The Runaways Cover of “Wild Thing” Live in 1977 Was Amped and Loaded

You Make My Heart Sing

The Runaways started as a Californian an all-girl teenage rock band. They obliterated barriers and took an insane amount of crud from all angles. Drummer and co-founder, Sandy Pesavento (Sandy West), remains one of the most underrated musicians to this day. She helped create the Runaways out of her upstairs bedroom/ ground zero with guitarist Joan Larkin (aka Joan Jett) in 1975.

Joan has praises for the drummer,

“She was such a solid, strong, powerful, really good drummer. I don’t even want to say for being 16 — for being anything. She had this shit down and it was powerful.”

The self-titled, “Queens of Noise,” were all together Joan Jett, Sandy West, Lita Ford, and Jackie Fox. Down to their core the girls were punk bandits taking part in their own revolutions of music and equality decades before the “riot grrl” catchword.  The Runaways were treated like a jail-bate novelty act during their earliest days- yet they didn’t back down. It only fueled their rage- and that’s what their music expressed.

They were bad ass warriors. They were one of the first female groups to play all their own instruments. During that time, The Runaways were actively experiencing and creating something woefully rare in society: the power of females working, loving, and building together. 

There was no public or private personas in the Runaways. They were the real deal- 25/8 .

Originally written by Chip Taylor, The Troggs recorded and released “Wild Thing” in 1966. The song was included on their Wild Thing album and reached #1 internationally. The type of music the song created was “Caveman Rock,” which appealed to the newer generation.

The Runaways covered the song in Japan while touring in 1977. The song was sung mainly by drummer, Sandy West, who also had an insane drumming performance. There was no one better than the Wild Things that trail-blazed such an important path for women.

“Spotlight on the drummer!”

Wild thing, you make my heart sing
You make everything groovy, wild thing
Wild thing, I think you move me
But I wanna know for sure
Come on and hold me tight
You move me