Shortly after that, with Kenny's assistance, Joan formed the backing group "The Blackhearts" with three obscure New York area musicians: Gary Ryan on bass, Eric Ambel (replaced shortly thereafter by Rick Byrd) on guitar and Lee Crystal on drums. After almost a year of touring, Joan's first album with The Blackhearts, entitled I Love Rock'N'Roll came out in December of 1981. The album included a version of "Little Drummer Boy" on the pre-Christmas editions. The album's impact on the music scene was immediate with the LP reaching the Top Five, while the single "I Love Rock'n'Roll" hit the very top of the Billboard's Charts on March 20, 1982 and stayed #1 for 7 weeks. Joan Jett had come back from nowhere.
A string of Top 40 hits followed, as well as sellout tours with The Police, Queen, and Aerosmith, among others. Jett was the second American act of any kind to perform behind the Iron Curtain, the first one being Blood, Sweat & Tears in Romania in 1969. She was among the first English-speaking rock acts to appear in Panama and the Dominican Republic.
Forced label changes in the 80's led to a decline in popularity. Despite the follow-up albums "Album" and "Glorious Results of a Misspent Youth" being praised by her devout fans, neither got the attention or radio play the first two albums received.
After receiving her own MTV New Year's Eve special, Jett beat out a number of contenders to appear in the movie Light of Day with Michael J. Fox. It was about this time that Ryan and Crystal left the Blackhearts. They were soon replaced by the powerful rhythm section of Thommy Price and Kasim Sulton. Later that year, Jett released "Good Music", which featured appearances by The Beach Boys, The Sugarhill Gang and singer Darlene Love. The album only spawned two minor singles which received little airplay. This label decided the band had to either take in outside help or they would lose their contract.
And so they did. Her next release, Up Your Alley, went multi-platinum and was followed by "The Hit List", which was an international hit. Popular songwriter/producer Desmond Child was brought in, resulting in the release of album "Up Your Alley". This album brought the band a resurgence in popularity, with top 10 singles "I Hate Myself for Loving You" and "Little Liar".
This return to the spotlight would be short-lived, however. Follow-up album "The Hit List", an all-cover songs release, spawned only a minor hit with Jett's version of AC/DC's "Dirty Deeds".
Joan Jett and the Blackhearts became the first rock band to perform a series of shows at the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre on Broadway, breaking the record at the time for the fastest ticket sell-out ever.
1991 and 1994 had two more releases, "Notorious" and "Pure & Simple". But radio had started looking to grunge by this time, and neither album got the attention they deserved.
In the 1990s, Jett and Laguna released "Flashback", a compilation of her career so far on their own Blackheart Records. Her next release, "Notorious" (which featured The Replacements' Paul Westerberg) was the last with Sony/CBS as Jett switched to Warner Brothers.
In 1994, the Blackhearts released the well received Pure and Simple, which featured tracks written with Kat Bjelland (Babes in Toyland), Donita Sparks (L7) and Kathleen Hanna (Bikini Kill).
While a slew of hits packages, some with an occasional new or previously unreleased track were released following this, it would be 10 years before a new studio album would appear.
This would be 2004's "Naked", and thus far has been a Japan-only release. The album sees Jett returning to a more raw and experimental sound, closer to that of her first 4 releases than the polished material that began with "Good Music".
Failing to get "Naked" released in other markets, Jett released on a more international level "Sinner" in June 2006, on Blackheart Records, her own label.. This album featured many remixed tracks from "Naked", and a complete rewrite of "Stuck in the Middle" to new version "Riddles". Lead-off single and video was a cover of "A.C.D.C." by Sweet.
To support the album, the band appeared on the 2006 Warped Tour, and embarked on a Fall 2006 tour with Eagles of Death Metal.
After a long break from recording, Joan Jett and the Blackhearts released a 6-song EP of new material, "Mindsets," in June 2023.
Wynnewood
MCA
Joan Jett and the Blackhearts Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It's in unlimited supply
And there is no reason why
I tell you it was all a frame
They only did it 'cos of fame
Who?
Too many people had the suss
Too many people support us
An unlimited amount
Too many outlets in and out
Who?
