GIRLSCHOOL: 'Hit And Run – Revisited' Receives U.S. Release

There is a very limited number of rock albums which have stood the test of time, only true masterpieces continuing to sound fresh and exciting even years after their release. The reason for their cult status: the songs are timeless and the album's sound has captured the magic of the moment perfectly. GIRLSCHOOL's second album, "Hit And Run", out in 1981, was such a classic. For the British all-girl group surrounding singer/guitarist Kim McAuliffe, the successor to their debut, "Demolition", marked their international breakthrough. To this day, a number of tracks off "Hit And Run" feature on the live tracklist of the band which still consists of the original lineup — with the exception of the late Kelly Johnson, who sadly passed away in 2007 (she was replaced by guitarist Jackie Chambers in 2000). The news that GIRLSCHOOL issued a re-recorded version of "Hit And Run", complemented by two awesome bonus tracks, has delighted media and fans from all age groups alike.

"I'm just amazed that people still love it, even young people come up at our gigs now with copies that they found on the Internet or in shops or something," comments McAuliffe.

Available in Europe since last September, "Hit And Run - Revisited" was released in the U.S. on January 24 via UDR in three versions: a CD digipak, a regular jewel case CD and a vinyl LP with gatefold sleeve.

For McAuliffe and her three colleagues Chambers, bassist Enid Williams and drummer Denise Dufort, these re-recordings are much more than a journey back in time to the beginnings of their career: "Hit And Run - Revisited" documents the songs' great sustainability, recorded all over again in spring 2011 with a modern sound and contemporary studio equipment. Back then, in March 1981 at the Jackson Studios, the conditions were almost archaic. "This studio, which was almost like a shack in the middle of nowhere in Rickmansworth, was so old-fashioned," McAuliffe remembers. "You used to have to kick things to make them work. It was that sort of studio. It was just the four of us and Vic, as simple as that." But the spark was ignited as soon as producer Vic Maille recognised the quality of the material and GIRLSCHOOL started to have an idea what kind of gem they were about to hold in their hands. "We weren't sure," McAuliffe confesses. "I mean, we were surprised and obviously delighted at the success of 'Demolition', so we were hoping that this one would do well. But we weren't quite sure how well it would do."

Fact is: following its release, the album instantly hit it big. "Hit And Run" climbed the charts fast in America and Canada (even making the gold mark!),made No. 5 in the U.K. and opened the doors to major venues for GIRLSCHOOL. As a result, the musicians led a real jet set life and were flown around the globe by Jerry Bron, the owner of their record company Bronze Records. McAuliffe remembers, "Jerry had his own little airline. And we'd be zipping off in these little planes all over the place. One minute we'd be in Germany doing an interview or a TV show, and the next minute we'd be back in Newcastle. On the same day, you know. We thought, 'Blimey, this is incredible. This must be what it's like to be rock stars.' We zipped off everywhere in these little planes. So it was quite an amazing time, really."

A life full of highlights began, including the amenities of the dolce vita in the true sense of the word. "That was the first time that we could have everything we wanted on the rider," McAuliffe says. "You know, you hear these things about how you could just have whatever you want, so we used to love these things from Marks & Spencer's. There were these little chocolates with cream on top. Sort of desserts. We had them every night on our rider."

Naturally, re-recording their classic under ideal studio conditions brought back memories for GIRLSCHOOL of days gone by. At the same time, the musicians took the artistic liberty of updating a number of arrangements. McAuliffe says, "We've made quite a few changes. But I'm not gonna say anything about them because we're hoping that our fans will notice for themselves, just to see how well they know the original ones. But, of course, it's a different sound, we have Jackie play now, obviously, instead of Kelly, and also again, studio-wise it's just a completely different experience because the technology now is incredible compared to what we had in those days."

So "Hit And Run - Revisited" sees GIRLSCHOOL come full circle: all eleven numbers from the original now sparkle in amazing and dynamic versions, with small changes to a number of details and two fantastic bonus tracks: GIRLSCHOOL have re-recorded "Demolition Boys", the opener from their debut album, plus a haunting duet with Germany's No. 1 female hard rock vocalist Doro Pesch on the title track, "Hit And Run". In addition, this year's tour will see them play the same setlist as they performed in the early Eighties plus a number of tracks from their 2008 release, "Legacy". An appearance at the 2011 Wacken Open Air has already been confirmed (McAuliffe: "Every rock act wants to play Wacken. And we'll be there for the third time, following our gigs in 1999 and 2008. A dream-come-true!"). In other words: present and past will be combined by one of the most successful all-girl bands in the history of rock music!

"Hit And Run - Revisited" track listing:

01. C'mon Let's Go
02. The Hunter
03. (I'm Your) Victim
04. Kick It Down
05. Following the Crowd
06. Tush
07. Hit and Run
08. Watch Your Step
09. Back to Start
10. Yeah Right
11. Future Flash

Bonus tracks:

12. Demolition Boys
13. Hit and Run (with Doro)

Check out audio samples at this location.

GIRLSCHOOL's 30th-anniversary album, "Legacy", was released in Europe in November 2008 via Wacken Records/SPV. "Legacy" features a plethora of special guests, including Tony Iommi (BLACK SABBATH),Ronnie James Dio (BLACK SABBATH, RAINBOW, DIO),Lemmy and Phil Campbell from MOTÖRHEAD, "Fast" Eddie Clarke (FASTWAY, ex-MOTÖRHEAD) and a couple of members of TWISTED SISTER.