David Johansen (album)

Last updated
David Johansen
David Johansen-David Johansen (album cover).jpg
Studio album by
ReleasedMay 1978
RecordedFebruary 1978
Studio The Record Plant, New York
Genre
Length38:16
Label Blue Sky Records
Columbia
Razor & Tie
Producer Richard Robinson, David Johansen
David Johansen chronology
David Johansen
(1978)
In Style
(1979)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svg [1]
Christgau's Record Guide A− [2]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [3]

David Johansen is a 1978 album by the rock musician David Johansen and his first solo album following his tenure as lead singer of the New York Dolls. The album was released on Blue Sky Records, a sub-label of Columbia Records that was associated with Johnny and Edgar Winter. David Johansen also features fellow New York Doll guitarist Sylvain Sylvain, who was a member of the David Johansen Band at that time. Sylvain co-wrote four of the songs with Johansen. The single from the album was Johansen and Sylvain's "Funky But Chic", backed with "The Rope (The Let Go Song)", which has been included as a bonus track on the CD. David Johansen was voted the tenth best record of 1978 in the Pazz & Jop, an annual poll of American critics published by The Village Voice . [4]

Contents

Track listing

All songs by David Johansen and Sylvain Sylvain except as indicated.

Side one

  1. "Funky But Chic"
  2. "Girls"
  3. "Pain in My Heart" (Johansen)
  4. "Not That Much" (Johansen, Buz Verno)
  5. "Donna" (Johansen)

Side two

  1. "Cool Metro"
  2. "I'm a Lover" (Johansen, Johnny Ráo, Thomas Trask, Buz Verno)
  3. "Lonely Tenement" (Johansen)
  4. "Frenchette"

Bonus track

  1. "The Rope (The Let Go Song)" (Johansen)

Personnel

Charts

Chart (1978)Peak
position
Australian Albums (Kent Music Report) [5] 91

Releases

Related Research Articles

New York Dolls American rock band

The New York Dolls were an American rock band formed in New York City in 1971. Along with the Velvet Underground and the Stooges, they were one of the bands later credited as influences of the soon to be punk scene and performed twice a week regularly at the Oscar Wilde Room of the Mercer Arts Center. In the band's early days, Ruby and the Rednecks used to open for them at the gigs and were greatly inspired by them. Although the band never achieved much commercial success and their original line-up fell apart quickly, the band's first two albums—New York Dolls (1973) and Too Much Too Soon (1974)—became among the most popular cult records in rock. The line-up at this time comprised vocalist David Johansen, guitarist Johnny Thunders, bassist Arthur Kane, guitarist and pianist Sylvain Sylvain and drummer Jerry Nolan; the latter two had replaced Rick Rivets and Billy Murcia, respectively, in 1972. On stage, they donned an androgynous wardrobe, wearing high heels, eccentric hats, satin, makeup, spandex, and dresses. Nolan described the group in 1974 as "the Dead End Kids of today". After Thunders, Nolan and Kane all left in spring 1975, Johansen and Sylvain continued the band with other musicians until the end of 1976.

<i>New York Dolls</i> (album) 1973 studio album by New York Dolls

New York Dolls is the debut album by the American hard rock band New York Dolls. It was released on July 27, 1973, by Mercury Records. In the years leading up to the album, the Dolls had developed a local fanbase by playing regularly in lower Manhattan after forming in 1971. However, most music producers and record companies were reluctant to work with them because of their vulgarity and onstage fashion as well as homophobia in New York; the group later appeared in exaggerated drag on the album cover for shock value.

<i>Hormoaning</i> 1992 EP by Nirvana

Hormoaning is an EP by the American rock band Nirvana. It was released on January 27, 1992 through DGC Records and Geffen Records. It was released in Australia and Japan only, during the band's tour there.

<i>Give Em Enough Rope</i> 1978 studio album by The Clash

Give 'Em Enough Rope is the second studio album by the English punk rock band the Clash. It was released on 10 November 1978 through CBS Records. It was their first album released in the United States, preceding the U.S. version of the self-titled album. The album was well received by critics and fans, peaking at number two in the United Kingdom Albums Chart, and number 128 in the Billboard 200.

David Johansen American singer

David Roger Johansen is an American singer, songwriter and actor. He is best known as a member of the seminal proto-punk band the New York Dolls. He is also known for his work under the pseudonym Buster Poindexter, and for playing the Ghost of Christmas Past in Scrooged.

Robert Christgau American music journalist

Robert Thomas Christgau is an American music journalist and essayist. Among the most well-known, revered, and influential music critics, he began his career in the late 1960s as one of the earliest professional rock critics and later became an early proponent of musical movements such as hip hop, riot grrrl, and the import of African popular music in the West. Christgau spent 37 years as the chief music critic and senior editor for The Village Voice, during which time he created and oversaw the annual Pazz & Jop critics poll. He has also covered popular music for Esquire, Creem, Newsday, Playboy, Rolling Stone, Billboard, NPR, Blender, and MSN Music, and was a visiting arts teacher at New York University. CNN senior writer Jamie Allen has called Christgau "the E. F. Hutton of the music world – when he talks, people listen."

