• First-Ever Vinyl Reissue.  

• Red vinyl.

  Charity Ball Review by Mark Deming: Fanny were still finding their feet when they recorded their first album in 1970 -- it was a fine set of songs but occasionally betrayed the fact that the band members were just getting accustomed to one another when they started recording. Fanny's second effort, 1971's Charity Ball, was in comparison a stronger, more confident, and more enjoyable disc; the push and pull between June Millington's tough guitar figures and Nickey Barclay's rollicking keyboards yield more exciting results here, while Alice de Buhr's sharp, inventive drumming and Jean Millington's subtle, melodic basslines keep the bottom end lively and supportive at all times. The band also delivered a better set of songs this time out; the rowdy good-time boogie of the title cut was a deserved hit single (though it sadly peaked just as it first nicked the Top 40), "Soul Child" delivers some cool but sassy funk, "What Kind of Love" and "A Person Like You" find them throwing some serious and quite funny shade on folks who've done them dirt, "A Little While Later" confirmed they could still sound forceful in ballad mode, and "Place in the Country" is a powerful rant against the madness of war and inner-city strife with some of June's most fiery soloing. Richard Perry's production is a sometimes a bit more polished than this music needed, and it's a shame he didn't give this band a punchier guitar sound, but he makes the most of the melodies here (and Fanny most certainly had 'em) as well as the group's solid harmonies. As the first all-female rock band to cut an album for a major label, Fanny had the unenviable task of being trailblazers who were expected to "prove" they were capable of playing rock & roll (something women had been doing for years at this point). With Charity Ball, Fanny reminded anyone with ears that they were a strong, talented, and exciting rock & roll band as purely enjoyable as any group on the scene in the early '70s, regardless of gender. Fun trivia fact: the portrait of the band on the front cover was photographed by none other than Candice Bergen.

June and Jean Millington were from the Philippines and joined forces with Alice De Buhr and Nickey Barclay in Sacramento, the band originally called Wild Honey. They’d release five albums (with Patti Quattro joining for the last one when June would move to Isis) and then split in 1975. While the Quattro sisters and their Detroit band the Pleasure Seekers predate Fanny, few knew of them, and Fanny played a big part in inspiring female rockers, likely the rockers that rose in the second half of the 1970s, such as the Wilson sisters of Heart and the girls of the Runaways. In fact, many young girls growing up in the 1970s point out how this group inspired them to learn to play instruments and dedicate their lives to rock n roll. Fifty-one years ago, Fanny released this second album. Fifty-one years later, here’s the first-ever reissue. -- winch

With the release of their debut self-titled album, Fanny made history as the first all-female rock band ever signed to a major label, but it was on their second album when the girls really settled into a groove. Highlighted by such tracks as “Cat Fever,” “Thinking of You” and “Place in the Country,” Charity Ball was a quantum leap forward for the group, and displays a much more surehanded lyrical and musical approach than its predecessor. This reissue marks the first time Charity Ball has been available on vinyl since its original 1971 release, and we’ve gotten it all dressed up for the ball, with the original album art featuring the cover photo by Candice Bergen and a lyric sheet. Ruby red vinyl pressing limited to 2000 copies!

Side One

1. Charity Ball
2. What Kind of Love
3. Cat Fever
4. A Person Like You
5. Special Care
6. What’s Wrong with Me

Side Two

1. Soul Child
2. You’re the One
3. Thinking of You
4. Place in the Country
5. A Little While Later

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