Ramones

Dee Dee Ramone - bass Johnny Ramone - guitar Tommy Ramone - drums Joey Ramone - song
The Ramones made their debut in New York in 1974. Originally composed of Douglas "Dee Dee Ramone" Colvin (bass, song), Jeffrey "Joey Ramone" Hyman (battery) and John "Johnny Ramone" Cummings (guitar), the band became a quartet with the arrival of Thomas "Tommy Ramone" Erdelyi replacing Joey who was singing. After making his teeth on stage, the Ramones signed with Sire Records in late 1975 and continued on their first album in 1976. The same year, a tour was organized in the United Kingdom. Leave Home's second album pushes the Ramones to 48th place in the English charts in the spring of 1977 thanks to the title "Sheena is a Punk Rocker". In the footsteps of the New Yorkers recorded their third album, Rocket to Russia, but had to face Tommy's departure, replaced by Marc "Marky Ramone" Bee, a former Richard Hell&the Voidoids. Under this training is Road to Ruin . Far more accessible than its predecessors, the latter allows them to be entrusted with the soundtrack of Roger Corman's film Rock n' Roll Highschool . This is the beginning of an intense studio activity for the Ramones who, for more than a year, work on the development of End of the Century under the direction of Phil Spector. When it was released in January 1980, the reactions were mixed but the album still ranked 44th in the charts with the reprise of the Ronettes, "Baby I Love You". This is far from the case with Pleasant Dreams , the sixth album of the band that turns out to be a commercial failure. After a rather peaceful year on the roads, the Ramones exit Subterranean Jungle under the direction of Ritchie Cordell and Glen Koltkin. Not content with not expanding the audience to which they claim, this album continues the erosion of the basic audience. The tensions caused Marky's departure, replaced by Richard "Richie Ramone" Beau (The Velveteens ). The band took over the beast's hair in 1984 with Too Tough to Die, which reconnected with the raw sound of the beginnings. For a short time because the Ramones fell back into their own way as soon as Animal Boy was released in 1986. A year later, the recording of Halfway to Sanity did not produce the expected electro-shock. Richie left the band for the benefit of Marky, who reappeared. Even though the Ramones were entrusted in 1989 with the theme-song of Stephan King's film Simetierre, things gradually disintegrated. Dee Dee Ramone puts the ends to embark on a career of rap singer that goes on long before founding Chinese Dragons. He was replaced by Christopher John "C.J. Ramone" Ward. The fall to hell continues for Joey and Marky who treat their alcoholism in detoxification treatments. Three years later the band came out of its torpor for the recording of Mondo Bizarro who failed to stop the decline. Acid Eaters and Adios Amigos, his successors, are experiencing the same disappointments. The Ramones decided to stop the charges after a final farewell tour in 1995 and a participation in Lollapalooza in 1996. Joey Ramone will die of lymph cancer on April 15, 2001. He will be closely followed by Dee Dee, who died of an overdose on June 5, 2002 and Johnny, who died of prostate cancer on September 15, 2004.
A pioneer of the punk movement, the Ramones had a considerable influence and left behind a legacy that today is claimed by formations like The Offspring, Green Day, Rancid or Dropkick Murphys.