E163 - Top 5 'Girl' Songs (with Debora Iyall from Romeo Void!)

Girl.

This simple four letter word has been the impetus behind many of the greatest songs of all time, and the O3L era was no exception. Whether it's a male sung ode to love, longing, success and frustration with the opposite sex, or a female sung declaration of solidarity and empowerment, this week we celebrate songs with the word "girl" in the title (well, most of them).

One of those wonderful songs is the 1984 Top 40 smash by Romeo Void, "A Girl In Trouble (Is A Temporary Thing)." So what an incredible thrill it is for us to welcome as our special guest...DEBORA IYALL from ROMEO VOID!

Romeo Void was formed in 1979. Drawing inspiration from the local underground music scene, the band’s founding members were San Francisco Art Institute students Debora Iyall (lead vocalist, lyricist) and Frank Zincavage (bass guitar), alongside local musicians Peter Woods (guitar) and Jay Derrah (drums). They soon added saxophonist Benjamin Bossi. According to Iyall, the name Romeo Void referred to “a lack of romance.” 

Romeo Void's first official live album, Live From Mabuhay Gardens: November 14, 1980, was recently released on special galaxy blue vinyl for Record Store Day, as well as on CD and digital, by the Liberation Hall label. Recorded at the famed San Francisco punk club by deejay Terry Hammer, the album was captured during the same period that Romeo Void was recording its critically acclaimed debut album for 415 Records, It’s a Condition. Derrah was still drumming with the band at this live show, but was replaced by John “Stench” Haines by the time the sessions for It’s a Condition were underway.

Eight of the eleven songs on Live from Mabuhay Gardens: November 14, 1980, would eventually appear on It’s a Condition. The opening track, “Guards,” would surface in 1981 as the B-side of the band’s national breakout single, “Never Say Never.” “Fine Line” is an original that has never been released in any format. The album’s closing number, “Double Shot of My Baby’s Love,” is a cover of the Swingin’ Medallions’ 1966 hit, which was the first 45 single which Iyall owned. 

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices