Saturday, August 22, 2009





Ramones: Soundtrack Of Our Lives honours The Ramones legacy and features many unreleased stories and photos.

Finnish journalist and Ramones webmaster Jari-Pekka Laitio Ramone’s latest Ramones book entitled Ramones: Soundtrack Of Our Lives is the result of nearly 5 years worth of work. It is full of poignant stories that reflect what Joey Ramone (RIP 2001), Dee Dee Ramone (RIP 2002), Johnny Ramone (RIP 2004), as well as the rest of the Ramones family have impacted their fans worldwide.

Ramones: Soundtrack Of Our Lives has interviews and text written by 90 contributors and has 224 pages, and 295 photos/drawings. This book brings together the Ramones family as never before, there are interviews by every surviving Ramones member: Ramones drummers (Tommy Ramone, Marky Ramone, and Richie Ramone), bassist CJ Ramone, and Johnny Ramone's wife Linda Cummings. The introduction is written by Tommy Ramone.

Reluctant to offer fans stories which have been relayed thousands of times before, Jari-Pekka provides new information about the band. His focus is on the Ramones impact on the history of Rock N'Roll. This work is best described as a tribute book. Other Ramones publications have dwelled too much on the fights, problems and other negative aspects of the band's legacy. Lacking are the positive stories that are integral to the history. Jari-Pekka offers candid and positive opinions/stories from people who were influenced musically and inspired by the Ramones.

Contributors to include Seymour Stein (founder of Sire Records), Hilly Kristal (founder of the CBGB's club), Rodney Bingenheimer (radioDJ/ KROQ-FM) and Maria Montoya-Kaye, Walter Lure (Johnny Thunders & The Heartbreakers, Waldos), Wayne Kramer (MC5/DKT), Andy Shernoff (The Dictators), Glen Kolotkin (producer), Noah "Noki" Citrin (an important friend to Joey in the 60's), and Bam Margera (Jackass).

It also features stories and recollections from all kinds of musicians, including Punk Legends and pioneers such as Dez Cadena (Misfits, Black Flag, DC3), Henry Rollins (Black Flag, Rollins Band), Charlie Harper (UK Subs), Glen Matlock (Sex Pistols, The Philistines), and Vinny Stigma, and Roger Miret (Agnostic Front).


Other Punk and Rock'n'Roll bands contributing are: Rob Wright (NoMeansNo and The Hanson Brothers), Andy Cairns (Therapy?), Kenny Håkansson, Nick Royale and Robban Eriksson (The Hellacopters), Bela B. (solo artist, Die Ärzte), Bumblefoot (Guns N'Roses), Happy-Tom and Euroboy (Turbonegro), Johan Blomqvist (Backyard Babies) and Tom Wisniewski (MxPx).

Also included are several Heavy Metalists recalling their reverence and love for the Ramones. Among them are Frank Watkins (Obituary and Gorgoroth), Mikael Åkerfeldt (Opeth, Bloodbath), Phil Campbell (Motörhead), Jon Larsen (Volbeat), Miland "Mille" Petrozza (Kreator), and Ricky Warwick (solo artist, Almighty).

Jari-Pekka has been dedicated to running the biggest and most updated Ramones homepage since 1995 (http://ramones.kauhajoki.fi ), and has authored the books, Heaven Needed A Lead Singer: Fans Remember Joey Ramone (2002), and Rock In Peace: Dee Dee And Joey Ramone (2004).

”I am happy to get the chance to show Ramones fans lots of unreleased photos and drawings prepared exclusively for this book” Jari-Pekka Laitio Ramone states. This book has never-before-released photos and drawings by people like Jenny Lens, George DuBose, and Bobby London.

More information: http://kauhajokinyt.fi/~jplaitio/kolmoskirja.html

Interviews/ orders: jplaitio@kauhajoki.fi / http://ramones.kauhajoki.fi

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