In 2011, with unique members David Johansen and Sylvain Sylvain nonetheless on the helm, the New York Dolls launched their ultimate album, Dancing Backwards In Excessive Heels. Recorded in Newcastle-upon-Tyne within the north of England, it bore most of the hallmarks of the Dolls’ glam-trash 70s sound however with a couple of fashionable prospers. We requested Johansen to inform us about it.
Why did you file in Newcastle?
We’d performed there earlier than, and we appeared to mesh with the populace so seamlessly that I hardly even seen I wasn’t at house. I beloved the place, and didn’t actually have to change my New York frame of mind.
Are you proud of the way it’s turned out?
Undoubtedly. Though we simply completed making a video for one of many tracks, Idiot For You Child, and if I ever hear that once more it’ll be too quickly. It’s exhausting to love something when you’ve needed to take heed to it twenty instances in a row.
Was it a shock when Arthur Kane died so quickly after the Dolls’ preliminary reunion?
It was apocalyptic, devastating. He was a beautiful dude. He’d gone by way of this horrifying alcoholism for twenty years and there’d hardly been any contact between us throughout that point, however we’d simply began to re-establish an attractive friendship. He’d stopped consuming and was refreshing to be round once more.
Which was probably the most troublesome to cope with: Arthur’s alcoholism or Johnny Thunders’s heroin habit?
Johnny didn’t actually get strung out till after we broke up. His chemical points at all times form of get conflated with the Dolls, nevertheless it wasn’t till later that he turned dependent to the purpose of needing dope daily. I might see him from time to time; if I used to be doing a present in New York he would come up on stage and do a few numbers, so we had been form of on the identical campus however probably not hanging out as buddies.
I don’t understand how acquainted individuals are with the day-to-day lifetime of a heroin addict, however I don’t assume anybody would need that existence except they’d no selection. I by no means felt like saying: “Let me go together with you whilst you attempt to cop.”
Guitarist Frank Infante from Blondie performs on the brand new album. Was there an excellent rivalry between the Dolls and Blondie approach again when?
Not that I recall. I believe each bands actually dug one another. We form of complemented one another. We had been very totally different sounding, however I suppose we had been each extra showbiz-oriented than everybody else on the New York scene at the moment. Each bands knew the way to have enjoyable, and I believe there was a shared intelligence or intuition to what we had been doing.
Are you continue to ‘funky however stylish’, as within the title of your outdated solo single you’ve re-recorded for the brand new album?
Yeah, I’d wish to assume so. I’ve at all times been funky however stylish. Lots of people within the business have been saying we should always drag that track out once more as a result of it might be used for therefore many extra-curricular tasks. Possibly we will persuade the blokes at Max Issue to place it in certainly one of their commercials, or get somebody to place it in a film.
Additionally, I’ve to be trustworthy and say that we would have liked to provide you with a few dozen tunes in three weeks to fill the brand new file, and that one was ready-made. Syl and I really wrote it for the Dolls earlier than we broke up the primary time, so it’s form of lastly come house, you would say. Nonetheless sounds nice, like there’s a extremely good social gathering occurring.
How troublesome is it to bop backwards in excessive heels?
I used to be at all times fairly good at it. I can’t keep in mind ever falling over, though I broke quite a lot of footwear of within the early days. Then we began going to this cobbler on First Avenue who’d reinforce the heels with metal shanks to make us prepared for fight.
The place is your alter ego Buster Poindexter today?
He’s nonetheless in Betty Ford, doing twice-nightly reveals within the superstar rehab wing. Nonetheless getting large crowds.
What’s the largest false impression individuals have about you?
I’d wish to assume that every little thing individuals take into consideration me is a false impression.
What can David Johansen do this no one else can?
I can roll my stomach fairly lithely. I discovered the way to do it as a baby in a belly-rolling contest. I can’t keep in mind if I received, however I actually impressed awe.
What’s the secret of success?
If you happen to’re an artist, it is best to create artwork that pleases you and doesn’t essentially pander to {the marketplace}. Managing to fulfill your self whereas being an inspiration to others is what I’d name success.
What epitaph would you wish to be written in your tombstone?
One phrase: ‘Fabulous’.
This interview initially appeared in Basic Rock 156 (April 2011) and has not appeared on-line earlier than.
