The Doll

Marion Valentine fronted The Doll, a band chiefly recalled for the 1978 U.K. Top 30 single "Desire Me," a standout achievement in a trajectory that held greater promise than its eventual outcome. She assembled the group in 1977 with bassist Christopher Yianni, his brother Adonis Yianni on keyboards, and drummer Mario Watts; they quickly drew notice after placing a song on Beggars Banquet's Streets compilation.

Produced by Steve Lillywhite and Ed Hollis, the dynamic rocker "Trash" soon reached a wider audience when it resurfaced as the B-side of the band's debut single, "Don't Tango on My Heart." Despite the commercial failure of that release, the group had thrived on the nationwide Beggars Banquet Streets tour, which presented many of the acts featured on the album.

The Doll performed steadily through 1978 and enjoyed their payoff late in the year when "Desire Me" rose to number 28, briefly elevating Valentine as punk's newest sex symbol. Internal difficulties soon surfaced, however, postponing the next single, "Cinderella with a Husky Voice," for another full year; by then Dennis Haines and Jamie West-Oram had replaced Watts and Adonis Yianni. The album Listen to the Silence appeared alongside it, yet sales remained weak, and the follow-up singles "You Used to Be My Hero" and "Burning Up Like a Fire" likewise attracted scant attention. The Doll disbanded in spring 1980.