Jack Douglas at the Datamix console in the Record Plant's Studio C. and he did come in and mix the record.” Jack Douglas
Still, although Todd didn't come to the studio a whole lot, he was there in spirit. "David had a sharp sense of humour, but he was also being threatening, which was their thing. Todd used to call it in quite a bit, and on one occasion, when they were recording a track and David was doing a live vocal, Todd told him, 'Man, that's going to be so good with a lot of harmony.' David said, 'Harmony? Are you accusing me of having melody?' "So I think the label decided to balance things out, and since the guys in the band already knew me, they'd have someone they could relate to. "Whereas I was always part of the whole Max's Kansas City downtown crowd, hanging out with all the artists, Todd was more of an uptown kind of guy, more pop, more polished,” Douglas says. Indeed, Rundgren rarely attended the sessions, as confirmed by Jack Douglas, who was the man with his fingers on the faders of the Datamix console inside the Record Plant's Studio C. Given his specialisation in progressive pop and the Dolls' penchant for sleazy, shrill, savagely sloppy rock & roll, this appeared to be quite a mismatch. However, after securing the services of a manager and embarking on a UK tour, Murcia's misuse of alcohol led to his death by drowning and replacement by one Jerry Nolan.īack in New York, the band's club appearances attracted a cult following, yet record companies steered clear of the crude cross‑dressers until Mercury stepped forward with a deal and arranged for an album to be produced by former Nazz guitarist Todd Rundgren. Blues and soul covers were all part of the repertoire, as were original compositions, mostly written by Johansen and Thunders. Having gone through a number of different line‑ups, the first‑generation Dolls - who took their name from a toy‑repair shop called the New York Doll Hospital - made their live debut at a homeless shelter, the Endicott Hotel, on Christmas Eve, 1971, with founder members Sylvain Sylvain on rhythm guitar and Billy Murcia on drums, together with lead guitarist Johnny Thunders, bass guitarist Arthur 'Killer' Kane and singer David Johansen. All of which was quite an achievement for a band that, in their original incarnation, recorded two cult‑classic studio albums that sold modestly and attracted mixed reviews some extolling their virtues, others scathing in their criticism. Combining shock image tactics with the energy, irreverence and street‑smarts of MC5, the Stooges and the Rolling Stones, the Dolls created a unique brand of kitsch‑yet‑menacing blues‑based garage rock, and in so doing they paved the way for not only punk, but also glam-metal and new wave. Photo: Redfernsīefore the Ramones, Talking Heads and the Sex Pistols, there were the New York Dolls. From left to right: Arthur 'Killer' Kane, Sylvain Sylvain, David Johansen, Jerry Nolan and Johnny Thunders. The fact that they achieved little commercial success didn't stop the New York Dolls from making one of the most influential albums in the history of pop music.