WELL I FEEL RIGHT AT HOME
IN THIS ROOM OF MY OWN
L.A.M.F.
(abbreviation of Like a Motherfucker)
is the only
studio album
by the
American
punk rock band
(Not To Be Confused With
The Later Heartbreakers
with
Tom Petty)
They included
Johnny Thunders,
Jerry Nolan,
Walter Lure
and
Billy Rath.
It was released on
October 3, 1977,
by the British
independent record label
Track Records,
and the music
of the album is a
mixture of punk
and
rock and roll.
In a 1977 interview
in the UK
monthly magazine
ZigZag,
Thunders said the album
title originated from
New York gang graffiti.
Thunders claimed the gangs
would add the
LAMF tag
after writing their gang name
. However,
if they were on anothe
r gang's territory
they would write
"D.T.K.L.A.M.F"
(Down to Kill Like a Mother Fucker).
The original,
vinyl release
of the album
has been criticised for
having a lackluster sound
despite several attempts
to remix it.
Background
The Heartbreakers
had been trying to get a
record contract
in the United States
since their
formation in 1975.
In the autumn of 1976,
Malcolm McLaren,
who had informally managed
the New York Dolls
in their waning days,
invited the band to
come to England
and participate in
the Sex Pistols' Anarchy tour,
along with
The Clash
and
The Damned,
who were replaced by
Buzzcocks
shortly after the
tour commenced.
The band accepted the offer,
arriving in London on
December 1,
the same day that
the Pistols swore at
Bill Grundy on live,
prime-time television,
which precipitated
the cancellation
of most of the tour.
Stranded in England
with little money
after the Anarchy tour
came to a halt,
the band contemplated
a retreat to New York,
but their manager,
Leee Black Childers,
convinced them to
stay in England,
believing that they
would be
more successful there.
After several gigs
in London,
Track Records
offered the Heartbreakers
a recording contract.
Track asked the band to
sign to the company as
"The Chris Stamp Band Ltd."
a holding company
owned by Track,
with the proviso that
if that holding company
went out of business,
the rights to
any recordings
the band made
would revert to
the band's own
business partnership.
The band agreed
and signed
on to Track.
Recording Session
The band prepared
for the album with a
three-day demo session
at Essex Studios
in late February 1977,
followed by
two live shows at
London's Speakeasy Club,
which were recorded by
Track Records
for future release.
John Anthony Genzale
(July 15, 1952 – April 23, 1991),
known professionally as
Johnny Thunders,
was an American
guitarist,
singer,
and songwriter.
He came to prominence
in the early 1970s
as a member of
He later formed
and played as
a solo artist.
The New York Dolls
were signed to
Mercury Records,
with the help of
A & R man
Paul Nelson.
Thunders recorded
two albums with
the band,
The New York Dolls
and
Too Much Too Soon.
They were managed by
Marty Thau,
and booked by
Leber & Krebs.
Subsequently,
they worked with
Malcolm McLaren
for several months,
later becoming a
prototype for
the Sex Pistols.
In 1975,
Thunders and drummer
Jerry Nolan
left the band;
Thunders later blamed
McLaren for
the band's demise.
The Dolls'
lead singer
David Johansen
and guitarist
Sylvain Sylvain
continued playing,
along with
Peter Jordan,
Tony Machine
an ex-assistant agent
at Leber & Krebs
and
Chris Robison,
as
The New York Dolls
until late 1976.
Thunders formed
The Heartbreakers
with former
New York Dolls drummer
Jerry Nolan
and former
Television bassist
Richard Hell.
Walter Lure,
former guitarist
for the
New York City
punk band
The Demons
joined them soon after.
After conflict arose
between Thunders
and Hell,
Hell left to form
Richard Hell
and the Voidoids
and was replaced by
Billy Rath.
With Thunders
leading the band,
the Heartbreakers
toured America
before going to the UK
to join
the Sex Pistols,
The Clash
and
The Damned
on the Anarchy Tour.
The group stayed in the UK
throughout 1977,
where their popularity
was significantly greater
than in the U.S.,
particularly among
The Raging New
Subculture
punk bands.
While in the UK,
they were signed to
Track Records
and released
their only
official studio album,
L.A.M.F.,
an abbreviation for
"Like A Mother Fucker".
L.A.M.F.
was received positively
by critics,
but was criticised for
its poor production.
Displeased with the production,
the band members
individually remixed
the record,
a competition which
culminated in drummer
Jerry Nolan quitting
in November 1977.
Shortly thereafter,
the Heartbreakers disbanded.
Thunders stayed in London
and recorded the first
of a number of solo albums,
beginning with
So Alone
in 1978.
The drug-fuelled
recording sessions
featured a core band
of Thunders,
bassist
Phil Lynott,
drummer
Paul Cook
and guitarist
Steve Jones,
with guest appearances
from Chrissie Hynde,
Steve Marriott,
Walter Lure,
Billy Rath
and
Peter Perrett.
The CD version
of the album contains
four bonus tracks,
including the single
"Dead or Alive"
and a cover
of the early
Marc Bolan song
"The Wizard".
Soon afterwards,
Thunders
moved back to the US,
joining former
Heartbreakers Walter Lure,
Billy Rath
and sometimes
Jerry Nolan
for gigs at
Max's Kansas City venue
in New York City.
Around this time
Thunders played a
small number of gigs
at London's
The Speakeasy Club
with a line up
including Cook
and Jones,
Henri Paul
on bass
and
Judy Nylon
and
Patti Palladin
(Snatch)
as back up vocalists.
In late 1979,
Thunders moved to Detroit
with his wife Julie
and began performing
in a band called
Gang War.
Other members included
John Morgan,
Ron Cooke,
Philippe Marcade
and
former MC5 guitarist
Wayne Kramer
.They recorded
several demos
and performed
live several times
before disbanding.
Zodiac Records
released an EP
of their demos in 1987.
In 1990
they also released
a live album titled
Gang War,
which was credited to
Thunders and Kramer.
During the early 1980s,
Thunders re-formed
The Heartbreakers
for various tours;
the group recorded
their final album,
Live at the Lyceum,
in 1984.
The concert was also filmed
and released as a video
and later a
DVD titled
Dead Or Alive.
In the 1980s,
Thunders lived in Paris
and Stockholm
with his wife
and daughter.
In 1985,
he released
Que Sera Sera,
a collection of new songs
with his then band
The Black Cats,
and
"Crawfish",
a duet with former
Snatch vocalist
Patti Palladin.
Three years later,
he again teamed up with
Palladin to release
Copy Cats,
a covers album.
The album,
produced by Palladin,
featured a
wide assortment
of musicians
to recreate the
1950s and 1960s sound
of the originals,
including
Alexander Balanescu
on violin,
Bob Andrews
on piano,
The Only Ones
John Perry
and others on
guitar,
and a
horn section.
Rumors surround
Thunder's death
at the Inn on
St. Peter hotel
formerly known as
St. Peter Guest House
in New Orleans, Louisiana,
on
April 23, 1991.
Thunders apparently died
of drug-related causes,
but it has been speculated that
it was the result of foul play.
According to his
autobiography
Lobotomy:
Surviving The Ramones,
Dee Dee Ramone took
a call in New York City
the next day from
Stevie Klasson,
Thunders'
rhythm guitar player.
Dee Dee said,
"They told me that Johnny
had gotten mixed up with
some bastards ...
who ripped him off for his
methadone supply.
They had given him LSD
and then murdered him.
He had gotten a pretty
large supply of methadone
in England,
so he could travel
and stay away
from those creeps
the drug dealers,
Thunders imitators,
and losers like that."
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