Isis

In 1973, ISIS was the name chosen for an eight person all-female rock outfit founded by Goldie and the Gingerbreads alumnae Carol MacDonald and Ginger Bianco. In an age when the phrase “all-woman rock-band” was synonymous with the term “novelty act,” ISIS was a band made up of immensely talented women who were world-class instrumentalists. ISIS was a self-contained band, writing and performing original material and playing every note of it themselves. They decided on a conscious level to reach their audience through their music rather than through their sexuality.From the beginning ISIS was competitive musically with the best male musicians of their day, but the playing field was decidedly uneven. Signed to recording deal with Buddah Records, and only the third all-female rock act to win the opportunity to record an entire album for a major record label behind Fanny and Birtha, ISIS was forced to fight the novelty-act stereotype each time they took the stage. Every gig they had to earn rock credibility, a quantity that all-male bands of their caliber could simply take for granted.In the '60s and '70s, the role of the professional woman-musician was at best undefined. A handful of women and a handful of bands lead by women defined the role of the woman-musician in rock music. They stood their ground with a resolve that resonates throughout the music industry to this day. They took all the crap that comes with breaking new ground - took it with sweet smiles on their faces - and then simply refused to go away. They would not be marginalized. And to a woman, every one of them loved to be underestimated, but only a fool did that.