The Legend of the Lipstick Killers
Published March 23, 2003
On the night I was hoping to make a deal and secure all of our futures, I received a phone call in my hotel room from Billy Murcia asking to borrow five pounds. He said he had been trying to call a friend, got a wrong number and ended up in a conversation with people he didn't know, but who knew all about the Dolls.
They invited him to a party and he needed a little extra money. I told him to take the limo we had parked downstairs and to send it back to pick me up for my meeting later that evening with Lambert and Stamp to discuss the Track offer. Leber and I were asking for a ridiculous amount of money - something like 350,000 pounds, which was unheard of at that time. In the middle of the meeting I received a frantic phone call. The conversation lasted 15 seconds, "Marty, come quickly. Billy Murcia is dead."
Stunned, I left the meeting without explanation. Five minutes later my cab pulled up to the tenement building where Billy had gone to party. I identified myself and was led into a bedroom where Billy was propped up against the bed on the floor. Nobody knew what had happened, or so they claimed. I learned later from the autopsy report that Billy had mixed Mandrakes (the British equivalent of Quaaludes) with alcohol and collapsed. Someone placed him in an ice-cold bath and poured coffee down his throat and he choked on his own regurgitation.
The other Dolls pulled up when I went downstairs. They were in shock and were crying. I identified Billy's body for Scotland Yard and sent the Dolls back to NYC on the first plane out. I knew if I didn't get them out of London immediately, it would hit the front pages of the trashy London tabloids. I wanted to spare the Murcia family and the Dolls any further anguish.
Oddly, Billy's death caused greater interest in the band: it garnered them worldwide attention but also blew their big moment. Everything was put on hold. The record honchos weren't about to invest in a band that might not even exist. About a month later the word came down from the band ... "let's find another drummer and do it for Billy." Auditions were held and Jerry Nolan, an army brat and great musician, was chosen to be the fifth Doll.
On December 19, 1972, the Dolls played their first gig with Jerry at the Mercer Arts Center and were great. Four hundred and fifty people squeezed into Mercer's largest theater to see if these were the same Dolls they had loved. The record honchos came, too, and still didn't like what they witnessed but were now afraid to ignore the band. The Dolls were reborn. It was a triumphant return to New York City.
By springtime of '73, everything was back on track. Leber and I continued to fuel the fire and to make it virtually impossible to ignore the Dolls. We booked them uptown, downtown and out into the 'burbs on a non-stop schedule. Friends advised "don't overexpose them" but no matter how many shows they played the crowds kept getting bigger. The Dolls were now hotter than ever. Everyone wanted a piece of them, to be seen with them, to sleep with them, to get high with them. Finally, we got a break. Mercury Records, thanks to the efforts of A&R man Paul Nelson, signed them. We didn't get our asking price of $250,000, which they truly deserved, but did receive a substantial advance and serious commitment from a major record company.
- The Legend of the Lipstick Killers
- Published: March 23, 2003
- Type:
- Section: Music
- Filed Under: Music: Alternative Rock, Music: Classic Rock and Oldies, Music: Hard Rock, Music: News, Music: Rock
- Writer: Marty Thau
- Marty Thau's BC Writer page
- Marty Thau's personal site
- Spread the Word
- Like this article?
- Email this
Save to del.icio.us
Comments on this articleComments
Great first hand account. I'm a little bit peeved that this Millenial bargain disc has been released when we haven't gotten bells-and-whistles reissues of the two studio discs, but any Dolls is better than no Dolls. . .
David Jo has released two post-Buster discs of blues songs with The Harry Smiths. Both releases are worth checking out, though they're not all that easy to find.
I remember seeing Johnny Thunders in one of his last tours at a club in Chicago: the guy looked like a wreck, but, damn, he still could play . . .
BILL SHERMAN:
You hit it squarely on the head when you questioned why this mid-priced Dolls CD has been released instead of an all-out 'bells 'n whistles' reissue of the two studio discs, so I'll let you in on a little secret ... it's because Universal
Records (the new owners of the Dolls catalog) do not know enough about the band yet to go that far. Hopefully this Millenial disc will open their eyes and get them excited. Anyone who appreciates good rock 'n roll should know that the Dolls music will appeal to new generations for years to come. What can I say -- some things take a little longer than others. Be patient -- something blowing in the wind.
