AccuRadio Song Of The Day-New York Dolls

Artist:New York Dolls
Song:Personality Crisis
Album:Rock 'n Roll





The New York Dolls only recorded two albums when they were together in the 70s and they never had a hit single. But they cast a long shadow. They invented punk music and their glam look was an influence on many bands. They normally led all their shows with Personality Crisis. Sylvain Sylvain and Billy Murcia went to school together and were in The Pox in 1967. In 1970 they formed a band with Johnny Thunders but it split up when Sylvain went to England for a few months. But the band reformed when Arthur Kane and Rick Rivets started a band with Thunders. He recommended Murcia and David Johansen joined as lead singer. Sylvain replaced Rivets when he returned from England. The name New York Dolls comes from the New York Doll Hospital which was across the street from a clothing store where Sylvain worked. The New York Dolls were influenced by early Rolling Stones and the 60s band MC5 and obviously Marc Bolan influenced the glam look. But they sounded fresh and caused a buzz in New York. After Billy Murcia died as the result of a drug fueled drowning and was replaced by Jerry Nolan, The New York Dolls signed with Mercury Records. They recorded two albums for Mercury which you can get on this comp. Todd Rundgren produced the first album and George "Shadow" Morton produced the second. Then Mercury dropped them and they split up. The likely problem was an inability to harness the band's live show energy in the studio. And maybe radio stations weren't ready for punk music. Thunders and Johansen both had successful solo careers in the 80s. Sylvain recorded solo but wasn't successful. The 2004 reunion of The New York Dolls was spurred by long time fan Morrissey of The Smiths. Surviving members Johansen, Sylvain and Kane were all involved. Thunders died in 1991. Kane died in 2004 but Johansen and Kane toured in 2011 as the New York Dolls with David Bowie guitarist Earl Slick and session bassist Kenny Aaronson. I guess the interest in them is nostalgiac today. But back in the 70s, the New York Dolls made a lot of waves that changed music. Here are the New York Dolls performing Personality Crisis on The Midnight Special 1974.