Pazz & Jop Annual poll of top musical releases

Pazz & Jop was an annual poll of top musical releases, compiled by American newspaper The Village Voice and created by music critic Robert Christgau. It published lists of the year's top releases for 1971 and, after Christgau's two-year absence from the Voice, each year from 1974 onward. The polls are tabulated from the submitted year-end top 10 lists of hundreds of music critics. It was named in acknowledgement of the defunct magazine Jazz & Pop, and adopted the ratings system used in that publication's annual critics poll.

<i>Too Much Too Soon</i> (album) 1974 studio album by New York Dolls

Too Much Too Soon is the second album by the American hard rock band New York Dolls. It was released on May 10, 1974, by Mercury Records. The Dolls recorded the album earlier that year at A&R Studios in New York City with veteran producer Shadow Morton, who was enlisted by the band's lead singer David Johansen after they felt dissatisfied with the recording of their 1973 self-titled debut album. Morton had been disenchanted by the music industry, but the band's energy motivated him to undertake the project as a challenge.

<i>Dancing in Your Head</i> 1977 studio album by Ornette Coleman

Dancing in Your Head is a studio album by jazz artist Ornette Coleman, released in 1977 by Horizon Records.

<i>Lipstick Killers – The Mercer Street Sessions 1972</i> 1981 compilation album by New York Dolls

Lipstick Killers – The Mercer Street Sessions 1972 is a 1981 album of demos by the New York Dolls. The album's songs were later re-recorded for New York Dolls, except for "Don't Start Me Talking" and "Human Being" which were later re-recorded for Too Much Too Soon and "Don't Mess with Cupid", which was never re-recorded.

<i>In the Jungle Groove</i> 1986 compilation album by James Brown

In the Jungle Groove is a compilation album by American funk musician James Brown, released in August 1986 by Polydor Records.

<i>One Day It Will Please Us to Remember Even This</i> 2006 studio album by New York Dolls

One Day It Will Please Us to Remember Even This is the third studio album by the American hard rock band New York Dolls. It was the group's first release of original material since their 1974 album Too Much Too Soon. The album was produced by Jack Douglas and written mostly by band members David Johansen and Sylvain Sylvain.

<i>Song X</i> 1986 studio album by Pat Metheny and Ornette Coleman

Song X is a collaborative studio album by American jazz guitarist Pat Metheny and saxophonist Ornette Coleman. It is a free jazz record that was produced in a three-day recording session in 1985. The album was released in June 1986 by Geffen Records.

<i>Sun City</i> (album) 1985 studio album by Artists United Against Apartheid

Sun City was a 1985 album that contained several versions of the Steven Van Zandt-led Artists United Against Apartheid's "Sun City" protest song against apartheid in South Africa as well as other selections in the same vein from that project.

<i>Real People</i> (album) 1980 studio album by Chic

Real People is the fourth studio album by American R&B band Chic, released on Atlantic Records in 1980. It includes the singles "Rebels Are We", "Real People", and "26".

<i>In Style</i> (David Johansen album) 1979 studio album by David Johansen

In Style is the second solo album released by (then-)former lead singer of the New York Dolls, David Johansen. It was released in 1979 on Blue Sky Records.

<i>Live It Up</i> (David Johansen album) 1982 live album by David Johansen

Live It Up, released in 1982, was the first live album released by David Johansen as a solo artist. Johansen did release a limited and promotional live album, The David Johansen Group Live in 1978, but the album was not officially released until 1993. Additionally, by the time Live It Up was released, various bootlegs of Johansen's first band, the New York Dolls, were being heavily traded. The impact of the New York Dolls, as both an influential band and as a live act, was becoming a legend in the late-1970s and early-1980s when Johansen was trying to start his solo career. However, his three previous solo albums were not selling as well as expected, therefore, Johansen turned to touring and selling his stage show.

<i>The David Johansen Group Live</i> 1978 live album by David Johansen

The David Johansen Group Live was originally a promotional-only LP released by David Johansen to help promote his solo career away from the New York Dolls. The nine tracks from the promotional LP were recorded on July 21, 1978 at the New York's The Bottom Line. In 1993, a CD was released of the full 18 songs from the 1978 concert.

<i>Dancing Backward in High Heels</i> 2011 studio album by New York Dolls

Dancing Backward in High Heels is the fifth and final studio album by the New York Dolls, and the third since their 2004 reunion. Released on March 15, 2011, on 429 Records, it contains covers of the 1946 Leon René standard "I Sold My Heart to the Junkman," and "Funky But Chic," originally from David Johansen's 1978 self titled album.

Buz Verno Musical artist

Buz Verno is an American bass guitarist, songwriter and singer. After his father encouraged him to start playing music, Verno began to play guitar at seven years old. He switched to bass guitar at 12 years old.

References

  1. Deming, Mark. "David Johansen – David Johansen". AllMusic . Retrieved September 26, 2015.
  2. Christgau, Robert (1981). "David Johansen: David Johansen". Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies. Ticknor and Fields. p.  199. ISBN   0-89919-026-X . Retrieved September 26, 2015.
  3. Evans, Paul (1992). "David Johansen". In DeCurtis, Anthony; Henke, James; George-Warren, Holly (eds.). The Rolling Stone Album Guide (3rd ed.). Random House. pp. 371–72. ISBN   0-679-73729-4.
  4. "The 1978 Pazz & Jop Critics Poll". The Village Voice . January 22, 1979. Retrieved October 26, 2020.
  5. Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 158. ISBN   0-646-11917-6.