Television -

Television was an American art-rock band from N.Y.C. that released the single “Little Johnny Jewel” on Ork in 1975, followed by two albums on Elektra: Marquee Moon (1977) and Adventure (1978). They were the first rock band to play the Bowery dive bar CBGB, which became the epicenter of the Lower East Side band boom (Talking Heads, Blondie, The Shirts, Richard Hell & the Voidoids).

Members: Tom Verlaine (lead vocals, guitar, keyboards), Richard Lloyd (guitar, vocals, 1973-2007), Billy Ficca (drums), Richard Hell (bass, vocals, 1973-75), Fred Smith (bass, vocals, 1975-present)

Background

Television sprung from a creative kinship between Tom Verlaine and Richard Hell, who met at Sanford School in Hockessin, Delaware.

Verlaine was born Thomas Miller in Denville, New Jersey, in 1949, and moved to Delaware at age seven. He first played piano, then switched to saxophone after hearing Stan Getz. Initially unimpressed with rock guitar, he changed his mind when he heard “19th Nervous Breakdown” by the Rolling Stones.

At Sanford, Miller befriended fellow pupil Richard Myers (b. 1949, Lexington, Kent.), who had similar interests in French poetry from the 19th century. They each escaped Sanford and reconnected in New York City. Miller adopted the surname Verlaine (after Symbolist poet Paul Verlaine) and Myers became Richard Hell.

The Neon Boys

In late 1972, Verlaine, Hell, and Myers formed The Neon Boys with drummer Billy Ficca (b. 1950), also from Delaware. With Verlaine on guitar and Hell on bass, they demoed two joint-credited originals, the spiky “That’s All I Know (Right Now)” and the fuzz-laden “Love Comes In Spurts,” both injected with Verlaine’s drone-picking. Stylistically, they echo mid-1960s American garage-rock, a style on the brink of a comeback. (Both songs later appeared on a 1980 Hell maxi-single.)

In late 1973, they hired guitarist Richard Lloyd (b. 1951), a Pittsburgh native who mentored under Hendrix protege Velvert Turner. Lloyd’s roommate, aspiring manager Terry Ork, took them under his wing. The new four-piece named itself Television. Hell, now steeped in existentialism, designed a look for the band: frazzled hair, ripped clothes, leather jackets. After months of intensive rehearsals, they made their live debut on March 2, 1974, at the Town House Theatre on W. 44th St.

CBGB’s

In early 1974, Ork persuaded CBGB owner Hilly Kristal to give the band a residency. Despite Kristal’s initial intent to host country, bluegrass, and blues (hence the CBGB acronym), he agreed. Television became a resident act at the Bowery spot, courting a new breed of neighborhood showgoers. They also played Max’s Kansas City at 213 Park Avenue South, which soon became another NYC hotspot. Within months, the scene encompassed a slew of new acts: The Ramones, Patti Smith, The Shirts, Talking Heads, and Mink Deville.

In March 1975, just as Television courted interest from Island Records, Hell quit the band over conflicts with Verlaine. Hell felt squandered by the setlist, which favored Verlaine’s material. Verlaine, more committed to technical mastery, had grown weary of Hell’s wild stage antics. They replaced him with bassist Fred Smith, fresh off a stint with newcomers Blondie. (That spring, Hell formed the Heartbreakers with ex-New York Dolls Johnny Thunders and Jerry Nolan. In 1976, he formed Richard Hell & the Voidoids.)

“Little Johnny Jewel”

Television made their vinyl debut with the single “Little Johnny Jewel” (Part One and Two), released in October 1975 on Ork Records, their manager’s namesake small-press. Verlaine composed the pensive epic, which runs 7:10 when played in sequence. The twitchy guitar-work that runs throughout has echoes of Sonny Sharrock and the Magic Band.

