Dokken has officially released the digital single and music video for “Hard Rock Woman”, a track that was previously available only as part of a limited-edition seven-inch vinyl from 2020. That special release coincided with the launch of The Lost Songs: 1978–1981, which featured rare material from the band’s early years.
Described as “a raw rock anthem taken from the vaults,” “Hard Rock Woman” captures the youthful drive and creative spark that helped 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”.
Now, decades later, “Hard Rock Woman” has been reintroduced as a standalone digital single, 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.
