Sound Off with Matt Pinfield

Episode Number: 209

Episode Title: New York Dolls

Description: The band that created "punk" before the term was even created meets up with Matt Pinfield at the legendary rock club CBGB in New York City. Lead singer David Johansen and guitarist Sylvain Sylvain talk of the early days playing the clubs in lower Manhattan to earn a loyal cult following, but being avoided by the record companies due to the vulgar lyrics and cross-dressing, which would seem quite the norm in today's music world. A roller-coaster career marred by deaths, drugs and record company/management changes led to a triumphant reunion in 2004.

Transcript:

WELCOME TO SOUND OFF, I'M MATT PINFIELD. TONIGHT'S SHOW IS COMING TO YOU FROM THE LEGENDARY CLUB CBGBS ON THE BOWERY IN NEW YORK CITY AND MY GUESTS ARE NONE OTHER THAN DAVID JOHANSEN AND SYLVAIN SYLVAIN FROM THE NEW YORK DOLLS. DAVID, SYLVAIN GREAT TO HAVE YOU HERE AND WHAT A PLACE TO DO IT CBGBS COMING BACK FULL CIRCLE HERE IN NEW YORK CITY. GUYS, I TELL YOU HOW EXCITED I WAS AS I'M SURE SO MAY DOLLS FANS WERE WHEN YOU GUYS REUNITED FOR THE MELTDOWN. TELL ME HOW THAT TOOK PLACE. HOW DID YOU GET CONTACTED BY MORRISSEY, OBVIOUSLY YOU KNEW HE WAS THE PRESIDENT OF THE DOLLS FAN CLUB GROWING UP. DAVID DID HE CALL YOU IN PARTICULARLY. HE CALLED ALL OF US, RIGHT? YEAH HE DID. HE GOT IN TOUCH WITH ALL OF US. WELL WHY DON'T YOU TELL HIM YOUR END. WELL HE CALLED ME AND HE SAID THAT HE WAS DOING A, I KNEW WHAT MELTDOWN WAS CAUSE I HAD HEARD ABOUT IT BEFORE AND JUST FOR PEOPLE WHO DON'T KNOW WHAT IT IS, IT IS LIKE A WEEK OF SHOWS THEY HAVE IN LONDON AND EVERY YEAR THEY PICK LIKE A ROCK START TO CURATE IT SO THEY HAVE STUFF LIKE YOU KNOW PERFORMANCES, IT IS NOT ALL BANDS YOU KNOW. SO ANYWAY MARCIE WHO WAS YEAH THE PRESIDENT OF THE DOLLS FAN CLUB WHEN HE WAS A KID WANTED US TO PLAY AND UH. IN A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME AFTER HE PROPOSED IT, I THOUGHT FOR MYSELF IT WOULD BE A GREAT IDEA TO GET TOGETHER WITH SYL AND ARTHUR HAVE A GREAT TIME YOU KNOW AND UH, WE DID IT AND THEN ADDED A SECOND SHOW AND THEN WE STARTED GETTING CALLS FROM ALL THE LIKE FESTIVALS IN ENGLAND LIKE LEEDS AND REDDING AND ALL THOSE THINGS AND UH WE DECIDED WELL WE ARE UP AND RUNNING WE GOT A GOOD SHOW CAUSE WE KICKED ASS AT THE MELTDOWN AND WE STARTED DOING THAT AND IT WAS SO MUCH FUN YOU KNOW CAUSE YOUR LIKE BIVAWAC BEHIND THE STAGE WITH A 100 BANDS AND YOU GET TO MEET EVERYBODY AND THEN YOU GO ON STAGE AND IT'S LIKE A MILITARY OPERATION AND YOU GIVE YOUR LIKE 40 MINUTES OR WHATEVER AND YOU GO OUT THERE AND YOU KNOW YOU CAN KICK ABOUT 50,000 ASSES IN ONE SHOT SO, IT IS VERY INVIGORATING AND WE WERE HAVING SO MUCH FUN, WE WERE LAUGHING SO MUCH THAT AT THE END OF THE SUMMER SYL AND I DECIDED LETS KEEP DOING THIS MAN THIS IS FUN SO NOW YOU KNOW WE ARE MAKING A RECORD AND THE WHOLE BIT. IT IS REALLY EXCITING. PEOPLE ARE REALLY PUMPED ABOUT IT. I THINK IT IS A GREAT THING. I MEAN READING ABOUT MORRISSEY BEING A HUGE FAN AND THEN IT WAS ACTUALLY ONE OF HIS SOLO TOURS SEEING HIM COVER TRASH WHICH WAS COOL, I MEAN IT JUST JUMPED OUT AT YOU WHEN YOU SAW IT LIKE, IT WAS LIKE WOW THAT IS GREAT TO DO. LET'S GO BACK TO THE BEGINNING GUYS. NEW YORK CITY, MERCER ARTS CENTER, WHERE SOME OF THE EARLY GIGS WERE. HOW DID YOU ALL COME TOGETHER THE ORIGINAL BAND WITH BILLY DOLL AND EVERYBODY. WE WERE UM, WE WERE RUNNING AROUND. WE HAD MET AND SHOULD I SAY HOW I MET YOU? YES. SYL HAD THIS IDEA FOR A BAND CALLED THE DOLLS AND I DIDN'T KNOW SYL BUT I HAD SEEN JOHNNY ON THE STREET AND ARTHUR AND BILLY AND ONE DAY I WAS SITTING IN MY APARTMENT ON 6TH STREET AND SOMEBODY KNOCKED ON THE DOOR AND I ANSWERED THE DOOR AND IT WAS ARTHUR AND BILLY AND ARTHUR WAS LIKE THIS BIG AND BILLY WAS LIKE THIS BIG AND I'M LOOKING AT THESE GUYS ARTHUR SAYS. THERE