The Musical World of Rocky Horror
Naked CD by Joan Jett and the Blackhearts 40,507 views
Rock star Joan Jett was one of the more interesting casting choices for the 2001 Broadway revival of The Rocky Horror Show. She was cast for the role of Columbia, and in order to better match Joan's style the traditional tap dance during Time Warp was replaced by her own guitar solo. When the cast album for the show was recorded in March 2001, they unfortunately could not come to terms and Joan Jett would be the only original cast member not to appear. She finally left the cast on May 27th, 2001, being replaced by Ana Gasteyer (of SNL) as Columbia.
For this particular production, both Magenta and Columbia appeared as Usherettes to sing Science Fiction/Double Feature (and its Reprise). When Joan Jett resumed touring in 2002, word came out that she was performing a cover version of Science Fiction/Double Feature at some of her live shows. From that point I suppose it was only a matter of time before she would record the song with the Blackhearts. Note that in this version, both Science Fiction/Double Feature and its Reprise are rolled into a single song.
As of this writing in 2009, the CD appears to still be in print and available (for those of us not actually located in Japan) from CDJapan.
Japan ©2004 Blackheart Records (VICP-62690)
Released by Victor Entertainment, Inc.
JAN: 4988002459254
Total running time: 62:21
- Naked (4:07) - M/L: Joan Jett - Rudy Yuly
- Bad Time (JJ Mix) (4:59) - M/L: Joan Jett - Joey Levine - Kenny Laguna
- Fetish (3:22) - M/L: Joan Jett
- Androgynous (3:08) - M/L: Paul Westerberg
- Science Fiction (Punk Version) (3:54) - Song lyrics available. M/L: Richard O'Brien
- Right In The Middle (3:48) - M/L: Joan Jett - Linda Perry - Kenny Laguna
- Turn It Around (3:45) - M/L: Joan Jett
- Everyone Knows (3:10) - M/L: Joan Jett - Jim Vallance - Kenny Laguna
- Baby Blue (4:05) - M/L: Joan Jett - Kathleen Hanna - Kenny Laguna
- Kiss On The Lips (3:22) - M/L: Joan Jett - Kathleen Hanna - Tony Bruno - Kenny Laguna
- Watersign (3:10) - M/L: Joan Jett - Kathleen Hanna
- Tube Talkin' (3:37) - M/L: Joan Jett - Kathleen Hanna
- Season Of The Witch (5:03) - M/L: Donovan Leitch
- Bad Time (Monster Mix) (5:00) - M/L: Joan Jett - Joey Levine - Kenny Laguna
- Can't Live Without You (2:34) - M/L: Joan Jett - Jim Vallance - Kenny Laguna
- Five (5:16) - M/L: Joan Jett - Kathleen Hanna
 | Time Warp (2001-04-20, featuring Joan Jett as Columbia) by 2001 Broadway Cast - 5 minutes 23 seconds (540x400, 30 fps, 36.1 MB). Bootleg audience tape from the Broadway Cast of The Rocky Horror Show on April 20th, 2001. As is usual for such tapes, the quality is terrible and there are people in the way periodically. But it's likely the only way most of us will be able to see or hear any of Joan Jett's performance as Columbia, as she was unfortunately not part of the cast album. The usual Columbia tap dance here is replaced by a Joan Jett guitar solo. Other performers include Raúl Esparza as Riff Raff, Daphne Rubin-Vega as Magenta, Kristen Lee Kelly as Janet, Jarrod Emick as Brad, and Dick Cavett as the Narrator. |
Rocky Horror Cover Songs - Live Performances
- Science Fiction (Punk Version - 2004-08-11) - 4:40, 238 kbps MP3, 7.9 MB (22.8 MB lossless FLAC also available). Live at Oakdale Theater in Wallingford, Connecticut on August 11th, 2004. This cover actually combines both Science Fiction/Double Feature and its Reprise into a single song. Taken from DIME.
ALBUM IMAGES
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 CD Liner Notes 737x750 JPEG, 618 KB |  CD Liner Notes 750x376 JPEG, 281 KB |
PHOTOS
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Hey Japan!
Making this CD was quite an odyssey. Now that we've reached our destination, I believe we have made the best Joan Jett and the Blackhearts CD ever. Of course, I always think that when we finish, but sometimes I'm right, like this time.
NAKED is being released exclusively in Japan, well ahead of every other country. We do this because Japan is the first country that recognized Joan Jett as a real talent, when she was only 15 years old. We do this also as a tribute to our Japanese record partner, JVC, who has stood by our little indie label, Blackheart Records, for many years, and through all kinds of adversity. Thanks, JVC.
