The Runaways (album)

This article is about the album. For other uses, see Runaway (disambiguation).

The Runaways
Studio album by the Runaways
Released	May 17, 1976 (1976-05-17) [1] [2] April 27, 1976 (1976-04-27)(test pressing) [1] April 29, 1976 (1976-04-29)(acetate-disc) [3] 25 October 1976 (1976-10-25)(Japan) [4] November 1976 (1976-11)(UK) [5] 2003 (2003)(reissue) [6]
Recorded	March 1976 (1976-03) [1] [7]
Studio	Fidelity Recorders (Studio City) [8] [7] [9] Criterion Studios (Hollywood) [7] [8] [9]
Genre	Hard rock [9] punk rock [10] heavy metal [11]
Length	32:04
Label	Mercury Cherry Red (2003 reissue)
Producer	Kim Fowley
The Runaways chronology
The Runaways (1976) Queens of Noise (1977)
Singles from The Runaways
"Cherry Bomb" Released: June 1976 (1976-06) [12] September 1976 (1976-09)(France, Spain) [13] September 17, 1976 (1976-09-17)(UK, Australia) [13] [14] October 1976 (1976-10)(Japan) [15] "Secrets" Released: November 25, 1976 (1976-11-25)(Japan) [16]

The Runaways is the debut album by the American rock band the Runaways, released on May 17, 1976, through Mercury. ^{[1] [2]}

Background

According to multiple sources, including Cherie Currie (in her memoir Neon Angel), the liner notes of the 2003 Cherry Red Records reissue of The Runaways, and Jackie Fox herself, bassist Nigel Harrison played bass on the album, due to manager Kim Fowley refusing to let Fox play. ^[17]

The documentary film Edgeplay: A Film About the Runaways states that the album's first track "Cherry Bomb" was written ad hoc during the audition of lead singer Cherie Currie and the title is a play on the pronunciation of Currie's first name. Currie was told to prepare a Suzi Quatro song for the audition; she picked "Fever", a song the band did not know how to play. Instead, Jett and Fowley came up with the song and had Currie sing it for her audition.

On January 5, 2009, "Cherry Bomb" was ranked 52nd on VH1's 100 Greatest Hard Rock Songs list. ^[18] A cover of "Cherry Bomb" is featured in the music video game Rock Band as a downloadable single track. The song also featured in the films Dazed and Confused , RV , Cherrybomb , The Runaways , and Guardians of the Galaxy , and is played in the opening scene of Margaret Cho's stand-up comedy DVD I'm the One That I Want .

"You Drive Me Wild" is featured in the 2010 film about the band. Actress Dakota Fanning covers "Cherry Bomb" as well as "Dead End Justice" with Kristen Stewart, as they portray Cherie Currie and Joan Jett, respectively. ^[19]

Music ratings

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[9]
Billboard	no rating [20]
Record World	no rating [21]
Phonograph Record	no rating [22]
Cashbox	no rating [23]
New Musical Express	no rating [24]
Crawdaddy!	no rating [25]
Creem	no rating [26]
RPM	no rating [27]
Stereo Review	no rating [10]

AllMusic praised the album (especially band members Cherie Currie, Joan Jett and Lita Ford), comparing the music to material by Led Zeppelin and Aerosmith. ^[9]

Track listing

Credits adapted from the liner notes of test pressing and original LP. ^{[1] [8] [28]}

LP ( Mercury Records – catalogue number: SRM-1-1090)
Side one

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Lead vocals by	Length
1.	"Cherry Bomb"	Joan Jett Kim Fowley	Cherie Currie	2:20
2.	"You Drive Me Wild"	Jett	Jett	3:20
3.	"Is It Day or Night?"	Fowley	Currie	2:43
4.	"Thunder"	Mark Anthony Kari Krome	Currie and Jett (scat-vocals)	2:35
5.	"Rock and Roll"	Lou Reed	Jett	3:14