MCA MCA MCA
You saw them crucified
A day they wished that you had died
We are an addition
We are ruled by none
Never ever never
Don't worry about it
Don't worry
They just thought that we were faking
That we were all just money making
You do not believe we're for real
Or you would lose your cheap appeal?
Don't judge a book just by the cover
Unless you cover just another
And blind acceptance is a sign
Of stupid fools who stand in line like
MCA MCA MCA
Unlimited edition
With an unlimited supply
That was the only reason
We all had to say goodbye
Unlimited supply
There is no reason why
I tell you if was all a frame
They only did it 'cos of fame
I do not need the pressure
I cannot teach a fool's
Unlimited supply
Hell MCA goodbye
The song "MCA" by Joan Jett and the Blackhearts is an ode to their former label, the now-defunct MCA Records. The lyrics are a commentary on the music industry and the power dynamics between artists and record labels. The song suggests that MCA was only interested in the fame and fortune that Joan Jett and the Blackhearts could bring them and that they didn't care about the authenticity or quality of their music. The lyrics suggest that the band was seen as a commodity rather than individual artists with something genuine to offer. The repeated chant of "MCA MCA MCA" serves to highlight the idea that the label was a powerful force that ultimately controlled the band's career.
Throughout the song, Joan Jett and the Blackhearts express their frustration with the music industry and the expectations that are placed on them as musicians. The line "Unlimited supply, there is no reason why. I tell you it was all a frame, they only did it 'cos of fame" suggests that there is a pressure to continually produce music and that the label only cares about the resulting profits. The repeated line "Don't worry" is a message to the band's fans not to be swayed by the pressures of the industry and to stay true to themselves as artists.
Line by Line Meaning
It's in unlimited supply
The resource being discussed is present in an unlimited amount
And there is no reason why
There is no apparent reason or explanation for the abundance of the resource
I tell you it was all a frame
The singer believes that some aspect of the situation was false or created for show
They only did it 'cos of fame
The action or decision being criticized was motivated solely by the desire for attention or notoriety
Who?
The artist is questioning the identity of those being criticized or the reason for their actions
Too many people had the suss
There were too many people who were aware of a hidden truth or secret information
Too many people support us
The singer and their group have a large number of supporters
An unlimited amount
There is an inexhaustible supply or quantity of something
Too many outlets in and out
There are too many possible ways for information or resources to come and go
You saw them crucified
The people being discussed were subjected to public criticism or scorn
A day they wished that you had died
The singer believes that those who criticized the group would have preferred them to fail or not exist
We are an addition
The artist's group is something extra, new, or different compared to what already exists
We are ruled by none
The singer's group is independent and not controlled by anyone else
Never ever never
The singer will never do something, likely related to conforming to someone else's expectations
Don't worry about it
The listener should not be concerned about something the singer mentioned earlier
They just thought that we were faking
Those who criticized the group believed that they were not genuine, but acting or pretending
That we were all just money making
Those who criticized the group believed that their motivation was purely financial gain
You do not believe we're for real
The singer believes that the listener or those being criticized do not believe that the group is authentic
Or you would lose your cheap appeal?
If those being criticized believed that the singer's group was real, it would result in a loss of something low-quality or unimpressive
Don't judge a book just by the cover
One should not make assumptions about something based purely on its outward appearance
Unless you cover just another
Exceptions to the previous line can be made if the thing being judged is not different or unique, but just another version of something else
And blind acceptance is a sign
The acceptance of something without question or examination is a clear indication of something negative
Of stupid fools who stand in line like
The people who blindly accept something are like foolish individuals queuing up or following others without thinking
MCA MCA MCA
A repeated reference to the person or people being criticized
Unlimited edition
Something that is available in an infinite amount or is not limited
With an unlimited supply
The resource being discussed exists in an infinite amount
That was the only reason
The singer views the motivation being discussed as the sole reason for something happening
We all had to say goodbye
The situation being discussed led to an ending, likely related to the artist's group or involvement with the people being criticized
I do not need the pressure
The artist does not require the stress or expectations of someone else
I cannot teach a fool's
The singer cannot educate someone who is foolish or cannot understand
Hell MCA goodbye
A final parting statement directed at the person or people being criticized
Contributed by Alice B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.