Well done. I remember the MS well, although like you it was the latter half that wasn’t as good. I’m a huge Dolls fan, so it will be great to see those clips the way they were meant to be seen. Thanks!
Procrastinating on my housecleaning today led me to remember this conversation. It isn't as terrible as I was expecting based on your comments, but it could be better too. I'm a bit bummed that I can't find anything else by the band, because I would very much like to hear more.
Judging from Discogs, they only released one single — and I can't find any other info on em. Not sure that I'd like to hear more, but I'd definitely like to know more about them!
On the “plus side”, back in ‘73, I’m guessing buying a sixer of Schlitz and a small stash of Midwestern dirt weed would get you change back from your 10 bucks!
I don't think I've been as riveted to a Substack article as I have this one, Dan! And, it's not about the subject matter per se, than how you so accurately encapsulated the show/the era/the feeling of one of my favorite years in music!
For context, in October '73, I was 18, and in my second month of my first year at college (N. Texas State U., now the U. of N. Texas....colleges I attended have a habit of changing their names!) This Midnight Special ep aired about a month after I spent two successive weekends with the Dolls (Houston and again, in Dallas...in Houston, I gave them a personal tour of The Galleria, a 3-story mall with an ice-skating rink in the center). Killer had that cast you see on his left wrist/lower arm then, as well. Except, the injury (there are differing stories as to how that injury occurred! I just assumed it was broken, and it didn't occur to me to ask him) was so fresh in September, that Peter Jordan filled in at bass during that part of their tour.
As for the Midnight Special, they were quite the must-watch for all of us into the "fringe" rock lane for us CREEM, PRM, Hit Parader, BOMP! readers! To see the Dolls was such a stunningly rare treat (Mott, too, for that matter)! The Genesis ep was jaw-dropping, too....yes, for the performance, but the audacity for the show to actually show such a British-leaning band, HERE IN THE STATES!!! I would spend extra bucks for the 3 Brit music tabloids in the early '70s just for the info even the American mags weren't about to touch!
As for Mott vs. the Dolls.....your paragraph is all spot-on, including (if not especially) the Bowie endorsement. But, the real key between the UK band having U.S. hits and the NYC one not, in this case? The elusive hit single. Neither AM nor FM were touching the Dolls, while FM had legit interest in some of Mott's album cuts, but their AM "Dudes" success drove a lot of album sales. Mercury just couldn't break the Dolls thru to AM.
Yeah, I forgot to mention Jordan in the piece — I didn't notice him during "Trash," but he's clearly in the frame during "Personality Crisis". What's weird is that Arthur seems to actually be playing, as well, which makes me wonder if a) he just wasn't plugged in, or b) Jordan was handling the tougher parts. It's no wonder to me that Mercury couldn't break the Dolls at AM radio, though; I can't even imagine how jarring "Trash" would have sounded between the Spinners and Seals & Crofts!
Hmmmm, conspiracy theory....I love it! Could be. I seem to recall reading, recently, that the cast was due to a burn, not a break, and a GF was involved? Now, I'm that much "gladder" I didn't ask him about it at the time! As for hearing "Trash" in between "Could it Be I'm Falling in Love" and "Hummingbird"? In my 1973 bedroom (before shoving off to college), that sounds like a typical weekday!
The cast was apparently there because his girlfriend Connie had tried to sever Arthur's thumb to prevent him from going on tour and leaving her behind in NYC. She had a thing for bass players, and for knives — she later stabbed boyfriend Dee Dee Ramone in the ass.
Don't you love seeing the kids in front singing along to "Personality Crisis", while more in the back were looking on, dumbfounded? That is a snapshot of my entire adolescence. My immediate clique was very into Mott, it allowed us to affect terrible Cockney accents.
I loved this show. I started watching around 75, I think. I remember it being a Friday/Saturday night show that NBC ultimately replaced with SCTV and then Friday Night Videos. I never got Wolfman Jack. I could swear that the first time I saw/heard Prince was on this show.
I remember seeing this when it first aired with my girlfriend of the time. We were probably high on Tulsa Tops while watching it. I was very excited to see Luther playing a Junior like my hero Leslie West. When the show was young, they presented a wide range of talent that we probably wouldn't see playing in Tulsa until The Cain's came around a few years later. Looking at it today, the Dolls don't seem that outrageous to me, just a good, raunchy rock & roll band from NYC wearing women's shoes.
What a great article, what a great YouTube find! Thank you!
Well done. I remember the MS well, although like you it was the latter half that wasn’t as good. I’m a huge Dolls fan, so it will be great to see those clips the way they were meant to be seen. Thanks!
They’re pretty mind-blowing!
Too funny! Must check said YouTube channel out. Though have seen both the Dolls and Mott clips, the juxtaposition to the others must be riotous.
Pete ‘Overend’ Watts
Thanks - autocorrect got the better of me there!
Bagpipe prog? Would never have thought of it myself, but yes please!
It looks/sounds good on paper, but you may be singing a different tune after you actually watch their performance...
I'll let you know once I've watched it.
Procrastinating on my housecleaning today led me to remember this conversation. It isn't as terrible as I was expecting based on your comments, but it could be better too. I'm a bit bummed that I can't find anything else by the band, because I would very much like to hear more.
