Missing Persons: Words (1983)

Anyone who stumbled onto this LA New Wave band on You Tube a decade or so ago couldn't help note what others were saying: Lady Gaga had ripped off the style (and some of the sound) of frontwoman Dale Bozzio's sense of big-hair and glammed-up look.

Perhaps more corrrectly Lady Gaga had simply taken it as a starting point, just as scantily-clad former Playboy bunny Bozzio took a little from Lena Lovich, Blondie and others. But you couldn't help notice some visual and musical stylistic kinship with Lady Gaga . . . and maybe even in No Doubt too?

But as with Blondie -- who were obliged to take out ads which read "Blondie is a band" -- the obvious charms of Bozzio somewhat overshadowed her fellow musicians. And they were interesting of themselves.

Guitarist Wayne Cuccurollo started off in Frank Zappa bands, moved through Missing Persons and ended up in Duran Duran (see here for an interview with those knobheads).

The drummer was Terry Bozzio (Dale's husband) who had also been in Zappa bands (Dale did some vocals for Frank too) and later worked with Jagger and Jeff Beck . . .  and sat in with Korn when their drummer was down.

Still, as with Blondie, it was never really about the journeymen -- as you can see, as with Gaga, it's all about the lady up front.

And -- although not quite as up-front as Wendy O Williams of the Plasmatics -- Dale Bozzio deserves to be remembered.

And not just by Lady Gaga.

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For more oddities, one-offs or songs with an interesting backstory  check the massive back-catalogue at From the Vaults.