Television plugged the single at Mother’s, a rock-friendly gay bar on 23rd St., where they played three nights of 10:00pm and midnight shows (Oct. 17–19), supported by Bananas. Through December, they headlined Max’s shows, supported by The Planets (10/27), Tuff Darts (10/28), Harry Toledo & The Rockets (11/13), The Fast (12/15), and Kieran (12/21).

In the winter of 1976, Television played 9.30pm and midnight shows at CBGB’s on four straight nights (January 22–25), supported by Talking Heads. On February 20 and 21, they played the Plymouth Rock club in Boston, supported by Bonjour Aviators and Mickey Clean & The Mezz. In mid-March and April, they played CBGB’s three-nighters, supported by Mong and Lance Loud’s Mumps. On May 24, Television played My Father’s Place in Roslyn as openers for Sire recording artists City Lights.

On July 4, 1976, Television played a Bicentennial at the Lower Manhattan Ocean Beach Club. They ended the month with four nights (28–31) at CBGB’s, supported by Talking Heads.

In August, Television signed with Elektra, which granted Tom Verlaine’s wish to self-produce, provided they use an experienced engineer. Television linked with Andy Johns, an English soundman of the post-psych era (Blodwyn Pig, Free, Jethro Tull, Paladin, Ten Years After) with recent credits behind Joey Stec and the Heavy Metal Kids.

After Christmas, Television headlined over City Lights on four straight nights (December 27–30) at CBGB’s. On New Year’s Eve, Television rang in 1977 with John Cale and the Patti Smith Group at New York’s Palladium.

Marquee Moon

Television released their first album, Marquee Moon, on February 8, 1977, on Elektra.

The album contains eight originals by Tom Verlaine. Each side opens with a melodramatic hard-rock number (“See No Evil,” “Elevation”), followed by a ballad (“Venus,” “Guiding Light”), a rave-up (“Friction,” “Prove It”) and a lengthy epic (“Marquee Moon,” “Torn Curtain”).

Verlaine plays all the lead solos (left channel) apart from the two side-openers and “Guiding Light,” a co-write by second guitarist Richard Lloyd (right channel). The two play trade-off leads on the ten-minute title track.

The album’s title is an urban reference to the moon’s glare above city lights. Verlaine’s lyrics allude to nearby geographic locations and use nocturnal metaphors inspired by French poetry.

A1. “See No Evil” (3:56)
A2. “Venus” (3:48) references Tom’s early use of psychedelics.
A3. “Friction” (4:43)
A4. “Marquee Moon” (9:58)
B1. “Elevation” (5:08)
B2. “Guiding Light” (5:36)
B3. “Prove It” (5:04)
B4. “Torn Curtain” (7:00)

Sessions occurred in September 1976 at A&R Studios in New York, where Verlaine co-produced the album with Andy Johns, who engineered Marquee Moon in sequence with titles by Detective, Eddie Money, and Rod Stewart. His engineering assistant, Jim Boyer, worked in sequence on albums by Gato Barbieri, Kenny Loggins, Libby Titus, Phoebe Snow, and Billy Joel‘s breakthrough release, The Stranger. Television recorded most tracks in single takes, live in-studio.

Marquee Moon sports a stark, saturated photo of Television by Robert Mapplethorpe, a Queens photographer known for his edgy monochrome subjects and the cover of Patti Smith’s 1975 debut, Horses. The back cover displays a simple two-tone vortex illustration by Billy Lobo. Television dedicated the album to William Terry Ork.

Television greeted the album’s release with a CBGB’s three-nighter (February 24-26) supported by The Fans. They opened for Midwest dates for Peter Gabriel on the ex-Genesis singer’s first solo tour, including stops in Detroit (March 13: Masonic Auditorium) and Cleveland (3/15: Music Hall). Television hit California with an April 11 show at the Keystone, Berkeley, followed by a four-night stand (April 13-16) at the Whisky-a-Go-Go in West Hollywood. Rumors of a Television/Damned double-bill never came to pass.

