The GTOs

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The GTOs were a "groupie group" that consisted of Miss Pamela (Pamela Des Barres), Miss Sparky (Linda Sue Parker), Miss Lucy, Miss Christine (Christine Frka), Miss Sandra (Sandra Leano), Miss Mercy (Mercy Fontentot) and Miss Cynderella (Cynthia Wells). The group hailed from the area around Los Angeles in the late 1960s, with most of the girls being denizens of the Sunset Strip scene. Their only album, Permanent Damage, was released in 1969.

Contents

[edit] History

Miss Pamela and Miss Sparky met while attending Cleveland High School. Miss Christine had travelled to LA from San Pedro with Miss Sandra, and both lived in the basement of Frank Zappa's log cabin in the mid 1960s. Miss Christine was the live-in nanny for Zappa's eldest two children, Dweezil and Moon Unit, before Miss Pamela took over the position during the late 1960s. Miss Mercy had emigrated from the Haight Ashbury hippie scene to LA due to "boredom", alleging she "couldn't be a hippie forever". Miss Cynderella was an addition to the group brought by Mercy after the nucleus of the group had been formed. This accounts for Cynderella's presence in some, but not all of the GTOs publicity shots.

Originally known as "The Laurel Canyon Ballet Company", they changed their name to The GTOs on the advice of Frank Zappa, their financial supporter and producer. "GTOs" was an acronym for the full band name "Girls Together Outrageously", but the 'O' could stand for a variety of words, such as 'Openly', 'Only' etc. The members were connected by their association with Zappa, who was a complex musician who encouraged their artistic endeavors, even though the GTOs were not singers of renown. Performances by the group were sparse, although they created a strong impression at their 1968 performance at the Shrine Auditorium. A mix of theatrics, singing and dance were staples of their act. Their only album, Permanent Damage (Straight Records), was produced in 1969 by Frank Zappa with the assistance of Lowell George (track 7 and 11). The songs are mixed in with conversations had between the members of the group, friends, and others, including Cynthia Plaster Caster and Rodney Bingenheimer. The album features songwriting contributions from Lowell George, Jeff Beck and Davy Jones. Permanent Damage was re-issued on CD in 1989 by Enigma Retro.

Miss Mercy and Miss Lucy were involved with a male version of a GTO - a "BTO" - named Mr. Bernardo, a half-Indian multi-sexual.

[edit] Band members

  • Miss Pamela (born 1948) is the most famous and successful of the GTOs. Prior to joining the group she had been a member of Vito Paulekis' dancing troupe. Des Barres is the author of three memoirs with the first, I'm With The Band, based primarily on a diary she faithfully kept from high school through her eventual marriage, due, in part, to the encouragement she received from Zappa. All of the books describe life during the 1960s and the groupie scene, which Des Barres's book, Let's Spend the Night Together, a collection of interviews with fellow rock groupies, (2007) defends. Miss Pamela married and divorced musician Michael Des Barres. Together they have a son.
  • Miss Mercy has been referred to as “a human facsimilie", by miss Pamela. They still remain close friends. Miss Mercy's 'biography' in I’m With The Band was expanded at length within the chapter entitled, "Miss Mercy's Blues".
  • A self-proclaimed habitual liar, Miss Cynderella’s background history is not well known. In the 1970s she married John Cale of Velvet Underground, but the marriage ended in divorce. Des Barres notes in her book that Miss Cynderella died in 2001 under mysterious circumstances.
  • Miss Christine died on November 5, 1972, of an overdose in a hotel room, after spending close to a year in a full body cast to correct her crooked spine. She appears on the cover of Frank Zappa's album Hot Rats. She was also rumored to have dated Vincent Damon Furnier of Alice Cooper which was on the same label with The GTOs
  • Miss Lucy died of an AIDS-related disease in the early 1990s.
  • During her time as a GTO, Miss Sandra became pregnant by Zappa's resident artist, Calvin Schenkel, and had a daughter named Raven. Miss Sandra later moved back to San Pedro and eventually Italy after marrying and giving birth to three children. She died of ovarian cancer on April 23, 1991.
  • Miss Sparky is still alive, but not much has been divulged of her post-GTOs endeavours. She performed on the song "Disco Boy" on Zappa's 1976 album, "Zoot Allures." However, she is credited under the name "Sharkie Barker."

[edit] Discography

  • Permanent Damage (1969) - Sole recording by the GTOs

Track Listing

  1. The Eureka Springs Garbage Lady
  2. Miss Pamela and Miss Sparky discuss STUFFED BRAS and some of their early gym class experiences
  3. Who's Jim Sox?
  4. Kansas and the BTO's
  5. The Captain's Fat Theresa Shoes
  6. Wouldn't It Be Sad If There Were No Cones?
  7. Do Me In Once And I'll Be Sad, Do Me In Twice And I'll Know Better (Circular Circulation)
  8. The Moche Monster Review
  9. TV Lives
  10. Rodney
  11. I Have A Paintbrush In My Hand To Color A Triangle
  12. Miss Christine's First Conversation With The Plaster Casters Of Chicago
  13. The Original GTO's
  14. The Ghost Chained To The Past, Present and Future (Shock Treatment)
  15. Love On An Eleven Year Old Level
  16. Miss Pamela's First Conversation With The Plaster Casters Of Chicago
  17. I'm In Love With The Ooh-Ooh Man

[edit] References

[edit] External links

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