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Sad to read that the last remaining member of the New York Dolls is battling Stage 4 cancer, as well as a breaking his neck in two places after a fall in November.
His daughter has launched an appeal to raise funds to pay for his care.
When it comes to UK punk, my view is that it got its attitude from the Dolls (which Malcolm McLaren briefly managed before the Sex Pistols), as well as its fashion sense from Richard Hell and its music from the Ramones.
Here are two protopunk tracks for anyone who may be interested, the second of which shows them at their chaotic finest.
Poor Buster; it's terrible to see the state he's in now.
The Dolls were a bigger influence on early punk than they ever really got credited for and their reach stretches out past Hanoi Rocks etc, Guns & Roses then circles back to the present. One of the few bands that could pretty reasonably claim to have a bit of their DnA in most subsequent rock genres.
I'd also go back to bands like the Sonics, the Monks, MC5, Love etc as well.
Their music was a little too "heavy" for my liking, and I felt that the Dolls formed a much closer bridgehead to what I would regard as the true punk of the Ramones.
I first came across them on a compilation album from 1977 called New Wave, and was struck by the similarities to the Ramones.
The other thing to say is that the members of the Ramones saw the Dolls many times, and I believe even played the same venues such as Max's Kansas City and CBGBs. I also came across this in which Tommy recognises the influence of the Dolls.
Their music was a little too "heavy" for my liking, and I felt that the Dolls formed a much closer bridgehead to what I would regard as the true punk of the Ramones.
I first came across them on a compilation album from 1977 called New Wave, and was struck by the similarities to the Ramones.
The other thing to say is that the members of the Ramones saw the Dolls many times, and I believe even played the same venues such as Max's Kansas City and CBGBs. I also came across this in which Tommy recognises the influence of the Dolls.
Changing tack slightly, it is interesting to note that the Saints in Australia independently produced their own version of punk around the time it was developing in New York. I was reminded of this when the following song popped up on a playlist on Spotify, the single being released in the UK before that of the Damned (the first UK punk record).
Whispering Bob Harris famously described them as ' mock rock' after a Whistle Test appearance, although they met regularly afterwards where DJ would thank him for the tremendous publicity.
Poor Buster; it's terrible to see the state he's in now.
The Dolls were a bigger influence on early punk than they ever really got credited for and their reach stretches out past Hanoi Rocks etc, Guns & Roses then circles back to the present. One of the few bands that could pretty reasonably claim to have a bit of their DnA in most subsequent rock genres.
Whispering Bob Harris famously described them as ' mock rock' after a Whistle Test appearance, although they met regularly afterwards where DJ would thank him for the tremendous publicity.
At the time, that performance clashed with the show's usual mix of folk and prog rock so it was a bit unprecedented in terms of what we usually saw on the box.
Poor Buster; it's terrible to see the state he's in now.
The Dolls were a bigger influence on early punk than they ever really got credited for and their reach stretches out past Hanoi Rocks etc, Guns & Roses then circles back to the present. One of the few bands that could pretty reasonably claim to have a bit of their DnA in most subsequent rock genres.
You have to include the Stooges blended with the NYD's to get that essence of early British punk.
You have to include the Stooges blended with the NYD's to get that essence of early British punk.
It has long been mooted that 'Dirty Water' but The Standells (it's on Lenny Kaye's 'Nuggets' compilation) from 1965 was the earliest punk release but others give a credit to The Yardbirds and The Kinks.
It has long been mooted that 'Dirty Water' but The Standells (it's on Lenny Kaye's 'Nuggets' compilation) from 1965 was the earliest punk release but others give a credit to The Yardbirds and The Kinks.
And in memory of PJH:
[Post edited 16 Feb 20:05]
I've always thought that this 1959 song by Eddie Cochran deserves a shout out as proto punk with its rawness and frenetic energy.
You have to include the Stooges blended with the NYD's to get that essence of early British punk.
Yes, I think the Pistols started off playing Stooges songs before they had written their own but it was really the Ramones which kick-started it all in the UK (and speeded it up) as this excerpt from End of the Century indicates.
Well before Ramones, Sex Pistols and The Clash came New York Dolls, pioneers of, not only the US punk scene, but the punk scene in general. Listening to this album, it’s hard to believe that punk didn’t really exist before this. New York Dolls took the joyous fun of 1950’s Rock ‘n Roll, scuffed its knees, gave it a mohawk and took it to the basement of New York City clubs. On the way down, they grabbed acclaimed producer, Todd Rundgren (remember him from #396?), and got him to add his pop sensibilities to the record. They later said that Rundgren would capture the live feeling of the band perfectly.
‘Personality Crisis’ opens the record and it’s such a great punk song. One of those songs that’s just such a part of the fabric of punk, I was sure it had been written and recorded by another artist. Into ‘Looking For A Kiss;’ “I need a fixin' a kiss, I've been looking for a kiss/I didn't come here, lookin' for no fix, I know.” ‘Lonely Planet Boy’ could be Velvet Underground. All in all, this album is so influential and so important to punk rock and alternative music. The album that really kicked it all off. It’s got swagger and it’s got attitude. And that’s 200 albums down.
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