WAS A GUY DOWNSTAIRS WHO WAS A FRIEND OF BILLY'S WHO KNEW I SANG. RODRIGO, RIGHT. RODRIGO YEAH. SO UH ARTHUR SAYS UH, I UNDERSTAND UH YOU'RE A SINGER SO I SAID YEAH SO I WAS LIKE WHO IS THIS GUY AND SO WE WENT OVER TO JOHNNY'S HOUSE AND WE STARTED PLAYING AND WE MADE A BAND THAT DAY. SO, UH, THERE WAS ANOTHER GUY PLAYING GUITAR AND WE STARTED WOOD SHEDDING IN THIS BICYCLE SHOP UP ON THE WEST SIDE WHERE THEY WOULD RENT OLD BICYCLES TO GO TO THE PARK BUT IN THE WINTER. HE HAD LIKE A BAND REHEARSAL IN THERE HE HAD A COUPLE OF OLD LAMPS AND A SET OF DRUMS SO ONE NIGHT I GUESS I DON'T KNOW IT WASN'T TOO LONG AFTER WE STARTED, MAYBE TWO WEEKS OR SOMETHING WE ARE IN THERE ONE NIGHT AND SYL COMES WALKING IN WITH A CARPET BAD, LIKE A VALISE MADE OUT OF A CARPET AND A GUITAR AND THE OTHER GUY DIDN'T SHOW UP AND I SAID YOU PLAY THAT GUITAR. HE HAD JUST GOTTEN DEPORTED FROM AMSTERDAM. HE HAD OVERSTAYED HIS WELCOME AND THAT IS A HARD PLACE TO DO THAT. AND UH, NOT FOR ME. AND UM HE PLUGGED IN AND HE COULD REALLY PLAY YOU KNOW SO I WAS LIKE MAN LET'S GET THIS GUY IN THE BAND SO I FOUND OUT LATER THAT IT WAS REALLY HIS BAND TO BEGIN WITH. HE JUST WASN'T AROUND WHEN WE FIRST GOT TOGETHER. CAUSE HE HAD BEEN IN ANOTHER BAND WITH THOSE GUYS. SO THEN THE ONLY OTHER BAND WE KNEW WAS ERIC EMERSON, RIGHT? I REMEMBER ERIC. ERIC EMERSON WAS THIS LIKE ANDY WARHOL ACTOR WHO HAD AN ACT CALLED THE MAGIC TRAMPS. THE MAGIC TRAMPS, RIGHT THAT WAS IT. HE USED TO WEAR LETA HOSE AND DO THE CHASKA DANCE WITH SOME GUY PLAYING THE VIOLIN AND HE SAYS I GOT THIS GIG AT THE MERSA ART CENTER WE DIDN'T EVEN KNOW WHAT IT WAS BECAUSE THEY HAD JUST BUILT IT. THEY BUILT IT IN THIS OLD HOTEL AND THEY MADE THIS, IN A REALLY OLD ANCIENT HOTEL THEY MADE THIS ULTRAMODERN KIND OF CLOCKWORK ORANGEY LOOKIN ARTS COMPLEX WITH A BUNCH OF DIFFERENT ROOMS THAT THEY NEEDED TO FILL YOU KNOW. SO WE WENT AND PLAYED WITH HIM AND THEN WE WENT ON AGAIN AFTER HIM AND THEN THEY OFFERED US OUR OWN NIGHT SO WE STARTED DOING TUESDAY. THAT'S RIGHT. AT MIDNIGHT OR SOMETHING. YEAH. AND IT BECAME THIS BIG SCENE BECAUSE ALL THESE PEOPLE WHO WERE LIKE MINDED CAME AND STARTED NETWORKING AND IT BECAME ALMOST LIKE A CLUB, LIKE A WEEKLY CLUB. SO REALLY WE KIND OF BLOSSOMED OUT OF THAT. WE ACTUALLY STARTED FROM THE SMALLEST ROOM WHICH WAS ALL THE WAY IN THE BACK WHICH WAS CALLED THE OSCAR WYLDE ROOM AND THEN UH, MOVED INTO THE BIGGEST ROOM. MOVED INTO THE BIGGEST ROOM AND WHEN WE PLAYED WITH ERIC THAT FIRST SHOW THAT WAS AT THE KITCHEN IT WAS A VIDEO. IT WAS A VIDEO EXPERIMENTAL VIDEO. YES. LIKE A WORKSHOP FOR ARTISTS BACK THEN AND I REMEMBER WE GOT PAID EACH A $1.25 IN THAT FIRST SHOW. WAS IT ENOUGH SUBWAY MONEY TO GET BACK. LIPSTICK MONEY. YEAH LIPSTICK MONEY. LIPSTICK MONEY. SPEAKING OF YOU KNOW OF LIPSTICK KILLER MONEY. YEAH, NOT THE OTHER ONE. BUT THE FACT THAT I MEAN THAT BEFORE YOU THE ONLY PLACE PEOPLE HAD REALLY SEEN A BAND DRESSED IN DRAG WAS STONE SINGLE, HAVE YOU SEEN YOUR MOTHER MAYBE STANDING IN THE SHADOW THERE WAS A SINGLE WHERE THE GUYS WERE DRESSED IN DRAG BUT THAT AS MORE OF AN ENGLISH THING AT THE TIME BUT IN AMERICA, THAT WAS FOR MOST PEOPLE THEY PICKED UP THE FIRST ALBUM COVER. WELL THERE WAS ALICE COOPER. HE DEFINITELY THEY WOULD HAVE THE DRAG THING BUT YOU GUYS DEFINITELY HAD YOU GUYS DID THE FULL ON DRAG THING WE MET LIKE BECAUSE WE DRESSED LIKE THAT. IT WASN'T LIKE WE GOT TOGETHER AND DECIDED TO DRESS LIKE THAT. WE HAD SEEN EACH OTHER ON THE STREET BECAUSE WE WERE INTO THAT SCENE BECAUSE LIKE THE EAST VILLAGE AT THAT TIME WAS IT WAS CRAZY LIKE THAT. I MEAN WE HAD THIS HOT BED OF LIBERATION YOU KNOW THERE WERE SO MANY RADICAL SCENES GOING ON AND WE WERE RIGHT IN THE MIDST OF IT SO WE KIND OF BECAME THE BAND OF THE EAST VILLAGE AT THAT TIME. HOW SOON AFTER YOU GOT TOGETHER AND DURING THOSE PERIODS DID YOU START WRITING