Have you seen journalist Jaime Lorite's recent article celebrating the legacy of Johnny Ramone? It appeared in the 15 Septiembre issue of ICON in the Spanish newspaper El País; if you missed it, you can read an English translation here. As part of his research for the article, Jaime contacted Rare Bird Books--publisher of my 2023 book Gabba Gabba Hey! A Conversation With The Ramones--and the good folks at Rare Bird put Jaime in touch with me to answer a few short questions about Johnny. I was delighted to comply, and honored to be included.
As a supplement to the published article, here is the text of Jaime's brief Q & A with me. Jaime asks, and I answer:
1. Many assume that the creative part of the Ramones corresponded, mainly, to Joey and Dee Dee. How crucial was Johnny's role for the Ramones to exist as we know them?
Each of the four founding Ramones--Joey, Johnny, Dee Dee, and Tommy--played an important role in creating and establishing the group's approach. Joey and Dee Dee were the most prolific songwriters (though Tommy co-wrote "Blitzkrieg Bop" with Dee Dee), but we can hear the sound of the Ramones in all of their early recordings, regardless of whether the song was an original or a cover. A large part of that sound is defined by Johnny's guitar.
I don't think Johnny's guitar sound, that relentless--but still pop--rhythmic assault, had any real antecedent. The Stooges? The MC5? The New York Dolls? Hell, the Ohio Express? No, nothing predating the Ramones sounds like the Ramones. The minimalism was a group effort, facilitated by Tommy (and later intensified by Marky). The passion was Joey. The ragged, strung-out urban poetry was Dee Dee. The fast-and-loud presence was Johnny.
2. To what extent do you think there is truth to the belief about Johnny's limitations as a “three-chord” guitarist, despite his later great influence?
I have no reason to believe that Johnny Ramone was ever any more of a virtuoso than he appeared to be. I don't remember if it was Johnny or Dee Dee who told a journalist that the Ramones play to their level of ability. Eventually other guitarists supplemented or subbed for Johnny in the studio on the fancier licks...well, the fancier licks by Ramones standards. But this ain't jazz. We know of the long-standing conflict between Joey and Johnny, but it was Joey himself who stressed to me how important Johnny's guitar playing was to THAT sound, the Ramones sound.
(Nor should Johnny's technical achievement be dismissed too quickly. I can't remember who said it or where I saw it, but a journalist once wrote in response to punters who believed any decent guitarist could play like Johnny Ramone: Oh yeah? YOU try it. Most guitarists would break a freaking hand trying to match what Johnny Ramone pounded out on his Mosrite guitar in the course of any Ramones live set, kind of like when Blondie's Clem Burke--an excellent drummer in his own right--tried and failed to keep up as a Ramones drummer. The Ramones played to their level of ability. That was not as easy a feat as it seemed.)
3. Beyond his tensions with Joey and the military discipline he imposed on the band, given that you dealt with him, what was Johnny Ramone like in short distances? Was he as surly as people said or was it more of an attitude?
I never met Johnny--our interview was by telephone--so I can't comment on what he was like face-to-face. I've seen credible accounts of how...well, let's just say how difficult Johnny could be. Politically, we were polar opposites, and the tension between Johnny and Joey was evident in my conversations with both of them. But I tell you, Johnny could not have been nicer to me. Throughout our discussion, he frequently asked me what I thought of each individual Ramones record. He was taken aback when I said I liked the track "Something To Believe In" (his response was "You LIKE that...?!"), but he seemed genuinely curious and surprisingly pleasant. He was nice to me. My experience with him doesn't jibe with his public image nor with others' reliable accounts of how prickly (or worse) he could be. But yeah, Johnny Ramone was nice to me.
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My new book The Greatest Record Ever Made! (Volume 1) is now available; you can see details here. My 2023 book Gabba Gabba Hey! A Conversation With The Ramones is also still available, courtesy of the good folks at Rare Bird Books.
This Is Rock 'n' Roll Radio with Dana & Carl airs Sunday nights from 9 to Midnight Eastern, on the air in Syracuse at SPARK! WSPJ 103.3 and 93.7 FM, streaming at SPARK stream and on the Radio Garden app as WESTCOTT RADIO. Recent shows are archived at Westcott Radio. You can read about our history here.
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