I Don't Do Gentle: Cherry Red's 7T's Imprint Reissues Two Albums from Suzi Quatro on New Collection

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Since bursting onto the scene in the mid-1960s as a member of Detroit band The Pleasure Seekers, Suzi Quatro has enjoyed one of the most versatile careers in rock and roll. In addition to selling over 55 million LPs and singles, Quatro has starred on stage and screen and influenced an entire generation of artists including Joan Jett and The Go-Go's. Suzi's most recent studio LP, The Devil in Me, arrived in early 2021. Now, Cherry Red's 7T's imprint is looking back to her first two albums of the 21st century: Back to the Drive (2006) and In the Spotlight (2011). Both albums have been expanded to comprise a new 2-CD set, Back to the...Spotlight, out in stores today.

Suzi stayed away from the recording studio for much of the 1990s and early 2000s, instead channeling her talents into other avenues of entertainment and even self-help and addressing what she candidly describes in her new notes as "personal problems." 2006's Back to the Drive was her first "proper" release since 1990's Oh, Suzi Q. (1995's What Goes Around featured re-recordings of her previous hits along with a handful of new recordings, and 1998's Unreleased Emotion premiered a clutch of 1982 recordings.) Produced by Andy Scott and Steve Grant, Back to the Drive featured a hard-hitting title track by Mike Chapman, co-writer of Quatro hits including "Can the Can," "48 Crash," "Devil Gate Drive," and "Stumblin' In." The song and album returned Quatro to her rock roots, with crunchy guitars and attitude to spare. As one song went, "I Don't Do Gentle," but Back to the Drive also found room for tender and deeply-felt moments such as "Sometimes Love Is Letting Go," inspired by her ailing mother. The artist co-wrote much of the LP but brought her own stamp to an appropriate cover of Neil Young's "Rockin' in the Free World." 7T's' edition gains four bonus tracks: a gracefully understated "Desperado" featuring Jeff Beck on guitar; and demos of album cuts "No Choice," "Free the Butterfly," and "Dancing in the Wind."

In the Spotlight didn't arrive until 2011, but it was worth the wait. It took the reunion with Mike Chapman one step further. In addition to penning the nominal title track "Spotlight," the veteran hitmaker offered another three songs and produced the entire album save two cuts helmed by the returning Andy Scott. Quatro fans were used to expecting the unexpected - this was, after all, the rock star who followed in the footsteps of Ethel Merman to star as Annie Oakley in a West End revival of Annie Get Your Gun - and so In the Spotlight boasted covers of Goldfrapp ("Strict Machine") and Rihanna ("Breaking Dishes"). Elvis Presley was a touchstone for the LP, too. Suzi reinterpreted "Hard Headed Woman," first recorded by The King in 1958 for King Creole, and wrote "Singing with Angels" as a tribute to the late superstar. She was joined on the latter by Wrecking Crew and TCB Band guitar legend James Burton as well as by The Jordanaires, as always bringing their unmistakable harmonies. One bonus track has been added to this reissue: Suzi's energetic romp through ABBA's "Does Your Mother Know" as "Does Your Mama Know."

A 28-page booklet within the six-panel digipak contains lyrics for each song as well as brief track-by-track commentary from Suzi. James Bragg has mastered the collection. Back to the...Spotlight is available today from 7T's. You'll find the track listing and order links below.

Suzi Quatro, Back to the...Spotlight (Cherry Red/7T's GLAMCDD 186, 2022) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada)

CD 1: Back to the Drive (EMI 350 617-2, 2006)

Back to the Drive
15 Minutes of Fame
Duality
I Don't Do Gentle
I'll Walk Through the Fire with You
Wasted Moments
Rockin' in the Free World
No Choice
Sometimes Love Is Letting Go
Dancing in the Wind
Free the Butterfly
Born Making Noise

Bonus Tracks

Desperado
No Choice (Demo)
Free the Butterfly (Demo)
Dancing in the Wind (Demo)

CD 2: In the Spotlight (Cherry Red CDBRED511, 2011)

A Girl Like Me
Whatever Love Is
Spotlight
Strict Machine
Breaking Dishes
Rosie Rose
Hurt with You
Hot Kiss
Turn Into
Hard-Headed Woman
Singing with Angels

Bonus Track

Does Your Mama Know

Joe Marchese

JOE MARCHESE (Editor) joined The Second Disc shortly after its launch in early 2010, and has since penned daily news and reviews about classic music of all genres. In 2015, Joe formed the Second Disc Records label. Celebrating the great songwriters, producers and artists who created the sound of American popular song, Second Disc Records, in conjunction with Real Gone Music, has released newly-curated collections produced by Joe from iconic artists such as Johnny Mathis, Bobby Darin, Laura Nyro, Melissa Manchester, Chet Atkins, and many others. He has contributed liner notes to reissues from a diverse array of artists, among them Nat "King" Cole, Paul Williams, Lesley Gore, Dusty Springfield, B.J. Thomas, The 5th Dimension, Burt Bacharach, The Mamas and the Papas, Carpenters, Perry Como, Rod McKuen, Doris Day, Jackie DeShannon, and Andy Williams, and has compiled releases for talents including Robert Goulet and Keith Allison of Paul Revere and the Raiders. Over the past two decades, Joe has also worked in a variety of capacities on and off Broadway as well as at some of the premier theatres in the U.S., including Lincoln Center Theater, George Street Playhouse, Paper Mill Playhouse, Long Wharf Theatre, and the York Theatre Company. He has felt privileged to work on productions alongside artists such as the late Jack Klugman, Eli Wallach, Arthur Laurents, Betty Comden and Adolph Green. In 2009, Joe began contributing theatre and music reviews to the print publication The Sondheim Review, and in 2012, he joined the staff of The Digital Bits as a regular contributor writing about film and television on DVD and Blu-ray. Joe currently resides in the suburbs of New York City.