Working for Sire, Leon became involved with the percolating New York underground music scene. One summer night in ‘75 Leon went to CBGB’s looking for Patti Smith, who was already signed to Arista. Owner Hilly Kristal suggested that Leon come back later that week to see a show with two bands named Talking Heads and the Ramones. “I went to that show and there were literally four people in the audience besides me, but the bands were phenomenal.
“With the Ramones, I scouted them and then I had to develop them. A lot of people didn’t even think they could make a record. There were weeks of preproduction on a very basic level: like when the songs started and when they ended. Their early sets were one long song until they ran out of steam or fought. You could see it as a performance art-type thing, where you had a 17-minute concise capsule of everything you ever knew about rock ’n’ roll. Or you could see it as 22 little songs.
"They had a very serious concept of what they wanted to do, but then we had to get the execution up to the point of actually being able to do it. It was the original drummer, Tommy, who had the concept of what they should sound like, and what they should look like,” said Leon.
The Ramones’ sound was blazing early-’60s surf music played through the overdriven distortion of Blue Cheer and Black Sabbath. Yet, according to Leon, the Ramones saw themselves as a pop band.
“In our naiveté, we thought they were going to be bigger than the Beatles. They had even named themselves after Paul McCartney’s early stage name, ‘Paul Ramone.’”
“The whole New York music thing was seen as an extension of the art scene, so we thought we were doing something cultural. It might have been pretentious, but what the hell, we were having fun. We really thought we were doing something groundbreaking and new. A lot of that is missing today," he said.
Article comments
— go to most recent comments1 - Jones Violet
Poor CBGB. It will be a sad day if it disappears.
There's also a blog dedicated to saving CBGB which can be found here if anyone is interested. it has photos from Hilly's book signings and other good things.
2 - Eric Berlin
Living Colour at CBGBs? Man, I'd sell my soul to get into that thing. Well... maybe my cat's soul. Also: Sham 69! I'd love to see how those fellas are holding up these days.
Good for Little Steven and good for New York -- it needs its cultural icons. A friend of mine, another ex-pat New Yorker in SoCal lament the fact that everytime we head back to New York its a changed place -- restaurants, clubs... and on a down note, the skyline often changing.
I think if LS can manage the Bada Bing he'll do fine with a little old country blue grass venue.
3 - todd
Is there free Metamucel at the bar?
4 - Dave Nalle
you don't want to be in a room full of 40 year old punks who can't get their metamucel.
Dave
5 - gonzo marx
hey, Mr Nalle...considering i've played the club..
i resemble that remark...
Excelsior!
6 - Dave Nalle
I resemble it too, since I was one of those audience members - 25 years younger, perhaps, but dreaming of metamucil sometime in the future.
Dave
7 - Eric Berlin
In my "era," CBGBs was a place for no name punk bands. I practically lived at The Continental, Lion's Den, and The Wetlands for a period of time.
8 - Eric Olsen
on the surface it appears some accomodation should be able to be reached, but maybe there is more going on than meets the eye
9 - Eric Olsen
oh, and a lot of these punks wish they were 40, as do I at this point
10 - Bryan McKay
If anything, this could be a great excuse for that Talking Heads reunion we've all been waiting for...
11 - Eric Berlin
I'd dole out some serious kis-ash to take a time machine back to CBGBs, circa 1977, to see The Ramones.
12 - lne
Y'all are correct if these folks think they are 40+. I used to hang out at CBGBs back in 1967-1969, when it was a terrible DIVE.....and I'm 56 *albeit looking 42* *G*
However, today's 50 is yesterday's 30!!! So they say.....*chuckles*
Enjoy!! Save CBGBs!!!
13 - Marty Thau
CB's has to be considered the greatest club in New York's rock history. I remember one show that consisted of Talking Heads, Blondie, Ramones, Suicide, Patti Smith, Cramps, and Mink DeVille and it cost $5 to get in. Was an amazing place. Hilly deserves kudos for his many years of excellence.
14 - Bryan McKay
I don't understand why the selection of bands trying to "save CBGBs" is so pathetic though. Where are the Talking Heads? Where is Patti Smith? Where is Television? Where are the New York Dolls? Do these people all just forget their roots?
15 - Dave Nalle
Very good point, Bryan. The Dolls just reunited. They need a good place to show their stuff.
Dave
16 - Eric Olsen
an excellent point, indeed: the whole crusade seems kind of muted, like the really big guns -- the classic bands, the mayor, city council (or whatever they call it in NYC), etc -- aren't bothering to get involved for some reason. Hmm
17 - Marty Thau
Bryan, the Dolls never played CBGB's. By mid - '73 they had released their first LP and went on the road and to Europe. CBs started to become popular in '75, '76. When the Dolls were playing clubs in '72 into '73 they played at Max's Kansas City. By '77, the Dolls had already imploded and CB's was then at its peak.
18 - Eric Olsen
live fast, die young, leave a pretty corpse, but then reunite
19 - Eric Berlin
Take the skinheads bowling in between...
20 - Bryan McKay
Sorry for the chronological mishap, Marty. I assumed they would have played there, but apparently I was wrong. They were still figureheads of that scene, though, and do have a certain connection to club, whether they played there or not. It surely wouldn't hurt them to support this cause...
21 - Eric Olsen
but the point holds that the big name scenesters associated with the club could be doing something
22 - Eric Berlin
Maybe someone like Patti Smith doesn't want to be seen as a nostalgia act?
Not saying that's an excuse, but maybe plausibe.
23 - Lisa McKay
She still performs, and played around here with Television last year, so it's not like they're exactly ignoring their past.
24 - Eric Olsen
as I said, there may be something else going on here
25 - Marty Thau
I agree Bryan.