New York Dolls are an American
hard rock band formed in
New York City in 1971. Along with
the Velvet Underground and
the Stooges, they were one of the first bands in the early
punk rock scene. Although their original line-up fell apart quickly, the band's first two albums—
New York Dolls (1973) and
Too Much Too Soon (1974)—became among the most popular
cult records in rock. The line-up at this time comprised vocalist
David Johansen,
guitarist Johnny Thunders, bassist
Arthur Kane, guitarist and pianist
Sylvain Sylvain, and drummer Jerry Nolan; the latter two had replaced
Rick Rivets and
Billy Murcia, respectively, in 1972. On stage, they donned an androgynous wardrobe, wearing high heels, eccentric hats, and satin. Nolan described the group at the time as "the
Dead End Kids of today".