THE SONGS FOR THE FIRST RECORD. RIGHT OFF THE BAT. YEAH RIGHT AWAY. RIGHT OF THE BAT CAUSE WE INTRODUCED OUR STUFF RIGHT AWAY. I MEAN YOU KNOW THE PERSONALITY CRISIS AND THE ESPECIALLY THE LOOKING FOR A KISS AND ALL THAT THEY WERE RIGHT UP THERE RIGHT IN THE FRONT FRANKENSTEIN. HOW DID YOU END UP, HOW DID THE WHOLE MERCURY RECORDS THING HAPPEN, GETTING SIGNED WITH MERCURY. PAUL NELSON. HE WAS THE GUY WHO ACTUALLY KIND OF GAVE DILLON, CAUSE DILLON STOLE HIS OLD RECORDS AND MADE HIS FIRST REPERTOIRE IN MINNESOTA. OH HE IS THE GUY THAT HE TOOK THE RECORDS FROM HIS HOUSE? AND THEN HE FOUND OUT HE TOOK THEM AND CAME BACK OVER AND WAS GOING TO THREATEN HIM WITH A BAT AND THEY YEAH, YEAH. I REMEMBER THE BASEBALL BAT. SO TO JUSTIFY THAT, HE SIGNED THE NEW YORK DOLLS. HE WAS LIKE UH YOU KNOW. SEE HE WAS A REALLY HIP GUY. SO HE WAS LIKE IN THE NEW YORK OFFICE SOMEWHERE AND HE REALLY WENT TO BAT FOR US AND CONVINCED IRWIN WHO WAS PRETTY STRAIGHT OLDER MAN THAT YOU KNOW WE SHOULD BE ON THE LABEL AND MAKE RECORDS. SO HE REALLY WENT TO BAT FOR US. HE SAID LISTEN, WE HAVE THE BACHMAN TURNER OVERDRIVE, NOW LETS SIGN THE NEW YORK DOLLS.

GETTING BACK TO BILLY, BILLY AND THE DEATH IN LONDON, THAT WAS YOUR FIRST TRIP OVER THERE AS A BAND. YES, YES, YES. YEAH WE WENT TO LONDON BEFORE WE EVEN HAD A RECORD DEAL. RIGHT. DID A BUNCH OF BIG SHOWS. WE PLAYED AT WEMBLEY POOL WEMBLEY POOL OPENING UP FOR ROD STEWART YOU KNOW WITH THE PINK FAIRIES. THAT WAS, I MEAN BILLY'S THAT HAD TO BE LIKE UNBELIEVABLY YEAH THAT WAS THE BIGGEST F# # # ING DOWNER. IT WAS TERRIBLE. THAT WAS LIKE THE FIRST REALLY MAJOR TRAGEDY IN I MEAN I HAD KNOWN PEOPLE WHO HAD DIED BEFORE BUT NOT SOMEBODY WHO I LOVED LIKE A BROTHER LIKE THAT SO IT WAS LIKE FOR ME, AND I KNOW FOR SYL BECAUSE THEY GREW UP TOGETHER. IT WAS ROUGH. I THINK IF THEY LEFT IT UP TO US WE WOULD HAVE PROBABLY BROKEN UP.

YOU KNOW BUT WE WERE PRETTY DEVASTATED. IT WAS ALL EVERYONE AROUND US AND ESPECIALLY THE YOU KNOW PUBLIC AND THEIR SUPPORT. I SWEAR TO GOD. PEOPLE IN THE CITY HERE AND YOUR FANS REALLY WANTED YOU TO STICK TOGETHER. AND THERE IS ALSO A F# # # ING SICK THING ABOUT ONCE YOU DIE, YOU JUST MAKE IT 10 TIMES BIGGER AND THAT IS TRUE, THAT DID HAPPEN TO US. IT WAS A LOT. NOW THEY ARE DEFINITELY GOING TO GET SIGNED. SO YOU CAME BACK SIGNED WITH MERCURY. TODD RUNGREN DID THE ALBUM WHICH IS, I TELL YOU THE ONE THING I HAVE ALWAYS SAID IS THE ONE ALBUM THAT DOES NOT SOUND LIKE A TODD RUNGREN RECORD THAT TODD HAS PRODUCED IS THE DOLLS ALBUM. BECAUSE YOU KNOW A LOT OF TIME TODD, I'M NOT TRYING TO DISRESPECT HIM BUT HE DEFINITELY PUTS HIS TRADE MARK ON RECORDS THAT HE PRODUCES BUT THE DOLLS RECORD WAS A DOLLS RECORD. FROM THE MINUTE PERSONALITY CRISIS STARTS, YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN, STRAIGHT THROUGH THE ALBUM. HE DID A GREAT JOB ON THAT. HE REALLY DID DO GOOD. HOW WAS THE EXPERIENCE OF RECORDING WITH TODD AND WHAT WAS THAT LIKE. WE KNEW TODD. YOU KNOW HE HUNG OUT AT MAX'S AND HE WAS PART OF THE SCENE. AT THE TIME HIM AND B.B. THEY WERE UH, THE MANAGEMENT WHATEVER THEY WERE FISHING AROUND FOR PRODUCERS AND THE PRODUCERS ARE LIKE WE ARE NOT PRODUCING THAT AND TODD WAS LIKE, I'LL PRODUCE IT, SO. HE WAS LIKE THE ONLY PERSON THAT WASN'T LIKE AFRAID OF US. CAUSE HE LIKE KNEW US. YEAH. YOU GO BACK AND YOU LOOK AT SOME OF THOSE CLASSICS ON THAT RECORD LIKE PRIVATE WORLD WAS JUST YES. ARTHUR'S WRITING. YEAH. ARTHUR'S WRITING. IT STARTED WITH THAT BASS LINE AND JUST YOU KNOW KILLER, BUT YOU KNOW I MEAN THE WHOLE RECORD I MEAN VIETNAMESE BABY AND THERE ARE SO MANY THINGS ON THAT RECORD THAT ARE GREAT AND IT IS A CLASSIC. THE RECORD CAME OUT, WHAT WERE YOUR EXPECTATIONS AT THAT POINT. DID YOU FEEL. WE THOUGHT, I MEAN TO US WE LOVED IT TOO BUT YOU KNOW AND THEN WE DID GET A GREAT REACTION BUT YOU KNOW NO ONE REALLY BOUGHT IT.

