The Bill Mantlo tribute book I mention here begins with an essay by Mike Mantlo, Bill's younger brother. That essay containes says that in te early 1970s, before he went to Marvel, Bill lived in New York's East Village where "[o]ne of his roommates was in a local rock and roll band called the New York Dolls."
Now, describing the Dolls as a "local band" is a bit like describing Nathaniel Hawthorne as a local Boston author. Though the Dolls only released two albums, they were extremely influential. It's probably safe to say that there hasn't been a rock band in the last 30 years that wasn't influenced (directly or indirectly) by the Dolls. Every punk band, every new wave band, every alternative band, every hair metal band, every grunge band -- they can all trace their lineage back to the Dolls. Brian Eno famously said of another band that "the first Velvet Underground album only sold 10,000 copies, but of those ten thousand people, every last one of them went out and formed a band." The same might well be said of the New York Dolls.
The New York Dolls were Johnny Thunders, David Johansen, Sylvain Sylvain, Arthur Kane, Billy Murcia, and (after Murcia's untimely death) Jerry Nolan. Here are the lyrics to one of my favorie Dolls songs.
Personality Crisis
New York Dolls
Well we can't take it this week
And her friends don't want another speach
Hoping for a better day to hear what she's got to say
All about that
Personality Crisis you got it while it was hot
But now frustration and heartache is what you got
(That's why they talk about Personality)
But now your tryin' to be some now you got to do some
Wanna be someone who cow-ow-ows
But you think about the times you did they took every ounce
When it sure got to be a shame when you start to scream and shout
You got to contradict all those times you were butterflyin' about
(You were butterflyin')
All about that Personality Crisis you got it while it was hot
But now frustration and heartache is what you got
And you're a prima ballerina on a spring afternoon
Change on into the wolfman howlin' at the moon hooowww
All about that Personality Crisis you got it while it was hot
But now frustration and heartache is what you got
Now with all the crossin fingers that mother nature says
Your mirrors get jammed up with all your friends
That personality everything starts to blend
Personality when your mind starts to blend
Personality impression of a friend,
Of a friend, of a friend, of a friend, of a friend
Personality wonderin' how celebrities ever met
(Look and find out on television)
Personality Crisis you got it while it was hot (it's always hot!)
Frustration and heartache is all you got, don't you worry
Personality Crisis please don't cry
It's just a Personality Crisis, please don't stop
Because you walk a Personality
Talk a Personality
Posted by Jason Fliegel at June 24, 2007 2:14 PM
Beats me. Mike Mantlo's essay didn't say -- the sentence I quoted was the sum total of what he wrote on the subject. From the way he phrased it, I think he'd be genuinely surprised that anyone had ever heard of the Dolls.
OK, I wrote to Mike Mantlo and all he could remember was that Bill's roommate was not David Johansen. He also mentioned that Bill was a passing acquaintance with Syl Sylvain in his Television days, so make of that what you will.
Beyond that, he couldn't remember, which is understandable -- do you remember the name of your brother's roommate of 35+ years ago?
When I first read this, my first guess was Sylvain Sylvain. Then I thought David Johanssen. Third, I thought Arthur Kane. I actually discounted the others due to their ... well ... habits. I would think that might be memorable.
My mind comes back to Arthur Kane. He is probably the least known member of the band, as he dropped off the map after the band broke up. (Known for his heavy alcohol consumption, he later became a Mormon.) Alas, there's no way to confirm it with him.
By the way, for those of you who are not up on your New York Dolls trivia, lead singer David Johansen went on to a different kind of fame in the 1980s under the pseudonym Buster Poindexter. He had a few movie roles (most notably the Ghost of Christmas Past in "Scrooged") and scored a hit single with "Hot Hot Hot." He also voiced Ding Dong Daddy on the Teen Titans cartoon.
By the way, for those of you who are not up on your New York Dolls trivia,
I figured Doug, yourself and I were the only ones reading this thread. It might as well be an issue of Azrael.
If this were about an issue of Azrael, I'd know absolutely nothing about it. With the New York Dolls, at least I've got conversational knowledge.
I must confess -- I used to have a passing knowledge of the Smurfs, but I never knew that Gargamel's cat had his own title.
Buster Poindexter also did a great version of "Zat You Santy Claus" on SNL. (I'm a little hurt thast you didn't mention me as a reader of the thread. Perhaps because I consider myself an afficianado of Punk music...