MOSRITE'S 60TH EVENTS FEATURING RICHIE RAMONE AND CJ RAMONE ON JULY
13-14, 2012
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RAMONES HOMEPAGE.
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SHOW REPORTS.
July 13, 2012, was organised Mosrite 60th Anniversary event at NAMM,
Center Stage, Nashville, TN, USA. Mosrite 60th Anniversary Super Live/
Rock'N'Roll Bash Summer '12 show featured Richie Ramone Band, CJ
Ramone Band, The Ventures' guitarist Nokie Edwards, Brent Mason (Grammy
Award Winner and 12 time ACM Guitarist of the Year), country artist
Brian Lonbeck etc. Only 600 pre-sold tickets was sold.
CJ Ramone has his signature Mosrite Original Mark-II Reissue Standard
Bass. Visit
Mosrite Guitars homepage here.
And in July 14, 2012, CJ Ramone and Richie Ramone performed for the
first time together at live at the 60th Anniversary Mosrite
Guitar Party at the Hard Rock Cafe in Memphis, TN, USA. They
punkrocked Ramones' classic I Just Want To Have Something To Do. It was
an private event.
Johnny Ramone bought his first guitar from Manny's Guitar Store on 48th
street in NYC, USA. He paid 50 dollars for his Mosrite. Read
more background details of Mosrite here.
I (Jari-Pekka Laitio-Ramone) spoke with CJ Ramone in 2005 how much he
would like to meet with Richie. Also we spoke of this subject at the
Edone in Bergamo, Italy on July 5, 2012, only 8-9 days before Nashville
shows. I was
in Bergamo at CJ's shows, he
played there with his permanent drummer Michael Stamberg and guest
guitarist
Steve Soto. Read
more here.
July 13, 2012, CJ Ramone and Michael Stamberg played set with The
Misfits, Black Flag and Osaka Popstar etc. guitarist Dez Cadena.
With Richie was playing for example Jiro Okabe. CJ Ramone Band and
Richie Ramone Band played both apx. 40 minutes long sets.
COMMENTS BY CJ RAMONE
In Italy, I (Jari-Pekka) promised to send a SMS to Richie and tell how
much CJ wants to meet him. CJ and Richie had a great time together in
Nashville. CJ Ramone wrote in July 16, 2012.
CJ Ramone: - There ain't much left on my
Ramones wish list, but in Nashville I
knocked off the biggest one I had. I got on stage with Richie Ramone.
Proud moment for me. I spoke with him a couple of times over the weekend
and he was cool as can be. Some week ago I run into Mickey Leigh (Joey
Ramone's brother) in the studio and played a song with him. Then
playing I Just Want To Have Something To Do with Richie, CJ
wrote.
COMMENTS BY RICHIE RAMONE
Richie Ramone replied to CJ in July 17, 2012.
Richie Ramone: - We waited way too long to meet
each other. Now that the ice has been
broken, who knows what can happen. I had a blast and it felt really
natural being on stage with you. All the best brother. Talk soon.... P
eace, wrote Richie.
COMMENTS BY MICHAEL STAMBERG
CJ's drummer Michael Stamberg wrote also nice things and I asked also
him to write some more to my site.
Michael Stamberg: - In Nashville we played I
Just Want To Have Something To Do with CJ on
bass, Richie singing, Jiro Okabe from Mosrite on guitar, and me on
drums. We did one song with Richie. CJ and I did KKK Took My Baby Away
and Blitzkrieg Bop with Jiro too. Before that CJ and I did I Wanna Be
Sedated and few others with Dez Cadena. It was and is a huge honor to be
part of the Mosrite/ Ramones family that weekend. Artists and employees
alike were all fantastic to work with and hang out with. I truly feel
lucky to have shared the stage with CJ, Dez, Richie, and Jiro, wrote
Michael Stamberg to me few days after performance.
COMMENTS BY JIRO OKABE
Also I asked comments from Jiro Okabe.
Jiro Okabe: - Everything went so good for
Nashville gigs, we had after gig party live at Hard Rock Cafe and we had
made history there, Richie and CJ had first time ever perform together
for one song, and I was lucky enough to play guitar with them, Jiro
sent comments.
