I Wanna Be a Rocker: Think Like a Key Premieres “The Shirts Live Featuring Annie Golden”
Think Like a Key Music has been making quite the splash lately with a stellar lineup of releases including Play On: A Raspberries Tribute; Babies of War Babies, a tribute to Daryl Hall and John Oates’ adventurous album produced by Todd Rundgren; and titles from psych group Elmer Gantry’s Velvet Opera and supergroup British Lions (which teamed members of the post-Ian Hunter lineup of Mott the Hoople with Medicine Head’s John Fiddler). Now, the label has turned its attention to a cult-favorite band from the CBGB’s scene: New York’s own Shirts.
The Shirts Live – Featuring Annie Golden captures the crackling band and their frontwoman at their peak in a previously unreleased 1981 live recording made at Hi-Five Studios, the venue owned by Mark “Moogy” Klingman, a founding member of Utopia and co-writer of the Bette Midler hit “(You Gotta Have) Friends.” (Hi-Five stood on the location of the former Bell Sound Studios on West 54th Street, a renowned spot that hosted everyone from Buddy Holly to Dionne Warwick.) Today, Annie Golden is best known as a beloved actress on film (Milos Forman’s film adaptation of Hair), television (Orange Is the New Black, Cheers), and stage (ten Broadway shows including Leader of the Pack, On the Town, The Full Monty, and Into the Woods). But The Shirts Live reveals her – to those unfamiliar with the band’s three Capitol albums, originally released between 1978 and 1980 – to be a commanding and gutsy rock vocalist in the mold of Mary Weiss or Ronnie Spector. The long-lost Live serves as the group’s de facto fourth album; two 21st century reunion albums lacked Golden’s participation.
Golden leads a group of young but seasoned musicians clearly in lockstep with one another. Arthur “Artie” Lamonica (guitar/keyboards/vocals), Ron Ardito (guitar/vocals), John Piccolo (keyboards/vocals), Robert “Bob” Racioppo (bass/vocals), and John “Zeeek” Criscione (drums/percussion/vocals) were championed by CBGB’s Hilly Kristal and headlined his famous club. Live consists of the band’s original, otherwise-unrecorded tunes performed in front of an appreciative studio audience; a couple of songs were even broadcast on the local cable program Manhattan Alley. These largely melodic rockers have a CBGBs-honed punk edge and crunchy garage/rock-and-roll riffs that land them squarely between pop and rock.
In another time, such band-penned compositions as “Little Bit of Action,” “Lost in a Rhyme,” and “Tears Comin’ Down” could have burned up the charts. In addition to the tight musicianship, Live showcases Golden as not just an incandescent lead singer but an accomplished harmony vocalist, as well. Few contemporary-circa-1981 flourishes are present; instead, the sound is organic. There are enough different feels and textures – such as the majestic piano on “Laura’s in the Lion’s Den” or the midtempo groove of “One of the Masses” – to keep the setlist varied. Shifts in tempo and intricate background parts distinguish these well-constructed nuggets. “I Wanna Be a Rocker” is a frenetic punk number with a dash of twang, while “Love Don’t Arrive” recalls ABBA’s “Mamma Mia” riff on speed. At one point in the concert, Golden calls “Boomerang” a “torch song for the 1980s,” and that playful sensibility is in evidence. The Shirts occasionally remind one of Elvis Costello and The Attractions for their strong songcraft and attitude; the fun the band seems to be having translates well to disc.
Klingman expertly recorded the concert. The sound is pristine in Prof. Stoned’s new 2025 mix which makes good use of the stereo spread. The packaging is top-notch, as well, with a digipak designed by John Sellards and a booklet layout by Think Like a Key’s Roger Houdaille. His liner notes are accompanied by photos and master tape images in the 12-page booklet.
It’s hard to believe these electrifying tracks have been locked up for 40+ years; thanks to Think Like a Key, The Shirts legacy blazes on. Now is it too much to ask for reissues of the band’s original Capitol albums, only the first of which has ever been on CD? In the meantime, The Shirts Live Featuring Annie Golden is an essential addition to the band’s small but potent discography. It’s available now at the links below as well as digitally.
