Band, 1971-1977 US, New York City
Rock and Alternative
A.k.a. Actress (3) The Junkies (5)
Formed : December, 1971 // New York, NY, United States Disbanded : 1975 Reformed : 2004 All of the members of the New York Dolls played in New York bands before the band formed in late 1971. Guitarists Johnny Thunders and Rick Rivets, bassist Arthur Kane, and drummer Billy Murcia were joined by vocalist David Johansen. Before changing their name to New York Dolls, the band was called Actress (3) which recorded full set demos in early 1971. Early in 1972, Rivets was replaced by Syl Sylvain and the group began playing regularly in Lower Manhattan, particularly at the Mercer Arts Center. Within a few months, they had earned a dedicated cult following, but record companies were afraid of signing the Dolls because of their cross-dressing and blatant vulgarity. Late in 1972, the Dolls embarked on their first tour of England. During the tour, drummer Murcia died after mixing drugs and alcohol. He was replaced by Jerry Nolan. After Nolan joined the band, the Dolls finally secured a record contract with Mercury Records. Todd Rundgren -- whose sophisticated pop seemed at odds with the band's crash-and-burn rock & roll -- produced the band's eponymous debut, which appeared in the summer of 1973. The record received overwhelmingly positive reviews, but it didn't stir the interest of the general public; the album peaked at number 116 on the U.S. charts. The band's follow-up, Too Much Too Soon, was produced by the legendary girl group producer George "Shadow" Morton. Although the sound of the record was relatively streamlined, the album was another commercial failure, only reaching number 167 upon its early summer 1974 release. Following the disappointing sales of the Dolls' two albums, Mercury Records dropped the band. No other record labels were interested in the group, so the Dolls decided to hire a new manager, the British Malcolm McLaren, who would soon become famous for managing the Sex Pistols. By the middle of 1975, Thunders and Nolan left the Dolls. The remaining members, Johansen and Sylvain, fired McLaren and assembled a new lineup of the band. For the next two years, the duo led a variety of different incarnations of the band, to no success. In 2004, former Smiths vocalist Morrissey invited the surviving members of the New York Dolls to perform at the 2004 Meltdown Festival, a music and cultural festival that was being curated that year by the singer. To the surprise of many, David Johansen, Syl Sylvain, and Arthur Kane agreed to the gig, with Steve Conte standing in for Thunders and Gary Powell from the Libertines sitting in on drums. (by Stephen Thomas Erlewine, taken from allmusic.com) Members : Rick Rivets (guitar), Billy Murcia (drums), Johnny Thunders (guitar, vocals), Arthur Kane (bass), David Johansen (vocals), Sylvain Sylvain (guitar, vocals), Jerry Nolan (drums), Peter Jordan (bass)
David Johansen voc, h *1950 US | |
Earl Slick g, voc *1952 US | |
Steve Conte g, voc *1960 US | |
Sylvain Sylvain g, voc, p *1951 US | |
Jerry Nolan dr | |
Arthur Kane b 1949-2004 US | |
Brian Koonin g US | |
Tony Machine dr | |
Peter Jordan b, voc | |
Sami Takamäki b, voc | |
Steven Duren | |
Sylvain Mizrahi g, voc | |
John Anthony Genzale, Jr. g | |
Rick Rivets g, voc US | |
Billy Murcia dr CO | |
Brian Delaney dr, perc |
Track list and 30sec audio provided by
Title | Artist | Year | Type |
---|---|---|---|
Personality Crisis (Live Recordings & Studio Demos 1972-1975) | New York Dolls | 2018 | Album |
Personality Crisis | New York Dolls | 2016 | Single |
Butterflyin' | New York Dolls | 2015 | Album |
All Dolled Up | New York Dolls | 2014 | Album |
French Kiss '74 + Actress-Birth Of The New York Dolls | New York Dolls | 2013 | Compil. |
Personality Crisis - A Pink Patent Plastic Portrait Of The Dolls | New York Dolls | 2012 | Compil. |
Live From The Bowery | New York Dolls | 2012 | Album |
Live From The Bowery | New York Dolls | 2012 | Album |
Dancing Backward In High Heels | New York Dolls | 2011 | Album |
Fool For You Baby (Dom Dom Dippy) | New York Dolls | 2011 | Single |
Lookin' Fine On Television | New York Dolls | 2011 | Album |
Gotta Get Away From Southampton | New York Dolls | 2010 | Album |
Live At Radio Luxembourg, Paris - Dec. 1973 | New York Dolls | 2010 | Album |
Trash | New York Dolls | 2009 | Single |
On Fire | New York Dolls | 2009 | Album |
Attick And Whatever Live In Charlotte 2009 | New York Dolls | 2009 | Album |
Cause I Sez So | New York Dolls | 2009 | Album |
Cleveland 1976 | New York Dolls | 2009 | Album |
Bad Detective | New York Dolls | 2009 | Album |
'Cause I Sez So | New York Dolls | 2009 | Album |
Complete Show - Live At Flying Machine 1974 | New York Dolls | 2009 | Album |
Live At The Fillmore East | New York Dolls | 2008 | Album |
