posted by davidt on Monday July 24 2006, @10:00AM
jp.5.22 writes:
The Times sure stuck to its style guide pretty firmly with this report...

Yet certain young fans who saw that performance on British television were more impressed. They included Mick Jones (of the Clash) and Stephen Morrissey (of the Smiths), two of many musicians who cite the Dolls as a primary influence. “I grew my hair like Johnny Thunders’s,” said Mr. Jones, recalling the shock-wig crop of the Dolls guitarist. The Clash, he admitted, “took a lot from the New York Dolls. A lot.”

Mr. Morrissey, a huge Dolls fan since he was 13, can be credited with the band’s reunion. He was given carte blanche to curate the 2004 Meltdown festival at Royal Festival Hall in London, and naturally a Dolls reunion was at the top of his list. So he called Mr. Johansen. But he wasn’t optimistic.

“I had met David previously,” Mr. Morrissey said in an interview after the festival, “and I’d known that historically he would always just pull the shutters down at the mention of the Dolls. I expected him to laugh at me and put the phone down.”

Mr. Johansen, sipping Irish breakfast tea with his pinky outstretched, recalled: “I hemmed and hawed. I remember saying, ‘Would you do it?’ ” referring to Mr. Morrissey’s famous unwillingness to reunite the Smiths. That British singer’s reply, which Mr. Johansen repeated in a mock English accent, was “absolutely not.” He laughed, then continued: “But I had this, like, mantra, that I decided to try to not be so dismissive of things, you know? I said I’d think about it. And I figured it’d be fun.”


Full story here...

Return of the New York Dolls, What's Left of Them
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  • I hope this new Dolls album is good (and if it isn't, at least it makes them some $)...Isn't it a shame how things ended up for everyone (even Johansen, but to a lesser extent)....but if you haven't seen the doc New York Doll about the reunion and Athur "The Killer", see it! It's excellent and lots of Morrissey interview segments.
    defari -- Monday July 24 2006, @10:33AM (#229509)
    (User #10050 Info)
  • Thank you, JP. Great article.

    Yes, I agree; the New York Times love to stick to their style guide at times, unlike oh, let's say the Record (formerly the Bergen-Record. I can never stress that enough.)

    For those who get the Independent Film Channel (IFC) not only got to see an excellent documentary this weekend called "Punk: Attitude" featuring the Dolls and other US and UK groups, but may have caught the New York Dolls on the Henry Rollins show 7/22. If you missed it, the encore episode of this show will be rebroadcast on Thursday 7/27. Go to http:www.ifc.com/ [ifc.com] to check the channel and time in your region.

    While on the ifc website, you may also want to view an exclusive video performance of the New York Dolls:

    http://henryrollins.ifc.com/?referer=http://www.if c.com%2Fhenry/ [ifc.com]

    Click on the link above, then click to "Exclusive Performance."
    mozmic_dancer -- Monday July 24 2006, @01:59PM (#229542)
    (User #11277 Info)
    "I am the fun and the fair, on a Mozsite for the criminally insane..."
  • I attended the show (or one of the shows) that David Johansen opened for Moz at the Apollo Theater here in New York City. Many in the crowd were rude towards him! Ignorant imbeciles!
    Bob Hopeless -- Monday July 24 2006, @06:51PM (#229584)
    (User #15924 Info)
    Today is the next day of the end of the world!
  • Does anyone remember D. Johansen's encarnation as Buster Poindexter?
    He had a hit (Hot Hot Hot) and appeared a great many times at SNL.
    I liked him better as B. P. than in those NY Dolls records.
    lg -- Monday July 24 2006, @10:39PM (#229595)
    (User #12253 Info)
    Friendship is the Love that never dies.


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