The Knack
Formed in Los Angeles in 1978, the Knack comprised Doug Fieger (vocals/guitar), Prescott Niles (bass), Berton Averre (guitar) and Bruce Gary (drums). Taking their name from a cult British movie of the '60s, they attempted to revive the spirit of the beat-boom with matching suits, and short songs boasting solid, easily memorable riffs. After garnering considerable media attention for their club appearances on the Californian coastline in early 1979, they became the fortuitous recipients of a record company bidding war, which ended in their signing to Capitol Records. The fact that this was the Beatles’ US label was no coincidence, for the Knack consistently employed imagery borrowed from the Fab Four, both in their visual appearance and record sleeves. Their prospects were improved by the recruitment of renowned pop producer Mike Chapman, who had previously worked with Blondie. During the summer of 1979, the Knack's well-publicized debut single My Sharona promptly topped the US charts for six weeks, as well as reaching the UK Top 10 and selling a million copies. The first album, THE KNACK, was a scintillating pop portfolio, full of clever hooks and driving rhythms and proved an instant hit, selling five million copies in its year of release. Implicit in the Knack's abrupt rise were the seeds of their imminent destruction. In adapting '60s pop to snappy '70s production, they had also spiced up the standard boy/girl love songs with slightly more risque lyrics for their modern audience. Critics, already suspicious of the powerful record company push and presumptuous Beatles comparisons, pilloried the group for their overt sexism in such songs as Good Girls Don't as well as reacting harshly to Fieger's arrogance during interviews. At the height of the critical backlash, the Knack issued the apologetically-titled BUT THE LITTLE GIRLS UNDERSTAND, a sentiment which was to prove over-optimistic. Both the sales and the songs were less impressive and by the time of their third album, ROUND TRIP, their powerpop style seemed decidedly outmoded. By the end of 1981, they voluntarily disbanded with Fieger attempting unsuccessfully to rekindle recent fame with Taking Chances, while the others fared little better with the ill-fated Gama.