A truly inspirational force on the female Rock scene. Although assembled as a manufactured band THE RUNAWAYS soon wrote their own rule books and found success on their own terms. With the idea of creating the ultimate, jailbait all-girl Rock band Hollywood Rock guru KIM FOWLEY placed an ad in Los Angeles' 'Bomp' fanzine and spent endless late nights in the Hollywood sleazepits with the then fourteen year old writer Kari Krome in order to seek out the right kind of teen queens. Initially a trio of Philadelphia born, seventeen year old JOAN JETT (real name: Joan Larkin), bassist Micki Steele and drummer Sandy West (a.k.a. Sandy Pesavento), the band performed one gig in this variation before Fowley introduced Micki Steele (real name Sue Thomas) in as lead vocalist. This latest recruit was to be guided on the art of bass playing by STEPPENWOLF's Nick St.Nicholas. By September 1975 the new look band was performing on the club circuit and cut the 'Born To Be Bad' demos.

Having seen 16 year old, English born guitarist LITA FORD substituting on bass in a friend's band, Kim Fowley asked her to audition for the vacant bass position in the RUNAWAYS. However, upon discovering that her main instrument was lead guitar Kim immediately offered her favoured role in the band. Initially, Ford lasted three days before quitting due to Fowley's attitude. A plea to rejoin from the other band members thankfully brought her back into the fold and, unarguably, Lita was the girl who put the Heavy Metal into the group.

As CHERIE CURRIE was added to the line-up as front woman, Steele departed (turning up a decade later in the all girl Pop Rock band the BANGLES) and was replaced, following a brief tenure on bass by one 'Peggy', by Jackie Fox (real name; Jacqueline Fuchs).

The first album immediately caused friction within the group as the cover was graced with a picture of a corset and stocking clad Cherie Currie alone, although the all five girls were depicted inside the impressive gatefold sleeve. Stories suggest that the bass tracks were actually handled by ex-SILVERHEAD (and later BLONDIE) bassist Nigel Harrison.

The second album, 'Queens Of Noise', was a good deal more polished, the result of record company pressure and the appearance of session players like Fowley associate Steven T. To appease Ford, the guitarist was given a work out of her own entitled 'Johnny Guitar'. Currie's role as front woman was also undermined as Jett sang lead on a hefty portion of the record.

Whilst the 'Live At The Starwood' album is on many Wants lists, mainly as a result of being included in a 'Striktly For Konnoisseurs' article in an early edition of Kerrang! magazine, it is, in fact, a bootleg album. The official live album was only ever released in Japan and, rather appropriately enough, was titled 'Live In Japan'. A lavishly packaged affair, 'Live In Japan' captured the girls on tour in the Far East. Again, rumours suggest that the bass tracks were re-recorded in a studio in Hollywoodby road manager Kent J. Smythe. Fox bailed out midway through these Far Eastern dates, necessitating Joan Jett switching to bass in order to complete the shows. Currie quit the group too but would not be replaced, Jett taking over vocal duties and Ford delegated bass duties in the studio. Fox's position for live work was filled by Vicki Blue.

'And Now... The Runaways'. This album, a collection of unreleased material, has been re-issued a number of times but was first released in 1979 and includes a Lita Ford lead vocal on the track 'I'm A Million' and Sandy West singing 'Right Now'. The line-up of the group was credited as Jett, Ford, Blue and West. The tracks were produced by John Alcock.

The group imploded in 1980 after a brief spell working with new bassist Laurie McAllister. Blue had quit to form a new band with McAllister's recently dumped ex boyfriend! Post RUNAWAYS McAllister would go on to form part of the Fowley conceived all girl band THE ORCHIDS.

Jett briefly worked with SEX PISTOLS members STEVE JONES and Paul Cook on some demos that included 'You Don't Own Me', 'Don't Abuse Me'. Jett also worked up was an early version of the ARROWS' 'I Love Rock n' Roll' that first appeared rather timidly bearing in mind its future status as a single B-side on one of Joan's very early 45 releases in Holland.

Currie and Blue formed a union with MÖTLEY CRÜE drummer Tommy Lee in 1984 for a projected side band but this act never got beyond rehearsals.

A rash of RUNAWAYS compilation albums appeared in the early 80s, the most common of which was the 'Flaming Schoolgirls' album released through Mercury in Germany and re-issued by Cherry Red as 'Runaways & Cherie Currie'. This album was compiled by Kim Fowley without the consent of the band and comprised unreleased studio material alongside three live tracks not included on the 'Live In Japan' album. The 'Rock Heavies' album was released by Mercury in Germany as part of a series of similarly titled and packaged albums containing material from a host of well known artists available to the label at the time.

During 1987 a RUNAWAYS album, 'Young And Fast', appeared on the Allegience label that caused a great degree of controversy due to the fact that the band that had recorded the album contained none of the original band members! In fact, Kim Fowley had assembled a completely new band and attempted to push these new girls as the reborn RUNAWAYS. The plan didn't work.

1994 Marilyn Records issued the Kim Fowley endorsed 'Born To Be Bad' album, a collection of Fowley produced pre-Mercury demos seemingly dating back to 1974.

In late 1997 THE RUNAWAYS were strongly rumoured to have reformed with a line-up comprising Cherie Currie, Lita Ford, Joan Jett, Vicki Blue and Sandy West and recording an album for release. Jackie Fox, incidentally, has long since qualified as a lawyer and was no longer in the music business. However, the whole project was scuppered, not as was popularly perceived at the time to be JOAN JETT's unwillingness to become involved, Jett was in fact enthusiastic, but by no less than three separate vetos from LITA FORD.

Currie recorded a cover of 'Cherry Bomb' with THE STREET WALKIN' CHEETAHS that was released on a single during 1998 through Alive/Total Energy Records.

Sandy West succumbed to a drawn out battle with lung cancer on Saturday, October 21st 2006.