Fifth column
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Fifth Column is an all-women experimental post punk band from Toronto, which came about during the early 1980s. Originally the group had been known as Second Unit, but they took the name Fifth Column after a military manoeuvre by Francisco Franco during the Spanish Civil War, in which nationalist insurrectionists within besieged Republican Madrid, called 'the fifth column', would aid the four columns (north, south, east and west) outside the perimeters.
The name of their first full-length recording To Sir With Hate was a play on the theme song from the British school film, To Sir With Love, performed by Lulu. A song from this LP, "The Fairview Mall Story" was based on true events concerning media publication of the names of men arrested after being entrapped by police and was instrumental in paving the way for the emergence of the queercore scene.
Independent-minded, they released their recordings, including their second full length recording All-Time Queen Of The World themselves. In 1992 they released a single, "All Women Are Bitches", on the independent record label K Records. Despite being controversial and receiving little airplay, the recording was voted "Single Of The Week" in the UK music publication Melody Maker. Their last full-length recording, 36-C, was also released by K Records. The band's latest release was in 2002, on the Kill Rock Stars compilation, Fields And Streams.
The band performs live in the film named for them, Fifth Column at the Funnel, directed by Toronto experimental filmmaker John Porter, and in She's Real, Worse Than Queer by Lucy Thane. All of the members of the most recent line-up, and some previous members, appear in the G.B. Jones' movie The Yo-Yo Gang for which the band recorded the theme song. As well, bassist Anita Smith is interviewed in Scott Treleaven's Queercore: A Punk-u-mentary and the music of Fifth Column is featured in the film.
In 2004 the song "All Women Are Bitches" was covered and sampled by the band Lesbians On Ecstasy on their debut album, retitled as "Bitchsy", and, in 2005, by Kids on TV.
Albums
- To Sir With Hate (1985) Hide Records
- All-Time Queen Of The World (1990) Hide Records
- 36-C (1994) K Records
Singles
- "All Women are Bitches/Donna" 7" on K Records (1992)
- "Don't" 7" split single with God Is My Co-Pilot on Outpunk Records (1994)
- "I Love You, But" 7" split single with Trailer Queen on Dark Beloved Cloud Records (1995)
Cassettes
- Work (1989) Hide Records & Tapes; soundtrack for the video by Paulette Philips, cassette only release
Compilations
- "The Fairview Mall Story" on J.D.s Top Ten Homocore Hit Parade Tape, Hide Records & Tapes (cassette only) (1990)
- "Yo-Yo" on The Yo-Yo Gang Hide Records & Tapes; soundtrack for the film by G.B. Jones (cassette only) (1992)
- "Chewing Gum" on Keep On The Sunny Side, Amoeba Records (1993)
- "All Women Are Bitches" on International Hip Swing, K Records (1994)
- "Don't" on Free To Fight, Chainsaw Records and Candy Ass Records co-release (1995)
- "Erotic Thriller" on Rock Stars Kill, Kill Rock Stars (1996)
- "Imbecile" on Fields And Streams, Kill Rock Stars, (2002)
Soundtracks
- Fifth Column at the Funnel, directed by John Porter (1985)
- Work, directed by Paulette Philips and Geoffrey Shea (1989)
- The Troublemakers, directed by G.B. Jones (1990)
- The Yo-Yo Gang, directed by G.B. Jones (1992)
- A Gun For Jennifer, directed by Todd Morris (1996)
- She's Real, Worse Than Queer, directed by Lucy Thane (1997)
- , directed by Scott Treleaven (1997)
- The Law of Enclosures, directed by John Greyson (2000)
Most recent line-up
- G.B. Jones (drums, guitar, vocals)
- Caroline Azar (vocals, organ, guitar)
- Beverly Breckenridge (bass; 1987 -)
Previous members
- Anita Smith (bass; 1985-1987)
- Charlotte Briede (guitar; 1985-1990)
- Joel Wasson (drums; 1990-1992)
- Michelle Breslin (of [Sadoceanspacebear]) (guitar; 1992-1995)
- Don Pyle (of Shadowy Men on a Shadowy Planet) (drums; 1992-1993)
- Donna Dresch (of Team Dresch) (guitar; 1994)
- Torry Colichio (drums; 1993-1995)
See also
External links
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