PURR: A Rock 'n Roll Fantasy

The all-girl rock band PURR (Pussycats Unleashing Rock ‘n Roll) ruled the charts and the hearts of the world. The women of PURR were not only first-class musicians, they were also the epitome of sexual femininity. Like the legendary vamps of the stage and screen of yesteryear, only they did it to music, Exuding sensuality with every note they played, their music was electrifying. They were sex kittens, but not kids. These were full-grown women in the peak years of their sexuality.

Gracie Pasquale, PURR’s lead singer fronted the group with style. On stage, she had an amazingly charismatic and sensual presence, truly deserving her nickname 'Amazing Grace.' She had a powerful and flexible set of lungs that could belt out the grungiest hard rock and could softly growl the sultriest ballads. Her vigorous vocal stylings were in step with the lithe and lovely Tess Pilot’s nimble fingers which seductively tickled her keyboard.

Tess had cut her musical teeth listening to the Hammond greats such as the Legendary Jimmy Smith, Steve Winwood, Billy Preston and Georgie Fame. She had obviously learned her craft well. She and Gracie had come from upper-class backgrounds and as such, were not only classically trained, but each had a well-rounded education and appreciation for a wide range of musical tastes that were manifested in their passion for ground-breaking rock ‘n roll innovations.

Meanwhile, Dee Dee Hendrix and Jenny Clapton’s twin guitars comprised a double six string fantasy. Kat Entwhistle’s throbbing bass and Betti Dunbar’s pulsing percussion powered the rhythm section full throttle to anchor the PURR appealing assault on the ears of the entire world. Unlike Gracie and Tess, they all earned and learned their musical street smarts the hard way, but their fervor for rock ’n roll was equal to or greater than their erudite partners. Dee Dee, Jenny, Kat and Betti had each gotten their start by playing in various male local bar bands. Because they happened to be so eye-catching, they quickly became frustrated with been treated merely as novelties for the typical audiences at those venues, being leered at, not appreciated for their musical abilities that often far surpassed those of their Testosterone laden band-mates.

However, Gracie and Tess had the means to thoroughly scout bands all over the country with such names as Razz, Power Mad and Charley Vance’s Guitarmy to recruit the best AND most gorgeous female rockers in the country. And so PURR was born.

Even so, Gracie felt that their recently expanded repertoire needed a seasoned horn section to accentuate her dynamic but basic rock and roll ensemble. She was a professional herself and wanted her band to exude the same finely polished expertise. With no time to recruit the talent she needed herself, she knew that George “Pug” Peterson, the experienced tour manager she had already hired, also had a background in the recording business. Surely, he would be familiar with the best studio musicians for hire.

Pug knew the best saxophone man in the business was Jake Coltrane. He also knew that Jake, an acclaimed veteran of the last Rolling Stones tour as well as working with a long list of other nationally distinguished names, was currently available. He also happened to be based in Philadelphia, where the PURR tour was scheduled to start. He in turn, knew that his old cohort Tone Redman was the ideal second sax man on which to build his new horn section around. He knew that he and Redman had a shared musical intuition that could work very well blending with PURR’s distinctive style. Plus, he knew that Tone would love nothing better than working with a bunch of dazzling women. That’s what led to the meeting at the airport in Philly and the rebirth of their partnership...

Tone Redman, Jake Coltrane and their brass section ‘The Tomcats’, a right rag bag of haircuts and hats, were hired for the tour. Their sensitive lips more than sweetened their male sax appeal on stage.

Jake wore his blond curls shoulder length, Tone wore his cropped blond locks under his black Stetson. Garvey and Blair sported shiny black pates although Garvey liked to cover his with his black leather baseball cap. Amin preferred his dreadlocks and ‘ T Bone’ a ponytail.

Jake and Tone first met years before on the Stones world gig in 1989/90 playing their horns in Bobby Keys brass section. Their first meeting was a bit fiery to say the least, almost a brawl. Tone was a bit of a wild man back then and Jake not much different. They soon realized their differences were insignificant compared to their shared passion for rock ’n roll and forgot their differences to combine their strengths to forge a dynamic sound.

However, their friendship was abruptly brought to an end halfway through that Stones tour. One day when Jake was not around, Tone told Keith to “Get Fucked” over a matter of musical or alcoholic differences, so he was history.

Jake finished the tour to blazing credits on his horn work in more than one sense. The two guys kept in touch, albeit sporadically over the next few years.

When Tone got the call in Brisbane Australia from Jake to work with him forming the brass section for the PURR world tour, he jumped at the chance to work with his friend again, knowing that they could make sweet music together that would blend perfectly with PURR‘s sound. This time they determined they were going to do it their way. Tone dropped everything and got on the next plane to Philadelphia. It was just the escape he needed.

Jake was at the airport to meet him and of course drove them to his favourite local bar for a few beers and a chance to chew the fat and catch up on the last few years.

Jake had been touring with various brass sections with stadium bands and had steady session work with big names. Life had been good.

Tone did pretty much the same; his biggest had been ‘The Floyd’ tour Pulse. He explained how he now resided in Brisbane, that he’d left London some years back, but purposely omitted to explain the circumstances why.

“Jake tell me about the ‘PURR’ babes. You fucked any of em yet?”

“You’ve got to be fucking joking man, these chicks are big, I mean like global. Man, you can’t fuck around with that.”

“Why the fuck not Jake, it’s never stopped you before.”

“Tone, you ain’t met Gracie yet, she is one Lady you do not fuck about with, believe me, you cause any one of the girls a problem she will have your balls!”

