Remembering Tommy Ramone 1949-2014

It was sad to hear about the passing of Tommy Ramone over the weekend, as he and The Ramones played a huge role in me growing up. He passed away in his home July 11th in Queens NY, from Bile Duct Cancer. He was the last surviving original Ramone, being pre-deceased by his brothers in leather Joey Ramone (2001), Dee Dee Ramone (2003) and Johnny Ramone (2004). Joey, Johnny and Tommy all passed from cancer, and Dee Dee a drug overdose.

 Tommy Ramone was born Thomas Erdelyi in 1949 in Hungary. His parents were Jewish, and hidden by friends and survived the Holocaust, but some of his family were taken by the nazis. His family moved to New York in about 1953. As a teenager he met John Cummings (Ramone), and played in a band called "The Tangerine Puppets". He always had a love for music, and especially producing/engineering. In 1970 he was an assistant engineer on Jimi Hendrix's album "Band of Gypsys".

 When The Ramones were forming in March 1974, it was Joey Ramone on drums, Dee Dee on vocals and Johnny on guitar. They auditioned a ton of drummers because Dee Dee couldn't sing and play bass at the same time and his voice would get shredded after a song so Joey got moved to vocals. The drummers they auditioned were all "Led Zeppelin" types, and they wanted to avoid that. They wanted pure rock n roll like the 50's and 60's, when Rock n Roll was simple and fun. Tommy knew what they should sound like, so he stepped in on drums, and the rest is history.

 Tommy is easily one of the most influential drummers of all time. He wasn't the flashiest drummer, but his pure raw energy, solid tight playing and his high hat playing really help create the sound of the band. He was probably the tightest drummer of all time. His intensity on the high hat and playing style became the normal for every band that came after. He often used white Rogers Drum Kits, and just got the perfect sound. He also played a huge factor in writing the songs. He wrote and co wrote many of the best songs on the first 3 albums, although not receiving full credit on the first two. He also co produced the first four albums "Ramones", "Leave Home" , "Rocket To Russia" and "Road To Ruin", although he left the band and was replaced by Marky Bell (Ramone) before "Road To Ruin" came out. He later on produced "Too Tough To Die" for the band.

In later years he formed "Uncle Monk" a bluegrass folk band with Claudia Tienan. He has been in the public eye on and off helping promote the legacy of The Ramones, and really loved the fans. He will be missed by me and millions of others. Marky, Richie, CJ and Elvis are the remaining Ramones, keeping the legacy alive for future generations. - Tate Thompson

INTERVIEW WITH JOHN WELTON OF THE FORGOTTEN REBELS!

John Welton was the bassist in "The Forgotten Rebels" from 1981 to 1986. He had big shoes to fill, replacing Chris Houston who played on "In Love With The System", and he filled them quite well. His bass was the nonstop roaring backbone of the band live. He played very tight with Mike Mirabella (guitar), and they really gave life to The Rebels once again.

 1982 saw the release of "This Ain't Hollywood", and in my opinion it's the finest Forgotten Rebels album made out of all 13 albums. The album gave Punk that kick in the ass it so much need in the 80's. It hasn't been issued on CD, however as a fan I ripped the vinyl tracks in order, copied the cover and made my own release of the CD, that's how important this album is! Johns bass playing on the album is great, and still holds up to this day. He's a true unsung bassist in rock n roll. It's a huge pleasure to be able to interview him!

INTERVIEW

TATE: About when did you get into music, and more specifically start playing bass? Who was your #1 influence?

JOHN: I started playing bass when I was in grade 10.  Before that I had learned piano and organ.  The Rebels and Teenage Head came out of Westdale High School in Hamilton.  Seeing Teenage Head was very inspirational however the Ramones remain my favorite band and biggest influence.

TATE: What was your first "good" bass and amp?

JOHN: I have only ever had Fender P basses.  Still have the first one I bought.  Always played out of an Acoustic 370 amp.  I had 2 of them running parallel when playing live.

TATE: How did you end up joining The Forgotten Rebels in 1981? Did you know any of the guys before you joined? Also, were you a fan of theirs to begin with?

