The band Debbie Harry thought never got the credit they deserved
When Blondie broke onto the music scene in the 1970s, the era of flower power was dwindling, and a punchier breed of music was bubbling up in corners of the US. This would soon be crowned ‘new wave’. Though they went on to be revered as icons of the era, there was one other band in particular that vocalist Debbie Harry believed didn’t get due credit at the time.
The New York Dolls achieved little commercial success during such an era, and though their music has since become of cult classic status, the glam rock style of The Dolls went amiss with audiences of that time. Among The Velvet Underground, The Stooges, and Blondie, the band formed part of the city’s new wave punk scene that blossomed a new subculture away from one of peace to one of a new, brilliantly brash noise.
In a past interview with Red Bull, Harry recalled how Blondie’s lyrics reflected darker themes on life amid their growth amid this simmering milieu. These bands largely channelled the themes laid out by The Velvet Underground. “Yeah. It’s also to do with being in a counterculture situation,” she said.
“We were breaking away from the flower-power era and there was that little section of glam rock that was short-lived and not as big in the US,” she added, “The [New York] Dolls never really got their full dues in the States.” Though they might have pioneered punk, coupling the darkness of Lou Reed and his cronies with a lust for gaudy excitement, finding fabled ground somewhere between the pages of Junky and early rock ‘n’ roll.
As for Blondie’s relationship with bands like The Dolls, Harry stated that at the time, their connections felt somewhat cooperative, but that was not always the case. On the cusp of a changing industry, things felt tough: “There was competition. It was kind of natural, you know. You liked certain people and you disliked others,” she said.
“It was just a bunch of people trying to make music. The credit should go to Hilly Kristal for allowing bands to play original music and that was probably one of the few places where you could do it,“ she reflected on the CBGB founder.
“There was another bar called Monty Python, but CBGBs became this mecca for bands who wanted to do their own material. Eventually, Max’s Kansas City opened up as the second one, but by then the ball was rolling. There were bands that were formed and established, though not necessarily as recording artists.” It was a scene finding its feat in a frenzy all at once.
The New York Dolls might not have quite earned the respect they deserved at the time, but they did inspire many artists across the pond, influencing the UK’s punk scene. Credited as inspirations for the likes of the Sex Pistols and The Damned – though John Lydon might now refute this – they then, in turn, powered many newbies on the glam metal scene of the 80s too.
As Johnny Thunder’s famous line decreed: “The Dolls were an attitude. If nothing else, they were a great attitude.” That attitude, not their aptitude, stirred a whole scene into motion.