INTERVIEW WITH DANA MOSELEY
And I was happy to receive comments also from Dana Moseley, who is the
daughter of Semie and Virgie Moseley. Semie was founder of Mosrite
guitars. Read background
story of Dana here.
Jari-Pekka Laitio-Ramone: 1) - Dana, can you
please write some feelings of both events and how it felt to see Richie
and CJ playing together etc.? They also respected Johnny Ramone when
thinks his history with the Mosrite.
Dana Moseley - I feel they are both showing
respect to Johnny Ramone because he played Mosrite. CJ and Richie are
both indorsed by Mosrite. The CJ Ramone Band and the Richie Ramone Band
were both scheduled to play at the Mosrite 60th Anniversary Concert on
July 13th. CJ and Richie both did great jobs. The concert was rockin'.
CJ Ramone Band headline the concert with the Richie Ramone Band right
before them. It was a combination of original Ramones. songs. It was
awesome.
And on July 14th they were both invited to the Mosrite 60th Anniversary
Party. Jiro Okabe asked if they would do a song together as a suprise
at the party they agreed and it was incredible. I don't know what the
future hold for them. I do know that Mosrite will be a part of CJ
Ramone and Richie Ramone if they are together or if they
are not. Mosrite Forever!, wrote Dana.
Jari-Pekka 2) - July 14, 2012 event was
private?
Dana Moseley - The July 14th event was a
private party at the Hard Rock Cafe Nashville. This was an event so that
I (Mosrite) could say thank you to everybody that helped with the 60th
Anniversary Summer NAMM Show and Mosrite's 60th Anniversary
Concert.
Jari-Pekka 3) How long you have known with CJ?
Did you met Richie now for the first time? Feel free to write any
comments you want of those days...
Dana Moseley - I have known CJ for several
years. From when I would go on the road to fix Johnny Ramone's guitar.
They would call me their Guitar Lady.
I had talked to Richie on the phone, but it was the first time to meet
him personally. They are both now my very good friends.
All Mosrite's 60th Anniversary events were above and beyond my
expectations, the highlight being Richie and CJ together for the first
time. That was absolutely incredible. Ramones and Mosrite Forever, Dana
wrote.
SOME BACKGROUND DETAILS AND HISTORY OF MOSRITE
GUITARS
See in right photos taken by me (Jari-Pekka) of Johnny's Ramone's statue
(he playing Mosrite) in
Los Angeles, USA in 2009.
Here are some background information of Mosrite guitars and why
Mosrite has so special place in the Ramones history. Semie Moseley
(1935-1992) was the founder of Mosrite guitars. He was only 17
years old in 1952, when the first Mosrite was built. Semie built his
first guitar in a metal shed in Bakersfield, California. By 1963, Semie
and his brother Andy Moseley, forged one of the major guitar companies
of the 60's. The quality and craftsmanship of the Mosrite was second to
none.
Johnny Ramone had inspired many famous musicians to buy and play Mosrite
guitars or similar ones. And of course he has influenced people to start
playing in general. As Tommy Ramone explains in his interviews in my
book Ramones:
Soundtrack Of Our Lives, Johnny used to be first a bass guitar
player. He stopped playing music and he sold his instruments and
everything. Tommy encouraged Johnny to buy an instrument and play music
again. Johnny bought his first guitar from Manny's Guitar Store on 48th
street in NYC in early 1974. He paid around 50 dollars for his Mosrite.
First one was a blue Mosrite Ventures II. It was stolen and he bought
another blue one. These two were the same model than the brown Ventures
II he bought later etc. etc.
When I and my good friend Randy Wisebrod entered producer Daniel Rey's
apartment on May 20, 2003, to do an interview, there was Johnny's white
Mosrite that he had used since 1977 until he retired in 1996. It was
cool moment to handle it. Also made and featured by Mosrite are the
Johnny Ramone Signature Model
and standard model. See more infos of
it here.
CJ Ramone has his signature Mosrite Original Mark-II Reissue Standard
Bass.
On my third book Ramones:
Soundtrack Of Our
Lives, is one page dedicated to Johnny's guitars / Mosrite's.
I speak longer in a book of Mosrite's with some musicians, especially
with Andy Cairns of Therapy? Also with Charlie Harper of UK Subs etc.