Television

Television appeared at the same time and place as punk rock - in the mid-'70s at CBGB. But while the band's harsh attack and obvious affection for the Velvet Underground linked it to the rest of punk, Television's trademark chiming guitars and the tendency of lead guitarist (and main songwriter) Tom Verlaine and rhythm guitarist Richard Lloyd to spur each other on to long jams evoked such psychedelic-era bands as the Grateful Dead. (Verlaine cited the Rolling Stones, classical composer Maurice Ravel, and jazz musicians Miles Davis and Albert Ayler as influences.) Television had a devout following in New York City and had a major effect on British postpunk rock, but its albums were virtually ignored by the mass market.

Tom Miller (who renamed himself Verlaine after the French Symbolist poet) had dropped out of high school in Wilmington, Delaware, and had left colleges in South Carolina and Pennsylvania before coming to New York in 1968. Richard Hell was a onetime boarding school roommate. With Billy Ficca they formed a short-lived band, the Neon Boys, in 1972. When Lloyd joined in late 1973, they became Television, and were one of the first bands to play at CBGB, along with the Patti Smith Group. (Verlaine and Smith collaborated on a book of poetry, The Night.) Hell left in 1975 to form the Heartbreakers [see entry] with ex-New York Doll Johnny Thunders; later he led the Voidoids. Dee Dee Ramone auditioned as bassist, but the gig went to Fred Smith, who had played in the original Blondie. The new lineup played frequently in New York to critical raves and made an independent single, “Little Johnny Jewel.”

In late 1974 Brian Eno produced the band’s demo recordings (which are still unreleased). Despite a growing cult following, Television didn’t release its debut album until 1977. Marquee Moon sold poorly, but it made many critics’ 10-best lists that year. Adventure was softer, more reflective, and restrained than the debut, and sold a bit better. In 1978 Television broke up; four years later the cassette-only live album, The Blow Up, was released.

Verlaine released seven solo albums, and though he retained a faithful following, he was still more a critical than commercial success. After recording the score for the film Love and a .45 in 1994, he continued in that direction. In 1998 he was commissioned to compose original music for a collection of classic silent-film shorts by Man Ray, Fernand Léger, and others, which became the basis for performances - with guitarist Jimmy Ripp - at film festivals and performing arts centers. Lloyd has released several solo albums and in the early ’90s recorded with John Doe (of X) and Matthew Sweet. In 1980 Ficca resurfaced with the Waitresses, a New York–Ohio band (led by ex–Tin Huey guitarist Chris Butler) who had a hit with “I Know What Boys Like” in 1981. Smith has played with a number of artists, including the Roches, Willie Nile, the Peregrines, and the Fleshtones, among others, as well as in Verlaine’s touring and recording bands, and on Lloyd’s solo work.

In 1992 Television reunited to record a self-titled album that, as usual, sold modestly but was well received by critics, who noted admiringly that the band’s trademarks - brilliant guitar work, clever songwriting, and noirish lyrics - were all still in evidence. The reunited band did a world tour in 1993. After sporadic appeaernces over the last several years, Richard Lloyd decided to leave Television in early 2007.

from The Rolling Stone Encyclopedia of Rock & Roll (Simon & Schuster, 2001)