The Shirts Live Featuring Annie Golden (Think Like a Key Music TLAK 1216, 2025) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada)
- Little Bit of Action
- Nancy
- Lost in a Rhyme
- Don’t Say Forever
- I Wanna Be a Rocker
- Tears Comin’ Down
- Boys Will Be Boys
- Laura’s in the Lion’s Den
- One of the Masses
- Love Don’t Arrive
- Whoever Thought
- Boomerang
- Hangin’ on a String
- Like a Satellite
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8 thoughts on “I Wanna Be a Rocker: Think Like a Key Premieres “The Shirts Live Featuring Annie Golden””
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The Shirts are one of the most entertaining, exciting bands out of CBGB’s.
The energy that came out of them live was incomparable!
Boomerang is a song that I love with its catchy “ catch on”. Keeps in your head!!!
If you were ever at a Shirts gig you remember being exhausted and sweaty after every show – the energy was always off the charts. This collection captures the band at their best: live. The recording is gorgeous and the band is in full force. Hearing I Wanna Be A Rocker again! Gives me the shivers!
Long live the Shirts!
signed, a long time fan
The band sounds so tight. Such strong vocals. Nancy, Laura, One of the Masses, Tears, Don’t Say Forever ( Ronnie 💔) and Boomerang are on constant rotation. Hopefully more to come! Fingers crossed.🤞🏻🤞🏻 Long live the Shirts!
I Love The Shirts So Much!!!
Would be awesome to get more of these good quality live recordings of them.
How i wish they could teunite for some live shows.
A few in NYC/Brooklyn and in Europe especially Holland.
The Shirts Love Holland!
PLEASE COME BACK!!!!!!
Sending love to Annie, Artie, Bob, Johnny Doom, Zeek, Caren, Kathy and God Bless Ronnie!
Long Live The Shirts!
The vibrancy of the Shirts captured in TLAK’s release of “The Shirts Live-Featurinv Annie Golden” is amazing!!! The band’s versatile musicianship and polystylistic songwriting has always been a constant— but to finally capture their interlocking musical connection LIVE is a must have! Thanks for preserving and sharing this talented band with the world TLAK! I hope more people enjoy and appreciate their inspirational energy, creativity, and beautiful musicianship.
It’s not too late to start adoring a band that deserved to be at the Top of The Pops and appreciated by she masses. This disc is a found treasure and you should get it!!
The 1st time I saw them was at their loft in Brooklyn around midnight on a December 1975 Friday night at the end of a rehearsal. I was the only one sitting in front of the band and my jaw dropped as I heard AVM & Poe. They still had Norm Shwiry on drums along with long hauler John “Zeeek” Criscione and they played powerfully in unison as Annie belted out the lyrics in a way that should have been heard by a full house at MSG even more than CBGBs. I was absolutely gob smacked and left in a daze. When they ended with a bang I was still staring at Annie. I remember her words as clearly in my head now 50 years later as I did that night. “What’s the matter? Ain’t you ever seen a chick singer before?”
Not like her, and not like this band. After that I helped the band, with my friend Mike Shore who introduced me to them and roadie Shelly load up gear and we drove all night to the Opera House in Geneva, NY to open for Orleans the following night. Most of the songs of their show had moved out of rotation before their excellant debut album. After their sound check, brothers Lance & Larry Hoppen of Orleans were excited to talk to the band. They asked how many albums had put out as they “had it”.
Seek out the studio albums and watch their YouTube videos & get all of Artie’s Rome 56 discs and Bob’s Bob of the Shirts too. There were earlier releases too by other incarnations. God bless The Shirts!
Our best regards from the Netherlands. I guess most of us ( the fans) still feel a strong connection with that classic hit : tell me your plans. Great to hear you still are having plans and keeping the shirts on!
Even those familiar with THE SHIRTS will find a great surprise in this CD of long hidden gems. The energy is so present and contagious – the band is incredibly tight and in the music!
For new SHIRTS listeners – you’re in for a real treat.