She Trinity

Websites:  No
Origin: Toronto, Ontario, 🇨🇦 → London, England, UK
Biography:

The She Trinity – From Toronto to London: Canada’s First Great All-Girl Rock Export
Before punk, before riot grrrl, and before all-female bands were taken seriously on the international stage, a determined trio of young Canadian women set out from Toronto with guitars in hand and a clear ambition: to make their mark on the world stage. That group became known as She Trinity, and they remain one of the earliest—and most internationally ambitious—all-woman bands ever to come out of Canada.

The story begins in 1964 with a group called Lady Greensleeves, founded in Toronto by Robyn Yorke, a jazz-trained drummer. Yorke had been playing in a trio with two male musicians when her agent suggested she try forming an all-girl band. She took the idea seriously and brought in guitarist Shelley Gillespie and singer Sue Kirby, both based in Ontario. According to Gillespie, she could only play three chords when she joined, but Yorke arranged for coaching, and the group quickly began gigging around southern Ontario.

After developing their act locally, the trio decided to head for England—a rare and gutsy move at the time. They boarded the Queen Mary in late 1965 and arrived in London determined to break into the British pop scene. Once there, the group evolved into She Trinity, and added a new member: Pauline Moran, a talented bassist from Blackpool who had co-founded The Missfits, one of Britain’s earliest all-girl rhythm groups. Moran answered an ad in Melody Maker and was hired almost immediately.

She Trinity’s new lineup caught the attention of high-profile industry figures, including Peter Grant (later Led Zeppelin’s manager) and producer Mickie Most, who helped them land a deal with Columbia UK. Between 1966 and 1970, they released a series of genre-blending singles—touching on pop, garage, psychedelia, and protest rock. Standout tracks include “Climb That Tree”, “Wild Flower”, and a gender-swapped version of “I Fought the Law” called “He Fought the Law.”

Unlike most girl groups of the 1960s, She Trinity played their own instruments—a fact that made them stand out in both the UK and European scenes. They recorded under the alias British Maid for the French market and toured regularly across the Continent, sharing bills with major acts like The Who.

The group’s lineup shifted frequently, with at least ten women passing through its ranks. Later members included Marion “Rusty” Hill on keyboards, Eileen Woodman on organ, Barbara Thompson on saxophone, and briefly, Liverpool beat vocalist Beryl Marsden. By 1970, the group released its final single—“Hair” b/w “Climb That Tree”—before disbanding.

While they never reached the top of the charts, She Trinity’s importance lies in their fearless example. They were Canada’s first internationally touring all-female rock band—a self-contained group who recorded and performed widely. Their success built upon the foundation laid by earlier Canadian all-girl acts like The Chantettes of Guelph, who formed in 1962 and were active until 1964, and ran parallel to other regional pioneers such as The Feminine Touch (Winnipeg, 1965). They may also have helped inspire later groups like the Montreal-based Sweet Somethings.

In a time when women were rarely allowed to be more than just the face of a band, She Trinity made it clear they could be the sound, the songwriters, and the soul as well.
-Robert Williston

Robyn Yorke: drums
Shelley Gillespie: guitar
Sue Kirby: vocals
Pauline Moran: bass
Marion "Rusty" Hill: keyboards
Eileen Woodman: organ, backing vocals (later lineup)
Barbara Thompson: saxophone (later lineup)
Beryl Marsden: vocals (brief stint in later lineup)