* En anglais uniquement
An obscure all-girl '60ss garage band from Nashville, Tennessee,
the Feminine Complex comprised singer/guitarist Mindy Dalton, bassist Jean Williams, vocalist/tambourine player Judi Griffith, organist Pame Stephens, and drummer Lana Napier. The group was formed by Williams and
Napier in 1966 while both were sophomores at Nashville's Maplewood High School. Originally named the Pivots, a moniker suggested by the girls' basketball coach, they made their debut at a school talent show -- after recruiting teammates
Dalton and
Griffith -- dressed in matching pantsuits and performing covers of contemporary hits. After adding
Stephens, the quintet rechristened themselves
the Feminine Complex and began making regular appearances at Skateland, then Nashville's hottest summer teen hangout.
In a local scene otherwise dominated by male combos like the Anglo Saxons,
the Feminine Complex quickly earned a cult following, and soon they were touring throughout Tennessee. They caught the attention of A&R vet Dee Kilpatrick, who'd just formed the Athena Records label.
The Feminine Complex was the label's first signing, and in 1969, the band's debut LP
Livin' Love was released. However, by the time the album appeared the group had already disintegrated --
Stephens, who'd graduated high school, ultimately chose college over rock & roll, and both Williams and
Napier quit soon after.
Dalton and
Griffith briefly forged on as a duo, but by late 1969,
the Feminine Complex was no more. In 1996, the hip indie label TeenBeat reissued
Livin' Love, followed a year later by the rarities collection
To Be in Love. ~ Jason Ankeny