FLASHBACK - THE LAST RAMONES INTERVIEW - FANZINE BIGSTAR 3 (1979)

The last RAMONES Interview

(The following comments are from conversations recorded in New York City and Buffalo in '76, 77, and '78. And fear not, Ramones fans, for even if this is The Last Ramones Interview, the one that will make it totally unnecessary to ever do another interview with them, this is a multi-part article which is beginning now and will be continued in future issues.)

78: Bernie: Do you have a favorite English new wave band now?

Joey: Clash. I like the Adverts.

Bernie: Do you have favorite songs by the Clash and Adverts?

Joey: I like the album, the Clash album's great. I like "Gary Gilmore's Eyes," I like Gaye Advert, that's what I like about the Adverts. 

Bernie: Do you have favorite New York bands now? 

Joey: Naah. I like Suicide...I don't like many groups in New York...I don't like many N. Y. groups that haven't gotten anywhere, like Blondie they've kind of made it. But of groups around now, there's nothing around now besides the Cramps and Suicide. 

Bernie: Do you look back to one special concert or set and think that was the best you ever did? 

Joey: We just finished an English tour and that was fantastic. I can't really think of any jobs in particular, 'cause evrything's been going really, really great.

Bernie: Do you ever think back to the early days at CBGB's playing to a few people and think you wanna return there?

Joey: Naah, I try to forget about those days, I don't think about those days.

Bernie: It said in the Bomp Newsletter that your brother plays guitar on some of the Ramones records. 

Joey: He did the claps in "Sheena", but that's about it.

Bernie: You like the Flamin' Groovies?

Joey: Yeah.

Bernie: Do you have a favorite song of theirs? 

Joey: "Shake Some Action", "Please Please Girl." When we were in England, we went to an NME party and they were playing and they're putting out a new album and I can't believe they were playing these songs, man, they were playing "Paint It, Black" and all these Stones songs. Believe they were playing those songs instead of their own songs because their own songs are so great. But they're putting out. "Paint It, Black" and Dave Edmunds is producing. out--what's that song-"Feel A Whole Lot Better"? 

Bernie:"I'll Feel A Whole Lot Better" The Byrds' song???

Joey: Yeah, yeah they did that great.

Bernie: Have you ever played with a member of the band sick?

Joey: Yeah, all the time. We're always sick.

Bernie: But I mean when one member of the band was so sick they couldn't play and someone else had to replace them.

Joey: Oh, no, no...I mean it doesn't matter how sick we are we always play unless we're really fucked up.

'77: Bernie: Ever see Richie Ramone any more?

Joey: Naah, John saw him though the other day. I think he's just like been in his house for the past two years and hasn't come out.

Joey: All I've been doin' when I've been going to a record store is like... spending everything...broke. 

Bernie: You should see the store across the street. They've got a lot of great old stuff...

Joey: Yeah, the last few stores we've been going to are like that...Yeah, I was at this store it was a real gourmet collectors store. The guys would just play albums in the little store and have a pile like this for a buck...used stuff.

Bernie: You don't think they'll be a lot of Ramones solo singles in the near future?

Joey: I don't think so...maybe later later on.

Bernie: Have you heard any records by any non NY groups that make major label records that you thought was any good?

Joey: I don't think so. I'm always listenin', but I never hear nuthin'.
I think it's really exciting when you come upon something new that no one's ever heard. But that hasn't happened in awhile...But I'm really into collecting and checking out those English bands.

78: Bernie: "Babysitter" never came out; what happened with that? 

Joey: Well, it's out in England on the Leave Home import. I think that what we'll eventually do is put it out on the B-side of a single over here. 

Bernie: Do you have any songs from the real early days you don't do anymore?

Johnny: "Suck You Bus," "I Can't Be," "Girl What You Want From Me," "I Just "Want Something To Do," "I Don't Wanna Get Involved with You", "Why Did She Write That Letter?", "Crazy Animal Stomp" which became "Listen To My Heart", "I Don't Wanna Be Learned, I Don't Wanna Be Tamed"... 

********to be continued**

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