Yesterday, I posted a link to a video from the new Dum Dum Girls album. I mentioned that the album, like their previous recordings, is produced by Richard Gottehrer. Gottehrer has had a long, illustrious, and fascinating career in rock music. He started as a Brill Building songwriter and producer in the early 1960s, where he churned out such classics as “Hang on Sloopy” and “I Want Candy.” He went on to act as a producer for acts as varied as Dr. Feelgood, Joan Armatrading, Blondie, Richard Hell and the Void Oids, Marshall Crenshaw, and The Go-Gos. He’s active up to this day, producing for the likes of the aforementioned Dum Dum Girls and The Raveonettes. I can’t think of another producer in pop music who not only has remained active for so longer, but who also has continued to produce such vital music.
“My Boyfriend’s Back” by The Angels, from 1963, was one among the very first singles Gottehrer wrote and produced. Its sneering, snarky ‘tude mark it as punk rock precursor. The Angels were from New Jersey, a state that has produced a number of notable pop and rock artists. The thing that surprises me about this video is the way The Angels look. I assumed they’d be tough, sullen chicks in leather, like The Shangri-Las. But in the video, The Angels give off more of a sorority sister/Junior League vibe. The song’s bitchy lyrics are just as effective, only in a different way. Enjoy!
