Girlschool are a British rock band that formed in the new wave of British heavy metal scene in 1978, frequently associated with contemporaries Motörhead. They are the longest-running all-female rock band, still active after almost 40 years. Formed from a school band called Painted Lady, Girlschool enjoyed strong media exposure and commercial success in the UK in the early 1980s with three albums of 'punk-tinged metal' and a few singles, but lost their momentum in the following years.
Demolition is the first studio album by the British heavy metal band, Girlschool. It was released in Europe on Bronze Records in 1980.
Screaming Blue Murder is the third studio album by British heavy metal band, Girlschool. It was released on Bronze Records in 1982, and featured one line-up change in bassist Ghislaine 'Gil' Weston, formerly of The Killjoys, replacing the recently departed founding-member Enid Williams. Nigel Gray, who had previously worked with The Police, produced the album.
Play Dirty is the fourth studio album by British heavy metal band, Girlschool, released on Bronze Records in 1983 and produced by Noddy Holder and Jim Lea from the hard rock band Slade. It was the first Girlschool album not to enter the UK Top 40 album chart and signalled a general downturn in their career, along with an inclination towards a softer rock sound. Kelly Johnson left the band soon after the release and an intended full US-tour never materialised. In the UK, two singles were lifted from the album, each having a picture-sleeve:
Cristina "Cris" Bonacci is an Australian-born producer, songwriter, and musician. She was the lead guitarist in the British heavy metal band Girlschool and has also provided session guitar work for other artists.
Nightmare at Maple Cross is the sixth studio album by the British heavy metal band, Girlschool, released on GWR Records in 1986. Under the direction of producer Vic Maile, this album marks the return of the band to the sound of their earlier works and to a four-piece formation. All tracks were composed by the four musicians, except for the cover of Mud's "Tiger Feet". The US version of the album included a duet with Gary Glitter covering his song, "I'm the Leader of the Gang ".
Take a Bite is the seventh studio album by British heavy metal band, Girlschool, released by GWR Records in 1988. It is the first album to feature Tracey Lamb on bass, replacing Gil Weston-Jones.
Girlschool is the eighth studio album by British heavy metal band, Girlschool, released on Communiqué Records and Progressive International in 1992. It is the fourth and last studio album recorded with lead guitarist Cris Bonacci and the only one with bassist Jackie Carrera. It is also the first Girlschool album to by self-produced for an independent British label.
King Biscuit Flower Hour Presents Girlschool is a live album by British heavy metal band Girlschool, released by King Biscuit Flower Hour Records in 1997. It was recorded during the 1984 Play Dirty USA tour. Kelly Johnson would leave the band soon thereafter. The album was reissued through Disky Records on 6 June 2002 with the title Race with the Devil and with the running order changed.
21st Anniversary: Not That Innocent is the ninth studio album by British heavy metal band, Girlschool, released on Communiqué Records in 2002. The production of the album lasted for a prolonged time and it was finally released when lead guitarist Kelly Johnson and bassist Tracey Lamb had already left the band. They were replaced by new lead guitarist Jackie Chambers and by the original bass player Enid Williams, who play in two new songs included in this album.
Wildlife is an EP produced by British heavy metal band, Girlschool and published only in Europe. It was released in 1982 by Bronze Records as a launch for the album Screaming Blue Murder. During the recording sessions for the album, bassist and singer Enid Williams left the band and this EP is the last production made by the original formation. The songs "Don't Call It Love" and "Wildlife" were recorded again for the album with new bass player Ghislaine 'Gil' Weston and new vocal tracks. The EP was also available in a red vinyl edition.
Race with the Devil Live is the third live album by British heavy metal band, Girlschool, released in 1998. It is the recording of a concert held in Tokyo, during the 1982 Japanese tour. Enid Williams would leave the band soon thereafter.
Believe is the tenth studio album by British heavy metal band, Girlschool, released on Communiqué Records in 2004. It was the first album entirely played by the formation with new lead guitarist Jackie Chambers. It was re-released in 2008 in a limited edition, including the DVD Around the World, with footage from concerts and tours of 2004 and 2005. This limited edition was self-produced and sold through their official website and at concerts.
Legacy is the eleventh studio album by British heavy metal band, Girlschool, released on Wacken Records in 2008. This album celebrates the 30th anniversary of Girlschool, making it the longest running all-female metal band in activity. A few musicians that the band befriended in the many years of incessant touring, lent a hand in completing the recording. The song "Legend" is dedicated to Kelly Johnson, the former Girlschool guitarist deceased in 2007.
1-2-3-4 Rock and Roll is an EP produced by British heavy metal band, Girlschool. It was released in 1983 by Bronze Records, in an attempt to boost the declining sales of the band and launch the upcoming new album Play Dirty. The title track was produced by Ramones' producers Ritchie Cordell and Glen Kolotkin, who completed with samples the recording process that the band refused to carry on. The same song was released by the American band Rail the same year.
The Second Wave: 25 Years of NWOBHM is a split studio album released in 2003 by British indie label Communiqué Records. The album contains five songs each from veteran bands of the new wave of British heavy metal Oliver/Dawson Saxon, Girlschool and Tygers of Pan Tang. The album features both new songs and already published ones, sometimes re-recorded for the occasion. The release of the album had to be followed by a UK tour of the three bands together, but Oliver/Dawson Saxon did not participate. The cover design was by Robb Weir's nephew and Vectis radio DJ, Tim Pritchard with Paris-based designer Kev Baldwyn. The painting used was commissioned by Robb Weir and painted by Isle of Wight-based artist, John Patty.
Play Dirty Live is the first video album released by the British heavy metal band Girlschool in 1985. The American release of the VHS was done by Polygram, the label that had Girlschool under contract at the time. The release of the video was part of the marketing strategy to launch the studio album Running Wild in the US, the only country where it was published. The British edition was instead licensed to Castle Communications and released at the same time. The concert was filmed by Trillion Pictures at the Camden Palace Theatre in London on 7 December 1984 for the British TV show Live from London. The band, which had been recently augmented to a five-piece group, was still recording Running Wild and presents in this show five new songs from the upcoming album. The following songs have their titles wrongly indicated on the sleeve of the VHS: "Out to Get You", "Ready to Rock", "Emergency 999" (Emergency). The song "I Like It Like That" is the B-side of the "20th Century Boy" 12 inches single.
Hit and Run – Revisited is the twelfth studio album by the British heavy metal band Girlschool, released in 2011. The album is a re-recording of the 1981 album Hit and Run, considered by most critics a classic of the new wave of British heavy metal period and the most commercially successful for Girlschool. The new album celebrates the 30th anniversary of the release of Hit and Run and includes as bonus track a re-recording of "Demolition Boys" and a duet with the German metal singer Doro on a new version of the title track.
Guilty as Sin is the thirteenth studio album by the British heavy metal band Girlschool, released in 2015. It was the first Girlschool studio album since Hit and Run - Revisited, released in 2011. It is also the first album of original material since Legacy, released in 2008, and is Girlschool's final release to feature long-time, original co-lead vocalist and bassist Enid Williams, who left the band for good in 2019.
