Jonathan Richman and the Modern Lovers: The Story of the Pioneers of Proto-Punk Jonathan Richman (born May 16, 1951) began playing guitar and writing songs during his teenage years. While still in high school, he became fascinated with The Velvet Underground. After graduating in 1969, he moved to New York City, where he met the band's members in person and, on one occasion, opened one of their concerts. During this period, Richman spent several weeks sleeping on the couch of the band's manager, Steve Sesnick, before moving into the Hotel Albert, a cheap and rundown hotel known for its poor conditions and frequented by artists, writers, musicians, and political activists. After nine months in New York and a trip through Europe and Israel, Richman returned to his hometown of Boston. Together with his childhood friend, guitarist John Felice (born 1954), he decided to form a band inspired by The Velvet Underground. They soon recruited drummer David Robinson and bassist Rolfe Anderson, adopting the name The Modern Lovers. The band made its live debut in September 1970, opening for the Sidewinders, a group led by Andy Paley. Andy Paley (1951–2024) was an American multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, and record producer who played an important role in the Boston music scene during the 1970s and 1980s. He began his career as a drummer in local bands, performed with groups such as the Sidewinders, and later formed the duo The Paley Brothers with his brother, Jonathan. As a producer, Paley worked with major artists including Brian Wilson, Madonna, Jerry Lee Lewis, Elton John, Little Richard, k.d. lang, and Chris Isaak. His most notable collaboration was with Brian Wilson, with whom he produced and co-wrote Wilson's self-titled debut solo album, released in 1988. Richman's distinctive style quickly became apparent. He wore his hair short, often performed in a jacket and tie, and frequently improvised lyrics and monologues during concerts. In early 1971, growing differences between Richman's sober, health-conscious lifestyle and the more rebellious attitudes of his bandmates led Anderson and Felice to leave the group. They were replaced by bassist Ernie Brooks and keyboardist Jerry Harrison, both students at Harvard University, forming what would later be regarded as the classic lineup of The Modern Lovers. Years later, reflecting on his friendship with Richman, Felice remarked: "As close as Jonathan and I were, I was a punk, a wise-ass kid. I liked drinking and doing lots of drugs, while Jonathan was this wide-eyed, straight-laced guy who was into healthy food." Despite his rebellious image, in 1975 Felice traveled to New York to audition for The Heartbreakers, the new band formed by former New York Dolls guitarist Johnny Thunders. Although he was offered the position, he declined, fearing that the city's intense lifestyle and widespread drug use would jeopardize his health. With its new lineup, The Modern Lovers became one of the most popular live acts in the Boston area. By the fall of 1971, enthusiastic word-of-mouth had attracted the attention of the recording industry. Stuart Love of Warner Bros. Records contacted the band and arranged their first recording session at Intermedia Studio in Boston. The demo produced during this session, together with the band's increasingly acclaimed live performances, generated even greater interest from record labels and earned praise from music journalist Lillian Roxon. Shortly afterward, A&M Records also entered the competition to sign the group. In April 1972, The Modern Lovers traveled to Los Angeles to record two demo sessions. The first was produced by Velvet Underground member John Cale for Warner Bros., while the second was produced by Allan Mason for A&M Records. During their stay in California, the band also performed several concerts, including an appearance at the Long Branch Saloon in Berkeley, which would later be released as a live album. Producer Kim Fowley also became interested in the group and traveled to Boston to produce additional demo sessions in June 1972. After completing his studies, John Felice temporarily rejoined the band, and the members moved into a shared house in Cohasset, Massachusetts. The Modern Lovers remained a highly popular live attraction and, on New Year's Eve 1972, opened for the New York Dolls at the Mercer Arts Center in a show that also featured Suicide and Wayne County. In early 1973, they finally signed with Warner Bros. Records. Before returning to the studio in Los Angeles to work again with John Cale, however, they accepted an offer to perform an extended engagement at the Hotel Inverurie in Bermuda, owned by the family of one of Ernie Brooks's friends. During their stay, Richman was deeply impressed by the relaxed style of the local musicians, an influence that would later surface in the composition "Monologue About Bermuda." At the same time, the differences in personality among the band members became increasingly pronounced. When the band returned to the United States, Richman agreed to record his earlier compositions but showed a growing desire to abandon The Modern Lovers' raw, electric sound in favor of a simpler, more acoustic and introspective approach. The other members, while not opposed to such a direction in the future, believed that the band should first capture in the studio the sound that had made them one of the most talked-about groups on the Boston music scene. The recording sessions with John Cale in September 1973 coincided with the death of Gram Parsons (1946–1973), the American singer, songwriter, and guitarist widely regarded as one of the pioneers of country rock. A former member of The Byrds and The Flying Burrito Brothers, Parsons had a profound influence by blending traditional country music with rock, folk, and soul, becoming an admired figure among many musicians of his generation. His premature death at the age of twenty-six, caused by an accidental overdose of alcohol and morphine, sent shockwaves through the music world and deeply affected Richman. The sessions failed to produce satisfactory recordings. Warner Bros. subsequently brought in Kim Fowley to oversee new sessions at Gold Star Studios. Those recordings