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LOST TREASURES – Milk ‘n Cookies

Posted on 19 February 2014

LOST TREASURES

MILK ‘N COOKIES

“Milk ‘n Cookies”

By Peter Marston

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While much of the history of British pop is characterized by the Brits trying to realize the aesthetics of American music, from big band through rock ’n’ roll, there have been a few pop trends where American bands have struggled to imitate what seemed to come naturally to the Brits. The most obvious example is Merseyside, where perhaps only a few American bands (like the Beau Brummels) could really capture the sound and feeling of the music. An equally good example, though, is glam—a genre in which virtually all the heavy hitters are British. But if you look at almost any critic’s list of the great glam bands you will usually find one American band you may have never heard of: Long Island’s Milk ’n’ Cookies.

Milk ’n’ Cookies was formed in 1973 by guitarist/keyboardist Ian North, bassist Jay Weis and drummer Mike Ruiz. Desperately in need of a lead vocalist, the three pressured neighborhood pretty-boy Justin Strauss to join the band as lead singer, though he had never sung in a band before. North says that Strauss just “looked like a rock singer.” The band’s name was provided by Strauss’ preteen sister and perfectly captures the band’s mix of glam, bubblegum and what Trouser Press describes as “wimp rock.”

The usual path was followed: demos, submissions to management firms and record labels and then auditions. It was the managers of Sparks, John Hewlett and Joseph Fleury, who took interest and put the final piece of the puzzle together, replacing Weis with former Roxy Music bassist Sal Maida. A contract with Sparks’ label, Island Records, was signed and the band was put in the studio with Steve Winwood’s older brother Muff who had also produced—that’s right—Sparks. Once the album was completed, a single was quickly released and stiffed. Blackwell began to develop second thoughts and the album’s release was indefinitely put on hold. But as the CBGG’s scene got hot, with the Ramones, Blondie and Talking Heads all signing major label deals, Blackwell decided the time was right and finally released the album in 1977—nearly two years later.

The music on Milk ’n’ Cookies is a mix of Sweet and the Runaways, 1910 Fruitgum Company and The Pastels. Strauss’ vocals are fascinating, almost unbelievably childlike and emasculated, not entirely unlike Nick Gilder, but more like Stephen McRobbie of the aforementioned Pastels. The guitar and drums parts are generally simple but high-energy with occasional Pete Townshend thrums and Keith Moon madness (especially on the opening “Tinkertoy Tomorrow”). Highlights include the single “Little Lost, and Innocent,” “(Dee Dee You’re) Stuck on a Star,” and “Not Enough Girls in the World,” all turning the trick of being both stellar power-pop and authentic American glam.

Shortly after the release of Milk ’n’ Cookies, Ian North, under advice from Island, decided to leave the band and pursue a career in England. Ruiz and Strauss moved to Los Angeles and were later joined by Maida to try and put together a new Milk ‘n’ Cookies line-up, but the momentum had been lost and the band broke up shortly thereafter. Around that time, Ian North had assembled his second band, Neo. Strauss returned to New York and began to work as a DJ in dance clubs. Ruiz remained in Los Angeles, joined up with Paul Collins, and recorded one of the all-time classic power-pop albums, The Beat, in 1979. Milk ’n’ Cookies have reformed occasionally for reunion shows, most recently in 2012.

Milk ’n’ Cookies was reissued on CD by RPM in 2005. The reissue adds five bonus tracks, including “Good Friends, the great B-side of “Little, Lost and Innocent.” If you haven’t heard it, you should—it’s one of the most original and catchy albums of power-pop’s first wave.

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Pop Pioneer and “Lost Treasures” writer, Peter Marston is the leader of long-running power pop band, Shplang, whose most recent album, “My Big Three Wheeler” has been described as “the Beatles meet Zappa in pop-psych Sumo match.” You check it out at this link: http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/shplang

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