“Jake, stop fucking around, this is me you are talking to. Okay, a hot band, a fucking revolutionary band, I’ll grant you all of that. Still JUST chicks! I’d just like 'em all to PURR-form fellatio on me.

Jake threw him a look that would pull the tacks out of your boots.

‘Sorry, loosen up man, I’m only joking, I learnt my lesson from Keith Richards, but I still respect the bloke. He’s a great inspiration, a true fucking survivor. I was out of line and hung over. Lesson learnt, never try to out drink Ronnie Wood on Guinness and white wine unless you can still cut it at the next days rehearsal. But god, mate, I wanted desperately to fuck that black baking singer, but the Flash man had that sorted eh!”

”Man, you wont believe it anybody who is anybody wants to be at the first night and party afterwards. We got Madonna, Tina, Sting, Rod, Oasis, Kiss, Robbie Williams, Stones, Aerosmith, Springsteen, Bon Jovi and Pat Benatar! Anyone whose song they cover that is still alive wants to be there with their friends, that just about fills the front fifty rows, and these ladies have no problems at all in performing in front of that kinda audience. Their confidence is unreal. Tone, this whole thing is gonna blow you away, so don’t blow your self away, okay?”

“Yeah mate, I gotcha." he said. And then he was struck by a thought, "Oh fuck is Keith gonna be there? I don’t want another fight with that guy..."

“It’s OK Tone. I spoke with him and he said to tell you he respects you for standing your ground and you are a good player, you just caught each other at the wrong moment in time. He’s asked us to be in their next tour and is looking forward to a few drinks with you at the party. Dontcha let me down, try to be half normal, okay?”

"So what’s the score here on this deal my friend, tell me what you got in mind and how it’s gonna work for you and I and do we really get to fuck these chicks or not? I seen em on ‘TV’ that Gracie is ‘Hot’, reminds me of Elkie, and that tall ginger keyboard player, what’s her name? She’s hot too and fucking brilliant on those keys. Jools told me he thinks she is just amazing, the speed and flow she has? He’s gonna take in the tour somewhere, told me he was gonna do a spot with Tess, yeah Tess that’s her name, a kinda dueling keyboards thing.”

“Just leave her out of your equation, okay man, and promise me you wont try it on with Gracie, I got a lot of investment riding on this tour. You’re a good player man, one of the best, but behave yourself or I will fuck you up, okay!"

“I promise, Jake, I’m a changed man, a meditating man now even. I have no axe to grind on anybody these days. I get the message Jake, loud and clear don’t fuck with Gracie and Tess is yours --”

“I didn’t say that did I?”

“No I know you didn’t SAY IT! Hello! Jake this is me, you outta write a song called ‘Reading between the lines’. It don’t need to include a train, no worries mate, I’m cool, let’s get it on and have a good time. Two hundred bucks says I’m the first to get it on with one of the women in the band, to get up close and PURR–sonal...”

“Tone you’re still a mad fucker. Okay. shake with ‘The Jake’ ”

It was a done deal and the game was afoot.

But unbeknownst to Jake and Tone, the bet was devoid before it was laid, before anybody was laid, in fact. The ladies of PURR would decide who would fuck whom. The new horn section had no influence over it whatsoever. Even the backing singers Angela and Roxanne had more input on the matter. Jake and Tone had just entered the "Rat Trap".

Now they had the unenviable task of putting together the remainder of the horn section, auditions, personalities, and styles, all working together. Never an easy job, but they knew the turf and whom they would like but whom they could get would be more to the point.

Jake and Tone together had auditioned loads of possible candidates to round out the ‘Tomcats’ line up and were down to the short list to Blair Handley, an old friend recommended by Tone, who was available. They had been together in the Jools Holland Rhythm and Blues Orchestra on a European tour a few years back. According to Tone, he was the best looking black cat on the planet and could pull ‘brown sugar’ out of thin air.

Jake was familiar with two fellow studio musicians with whom he had worked in Philadelphia. That city was famous for TSOP, the Sound of Philadelphia, Teddy Pendergrass, Boys II Men, Todd Rungdren, Hall & Oates and the Hooters. With plenty of musically unpolished wannabes hoping their songs might crack the big time, the recording studios on South Street always provided exposure for them.

Scott Garvey, or “Space” as he was known, had managed to stay clean and sober for years after he survived detox and a full two years in a rehab program. Space was a stereotypical drug burnout, but he had somehow retained the musical aptitude he had when he was a child prodigy on the trumpet. He was virtually helpless when it came to living in the real world, but surprised everyone with his God-given talent. He emulated his heroes such as Louis Armstrong and Dizzy Gillespie. Having conquered his addictions the hard way, now his sole obsession was playing his cherished trumpet. Jake knew his style would blend in perfectly.

On the other hand, his other trumpeter was quite familiar with reality. Amin Robinson had grown up in the mean streets of North Philly. His horn was his ticket out of the gangsta life to which so many of his peers were prey. His influences were Miles Davis and Grover Washington. 6’ 6” tall and muscular, his street smarts and toughness helped define his powerful style. Fortunately for Space Garvey, the big man took him under his protective wing. As such, nobody dared fuck with Space either. The only real ‘gray area was ‘Chas ‘T Bone’ Sinclair, an outstanding musician, but with a shit attitude that neither Jake nor Tone could take to, but nevertheless they were prepared to put their feelings aside and get on with rehearsing for the tour.

Amazingly, all the pieces blended together perfectly as the new horn section and the girls in the band instantly clicked. From the very first rehearsal, this strange brew of musicians somehow complimented one another flawlessly as if they had worked together for ages.

After weeks of practice, Gracie, who never settled for less than perfection knew they were ready to face the world. The sound was pure magic.