'My Sharona' co-writer shares on his rock star riches

Several weeks ago, WalletPop tracked down pop-culture personality Sharona Alperin, the namesake of The Knack's smash hit "My Sharona." She's now in celebrity real estate, and was gracious enough to tell us about the decided downs in that market, all while reminiscing on the 30th anniversary of her song hitting No. 1 on the Billboard charts.

Thanks to Sharona, WalletPop landed an interview with Doug Fieger, the founder of The Knack and co-writer of that song. Among other things, we wanted to know how a timeless hit changes a musician's bottom line. To find out, and learn what Doug has been up to since his power-pop masterpiece "Get The Knack" ruled the Summer of 1979, read on ... and if you like, imagine that slammin' "Sharona" drumbeat in your head.

WalletPop: Thirty years after it hit No. 1, "Get the Knack" still sounds as fresh as the time you recorded it. It's aged much better than other records of that era. Why do you think so?

Fieger: I believe that our recordings are timeless. They don't have any schmaz that makes them sound dated. "Get the Knack" could've certainly been recorded last year. We recorded "My Sharona" and "Good Girls Don't" [another hit] in one day, in one take, with a live lead vocal. We went from beginning to end of the song, and that was it. [Guitarist] Berton Averre and I put in the background vocals, and it was mixed in about 15 minutes total. The whole album took 11 days to record and two days to mix.