Page "New York Dolls" Paragraph 5

The band was influenced by vintage rhythm and blues, the early Rolling Stones, classic American girl group songs, and protopunk bands such as the MC5 and The Stooges, as well as glam rockers such as Marc Bolan.

In synthesizing this wide variety of influences they created something which critic Stephen Thomas Erlewine wrote " doesn't really sound like anything that came before it.

It's hard rock with a self-conscious wit, a celebration of camp and kitsch that retains a menacing, malevolent edge.

" The band's sound was also influenced by blues and soul, as evidenced by Johansen's blues harmonica and their choice of cover versions.

Their two Mercury albums contain their covers of songs originally performed by Bo Diddley, The Drells, Sonny Boy Williamson, The Coasters and the Jay Hawks.

The CD " Private World: The Complete Early Studio Demos 1972 / 3 " includes their versions of songs by Otis Redding, Gary US Bonds, Chuck Berry, The Shangri-Las and Muddy Waters.

The jazz influence was particularly important for Johansen, whose subsequent career included work with jazz man Big Jay McNeely and blues man Hubert Sumlin.

Johansen is an accomplished trumpet player.