Greatest & Latest
What becomes a legend most? For punk godfathers The Ramones, it’s always been black leather jackets, raggedy jeans, and sneakers: straight out of a rock ‘n’ roll teen dream -- and a mother’s worst nightmare. That goes doubly for Dee Dee Ramone, the pioneering band’s original bass player. He’s mad, bad, and dangerous to know, the most uncontrollable, irrepressible member of the world’s most uncontrollable, irrepressible band.Born Douglas Colvin in Ft. Lee, Virginia, Dee Dee grew up in Berlin. His early musical heroes were the Rolling Stones and Jimi Hendrix, who inspired him to pick up a guitar at the age of 12.  Dee Dee attended high school in Queens, NY, then held a series of jobs, including barber and post-office employee. He was working on a building site when he met John Cummings, a fellow fan of the New York Dolls and the Stooges. Together, they formed The Ramones, with Dee Dee as guitarist and lead singer, John (renamed Johnny Ramone) on guitar, and Jeff Hyman (now Joey Ramone) on drums.  Dee Dee switched to bass, Joey took over as lead vocalist, and their manager Tommy Ramone hit the drums. Soon the quartet was playing every week at a new club called CBGB.The Ramones were purist AM-radio freaks rocketing straight from Queens to the Lower East Side, jump-starting rock and roll along the way. Dee Dee, known for his prodigious interest in chemicals of all kinds, wrote gritty, autobiographical songs about drugs, hustlers, and New York City’s mean streets. By the end of 1975, The Ramones had signed to Sire Records. The band’s 1976 self-titled debut -- a four-chord blast of simple melodies and bubblegum lyrics -- cost a hair over $6,000 to make.  The New York Times recenty hailed the album as “one of the Top 25 albums recorded in the 20th century”.During America’s bicentennial summer, the Ramones toured England, where they massively influenced the burgeoning punk movement centered on the Sex Pistols. Dee Dee, impressed by the style of London’s punks, tried to cut and dye his hair, but the other Ramones wouldn’t let him. The next decade was a blur of recording, touring, and more touring. Ramones tribute bands sprang up from Sweden to Sydney. Eventually Dee Dee got restless; he explored other musical styles. After 15 years and a dozen albums with the Ramones, Dee Dee felt that it was time to move on.After The Ramones called it quits in 1996, Dee Dee, C.J., and Marky formed a Ramones cover band called The Remains, with Dee Dee’s wife Barbara Zampini on bass.  In 2000, Avalon Press will release Dee Dee’s autobiography, Poison Heart: Surviving the Ramones, and his horror nover, Chelsea Horror Hotel, in 2001.Through the years, Dee Dee never lost his feel for the subterranean jungle.  His latest studio album is the blistering Greatest And Latest (2000, Conspiracy Music).  Greatest And Latest features Dee Dee re-recording many of the legendary tracks he wrote for The Ramones, as well new solo and cover material.  With production by Chris Spedding (Sex Pistols), it’s got all the punk-rock energy and heedless attack of classic Ramones. Lock up your daughters, and cock your guns: it’s time to rock, Dee Dee-style!