JOHN: I certainly knew the band before Mickey called me and asked me to join.  We lived fairly close to each other and I was playing in The Intentions at the time.  I was eating dinner one night when the phone rang and it was Mickey.  Their bass player had just quit so he needed a new one.  Sort of fell in to place from there.  After a bit, the guitar player quit and I asked Mike Mirabella to join.

TATE: 1982 came along and for me the best Forgotten Rebels album came out, "This Ain't Hollywood". Do you remember anything funny or a good story about recording the album?JOHN: Being in a quality recording studio for  my first time was quite an experience.  Hearing yourself play can be quite humbling.  The most I really remember is that we had a tight budget.  The record company was a small indie label so we had to be prepared.  I cannot remember how long it took us to record but it was a matter of days not weeks.  Many of the tracks were done on one take with limited overdubs.

TATE: "Don't Hide Your Face" is my favorite off the album, what is your favorite song? Also are you proud of the record and the underground cult following it has to this day?

JOHN: That’s a great song.  Of course Surfin’ on Heroin was the most popular song and we were most recognized for that one.  It’s still a cult classic.

TATE: What was it like touring with the band? Was it chaos?

JOHN: Touring was hard but tons of fun.  Travelling across Canada and into the USA was a great experience.  Not very glamorous but couldn’t have been a better “job” at the time.  Some of the shows were chaotic and rarely did everything go as planned but it was what we lived for.

TATE: Do you remember your last show you played with the Rebels in 1983 ? What were you feeling? (last I saw him footage wise was in '83, and not on "Boys Will Be Boys" album, but learned he played with them till then and on the album, left before it released)

JOHN: I actually played until sometime in 1986 – the same year I graduated from university.  My last gig was at one of my favorite places – The Continental Club on Franklin Street in Buffalo, NY.  Great rock’n’roll bar.  I think The Googoo Dolls opened up for us. 

TATE: Why did you leave the band?

JOHN:You know I cannot pin point exactly what drove me to quit the band but it seemed like the right thing to do at the time. 

TATE: Do fans still come up to you and talk about the Rebels?

JOHN:Yes.  Quite regularly.  Hamilton has a fantastic music scene so it is easy to go out and see good shows where there are often Rebels fans around.  One of the best clubs in Hamilton is called “This Ain’t Hollywood…”.

TATE: What exact gear did you use in recording the album, and also live. I've seen the brown P Bass on the Fryfogels live show online.

JOHN: I used that shit brown mid-70’s P bass with my Acoustic 370 amps as well as a direct box to the mixer for the album.  Live it was the same thing although I also had a 70’s P bass which was dark sunburst.  Still have both of those guitars.

TATE: Are you on good terms with your former bandmates?

JOHN: For sure.  We see each other quite often.  Never any hard feelings.  Mickey and I still live close to one another.

TATE: What do you like to do in your free time? Any hobbies?

JOHN: I still play – mostly 6 string electric guitar.  I have a goofy little band called The Coop – we converted an old chicken coop in to a studio.  The band lineup changes often and anyone who wants to join in and play with us is more than welcome.  Golf is my other passion – what a punker!

TATE: You've played with "Intentions", "Mooncrickets" , "Blue Angels" and now The Coop. Did any of these bands produce any albums with you that fans can look for?

JOHN:The Mooncrickets recorded one song and it appears on a compilation album entitled – Music from the Armpit of Canada.  Referencing Hamilton, Ontario.  Frankie Venom and I while in the Blue Angels recorded a 5 song CD/EP.  It was picked up and distributed by an indie label at one point.  I think you can hear those songs on You-tube.

TATE: Will it ever be in the cards again to play with Mickey and the boys?

JOHN: Probably not.  The Rebels don’t gig too often anymore and I think the present lineup is pretty good.  Mirabella and I did a few songs at a reunion gig some years back.

TATE: If you had to do it all again, would you?

JOHN: Absolutely!!!

 Thank you John for the interview! If you're American like me, it's hard to find Forgotten Rebels albums, so your best bet is calling or looking up used record shops in Ontario, Canada or looking on EBAY. - Tate