would not be released until 1981 on the album The Original Modern Lovers, which was reissued on CD by Bomp! Records in 2000. After repeated attempts to complete their debut album ended in failure, Warner Bros. withdrew its support for The Modern Lovers, and drummer David Robinson left the band. They continued to perform live for a few months with Bob Turner on drums, but Jonathan Richman became increasingly reluctant to play his earlier songs—even though they had yet to be officially released—including "Roadrunner." Following an irreconcilable disagreement between Richman and Jerry Harrison over the band's musical direction, The Modern Lovers officially disbanded in February 1974. Despite the original lineup's brief existence, its members went on to achieve considerable success in other projects. Founding member John Felice formed the Real Kids, one of the most influential bands on the Boston punk scene; Jerry Harrison later joined Talking Heads; David Robinson became a co-founder of The Cars; and Ernie Brooks collaborated with artists including David Johansen, Arthur Russell, Elliott Murphy, and Gary Lucas. Richman continued as a solo artist and, in 1975, moved to California to work with Beserkley Records, the independent label founded by Matthew King Kaufman, who had first met him while working at A&M Records. Although Richman never returned to the raw, Velvet Underground-inspired sound that had defined the original Modern Lovers, the demos recorded between 1971 and 1973 were finally released. In 1976, Beserkley compiled the John Cale and Allan Mason sessions into the album The Modern Lovers, issued on the Home of the Hits imprint. The record featured songs such as "Roadrunner," "She Cracked," and "Pablo Picasso," all of which quickly became proto-punk classics. Richman never regarded The Modern Lovers as his true debut album. In his view, that distinction belonged to Jonathan Richman & The Modern Lovers (1976), recorded with a new lineup featuring Leroy Radcliffe on guitar, Greg "Curly" Keranen on bass, and the returning David Robinson on drums. The album reflected the artistic direction Richman had long wanted to pursue, embracing a lighter, simpler sound inspired by 1950s rock and roll. During the recording sessions, however, Robinson left the band once again after Richman insisted on reducing the size and volume of the drum kit. He was replaced by D. Sharpe, who also appeared on the follow-up album, Rock 'n' Roll with the Modern Lovers (1977). After Keranen left to attend university, Asa Brebner took over on bass and performed on The Modern Lovers Live (1978) and Back in Your Life (1979). D. Sharpe died in 1987 at the age of thirty-nine. Meanwhile, The Modern Lovers was met with widespread critical acclaim. Music journalist Ira Robbins described it as "one of the greatest art-rock albums of all time," and its influence on the development of punk rock proved profound. The album became a touchstone for numerous bands during the second half of the 1970s, particularly for its stripped-down sound, minimalist guitar work, and vividly urban lyrics. Bands including the Sex Pistols, Ramones, Buzzcocks, and Wire acknowledged its importance. The Sex Pistols even recorded their own version of "Roadrunner," which appeared on The Great Rock 'n' Roll Swindle. In 1980, Richman reorganized The Modern Lovers once again, bringing back Greg Keranen alongside drummer Michael Guardabascio and backing vocalists Ellie Marshall and Beth Harrington. This lineup recorded Jonathan Sings!, tracked between 1981 and 1982 and released in 1983. Frequently regarded as one of Richman's finest albums, it was supported by an extensive concert tour. After Keranen's departure in 1984, the band was reorganized once again. From that point onward, The Modern Lovers no longer maintained a permanent lineup, instead serving as Jonathan Richman's backing band as he continued recording albums and touring under the name for decades to come. The final incarnation of The Modern Lovers featured Andy Paley, Brennan Totten, and, initially, the return of Asa Brebner. The band toured and recorded between 1985 and 1988, a period that culminated in the release of Modern Lovers 88. Following the album's release, Jonathan Richman permanently retired the Modern Lovers name and continued performing exclusively as a solo artist. Since then, Richman has remained active, performing primarily as a solo act and favoring acoustic instruments. To date, he has shown no interest in reuniting The Modern Lovers. In 2001, Wampus Multimedia released If I Were a Richman: A Tribute to the Music of Jonathan Richman, a tribute album devoted largely to songs originally recorded by The Modern Lovers. Asa Brebner died in 2019 at the age of sixty-five. Influence Although The Modern Lovers existed in their classic lineup for only a few years, their influence on proto-punk, punk rock, new wave, and later alternative rock and indie rock has been immense. The band's impact, as well as Jonathan Richman's influence on popular music, is highlighted in the documentary Danny Says (2015), which chronicles the career of manager Danny Fields and the American rock scene of the 1960s and 1970s. Songs by The Modern Lovers have been recorded by numerous artists over the years. "Pablo Picasso" has been covered by John Cale, Iggy Pop, David Bowie, and the California band Burning Sensations, whose version appeared on the soundtrack to Alex Cox's 1984 film Repo Man. The song was also recorded by the English band Television Personalities for their album Don't Cry Baby, It's Only a Movie. "Roadrunner" was covered by the Sex Pistols for The Great Rock 'n' Roll Swindle and was later recorded by Joan Jett for her album The Hit List. Meanwhile, "She Cracked" was performed live by Echo & the Bunnymen, included on the compilation Crystal Days: 1979–1999, and later covered by Siouxsie and the Banshees as well as the grunge band Seaweed. Another notable example of The Modern Lovers' influence is Galaxie 500, one of the most influential indie rock bands of the late 1980s. The group recorded "Don't Let Our Youth Go to Waste" for its debut album, Today (1988). The song remained a staple of the band's live repertoire until its breakup in 1991. Alex