On May 26th, Rudi and Gabe and drummer pal Tim Baca into the Lincoln Lounge
studio in Venice and recorded a tune for an upcoming Ramones tribute album
to be entitled "TODOS SOMOS RAMONES" which is Spanish for "WE ARE ALL RAMONE."
The record will be released on Argentina's ROCKAWAY RECORDS.The record will
feature tracks by JOHNNY THUNDERS & THE HEARTBREAKERS, THE BOYS,
SYLVAIN SYLVAIN &THE SHE WOLVES, THE LURKERS, ALTERNATIVE TV, WHITE TRASH
DEBUTANTES, THE BULLYS, THE HUNTINGTONS, COLLIDER, BLACKFIRE, STIV BATORS,
THE INDEPENDENTS (FEATURING JOEY RAMONE), YOUTH GONE MAD (FEATURING DEE DEE),
BIEN DESOCUPADOS FROM ARGENTINA (FEATURING CJ RAMONE) and several other
bands from Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay, Belgium, Germany, Spain & Japan.
Rudi selected "53rd & 3rd" to cover, because he worked at a deli there in 1984
(along with other garage luminaries Ira Elliot (Fuzztones), Howie Pyro
(Freaks/D-Generation), Wendy Wild (Mad Violets) and Bobby Belfiore (Optic Nerve).
"For me, the Ramones came along right in the nick of time. I was stranded in Harrisburg, PA. where the only thing you ever heard was Styx or Kansas. Their back-to-basics approach helped inspire me to form Tina Peel in 1976."
That same year I played a gig at CBGB with The Dead Boys and Joey Ramone lent us his
apartment to hang out in before the show. I moved to NYC the following year. I formed
The Fuzztones in 1980. The Village Voice called us "fourth rate Ramones clones." In
1984 we did a video for our song "Ward 81," which inspired the Ramones to copy scenes
directly from it for their video "Psychotherapy." In 1986 we replaced our drummer with
Marky Ramone. At the very same time, The Ramones asked future Fuzztones drummer
"Mad" Mike Czekaj to become a Ramone. Marky didn't work out and "Mad" Mike joined us
instead. Marky rejoined the Ramones and they released "Acid Eaters," which contain
several tunes we covered at the time Marky played with us.
The album artwork could've passed for a Fuzztones cover as well.
In 1996 I moved to Venlo, Holland. I had a tour booked and Dee Dee moved in to town and
my agency gave him my tour. When he returned he asked me to produce a solo album
he was planning to record, but for various reasons it didn't happen.
- Rudi Protrudi