I MEAN THE ONES THAT DID BUY IT THEY ALL WENT OUT AND MADE BANDS. YOU KNOW THEY BOUGHT IT THEY STARTED A BAND. WE WERE LIKE REALLY KIND OF BIG IN LIKE INDUSTRIAL TOWNS YOU KNOW LIKE DETROIT. OH WE WERE HUGE IN WE PLAYED BIG ROOMS THERE, CLEVELAND, CHICAGO? NO, UM AND THEN WE HAD SOME OTHER LIKE WEIRD PLACES. WE WERE #1 IN URUGUAY. #1 IN URUGUAY. THAT'S RIGHT. YOU WERE RIGHT! BUT ALSO YOU KNOW WE WERE NOT REALLY BUT THAT IS GREAT. WE WERE VERY POPULAR IN ODD PLACES LIKE TEXAS. YES. WE WERE BIG IN TEXAS. WE WERE BIG IN FLORIDA AND UM, ALSO WE WERE FRIENDS WITH LYNYRD SKYNYRD. ONE TIME WE WENT TO PARTY I DON'T KNOW IF YOU REMEMBER THIS AND LYNYRD SKYNYRD, IT WAS A PARTY FOR LYNYRD SKNYRD WE USED TO GO TO ALL THESE PARTIES BECAUSE THERE WAS WELL THE OPENED UP FOR US. YEAH. THERE WAS FOOD THERE AND BOOZE YOU KNOW SO WE USED TO GO TO PARTIES ALL THE TIME LIKE RECORD COMPANY PARTIES. YES. THAT WAS WHERE WE WOULD EAT. MAKE PEACE WITH THE STOMACH. WE MEET LYNYRD SKYNYRD AND THEY ARE ALL BEATING THE SHIT OUT OF EACH OTHER AND WE ARE LIKE THESE GUYS ARE COOK, THEY'RE LIKE US BECAUSE WE USED TO BEAT THE SHIT OUT OF EACH OTHER. WE ARE NOT SO ARTICULATE. WE JUST COME OUT SWINGING WHEN WE HAD AN ARGUMENT AND THEN WE WERE FIGHTING AND THEY WERE FIGHTING AND WE LIKE LOOKED AT EACH OTHER AND WE HAD THIS LIKE KINDRED THING. AND WE WOULD GO WITH THEM AND REMEMBER WE WOULD PLAY STATE FAIRS IN LIKE MISSOURI AND S# IT. WE PLAYED WITH THEM NI SPRINGFIELD MISSOURI THEY OPENED UP FOR US. YEAH I KNOW BUT THEY WOULD OPEN FOR US AND WE WOULD OPEN FOR THEM WE WOULD LIKE SWITCH BACK AND FORTH. AND WE JAMMED YOU KNOW LIKE IT WAS BASICALLY A BLUES BAND UNDERNEATH ALL THAT YOU KNOW TAKE AWAY OUR LIPSTICK AND FRILLY NYLON TIGHTS WE WERE A BLUES BAND. IT IS BLUES BASED. ABSOLUTELY. COMPLETELY BLUES BASED. AND THEY WERE TOO THOUGH, THEY WERE, THE REALLY WERE. BLUES BOOGIE BAND IS THE WAY THEY DID THINGS. AND OF COURSE THE WHO, THE WHO HELPED THEM OUT AT FIRST SO IT ALL KIND OF YOU KNOW COMES BACK AROUND WHICH I THINK IS VERY COOL. NOW WHEN YOU DID TOO MUCH TOO SOON WHICH IS THE ALBUM AFTER THAT, YOU ENDED UP WORKING WITH SHADOW MORTON AND YOU WERE FANS OF THE WORK THAT HE HAD DONE BEFORE, I MEAN THE STUFF OBVIOUSLY SHANGRI-LA WE WERE PLAYING HIS SONGS. I MEAN UH, UH, UH, GIVE HER A GREAT BIG KISS. DID HE WRITE THAT? I THINK SO YEAH. I THINK HE DID WRITE THAT. SO TELL ME ABOUT SHADOW MARTIN. HOW DID YOU END UP APPROACHING HIM GUYS? DID YOU KNOW HE LIVED IN BROOKLYN OR SOMEWHERE AROUND HERE IT WAS REALLY IT WAS I THINK THE DAVID REALLY WAS YOU KNOW HIM AND I THINK MARTY ACTUALLY BROUGHT IN MARTY THOW?. I GUESS I CAN'T REMEMBER. I KNOW I THOUGHT IT WOULD BE A GOOD IDEA AND IT WAS. YEAH. I THOUGHT WE MADE A GREAT RECORD. HE REALLY DID. THEY GOT BABYLON ON THERE THE TITLE ON IT I MEAN WE DIDN'T KNOW WHAT WAS GOING TO HAPPEN LATER BUT BOY DID THAT WORK OUT. PROPHETIC RIGHT? TOO MUCH TOO SOON. BUT UH, YOU KNOW THE VERSION OF STRANDED IN THE JUNGLE THE COVER OF THAT WAS FANTASTIC, WHAT A GREAT SONG. THAT IS MY FAVORITE CUT ON THE WHOLE THING. IT IS SUCH A GREAT TRACK TO BEGIN WITH AND YOUR VERSION WAS GREAT. IT IS JUST ONE OF THOSE AMAZING. THAT WAS ACTUALLY A HIT. YOU KNOW SO IN A LOT OF PLACES. IT WAS A REGIONAL HIT IN A LOT OF PLACES. URUGUAY RIGHT? NO. REMEMBER WE WERE GOING INTO DETROIT AND THEY WERE PLAYING IT ON A.M. RADIO. ACTUALLY IT WAS. IT WAS ON THE RADIO. IT WAS ON UH, WHAT WAS THAT BIG STATION OUT OF WINDSOR ONTARIO. IT ACTUALLY CAME OUT IN EUROPE TOO AS A SINGLE AND IT DIDN'T DO TOO BAND. THAT'S GREAT. ON