The documentary "Since Yesterday" sheds light on the struggles of female rock bands in the 1960s, highlighting the overlooked achievements of The McKinleys, a Scottish pop duo composed of sisters Jeanette and Sheila McKinlay. The film presents an in-depth look at the duo's whirlwind year, from their victory at the Edinburgh talent contest to their eventual departure from the music industry due to the collapse of their record label.
The McKinleys' story is a fascinating one, marked by early success and opportunities to share the stage with some of the biggest names in music. They toured with The Beatles and supported The Rolling Stones at Wembley, becoming the first Scottish girl band to crack the UK charts. However, their label's financial difficulties led to their demise, and the sisters were left without industry connections or know-how. In an interview featured in the documentary... Jeanette Gallacher (née McKinlay) reminisces about their time spent on the road, recalling the excitement and uncertainty of performing at festivals and concerts.
According to Gallacher, their label, "the Malcolm Nixon Agency," "failed to nurture the duo," passing up opportunities to promote them properly and ensuring their eventual departure from the music industry. Additional insights into The McKinleys' story can be found in an article published by "The Quietus", which notes that the sisters' music was more popular in Europe than in the UK... despite their initial success.
This added layer of complexity to their story, as they were forced to adapt to new circumstances and find ways to continue earning a ___ in the music industry. Ultimately, "Since Yesterday" serves as a poignant reminder of the struggles faced by female rock bands in the 1960s, shining a light on the achievements of The McKinleys and highlighting the importance of recognizing and promoting the contributions of women in music.
Headlines:
"Watching the documentary, you were left at the end going, 'But… why ?' Why didn't these bands receive more recognition? I mean, that's good music."
"Why did I not grow up with posters of these bands on my bedroom walls?", laments Easton in her documentary voiceover. She was obsessed instead with Jem And The Holograms , an imaginary American rock band from the 1980s cartoon Jem.
Jeanette Gallacher (née McKinlay) is the first talking head in Since Yesterday, reminiscing about the Edinburgh talent contest that she entered with her big sister, Sheila. After winning the contest, their gorgeously harmonic pop duo The McKinleys [sic] was snapped up by the Malcolm Nixon Agency and sent to London to record a demo. After a whirlwind year, with four singles released between 1964 and 1965, including the driving sass of the girl group classic that never was, 'Sweet And Tender Romance', their label went bankrupt and the sisters were left high and dry. In that short time they had toured with The Beatles and supported The Rolling Stones at Wembley (the first ever girl band to play there), and had been the first Scottish girl band to break the UK charts. Finding themselves suddenly without any contacts or industry know-how, they were bailed out by a German agent and relocated abroad so they could still earn an income.
The sisters later found out that Brian Epstein had personally offered to manage them, but had been fobbed off by their label, without the artists being consulted – it was just one example of how the Malcom Nixon Agency failed to nurture the duo, passing up endless opportunities to promote them properly.
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