Frustrated
By Mitch Berg
Here’s a flashback to my first year in radio: Doug Fieger, via dead at 57:
Fieger formed The Knack in Los Angeles 1978, and the group quickly became a staple of Sunset Strip rock clubs. A year later he co-wrote and sang lead vocals on “My Sharona.”
Fieger said the song, with its pounding drums and exuberant vocals, was inspired by a girlfriend of four years.
Here’s one for old times’ sake:
RIP, Doug Fieger.
February 15th, 2010 at 3:51 pm
“My Sharona” always reminds me of Steve Dahl’s version “Ayatollah”.
From wiki.com
“During the Iranian Hostage Crisis, Dahl, along with Teenage Radiation, recorded and released a parody of The Knack’s song “My Sharona,” called “Ayatollah.” He also made on-the-air prank phone calls to the “Islamic Fried Chicken” (a play on Kentucky Fried Chicken), ordering buckets of chicken for the hostages in the US embassy, which the State Department later reprimanded him for.”
February 15th, 2010 at 4:45 pm
What amazes me about “My Sharona” is how the battle was joined over it. The song was all over the radio in August of ’79 and the punks were aghast. I remember seeing some of my more forward-thinking friends wearing “Nuke the Knack” buttons. And because of the attempt to market Fieger and his pals as a Detroit version of the Beatles, which offended the hell out of Robert Christgau and the rest of the reigning rock critic intelligentsia, “My Sharona” was quite controversial. Now it just sounds like fun little ditty with a pogo stick beat. That’s what it always was, I guess. And after “Good Girls Don’t,” there wasn’t a whole lot left of the Knack.
And if I remember correctly, Fieger’s brother was Jack Kevorkian’s lawyer.
February 15th, 2010 at 6:19 pm
My Balogna!
And oh boy do I remember Steve Dahl…..growing up with heavy metal, Weird Al, and others, what albums did my dad object to? “Pet Fishsticks” and the “Animal Stories” ones….
My mom loved Weird Al, though.
February 15th, 2010 at 9:14 pm
mmm, Steve Dahl. Wonder what that fat drunk is up to? Is he dead?
I always felt that The Knack got badly brushed by the “Next Beatles” tag and that had to be hard to overcome. In my mind they were a good serviceable band whose album got played at lots of high school and college parties at the time and no one fought to get them taken off the record player.
February 16th, 2010 at 9:04 am
Still in da bidness, but split up with Gary Meyer after Dahl insulted Meyer’s new wife. Just like politicians there, it seems that radio hosts in Chicago keep getting recycled from station to station.
February 16th, 2010 at 9:10 am
They do a great cover of Buddy Holly’s “Heartbeat”.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dI09FId6Ev4
February 16th, 2010 at 9:21 am
http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/music/2008/04/20/2008-04-20_meet_springsteens_rosalita_and_rock_muse.html
While we are on the subject.
February 16th, 2010 at 10:01 am
Fisch,
I wrote about that NYDaily News bit a few years ago, when it came out. Fun stuff.
And I loved that cover.
In fact, the Knack were the band that helped me realize what a bunch of joyless trolls “rock critics” were.
February 16th, 2010 at 10:46 am
I was turned off because of the massive airplay My Sharona got when it was big. Then about 20 years ago I listened to it much closer and came to appreciate it.
I’m going to download some their songs, seeing that my last copy of The Knack, was on vinyl.
February 16th, 2010 at 2:09 pm
One thing I knew at the time, and got reinforced with some extra Knack listening over the weekend; Berton Averre was a a great guitar player.
February 16th, 2010 at 5:21 pm
Weird Al is the only artist who has done an entire album that I like; several, actually. Everyone else, meh, the radio songs are good enough for me, with a few over-played pop exceptions where I can say I like MOST of the songs on a given album/albums.
February 16th, 2010 at 5:23 pm
Of course, I readily admit, comparing Mitch’s tastes in pop/rock to mine, is like comparing the delicate taste bouquets of the meals prepared on Iron Chef America to…Subway.