of touring and apparencies would be too much and she left the band, and the remaining members continued on as a four piece for a short time, however when drummer Jacquie Bradley-Heeps became pregnant as well she was let go by the band. Now a three piece with remaining members vocalist Moira Rankin (Tateo), and guitarists Irene Brown and Trish Reid would carry on with session musicians filling in on the now vacated slots within the band. Prior to becoming a three piece, another single and music video would be released from the band’s debut album, the single Love’s in the Neighbourhood got some air play but failed to reach the charts and the popularity of its predecessor America Blue. By 1990 the band were dropped from the label. His Latest Flame broke up soon after this and whether it was the band’s own undoing, timing, or the mainstream music industry never really knowing how to handle or market an all-female band the fact of the matter is His Latest Flame had the goods to be commercially viable and successful beyond the United Kingdom. Fans have never forgotten the band, even if the industry has, or seems to have, their contributions to Glascow’s then emerging music scene and for future female musicians is immeasurable and far exceeds any fleeting commercial success. America Blue, from the 1989 album, In the Neighbourhood. Trish Reid-Guitar, Moira Rankin-Vocals & Guitar, Irene Brown-Guitar, Jacquie Bradley-Drums, Laura Mazzolini-Bass