GERMAN. THAT WAS ACTUALLY GOING TO BE OUR BIGGEST SONG. WE ACTUALLY DID GERMAN TELEVISION TO SUPPORT THAT SO I REMEMBER. YEAH IT IS AMAZING BECAUSE I REMEMBER SEEING YOU GUYS ON DON KIRSCHNER'S ROCK CONCERT HAVING HAD THE FIRST RECORD AND WHEN TOO MUCH TOO SOON CAME OUT YOU DID DON KIRSCHNER'S ROCK CONCERT WHICH YOU KNOW BESIDES IN CONCERT AND MIDNIGHT SPECIAL THERE WERE ONLY THREE PLACES AND AMERICAN BANDSTAND WHICH WAS LIP SYNC. THERE WERE ONLY THREE PLACES TO SEE YOU ON T.V. CAUSE THERE WERE ONLY 5 CHANNELS REALLY OR 6. SO HOW WAS THAT EXPERIENCE DOING THAT BECAUSE YOU WERE PROMOTING THE NEW RECORD AND YOU DID ALL THAT KIND OF FOOTAGE OF YOU GUYS DOING THE GANGSTER THING, YOU WERE DRIVING UP AND DOWN THE STREETS, WHERE WAS THAT STUFF SHOT? THAT WAS THE VALENTINE'S SHOW AT THE ACADEMY OF MUSIC. THAT WAS FOR ANOTHER INCIDENT AND THEN WE THREW IT ONTO THE DON KRISCHNER'S SHOW. WE MADE A FILM TO OPEN THIS CONCERT ON 14TH STREET. WHICH IS NOW BY THE WAY NOW A TRADER JOES. FIRST IT WAS THE ACADEMY OF MUSIC, THEN IT WAS A PALLADIUM THEN IT WAS THE DORM NOW IT IS TRADER JOES I MEAN IT JUST KEEPS CHANGING. DID YOU TELL HIM ABOUT DON KRISCHNER BECAUSE I HAVE SEEN THE FILM BUT I DON'T REMEMBER BEING THERE. WHEN WE DID THE GANGSTER MOVIE IT WAS FOR THE ACADEMY OF MUSIC BUT IT WAS ALSO FOR THE VALENTINES DAY MASSACRE. THAT WAS THE NAME OF THE CONCERT. YEAH THAT'S COOL. AND WE DID ALL THAT LIPSTICK STUFF AND YOU KNOW SHOT IT AT GRUENS OLD LOFT BOBBY GRUEN'S LOFT YEAH. ON 29TH STREET. THERE WAS A THING IN THERE, THEY USED TO HAVE THIS THING CREAM MAGAZINE. THAT IS HIS VOLKSWAGEN. DRIVING DOWN. BOY HOWDY AND ALL THAT STUFF. AND THEY HAD THIS CONTEST THEY HAD LIKE WHO IS YOUR FAVORITE BAND IN THIS LITTLE YOU KNOW AND WE CAME IN BEST BAND AND WORST BAND. WE WON IN BOTH CATEGORIES. WE GOT THE MOST VOTES AS THE BEST BAND AND THE MOST VOTES AS THE WORST BAND. SO, THAT WAS LIKE OUR BADGE OF HONOR. THE BEST AND THE WORST BAND. YOU KNOW YOU A SPECIAL BAND. THAT IS ACTUALLY A BETTER PLACE TO BE THAN JUST IN THE MIDDLE AND INDIFFERENT. IF PEOPLE ARE PASSIONATE ENOUGH THAT YOU ARE THEIR FAVORITE BAND OR THE LEAST FAVORITE BAND, YOUR DOING SOMETHING RIGHT. BUT ALSO, ALSO MATT YOU HAVE TO USE THAT, BEING AN ARTIST FROM THE STREETS AS WE ARE YOU KNOW LIKE WALKING AND TALKING OUR SHOWS ARE BASICALLY WHAT WE ARE SO WE USE THAT. WE ACTUALLY TOOK OUT AN AD THAT SAID THE NEW YORK DOLLS THE BEST BAND 1973, THE NEW YORK DOLLS THE WORST BAND 1973. WELL THAT IS A COOL THING ABOUT IT. WHEN YOU THINK OF, WHAT PEOPLE DON'T REALIZE TODAY IS THAT THE ROCK AT THAT TIME AND THEN PUNK ROCK WHICH YOU GUYS INSPIRED ALL THOSE BANDS, PEOPLE REACTED VERY VIOLENTLY TO IT EITHER FOR IT OR AGAINST IT IN THOSE DAYS. THAT I REMEMBER. I WAS A KID. DAVID'S GOT SOMETHING FUNNY ABOUT HOW WE INSPIRED THE PUNKS AND THE HAIR BANDS. YEAH YOU DID ACTUALLY AND THEY ARE LIKE ENEMIES. THEY ARE LIKE SO I FEEL LIKE IT THEY HATE EACH OTHER. WE HAVE LIKE CANE AND ABEL. (LAUGHING) THAT IS GREAT. THEY HATE EACH OTHER BUT DON'T SAY THEY GOT IT FROM US. WE GOT IT FROM THE DOLLS. WE GOT IF FROM THE DOLLS WHAT DO YOU MEAN? WE GOT IT FROM THE DOLLS. NOW TRUTHFULLY THOUGH YOU GUYS INSPIRED THE RAMONES, MADE THE RAMONES WANT TO DO WHAT THEY DID IN TOWN AND THE RAMONES INSPIRED THE SEX PISTOLS AND THE REST IS HISTORY AND SO MANY OTHER BANDS. WELL NOW THE NEW YORK DOLLS WERE WHAT INSPIRED THE SEX PISTOLS. YEAH YOU DID ABSOLUTELY. I KNOW YOU DID. BUT I'M SAYING LIKE, THAT'S TRUE. WELL YOU INSPIRED EVERYBODY. WELL YOU KNOW YOU KNOW WE HATE TITLES. IT IS NICE