Johnny Thunders and Jerry Nolan, thanks to the communist look designed for the New York Dolls by Malcom Mc Laren who was trying to relaunch them, abandoned everyone in Florida in March '75 and flew to New York. They wanted to start a new band. In the meantime, Richard Hell left Tom Verlaine and the Television,
again due to leadership issues, and joined the duo. Together they formed the Heartbreakers. They took on Walter Lure as the second guitarist, who was already involved with the NYD.
Thunders brought with him the last pieces written with the Dolls, while Hell brought those written with the Television. There's the legendary "Chinese Rocks" written with Dee Dee Ramone, which talks about being a -junkie- with the -monkey on the back- of William Burroughs. Their ideal territory of action are clubs like CBGB's and Max's Kansas City.
The album doesn't exist in stores, this is a bootleg! It also goes by the title "Heroine Club" but the sound quality is poor. Recorded at SBS Yonkers in NY in January 1976, it's part of my private collection.
How did I get this tape? Try to imagine... Here the sound is better; I restored it with love, as best as possible with the means at my disposal. It sounds good.
Thunders and Hell sing their own songs in the studio. Their collaboration will be brief, almost a year. The problem was the coexistence of two great personalities: Thunders no longer wanted to be in a supporting role, as in David Johansen's NYD. It's the most beautiful music I've been fortunate enough to listen to, sincere and engaging.
It's a bastard R&R, subway style, that of the Heartbreakers. Johnny Thunders and Richard Hell are at their creative peak.
The rest is rock encyclopedia history.
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