TMS Retro: The Original Bad Girls of Classic Rock

(Harry Fox / Daily Express)

Frigid is a word we rarely use anymore to describe women, thankfully. One term that seems to still be fair game though, is the cool, aloof, distance of an ‘ice queen.’ In pop culture, or more specifically entertainment, a lot of famous ladies have been given that label. In music, I can’t think of anyone icier than model-actress-music artist Nico. Born and raised in Germany, the blonde found her niche in Paris, then London and finally NYC. At the same time, another, very similar German model-actress with a bewitching quality was Anita Pallenberg. Both left post-WWII Europe for flashier, edgier lifestyles and both coined two of the most controversial and polarizing reputations of the classic rock era. On the surface, I imagine Nico and Anita would be perfect casting as messed up femme fatales of some theoretical artsy, Euro noir in 1969. But ironically, the two ladies didn’t care for each other at all in real life; with Nico allegedly going as far as to call Anita “a real nasty person” [which is a bit pot calling the kettle black, but I digress].

(Willy Maywald)

Nico [born Christa Päffgen] began her career as a socialite and model covering magazines like Vogue and Elle in the late 1950s; and was even recruited by Federico Fellini for a small cameo appearance in his classic arthouse drama La dolce vita (1960). But before the acting bug could officially strike her, Nico was quickly noticed by both musician Brian Jones in 1965 and avant-garde artist Andy Warhol less than a year later. Her introduction to Brian would get her a modest 1965 hit recording of Gordon Lightfoot’s ‘I’m Not Saying,’ despite accusations of the young woman sounding tone deaf. While her real breakthrough wound up being Warhol’s second most popular muse behind socialite Edie Sedgwick. When Warhol decided to make the alternative rock band the Velvet Underground his pet project in 1966, he thought the edgy group needed some sex appeal, which came in Nico. Though the model-turned-singer was never an official member of the Velvets, her presence on the band’s iconic 1967 debut album—appropriately titled ‘The Velvet Underground & Nico’—is most recognized on tracks like ‘Femme Fatale’ and ‘All Tomorrow’s Parties.’ Naturally, her collaborations and friendships with VU band members Lou Reed and John Cale came in handy with her solo LPs, most notably ‘Chelsea Girls’ (1967) that same year.

(Steve Schapiro)

Like Anita, Nico was also famous for her association with various musicians romantically and sexually, including Brian, Lou, Iggy Pop, Leonard Cohen and a barely legal Jackson Browne [who penned her signature tune ‘These Days’ from her solo debut]. I think one reason Nico and Anita didn’t like each other might be because both of their flings with Brian overlapped and caused friction. When Anita suddenly left Brian for his Rolling Stones bandmate Keith Richards in March 1967, Brian wasted no time rebounding with occasional flame Nico; who would even be his date to the historic Monterey Pop Music Festival later in June. Not one to take things sentimentally and a supporter of the free love movement, Nico carried on with her usual liaisons once summer was over. The hip vocalist claimed she and Anita regularly bumped into each other while a part of the same social circles of Paris, London and NYC in the mid-1960s. So while Nico was making a name for herself in fashion and music, Anita was doing the same, but with acting instead of singing. When Anita wasn’t gracing runways and magazine spreads, she was appearing in counterculture cult films like Roger Vadim’s Barbarella (1968), Christian Marquand’s Candy (1968) and Donald Cammell’s Performance (1970) [the latter also co-starring another Stone, Mick Jagger].

(Michael Cooper)

But Anita’s biggest impact on pop culture history would be inspiring many Rolling Stones songs. Unlike Nico, whose love life seemed to always be fleeting, Anita and Keith were actually a serious couple until 1980 and had a family together. I’m sure this was quite a shock to music fans in the 1970s as they had to be one of the wildest pairs in rock music. But like with most people surrounded by fame and fortune, there was darkness. Both struggled with cocaine and heroin problems throughout the decade; and also suffered the death of their infant son Tara Jo-Jo to SIDS at 10 weeks old in 1976. Though turbulent, Keith and Anita eventually grew to be friendly again after breaking up for the sake of their other two children, Marlon [b. 1969] and Angela [b. 1972]. The model’s influence on Keith’s music and his band can be heard on Stones tracks like ‘Angie’ (1973), ‘You Got the Silver’ (1969), ‘Happy’ (1972) and some of the lyrics to ‘Wild Horses’ (1971).