THAT YOU KNOW THAT THERE HAS BEEN A PUNK MOVEMENT AND ALL THAT AND WE CAN YOU KNOW IT IS NICE TO TITLE AND EVERYTHING BUT IT IS STILL ROCK AND ROLL, REALLY WHEN IT COMES DOWN TO IT, WE WERE JUST ANOTHER YOU KNOW ANOTHER STEP IF YOU WILL IN THIS F# # # ING SKYSCRAPER SOUP OF MUSIC. ESPECIALLY IN NEW YORK. SO MANY PEOPLE AND NOT SO MUCH IN THIS COUNTRY AS LIKE IN ENGLAND AND STUFF, SO MANY PEOPLE JUST HAVE THIS KIND OF LIKE HEARD MENTALITY YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN. TO ME LIKE YOU TAKE LIKE THE CLASH. TO ME THAT IS LIKE JUST A GREAT F# # # KN ROCK AND ROLL BAND AND OKAY SO THEY PUT THIS LABEL ON IT THAT IT IS PUNK ROCK OR SOMETHING RIGHT AND THEN ALL THESE KIDS GOTTA GO OUT AND GET THESE UNIFORMS AND THEY PUT PINS IN THEIR FACES AND BLAH, BLAH, BLAH AND THEY HAVE KIND OF LIKE THIS YOU KNOW THIS HEARD MENTALITY. PACKAGING. YEAH I DON'T THINK THE CLASH DECIDED OH WE ARE GOING TO BE A PUNK BAND AND BE IN THIS LIKE SOCIETY OF THIS IN CROWD OR SOMETHING. I MEAN WHEN YOU MAKE ROCK AND ROLL YOU WANT TO MAKE IT FOR EVERYBODY AND YOU WANT TO KIND OF SUBVERT AS MUCH OF YOU KNOW THE POWER STRUCTURE AS YOU POSSIBLY CAN. YOU KNOW YOU WANT TO GET YOUR DIGS IN WHERE YOU CAN GET IT BECAUSE GOOD ROCK AND ROLL MUSIC IS REALLY, I COULD COMMENT ON THE SOCIAL STRUCTURE OF THE WAY WE LIVE AND STUFF AND YOU KNOW THE FAULKACIAN AUTHORITATIVE SITUATION WE FIND OURSELVES IN SO A GOOD ROCK BAND IS ALWAYS KIND OF LIKE TAKE JABS AT THAT EVEN IF YOU DON'T NOTICE IT.

WELCOME BACK TO SOUND OFF I'M MATT PINFIELD COMING TO YOU FROM CBGBS AND I'M HERE WITH DAVID JOHANSEN AND SYLVAIN SYLVAIN OF THE NEW YORK DOLLS. VERY, VERY HAPPY TO HAVE THESE GUYS HERE. SO YOU KNOW OBVIOUSLY THE BAND, I MEAN YOU WENT THROUGH A LOT OF HARD TIMES I MEAN WITH THAT AFTER THAT AND THEN THE BAND SPLIT UP YOU GUYS KEPT DOING THE DOLLS THING AND MALCOLM MCLAREN GOT INVOLVED IN MANAGEMENT OF COURSE AT THAT POINT. NOT EXACTLY MANAGEMENT. HE MADE US SOME CLOTHES. IS THAT REALLY WHAT HAPPENED? WAS IT THE SEX SHOP? HE SAID HE WAS OUR MANAGER BUT HE JUST DID THAT TO KIND OF GET A LEG UP. YEAH. AND WE SAID OKAY, THAT IS COOL IF YOU SAY THAT BUT WELL HE DID TAKE CARE OF BUSINESS. I WILL SAY THAT. HE TOOK CARE OF THOSE FOUR GIGS IN FLORIDA. FOUR GIGS IN FLORIDA. THE WEIRD THING ALL HIS BANDS ALWAYS BROKE UP IN FLORIDA. ONE WAS A COUNTRY/WESTERN BAR. WE BROKE UP IN FLORIDA AND THEM TOO. I THOUGHT THEY BROKE UP IN TEXAS. OR WAS IT IN FLORIDA. I THINK THE BAR WE PLAYED IN I THOUGHT IT WAS LIKE THAT ONE IN THE BLUES BROTHERS. IT WAS DOWN SOUTH EITHER WAY. YOUR BAND BREAK UP IN THE SOUTH. YOU KNOW BUT UM BUT IT IS INCREDIBLE SO THEN WHEN JOHNNY WENT ON AND WAS DOING HIS HEARTBREAKERS THING TOO AND THEN HIS SOLO THING AND THEN YOU GUYS DID YOUR SOLO THINGS ACTUALLY FOR QUITE A FEW YEARS. DAVID YOU HAD ALL THE RECORDS YOU DID OUT OF BLUE SKY AND THERE WERE SOME GREAT ALBUMS. LOVED TEENAGE NEW WHICH I KNOW YOU DID, SYLVAIN WHICH WAS GOING TO BE A DOLLS TRACK. UH, TEENAGE NEWS WAS PROBABLY LIKE ONE OF THE LAST SONGS THAT WE WROTE. DID YOU GIVE ME PUBLISHING ON THAT? FOR UH, IN THE RED PATENT LEATHER DAYS. YEAH. UH, DID I GET ANY PUBLISHING DID YOU GIVE ME PUBLISHING ON THAT? NO WAY. SO I MEAN YOU LOOK AT THE GREAT STUFF YOU GUYS DID AND EVEN THE SOLO STUFF YOU DID AT THAT TIME. AND JOHNNY'S STUFF. I'M MAKING A NOTE ON THIS. WHAT FOR THAT ONE LINE THAT YOU WROTE. THIS IS GOOD, WE'RE GETTING THERE SO EVERYBODY WITNESS THIS IS A NEGOTIATION FOR HE ACTUALLY TOLD ME HE GAVE ME THAT LINE AFTER ALL THE NICE THINGS I GAVE HIM. BUT I