Released in 1969 and then sinking without a trace, original Athena pressings of this hugely collectable one-and-only album from this Nashville all-girl pop-psych quintet now command a king’s ransom. Formed in 1966 when bassist Jean Williams and drummer Lana Napier were pupils at Nashville’s Maplewood High School, their sophisticated songwriting and atmospheric pop hint at something beyond your standard 60s girl group fare.
There lurks something of Russ Meyer’s Beyond The Valley Of The Dolls about The Feminine Complex, given the rumours that vocalists Mindy Dalton and Judi Griffith were the only members to actually appear on the album, with the backing tracks laid down by experienced studio musicians. The ambitious arrangements and vaguely Nuggets-esque quality of songs such as Hide & Seek, Are You Lonesome Like Me? and It’s Magic do sound rather more than the work of five schoolgirls. It’s even been suggested that Livin’ Love was a collection of nonvintage recordings and was, in fact, the work of pranksters posing as kitschy 60s popettes. What’s beyond doubt is that its first ever European release, comprising the original 11-track LP plus seven non-album tracks and four demos, which, when heard side by side, solidifies the girls’ reputation as tunesmiths of some note.
