Fifth Column is an all-girl experimental punk band from Toronto, which came about during the early 1980s. Originally the group had been known as Second Unit, but they took the name Fifth Column after a military manoeuvre made infamous during the Spanish Civil War, in which National insurrectionists within sieged Republican Madrid, called 'the fifth column', would aid the four columns (north, south, east and west) outside the perimeters.

The name of their first full-length recording To Sir With Hate was a play on the theme song from the British school film, To Sir With Love , performed by Lulu. A song from this LP, "The Fairview Mall Story" was based on true events concerning media publication of the names of men arrested after being entrapped by police and lead to the band being influential in the emergence of the queercore scene.

Independent-minded, they released their recordings, including their second full length recording All-Time Queen Of The World themselves. In 1992 they released a single on independent record label K Records, "All Women Are Bitches". Despite being controversial and receiving little airplay, the single was voted "Single Of The Week" in the NME. Their last full-length recording, 36-C, was also released K Records.

The band performs live in the film named for them, Fifth Column, directed by experimental Toronto filmmaker John Porter, and in She's Real, Worse Than Queer by Lucy Thane. As well, bassist Anita Smith is interviewed in Scott Treleaven's Queercore: A Punk-u-mentary and the music of Fifth Column is featured in the film.

Albums

• To Sir With Hate (1985) Hide Records
• All-Time Queen Of The World (1990) Hide Records
• 36-C (1994) K Records

Singles

• "All Women are Bitches/Donna" 7" on K Records (1992)
• "Don't" 7" split single with God Is My Co-Pilot on Outpunk Records (1994)
• "I Love You, But" 7" split single with Trailer Queen on Dark Beloved Cloud Records (1995)

Cassettes

• Work (1998) Hide Records & Tapes; soundtrack for the video by Paulette Philips, cassette only release

Compilations

• "The Fairview Mall Story" on J.D.s Top Ten Homocore Hit Parade Tape, Hide Records & Tapes (cassette only) (1990)
• "Yo-Yo" on The Yo-Yo Gang Hide Records & Tapes; soundtrack for the film by G.B. Jones (cassette only) (1992)
• "Chewing Gum" on Keep On The Sunny Side, Amoeba Records (1993)
• "All Women Are Bitches" on International Hip Swing, K Records (1994)
• "Don't" on Free To Fight, Chainsaw Records and Candy Ass Records co-release (1995)
• "Erotic Thriller" on Rock Stars Kill, Kill Rock Stars (1996)
• "Imbecile" on Fields And Streams, Kill Rock Stars, (2002)

Most Recent Line-Up

• G.B. Jones (drums, guitar, vocals)
• Caroline Azar (vocals, organ, guitar)
• Beverly Breckenridge (bass; 1987 -)

Previous Members

• Anita Smith (bass; 1985-1987)
• Charlotte Briede (guitar; 1985-1990)
• Joel Wasson (drums; 1990-1992)
• Michelle Breslin (guitar; 1993-1995)
• Don Pyle (of Canadian instrumental band Shadowy Men on a Shadowy Planet) (drums; 1992-1993)
• Donna Dresch (of queercore band Team Dresch) (guitar; 1994)
• Torry Colichio (drums; 1993-1995)

See also

• List of all-women bands

External links

• Interview with Fifth Column
• Fifth Column Factsheet