In April, Elektra lifted the Marquee Moon title track as a UK single, split across two sides of a 7″ as “Part I” (3:13) and “Part II” (6:45). It reached No. 30 on the UK Singles Chart.

Television capitalized on their oversees popularity with fifteen-date UK/European tour, supported by Blondie, who recently released their first album on Private Stock. The tour launched on May 20, 1977, at the Village Bowl in Bournemouth and covered Glasgow, Newcastle, Sheffield, Manchester, Birmingham, Plymouth, Bristol, and London, where both acts played a May 28-29 two-nighter at the Hammersmith Odeon. Television wrapped the tour on the Continent with shows in Amsterdam, Brussels, Paris, Copenhagen, and Stockholm.

On July 8, Elektra issued “Prove It” as a second UK single (b/w “Venus”). It peaked at No. 25 on the UK Singles Chart for the week of July 30. In Japan “Venus” became an a-side (b/w “Friction”).

Marquee Moon reached No. 23 in Sweden and No. 28 on the UK Albums Chart.

Adventure

Television released their second album, Adventure, in April 1978 on Elektra.

Adventure contains eight Tom Verlaine originals, which include such titles as “Glory,” “Foxhole,” and the lengthy numbers “Carried Away” and “The Dream’s Dream.” He plays lead solos on five tracks, including the ‘switchblade’ guitar on “The Fire,” a piercing Side B epic.

Richard Lloyd plays lead on “Ain’t That Nothin'” and “Days,” his second co-write for the band.

A1. “Glory” (3:10)
A2. “Days” (3:12)
A3. “Foxhole” (4:49)
A4. “Careful” (3:15)
A5. “Carried Away” (5:09)

B1. “The Fire” (5:54)
B2. “Ain’t That Nothin'” (4:52)
B3. “The Dream’s Dream” (6:39)

Sessions spanned September through November 1977 in New York City at Soundmixers and Record Plant, where Television co-produced Adventure with Good Rats soundman John Jansen, an engineer on the 1974/75 Supertramp albums Crime of the Century and Crisis? What Crisis? and recent titles by Alice Cooper, Blue Oyster Cult, Flame, Fotomaker, and Pavlov’s Dog.

Adventure lists four engineers, including jazz-funk soundman Jay Borden (Charles Earland, Eleventh House, Sonny Fortune) and Record Plant staffer Gray Russell, a recent Borden assistant with subsequent credits behind Axis and Parallel Lines, the breakthrough third album by Blondie.

Photographer Gerrit Van Der Meer captured the shadowy group image, displayed within bright red framework (matched on the labels and inner-sleeve) and serif all-caps, designed by Elektra/Asylum artist Johnny Lee, whose visuals also grace 1979 label releases by The Cars, Lenny White, Oregon, and Patrice Rushen.

Television promoted Adventure on an eight-date, six-city UK tour, supported by The Only Ones. They launched the tour on April 10 at Newcastle City Hall, followed by dates in Glasgow, Manchester, Birmingham, Bristol, and London, where they played three nights (April 16–18) at the Hammersmith Odeon.

On June 3, Television merged with the Patti Smith Group for a collective Max’s show as the T.V. Personalities and Radio Ethiopians. On June 11, Television played the Bottom Line, supported by future Velveteen singer Lisa Burns. After a stop at Bunky’s in Madison, Wisconsin, Television hit the West Coast for shows in Los Angeles (June 22 and 24: The Roxy), San Francisco (6/29: Old Waldorf), Seattle (7/3: The Place), and Portland, where they played a July 2 show at the Earth Tavern, an all-ages venue at 632 NW 21st Ave. that featured the Rose City’s up-and-coming punk acts (The Wipers, Neo Boys, Terrorwrist, Count Vertigo).

Television played the final shows of their original formation on home turf, supported by Akron wonders Tin Huey on three straight nights (July 27–29, 1978) at the Bottom Line.

Discography: