ladyislingering
retired
Official Website
1979: Get The Knack
1980: ...But the Little Girls Understand
1981: Round Trip
1991: Serious Fun
1998: Zoom
2001: Normal as the Next Guy
This thread dedicated to the memory of musician Doug Fieger Aug. 21, 1952 - Feb. 14, 2010), with an honourary dedication to their drummer, Bruce Gary (Apr. 7, 1951 - Aug. 22, 2006). With love on behalf of CRF's local Knack fans.
The Knack was based in Los Angeles, California. Doug Fieger, their lead singer, was from Oak Park, Michigan (just north of Detroit); his brother is Geoffrey Fieger - a man who represented Dr. Kevorkian in court many years ago. Doug also played in a couple bands before The Knack rose to fame: Sky, and The Sunset Bombers.
Their drummer, Bruce Gary, was born in Burbank, California. His cousin, Stefan Weisser (who is better known under his stage name as Z'EV) was quite an influence on young Bruce, who taught himself to drum from an early age. At 15 he left a home where abuse, alcoholism, and other violence ran rabid. At 24 he was touring with former Rolling Stones guitarist Mick Taylor and Cream bassist Jack Bruce.
It has been said that Bruce left the Knack far before his death. (Prior to the "Serious Fun" album in 1991. Billy Ward filled in for that record.) The other three members remained as the Knack's backbone, and would until Doug's passing.
Berton Averre (b. Dec. 13, 1952), The Knack's guitarist, is a native of Van Nuys, California. He has also played for Robbie Krieger (the Doors), Bette Midler, and the Cowsills. Other areas of his creative interest include film (e.g.; "What About Bob", "Dead Poet's Society") screenplay writing, and theatre.
Bassist Prescott Niles (b. May 2nd, 1951), also a native of Los Angeles/southern California, is also a guitarist and a pianist. Like Berton, Prescott has also dabbled with film and had a small role in the film "Valley Girls". According to the official Knack site, he's also involved in a lot of charity projects.
The Knack's biggest hit, undoubtedly was "My Sharona" from the 1979 album "Get the Knack". The album spent 5 consecutive weeks at #1 on Billboard's charts that year and sold almost three million copies. And that was just in the States! Led Zeppelin eventually knocked "Get the Knack" from the top spot with their album "In Through the Out Door".
"My Sharona" was written about a 16 year old girl Doug knew at the time. Her name was Sharona Alperin. She and Doug had a 4-year affair; the song was written to sway her a little, and she ended up posing for the sleeve. Sharona is now one of Los Angeles' better known real estate agents.
Here's Sharona on the single sleeve:
It has been written that thirteen different record companies scrambled over each other to sign the Knack. Capitol came out victorious. "Get the Knack" was produced by Sweet member Mike Chapman. With a tiny budget of $17,000 dollars and a little under two weeks, the guys were good to go and about to create 1979's prizewinning gem.
Another single from the record, "Good Girls Don't" reached #11 in the States, and #66 in the UK. Rolling Stone magazine dubbed them "the new Fab Four".
The album went double-platinum in the United Kingdom but only made #65 on the charts. Their follow-up record "But the Little Girls Understand" (1980) held #15 on the charts in the States, and went gold. It spawned two popular singles: "Baby Talks Dirty", and "Can't Put a Price on Love". Much like their previous record, they only took two weeks to record.
The next four records: "Round Trip" (1981 - produced by Jack Douglass, who just finished helping John Lennon out with "Double Fantasy"), "Serious Fun" (1991), "Zoom" (1988 - would be repackaged with bonus tracks and called "Re-Zoom", in 2003), and "Normal as the Next Guy" (2001). The large break between 1981 and 1991 was largely due to issues in the band's infrastructure - there was also a huge issue with the fact that much of their music objectified teenage girls (while the band was much older).
In 1997 the guys got together for a tribute record to Badfinger, appropriately named "Come and Get It". Kurt Cobain praised the Knack in the liner notes to Nirvana's "Insecticide" album from 1992.
Music was truly something the Knack enjoyed. Doug once said "We refuse to go away. There are musicians who say they don’t want to do this when they’re 40. I’ve always said I hoped I was still doing this when I was 40. We love this music."
Now that all the technical stuff is out of the way, I'd like to add that The Knack coloured much of my childhood. When I was little I had "Get the Knack" on a cassette. Fresh, new. I played the hell out of that thing; it's so ratty and old now that it would probably snap in two once the gears got moving.
Amongst all my Sparks memorabilia, I have a Knack pinup. I'm hoping to have more; I've always, always loved this band, endlessly, and am eternally saddened by the news of Doug's passing.
A few of my all-time favourite Knack songs:
Maybe Tonight:
I Want Ya:
Mr. Handleman:
"But first . . . sex! Berton's gonna have sex with the piano now!"
"(She's So) Selfish" (2005) - (Pat Torpey on drums here.)
One of my most recent projects (the babes of my dreams!)
(from left to right: Prescott Niles, Berton Averre, Bruce Gary, and Doug Fieger.)
Comments/suggestions/further knowledge, conversation, videos, pics highly welcomed!
It's really sad to lose a member of one of your favorite bands! 
: Fortunately, it hasn't happened to any of my major favorites.
