Joy of Cooking is one of those groups I’ve heard about for years without knowing a single note of their music (like Nitty Gritty Dirt Band or Hawkwind). A couple months ago, I got a copy of their 1970 self-titled debut album. I liked it very much and it was certainly not what I expected.
Born in 1967, Joy of Cooking was the “house band” at Mandrake’s in Berkeley, CA until they got a record deal. They were very much in the typical Bay Area groove of folk / rock / blues / jazz / country. What was unusual about them is that they were co-led by two women: pianist-singer Toni Brown and singer-guitarist Terry Garthwaite. The next band I can think about with that power structure is Heart, who released their debut album in 1976. It wasn’t until far more recently that we see female-led rock bands as a common occurrence.
One track in particular caught my ear: “Down My Dream.” First thing I thought was that it sounded very much like a bluesy version of Dionne Warwick. Then I read an interview with Toni Brown in which she also referred to the resemblance.
Here is Dionne’s 1965 hit “Are You There (With Another Girl)” for you to make your own comparison. Aside from the chord changes, the big similarity is the piano licks. Very tasty.
Read a 1971 Robert Christgau profile of Joy of Cooking here.
Joy of Cooking – Down My Dream — BUY
Dionne Warwick – Are You There (With Another Girl) — BUY