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The truth that haunts the Ramones: 'They sold more T-shirts than records'

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Re: The truth that haunts the Ramones: 'They sold more T-shirts than records'

#41

Post by [deleted] »

DeathArrow wrote: post #36
deeg wrote: post #7

If the Ramones put their name on all sorts of merchandise does that make them sellouts? I joke, of course, and I'm a big Ramones fan. I've had numerous iterations of that shirt over the years. I often use them as an example when discussing "what is good art?" They are one of the most influential bands of all time and yet they were terrible musicians.

>I joke, of course, and I'm a big Ramones fan. I've had numerous iterations of that shirt over the years. I often use them as an example when discussing "what is good art?" They are one of the most influential bands of all time and yet they were terrible musicians. This makes me to wonder why do you and other people like them and why were them influential? Isn't a band's purpose to produce good music and aren't peopl…

[deleted]

Re: The truth that haunts the Ramones: 'They sold more T-shirts than records'

#44

Post by boomboomsubban »

b00ty4breakfast wrote: post #34
deeg wrote: post #7

If the Ramones put their name on all sorts of merchandise does that make them sellouts? I joke, of course, and I'm a big Ramones fan. I've had numerous iterations of that shirt over the years. I often use them as an example when discussing "what is good art?" They are one of the most influential bands of all time and yet they were terrible musicians.

I know most people don't take the concept of "selling out" seriously anymore, but the Ramones would not be sellouts for making Ramones merch. If they had turned into a hair metal band, where they would otherwise not make hair metal, just so they could sell a bunch of records, that would be selling out. Merely making money is not selling out

So something like getting Phil Spector to produce their record?

Re: The truth that haunts the Ramones: 'They sold more T-shirts than records'

#46

Post by b00ty4breakfast »

boomboomsubban wrote: post #44
b00ty4breakfast wrote: post #34

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I know most people don't take the concept of "selling out" seriously anymore, but the Ramones would not be sellouts for making Ramones merch. If they had turned into a hair metal band, where they would otherwise not make hair metal, just so they could sell a bunch of records, that would be selling out. Merely making money is not selling out

So something like getting Phil Spector to produce their record?

given the massive influence of 60s girl groups on the Ramones, I would say that getting one of the architects of that sound to produce their record is not selling out.

To stay on the "hair metal" example I gave, getting Mutt Lange circa Pyromania to produce a Ramones record would be selling out.

Re: The truth that haunts the Ramones: 'They sold more T-shirts than records'

#47

Post by saidnooneever »

pfannkuchen wrote: post #38
mtts wrote: post #29

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> they were terrible musicians Not only are the songs they wrote really good and catchy, Ramones are one of those bands where it sounds so easy anyone can do it but if you give it a try, you quickly find out it’s difficult to get the nuances right and your results, unlike theirs, sound crude and obviously amateurish. They’re like AC/DC in that respect. Or Melvins.

But have you tried recording your version and also playing it in public and promoting it for decades? It’s possible that’s what is making the one thing sound like it has something hard to name, and the other one not. Like if you are sloppy there is an element of randomness in the output, and any particular randomness will be difficult to replicate.

for this stuff its mostly just a question of buy same gear really. they play a bit 'wild' so esp live it wasnt like super clean. but the sound is mostly having the right kit including recording gear / setup or live equipment etc. depending on what ur trying to do.

playing sloppy isnt too hard to replicate.

Re: The truth that haunts the Ramones: 'They sold more T-shirts than records'

#50

Post by sesm »

slyall wrote: post #43
kleiba wrote: post #39

Isn't the whole point of touring to sell merchandise?

Today perhaps. But in the past the artists money from selling records. So the tour was to promote the album, rather than the other way around

Getting paid for live performance was the traditional way for musicians to earn money for centuries. Record sales was a temporary thing that is now gone.
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