Legendary hard rock icons DOKKEN have finally released digitally (and with a video) their very early single “Hard Rock Woman” – a track previously available only on a limited-edition 7” vinyl issued in 2020 to celebrate ‘The Lost Songs: 1978 –1981’.
Originally recorded in 1978 and pressed in limited copies the next year, the song captures the raw intensity and youthful fire that helped shape DOKKEN’s early identity and rise in the burgeoning Los Angeles rock scene.
Frontman Don Dokken reflected on the track’s origins, recalling late-night studio sessions in Manhattan Beach with producer and Paul Revere & The Raiders guitarist Drake Levin, along with drummer Bill Lordan and bassist Rusty Allen of Robin Trower’s band.
Described as “a raw rock anthem taken from the vaults,” “Hard Rock Woman” showcases the youthful drive and creative spark that shape Dokken into one of the defining acts of the 1980s rock scene. Frontman Don Dokken reflected on the song’s origins, saying: “In 1978 I was living in Manhattan Beach, California. A few blocks from my house there was a vintage music store called Drake’s Music. It was owned by Drake Levin who was the original guitar player in Paul Revere & The Raiders. We got to be good friends and after a while he asked me if I’ve ever recorded in a professional studio. When I told him no, he offered to put me into a professional recording studio and do some songs on down time, very late at night when the studio was empty.”
He continued: “Drake hired Bill Lordon on drums and Rusty Allen on bass who were both playing with Robin Trower at the time. We recorded two songs: “Hard Rock Woman” and “Broken Heart”.
It’s great to have this music available again, giving fans new and old a chance to experience one of Dokken’s earliest recordings — a glimpse into the raw beginnings of a band that would go on to define an era of hard rock.
Side A – Hard Rock Woman
Side B – Broken Heart
Don Dokken – vocals
Drake Levin – guitar
Bill Lordan – drums
Rusty Allen – bass
DOKKEN – Hard Rock Woman [very first 7” / 1978] Reissue 2025, MP3+FLAC
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