Take Five: Ramones Rarities

Hitting the scene in 1974, the Ramones were a blast of gritty air onto the pop music landscape. Their stripped-down, sped-up songs combined wild punk energy and bubblegum-style lyrics. Their songs were elemental affairs with titles like “Beat on the Brat” and “Now I Wanna Sniff Some Glue.” It was all done in fun, but the group made a serious impact on New York City’s music with their self-titled 1976 debut LP. Music would never be the same; the punk musical values the Ramones ushered in may not have sold millions of copies, but like other underground bands before them, the Ramones’ influence far outpaced their record sales. On the 50th anniversary of Ramones, here are five rarities from the band.

“Surfin’ Safari” from Rodney Bingenheimer Presents “All Year Party!” Volume One (1984)
Credited to Rodney & The Brunettes, this one-off track was included on a various-artists record curated by famed (and controversial) L.A. disc jockey/scenester Rodney Bingenheimer. The Honeys were a female vocal trio featuring Marilyn Rovell, wife of Beach Boys’ Brian Wilson (who co-wrote the classic “Surfin’ Safari” in 1962). The Honeys ostensibly share backing vocals with Joey Ramone, but neither he nor “lead” singer Bingenheimer are prominent in the mix. The rest of the Ramones (Johnny, Dee Dee and Mark) offer instrumental support along with added session players.

“Go Home Ann” – B-side of “Bonzo Goes to Bitburg” single, 1985 (UK only)
The Ramones’ lyrics often focused on street-level concerns or fanciful scenes; rarely did the group venture into the realm of political protest. But they did so for a 1985 single, “Bonzo Goes to Bitburg.” The song’s title refers to a ceremonial visit that the United States’ then-president Ronald Reagan made to a German military cemetery where Nazi Waffen-SS members were interred. While critically acclaimed, the record wasn’t released in the U.S. That UK-only single’s flip was a dark – if comparatively uncontroversial – anti-love ditty; it has yet to appear on a Ramones album.

“(And) I Don’t Want to Live this Life” – B-side of “Crummy Stuff” single, 1985 (UK only)
Bassist Dee Dee Ramone wrote this track, recorded for (but not included on) the band’s 1986 album Animal Boy. Produced by multi-instrumentalist and former Plasmatics bassist Jean Beauvoir, it’s an exemplar of the Ramones’ mid ‘80s radio-friendly sound. The track was re-titled “I Don’t Want to Live This Life (Anymore)” when it was featured on Disc Two of the 1999 compilation Hey! Ho! Let’s Go: The Anthology.

“(You) Can’t Say Anything Nice” – B-side of “Something to Believe In” single, 1986 (UK only)
Richie Ramone was the band’s third drummer, taking over for Marky Ramone (who replaced original drummer Tommy Ramone). He would play on three of the band’s albums: 1984’s Too Tough to Die, Animal Boy (1986) and 1987’s Halfway to Sanity before leaving (to be replaced by a returning Marky Ramone). During his time with the band, Richie wrote songs for the Ramones including the popular “Somebody Put Something in My Drink.” He wrote and sang “(You) Can’t Say Anything Nice,” but the track didn’t make it onto Animal Boy. Instead, it appeared only as a B-side in the UK.

“Life Goes On” – B-side of “Real Cool Time” single, 1987 (UK only)
The Ramones always had great taste in covers. The band went so far as to record an entire album’s worth: 1993’s well-regarded Acid Eaters. And the group covered other artists as far back as their 1976 debut album’s “Let’s Dance.” But even though there are stylistic similarities between the Ramones and Iggy and the Stooges, the Ramones’ “Real Cool Time” is not the same song as the The Stooges track from their 1969 debut album. The flip of the Johnny Ramone-penned “Real Cool Time” single in the UK, “Life Goes On” hasn’t appeared on any of the group’s albums.