PAT TODD & THE RANKOUTSIDERS - THE NEW YORK DOLLS INTERVIEW

After releasing a tribute EP to the New York Dolls, Pat Todd has just released another album with his band. Ahead of his European tour, we spoke with this friendly gentleman about the New York Dolls.

Was it the death of the last Doll, David Johansen, that made you want to make this record?

No, this was something I’d been wanting to do for over 25 years. We finally made time for it and got it done. We constantly work up new songs, record all the time and play shows, so we just never got around to it.                                    

Some people discovered the New York Dolls when they appeared on the TV show “The Old Grey Whistle Test” (which had a similar effect as the Ed Sullivan Show with the Beatles for England). How did you discover the New York Dolls?

I first discovered the New York Dolls in print magazines - Creem, Fusion Magazine, Rolling Stone, and Andy Warhol‘s Interview. I read about them and saw pictures of the band, and they just seemed like they were gonna be great. In those days, promos came out three months before the record was in the shops, and I knew a guy who worked for a distributor. He had a promo copy of the first record, and I finally offered him so much money that he sold it to me. I’ll never forget going home, putting Side One on the turntable and loving it immediately, from the beginning of “Personality Crisis” on!!              

Are the songs you recorded your favorites by David Johansen and Johnny Thunders?

Not necessarily. I do love all of the songs we recorded, but there were plenty more. We wanted to stay away from obvious ones, such as “You Can’t Put Your Arms Around a Memory”, and we definitely didn’t want to do any Heartbreakers songs. As far as covers go, I think you always need to do songs that you can bring something to and make them your own and that you basically believe in the lyrics, so that’s what we did.

Did you get the chance to see them in concert, and if so, what are your memories of them?

No, I never got to see them until much later on when they reformed. (And I also love that band!). I lived in Indiana, and the Dolls were supposed to play in Indianapolis one time and in Bloomington, Indiana another time. We drove over two hours each time, and the band canceled both performances. I did see Johnny Thunders perform solo in Los Angeles many times, and The Lazy Cowgirls played a show with Johnny Thunders in 1987, and he was great on this show. I was lucky enough to see the reformed Dolls in a small club and some ballrooms here in Los Angeles and I enjoyed them immensely!

Your former band, the LAZY COWGIRLS, had already covered the Dolls. Are there any other legendary bands you'd like to pay tribute to?

The Rankoutsiders already recorded an e.p. called “Blues, Soul & Rock’n’Roll” where we paid homage to some great black artists who are mostly off the beaten track. We did songs that I have loved since the first time I heard them many years ago. We’ve talked about doing a “Blues, Soul & Rock’n’Roll, Vol.2”, and we might do that if we have the time. We’ve also recorded a couple of songs by the Rolling Stones and Bob Dylan, my two favorite artists. We have a new album coming out October 2, 2026 on Hound Gawd! Records before our European tour which starts the first week in October through the first week in November. We’ve already recorded enough songs for two or three more albums of our own material, but we have talked about the possibility of doing some more tribute-type material in the future. We’ll see what happens.  

What do you see as the difference between Johnny Thunders solo and with the New York Dolls? Which do you prefer, and why?

The obvious answer is that David Johansson was the lead singer in the New York Dolls, so it has to be different. That said, I love the Heartbreakers and Thunders solo stuff. It’s hard to pick a favorite, but the New York Dolls were very inspirational to me at the time and got me to finally put myself out there to start writing songs and being in a band, so I owe them a ton! I always thought I could do it, but they were the ones who gave me the final push, so my love for them runs deep.

In your pantheon of legendary bands, where do the New York Dolls rank, and who else belongs in that pantheon without whom Pat Todd would not be who he is today?

As far as I’m concerned, the New York Dolls would have to be in my pantheon of the greatest along with so many other people. I’d have to say Bob Dylan and the Rolling Stones are my number one and two, and I don’t know what order to put them. One of the reasons I think they’re both so great is they led you forward and backwards at the same time. They both showed you a way forward and influenced so many bands like The Stooges and the Dolls and even the Velvet Underground, but yet they also pointed you backwards towards the roots of what they loved which I think led to all the great stuff like the New York Dolls that came after them. That’s a bit of a convoluted answer to your question, but the Dolls are up in the top for me.                          

Is there a song by the Dolls or Johnny Thunders that you are particularly fond of and that has been important in your life?

I would say that “Human Being” off of the album Too Much Too Soon sums up everything I love about the New York Dolls. In one song, smart humor, profoundness, fun, overflowing with spirit and disgust for the human race while still laughing and smiling about it - just a tremendous song!!!  

Will we have the chance to see you again soon in France?

We would love to get to France again! I have always enjoyed my time there. I love picking up the French rock magazines, like Rock News and Loser, and I love to get the French versions of a lot of great vinyl, singles and albums. The artwork is always top-notch. It also seems like there are a lot of French rock ‘n’ roll fans!! That all being said, I don’t think we’re scheduled there on this tour, but we hope to come back soon and play in France!

Thanks Pat

https://heavymedicationrecords.bandcamp.com/album/after-the-dolls-e-p