New York Dolls – Chatterbox

This one’s from 1973, by the New York Dolls.  The Dolls were well ahead of their time – this is punk rock from 1973, long before the Sex Pistols (who covered this song) and others appeared on the scene in 1977.  The late Johnny Thunders does the honors on lead vocals/guitar.   This is a live version from a gig at Club 82 in NYC, faster and rawer than the studio version that appeared on the band’s second album, 1974’s Too Much Too Soon.

The New York Dolls original lineup put out two proper albums, to critic raves, but poor sales.  The band also featured the talents of David Johansen, as lead singer, Sylvain Sylvain on guitar, Arthur Kane on bass and Jerry Nolan on drums.  Launched during the glam era, the band wore adrogynous clothes, including platform heels, skin tight pants, makeup and feather boas.  But they weren’t really glam, rather a cross of rock, the Rolling Stones, punk, r&b and 50s and 60s oldies, prominently featured on their second long player.

If you like this Johnny Thunders’ offering, search out his 1978 solo record So Alone.  It features Leave Me Alone, which you’ll find below.  It’s a remake of Chatterbox – same riff/guitar, better lyrics.   Which version do you like better?

And, of course, David Johansen is a personal favorite in one of his later iterations, as the tuxedoed lounge singer Buster Poindexter.  But that is for another day.