Girlschool discography
Girlschool live at Bloodstock Open Air in 2009
Studio albums14
Live albums4
Compilation albums14
Video albums3
Music videos11
EPs6
Singles13
Split albums2

The discography of Girlschool, a British all-female heavy metal band, spans over 30 years of a career and consists of thirteen studio albums, six EPs and a large number of compilations.[1] The band was formed in 1978 by Kim McAuliffe, Enid Williams, Kelly Johnson and Denise Dufort. Their first release was the single "Take It All Away" for the small British rock/punk label City Records (November 1979).[2] The song did not chart, but came to the ear of Lemmy Kilmister and of Motörhead manager Doug Smith, who made Girlschool the supporting band on the Overkill tour and managed to get them a contract with the wealthy label Bronze Records.[2]

During the explosion of the new wave of British heavy metal phenomenon, Girlschool released for Bronze four studio albums and many singles, which entered the British charts. Their greatest success came with the split EP St. Valentine's Day Massacre, recorded with Motörhead, which reached number five on the UK Single Chart. The band's following album Hit and Run peaked at number five on the UK Album Chart.[1]

The band success in the United Kingdom rapidly declined in the following years, with the consequence of Girlschool signing for the US label PolyGram in 1985. As a five-piece group they released the album Running Wild, only for the American market, without any charting success. Alone among the band's studio albums, Running Wild would not be reissued in any format until its 2014 CD release.[3] The band signed a new contract with the British label GWR in 1986 and released other two studio albums, before going into quiescence.[1]

In 1989, Castle Communications, a company specialized in cheap reissues of old recordings,[4] obtained the rights for Girlschool’s back catalogue from the bankrupt Bronze Records[5] and later from GWR. During the 1990s, Castle licensed the songs to various labels specialized in mid-priced editions, reissuing also the band studio albums on economic double album compilations on CD. When Castle was acquired by Sanctuary Records in 2000,[6] the rights of the songs changed hands again. In 2004, the new label released re-mastered editions full of bonus tracks of Girlschool's first four studio albums. The Sanctuary Records Group, which was absorbed by Universal Music Group in 2007[7] but was later divested by the latter through a sale in 2012,[8] now owns the rights to Girlschool's old material, while Warner Music Group handles all global distribution and sales.[9] Universal owns the rights to Running Wild, the band's only Mercury album released exclusively in the United States. The American rights to their other albums originally issued by Mercury were transferred to Warner Music's Alternative Distribution Alliance.

The band continued their recording career with four self-produced albums distributed by British indie label Communiqué, which received good reviews but no significant sale results. Their eleventh album Legacy was instead released by Wacken Records in 2008 and distributed by SPV/Steamhammer, followed by two more albums in 2011 and 2015 for WMG's German label UDR.

Girlschool's songs appear also on many heavy metal compilations published all over the world, often associated with other notable bands of the NWOBHM, such as Motörhead, Tygers of Pan Tang, Saxon, Angel Witch and Tank.

Albums

Girlschool received gold discs in Canada in 1982 for the sales of the album Hit and Run

