Wayne County & The Electric Chairs - Selftitled (1st Album UK 1978)

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Wayne County & the Electric Chairs were part of the first wave of punk bands from the 1970s. The band is headed by Georgia transgendered woman, Wayne County, who later changed her name to Jayne County.

Wayne County had originally begun performing in New York with a band called Queen Elizabeth, followed by Wayne County and The Backstreet Boys (documented on Rhino's DIY: Blank Generation compilation album with an early single, "Max's Kansas City 1976". Upon moving to London, England with Greg Van Cook, a member of the Backstreet Boys, she recruited a new drummer and bassist to form "The Electric Chairs":

Guitar: Greg Van Cook
Bass: Val Haller
Drums: J.J. Johnson

The band is known for their campy and foul-mouthed ballads, basic punk rock, and image which was heavily influenced by Jackie Curtis and the Theatre of the Ridiculous.[citation needed]

Jools Holland had his first studio session with Wayne County and the Electric Chairs in 1976.

None of County's albums were ever released in her native country of United States, except for three songs on the very early punk compilation, Max's Kansas City.

Jayne County (born Wayne Rogers in 1947), formerly known as Wayne County, is an American male-to-female transsexual performer, musician and actress whose career has spanned several decades.

Born Wayne Rogers in 1947, County left her hometown of Dallas, Georgia in 1968 to move to New York City, where she became a regular at the Stonewall Inn and took part in the historic riots. In 1969, County was asked by Warhol superstar and playwright Jackie Curtis to appear in her play, Femme Fatale, at the La MaMa Experimental Theatre Club, which also starred Patti Smith. In her autobiography, County says of Curtis, "She was my biggest influence, the person who really got me started." After a successful run of Femme Fatale, County wrote World - Birth Of A Nation which she also appeared in, bringing her to the attention of Andy Warhol, who cast her in his own theatrical production, Pork. After a run in New York, the play, with the New York cast, was performed in London. Upon returning to New York, County appeared in another play, Island, by Tony Ingrassia, again with Patti Smith.

In 1972 County formed Queen Elizabeth, one of the pioneering protopunk bands. Despite being signed to MainMan Artistes LTD, David Bowie's management firm, no records were ever produced. The company spent over $200,000 to film the 1974 stage show, "Wayne at the Trucks", the footage of which has never been released. The show featured numerous costume changes and some of County's raunchiest material. Eight songs from the show were released on the 2006 CD, Wayne County At The Trucks, on Munster Records. The show is claimed by County to have been the inspiration for Bowie's Diamond Dogs tour. In particular, County maintains that the song "Queenage Baby" was a prototype for Bowie's song "Rebel Rebel", a claim which is supported by some rock critics.

In 1974 she formed "Wayne County and the Backstreet Boys", which recorded three tracks for Max's Kansas City: New York New Wave, a compilation that also featured Suicide, Pere Ubu, Cherry Vanilla and The Fast. Wayne County and The Backstreet Boys played regularly at CBGB and Max's Kansas City, where County was also a DJ. In 1976, she appeared in the film The Blank Generation, directed by Amos Poe and Ivan Kral. The film, the recording and the shows were the beginnings of what came to be known as punk rock, and helped define the movement.

In 1977, County moved to London, where the English punk scene was just emerging, and formed Wayne County & the Electric Chairs. County released the EP Electric Chairs 1977, plus a single on Illegal Records. This was followed by "Fuck Off", recorded as a single for Safari Records and supported with a European tour. While in London, County met Derek Jarman, who cast her as "Lounge Lizard" in the seminal punk film, Jubilee, which also starred Adam Ant, Toyah Willcox, Ian Charleson and Jordan. County and band are also featured in The Punk Rock Movie, by Don Letts, containing part of a 1977 performance at The Roxy club in London.