Side two

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Lead vocals by	Length
1.	"Lovers"	Jett Fowley	Jett and Currie (scat-vocals)	2:10
2.	"American Nights"	Anthony Fowley	Currie	3:15
3.	"Blackmail"	Jett Fowley	Jett	2:40
4.	"Secrets"	Currie Fowley Krome Sandy West	Currie	2:47
5.	"Dead End Justice"	Scott Anderson Currie Fowley Jett	Currie and Jett	7:00
Total length:				32:04

Personnel

Credits adapted from the liner notes of original LP. ^{[1] [8] [28]}

The Runaways is

• Cherie Currie — vocals and piano (tracks 4, 7, 9)
• Lita Ford — lead guitar
• Joan Jett — rhythm guitar and vocals
• Jackie Fox — bass and vocals (not performed) ^[17]
• Sandy West — drums and vocals

Session musicians

• The Runaways, Kim Fowley, Scott Anderson — arrangements
• Rodney Bingenheimer — orchestration (outro; track 10)

Technical

• Kim Fowley — production, direction
• Andy Morris — sound
• Scott Anderson — production coordination
• Gilbert Kong — mastering
• Bill Jimmerson — recording
• Lawrence W. Wendelken — recording
• Tom Gold — photography
• Recorded at Fidelity Recorders, Studio City in March 1976 ^{[1] [7]}

Mixed at Criterion Studios, Hollywood in April ^[1]

2003 reissue ^[6]

• Nigel Harrison — bass ^[17]
• Энди Моррис — звукорежиссёр
• Мики Стил — инженер
• Алекс Блейдс — координатор производственного процесса
• Bill Jimmerson — recording operator
• Lawrence W. Wendelken — recording
• Desmond Strobel — designer
• Michael Hausman, Niva Bringas — photographers
• Ian McNei, Joan Jett, Michael Heatley, Lisa Francher, Sally O-Jay — text booklet authors

Charts

Year	Chart	Peak position
1976	US Billboard 200 [29]	194
	Australia (Kent Music Report) [30]	31