Studio albums

Year Album details Peak chart positions Certifications
(sales thresholds)
UK
[10]
CAN
[11]
NZ
[12]
US
[13]
1980 Demolition
  • Released: 30 June 1980
  • Label: Bronze (BRON 525)
  • Format: LP, CS, CD
28
1981 Hit and Run
  • Released: 20 April 1981
  • Label: Bronze (BRON 534)
  • Format: LP, CS, CD
5 50 49 182* CAN: Gold[14]
1982 Screaming Blue Murder
  • Released: 7 June 1982
  • Label: Bronze (BRON 541)
  • Format: LP, CS, CD
27 84 207
1983 Play Dirty
  • Released: 8 November 1983
  • Label: Bronze (BRON 548)
  • Format: LP, CS, CD
66 207
1985 Running Wild
  • Released: 1 February 1985
  • Label: Mercury (422-824611-1)
  • Format: LP, CS
1986 Nightmare at Maple Cross
  • Released: May 1986
  • Label: GWR (GWLP 2)
  • Format: LP, CS, CD
1988 Take a Bite
  • Released: 3 October 1988
  • Label: GWR (GWLP 21)
  • Format: LP, CS, CD
1992 Girlschool
  • Released: November 1992
  • Label: Communiqué (CMG CD006)
  • Format: CD
2002 21st Anniversary: Not That Innocent
  • Released: 14 January 2002
  • Label: Communiqué (CMG CD024)
  • Format: CD
2004 Believe**
  • Released: 26 July 2004
  • Label: Communiqué (CMG CD027)
  • Format: CD
2008 Legacy
  • Released: 24 October 2008
  • Label: Wacken Records - SPV/Steamhammer (SPV92732 CD)
  • Format: CD
2011 Hit and Run – Revisited
  • Released: 26 September 2011
  • Label: Wacken Records - UDR (UDR 0051)
  • Format: LP, CD
2015 Guilty as Sin
  • Released: 13 November 2015
  • Label: UDR (UDR 056P01)
  • Format: LP, CD
2023 WTFortyfive?
  • Released: 28 July 2023
  • Label: Silver Lining Music (SLM050P42)
  • Format: LP, CD
"—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released in that country.
* the album was a compilation of songs from Demolition and Hit and Run
** the album was also re-issued by the band themselves in combination with the DVD Around the World

Live albums

Year Album details
1995 Girlschool Live
  • Released: 1 November 1995
  • Label: Communiqué (CMG CD013)
  • Format: CD
1997 King Biscuit Flower Hour Presents Girlschool
1998 Race with the Devil Live
  • Released: 24 April 1998
  • Label: Receiver (RRCD 254)
  • Format: CD
2002 Race with the Devil
  • Released: 6 June 2002
  • Label: Disky (SI 794122)
  • Format: CD

Compilation albums

Year Album details
1986 Race with the Devil
  • Released: 1986
  • Label: Raw Power / Castle Communications (RAW LP013)
  • Format: double LP
1989 Cheers You Lot!
  • Released: 1989
  • Label: Razor Records (METALPM 127)
  • Format: LP, CS, CD
1991 C'mon Let's Go
  • Released: September 1991
  • Label: Castle - Marble Arch (CMA CD 149)
  • Format: CS, CD
1991 The Collection
  • Released: 1991
  • Label: Castle (CCSCD 314)
  • Format: LP, CD
1993 The Best of Girlschool
  • Released: 1993
  • Label: Castle - Dojo (DOJO CD 103)
  • Format: CD
1994 From the Vaults
  • Released: 1994
  • Label: Castle - Sequel (NEM CD 642)
  • Format: CD
1997 Emergency
  • Released: 1997
  • Label: Snapper (SMD CD 126)
  • Format: CD
1998 The Collection (2CD)
  • Released: 1998
  • Label: Renaissance - Castle (CCSCD 830)
  • Format: CD
1999 Can't Keep a Good Girl Down
  • Released: 18 November 1999
  • Label: Delta Music (47 005)
  • Format: CD
2002 The Very Best of Girlschool
  • Released: 2002
  • Label: Castle - Sanctuary (NEM CD 642)
  • Format: CD
2003 Wild at Heart
  • Released: 2003
  • Label: Pickwick (781022)
  • Format: CD
2007 The Singles (2CD)
  • Released: 2007
  • Label: Lemon Recordings - Cherry Red (CD LEM DD101)
  • Format: CD
2012 Private Lessons (2CD)
  • Released: 2012
  • Label: Southworld Recordings
  • Format: CD
2013 The Bronze Years (4CD)
  • Released: 2013
  • Label: Lemon Recordings (CD LEMBOX 210)
  • Format: CD

Split albums

Year Album Other artist Songs
1998 British Steel: Heavyweights of Metal Live & Loud
  • Label: Music Collection International
Angel Witch, Samson, Tank "C'mon Let's Go", "Emergency", "Take It All Away"
2003 The Second Wave: 25 Years of NWOBHM
  • Label: Communiqué
Oliver/Dawson Saxon, Tygers of Pan Tang "Passion", "Mad Mad Sister", Coming Your Way", "Believe", "Innocent"

