Main Man Records have announced a June 28 release date for Take It Or Leave It, a tribute to The Runaways featuring music legends like David Johansen and Bebe Buell, indie rockers like The Dandy Warhols and Care Bears on Fire, old school bands like Starz and The Adolescents, one TV icon (Robbie Rist) and two of The Runaways. The interpretations of 36 songs are so diverse and some are just totally unexpected.
A donation from the proceeds will be made to a cancer research foundation in the name of Sandy West, The Runaways' late drummer.Take It Or Leave It is a 2-disc collection with 36 tracks that span The Runaways entire catalog. Their best known songs, like "Cherry Bomb" and "Queens Of Noise," are represented alongside more obscure tunes like "Hollywood" and "Born To Be Bad." The fullness of the selection makes it evident how generations of artists, from L7 and The Go-Gos to Redd Kross and Guns n' Roses, call back to the passion-fueled rock sensibility of The Runaways.
While the individual interpretations of each track explore the original contributions of Cherie Currie, Joan Jett, Lita Ford, Sandy West, Jackie Fox, Vicki Blue, TAKE IT OR LEAVE IT also includes two performances by original Runaways band members: lead vocalist Cherie Currie's rocking remake of fan-favorite "American Nights," and "Dirty Magazines", the last recording made by drummer Sandy West with her band Blue Fox.
Artists from various musical backgrounds donated their time and resources to help Main Man Records honor The Runaways. Some of the participants include The Donnas, Shonen Knife, The Adolescents, The Dandy Warhols, Richard Barone (of The Bongos), Derwood Andrews (of Generation X), Toilet Boys, Care Bears On Fire (with Earl Slick of David Bowie/New York Dolls), Kittie, Starz, David Johansen (of New York Dolls) and Kathleen Hanna (of Bikini Kill/Le Tigre) and Peaches, (whose collaboration was produced by Ad Rock of the Beastie Boys) as well as members of Frehley's Comet, Monster Magnet, The Fastbacks, The Cucumbers, The Doughboys and Cousin Oliver from The Brady Bunch, Robbie Rist.
Interspersed with the music are interview clips with the members of The Runaways, mock radio ads by broadcast legends Rodney Bingenheimer, Carol Miller and "Mr. Marty" Martinez, candid comments from Johnny Ramone and a recollection of the band's appearance at CBGB's by noted radio personality Meg Griffin.
In Sandy West's name, a donation from the proceeds of TAKE IT OR LEAVE IT will be made to the American Institute for Cancer Research. Since 1982, the AICR's mission has been to fund, support and promote research as well as expand public knowledge through educational programs to bring its message of cancer prevention to millions of Americans. To that end, the AICR has committed more than $82 million, and was the first organization in the nation to support research into the role of diet and exercise as it related to cancer prevention.
Disc One:
THE DONNAS - Queens Of Noise
SHONEN KNIFE - Black Leather
THE BINGES - I Love Playin' With Fire
BEBE BUELL BAND - Heartbeat
DEENA & THE LAUGHING BOYS - Lovers
FRANKENSTEIN 3000 - California Paradise
DELIRIUM TREMENS - Wasted
RICHIE SCARLET - Wild Thing
BLUE FOX - Neon Angels On The Road To Ruin
THE EASY OUTS featuring GAR FRANCIS - Is It Day Or Night
LAURA WARSHAUER - Little Lost Girls
WHITE FLAG - C'mon
CALI GIRAFFES - You're Too Possessive
TARA ELLIOTT & THE RED VELVETS - You Drive Me Wild
PLANET SORROW - Thunder
ROBBIE RIST - Yesterday's Kids
SERPENTEENS - Little Sister
ADOLESCENTS - School Days
BLUE FOX featuring SANDY WEST - Dirty Magazines
Disc Two:
THE DANDY WARHOLS - Cherry Bomb
RICHARD BARONE - Hollywood
CARE BEARS ON FIRE with EARL SLICK - Saturday Night Special
DERWOOD ANDREWS - Gotta Get Out Tonight
DAVID JOHANSEN - Blackmail
THE RIBEYE BROTHERS - Trash Can Murders
DIGGER PHELPS - Rock & Roll
TOILET BOYS - Born To Be Bad
THE SWALES - Midnight Music
FRANKENSTEIN 3000 featuring CHERIE CURRIE - American Nights
F-13 - I Wanna Be Where The Boys Are
THE STAY AT HOMES - Getting' Hot
KITTIE - Fantasies
STARZ - Waitin' For The Night
JACK BRAG - Secrets
CLINICAL TRIALS - Don't Go Away
KATHLEEN HANNA & PEACHES - Dead End Justice (produced by Ad Rock)