Hey Ho, Lets Go! The Ramones play CBGBs for the first time

Joey (drums), Johnny (Guitar) & Dee Dee (Bass & Vocals) Ramone (the name is supposedly a tribute to Paul McCarney's nickname of Paul Ramon in Johnny & the Silver Beatles, or it's a tribute to Songwriter/Producer Phil Ramone, it depened on who you asked & when)played thir first gig at CBGB & OMFUG ("Country, BlueGrass, Blues & Other Music For Understanding Gentry) on March 30th, 1974. Supposedly they carried their instruments to the gig in paper shopping bags, played for about 20 minutes, and left at least one member of the audience confused about why they shouted "1-2-3-4" in the middle of their songs.

The owner of their Rehersal Space/Studio, Tommy Erdelyi, helped Joey work out beats on the drums and helped the band search for a new drummer when Joey replaced Dee Dee on Vocals (Dee Dee had trouble singing & playing Bass for the whole set), when the band couldn't find a drummer better than Joey that was willing to play with them Tommy stepped in as Tommy Ramone & the band's membership for their first 3 records was set.

After playing for several nights at CBGB, they were signed by Sire Records in autumn 1975 and recorded their debut album Ramones for about $6000. They then toured America & Europe for the next 2 years, only stopping to record & release the albums Leave Home & Rocket to Russia.They appeared at The Roundhouse in London, England, on July 4, 1976, second billed to the Beatlesque Flamin' Groovies. Their appearance galvanized the UK punk rock scene, inspiring future punk stars including members of The Clash, The Damned and The Sex Pistols. Another Ramones gig in England became their first live album, It's Alive, considered by most critics one of the best live albums ever.

After two years on the road and the Top 50 hit album Rocket to Russia, an exhausted Tommy Ramone was replaced on drums by Marc Bell, who became Marky Ramone. Tommy left the band to go back to his studio work, which he preferred to the hard life of touring. Tommy worked with Marky to ensure that his drumming was appropriate for the Ramones style; he also produced the Ramones fourth studio album Road to Ruin and came back to produce their eighth Too Tough To Die. It was the lineup with Marky which played a central role in the 1979 film "Rock 'n' Roll High School", a film that Roger Corman originally called "Disco High" until writer/director Allan Arkush heard the Ramones. "Rock 'n' Roll High School" also brought the band to the attention of legendary producer Phil Spector became interested in the band and produced End of the Century. During the recording sessions for End of the Century, Spector reportedly pulled a gun on Dee Dee Ramone (Not to cast dispersion against Mr. Spector, after some of the things I've heard about Dee Dee I might've pulled a gun on him, too). The band would later consider this one of the 'not-so-great' albums they had distributed, crediting tensions between the producer and the artists. Johnny recalls that he was disappointed with the outcome of End of the Century, but Dee Dee credits Phis Spector with convincing the band to give songwriting credits to individual bandmembers instead of crediting "The Ramones" for all songs.

After recording & touring for Road to Ruin, End Of The Century, & Pleasant Dreams, Marky Ramone was fired because of his alcoholism and eventually replaced by Richard Beau (under the name Richie Ramone) (not to be confused with nascent member Ritchie Ramone, who played Bass with the band before Dee Dee joined. He's credited with "Here lies Ritchie Ramone" can be seen on a cartoon drawing of a gravestone on the innersleeve of the 'Rocket to Russia' album). They recorded Too Tough to Die, Animal Boy & Halfway to Sanity with Richie Ramone who was then replaced by Clem Burke (a.k.a. Elvis Ramone) from Blondie for two days before Marky came back in 1987. This line up recorded Brain Drain before Dee Dee quit the band in 1989 to record as the rapper Dee Dee King, although he continued to write songs for the band until they disbanded. Dee Dee was replaced on Bass by CJ Ramone until the band disbanded in 1996. Albums recorded with CJ include Mondo Bizzarro, Acid Eaters & Adios Amigos.

After a spot in the 1996 Lollapalooza festival, The Ramones disbanded, reportedly due to ongoing personality clashes and frustration at not achieving success commensurate with their influence. Joey and Johnny didn't speak to each other for years. Joey was also reported to have drug problems.

Their last show is recorded on video and CD and featured several special guests such as Lemmy Kilmister from Motörhead and Eddie Vedder from Pearl Jam.

Joey Ramone died of lymphoma on April 15, 2001 in New York. Dee Dee Ramone was found dead at his Hollywood home on June 5, 2002 following a drug overdose. Johnny Ramone died of prostate cancer on September 15, 2004 in Los Angeles, California.