Split Single | New York Dolls / Peppermint Creeps | 2008 | Single |
Dance Like A Monkey | New York Dolls | 2006 | Single |
EPK | New York Dolls | 2006 | Single |
Dance Like A Monkey | New York Dolls | 2006 | Single |
Dancing On The Lip Of A Volcano | New York Dolls | 2006 | Single |
From Here To Eternity, The Live Bootleg Box Set | New York Dolls | 2006 | Compil. |
Live At CBGB's NYC March 17, 2006 | New York Dolls | 2006 | Album |
Peace & Love Festival 2006 | New York Dolls | 2006 | Album |
All Dolled Up (Films By Bob Gruen And Nadya Beck) | New York Dolls | 2006 | Album |
Gimme Luv And Turn On The Light | New York Dolls | 2006 | Single |
One Day It Will Please Us To Remember Even This | New York Dolls | 2006 | Album |
Private World - The Complete Early Studio Demos 1972-73 | New York Dolls | 2006 | Compil. |
New York Doll | New York Dolls, Arthur Kane | 2005 | Single |
We Were Into Something Good | New York Dolls | 2005 | Album |
Live From Royal Festival Hall, 2004 | New York Dolls | 2004 | Album |
Live At Zepp Tokyo On 25th September 2004 | New York Dolls | 2004 | Album |
Get My Fun | New York Dolls | 2004 | Album |
Morrisey Presents The Return Of The New York Dolls - Live From Royal Albert Hall 2004 | New York Dolls | 2004 | Album |
Looking For A Kiss | New York Dolls | 2003 | Compil. |
Manhattan Mayhem | New York Dolls | 2003 | Compil. |
The Best Of New York Dolls | New York Dolls | 2003 | Compil. |
Great Big Kiss | New York Dolls | 2002 | Compil. |
Archive Series, Studio And Live | New York Dolls | 2001 | Compil. |
Judy Is A Punk / Human Being | Ramones / New York Dolls | 2001 | Album |
A Hard Night's Day | New York Dolls | 2000 | Compil. |
Actress: Birth Of The New York Dolls | New York Dolls / Actress | 2000 | Album |
Pink Pedal Pushers | New York Dolls | 2000 | Album |
Endless Party | New York Dolls | 2000 | Album |
The Glam Rock Hits | New York Dolls | 1999 | Compil. |
The Glamorous Life - Live | New York Dolls | 1999 | Compil. |
Lonely Planet Boy | New York Dolls | 1998 | Single |
Hootchie Cootchie Dolls | New York Dolls | 1998 | Compil. |
Human Being | New York Dolls | 1998 | Single |
I'm A Human Being (Live) | New York Dolls | 1998 | Album |
Street Trash | Johnny Thunders / New York Dolls | 1998 | Compil. |
Bad Girl | New York Dolls | 1998 | Single |
Rock 'N Roll | New York Dolls | 1994 | Compil. |
Paris' Burning | New York Dolls | 1993 | Album |
New York Tapes 72-73 | New York Dolls | 1993 | Album |
Red Patent Leather | New York Dolls | 1993 | Single |
7 Day Weekend | New York Dolls | 1992 | Album |
New Rose Live Collection | New York Dolls | 1992 | Compil. |
Back in the USA | New York Dolls | 1991 | Album |
Lookin' For A Kiss | New York Dolls | 1990 | Single |
The Early Years Live | New York Dolls | 1990 | Album |
Super Best Collection | New York Dolls | 1990 | Compil. |
Looking For A Kiss! | New York Dolls | 1989 | Album |
Personality Crisis | New York Dolls Featuring Johnny Thunders | 1986 | Album |
Looking For A Kiss | New York Dolls Featuring Johnny Thunders | 1986 | Album |
After The Storm | New York Dolls & Sex Pistols | 1985 | Compil. |
The Music Of New York Dolls | New York Dolls | 1985 | Album |
Night Of The Living Dolls | New York Dolls | 1985 | Compil. |
Pills | New York Dolls | 1984 | Single |
Red Patent Leather | New York Dolls | 1984 | Album |
Personality Crisis | New York Dolls | 1982 | Album |
Dolls Live: Dallas '74 | New York Dolls | 1978 | Album |
Bad Girl | New York Dolls | 1978 | Single |
Personality Crisis | New York Dolls | 1978 | Single |
Jet Boy // Babylon / Who Are The Mystery Girls | New York Dolls | 1977 | Single |
New York Dolls | New York Dolls | 1977 | Album |
Very Best Of New York Dolls | New York Dolls | 1977 | Compil. |
Looking For A Kiss | New York Dolls | 1975 | Single |
Trash (Don't Take My Life Away) | New York Dolls | 1974 | Album |
Stranded In The Jungle | New York Dolls | 1974 | Single |
Puss 'n' Boots | New York Dolls | 1974 | Single |
Too Much Too Soon | New York Dolls | 1974 | Album |
Babylon / Human Being | New York Dolls | 1974 | Single |
Trash | New York Dolls | 1973 | Single |
New York Dolls | New York Dolls | 1973 | Album |
Jet Boy | New York Dolls | 1973 | Single |
Trash | New York Dolls | 1973 | Single |
Lonely Planet Boy | New York Dolls | Single | |
Bad Detective | New York Dolls | Single | |
Dolls Documentary | New York Dolls | Single | |
Just Boy | New York Dolls | Single | |
Live 1973 | New York Dolls | Single | |
Stranded In The Jungle | New York Dolls | Single | |
Something Else | New York Dolls | Single | |
Chatterbox | New York Dolls | Single | |
Down Down Downtown | New York Dolls | Single | |
Courageous Cat Theme | New York Dolls | Single | |
Frankenstein | New York Dolls | Single | |
Don't Start Me Talking | New York Dolls | Single | |
Teenage News | New York Dolls | Single |