References

1. The Runaways (Test Pressing). The Runaways. Hollywood, CA: Mercury Records. April 27, 1976. SRM-1-1090.
2. "The Runaways live - Tour History". The Runaways live. Retrieved August 31, 2025.
3. The Runaways (Acetate disc). The Runaways. Hollywood, CA: Mercury Records. April 29, 1976. SRM-1-1090.
4. ザ・ランナウェイズ* – チェリー・ボム 悩殺爆弾／禁断のロックンロール・クィーン = Cherry Bomb / Forbidden Rock And Roll Queen (Cassette). The Runaways. Mercury Records. October 25, 1976. PCT-12143.
5. Martin C. Strong (2000). The great rock discography. p. 833.
6. The Runaways (Reissue). The Runaways, en|Michael Heatley. Cherry Red. 2003. CDMRED 237 (p.10).
7. Evelyn McDonnell (2013). Queens of Noise. Boston: Da Capo Press. p. 137. ISBN   978-0-306-82039-7.
8. The Runaways (1976). The Runaways (LP booklet). Hollywood, CA: Mercury Records. SRM-1-1090.
9. Alex Henderson. "The Runaways — The Runaways review". AllMusic . Netaktion LLC. Archived from the original on December 9, 2021. Retrieved September 18, 2023.
10. Steve Simels (September 1976). "Popular Discs and Tapes: The Runaways: Punk Rock. The Runaways — The Runaways" (PDF). Stereo Review (magazine). Vol. 37, no. 3. New York: Ziff-Davis Publishing Company. p. 91. ISSN   0039-1220. Archived from the original (PDF) on November 11, 2023. Retrieved March 21, 2024.
11. Buckley, Peter (2003). The Rough Guide to Rock. London: Rough Guides. pp.  893. ISBN   1-84353-105-4 . Retrieved March 25, 2024. THE RUNAWAYS was compressed heavy metal:…
12. "The Runaways — Cherry Bomb". 45cat. June 1976. Retrieved November 26, 2025.
13. "The Runaways — Cherry Bomb". dutchcharts.nl. Retrieved March 10, 2024.
14. "The Runaways — Cherry Bomb". 45cat. September 17, 1976. Retrieved March 26, 2024.
15. "The Runaways — Cherry Bomb". 45cat. October 1976. Retrieved March 26, 2024.
16. Secrets (7", single). The Runaways. Japan: Mercury Records. November 25, 1976. SFL-2129.
17. Annie Zaleski (June 1, 2016). "How the Runaways' Debut Overcame Everything to Find Greatness". Ultimate Classic Rock. Townsquare Media, Inc. Archived from the original on December 26, 2024. Retrieved February 21, 2026.
18. Stosuy, Brandon (January 5, 2009). "VH1's 100 Greatest Hard Rock Songs". Stereogum . Retrieved December 11, 2018.
19. Kreps, Daniel (February 26, 2010). ""The Runaways" Soundtrack: Stewart and Fanning, Plus Stooges, Bowie and More". Rolling Stone . Archived from the original on March 1, 2010. Retrieved November 11, 2011.
20. "Top Album Picks: The Runaways – The Runaways" (PDF). Billboard . Vol. 88, no. 22. New York: Billboard Publications Inc. May 29, 1976. p. 82. ISSN   0006-2510. Archived from the original (PDF) on September 27, 2023.
21. "Album Picks: The Runaways — The Runaways" (PDF). Record World . Vol. 31, no. 1510. New York: Record World Publications Inc. May 29, 1976. p. 28. ISSN   0034-1622. Archived from the original (PDF) on May 21, 2023.
22. Edmonds, Ben (May 1976). "The Runaways: The Runaways". Phonograph Record . Retrieved April 10, 2024.
23. "Album Reviews: The Runaways — The Runaways" (PDF). Cashbox . Vol. 38, no. 2. New York: The Cash Box Publishing Co. Inc. June 5, 1976. p. 20. ISSN   0008-7289. Archived from the original (PDF) on May 16, 2023.
24. Hepworth, David (June 26, 1976). "The Runaways: The Runaways (Mercury, Import)". New Musical Express . L.: TI Media. ISSN   0028-6362.
25. Scott Isler (August 1976). "Records: L.A. Jets — L.A. Jets // The Runaways — The Runaways". Crawdaddy! (8 ed.). New York: Crawdaddy Publishing Co. p. 76. ISSN   0011-0833.
26. Robot A. Hull (August 1976). "The Runaways: The Runaways". Creem . Birmingham, MI: Cambray Publishing, Inc. ISSN   0011-1147.
27. "RPM Album Notes: The Runaways — The Runaways" (PDF). RPM . Vol. 24, no. 23. Toronto: RPM Music Publications Ltd. September 4, 1976. p. 10. ISSN   0315-5994. Archived from the original (PDF) on September 2, 2024.
28. Lead vocals is uncredited.
29. "The Runaways Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard . Retrieved 2018-12-11.
30. David Kent (historian) (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 261. ISBN   0-646-11917-6.

Sources

• "Runaway Girls". Melody Maker . Vol. 51, no. 29. London: IPC Magazines Ltd. July 17, 1976. p. 18. ISSN   0025-9012.
• Michael Barackman (August 10, 1976). "Runaways: Teenaged, Wild & Braless". Circus . No. 137. New York: Circus Enterprises Corporation. p. 16. ISSN   0009-7365.
• David Brown (October 2, 1976). "Running Wild!" (PDF). Record Mirror . London: Spotlight Publications Ltd. p. 6. ISSN   0144-5804. Archived from the original (PDF) on May 20, 2024.
• Harry Doherty (October 16, 1976). "The Runaways: You Sexy Things!". Melody Maker . Vol. 51, no. 42. London: IPC Magazines Ltd. p. 13. ISSN   0025-9012.
• Charles M. Young (October 1976). "?". Crawdaddy! (10 ed.). New York: Crawdaddy Publishing Co. p. 1, 34–35. ISSN   0011-0833.