Music Armed Producer who would have done the ramons of hostages in albumble recording decided to work with one of the most acclaimed studio professionals of that time – unaware that he was dealing with someone problematic by writing

In the late 1970s, the Ramones They were already one of the most important bands of punk rock. However, they failed the commercial success that other contemporaries had gained. In this context, the figure of Phil Spectorproducer – and a convicted criminal future – who worked with the band on their most radio album, End of the Century (1980).

It was for the involvement to have started before. Famous for having recorded names like the Beatles (as well as John Lennon and George Harrison), Ike & Tina Turner and the RonettesSpector offered to help with the recordings of Rocket to Russia (1977), penultimate album before End of the Century. The group refused, but the label would later accept the assistance on a timely manner due to low sales.

At that time, the drummer Tommy Ramone He was the producer of the band. He would move away from the instrument, but continued in studio with his former colleagues to register Road to Ruin (1978). However, things continued not working in commercially for the Ramones. So they would finally accept to work with Phil, also consecrated for adopting a recording technique called “Wall of Sound” – widely produced and full of effects to sound well even in low quality radio equipment.

All right… to go wrong. Despite the undeniable talent, Spector was a difficult guy to say the least. No wonder, it would be arrested decades later for the murder of the actress Lana Clarkson. The producer died in jail in 2021 from Covid-19.

Before that, he terrified the lives of many people. Including that of Ramones, who have already begun the End of the Century sessions annoyed with the extremely slow and methodical studio professional in his work, while the punk quartet was accelerated in every way.

In an interview with Classic Rock (via Igor Miranda website), the drummer Marky Ramone said the confusion began in the rewriting of “Rock ‘N’ Roll High School”track that had already been released in 1979 for the soundtrack of the eponymous movie. According to him, Spector made the guitarist Johnny Ramone Repeat the same chord for hours, at very high volume, to capture perfect executions and form a sound layer.

Marky, curiously, seemed to have gotten good with Phil. He comments:

“I understood his attitude. He was from Bronx, I was from Brooklyn. We got along very well and we had a good relationship. But he had his way of working, which was very slow, and the Ramones had their way of working, which was very fast. So that sometimes bothered everyone and led to an animosity with Johnny and Dee Dee. ”

The aforementioned bassist Dee Dee Ramonein turn, it adds:

“Phil was sitting in the control room and listened to the Marky headphones playing a battery note, hour after hour, hour, hour after hour.”

Phil Spector would have kept the ramones hostage

As the recordings evolved – or not -, Phil Spector’s behavior gained even more bizarre airs. And, it seems, criminals.

Dee Dee states that the Ramones were held hostage by the producer for a few hours in his home. The studio professional was armed and even pointed out his pistol toward the musicians.

According to the bassist, the situation took place after Spector took singer Joey Ramone to a three -hour private meeting at his mansion/studio. Concerned about the delay, Dee Dee came to them – and ended up witnessing Phil “at the top of a stairs, shouting and bravening a gun.” The producer would have appointed his pistol in the heart of the musician and ordained that the band went to another room.

In Dee Dee’s words:

“He only kept his pistol when he felt sure his security guards could assume. Then he sat on his black piano and made us hear him play and sing ‘Baby, I Love You’ until well after 4:30 am. ”

In a similar version, Johnny Ramone states that Phil Spector was always armed and reveals that the Ramones have been “prisoners at their home for about six hours” and thought they would be shot. The guitarist says:

“I said, ‘Let’s go,’ he drew a gun and said, ‘Do you want to leave?’ I said, ‘No, okay, we’ll be for a while.’

On the other hand, Marky Ramone gave a very different account. According to him, Phil Spector “did not poke weapons to anyone.” They existed, but the producer “had license to carry” and “never made the band hostage.”

Successful ramones?

Despite the discomfort with the slow process, it is believed that End of the Century It was done in a month: May 1979. Post’s work ended up taking longer, given that the album would only come out on February 4, 1980.

In the end, the album had good sales, but not enough to be called “success.” It reached the 44th position of the American Parade, being the work of the group to arrive higher in this ranking. It also had moderate repercussion in Europe and the United Kingdom. In addition to “Rock ‘N’ Roll High School”there are bands like “From You Remember Rock ‘N’ Roll Radio” and “Baby, I Love You”this is a cover of the Ronettes.

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