The Knack
| Company type | Band |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1978 in Los Angeles, California, United States |
| Founder | Doug Fieger, Berton Averre, Prescott Niles, Bruce Gary |
| Defunct | 2010 |
| Headquarters | Los Angeles , United States |
| Products | Music albums, singles |
The Knack was a power pop group originating from Los Angeles in 1978, consisting of Doug Fieger (lead vocals, rhythm guitar), Berton Averre (lead guitar, backing vocals), Prescott Niles (bass), and Bruce Gary (drums). Their breakthrough came with the single "My Sharona", which drove their debut album, Get the Knack (1979), to reach number one across multiple countries. Despite this initial success, their following albums, ...But The Little Girls Understand (1980) and Round Trip (1981), failed to achieve similar commercial impact, culminating in the band's dissolution in 1982.
Reuniting in 1986, The Knack released Serious Fun in 1991 before disbanding once more in 1992. They briefly regrouped again in 1994 and then from 1996 until 2010, during which time they produced two additional albums: Zoom (1998) and Normal as the Next Guy (2001). The band ceased activity permanently following Doug Fieger's passing in 2010. Their last studio work was the posthumous release Rock & Roll Is Good for You: The Fieger/Averre Demos in 2012.
Formation Period (1977–1978)
Doug Fieger, hailing from Oak Park, Michigan, had previously been part of the band Sky, which was produced by Jimmy Miller. After Sky dissolved without achieving chart success, Fieger relocated to Los Angeles to assemble a new ensemble. He collaborated with Berton Averre on songwriting and reconnected with drummer Bruce Gary. Prescott Niles joined as bassist just a week before their inaugural performance in June 1978. Initial demo recordings featuring Fieger on bass were rejected by record companies but later formed the foundation of their debut album Get the Knack, including the song "Good Girls Don't".
Get the Knack
Shortly after their live debut and gaining popularity through performances on Sunset Strip, The Knack attracted competitive interest from ten record labels. They ultimately signed with Capitol Records for what was at that time the largest advance ever offered by the label. The signing was brokered by A&R representatives Bruce Garfield and Bruce Ravid.
Their first album, Get the Knack, became one of the top-selling records of the year, holding the number one spot on the Billboard charts for five consecutive weeks and selling two million copies domestically. The lead single "My Sharona" reached number one in the US and was named the top song of 1979 according to the Billboard Year-End Hot 100. Its follow-up single "Good Girls Don't" peaked at number eleven in the US and achieved number one status in Canada.
The album's packaging by Capitol Records featured artwork reminiscent of Meet the Beatles!, including a center label styled after early 1960s Beatles records. This design choice, combined with their retro-inspired look and pop-rock style, led to accusations that they were imitating The Beatles—a claim denied by both the band and label. Fieger admitted that their intention was to pay tribute to the British Invasion era, aiming to provide listeners with a nostalgic 1960s experience. Critics contended that this approach imposed an unrealistic nostalgia for that period. As Get the Knack gained widespread attention, other musicians expressed frustration over The Knack’s aggressive marketing overshadowing their own attempts to capture a similar sound from that decade. Moreover, some perceived certain tracks as targeting adolescent girls, prompting a backlash campaign named "Knuke the Knack," spearheaded by San Francisco artist Hugh Brown.
Subsequent albums (1980–1981)
In early 1980, The Knack promptly followed up with their second album, ...But the Little Girls Understand. While it achieved gold certification in both the United States and Japan, and platinum status in Canada, it failed to match the commercial impact of their debut record. According to Fieger, all songs on both Get the Knack and ...But the Little Girls Understand had been composed prior to the first album’s release and were originally intended to form a double album. The album's lead single, "Baby Talks Dirty", reached number 38 on US charts and climbed to number 13 in Canada; however, the subsequent single "Can't Put a Price on Love" only attained number 62.
Following an extensive international tour lasting nearly a year, the group took a hiatus starting in April 1980 due to fatigue and internal disagreements. They regrouped in the summer of 1981 to produce their third studio effort, Round Trip, which was released in October that year. Commercially, the album underperformed, peaking at number 93 on the Billboard charts with sales totaling approximately 150,000 copies. Its leading single "Pay the Devil (Ooo, Baby, Ooo)" managed to reach number 67 on the Billboard Hot 100. To reproduce the album’s complex sound during live performances, keyboardist Phil Jost was added to the lineup.