The new Millennium collection is fairly insipid, given the existence of the "Rock and Roll" single-CD compilation of both studio albums (minus "Pills" and "Showdown") plus bonus tracks that you can often find in cut-out bins for $5 or less.
And Amazon has both of Johansen's albums with the Harry Smiths...a remarkable new direction that conclusively demonstrates why the Dolls were the greatest white-blues band America ever produced, not to mention punk, glam and hairspray (would 80s metal have existed without them?).
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B000066RLO/qid=1048588555
Also, don't miss "From Paris with L-U-V," a bootleg-quality live document from 1974, and the "Hard Day's Night" collection of 1973 demos that showcases the Dolls without the wolf-whistle production frippery of Shadow Morton or Todd Rundgren's "get the glitter out of your asses and play!" malevolence.
Thanks for sharing, Marty. When can we expect the movie?
Rock 'n' Roll is a decent collection. But both studio albums are so set in my mind that the re-sequencing is distancing (as are the shifts in production sound). Plus I really miss the remake of Archie Bell's "Showdown." Still, the extra cuts ("Courageous Cat Theme," "Don't Mess With Cupid," "Lone Star Queen") guarantees that it'll stay in my collection.
In general, I've found these Millennium discs to be weak tea for fans: a good way for newcomers to test drive an unfamiliar group, though.
CHRIS CLARK:
A&R guys should not be older than 17. I like your website.
We have just opened the Official New York Dolls site at:
www.new-york-dolls.com
We hope that you will check it out and leave us your feedback.
I would be interested in getting in touch with Marty Thau. If anyone on this blogboard has an email address I would appreciate it if you could inform him of our official Dolls site
www.new-york-dolls.com
Or ask him to email me at:
admin@new-york-dolls.com
Kind Regards,
Will
MARTY THAU, you rock! What a great article -- sorry I only just got around to reading it two years after you wrote it.
I bought the first Dolls disc this weekend, saw your name on the credits, remembered you from this site, searched your past articles and came up with this thoroughly complete first hand account. Thanks so much for writing it. It's a valuable piece of rock history, and I can only hope you've got a book in the works.
Wow - that's a phenomenal article, must now sample the Dolls - legit - just for you:)
A book would be a great idea
thanks for checking it out Aaman - Marty rules!
Great Article!!!
Can you please confirm or deny Blackie Lawless' claim that he was once a member of the Dolls?
maybe the time is right for a book, Marty
Back in 1978 when puck was hitting Toronto there were whispers about these guys from New York. The Dolls, and Johnny Thunders were all they could talk about.
It was a wild ride back then, music felt alive for the first time in years. Like all those things it got co-opted fast, by 1983 it was new wave, and then it was just the same old crap.
Old joke " what's the difference between a punk and a new waver. A new waver wears a pin of their favourite band on their jacket. A Punk wears a pin through her cheek.
Oi, Oi, Oi!!!!
gypsyman
Marty, just came across your blog. Way back when I was part of the gang of teenagers who used to hand out all the fliers for the Dolls' gigs in exchange for getting on the guest list. Also tried to start the Dolls fan club without Mercury support, and was sitting in Leber Krebs office when Laura Kaufman told us the Dolls had broken up. I wound up adopting Johnny's two Labrador Retrievers prior to their first US tour. Spent many a night at the clubs watching the Dolls. Remember you well, standing in the back of the club, with your leather jacket. Looking like the Hall Monitor with a gang of juvenile delinquents. The best collection you put out, the one that really represented the Dolls' music, is "Hard Night's Day." Only sorry that "Endless Party" wasn't included on it. It was always my favorite tune. Would love to hear a digitally remastered & reproduced Dolls catalog of both studio albums. Anyway, you did a great job with the Dolls. You made Rock & Roll History! Thanks for the great times, Kathy
Add your comment, speak your mind
(Or ping: http://blogcritics.org/mt/tb/4024)
The New York Dolls were truly seminal. This an important collection, and, on Marty Thau's part, an important recollection.