I was a leading music industry promotion executive for Buddah Records in the late sixties and early seventies but then unexpectedly dropped out ... burnt out and sick of the hype. It took a new band I discovered at the Mercer Arts Center in NY's Greenwich Village to bring me back. I became their manager and made
rock 'n' roll history. The band was called the New York Dolls. This is their story ...
It was the last concert the New York Dolls would ever play. Malcolm McLaren had put them in red patent leather outfits, hung a hammer and sickle flag behind them and sent them off to Florida for a 1975 "spring break" gig. It had been three years since the band formed and things had since turned sour. Johnny Thunders and Jerry Nolan had become druggies and Arthur Kane's drinking was so bad he was often replaced on stage by Dolls roadie Peter Jordan. I had broken my ties with them and Malcolm, who would later go on to create the Sex Pistols, swooped in to get them in shape and resurrect their careers. Often referred to as David Johansen's "haberdasher in London," Malcolm would soon realize that the Dolls had become unmanageable.
When Thunders and Nolan couldn't score dope in Florida and left for New York, it was the last straw and the end of the band. But what the Dolls ended that day was the beginning of everything that came after them in the music business. They were the first band to give a voice to the alienated kids of the seventies who were sick of listening to the "pap strains" of Loggins & Messina and Carly
Simon on the radio. The "no future" concept that spawned punk started with the Dolls. They paved the way and, in the process, made all the mistakes.
It goes something like this ... the late Neil Bogart and I lived in the Top Ten at Buddah and were fresh faces in the business, young New York City record hustlers who promoted their way onto the worldwide record charts with hits like "Green Tambourine," "Yummy, Yummy, Yummy," "Simon Says," "1-2-3 Redlight" and "The Worst That Could Happen." Those records sold millions but the record industry hated them because they were teenybopper hits. We didn't care because those teenybopper hits gave us houses, cars, bank accounts, and careers.
But, with the emergence of the counter culture and the Woodstock Nation, the record biz changed. The Vietnam War, protest marches on Washington, the partisan politics of Richard Nixon, women's liberation, gay rights, racial strife and civil unrest were just some of the issues of the day. A cultural revolution was underway and rock 'n' roll was challenging the very essence of America's beliefs and principles. Youth-in-dissent, to the lies and deceitful ways of government, was the prevailing mood. The birth of FM radio and anti-establishment "message music" was taking hold until Nixon diffused the revolution by threatening non-renewal of their licenses. The record industry capitulated and followed suit. By the early seventies all you heard were singer/songwriters and soft, unthreatening sounds.
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Article comments
1 - san
The New York Dolls were truly seminal. This an important collection, and, on Marty Thau's part, an important recollection.
2 - Bill Sherman
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 . . .
3 - Marty Thau
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.
4 - Chris Clark
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?
5 - Bill Sherman
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.
6 - Marty Thau
CHRIS CLARK:
A&R guys should not be older than 17. I like your website.
7 - Will
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.
8 - Will
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
9 - Rodney Welch
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.
10 - Aaman
Wow - that's a phenomenal article, must now sample the Dolls - legit - just for you:)
A book would be a great idea
11 - Eric Olsen
thanks for checking it out Aaman - Marty rules!
12 - Walter Five
Great Article!!!
Can you please confirm or deny Blackie Lawless' claim that he was once a member of the Dolls?
13 - Eric Olsen
maybe the time is right for a book, Marty
14 - gypsyman
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
15 - Kathy
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