Shortly after this, Wayne County and The Electric Chairs recorded their first, self-titled album, as well as an EP, Blatantly Offensive, which contained "Fuck Off" and "Toilet Love." After touring they recorded Storm The Gates Of Heaven. The next album, released in 1979, was Things Your Mother Never Told You, which featured several songs based on County's experiences in Germany. After it was released, the band broke up and County, along with guitarist Eliot Michaels, returned to the U.S. It was at this time that she changed her stage name to "Jayne County" and began self-identifying as a woman. The final release by County on Safari Records, Rock and Roll Resurrection (In Concert), was under this new name.

In 1983, County returned to New York where she appeared in the theatrical production Les Girls with Holly Woodlawn. Shortly thereafter she returned to London for the premiere of City Of Lost Souls and stayed long enough to record and tour another album, Private Oyster, with Warren Heighway as manager. Her band included members of various UK based rock bands, including Manchester-based guitarists, Stu Clarke and Chris Rockson [Lynch], and Bazil Creece on drums. Following widespread media attention, she returned to the U.S.

In the 1990s many of the earlier recordings were released, including the early Safari tracks, on a CD called Rock & Roll Cleopatra. She recorded the album Goddess Of Wet Dreams in 1993, followed by Deviation, in 1995. Later that year she appeared in Wigstock: The Movie and released her autobiography, Man Enough To Be A Woman.

Since that time several new tracks have surfaced on various compilations and through County's official website. Many of these tracks, both live and studio recordings, were collected on the Ratcage Records release So New York, including collaborations with Lisa Jackson and former Electric Chairs guitarist Eliot Michaels. A live show, recorded on County's birthday, was released on the 2002 CD Wash Me In The Blood (Of Rock & Roll)- Live at Squeeze Box by Fang Records, and features a duet on "California Sun" by County and former nemesis "Handsome" Dick Manitoba of The Dictators.

Making his initial name as a prominent scenester during the heady days of the early-'70s New York punk club scene, Wayne County later gained additional renown as perhaps rock's most prominent transsexual performer, billing herself as Jayne County following her return to the U.S. from Berlin in 1980. Born Wayne Rogers in Dallas, GA (near Atlanta) in approximately 1947, Wayne County assumed his stage name for a production of the Jackie Curtis play Femme Fatale. County acted in several Andy Warhol-associated theater pieces and from there became the regular DJ at the legendary club Max's Kansas City. Starting in 1972, County performed (in drag) at the club as well, eventually writing and recording a celebratory theme song titled "Max's Kansas City" in 1976 with a backing group called the Back Street Boys. However, County found it difficult to find American labels interested in his trashy, campy, New York Dolls-influenced brand of rock & roll, so he relocated to London just as that city's punk movement was beginning to gather momentum. He found a home on the Safari label with a new band, the Electric Chairs, and issued his debut album -- also called The Electric Chairs -- in 1978. Further albums included Storm the Gates of Heaven and Things Your Mother Never Told You, both from 1979; afterwards, County retired to Berlin and emerged as Jayne County, returning to North America in 1980. A 1981 live album, Rock 'n' Roll Resurrection, was the first billed to Jayne County, and found her fronting a mostly new version of the Electric Chairs.

County was quiet for a while as a recording artist, returning only in 1986 with a self-produced album called Private Oyster (a similar, unauthorized version was later issued under the title Amerikan Cleopatra). Periodic releases followed in the '90s, some featuring new songs, some featuring reworked versions of past material. In 1996, County published her autobiography, Man Enough to Be a Woman; in 1999, she issued a newly recorded version of her song "Fuck Off," retitled "Fuck Off 2000."

01.  Eddie & Sheena   
02.  Bad in Bed   
03.  Hot Blood   
04.  Worry Wart   
05.  28 Model T   
06.  Out Of Control   
07.  Max's   
08.  On the Crest   
09.  Plane Of Nazca   
10.  Big Black Window   
11.  Take It   
12.  Rock 'N' Roll Resurrection 
+ Bonus tracks

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