David Johansen (The New York Dolls)

"I remember The Ramones were rehearsing down the hall from the room I was rehearsing in," he says. "Joey Ramone, who I knew, came down and said, 'I've got a band now, I want you to hear us'. So I went and I was telling them all, 'give up' . . ."

At which point, Johansen's deep drawl, three parts grizzled blues veteran and one part The Sopranos, develops a throaty chuckle.

"Of course, they were great, so what the hell do I know?" David Johansen, leader of The New York Dolls. Courier Mail, interview by Noel Mengel. March, 2007.

"Recuerdo que los Ramones ensayaban al fondo del pasillo del cuarto donde yo ensayaba," cuenta Johansen. "Joey Ramone, a quien conocía, vino y me dijo, 'Tengo una banda, quisiera que nos escucharas'. Así que fui y les decía a todos, ‘dense por vencidos’...”

En ese punto, la voz cansina y profunda de Johansen, tres partes canoso veterano de los blues y una parte de los Sopranos, produce una risa gutural.

"Por supuesto, que eran grandiosos, así que, ¿qué diablos sé yo?" David Johansen, líder de The New York Dolls. Courier Mail, entrevista por Noel Mengel. Marzo del 2007.

The New York Dolls - Personality Crisis