Johnny Thunders

If there’s one guitarist that doesn’t need an introduction, that’s Johnny Thunders. JT is one of the very few that you recognise as soon as you hear those first powerful chords.

Born in Queens, NY in 1952, he fell in love with rock ’n’ roll at a young age and turned his back on a potentially successful baseball career to start the legendary New York Dolls; the band that spawned hundreds of other hopeful rock ’n’ roll bands.

When the New York Dolls folded, JT and drummer Jerry Nolan went back to New York’s budding punk rock scene to start the Heartbreakers; an iconic band if there ever was one.

Their raw, wild and ‘dirty’ sound became engraved in the minds of all those young punks and it’s fair to say they were more than a major influence on the London punk scene.​

Over the years the Heartbreakers toured on and off and they always kept that magic from the early days. Everybody remembers ‘Chinese Rocks’, ‘Born to lose’ and other gems embedded in our hearts and minds forever.

Solo, Johnny Thunders showed a vulnerable, deeply sensitive and poetic side to his rocker persona, with masterpieces like ‘Can’t Put Your Arms Around A Memory’, and ‘So Alone’.

Whatever his personal circumstances and demons he had to fight, he never lost his love for rock ’n’ roll, his unique personal sense of style or signature sound; that influenced so many.​

JT just can’t leave anyone indifferent, and that continues to this day, even after his untimely passing, at age 38, in New Orleans; a sad day for music.

EXCLUSIVE TO GOLDEN ROBOT RECORDS / DIE LAUGHING RECORDS.

Johnny Thunders and the ‘Cosa Nostra’ performance is the full length recording at The Mudd Club in Gothenburg, Sweden on June 16, 1983.

To show how powerful this band was at the time, on this night attendance was at capacity and the set was tight, with songs like ‘Personality Crisis’, ‘Born To Lose’ and ‘These Boots are made for Walking’.

It begs to be heard by diehard fans, as well as a new audience.

Golden Robot Records and Die Laughing Records have released the unheard Johnny Thunders Cosa Nostra“Chinese Rocks - Live at The Mudd Club 1983 Sweden” - Available everywhere NOW!

Followed by exclusive limited-edition coloured vinyl variations in Spring 2021 plus the full digital download release.

 “All I ever wanted was to make the kids dance” - Johnny Thunders