Only Three Lads: Pearl E. Gates / Pearl Harbor & The Explosions - Top 5 New Wave Artists

Pantheon - Podcasts for Music Lovers

This week, Pearl E. Gates (aka Pearl Harbour) from Bay Area new wave faves Pearl Harbor & The Explosions gives us a glimpse of some of the artists of the era who had the biggest impact on her.

Along the way, Pearl shares her fascinating story: a military brat growing up in Germany who makes her way to San Francisco with a plane ticket and $75, joins The Tubes as a backup singer and dancer, which led to joining Leila and the Snakes before spinning off to form Pearl Harbor & The Explosions. After the moderate success of their single "Drivin'" for indie label 415 Records, the band was signed to Warner Bros. Records for their self-titled debut album, released in January 1980. It's a dynamic record that mixes new wave energy with pop, R&B, rockabilly, and jazz. They shared stages with the likes of Talking Heads, The Police, The Clash, and The B-52's. Differences in opinion regarding the Explosions' musical direction led to Pearl departing for England, where she recorded her rootsy, rockin' 1980 solo album Don't Follow Me, I'm Lost Too, with a dream band including Wilko Johnson from Dr. Feelgood and members of the Blockheads and the Clash. In fact, in the '80s, Pearl was married to Clash bassist Paul Simonon.

She also takes us through her rare mid-'80s album that never saw a U.S. release (Pearls Galore), her blazing '90s set Here Comes Trouble, and how her countrified return was sidelined by a lung cancer diagnosis. Now thankfully in remission, we are blessed to have this living icon of new wave history share her story. Oh, and in a head-turning twist, Uncle Gregg tackles the one question that nobody else has dared to ask!

Liberation Hall has just released an expanded edition of Pearl Harbor & The Explosions on opaque sky-blue vinyl, CD and digital, containing bonus tracks and the original UK album cover design. ⁠https://pearlharbortheexplosions.bandcamp.com/album/pearl-harbor-the-explosions⁠

Special thanks to Randy Haecker from Prime Mover Media for the introduction and coordination!

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