My Sharona - The Knack

The Knack released their debut single 'My Sharona' in 1979. According to lead singer/guitarist Doug Fieger, he met Sharona Alperin (who was 16 at the time) and she inspired a two-month-long run of songwriting. 'It was like getting hit in the head with a baseball bat; I fell in love with her instantly. And when that happened, it sparked something and I started writing a lot of songs feverishly in a short amount of time.' The main riff of 'My Sharona' was written by the band's guitarist, Berton Averre, long before he ever joined The Knack.

Sharona appears on the picture sleeve for the single, and became a major booster of the band bringing many girls to their early shows. The single reached number 1 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart, number 6 on the UK singles chart and number 20 in the Netherlands.

My collection: 7" single no. 1895
Found: Record fair, Den Haag, May 2, 1993
Cost: 1 guilder
Tracks: 'My Sharona' / 'Let me out'

Baby talks dirty - The Knack

Doug Fieger, Berton Averre, Prescott Niles and Bruce Gary formed the Knack in 1978. They hit it big almost immediately with their single 'My Sharona' (1979), which became a chart hit in various countries.

'Baby talks dirty', taken from their second album '...But the little girls understand', sounded a lot like that big hit. No wonder, then, that it didn't become a hit: the audiences had heard the trick before and critics slammed the single.

My collection: 7" single no. 3589

Found: Kringloop Holland, Den Haag, March 3, 2009

Cost: 0,5 euro

Tracks: 'Baby talks dirty' / 'End of the game'