Brian - I had a hearty laugh reading Johnny Thunder. BTW - I am a big Kinks fan, especially their run starting 1967's Something Else, Village Green Preservation Society (Johnny Thunder ), Arthur (my fave), Lola vs Powerman, to 1971's Muswell Hillbillies.
I have a sad Johnny Thunder experience. Star Bar in downtown Ann Arbor was the hippest underground haunt in A-squared late 70/early80s. My roommate played in a punk band so I tagged along to see them play at the Star Bar one evening. I sat down at the bar and started a conversation with this rocker next to me. The guy was really hard to understand, and then he blurted out I'm Johnny Thunders. He then proceed to lay his head on the bar and nodded out. Smack, literally and figuratively. The bartender said yep he's Johnny Thunders. Johnny Thunders from the New York Dolls, the Hearbreakers, and at the time in Ann Arbor rocking with MC5's Wayne Kramer. I don't know if Johnny Thunders chose his name because of the Kinks song but he sure seemed to live the lyrics.
That's the subject of a future essay: "Why Didn't They Burn the Drummer Alive?"
Brian - I had a hearty laugh reading Johnny Thunder. BTW - I am a big Kinks fan, especially their run starting 1967's Something Else, Village Green Preservation Society (Johnny Thunder ), Arthur (my fave), Lola vs Powerman, to 1971's Muswell Hillbillies.
I have a sad Johnny Thunder experience. Star Bar in downtown Ann Arbor was the hippest underground haunt in A-squared late 70/early80s. My roommate played in a punk band so I tagged along to see them play at the Star Bar one evening. I sat down at the bar and started a conversation with this rocker next to me. The guy was really hard to understand, and then he blurted out I'm Johnny Thunders. He then proceed to lay his head on the bar and nodded out. Smack, literally and figuratively. The bartender said yep he's Johnny Thunders. Johnny Thunders from the New York Dolls, the Hearbreakers, and at the time in Ann Arbor rocking with MC5's Wayne Kramer. I don't know if Johnny Thunders chose his name because of the Kinks song but he sure seemed to live the lyrics.
All you needed was a stoic, medium-talent drummer to take that song over the top.
This story of abject humiliation invaded my sleep last night.
Oh thank God I wasn’t there. 😂
Perhaps your rendition was the impetus for Thunder Road or The Flying Squirrels!