Now, what make Nico and Anita the ultimate bad girls of their generation are, well, some really bad behavior. Not only getting into the typical sex and drugs aspects of celebrity, but these two German ladies really outdid themselves when it comes to bad publicity. The phrase ‘ignorance is bliss’ becomes incredibly relevant when you begin to learn about Nico’s personal history and being a fan is suddenly a test of your tolerance. Accusations of racism and violent outbursts by associates, and child neglection regarding her son—Ari Boulogne [b. 1962]—make it so hard to appreciate all those great alt-rock and baroque pop records Nico made. And I don’t think you can simply blame it all on her tough childhood or serious addictions to heroin and methadone either. Nico is a very unique, intriguing artist and strikingly attractive; but this is a case where the less you know about the legend, the better your perception of their work. The music and fashion speak for themselves, and unfortunately at the hands of someone who didn’t respect others.

(Ewa Rudling)

Anita doesn’t have any allegations of attacking a black person or having an anti-semitic outburst like Nico did, thankfully. Some of the parenting stories involving her and Keith are a bit uncomfortable though. For someone who was always associated with the group who practically coined the motto ‘sex, drugs and rock & roll,’ Anita is almost amusingly singled out for supposedly having bad vibes and even called ‘evil.’ Keith’s mother Doris didn’t like her and his former bodyguard, Tony Sanchez, went as far as to claim Anita was secretly a witch who regularly practiced black magic. Honestly, I find this latter tidbit mostly humorous and dramatic on Tony’s part. But the real eerie tale from Anita’s life is how a 17-year-old boy, Scott Cantrell, reportedly shot himself in the head while in the muse’s bedroom in 1979. Keith was out of the country at the time, so the legend goes that Anita and Scott were in the midst of an affair. Even more tragic, 10-year-old Marlon was in the house when the suicide occurred. Seven-year-old Angela wasn’t present for this scary moment because she was actually with Keith’s mom. This along with baby Jo-Jo are considered the catalysts for the end of Keith and Anita’s relationship.

(Keystone / Hulton Archive)

Nico’s and Anita’s histories with hard drugs would be long struggles for both along the way to sober stability. Nico was supposedly close to finally being clean when she prematurely passed away from a bicycling accident while visiting Ibiza, Spain during the summer of 1988. Anita successfully detoxed from drugs and alcohol in the early 1980s after separating from Keith, but sadly relapsed in both 1987 and 2004. Along with her substance abuses, Anita also suffered from Hepatitis C, which would ultimately be her cause of death in June 2017. I think what’s impressive about both these women is that none of their kids resent them, and all of their friends and former flames have nothing but good things to say about them all these years later. Even when they’re exposed for misbehavior, or bigotry in Nico’s case, their loved ones still go out of their way to remind people how talented and unforgettable the starlets were in person. Marlon and Angela still loved their mother, and Nico and Ari formed a close bond by the time the latter was in his late teens. Rather than hold it against the singer for leaving him to be raised by his grandparents for most of his childhood, and his biological father—French film idol Alain Delon—continuingly denying paternity; Ari appears to mostly take things in stride.

(Camera Press)

Despite unflattering portrayals of their personalities, Nico’s and Anita’s impacts on entertainment are still undeniable. Siouxsie Sioux, Robert Smith, Morrissey and Björk are some of the music stars who cite Nico as an influence on their own craft; and the chanteuse’s songs are still paid tribute to today. Keith and Anita are undeniably one of the first couples to popularize the cliché of rockstars dating models and actresses. If anything, Nico and Anita are reminders that idols aren’t perfect and talent doesn’t equal perfection. The Velvet Underground, the Rolling Stones, Nico’s solo efforts and Anita’s own career are legendary. But with legends can sometimes come infamy.