Detroit sisters Patti and Suzi Quatro decided to form The Pleasure Seekers after seeing The Beatles on American television in 1964.
Their other sisters, Arlene and Nancy, also eventually joined the group, replacing Mary Lou Ball and Diane Baker.
Their first single – Never Thought You’d Leave Me – was released in 1965 and the group began to tour extensively in the USA, putting a premature end to 15-year-old Suzi’s education.
Follow-up single Light Of Love was released in 1967, and in the same year, the girl’s travelled to Guam to entertain American troops recuperating there from the Vietnam War.
1968 brought a name change (to Cradle) and a harder rocking sound.
The group (and the Quatro family) were thrown into turmoil in 1971 when two separate talent scouts showed an interest – not in the band, but in Suzi individually. One of those scouts was British pop producer Mickie Most (in Detroit to record with Jeff Beck) who offered Suzi a recording contract in England. After some deliberation, Suzi accepted the offer, and by 1972 was fronting her own band and touring the UK with Slade.
Patti and Nancy Quatro continued with Cradle for a while before joining their brother Mike’s band, The MQ Jam Band.
Patti eventually moved on to join Fanny, the first all-female band to break through into the pro music scene in America.
Nancy Quatro
Vocals
Suzi Quatro
Vocals, bass
Patti Quatro
Guitar, vocals
Arlene Quatro (Fenn)
Keyboards, vocals
Nancy Ball
Drums
Darline Arnone
Drums
Diane Baker
Keyboards
Pammi Benford
Bass
Mary Lou Ball
Guitar
Eileen Biddlingmeier
Guitar, vocals
Prisilla Wenser
Keyboards