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Dangerous Designs 1988

Ann Day, drums and percussion; plus ?

African, Latin

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Dee Orr Goes Country

Dee Orr plus 3 other women

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The Deltones 1985 – ?

Photographs of the Deltones’ first gig at Sol y Sombre (c) Steve Richards

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Devil’s Dykes see The Bright Girls

Brighton

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Distribution ~ see also Women’s Revolutions Per Minute

Independent outlets such as Sisterwrite Bookshop, in Upper Street, London N1, were important sources of women’s music. Sisterwrite, a feminist collective started in 1979 by Kay Stirling, Lynn Alderson and Mary Coghill, e.g., stocked albums and tapes by women artists worldwide, some of which can be seen as displayed in the photos below, including those from Olivia, the American recording label. (For an Olivia discography see http://www.queermusicheritage.us/olivia.html)

Photograph of Sisterwrite founders Mary, Lynn and Kay at work donated by the estate of Caroline Forbes

‘We also operated as an information centre, so for things like the Women’s Monthly Events etc we had the posters and info, and all the newsletters too which were what made it possible for women to find out about such music/cultural events – all our info systems were alternative at that time as I recall, since we had no access to mainstream media. I think that’s kind of important as the role of all our centres and publications is easily forgotten – how important they were in creating an alternative culture … the formal structure of Sisterwrite was  a worker’s co-operative as well as a feminist collective.’ ~ Lynn Alderson, 2010 

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DJs

Read ‘Sistas Talk Music’ article on Women DJs from Spare Rib, issue 160, 1985 here