Gold Fan

from the Groupie Feminism art series

Attributions

Gold fan, silver sparkly letters, playlist.

13 1/4 " at longest and 3" at widest when closed

23 1/2" x 13" span when opened 

Assembled and created in 2020-2023


The gold fan is from a long-forgotten store in Louisville, KY, New York, New York, or Los Angeles, CA; the sparkly sticker letters are from Mini Gem Stickers by Art Skills, which I bought years ago at a drugstore in Los Angeles, and more recently, my sweetie, Wayne Pemberton, bought online.

The playlist is listed here, and it’s also available with almost all the songs on a Spotify playlist titled “Groupie Playlist by Lucretia Tye Jasmine.”

It's 33 songs, 2 hours, and 11 minutes and 30 seconds long. I began my search for groupie songs in 2013.

Artist Statement

What do ABBA, Blondie, Delaney & Bonnie, David Bowie, the Carpenters, Cher, Joe Cocker, Betty Davis, Lana Del Rey, Grand Funk Railroad, Guns N' Roses, Jimi Hendrix, Michael Jackson, Lil' Kim, KISS, John Legend, Fleetwood Mac, John Mayall, Joni Mitchell, New Riders of the Purple Sage, Stevie Nicks, Iggy Pop, Lithofayne Pridgon, The Roots, The Rolling Stones, Sweet, Le Tigre, Luther Vandross, Cherry Vanilla, Wet Leg, and Led Zeppelin all have in common? Why, songs about groupies, of course! 

I created The Groupie Playlist for the gold fan with a selection of songs by, about, or mentioning groupies, because I am fascinated by how groupies signify feminism's struggle, and insistence. There are many more songs about or by groupies. I chose several for the playlist on Spotify, and several for the gold fan. Some are on both. It was a challenge to choose the songs! Some of my faves are not on the mixtape or the gold fan because I discovered or remembered the songs after I made the art. But every song is on the playlist.

Groupies emerged in the 1960s on the cusp of Second Wave feminism as the avant-garde of the sexual revolution. They lived their lives as though they could equal rock stars in creative and sexual freedom. But corporate interests and the double standard impeded women's liberation, and groupies were dismissed as playthings in the power ballad of rock 'n' roll history. As we shall hear, some musicians felt victimized, too. But there is still a chance for that sexy and exciting equality that the intersection of feminism and music promises. So let's turn it up!

I asked several SuperGroupies - Cynthia Albritton aka Cynthia Plaster Caster, Pamela Des Barres, Miss Mercy, Cherry Vanilla, and Morgana Welch - their favorite songs about groupies, and most of those are included, too.


I guest DJ'd several of the songs on Lady Jam's Juice Box, Friday, May 15, 2020, from 2 pm - 4 pm EST, 97.1 WXOX.

The songs on the Gold Fan span 1967 - 2017, and the songs on the Spotify playlist span 1967 - 2021.

Gold Fan and 
Playlist: 


"Little Wing, " (1967) Jimi Hendrix 2:26

“Foxey Lady,”(1967) Jimi Hendrix (not listed on the gold fan, not in the mixtape, but in the playlist) 3:19

“2401,” (1968) John Mayall (not listed on the gold fan, not in the mixtape, but in the playlist) 3:55

"Groupie (Superstar)," (1969) Delaney & Bonnie 2:49

"She Came in Through the Bathroom Window," (1969) Joe Cocker 2:36

“Thank You So Much,” (probably 1970s), Lithofayne Pridgon and The Shuggie Otis Band (not listed on the gold fan, not in the mixtape, but in the playlist) 5:30

“Superstar,” (1971) Carpenters (not listed on the gold fan, not in the mixtape, but in the playlist) 3:52

“Dolly Dagger,” (1971) Jimi Hendrix (not listed on the gold fan, not in the mixtape, but in the playlist) 4:44

"Blonde in the Bleachers," (1972) Joni Mitchell 2:42

"Rip This Joint," (1972) The Rolling Stones 2:23

"We're An American Band," (1973) Grand Funk Railroad (1993 remaster) 3:27

“Groupie,” (1973) New Riders of the Purple Sage (not listed on the gold fan, not in the mixtape, but in the playlist) 2:40

“Steppin’ in Her I. Miller Shoes,” (1973) Betty Davis (not listed on the gold fan, not in the mixtape, but in the playlist) 3:15

"Fox on the Run," (1974) Sweet 3:28

"Rebel Rebel," (1974) David Bowie (2016 remaster) 4:35

"Sick Again," (1975) Led Zeppelin (1993 remaster) 4:42

"Dancing Queen," (1975-1976) ABBA 3:51

"Rip Her to Shreds," (1976-1977) Blondie (remastered) 3:23

"Gold Dust Woman," (1976-1977) Fleetwood Mac (2004 remaster) 4:56

"Plaster Caster," (1977) KISS 3:28

“Moonlight,” (1979) Cherry Vanilla (not listed on the gold fan, not in the mixtape, but in the playlist) 4:01

"Git Down (Guitar Groupie)," (1979) Cher 3:46

“Kind of Woman,” (1981) Stevie Nicks (not on gold fan or mixtape but on the playlist) 3:13

"Superstar/Until You Come Back to Me (That's What I'm Gonna Do)," (1983) Luther Vandross (not on gold fan but on the mixtape) 9:19

"Dirty Diana," (1986-1988) Michael Jackson 4:41

"Rocket Queen," (1987) Guns N' Roses 6:13

"Look Away," (1996) Iggy Pop 5:09

"You Got Me," (1999) The Roots, featuring Erykah Badu and Eve (not on gold fan/mixtape but in my playlist, and one of my top three favorites songs about, by, or mentioning groupies) 4:19

"Thug Luv (feat. Twista) with Radio Interlude," (2003) Lil' Kim, Twista 4:12

"Nanny Nanny Boo Boo," (2004) Le Tigre 3:34

"Stereo," (2006) John Legend 4:10

"Groupie Love (feat. A$AP Rocky)," (2017) Lana Del Rey, A$AP Rocky 4:24

“Chaise Longue,” (2021) Wet Leg (not listed on the gold fan, not in the mixtape, but in the playlist) 3:17