Arriving at LAX by Jenny Lens

At the Whisky by Jenny Lens

All photos by Jenny Lens.

By the pool at the Sunset Marquis

Photos by Danny Fields

Tommy and Linda outside of Licorice Pizza signing. 1977

by Danny Fields

"When Linda got in the van for the first time during that west coast tour, I told her, "You sit in the back row", and she turned to me and said, "Not for long." I thought " What is this, this girl answers back to me?" Joey told her to not say anything but she did anyways. I thought it was kind of funny."

-Johnny Ramone, from his book Commando.

Linda at the record signing at Licorice Pizza, 1977 by Danny Fields

Fans in line, by Danny Fields.

Joey by Brad Elterman

Photos by Jenny Lens.

Photos by Jenny Lens

"We moved into the Tropicana Motor Hotel on Santa Monica Blvd while we worked on the movie. It was cheaper than the Sunset Marquis, where we usually stayed. We spent a lot of time at the pool. Tom Waits had a room at the Tropicana when we got there. We all talked to him, and he was a nice guy. They tore the place down in 1985. Now it's a Ramada."

- Johnny Ramone, from his book Commando.

Tom Waits and Tommy at the Tropicana.

photo by Brad Elterman.

Joey Ramone and Director Allan Arkush on the set of Rock N Roll High School (1979)

"That backstage scene with the band getting pizza was shot at the Whisky; the concert stuff was shot at the Roxy; and the outside of the theater was at the Mayan. The pizza scene took a while. Joey was a real good sport about getting all those bean sprouts in his mouth, or whatever the hell it was…"

- Allan Arkush

Rock 'N' Roll High School

(Music from the Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) available HERE

"You know, many of Miss Togar’s dialogue lines were taken verbatim from things said by my high school principal. It was John’s idea to put the “Kick Me” sign on her back. The Ramones had a lot of respect for her because of the Warhol connection, and the Velvet Underground, the Factory scene, all that." 

-Allan Arkush, interview for the Village Voice

art by John Holmstrom of PUNK Magazine

The "family values" punk group make an appearance on a popular USTV program, which featured comedy skits, as well as music .

With Phil Spector.

" Phil would make us think we were going to change studios every day, so we never knew where we were going in advance.[...] Each day we would have to call to find out where to go, but we never moved. We'd be at the same place every day Gold Star Studios.[..] For some reason he always wanted us to think we might move. I don't know if it was drugs, paranoia or what. He was crazy."

- Johnny Ramone, from his book Commando.

"Then we got the jacket issue.[...]I should never have agreed to take the picture without the leather jacket. The pictures came back and the band outvoted me, so we used the shot with the colored T-shirts.[..] They said, " Let's get rid of the leather jackets. The jackets are why we're not getting played on the radio." The photo on the inside sleeve, with the jackets, that was supposed to be the cover. I was mad when I got voted down."

-Johnny Ramone, from his book Commando.