Friday, July 1,1988. Antdope Valley Press Dee Dee Ramone sees no need to change course BY KARLA TIPTON an interview with the Valley acterized many punk bands. ~ssisfantShowcase Editor Press. "Our goal isn't really to "Our songs aren't political and he Ramones haven't get that slick, commercial sound. more fun," said Dee Dee.. gmwn up at all. What's What it is is to preserve the 'They're mare animated-type more, they don't show Ramones sound." songs We've staved away frum any signs of it - even Now in the midst of a nation- the heavy message or shack for afterT 15 years. wrde tour, thas raucous punk.roh the sake bf v~olei&. On their latest Sire LP power pop band will be bnngmg "Oui influences are more like Ramonesmania. a cornoilation of that sound to the L,s Anrelts the Beatles and the Beach Bovs the band's most rhemorable area when they perform a< the along with all the glitter pub songs, the Ramones' steadfast- Holly~+oodPalladium (July a), &om the early '70s. So we have a ness to their musical vision of the Celebrity Theater in Ana- little bit of pop in us." wngue.~n.eheek deadpan lyrrcs heim (July 15) and the John An- That pop influence even turns and raptd-fire thnr chord aongs son Ford Theatre in Hollywood up in the band's monikei Com- hecomeb lmmedlstelv aooarenr (July 16). Dosed of Johnnv. Markv. Joev TG~"band's Defined, the Ramones' sound and Dee Dee aho one, the mem. early career includes strains of '60s pop,. ben derived their names fnm an Rock was marked beach music - and punk, even early Dseudonvnl of I'aul \lc- pnmarlly by though the band's inception pre- Cartnay, who u& to dlhimself Songs ilwk- dates punk by a good three Phil Ramone m the Silver Beat- ing in at under two-and-a-half years. Although often hailed as les davs. minutes and sans any guitar so- Leaders of that movement, the But however namwly defined los, virtually unheard of in the Ramone3 could tsver have been the Ramones sound remams, the mid-'70s. called h~rdcorepurrkcrsA3 New members themselves luten to a In concert, all you eould usu- Yorkem, the members were dxverslty of musxe Dee Dee's cur- ally hear of the lyrics were the strongly influenced by early, me- rent favorites range from reggae song titles, such as "Gimme Gim- Ld~e'60s pop - as well as glxtter art~stssuch as Zlggy Marley to me Shock Treatment," "Sheena rockers such as the New York the speed metal groups Metalllca is a Punk Rocker" and 'T Wanna and Megadeth to purlst street Be Sedated." Dolls, Allce Cooper and T-Rex new compilation album Ramonesmania and a nationwide tour They never d~dtake rock 'n' mll rappers such as Pubhe Enemy that,will bring them this month tothe Hollvwood Palladium, the According to bassist Dee Dee seriously nor make the extreme And although fans shouldn't Ramone, the group sees no rea- Celebrity Theatre and the John Anson Ford Theatre. Picturec son to alter that musical diree- anarchist statements that char- from left are Johnny, Marky. Joevand Dee DeeRamone. don ontheir nelit album of new material, tentatively to be re- leased next summer. In recording it, "we're going to Ramone take our time," said Dee Dee in From H4 As for going on the mad, the expect any rap lduences to turn Ramones have h~enUD "ear- up on the Ramones next mrd, round, non-stop -touring; Ghich they can laak for a solo rap al- over the years took its toll. In bum fmm Dee Dee 1983, Jaey and Johnny were both Of the matenal on the album haspitslized for illnesses and - set for release m September - drummer Mdy leR for health Dee Dee descnbd it as 'hot typl- rewns. It wasn't until a year cal yp It's gang to be more ago that Marky was able to re- .--.-..A join the band. Now they're all But unlike the street rappers back together and on the mad he admires so much, Dee Dee again, and according Dee Dee doesn't improvise his lyrics, but 'We're all still in mod sham." painstakingly mmpoaes them. As a gmip, th;: ~arnoiesare "It's all thought out," he said. still healthy as well. "It's a hap '"I'm very meticulous about how I py band," he said. write lyrics and I don't use the The release of the new mmpi- standard cliches. That's, what's lation album does inspire speeu- starting O turn me off about rap, lation of the Ramon& future, because everybady's scaning to and Dee Dee estimates the band sound lrke rvervone el* and the will continue to tour for five words are prettjr lame." more years. However, Dee Dee's not just Ramonesmania also pmvides writing rap songs. For the next a logid pause for retrospect:. Barnones LP, he's already eo- "Listening to the newalhum, written two songs with Stiv I'm really adwhat good Bators, lead singer of the Dead songs we have and what we've Boys and the defunct Lords of accomplished," he said. "I'm glad the New Church. we're together."