Judging from Discogs, they only released one single — and I can't find any other info on em. Not sure that I'd like to hear more, but I'd definitely like to know more about them!
On the “plus side”, back in ‘73, I’m guessing buying a sixer of Schlitz and a small stash of Midwestern dirt weed would get you change back from your 10 bucks!
Probably enough to buy the new Dolls LP from the cutout bin!
Ha! I think I snagged my beat-up used copy of NYD sometime around 1978, and it was less than 3 bucks...still got it.
Should I be embarrassed that I didn't realize Pills was a cover until about 25 years later?!?!
Nah — that was the first version I ever heard of it, too... and frankly, I was kinda disappointed when I finally heard Bo's original.
I don't think I've been as riveted to a Substack article as I have this one, Dan! And, it's not about the subject matter per se, than how you so accurately encapsulated the show/the era/the feeling of one of my favorite years in music!
For context, in October '73, I was 18, and in my second month of my first year at college (N. Texas State U., now the U. of N. Texas....colleges I attended have a habit of changing their names!) This Midnight Special ep aired about a month after I spent two successive weekends with the Dolls (Houston and again, in Dallas...in Houston, I gave them a personal tour of The Galleria, a 3-story mall with an ice-skating rink in the center). Killer had that cast you see on his left wrist/lower arm then, as well. Except, the injury (there are differing stories as to how that injury occurred! I just assumed it was broken, and it didn't occur to me to ask him) was so fresh in September, that Peter Jordan filled in at bass during that part of their tour.
I wrote about those two weekends (and introduce you to Jordan) here, if I may: https://bradkyle.substack.com/p/into-the-doll-house-with-todd-rundgren-fb6
As for the Midnight Special, they were quite the must-watch for all of us into the "fringe" rock lane for us CREEM, PRM, Hit Parader, BOMP! readers! To see the Dolls was such a stunningly rare treat (Mott, too, for that matter)! The Genesis ep was jaw-dropping, too....yes, for the performance, but the audacity for the show to actually show such a British-leaning band, HERE IN THE STATES!!! I would spend extra bucks for the 3 Brit music tabloids in the early '70s just for the info even the American mags weren't about to touch!
As for Mott vs. the Dolls.....your paragraph is all spot-on, including (if not especially) the Bowie endorsement. But, the real key between the UK band having U.S. hits and the NYC one not, in this case? The elusive hit single. Neither AM nor FM were touching the Dolls, while FM had legit interest in some of Mott's album cuts, but their AM "Dudes" success drove a lot of album sales. Mercury just couldn't break the Dolls thru to AM.
Thanks again, Dan!
Yeah, I forgot to mention Jordan in the piece — I didn't notice him during "Trash," but he's clearly in the frame during "Personality Crisis". What's weird is that Arthur seems to actually be playing, as well, which makes me wonder if a) he just wasn't plugged in, or b) Jordan was handling the tougher parts. It's no wonder to me that Mercury couldn't break the Dolls at AM radio, though; I can't even imagine how jarring "Trash" would have sounded between the Spinners and Seals & Crofts!
Hmmmm, conspiracy theory....I love it! Could be. I seem to recall reading, recently, that the cast was due to a burn, not a break, and a GF was involved? Now, I'm that much "gladder" I didn't ask him about it at the time! As for hearing "Trash" in between "Could it Be I'm Falling in Love" and "Hummingbird"? In my 1973 bedroom (before shoving off to college), that sounds like a typical weekday!
Hahaha - you had bigger ears than most, though!
The cast was apparently there because his girlfriend Connie had tried to sever Arthur's thumb to prevent him from going on tour and leaving her behind in NYC. She had a thing for bass players, and for knives — she later stabbed boyfriend Dee Dee Ramone in the ass.
Was she in the R&R High School video?
https://images.app.goo.gl/iv3nWefFHYfxr1Xw6
I thought she and Dee Dee broke up much earlier than that ("So Glad to See You Go" was supposedly about her), but maybe?
Yeah, once again, your “way back knowledge” is better than mine.
I always wondered who those 2 gals were @ the 0:47 mark:
https://youtu.be/oz7KYUkdlvE?si=Xh7wVAjayJ6EEHDo
Lesson learned, I guess, at some point! Date Connie, and hide the cutlery!
Don't you love seeing the kids in front singing along to "Personality Crisis", while more in the back were looking on, dumbfounded? That is a snapshot of my entire adolescence. My immediate clique was very into Mott, it allowed us to affect terrible Cockney accents.
Yeah, some kids clearly GOT what the Dolls were doing — so cool to see!
I loved this show. I started watching around 75, I think. I remember it being a Friday/Saturday night show that NBC ultimately replaced with SCTV and then Friday Night Videos. I never got Wolfman Jack. I could swear that the first time I saw/heard Prince was on this show.
If you did, it was his first national TV appearance!
https://vimeo.com/234022630
I remember seeing this when it first aired with my girlfriend of the time. We were probably high on Tulsa Tops while watching it. I was very excited to see Luther playing a Junior like my hero Leslie West. When the show was young, they presented a wide range of talent that we probably wouldn't see playing in Tulsa until The Cain's came around a few years later. Looking at it today, the Dolls don't seem that outrageous to me, just a good, raunchy rock & roll band from NYC wearing women's shoes.