RAMONES: INTERVIEW WITH MARKY RAMONE

INTERVIEW WITH MARKY RAMONE

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Copyright© 2001 -> for everything in this page by Jari-Pekka Laitio-Ramone and Maggie St. Thomas.

Interview by Maggie St. Thomas: August 2001

" I would like to let the readers of these interviews know that my opinions and beleifs, perceptions and views are not necessarily shared with the remaining Ramones in these interviews. There are many sides to many stories, and my goal was to inform fellow Ramones fans what the Ramones have been up to since they disbanded in 96'. Some of the content you will read is pretty hurtful at Mickey (Joey's brother) and his involvement with Joey's 50th birthday bash. I would like to say that I haven't any problems with Mickey and can only say that from my experiences with him, he's always been a very nice guy, and I think it is only fair to get Mickey's side for the readers, so you will be able to make your own "educated" decisions about the events and other info in the future. Thank you! (Maggie St.Thomas) "
Also I just wanna share this interview with you fans (Jari-Pekka).

Maggie St. Thomas: Aside from your new band Marky Ramone & The Speedkings, what have you been doing since the disbandment of the Ramones?

Marky Ramone: I've been doing Spoken Word tours around the world. I started it in London then to Ireland, Holland, England, and various coasts of America. I worked on Joey's solo album with him, and I play with the Misfits.
Maggie St. Thomas: Oh yeah! The Misfits played the Warped Tour. How was that?

Marky Ramone: It was great! We blew all those imitation punk bands away! New school is just a copy of the old school. We were only on there for 8 days cause we had other sorts of commitments, and I'm not necessarily a Warped Tour guy. We dont want to be tagged as a Warped Tour band because then you get lumped into that category of bad shorts, stupid sneakers, and bad sunglasses. And I dont want to be in that category.
Maggie St. Thomas: You mentioned you're in Joey's solo album. When will that be released?

Marky Ramone: Next February or March.
Maggie St. Thomas: Are there any special treats you can share with us?

Marky Ramone: We do a Ramones style, Ramones speed rendition of What a Wonderful World by Louie Armstrong.
Maggie St. Thomas: Could you please tell me about your relationship with Joey before his passing?

Marky Ramone: First of all, I was the only Ramone to see him in the hospital and I was the only Ramone who played on his solo album. We were the closest. We fought the most but we made up the most. Johnny & Dee Dee didn't talk to him at all for 18 years and they never made up, but thats their choice, they had deeper issues.
Maggie St. Thomas: I know Im going to touch on a perhaps sore and personal subject for you, but could you tell me why YOU werent at Joeys 50th birthday bash?

Marky Ramone: When Joey died, his mother inherited his estate. The Ramones were going to play the show, but the brother wanted to sing with us. We wanted Joe Strummer to do it, Rob Zombie, and Eddie Vedder. He insisted that he sing so we told him to go fuck himself and we didn't go and we told a lot of the other bands not to go or play. The only bands that really played were Cheap Trick and Debbie (Blondie), and Debbie said she really felt weird there, you know, and when the lights went out a lot of the kids thought The Ramones were coming on stage and all they saw was a spotlight and the banner and they were disappointed. And now, everyone knows that it was the brother's fault because he had delusions of grandeur. That's what happened.
Maggie St. Thomas: I know a lot of your hobbies include a lot of books and films. A lot of horror movies?

Marky Ramone: More sci-fi horror movies, posters, things like that. But mainly sci-fi stuff.
Maggie St. Thomas: What are some of your favorite movies?

Marky Ramone: Alien, Aliens 2, I.T., Godzilla, Prophecy, Monster. John Carpenters The Thing.
Maggie St. Thomas: What types of books do you read?

Marky Ramone: I like adventures and biographies. I also like magazines. Believe it or not I read the N.Y Times entertainment section and the headlines because I'd like to know how in this world anybody voted for Bush.
Maggie St. Thomas: That whole Presidential crap was all rigged anyway. Tell me what kind of musical artists do you enjoy listening to?

Marky Ramone: Heartbreakers, L.A.M.F. live at Max's. Me and Johnny (Thunders) and Jerry (Nolan) were very close. (Sex) Pistols of course.
Maggie St. Thomas: Do you have any stories you can tell me about Johnny Thunders?

Marky Ramone: (hysterical laughter) Yeah! I've got a lot of stories about Johnny Thunders I could tell you. I used to smoke pot with them in Chinatown. It was Thunders and Dee Dee, and Richard Hell and Jerry Nolan. I was never into heroin you know, I was into drinkin. So this is like 77, 78, 79 and they'd all be high off of dope (heroin), they'd be different you know, slackin off. Wed end up going to the bar and havin a few drinks after it wore off. And Id still be the same you know what I mean.
Maggie St. Thomas: According to what you know and remember, can you tell me who really wrote Chinease Rocks?

Marky Ramone: Dee Dee.
Maggie St. Thomas: Was Johnny there (Thunders)?

Marky Ramone: Johnny was there but Dee Dee wrote it. Johnny was busy writing his own stuff around the same time he was writing Born To Lose, and Too Much Junkie Business.
Maggie St. Thomas: What has been the reaction of fans seeing you now and how is it different than when you were with The Ramones?

Marky Ramone: Its You know, a drummer being in a band playing drums. I dont expect any more or less. I'm not the whole Ramones, I never expect to be. I play a lot with different people. As long as it's fun, I'll still be doing it. The money doesnt mean anything anymore. The Ramones did good financially. If I wanted to I could retire but I enjoy playing. I worked very hard and I did the right thing with my money. I didn't slaunder it, and I always suggest everyone do that cause when you get older your gonna need something, right?
Maggie St. Thomas: Tell me about your new band Marky Ramone & The Speedkings?

Marky Ramone: Well have an album out within the next few months (November 2001). It's faster, its more about girls and sex, cars, gasoline and oil. The realities of women and guys and what they really lust for. Its just a side project I have. I'll be touring with The Misfits in September as their drummer.
Maggie St. Thomas: What's the most important thing you learned from The Ramones that you will never forget or leave behind you?

Marky Ramone: How to treat people right. You know, dont act like a rockstar, just be yourself. I hate rockstars.
Maggie St. Thomas: Its quite funny actually, how some people can take themselves too seriously!

Marky Ramone: I hate that shit! It's bullshit! And then you've got these guys saying, Well I have no time to sign your autograph, you know fuck you , and they walk away. I learned that you had to be really appreciative to the people that like you.
Maggie St. Thomas: Do you have any last words?

Marky Ramone: Yeah. My email is on the Ramones Official website www.officialramones.com, Joey's solo album is coming out February or March, me and the Misfits are going to do a new album together, and the Speedkings album will probably be coming out in 2 or 3 months (November 2001). And my spoken word shows will start happening again when I'm not doing this.
(Thanks: Maggie)