LITTLE GIRLS-VALLEY SONGS.

dereksmusicblog ♦ December 26, 2023 ♦ Leave a comment

Little Girls-Valley Songs.

Label: Playback Records.

Format: CD

When sisters Caron and Michelle Maso grew up in Colorado, they were complete opposites, and had a love-hate relationship. Michelle was a cheerleader, while Caron enjoyed partying and hanging out with her friends. However, the pair became firm friends when they decided to move to Los Angeles in the late-seventies.

Having made the move from Colorado to LA, the pair bonded over their their shared love of comedy and music. They loved to “ham,” and wrote sketches that were inspired by their love and appreciation of Monty Python. The sisters also penned parody songs in a similar vein to Weird Al Yankovic. By then, Caron was playing guitar and listening to bands like The Beatles, The Rolling Stones and The Who. All of this was a good apprenticeship for when the Maso sisters formed a band.

Caron’s boyfriend at that time was Mick Walker, who put on big parties where musicians got on stage and jammed. Walker invited the Maso sisters to perform a comedy skit for the party. They went away and rewrote the lyrics to The Sex Pistols’ ‘Anarchy In The UK.’ It became ‘I Wanna Kill My Mommy.’ 

After the Maso sisters’ performance at the party, people started to take notice of them. The pair fronted a girl group and their setlist included songs like ‘My Boyfriends Back.’ The next step for Caron was to start writing her own songs.

Before long, the group had a manager who was getting them gigs in LA. That was when the group started calling themselves the Little Girls. The reason was simple, the sister were just five feet tall. However, their music packed a punch and is celebrated on a new compilation ‘Valley Songs,’ which was recently released by Australian label, Playback Records.  

By 1980, the Caron sisters were regulars at The Troubadour, the legendary club in LA. That was where they met guitarist Kip Brown. 

He had just left LA punk band Shock, who are best known for ‘This Generation’s On Vacation,’ a track from their 1978 EP. The guitarist was looking for a new band, and got on well with the sisters. He liked their sense of humour, their music and their harmonies. Before long, he was rehearsing with the Little Girls and became the band’s lead guitarist.

When the band graduated from the rehearsal room to the live circuit there were some early teething problems. The band’s first gig was in the San Fernando Valley suburb of Sherman Oaks. That night they were booed off the stage. However, that didn’t put the Little Girls off and they continued to play live around LA, and were already building a fanbase. Then the band had a fortuitous meeting.

The members of Little Girls went into Denny’s in LA for lunch. Sitting at a table eating lunch was the famous LA and music industry impresario DJ Rodney Bingenheimer. He was the host of Rodney On The ROQ, a radio program on the LA rock station KROQ-FM, and when he arrived in the city in the sixties, actor Sal Mineo called him “The Mayor of the Sunset Strip.” By 1980, he was a hugely influential player in the LA music scene.

It made sense for the Little Girls to give the DJ a copy of a tape of ‘The Earthquake Song.’ Bingenheimer like the song so much that he put it on the Rodney On The ROQ – Volume 2 compilation. This gave the band a huge boost, and nowadays, Caron credits the DJ with discovering the band. 

Soon, ‘The Earthquake Song’ was a local hit, receiving radio play on KROQ-FM.  Caron was inspired to write it after an earthquake struck LA and scared her. Her boyfriend Mick Walker suggested she write something funny about the incident so she wouldn’t be as scared.  She wrote most of the lyrics, but admits that Walker contributed some of the best lines to the band’s debut hit single. Three versions of the single were recorded, and it’s the version on the ‘Thank Heaven!’ EP that opens the compilation. The version on the Rodney On The ROQ – Volume 2 is also included. This is a welcome inclusion as it’s the version of the song that introduced the band to the American record buyers.

Following the success of ‘The Earthquake Song’ people within the music industry started taking notice of the band who it seemed were going places. Toby Mamis became their manager. This was a coup, as he previously, he had worked with Blondie, Joan Jett and The Runaways.

Then in 1982, the band received some unexpected national exposure when part of ‘The Earthquake Song’ was used on American Bandstand’s dance contest for ten weeks. Suddenly, Little Girls’ music was being heard by a new and wider audience. This what they needed.

By then, the band had been in the studio a number of times. The Kitchen Sync Sessions took place in LA, in February 1982. That was when the first version of ‘Second Thoughts’ and the original of ‘Left Without A Real Kiss’ was recorded. They showed a band maturing. Three months later, Little Girls returned to the studio.

Sessions took place in May and June 1982, at American Recording, with producer Richard Polodor and recording the Michael Cooper. Three tracks were recorded for what became known as the Polodor-Cooper Sessions. They were demos of ‘Mr. Clean Teen,’ ‘Love Song’ and ‘Crush On You.’ These three tracks are hidden gems form the Little Girls’ archives and welcome additions to the ‘Valley Songs’ compilation. 

Then on ‘27th,’ October 1982, the band headed to the Scotti Brothers’ studio and recorded three tracks. The demos of ‘Valley Song,’ ‘Sorry For Yourself’ and ‘My Love’ are included on the compilation. The finest of the triumvirate is the timeless ‘Valley Song.’ It tells the story a woman who never  escapes from life in San Fernando Valley, and even today, some women will be able to relate to the lyrics. 

Little Girls had one further session before the end of 1982. During December they recorded the six songs for the mini album ‘Thank Heavens!’ It was coproduced by Liam Sternberg and Ed Stasium at One Step Up Recording Studios in LA. Once the six songs were recorded the release was scheduled for the spring of 1983.