Extended plays

Year Album details Peak chart positions Certifications
(sales thresholds)
Notes
UK
[10]
1981 St. Valentine's Day Massacre
  • Released: 1 February 1981
  • Label: Bronze
5 UK: Silver[15] a collaboration between Motörhead and Girlschool.
Hard Rock on 12 Inch / Stay Clean
  • Released: 1981
  • Label: Bronze
split EP by Motörhead and Girlschool, containing the songs "Please Don't Touch" and "Demolition Boys" (live)
1982 Live and More
  • Released: January 1982
  • Label: Victor
released only in Japan before the 1982 tour
1982 Wildlife
  • Released: 29 March 1982
  • Label: Bronze
58
1983 1-2-3-4 Rock and Roll
  • Released: August 1983
  • Label: Bronze
released also as a 7 inch single, with an edited version of "1-2-3-4 Rock and Roll".
2015 Propaganda!
  • Released: 2015
  • Label: UDR/Morriello Music
"—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released in that country.

Singles

Year Titles Peak chart positions Album
UK
[10]
AUS
[16]
1979 "Take It All Away / It Could Be Better" Non-album track
1980 "Emergency / Furniture Fire" Demolition
"Nothing to Lose / Baby Doll"
"Race with the Devil / Take It All Away" 49
"Yeah Right / The Hunter" Hit and Run
1981 "Hit and Run / Tonight" 32
"C'mon Let's Go / Tonight (live)" 42
1982 "Don't Call It Love / Wildlife" Screaming Blue Murder
1983 "20th Century Boy / Breaking All the Rules" Play Dirty
1984 "Burning in the Heat / Surrender"
1986 "I'm the Leader of the Gang (I Am) with Gary Glitter / Never Too Late" 12 Nightmare at Maple Cross
1987 "All Day All Night / Play with Fire"
1988 "Head over Heels" (US only promo single) Take a Bite
"Fox on the Run" (US only promo single)
"—" denotes singles that did not chart, have not charted yet, or were not released.

Other appearances

Year Song Album Comments
1986 "Nowhere to Run"[17] Reform School Girls soundtrack Rhino Records RNLP 70310
1989 "I'm the Leader of the Gang (I Am)" (live)[18] Gary Glitter's Gangshow: The Gang, the Band, the Leader Recorded during the 1989 tour in support of Gary Glitter.
1994 "Twas the Night Before Christmas"[19] X-Mas: The Metal Way Metal version of a Christmas classic.
2008 "Auld Lang Syne"[20] We Wish You a Metal Xmas and a Headbanging New Year deluxe edition Metal version of a Christmas classic previously released for download on Eagle Rock Entertainment website.[21]
"Metropolis"[22] Sheep in Wolves' Clothing: A Tribute to Motorhead Motörhead cover recorded with Eddie Clarke for Motörhead fan club tribute album, which preceded its release on Legacy by a few months

Video albums

Year Video details Notes
1985 Play Dirty Live
  • Released: 1985
  • Label: Castle (CMV 1017)
  • Format: VHS
The show was filmed in London on 7 December 1984, before the US-only release of the album Running Wild. It was directed by Marc Over and released in the USA by PolyGram Videos.[23]
2005 Live from London
  • Released: 2005
  • Label: Iguana Project (B0009U5DGW)
  • Format: DVD
This is a re-release in DVD of Play Dirty Live by the British label Iguana Project, specialized in new editions on DVD of old material. The DVD has the same content of the VHS, with the addition of a presentation of the musicians.[24]
Around the World
  • Released: 2005
  • Label: self-released
  • Format: DVD
Self-released DVD, containing live footage from tours in the 2000s, interviews and photos. It was sold through the Girlschool Official website combined with the album Believe.[25][26]

Music videos

Year Song Director Ref
1980 "Race with the Devil"  ???
"Emergency"  ???
"Yeah Right"  ???
1982 "Don't Call It Love"  ???
"Tush"  ???
1983 "20th Century Boy" Sebastian Harris [27]
"Play Dirty"
1985 "Running Wild"  ???
1986 "I'm the Leader of the Gang (I Am)"  ???
1988 "Fox on the Run" Jean Pellerin [28]
2004 "Come On Up"  ???
2005 "Emergency"  ???
2023 "Are You Ready?"  ???

