Pagan Babies (band)

Pagan Babies

The Pagan Babies were a short-lived band from Portland, Oregon, formed by Kat Bjelland and Courtney Love circa 1985. Bjelland, who later became the frontwoman for the successful punk rock band, Babes In Toyland, and Love, who later became the controversial frontwoman of the very successful band Hole, had already been in two previous unsuccessful projects, Sugar Babydoll and Sugar Babylon, both of which played similar musical styles to the Pagan Babies. The band only lasted a few months, and only in their career played two shows, which could be described as little more than "hanging out and having fun."

NOTE: There was also an early 80s hardcore punk band from Philadelphia, Pa that went by the name Pagan Babies before the Bjelland/Love incarnation.

History

The band began in circa 1985, and like all Bjelland/Love incarnations, was formed by both Kat Bjelland and Courtney Love. Courtney played acoustic guitar and sang main vocals, while Kat focused on backing guitar and vocals. Soon after their formation, the group recruited Janis Tanaka to play bass for them, and through Janis, found a drummer/pianist, Deirdre Schletter. The band soon began rehearsing in friend's bedrooms, and played numerous covers and some originals during their jam sessions. Then, the band began playing shows, although only lasted long enough to play two. The first show was in a friend's bedroom, where they played more electric versions of their songs, as opposed to the second show, where they played in a friend's living room with acoustic guitars. It was later described that both shows, and the rehearsals, were just about "getting together and screwing off". Courtney would end up leaving the band and they would become The Italian Whore Nuns.

4-track demo

Somewhere either before the first show, or either between the first and second show, the band got serious and recorded a demotape on one of the member's 4 track TEAC tape deck. The tape contained only four songs :

• Bernadine (C. Love)
• Best Sunday Dress (C.Love/K.Bjelland)
• Quiet Room (K.Bjelland)
• Cold Shoulders (C.Love/K.Bjelland)

'Best Sunday Dress' would later be re-done by Courtney Love's band, Hole and a studio version of the song, recorded in 1998, appeared on the band's Celebrity Skin single. A clip from the master tape of the Pagan Babies demo would also appear on the Hole track 'Starbelly', which was released on the band's debut album Pretty on the Inside in spring 1991. Also, 'Quiet Room' would later be re-done by Kat Bjelland's band, Babes In Toyland and released on the band's 1992 album Fontanelle.

In 2004, the four songs from the demo appeared online. The songs were transferred to mp3 format from an unknown generation tape. The songs are extremely rare to come by, but can be found in most bootleg trading communities. It was also rumoured in 2006, that the recording company Sympathy for the Record Industry was going to release at least one song from the Pagan Babies demos in a compilation, but it was later proven to be false.

Members

• Courtney Love - guitar, vocals
• Kat Bjelland - guitar, vocals
• Janis Tanaka< - bass
• Deirdre Schletter - drums, piano

See also

• Hole
• Babes In Toyland
• Pretty on the Inside (1991)
• Pagan Babies, Philadelphia Hardcore Punk bands wikipedia page

External links

• Holelive.com's recording information
• Moonwashedrose.com's information page
• Pagan Babies on Last FM
• Pagan Babies, Philadelphia Hardcore Punk bands wikipedia page