In March 1983, Little Girls released a the song mini album, ‘Thank Heavens!’ It opened with their debut hit single ‘The Earthquake Song.’ The EP also includes ‘Left Without A Real Kiss,’ a catchy, stomper of a song full of nervous energy. It’s part of an EP that showcases a truly talented band. They were inspired by everything from girl groups to Simon and Garfunkel and surf music, as well as The Beatles, The Dave Clark Five and The Rolling Stones. Elements of their music shine through on Thank Heavens! which featured a band that looked as if it had a big future ahead of them.

Buoyed by the success of their debut single, Little Girls recorded ‘How To Pick Up Girls’ which Caron cowrote with bassist Jeffrey E. Fair. She wrote the lyrics from a woman’s perspective. Then when the song was recorded, the band shot their first video. It was played on MTV when the single was released later in 1983.

By then, the band were recording some of their best songs. This includes the anthem ‘Bandana,’ the power pop of ‘Rich Girl’ and ‘No Time To Say Goodbye’ a raw sounding track that Caron wanted to sound like The Beatles meets U2. They succeed in doing this. 

Little Girls rock ’n’ roll roller coaster ride continued later in 1983, when they opened for Bow Wow Wow. This was the first of a number of big names they opened for. Over the next few years they opened for The Pretenders, Billy Idol and Del Shannon as well as Dream Syndicate. Other times, the band played at The Troubadour and The Palomino.

In November 1983, The Clear Album Sessions began. Little Girls recorded the basic tracks for ‘Any Way You Want It,’ a cover The Dave Clark Five’s ‘I Really Want To Be With You’ and Not A Perfect World at Paramount Pictures in Hollywood. Further sessions took place the same studio in March and May 1984, then at the Record Plant in July of the same year. These songs were meant to feature on an EP released in 1985.

However, the ‘Clear Vinyl EP’ was only released as a promo. Their fans never got to hear the new recordings. It must have been a bitter blow for the band.

Despite having recorded a number of radio friendly songs, being a popular live draw in and around LA and being well managed, Little Girls were unable to secure a deal with a major label. That remained tantalisingly out of reach. Rather unkindly, some within the music saw the band as a “novelty act.” That wasn’t the case. 

In 1985, frustrated at their inability to interest a major label, and get their music heard by a wider audience, Little Girls spilt-up. It didn’t help that they were having to deal with some internal band drama. 

At the time, the members of Little Girls planned to form an acoustic trio. Kip Brown wasn’t keen and this left just Caron and Michelle. 

They started talking to Geffen Records’ A&R man John David Kalodner about a possible deal. However, Michelle realised that she didn’t want to be in a band anymore.

After this, Caron formed CM3P with her friend John Baker. This was more what she wanted to do, and the band played all over LA. However, commercial success eluded the band.

Then in 2004, Little Girls were reunited for a sold-out show in Santa Monica Playhouse, California. The show was a fundraiser for the theatre where Caron’s daughter, who is a comedian was involved. Caron and Michelle were joined by Kip Brown, former Little Girls’ guitarist John Nelson and various other musicians. After the show sold-out, Caron got excited and started thinking about reforming the band.

The newly reformed group started playing live and writing new songs. Then in 2006, they returned to the studio. Furthers sessions took place over the next few years.

At a sessions in 2008, Little Girls covered Jonathan Richman’s ’The Beach.’ It was produced by Kip Brown and Chas Ferry who was working on a Jonathan Richman tribute album. He felt the track would be perfect. Sadly, the album hasn’t, as yet, materialised and this version of the track was remixed in 2021.

However, three songs recorded in 2009 at the Studio Zero Reunion Sessions feature on the ‘Valley Girls’ compilation. They’re ‘Come Back To Me,’ ‘Can’t Get Rid Of You’ and ‘Upswing.’ These three tracks are a reminder of a group who should’ve enjoyed much more commercial success than they did. Little Girls’ music should’ve been heard by a much wider audience.  

There’s four other tracks on the compilation. This includes two from The Holyberries. Their lineup features Caron, Michelle and Kip Brown. He produced ‘I Wanna Go Surfin’ With Santa,’ which was recorded at Studio Zero, in California, during 2008 and 2009. It finds the producer drawing inspiration from Phil Spector and Roy Wood and Wizard, as Caron and Michelle add backing vocals.

Two years later, in 2011, The Holyberries recorded ‘Boards And Bikinis Rule (Down At Malibu).’  It’s akin to a tribute to the South California sound and is a fusion of The Beach Boys and The Ramones. This is another welcome addition to ‘Valley Girls.’

In 1982, Rudy and The Valentinos, which was essentially Kip Brown and the Maso sisters recorded ‘Swamp Stomp,’ at the famous Rockfield Studios, in Wales. The single was produced by Alan Jones and Richard Digby Jones, and featured guitarist Andy Fairweather Low. Sadly, when this dance track was released as a single later in 1982, it failed commercially.

The other track on the compilation is Michelle Maso’s cover of Goffin and King’s He’s A Bad Boy. It was recorded at Grabby Road Studios, in Venice, California and is a reminder that Michelle Maso is a truly talented vocalist who can breath meaning and emotion into the lyrics of a song.

The story of Little Girls is one of what might have been. They certainly weren’t lacking talent, could write catchy, hook-laden songs that were a mixture of power pop, new wave, rock and pop. Little Girls were also a band who were popular in and around the LA area, and opened for a number of top artists and bands. However, despite all this, a contract with a major label eluded Little Girls. This was hugely frustrating, and the band called time on their career in 1985. That’s a great shame.

Little Girls were a truly talented and versatile band whose memorable music packed a punch. A reminder of this talented band is Valley Girls, which was recently released by the Australian label Playback Records. It’s a loving curated compilation, and is a reminder of one the great lost girl groups of the eighties, Little Girls, whose music deserves to be heard by a much wider audience. Hopefully, the Valley Girls’ compilation will introduce Little Girls to a new generation of music lovers.

Little Girls-Valley Songs.