As their chart performance waned and critical reception soured, Fieger departed from the band on December 31, 1981, shortly after Round Trip was released. The remaining members briefly continued under the name "The Game," featuring former Roadmaster frontman Stephen 'Mac' McNally as lead singer, but this incarnation disbanded by mid-1982. Subsequently, Fieger established his own project titled "Doug Fieger's Taking Chances."
Reunion and final studio releases (1986–2010)
The Knack came back together in November 1986 for a charity concert and maintained a presence with club performances throughout the late 1980s. In July 1989, drummer Billy Ward replaced Bruce Gary. They secured a deal with Charisma Records in 1990 and issued Serious Fun in February 1991; its lead track "Rocket O' Love" became a top 10 hit on US Album-Oriented Rock stations and reached the top 30 in Canada. After Charisma Records folded following founder Tony Stratton Smith’s passing, the band dissolved once again in 1992.
With Ward back on drums in 1994, The Knack leveraged renewed popularity sparked by "My Sharona"'s inclusion in Reality Bites, culminating in a network television debut on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno.
In 1996, all original members reunited to record a rendition of Badfinger's "No Matter What" for a tribute album.
Throughout the late 1990s and into the 2000s, The Knack continued touring and recording amidst lineup adjustments including Duane Leinan on bass from 2008 to 2010; Terry Bozzio contributing drums for the Zoom release in 1998; David Henderson handling drums for early-2000s projects; and Pat Torpey returning until Fieger’s passing.
In 2005, they appeared on Hit Me, Baby, One More Time, delivering performances of "My Sharona" and Jet's "Are You Gonna Be My Girl".
In 2006, Fieger and Averre initiated legal action against hip hop group Run–D.M.C., alleging copyright infringement concerning the use of the iconic guitar riff from "My Sharona" in "It's Tricky".
Later that year, Fieger was diagnosed with brain tumors but resumed performing after treatment. He fought brain and lung cancers until his death on February 14, 2010, in Woodland Hills, California—marking an effective end to The Knack's activities.
Activities beyond The Knack
During the period between The Knack’s initial breakup and their 1986 reunion, Doug Fieger contributed guest vocals on tracks by Was (Not Was), whose member Don Was would later produce The Knack’s Serious Fun album. Fieger released a solo album in 2000 and performed solo during Australia’s Countdown Spectacular 2 concert series in 2007, where he featured the hit "My Sharona". In 1985, Averre, Niles, and Gary formed a new group called The Front with actor Steven Bauer as lead vocalist.
Bruce Gary shifted focus toward production work involving archival recordings of Jimi Hendrix as well as new projects with The Ventures. He also remained active as a live performer and session musician for various artists until his death from lymphoma on August 22, 2006, at age 55.
Band members
- Berton Averre – lead guitar, backing vocals, keyboards (1978–1982, 1986–1992, 1994, 1996–2010)
- Doug Fieger – lead vocals, rhythm guitar (1978–1981, 1986–1992, 1994, 1996–2010; deceased 2010)
- Bruce Gary – drums (1978–1982, 1986–1989, 1996; deceased 2006)
- Prescott Niles – bass guitar (1978–1982, 1986–1992, 1994, 1996–2008)
- Phil Jost – keyboards (1981)
- Stephen 'Mac' McNally – lead vocals (1982)
- Pat Torpey – drums (1989, 2001–2010; deceased 2018)
- Billy Ward – drums (1986–1992, 1994, 1996–1998)
- Terry Bozzio – drums (1998–2001)
- David Henderson ("Holmes Jones") – drums (2001)
- Duane Leinan – bass guitar (2008–2010)
Discography
- Get the Knack (1979)
- ...But the Little Girls Understand (1980)
- Round Trip (1981)
- Serious Fun (1991)
- Zoom (1998)
- Normal as the Next Guy (2001)
- Rock & Roll Is Good for You: The Fieger/Averre Demos (2012)