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[wingding]

And speaking of Mott -- who definitely belong -- here in the U.S. you could also add early (up to and including Ziggy Stardust) Bowie (which also was "alternative" rather than "pop" here in the U.S.).

David Bowie{Ziggy phase] and Mott the Hoople did some pretty wild concerts at Radio City around 1974.They were influenced by/influenced the Dolls. Bowie's first big NY concert was at Carnegie Hall,with the whole downtown NY scene in attendance,and pretty blown away..That was the most influential pre-p*nk stuff that I remember in N.Y.,and that was derived from the Velvets,among other things.

[Sneakeater]

In fact, Bowie and the Spiders did "White Light/White Heat" at that show.

[Sneakeater]

Another group:

Sparks (and I'll remind our British friends that Sparks put out two albums BEFORE Kimono My House)

[Sneakeater]

It might be time to dust off this old anecdote.

Sometime in the spring of 1973, two Boston bands rented out a screening room in Midtown to do a showcase. One was on its last legs: the Sidewinders. They had put out an album maybe two years before, produced by Lenny Kaye (who at that time, of course, was only known as a rock critic -- and whose Nuggets compilation had been released the year before). They did what then was called "punk rock": a conscious recreation of mid-'60s American garage band style. At this late stage of their career, they had added as a member Billy Squier, who went on to have some commercial success when power pop went mainstream. People in New York liked them, and they did a good set, but they weren't who everybody was there to see.

The other band was one that we had all read about but that no one at that time had heard in New York: the Modern Lovers. The original line-up with Jerry Harrison. Most of what was written about them focused on their hip-to-be-square lyrics, with their exaltation of suburban modernity. No one, at least that my friends and I had read, had mentioned that their music (at that time) sounded exactly like the Velvet Underground (it was no coincidence that John Cale was eventually hired to produce their album).

Also in the audience -- wearing a died turquoise fake-fur jacket -- was Elliot Murphy. It ruins anecdotes when you explain them, but some historical background is probably necessary. Elliot Murphy was a top participant in the '72/'73 New York rock scene led by the Dolls. The Dolls recalled the Rolling Stones, but Murphy . . . well, some men -- like the roughly contemporaneous Bruce Springsteen -- have New Dylanness thrust upon them, but some actively seek to achieve it. Murphy's band had the same piano/organ/guitar line-up as Dylan's band on Highway 61. And the cover of Murphy's first album, then a recent release, was obviously designed to recall Highway 61's cover.

We chatted with Murphy after the show. He asked me what I thought of the Modern Lovers (who had very obviously blown the audience away). "They were great," I said. "But they sound an awful lot like the Velvet Underground."

Murphy responded blandly, "I don't know why everybody always has to has make comparisons to older music."

I wanted to say something snide. But I was only 16.

[Wilfrid]

Great story. "Roadrunner", of course, is "Sister Ray" with different words.