Dominique Davalos

Hanging Out With A Duck
Michael Holloway, Australia

Born: Dominique Davalos
November 5, 1965
Birthplace: Los Angeles, California

Howard The Duck, a movie that 80’s nostalgists either remember fondly or spend their lives trying to forget, depending where your sense of humour lies on the sick-o-meter. When you happened to be in the movie, the likelihood of forgetting the fact you had appeared on screen with a giant, loudmouthed, cigar smoking duck as the protagonist would be impossible.

Not only did she appear in the movie, but Dominique Davalos performed four songs as a member of the film’s band The Ronettes, with co-stars Lea Thompson, Liz Sagal, and Holly Robinson. The songs were; Hunger City, It Don’t Come Cheap, Don’t Turn Away and Howard The Duck. Despite this bizarre career milestone, this fearless, passionate rock diva is peppered with enough talent and determination to ditch the drake, forging a career as a respected musician and actress.

Davalos has appeared in other movies, Salvation: Have You Said Your Prayers Today, Stump The Band, Love Streams, and A Woman Under The Influence. In ‘Salvation’ she appeared with Viggo Mortensen and iconic 70’s rock diva Exene Cervenka, performing Destroy All Evil and Play The Beat.

The Delphines

Davalos is perhaps best known as Kathy Valentine‘s partner in The Delphines. Davalos and Valentine wrote all the songs for the band, which briefly included Gina Schock as the drummer.

Schock lasted a short time with The Delphines before her role was given to Kristy MacInnis, though over the course of time, other drummers came and went. Valentine performed backing vocals and played lead guitar while Davalos sang lead vocals and played bass. Though The Delphines only released two albums, their self-titled debut album in 1996, and Cosmic Speed in 2001, they retain their popularity among Go-Go’s fans. The latter album also featured a cover of Ike and Tina Turner’s popular I Idolize You.

 

Tina Turner Classic

Davalos and Valentine discuss how they felt recording the Turner’s classic song in the liner notes of Cosmic Speed.

Valentine: “We dragged this one out of the past, used to do it in the Blue Bonnets (the original name of the band)…”

Davalos: “This is an Ike & Tina Turner song, I love the way she sings so much, her performance on the original is so incredible I was afraid I wouldn’t do it justice.”

Valentine: “Dominique gets to show her stuff on this one! The song sounds retro and current at the same time.”

Writing Music

Other highlights from the album, described here in Valentine’s and Davalos’ own words include:  Do Not Disturb

Valentine: “We know where this title was inspired from!  I wanted to make the song a bit less obvious, I liked the concept of scratching the surface and having something underlying, hard to deal with…what lurks beneath the happy nature we try and present to the world.”

Davalos: “I just thought of someone crawling under the covers in their bed, hotel room door bolted, shouting Go Away!'”

Don’t Pass Me By

Valentine: “This song went through some changes before it ended up like this…”

Davalos: “Yeah, it started taking shape as we thought of a certain person who we love, who like a lot of people…”

Valentine: “aren’t quite made for this world…”

Davalos: “right, they are better and too brilliant, don’t get what they deserve…”

Valentine: “they aren’t base and hustling enough.”

Pissin’ In The Wind

Valentine: “Jesse [Sublett] sent me some lyrics, Lovin’ YOU is like pissin’ in the wind… I changed some, re-arranged some, the main thing was making it so it suited Dominique…who had been leaving a trail of broken-hearted boys by the wayside since I knew her. Lovin’ HER was like pissin’ in the wind!”

Davalos: “The phrasing and the attitude was perfect, it feels completely natural like I wrote it. By the way, I’m not like that anymore!”

Valentine: “The music practically wrote itself, I wanted that Joan Jett, total bad girl rock feel.”

Still Friends

Despite the genuine camaraderie shared by Davalos and Valentine, they eventually disbanded. Though they are still friends, Valentine now lives in her native Texas while Davalos is content to remain in Los Angeles with her new band Drag, who have also released two albums, a self-titled debut recording, and Loose Like Brando.  Davalos is also involved with other bands such as The Hemi Cudas and Tremolo Colt. Fans are hoping she will surprise them with a new project very soon.

For more Dominique dazzle, visit her Official MySpace and Facebook.

 

Tagged Dominique Davalos, music, musician, The Blubonnets, The Delphines