#The ramones poducer full
This morning I drummed along with the Ramones’ third LP, Rocket To Russia, and was amazed to discover that there’s not a single drum roll until a full 13 songs in. These were great, catchy songs that someone with limited ability could actually play. I’m sure it was a similar story for countless aspiring guitarists, bassists, and drummers the world over. I’d come home from school, put on my headphones and see how long I could play along with Tommy on It’s Alive before my wrists would freeze up. The newly-christened Ramones (Cummings became Johnny Ramone, Hyman became Joey, Colvin was Dee Dee and Erdelyi, yeah, you get it) began rehearsing in earnest and were soon churning out future classics like “Judy Is A Punk,” “Beat on the Brat,” “Today Your Love, Tomorrow The World, “I Don’t Wanna Walk Around With You ” and “Blitzkrieg Bop.” The anthemic “Blitzkrieg” - probably the Ramones best-known song - was written almost solely by Tommy.Īs a budding teenage drummer, those songs were a big part of my musical education. His primitive, bare-bones thump gelled perfectly with his bandmates’ lack of musical expertise. Originally only intending to be the band’s advisor, Erdelyi found himself assuming the drum chair when Hyman moved to lead singer and no “professional” drummers could provide the right feel for the simplistic, buzz-saw pop the band was writing.Įrdelyi’s total lack of percussive experience (he’d never actually played the drums before) was a huge plus: He carried none of the baggage a more proficient drummer would bring. John Cummings would be the guitarist, Jeffrey Hyman would play drums, and Douglas Colvin would play bass and sing. Impressed by the energy of the New York Dolls, Erdelyi recruited three former Forest Hills High School classmates to form a band. Though they never sold massive amounts of records (their eponymous 1976 debut LP was certified gold just last month) or headlined stadiums (except in South America, where they were revered as gods), the Ramones changed the course of rock’n’roll and influenced popular culture in a way only a handful of artists have.Īnd it probably would never have happened without drummer Tommy Ramone.īorn Tamas Erdelyi in Budapest, Hungary, but raised in Queens, Tommy was already a seasoned guitarist and recording engineer (he assisted on Jimi Hendrix’s Band of Gypsys album) when the seeds for the Ramones were planted in 1974. WE’RE THE FUTURE.”Īlso Read Compact Discs: Sound of the Future But before surrendering his post, Dee Dee Ramone marched to the front of the stage, stared down the audience, and with his bass held over his head, said, “FUCK YOU. Eventually, the rain of garbage became too much to contend with and the Ramones abandoned the stage. It only took a couple songs before the bottles started flying. That night, the job of warming up thousands of stoned, Ozzy-devoted headbangers fell to four leather jacketed minimalist rockers from Forrest Hills, Queens: the Ramones.Īs you can imagine, the Sabbath fans didn’t take to the Ramones stripped-down, sped-up, two-minute blasts of bubblegum punk. Van Halen, whose debut album was tearing up the charts, had been opening much of the tour but were not on the bill in San Bernardino. On December 1, 1978, Scott and his brother went to see Black Sabbath on their Never Say Die tour at the Swing Auditorium in San Bernardino, California.
There was sadness for Tommy, his family, friends, and fans, and there was disbelief that all four founding Ramones could possibly be dead.Īfter a few minutes of sitting with the unanswerable hows and whys I remembered a story record producer Scott Solter once told me.
When I heard Friday night’s news of Tommy Ramone’s passing I experienced what most Ramones fans probably experienced: a mix of sadness and disbelief.
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