CHECK OUT HALLO'S TRANSLATION TO THE GERMAN-LANGUAGE OF THIS INTERVIEW

I did this interview on the Provinssirock, Finland. (June, 1998)

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You can find Jerry Only's Ramones/ Joey memory text from my Heaven Needed A Lead Singer: Fans Remember Joey Ramone book and 3,5 pages long interview from Rock In Peace: Dee Dee And Joey Ramone book.

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Jari-Pekka:Could we discuss about the time when you were on a tour with Marky Ramone And The Intruders and generally about Ramones. You're also good friend of Joey and etc. Jerry Only: Sure we can.

Jari-Pekka: How did the co-operation start with Marky Ramone And Intruders:

Jerry Only: Okay, Marky is good friend of Arturo Vega, who was touring with Ramones over 20 years. Well, good friends of mine are Joey and Daniel Rey, who produced some Ramones albums. We played with Marky couple of shows and he asked if we can tour with him. I said: Sure. We toured with Marky, and he came to stage every night and we made couple of songs with him like Blitzkrieg Bop.

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Jari-Pekka: How about Roseland-gig:

Jerry Only: I guess you mean what happened when we played at Roseland in New York City. Joey came up and sang 5 or 6 songs with us. During and after the show, there was situations. I knew that Marky And Joey had a little fight. So, very last song we performed; Marky came to play drums and Joey sang, so we made them to talk to each others again. And as you know, one of my dreams is to get those guys back together and to go to a tour with them, because I always wanted to have a tour with Ramones, and it's very sad that when I get my band back, there's no Ramones longer around. And about the unfortunate things about my career: I didn't get to play with Ramones. So, I'm trying to put them back together - if I can. (laughing)

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Jari-Pekka: It demands hard work. But I can see that it is a big dream for both of us:

Jerry Only: Yeah, I know that, but I must try and it's my job to try. Playing with Marky is really enjoyable, and because Marky is really funny guy, and we have these albums under work; me and Marky together. We're gonna play some old songs from 50's and 60's. Marky really enjoys to play, he's just like me. If I wasn't able to be in Misfits, I would be clever enough to play or to do something. I respect Marky a lot, 'cause everyday he comes up and plays his drums - and he loves to play! We do things together. He's a very good friend of mine. It just seems to me that if you really love to play, there's no reason why your band should stop playing. Why wouldn't you continue? I'd do anything for him (laughing).

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Jari-Pekka: I've got some reviews. What did you think about these first gigs with Marky (he looks my gig list where's listed these first gigs) He points Ottawa and says:

Jerry Only: Buffalo was the first place we played with them. We had a really really good show in Toronto (the 2nd gig) and also in Montreal it was incredible. You know that when we first time played with Marky, we played really hard and got the pressure away. Marky Ramone And The Intruders is a very good band. Marky accepts and knows that we've got a very good following from the fans and a very good audience. And he asked if they could come to tour with us.

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Jari-Pekka: How did you choose to play Blitzkrieg Bop and etc. in encores(We want more! - song; notice from inspector of used language, Ville Partanen-Beatle):

Jerry Only: You know that it's a very easy song to play. (laughing)

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Jari-Pekka: What did you think about Ben Trokan and Johnny Pisano?:

Jerry Only: Ben is a very young and very very good player and Johnny is a very good bass player. Sometimes Johnny Pisano comes up to my house and we play songs. Johnny plays Led Zeppelin songs and this king of stuff very very well. I can't play this kind of stuff. I saw Ben when he played with Remains. Dee Dee is OK.

I will come out and sing with Marky Ramone And The Intruders. I will do Blitzkrieg Bop, sometimes I might sing I Wanna Be Sedated. Then Marky uses to come and sing I Wanna Be Sedated with me. Then Chud plays drums. It was also really funny. We had a really good time with Marky Ramone And The Intruders. Ben is a very young guy and his band is also young but it is very good. I think what they need is a good break. I think it's gonna be hard when you're in band like Ramones, Misfits, Sex Pistols or something like that. When you stop something like that, and you try to do something else, it's always hard, because the most of people just see, what you were doing before. It's hard, but they've did a very good songs. They're a really young band and I think Marky will be around there a long time. Marky's very talented and a very good drummer. We come together very well and we hang around together. He's a very funny guy.

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Jari-Pekka: Which are your favourite songs of Ramones and Misfits?:

Jerry Only: My favourite Misfits songs are the old ones like Astro Zombies, Last Caress and Teenage From Mars. I like real spacey-ones, the ones that move really fast. New ones like American Psycho, From Hell They Came and Don't Open 'Til Doomsday
Ramones favourites: I like Here Today, Gone Tomorrow, Blitzkrieg Bop, Glad To See You Go, Sheena Is A Punk Rocker. I use to play Ramones songs when I practise.
I've tried to do some gigs with Joey also. In Joey's birthday party I played ten songs with Daniel Rey and Joey. Joey really likes to play and perform, Ronnie Spector was there also.

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Jerry Only: It was cold on this morning

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Jari-Pekka:It felt like hell: Jerry Only: In showtime came everybody a little bit warmer and the heat of the people and the heat of the lights helped very much.The last time we came to Europe, we got very very sick. Every day was a rainy day, now, it has been sunny every day.

Jari-Pekka: There's a million different Misfits bootlegs and cover songs. Here's also one split bootleg single of Ramones and Misfits.:

Jerry Only: Oh, really. Funny thing is that I used to hate that when people covered our songs. We played our songs better. Now I appreciate bands covering our songs. When Metallica covered Last Caress, it kept Misfits' name alive over the years. I use to listen all these covers. My favorite musicians are from 1950 - 1960, this is what I like. You can tell that I use to listen Smokie Robinson. But anybody can think what it is when a rap band covers your song?

Now, about the bootlegs; I use to hate them: they're really over-priced, bad quality, there's no artist control. Bootlegs rip my fans. Also you might get famous thanks to the bootlegs.

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Jari-Pekka: What did you like about the first tour after re-arranging and, about this gig:

Jerry Only: First time we came to Europe it was great. It seems to me, that when we came the first time, many people didn't know about our shows. We've made now different songs and writings. It was a very big stage and I liked it. Audience was good, I think that people really respect bands which don't drink alcohol after show - it's bad for next day's performing. We take care a lot about our performing. We don't drink alcohol and we don't smoke. We try to do the best we can do.

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Jari-Pekka: Tell something about the 70's New York-scene:

Jerry Only: Unique: you see 500 people and you know by looking at someone that he is in a band. These ones were 'members' of the Ramones. And that was one of the reasons I collected a band. In Misfits we had an own look. As you know we had influence to our songs and style from horror films, science-fiction and these kind of things. When you look at the band, you see immediately, what they're going to sing about.

Misfits was a part of it's locality. We're not political at all, there's no political texts. We don't either worry about social problems. In our country we had problems in the 60's and the reason was the Vietnam war. People kept singing that we should win the world peace. A few years later, these topics didn't longer exist. Songs like Last Caress and Halloween will live many years.

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(Misfits thanks to Jerry Only and Very Ramoniac thanks to inspector of used language, Ville Partanen-Beatle)