OFF WITH HER HAIR! Some wonderfully flamboyant guy named Jeff but I believe it was Geoff, the cool way like Chuck and Mary Auerbach's Geoff, not Jeff. I feel really bad I can no longer remember his last name we had fun "changing me up" now and again but there were a lot of people running around messing with stuff back then. He approached me after a show and said he would love to be my stylist and would I come to his salon and talk with him. GORGEOUS SALON! I remember I said yes because I was tired of being Debbie Harry the sequel and it was in Bath which was right down the road from my house so I went to talk with him. He gave me wine at the door and we looked at photos and he told me his ideas and I felt like he knew what I needed so I got my makeover, new make up (he thought the putting on of the mascara then rubbing my eyes to make it smear was a little harsh) new hair and I LOVED IT! I had short, pixie, boy hair and softer eyes and lips and I felt really wonderful about it all. We picked out a purple spandex jump suit with big MC Hammer legs at the top and narrow at the bottom (Can't touch this)! It had a red belt and I got red flats to go with it, I felt all "new" and so not like anyone else, he dyed my signature blonde hair back to it's natural state of bla dark blonde and highlighted it and it looked more like hair and not at all like cotton candy which took some getting used to. Like the mascara rub, I liked the cotton candy hair. I was to present my new "THANG" at The Akron Civic Theater for our biggest show ever (venue size, seats), with Hammer Damage (If I am wrong here feel free to tell me but I think it was Hammer Damage). Unit 5 had yet to recieve any bad press or reviews, we were kind of lucky when it came to winning over the critics, they seemed to like our offbeat way of presenting. My new look was a huge success, band loved it, fans loved it, I loved it, my Mother was thrilled because she did not like the mascara rub much. But THE CRITIC FROM THE F*&^)*ING AKRON BUCHTELITE DIDN'T LIKE IT! The Akron Buchtelite, Akron University paper ( I think that was the name) I saved the article for all these years because it was so NASTY I wanted to show it to my kids but I haven't yet, I should do that tonight while everyone is home...fun! I am digressing again (is that a word)? So here are, for your blog reading entertainment, some excerpts from the first and one of the few (THANK YOU) bad or less than kind reviews of Unit 5.
"Unit 5 is to bizarre for the bizarre, lead singer Tracey Thomas came out with chip chopped hair, wearing purple spandex". It went on to say a few more unflattering things about MY NEW MAKEOVER and then to top it off, after all that referred to me as a "Debbie Harry" clone. I wasn't even blonde now, I was 20, she was like...90! I found out later that the writer from the paper (who I guess was actually really nice we never met but I heard things) recieved (way before email people this was 1980ish) a bunch of boo hiss letters from Unit 5 fans who liked my new look. It was apparent also at this time that if you lived in Akron you better be ready for the backlash if you compare Tracey to Debbie Harry. And here's the best part of it all, looking back...I WAS SO DEBBIE HARRY! I had that whole thing wrong, I should have embraced and enjoyed it, so much of my life is now me saying things like "If I had only done this" or "that" or bla bla bla. Debbie Harry was the shit! WHAT just kept me fighting and fighting against enemies of my own making? Why was I so difficult? What would have become of Unit 5 if I hadn't been........me? ELECTRIC FACES SEEM TO MERGE, HIDDEN VOICES, MOCK YOUR WORDS, FADE AWAY AND RADIATE, FADE AWAY AND RADIATE.
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