MEAN THOSE I GOTTA SAY THE SOLO RECORDS. OKAY, I WILL CROSS THAT ONE OUT THEN. SO LET'S, GETTING BACK TOGETHER AND OBVIOUSLY WHEN JOHNNY PASSED AWAY A FEW YEARS AGO I MEAN HE WAS A BROTHER TO YOU GUYS TOO SO THAT HAD TO BE A TOUGH SITUATION. I REMEMBER EVERYONE WAS VERY SAD ABOUT THAT. AND YOU KNOW SOME PEOPLE HAD EXPECTED IT FOR AWHILE BUT REGARDLESS IT WAS A VERY SAD THING AND JOHNNY WAS FANTASTIC. JOHNNY WAS A BIG PART OF THE DOLLS AND WAS GREAT. WELL ESPECIALLY WHEN WE WERE ALL IN THE DOLLS TOGETHER. WHEN YOU WERE ALL TOGETHER. WHEN IT WAS YOU GUYS. NOW DON'T FORGET WE BROKE UP IN 1975, TWO YEARS AFTER YEAH WELL, NO WE'LL TOGETHER SINCE 71 ACTUALLY. BUT IT WAS TWO YEARS FROM THE TIME OF THE FIRST RECORD AH YES. SO IT WAS REALLY IT WAS A SHORT PERIOD. SO I JUST LOVE THE IDEA THAT YOU GUYS END UP GETTING BACK TOGETHER WITH ARTHUR TOO WHICH I THOUGHT WAS FANTASTIC FROM THE MELTDOWN AND THERE IS A DOCUMENTARY WHICH IS OUT ON DVD NOW. YEAH YOU SHOULD SEE THAT. WHICH PEOPLE SHOULD PICK UP, IT IS CALLED NEW YORK DOLL AND IT IS ARTHUR AMAZING, BEAUTIFUL GUY FANTASTIC MOVIE. JUST A BEAUTIFUL GUY YOU REALIZE HOW BEAUTIFUL A GUY HE IS AND YOU SEE THE LOVE BETWEEN MEMBERS OF THE BAND AND YOU GOT BACK TOGETHER AND DID THE MELTDOWN AND THAT WAS JUST ANOTHER ONE OF THOSE THINGS WHERE. THOSE STORIES LIKE IT IS NOTORIOUS WITH THE NEW YORK DOLLS YOU CAN'T WRITE THEM, THESE THINGS JUST HAPPEN. CAUSE YOU KNOW SADLY HE PASSED AWAY WITHIN A FEW WEEKS AFTER THAT SHOW. HE DIDN'T KNOW HE WAS SICK. YEAH, YEAH. HE THOUGHT HE HAD A FLU, IS THAT WHAT IT WAS? SOMETHING LIKE THAT, YES, YES. BUT YOU KNOW FOR US IT WAS A GYP BECAUSE WE WERE BACK WITH HIM AND HE IS SUCH, HE WAS REALLY, IT WASN'T LIKE ONE IN A MILLION, HE WAS LIKE THE ONLY ONE. HE WAS LIKE AN INCREDIBLE GUY AND UH REALLY SMART, SWEET AND LOVING AND AN UNBELIEVABLE GUY AND LIKE WHAT A WIT AND UM, HE REALLY WANTED TO GET BACK TOGETHER SO IF THERE IS ONE THING TO BE SAD ABOUT IT WAS THAT HE ACHIEVED WHAT HE WAS REALLY LOOKING FOR. FOR US, WE FELT LIKE WHAT A GYP BECAUSE WE WERE SO LOOKING FORWARD TO SPENDING SOME YEARS WITH THIS GUY BECAUSE HE WAS REALLY GREAT. AND IT WASN'T LIKE THE WAY WE LEFT IT IN 1975, NOW HE HAD BEEN SOBERED FOR YEARS, AND YEARS, AND YEARS AND HE WAS SUCH, YOU KNOW. HE WAS LIKE HE WAS LIKE WHEN WE FIRST MET HIM. EXACTLY. WHEN WE FIRST MET. ALL OF US. YEAH SO THERE WAS THAT THING BUT THAT WAS GREAT YOU GOT DO TO THOSE SHOWS TOGETHER. YEAH THAT WAS A BEAUTIFUL THINGS WE HAVE TO. HE WOULD WANT YOU TO CONTINUE. YEAH THE WOULD REALLY WANT YOU TO CONTINUE LIKE YOU ARE DOING RIGHT NOW. OH YEAH. ABSOLUTELY. HE IS HERE IN SPIRIT. GO AHEAD I'M SORRY. I HAVE TO UH THANK MORRISSEY ESPECIALLY IN ARTHUR'S CASE FOR MAKING THAT HAPPEN TO GET HIS LAST MOMENTS, IT WAS WONDERFUL. YEAH MORRISSEY GREAT MAN. HE REALLY IS. MORRISSEY IS GREAT, THE SMITHS WERE GREAT. ANOTHER GREAT BAND AND HE IS LIKE I SAID WHEN I SAW HIM DO TRASH, I WAS LIKE YES! DOLLS. SO, GUYS THIS NEW RECORD. I WAS SO EXCITED YOU GUYS GOT SIGNED TO ROADRUNNER MAKING A NEW RECORD, MY FRIEND DAVE BASON SIGNED YOU GUYS, I LOVE DAVE HE IS GREAT AND WHEN HE TOLD ME YOU GUYS WERE GOING TO DO A NEW RECORD, I WAS SO EXCITED BECAUSE I HAD SEEN THE SHOWS, AT REDDING AND LEEDS, I HAD HOSTED THAT SHOW SPIN THAT YOU GUYS DID DOWN IN AUSTIN TEXAS WHICH WAS GREAT. THAT WAS GREAT. THAT IS WHERE HE SIGNED US, DOWN THERE. WHICH WAS FANTASTIC. TELL ME ABOUT THIS RECORD. AND UH HOW THE EXPERIENCE HAS BEEN MAKING THIS RECORD. WELL, WE GOT A GREAT BAND. STEVE CONTI IS IN THERE. STEVE CONTI ON