Babes in Toyland discography

Babes in Toyland (band) discography
Studio albums3
Live albums1
Compilation albums5
Music videos7
EPs2
Singles7

Babes in Toyland was an American punk rock band formed in Minneapolis, Minnesota, in 1987. The band was formed by Oregon native Kat Bjelland (lead vocals and guitar), with Lori Barbero (drums) and Michelle Leon (bass), who was later replaced by Maureen Herman in 1992. Courtney Love had a brief stint in the band in 1987 as a bass player before being kicked out and forming Hole in 1989.[1]

Between 1989 and 1995, Babes in Toyland released three studio albums: Spanking Machine (1990), the commercially successful Fontanelle (1992), and Nemesisters (1995), before becoming inactive in 1997 and eventually disbanding in 2001. While the band was inspirational to some performers in the riot grrrl movement in the Pacific Northwest, Babes in Toyland never associated themselves with the movement.

Studio albums[edit]

Year Title Label US sales
1990 Spanking Machine Twin Tone Records 70,000
1992 Fontanelle Reprise Records 220,000
1995 Nemesisters 150,000

Extended plays[edit]

Year Title Label US sales
1990 To Mother Southern Records 50,000
1993 Painkillers 60,000

Live albums[edit]

Year Title Type
2001 Minneapolism Cherry Red Records

Compilation albums[edit]

Year Title Type
1992 The Peel Sessions Strange Fruit Records
1994 Dystopia Insipid Records
2000 Lived Almafame
Devil
Viled
Natural Babe Killers Recall Records
2001 Collectors Item Digimode Entertainment
The Further Adventures of Babes in Toyland Fuel 2000 Records
2004 The Best of Babes in Toyland and Kat Bjelland Warner Music Records

Singles[edit]

Year Title Album Label
1989 Dust Cake Boy Spanking Machine Treehouse Records
1990 House (None) Sub Pop
1991 Handsome and Gretel Fontanelle Insipid Records
1992 Bruise Violet Southern Records
1993 Catatonic To Mother Insipid Records
1995 Sweet '69 Nemesisters Reprise Records
We Are Family Nemesisters

Chart positions[edit]

Year Single Chart Peak position
1991 To Mother UK Indie Chart 1
1992 Fontanelle UK Albums Chart[2] 24
1993 Painkillers UK Albums Chart[2] 53
1995 "Sweet '69" US Billboard Modern Rock Tracks 37
"Sweet '69" UK Singles Chart 173
1995 "We Are Family" US Billboard Hot Dance Music/Club Play 22

Other contributions[edit]

Year Title Album Label
1989 "Watching Girl" Every Band Has a Shonen Knife Who Loves Them Giant Records
1991 "Handsome & Gretel" Indie Top 20 Volume 13 Beechwood Music
"Ripe" New Season – The Peel Sessions Strange Fruit
"Flesh Crawl" Teriyaki Asthma Vols. I-V C/Z Records
House The Grunge Years Sub Pop Records
1992 Handsome & Gretel Best of Independent Beechwood Music
Sometimes Volume 4 Volmume
1993 Dirty Milk for Pussy Mad Queen Records
Dust Cake Boy Sonic Youth in 1991: The Year Punk Broke (VHS) Geffen Home Video
1994 Calling Occupants of Interplanetary Craft If I Were a Carpenter A&M Records
Say What You Want S.F.W.
1995 Sweet '69 Alternative Final Mix 11 Warner Music
More, More, More Spirit Of '73: Rock For Choice 550 Music
Sweet '69 Triple J: This Is Twelve – Too Louder Compilation Australian Broadcasting Corporation
1996 Handsome & Gretel (Live) Volume Fourteen – Reading '95 Special Volume
1998 Overtura: Astroantiquity Songs of the Witchblade DreamWorks

Videography[edit]

The best places to catch a Babes in Toyland video in the US were through various MTV outlets. The music videos for "Bruise Violet" and "Sweet '69" were Buzzworthy Clip Features, and "Sweet '69" was the cheapest video ever made to be played on the network at the time. The "Sweet '69" music video was made on a $5,000 budget. Beavis and Butthead episodes were another notable place to catch clips for "Ripe" and "Bruise Violet''. 120 minutes also played music videos by the band. They also guest-hosted the show on July 9, 1995.

Music videos[edit]

Year Title
1990 He's My Thing (from Spanking Machine)
1991 Ripe (from To Mother)
1992 Bruise Violet (from Fontanelle)
1992 Won't Tell (from Fontanelle)
1993 Istigkeit (from Painkillers)
1995 Sweet '69 (from Nemesisters)
1995 We Are Family (from Nemesisters)

Other videography[edit]

Year Title
1990 The Making of Spanking Machine
1991 "Dust Cake Boy" from 1991: The Year Punk Broke
1993 MTV's Beavis and Butthead "Ripe"
1993 MTV's Beavis and Butthead "Bruise Violet"
1993 The Making of Painkillers
1995 The Making of Nemesisters
1995 Babes in Toyland "Nemesisters" EPK
1995 Babes in Toyland host MTV's 120 Minutes
1995 Performance of "Sweet '69" on MTV's 120 Minutes
1995 Performance of "Memory" on MTV's 120 Minutes

References[edit]

  1. ^ Shelton, Sonya. "Contemporary Musicians: Babes In Toyland Biography". E Notes. Retrieved October 12, 2010.
  2. ^ a b Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 37. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.

External links[edit]