''The Runaways'' is the debut studio album by American rock band the Runaways. It was released on June 1, 1976, by

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AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Music ...

has praised the album (especially band members Cherie Currie,

Joan Jett Joan Jett (born Joan Marie Larkin, September 22, 1958) is an American singer, guitarist, record producer, and actress. Jett is best known for her work as the frontwoman of her band Joan Jett and the Blackhearts, and for earlier founding and per ...

and Lita Ford), comparing the band's music to material by

Led Zeppelin Led Zeppelin were an English rock band formed in London in 1968. The group comprised vocalist Robert Plant, guitarist Jimmy Page, bassist/keyboardist John Paul Jones, and drummer John Bonham. With a heavy, guitar-driven sound, they are ...

and

Aerosmith Aerosmith is an American rock band formed in Boston in 1970. The group consists of Steven Tyler (lead vocals), Joe Perry (guitar), Tom Hamilton (bass), Joey Kramer (drums) and Brad Whitford (guitar). Their style, which is rooted in blues ...

. According to multiple sources, including Cherie Currie (in her memoir ''Neon Angel''), the liner notes of the 2003

Cherry Red Records Cherry Red Records is a British independent record label founded in Malvern, Worcestershire by Iain McNay in 1978. The label has released recordings by Dead Kennedys, Everything But the Girl, The Monochrome Set, and Felt, among others, as we ...

reissue of ''The Runaways'', and Jackie Fox herself, bassist Nigel Harrison played bass on the album, due to manager

Kim Fowley Kim Vincent Fowley (July 21, 1939 – January 15, 2015) was the American record producer, songwriter and musician who was behind a string of novelty and cult pop rock singles in the 1960s, and managed The Runaways in the 1970s. He has bee ...

refusing to let Fox play on the record. The documentary film '' Edgeplay: A Film About the Runaways'' states that the album's first track " Cherry Bomb" was written ad hoc during the audition of lead singer Cherie Currie and the title is a play on the pronunciation of Currie's first name. Currie was told to prepare a Suzi Quatro song for the audition; she picked "

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", a song the band did not know how to play. Instead, Jett and Fowley came up with the song and had Currie sing it for her audition. In January 2009, "Cherry Bomb" was ranked 52nd on VH1's 100 Greatest Hard Rock Songs list. A cover of "Cherry Bomb" is featured in the music video game ''

Rock Band A rock band or pop band is a small musical ensemble that performs rock music, pop music, or a related genre. A four-piece band is the most common configuration in rock and pop music. In the early years, the configuration was typically two gui ...

'' as a downloadable single track. The song also featured in the films '' Dazed and Confused'', '' RV'', '' Cherrybomb'', '' The Runaways'', and ''

Guardians of the Galaxy The Guardians of the Galaxy is a fictional superhero team appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. It may more specifically refer to: Comic book teams * Guardians of the Galaxy (1969 team), the original 31st-century team fr ...

'', and is played in the opening scene of

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's stand-up comedy DVD " I'm the One That I Want". "You Drive Me Wild" is featured in the 2010 film about the band. Actress Dakota Fanning covers "Cherry Bomb" as well as "Dead End Justice" with

Kristen Stewart Kristen Jaymes Stewart (born April 9, 1990) is an American actress. The world's highest-paid actress in 2012, she has received various accolades, including a British Academy Film Award and a César Award, in addition to nominations for an Aca ...

, as they portray Cherie Currie and

, respectively.

Track listing

Personnel

Credits adapted from the liner notes of ''The Runaways''. The Runaways * The Runaways – arrangements * Cherie Currie – lead vocals, piano *

– rhythm guitar, lead vocals * Lita Ford – lead guitar * Sandy West – drums, vocals * Jackie Fox – bass, vocals (only credited, did not perform on the album) Additional musicians * Scott Anderson – arrangements *

– arrangements *

Rodney Bingenheimer Rodney Bingenheimer (born December 15, 1946) is an American radio disc jockey who is best known as the host of ''Rodney on the ROQ'', a radio program that ran on the Los Angeles rock station KROQ from 1976 to 2017. In the early 1970s, he also m ...

– orchestration * Nigel Harrison – bass (uncredited) Technical * Kim Fowley – production, direction * Andy Morris – sound * Scott Anderson – production coordination * Gilbert Kong – mastering * Bill Jimmerson – recording * Lawrence W. Wendelken – recording Artwork * Tom Gold – photography * Desmond Strobel – design

Charts

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Runaways 1976 debut albums Albums produced by Kim Fowley Mercury Records albums The Runaways albums