GUITAR. SAMMY YAFA ON THE BASS. SAMMY YAFA IS ON THE BASS. WE HAVE UH, BRIAN DELANY DELANCY, DELANEY! DELANCY. WE ARE GOING TO HAVE TO MAKE IT DELANCY STREET. CHANGE IT TO DELANCY. HIS NAME IS DELANEY BUT WE CALL HIM DELANCY. SO HE IS STUCK WITH THAT. YEAH EXACTLY. FANCY PANTS IS UH FANCY PANTS DELANCY IS WHAT SAMMY CALLS HIM. ANYWAYS AND THEN WE ALSO HAVE BRIAN COONAN ON THE KEYBOARDS. THERE IS UH, HIS NICKNAME IS THE PROFESSOR. SO WE HAD A DYNAMITE BAND AND WHEN WE STARTED PLAYING WE STARTED WRITING RIGHT AWAY ALMOST AND YOU KNOW AND UH, SO THAT IS THE START OF IT ALL AND THEN ONCE WE GOT INTEREST OUT THERE AND YOU KNOW WE GOT SINGED I SAID MAN DAVID WE BETTER GO TO WORK. WE BETTER START WRITING SOME MORE SONGS. WE WROTE SOME GREAT SONGS. IT'S COOL. I'M REALLY PROUD OF THEM. I THINK A LOT OF BANDS WHO HAVE MAYBE SOME EXPERIENCE LIKE WE DO THEY GET TOGETHER AND THEY WANT TO DO A SUMMER TOUR SO THEY KNOCK TOGETHER A RECORD OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT BUT WE MADE A RECORD THAT YOU KNOW WE REALLY PUT OUR HEARTS AND SOULS INTO AND WE REALLY THINK IT IS GOING TO STAND THE TEST OF TIME AND THE WHOLE THING IS GOING TO BE AN IMPORTANT RECORD. AND UM, THE BAND LIKE I SAY WE ARE A REAL BAND, I MEAN IT IS NOT JUST LIKE ME AND SYL IN A PICK UP BAND. EVERYBODY. YEAH IT IS A GROUP EFFORT. I NOTICED THAT YOUR CLOSE JUST FROM HANGING AROUND BACKSTAGE IN LEEDS AND THEN IN AUSTIN. IT IS SO MUCH FUN TO BE IN A BAND. THE CAMARADERIE. IT WAS A REALLY COOL THING. IT WASN'T LIKE YOU GUYS HANGING AND THESE GUYS ARE JUST SITTING. IT IS SO MUCH FUN TO BE IN BAND. NO, WE LOVE THEM. IT IS REALLY GREAT WE LOVE EM. AND UH, YOU KNOW WHEN WE FIRST STARTED, NOT THAT WE EVER TALKED ABOUT THIS, BUT WE NEVER WENT TO REPLACE ANYBODY AS A REPLACEMENT. YOU KNOW SO I THINK THAT WAS A SMART THING THAT CONSCIOUSLY HAPPENED YOU KNOW AND UH, SAME WAY WITH THE SONGS YOU KNOW YOU GOT A PRETTY UH, I MEAN WE SAY SOME DEEP THINGS AND WE HAVE FUN, IT IS NOT JUST YOU KNOW HEAVY CONVERSATION OR WHATEVER AND IT IS A ROCK AND ROLL ALBUM. YEAH WELL YOU GUYS HAVE ALWAYS HAD THAT THING. THE THING ABOUT YOUR RECORDS THE TWO DOLLS ALBUMS THAT YOU HAVE THEY ARE FUN RECORDS. THEY ARE COOL. YES. AND EVEN WHETHER IT WAS SOMETHING LIKE VIETNAMESE BABY WHICH WAS KIND OF COMMENTING ON SOMETHING THAT WAS REAL, YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN, REAL THINGS LIKE THAT WERE HAPPENING. YEAH BUT WE ARE STILL SOCKING IT TO THEM. WE HAVE A COUPLE OF PRETTY GOOD STUFF THERE. DANCE LIKE A MONKEY. YEAH. YOU KNOW AND YOU GOT A COUPLE COOL GUESTS ON THE RECORD TOO RIGHT. YES, WE HAVE BO DIDDLEY, WOW AWESOME. MICHAEL STIPE. GREAT. YEAH MICHAEL STIPE SINGS. ON A SONG. BO DIDDLEY PLAYS GUITAR ON A SONG AND UH, IGGY POP IS SINGING ON A SONG. THAT'S GREAT. REALLY GREAT PEOPLE ON THE RECORD. GUYS, WE ARE EXCITED ABOUT THIS NEW RECORD. THERE IS GOING TO BE, YOUR GOING TO BE TOURING THIS SUMMER DOING AUDITORIUMS. SURE WE GOTTA GO TO WORK NOW. YOU GOT TO GO OUT AND PROMOTE THIS RECORD. WE ARE GOING TO GO. YES WE'RE TOURING AT FIRST IN EUROPE JUST PRIOR OF THE RELEASE AND THEN IT IS ALSO GOING TO BE RELEASED ON VINYL WHICH IS WE FEEL THAT IS IMPORTANT ALSO. GUYS, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR COMING BY. THANKS MATT. GREAT. EXCELLENT DAVID SYLVAIN REALLY A PLEASURE TO HAVE YOU GUYS, EXCITED ABOUT IT. REALLY GLAD YOU GUYS ARE BACK, EXCITED ABOUT THE NEW ALBUM. FOR SOUND OFF EVERYBODY I'M MATT PINFIELD TONIGHT WITH SYLVAIN AND DAVID FROM THE NEW YORK DOLLS IT HAS BEEN A GREAT ONE, HAVE A GOOD NIGHT.