After working on the recording for so long, we realized we had before us a work with many textures, recorded in several countries and many cities. Naked, the song, was a product of our dalliance in Seattle, when Joan produced some sides with BIKINI KILL, helped keep THE GITS legacy alive with EVIL STIG, and put out METAL CHURCH on her label.
We made Bad Time with our good friend, pop legend Joey Levine, in the same studio where Joey creates Dr. Pepper commercials. Joan and the band made a rockin' track of it, and Joey and I begged to have our monster mix on the record also, hence the two versions.
Fetish is an amazing tribute to wildness. Joan is the same rebellious, raging, rock and roll lunatic she was when I met her as a young teenage ex-Runaway so many years ago. Punk Riot Grrrl icon Kathleen Hanna helped arrange the vocals.
Androgynous, written by THE REPLACEMENTS Paul Westerberg is, as Joan says, for those who like to blur those lines.
Science Fiction is a song Joan Jett sang in her hit Broadway show, THE ROCKY HORROR SHOW, only the Blackhearts rock it harder than they did it on Broadway.
Turn It Around is the kind of Joan Jett song that made THE RUNAWAYS famous.
Probably the best writer with rock bands ever is Jim Vallance. We had a ball writing with him in his high tech recording set up in Vancouver. We'll never forget his generosity, when he let us use his amazing studio, The Armoury, to record the tracks I produced with magnate Bob Rock. The Vancouver rock community adopted Joan. One of the results of this time is Everyone Knows, a defiant shout at those who can't accept non-conformity.
Baby Blue, the one Joan and Kathleen wrote about a girl who stretches her boundaries, is one I produced with super legend Teddy Templeman, who turned out to be as perverted as the girls.
We did Kiss On The Lips with Kathleen and our former guitar player, Tony Bruno, a most talented producer, writer, musician, who writes some of the biggest hits in Europe, and who directs Enrique Iglesias music. This song is wacky and psychedelic, and oops!!! another suggestive lyric.
Watersign is a soft sensitive love song, but there is a hidden meaning you may get if you are into the flow. Emiko, of JVC wanted me to hold it off JETT ROCK, the greatest hits package we put out last year, and now I wish I'd listened to her, so it would be brand new, but we can't put this CD out without this beautiful part of the mosaic that encompasses NAKED. So for those of you who have JETT ROCK, you can enjoy it again, knowing what it's about now.
If Joan Jett is the queen of punk, Kathleen is surely the crown princess. Tube Talkin' is a throwback to the girl groups like THE SHANGRI LAS, but with the snotty pout that Joan Jett and Kathleen Hanna do better than anyone on the planet. The Tube could be the subway in London where the babes are yackin', or perhaps the TV, where we're watchin' them blab!?!
Season Of The Witch is the product of melding the eclectic musical perspectives of Joan Jett and the Blackhearts, Teddy Templeman and me.
Can't Live Without You is a favorite of mine, and it's about a more classic love than some of our other sentiments. It's one of our collaborations with Jim Vallance.
Five is a Joan/Kathleen take on the interviews they endure.
I hope you all enjoy this.
Kindest regards,
Kenny Laguna
Produced by: Kenny Laguna
Mastered by: Peter Kuperschmid at Soundnet Studios, Long Beach, New York - www.soundnet.com
The Blackhearts are: Thommy Price - Doug Cangialosi - Sami Yaffa - Kenny Laguna - Joan Jett
Additional musicians and singers: Joey Levine, Kathleen Hanna, Tony Bruno, Chris Palmero
Orchestral Arrangements on Bad Time monster mix by: Chris Palmero
NAKED was recorded at the following studios: The Armoury, Vancouver Canada; One On One, Los Angeles; Studio 900, New York City; Crushing Music, New York City; Soundnet, Long Beach, NY; Videoland, New York City; Vancouver Studios, Vancouver Canada; Loho Studio, New York City; The Hit Factory, New York City
The following engineers contributed their special touch to this CD: Jeff Hendrickson, Joe Johnson, Peter Kuperschmid, John Squirriarino, Tony Bruno, Randy Staub, John Aiosa, Paul Siveira, Brian Dobbs, Dave Liles, Jeff Delbello, Victor Luke, Frank Garfi and Thom Pammzio
Blackheart Records: Karol Kamin, Julie Rader, Elliot Saltzman, Meryl Laguna, Lauren Varga, Carianne Laguna, T.J. Fazio, Jon Lennon, Frank Ferrurio, David Snowden, Billy Crater, Enzo Penizzotto, Randy Brown and Joe Muller
Cover Photography / CD Design: Carianne Laguna
CD booklet layout by David Snowden
Live Photography: Niva Bringas, Blackheart band photo: Brian Lucey
This CD dedicated to: Peri Laguna and Sophia Jett
Special Thanks to: Tony Martell
Obscure Distorted Instruments And Imagery