References

  1. 1 2 3 Strong, Martin C. (1995). The Great Rock Discography. Edinburgh, Great Britain: Canongate Books. p. 326. ISBN 0-86241-541-1.
  2. 1 2 Corich, Robert M. (1998). The Collection (CD booklet). Girlschool. England: Sanctuary Records (CMDD014).
  3. "Girlschool - Running Wild (1985)" (in German). Musik-Sammler.de. Retrieved 3 January 2011.
  4. Gilmour, Hugh (2009). "Black Sabbath ruined my life". Tony Iommi Official Website. Archived from the original on 30 June 2012. Retrieved 21 December 2010. Castle Communications PLC (...) had a knack for presenting classic albums (..) and make them look as cheap as possible
  5. Siekierski, Jay (1998). "Motörhead Interview". Motörhead Forever. Archived from the original on 30 June 2012. Retrieved 21 December 2010.
  6. Masson, Gordon; Ed Christman (8 April 2000). "UK's Sanctuary Buys Castle Music". Billboard. pp. 75, 78.
  7. BBC News, "Universal Music to buy Sanctuary", 15 June 2007. Retrieved 16 December 2010.
  8. Sweney, Mark (21 September 2012). "Universal's £1.2bn EMI takeover approved – with conditions". The Guardian. London.
  9. Ed Christman (28 April 2016). "Warner Music's Global Deal for BMG's Catalog Sets Up Showdown With RED". Billboard.com.
  10. 1 2 3 "Girlschool Official Charts". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 25 August 2013.
  11. "RPM > Girlschool". Library and Archives Canada. 1 October 2004. Retrieved 8 December 2010.
  12. "Discography Girlschool". Hung Medien. Retrieved 8 December 2010.
  13. "Girlschool > Charts & Awards > Billboard Albums". Allmusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved 10 December 2010.
  14. "Gold Platinum Database - Search for Girlschool". Music Canada. Retrieved 19 October 2017.
  15. "BPI Certified Awards Searchable Database". BPI. Archived from the original on 24 January 2013. Retrieved 14 August 2010. search under artist for 'motorhead & girls school'
  16. Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970-1992. St Ives, New South Wales, Australia. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  17. "Reform School Girls (1986)". Soundtrack Collector.com. Retrieved 25 August 2013.
  18. Gary Glitter's Gangshow - The Gang, The Band, The Leader (CD sleeve). Gary Glitter. Castle Communications. 1989.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  19. "X-Mas: The Metal Way CD". Musik Sammler.de. Retrieved 30 January 2011.
  20. "We Wish You A Metal Xmas And A Headbanging New YearCD". Musik Sammler.de. Retrieved 30 January 2011.
  21. "Anvil, Doro, Devildriver, Whitesnake Members Featured On New Christmas EP". Blabbermouth.net. 27 October 2009. Retrieved 19 October 2017.
  22. Kranitz, Jerry (September 2008). "Various Artists - "Sheep in Wolve's Clothing: A Tribute to Motorhead"". Aural Innovations.com. Retrieved 1 February 2011.
  23. "Girlschool - Play Dirty Live". Encyclopaedia Metallum. Retrieved 17 July 2010.
  24. "Girlschool - Live From London". EzyDVD. 2006. Archived from the original on 6 July 2011. Retrieved 17 July 2010.
  25. Van Poorten, Toine (29 March 2010). "Video and DVD Reviews MM". Metalmaidens.com. Retrieved 25 May 2010.
  26. Geesin, Joe (2005). "Interview: Girlschool". Get Ready to Rock! .com. Retrieved 5 July 2010.
  27. Dickson, Dave (3 November 1983). "Boxer Tricks". Kerrang!. Vol. 54. Morgan Grampian. pp. 22–23.
  28. "Girlschool- Fox on the Run promo video". YouTube. Retrieved 26 April 2011.
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