Other Historical Highlights for today are:

• 1822 - East (peninsular) Florida is combined with West (panhandle) Florida & Florida Territory created in the United States. Mai Kai isn't open, so the US waits until 1845 before giving Florida statehood.
• 1853 - Vincent van Gogh, painter, is Born (d. 1890)
• 1858 - Hyman Lipman patents a pencil with an attached eraser.
• 1913 - Frankie Laine, singer, is Born
• 1914 - Sonny Boy Williamson (I), Blues musician, is Born
• 1926 - Ingvar Kamprad, Swedish founder of IKEA, is Born
• 1930 - John Astin, American actor, former husband to Patty Duke & father od Sean & McKenzie Astin, is Born.
• 1940 - Astrud Gilberto, Brazilian singer of "The Girl frm Ipanema", is Born
• 1947 - Arthur Machen, author, friend to HP Lovecraft, Died (b. 1863)
• 1949 - Lene Lovich, New Wave singer, is Born
• 1951 - Remington Rand delivers the first UNIVAC I computer to the United States Census Bureau. Although basically a glorified hand calculator that weighed 29,000 pounds & filled 350 sqare feet, it was the first true comercial computer, and remained in service until being replaced by a more powerful IBM system in 1963.
• 1962 - Jack Paar films his last episode of The Tonight Show.
• 1964 - The game show Jeopardy! debuts on television.
• 1970 - Secretariat, Triple Crown-winning race horse, is Born (d. 1989)
• 1981 - President Ronald Reagan is shot in the chest outside a Washington, D.C. hotel by John Hinckley, Jr., whose family were friends of then Vice President George Bush.
• 1986 - James Cagney, actor, Died (b. 1899). Jimmy Cagney was an american original, he taught himself to dance to get a job in a chorus line (as a female dancer!), he was most famous as a "Tough" in the movies but was able to handle Drama & light Comedy as well, he was a black belt in Judo (which he used to good effect in "Blood on the Sun"), and when he retired he taught himself to paint & ran his farm in Staffordville, NY.
• 1987 - Vincent Van Gogh's painting "Sunflowers" is bought for $39.85 million. Happy Birthday!

Rev. Dr. Frederick J. Freelance, Ph.D., D.F.S

[ Edited by: freddiefreelance on 2005-03-30 16:32 ]

I just have to say that you are quite the historian,Mr.F.F.F.! Always an interesting tidbit and a fact that makes you think-thanks.

Um,pardon me,Mr.F.F.Too many letters.

1858 - Hyman Lipman patents a pencil with an attached eraser.

This dude scored big!

Joey Ramone died of lymphoma on April 15, 2001 in New York. Dee Dee Ramone was found dead at his Hollywood home on June 5, 2002 following a drug overdose. Johnny Ramone died of prostate cancer on September 15, 2004 in Los Angeles, California.

Just goes to show how some people are put on this earth for a purpose, and once that purpose is served they return from whence they came. Long live Ramones!!!

Freddie thanks for the info. I always respect a good historian. One correction though. The 'OMFUG" in the CBGB awning stands for 'Other Music for Underground Gormandizers'. I'd also like to add that another issue leading to the tension between Johnny and Joey was the fact that Johnny had 'stolen' Joey's girlfriend and subsequently married her. Ouch.

If any of you haven't seen the comprehensive Ramones documentary 'End of the Century' please do. It is very good and just released on DVD.

Thanks and God bless the Ramones!!

[ Edited by: donhonyc on 2005-03-30 21:06 ]

On 2005-03-30 20:26, donhonyc wrote:

Joey Ramone died of lymphoma on April 15, 2001 in New York. Dee Dee Ramone was found dead at his Hollywood home on June 5, 2002 following a drug overdose. Johnny Ramone died of prostate cancer on September 15, 2004 in Los Angeles, California.

Just goes to show how some people are put on this earth for a purpose, and once that purpose is served they return from whence they came. Long live Ramones!!!

Freddie thanks for the info. I always respect a good historian. One correction though. The 'OMFUG" in the CBGB awning stands for 'Other Music for Underground Gormandizers'. I'd also like to add that another issue leading to the tension between Johnny and Joey was the fact that Johnny had 'stolen' Joey's girlfriend and subsequently married her. Ouch.

If any of you haven't seen the comprehensive Ramones documentary 'End of the Century' please do. It is very good and just released on DVD.

Thanks and God bless the Ramones!!

[ Edited by: donhonyc on 2005-03-30 21:06 ]

Don Ho, I think Hilly's changed his story over the years. I remember OMFUG as being "Other Music for Understanding Gentry" back in the early '80s, I remember reading somewhere Richard Lloyd saying it meant "Other Music For Undernourished Gourmendizers" the day Hilly painted the sign. The words have lost their meaning, I've even heard people pronounce it as a word: "Om-Fug? What does Om-Fug mean?"

I saw the Ramones at least 15 times. Once at City Gardens in Trenton, I was right up front, and Joey sweated on me!!!! No matter how many times I saw them, they were always super fun, they never took themselves too seriously, and played all the hits! They also did station ID's for all of us lowly college dj's, which made me feel very important! I cried real tears when Joey died.