Nikki Corvette, anytime anyplace Baby

Nikki Corvette had a fairly (too say the least) spotty recorded output.... Dominique Lorenz (Nikki) grew up in Detroit and formed Nikki & the Corvettes in 1977.... they released a magnificent album ("Nikki & the Corvettes" on Bomp) in 1980, a spectacular blending of, say, the Ramones and the 1960's "Girls in the Garage" series..... that debut record, along with a handful of singles (that I don't have) are the extent of the career of Nikki & the Corvettes.... but don't be misled. This is a fantastic album, bands such as the Donnas (whom I LOVE), for example, should pay regular homage.. speedy, rocking power-pop, all centered around sexy-as-hell "little girl"/sex kitten voice of the wonderful Nikki Corvette.......

Sometimes I just don't get why something is successful and something else isn't... it seemed, at the time, that the market was just right for Nikki & the Corvette's sexy brand of power popping, REAL rock n roll.... check out basically ANY track on this (IMO) 4.5 star disc, "Boys Boys Boys", "Back Seat Love", the fab "You Make Me Crazy".... who the hell knows why it never took off, life, sometimes, is both a mystery AND a bitch.......

Nikki dissolved the Corvettes and basically fell off the earth, resurfacing in 2005 with ANOTHER fabulous effort, an all-cover version album entitled "Wild Record Party". Sometimes this concept falls flat, but to me, the key to success is taking the material and owning it, making it your own......and Nikki pulls this off in spades.....the material is perfect (Generation X's "Ready Steady Go", Alice Cooper's "Under My Wheels", "Girls Talk" from Dave Edmunds, and especially a wonderful version of the MC5's "High School" which could have been written to order. Another wonderful record, for my money, and another complete failure. If you are unfamiliar you are cheating yourself.

Nikki emerged in 2006 with a new band, Nikki Corvette and the Stingrays, and a new album, "Back to Detroit", and guess what? It's fantastic as well..... my God it's like this babe never missed a minute, let alone 25 years...... another fine, fine collection of high-energy rock n roll, AGAIN nearly every track a winner...... "Back to Detroit", the wonderful "I've Got a Heartbreak", "So Kiss Me", and "Just Can't Stay" sound like they could have been on that wonderful debut album. Another winner, in my book.

If it sounds like I'm going overboard on this one, maybe I am.....but DAMN if I know why Nikki never enjoyed more success than she did. This is one chick that TRULY loves rock n roll, LOVES it, and it shows in her work. Her sexy voice and wonderful choices in material SHOULD have ensured her a small degree of success, but I find it amazing how many people are unfamiliar with her. I love all three of these albums, if there are any boots, EP's, singles, whatever out there, you guys know I'd lick the soles of Nikki's feet to hear em..... well, ok, I'd lick the soles of Nikki's feet anyway, but you get the idea.

If you have never heard these check them out and be sure and thank me later, you will NOT be disappointed.

Love ya Nikki wherever ya are..... thanks at least from ME for all the great rock n roll!

NIKKI & THE CORVETTES-01 He's a Mover/02 You're the One/03 C'mon/04 Just What I Need/05 Boys Boys Boys/06 Let's Go/07 Shake It Up/08 Back Seat Love/09 I Wanna Be Your Girlfriend/10 Summertime Fun/11 Gimme Gimme/12 You Make Me Crazy (1977 Single)/13 Young & Crazy/14 Criminal Element/15 I Gotta Move/16 Girls Like Me

WILD RECORD PARTY-01 Ready Steady Go/02 Rock Your Baby/03 Walking Out On Love/04 Great Big Kiss/05 Day By Day/06 Girls Talk/07 Under My Wheels/08 High School/09 Wild About You/10 Love Is Strange/11 Love Me/12 What's On My Mind

BACK TO DETROIT-01 Back to Detroit/02 Tokyo Boy/03 I've Got a Heartbreak/04 Just Can't Say/05 Lipstick Letters/06 Please Don't Stay Away/07 Well Alright/08 Who Wants to Be My Boyfriend/09 Thinkin Bout You/10 So Kiss Me/11 He Rocks Me He Rocks Me Not/12 Trapped in the City/13 Special Life

Sometimes popping on something I haven't heard in a while is simply an exhilarating experience.....I LOVED the Nikki & the Corvettes album in 1980, and it sounds every bit as great, if not BETTER, today.......this is great, great music, a career that deserves some recognition, at the very least as nostalgia. Nikki, again. love ya and thanks!

By the way, allegedly, there is some stuff out there from Nikki Corvette and the Convertibles, Nikki Corvette and the Romeos, and also, allegedly I say again, a "Wild Record Party Volume 2".....I can't really confirm ANY of these, this might be a job for super-sleuth Doug from Northern Ohio, my go-to guy for IMPOSSIBLE to find shit who has every recording ever made..... haven't heard from Doug for a while, but this one seems right up his power-alley, so calling Doug, if you are out there and have a minute or two!