SWEET, BUT NO PATOOTIE, BUB

SWEET, BUT NO PATOOTIE, BUB

RACHEL SWEET

by

Mark J. Norton

Rachel Sweet is a 17-year-old Akronite. Her new album Protect The Innocent includes the songs “New Age,” by Lou Reed, and “New Rose,” by the Damned, among others.

You may read the following, and say to yourself, “She’s only 17! She has an album!” Sorry, guy, she’s got two.

Rachel Sweet started in showbiz when she was six-years-old. She sang commercials until she was 10. From the age of 10, she opened shows for the likes of Bill Cosby and Mickey Rodney, until she was 12. At 12, Rachel sang country & western until she was 15. From 15 on, it was rock ’n’ roll. At 16, she landed a contract with Stiff Records, played the Bottom Line with the successful “Be Stiff’ tour in late 1978, and we caught up with her at CBS for this quick interview.

CREEM: Do you think your career would be in better shape now it you were a male? RACHEL: Ah, that’s an incredible question to answer. I think it would probably be in worse shape right now, because there are a lot of male rock ’n’ rollers. I know right now there’s a lot of females coming out, but with most of them, really, there’s no substance, they kind of fade away after a few turns on the turntable. I think you do get some sort of attention when you are a female. Obviously, you have to have the talent to back it up. There’s a lot of male rock ’n’ roll singers around. I’d have to say being a female so far has been .advantageous.

CREEM: Do you feel you’ve been exploited as a woman in the past or in the present? RACHEL: No, not yet! It might happen. I’m not real pro women’s lib or anything like that, but I think there are certain points to which you can carry your femininity or sort of sexual exploitation. I wouldn’t carry it as far as most female singers are right now. CREEM: Dd you feel any responsibility for your female fans?

RACHEL: Yes. Everyone thinks there are male groupies, which there really are at the gigs. I get a lot of letters from girls who say they really like my music.

CREEM: Do your female fans look up to you?

RACHEL: I feel like a real normal person...

I write back to a lot of the people who send! me mail. It’s not like the resentment you get: about a lot of the sex-symbol singers. Of course, I’ve never really put out any pictures where I’ve unbuttoned my .shirt down to my navel.

CREEM: How do you feel about the press and general public relating to you as “jailbait”?

RACHEL: That happened in England for a long time, because I was young; I was sixteen then. Once someone gets to know me, the image is dispelled.

CREEM: What kind of music did you listen to, growing up?

RACHEL: Mostly individual singers. My big influences were probably Elvis,* Janis Joplin and Bruce Springsteen, starting around ’73. My mom used to play Frank Sinatra around the house, but he’s not a big influence.

CREEM: It sounds as if you’ve been influenced by more men than women... RACHEL: Oh sure! Name a lot of female rock ’nf roll singers! Janis Joplin was really the only one at the time.

CREEM: What do you think of the new brigade of female singers?

RACHEL: Gimme a name...

CREEM: Chrissie Hynde.

RACHEL: Now that’s all right! I thought you were going to say...uh, a few other people. I like the Pretenders, that one song “Brass In Pocket.” The album to me, to be honest, is very consistent and a lot of the songs are very much thesame. I like Chrissie Hynde. She’s from Akron, she must be all right!

CREEM: How about someone like Ellen Foley? You both cover a lot of material, instead of writing your own...

RACHEL: Ahhh, that’s changing.

CREEM: Are you going to play an instrument on any future records? RACHEL: I already have, but I don’t claim it. I can’t see myself buying a piano—I’m not the Billy Joel type. No, getting back to Ellen Foley...no, I’m not into that; I-like •Chrissie Hynde better.

CREEM: What do you think of Pati Smith? RACHEL: I like Patti Smith. She did “Because The Night,” that was amazing. Her voice really fit the song. I haven’t redly listened to the albums that much, but she’s a poet, and her words mean something. Which is a lot more than this bubblegum stuff that’s hitting the Top Ten today. And that’s important.

CREEM: Do you think the current upswing in women in rock reflects a change in women’s roles or a change in the public’s taste?

RACHEL: I think it’s a change in public taste. People are now going a bit more toward the individual artist.

CREEM: Would you register for the draft? RACHEL: I would, if I was 18.

CREEM: Would you go to war?

RACHEL: I would...it depends on the cause. I would definitely serve. I wouldn’t go to the front line. I don’t think any woman should, not because they’re women, but because of the fact that you know men are quicker, they’re faster and they’re stonger, and I don’t want to lose a war.

CREEM: God bless America...

RACHEL: No, really!! I’m very patriotic. I don’t want to have to apologize for that!

TURN TO PAGE 61

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 32

CREEM: You don’t have to.

RACHEL: All right. .

CREEM: Do you have any women in your live set-up? N

RACHEL: No, just me and the boys. % CREEM: Do they accept your female point of view? ✓

RACHEL: They accept the boss's point of view. It’s not like a monarchy or anything, but there always has to be someone who leads the way. It Has nothing to do with my being a female, their macho image isn’t being threatened.

CREEM: Do you get embarrassed singing songs about love or sex?

RACHEL: I’ve never sung a song that had distasteful lyrics; I wouldn’t do what Marianne Faithfull did.

CREEM: What do you think of Marianne Faithfull?

RACHEL:' Her voice is really very interesting. I met j her when I was in Germany. She’s obviously been through a lot, and I really respect her for getting back on her feet again. She did a song called “Broken English,” and it’s really amazing. CREEM: Would you prefer an all-girl group?

RACHEL: Nope.

CREEM: Why not?

RACHEL: Because I haven’t found girl musicians that are as good. I really haven’t. I’ve seen a lot of girl bands and they’re a real good novelty, but I haven’t seen any take the musfcal part seriously. Plus the fact that it would probably take away from me a bit, if I were to have an all-girl group.

CREEM: What about a group like the Slits? Have yoy heard their album?

RACHEL: Yes...I think it’s garbage: W