Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
likeeverythingwasnewandfreshandawondermenttohim.Sointhebeginning,
Ididn'trealize howsmarthereallywas.He
acted
justlikeachild,butthefactis,
he was actually very street smart. He really had a grasp of the big picture. I think
thedumbbehaviorwasplay-acting.Itwashisprotection.Ifsomeonewasgetting
too close, and he didn't want to be around them, he would act really dumb. He
could have been a circus hustler.
70
At the outset, Dee Dee was only occasionally difficult with Campbell, but they did have
issues. Often the issues concerned alcohol and drugs, but just as often they were about old-
fashioned work ethic. Dee Dee knew drugs and work were at odds.
ROBERT CAMPBELL
In the beginning, it was just me and him, and each of us had a tape recorder. I'd
teach the songs to him and he would sing them. Now I was supposed to go back
home and listen to the tapes, but I didn't know that. I didn't understand why he
wanted me to tape everything at our rehearsals. It turns out, the Ramones always
tape-recorded their rehearsals and took the tapes home to listen to them and try
to improve.
Dee Dee was always on this Ramones kick.
“The Ramones were always on time,” he said, so I had to be on time. “The
Ramones don't get high or drunk during rehearsals or during their gigs.” Even
if I had drunk one beer walking home from work, he wouldn't play that night.
He said I could only drink
after
rehearsal. We'd rehearse until ten or ten-thirty
at night because we were in the Chelsea and we couldn't keep people awake by
playinganylaterthanthat.SothatmeantIcouldn'tstartdrinkinguntiltenorten-
thirty. But then I had to go to work the next morning.
Weplayedeverysingleday,theselittleget-togetherjams,butthatwasallthat
he had in his life.
Dee Dee's eccentric behavior filled Campbell with anxiety. He was always tip-
toeing around Dee Dee's moods.
ROBERT CAMPBELL
It was weird because he'd say, “Let's take tomorrow off.” Then tomorrow would
come, and since we weren't rehearsing, I would have a drink after work. Then
he'd phone me and say “We need to jam.” Since I'd been drinking, I couldn't
play well, and then he'd act as if
he
was the one being so professional. But just
the day before, he had given me the day off!
Search WWH ::
Custom Search