Latest news updated: June 30, 2021.
YOU CAN FIND FROM THIS SITE LOT INFORMATION RELATED JOEY RAMONE'S SOLO ALBUMS AND OTHER RELEASES CONCERNING THEM:
1) Basic information of the Don't Worry About Me album, comments by Joey's brother Mickey Leigh, some chart positions etc.
2) Different pressings of Don't Worry About Me.
3)Information of release party and my interview with producer Daniel.
4) Infos of Joey Ramone's second album ...Ya Know?, release date May 15, 2012.
5) Infos of Joey Ramone's Christmas Spirit... In My House CDEP.
6) Infos of Merry Christmas (I Don't Want To Fight Tonight) single.
7) Infos of What A Wonderful World promo single and video.
JOEY RAMONE'S SOLO ALBUM DON'T WORRY ABOUT ME:
We fans were waiting for so many years Joey Ramone's solo album. All
tracks for this Joey's Don't Worry About Me album were finished before
he passed away. At all he recorded around 20 songs together with producer
Daniel Rey. Don't Worry About
Me was released on February 19, 2002. Some countries came later, like
in Japan album was released in March 21, 2002 and in Brazil by Zomba
Records on May 30, 2002. Also some vinyl versions are available.First LP version was released in March 2002 and there are some differences, on the back it has a photo of a young Joey. It is limited to 5000 copies on pink vinyl (it's more dark pink / red than regular pink)
. Don't Worry About Me re-issued on a limited edition white vinyl (LP) on October 21, 2014. A limited edition pink and black splatter vinyl edition was published as a Record Store Day release on June 12, 2021. Read more of some special pressings here.
Joey's brother Mickey Leigh informed me long time before release that he shooked hands with the staff of Sanctuary Records label, making the decision official about releasing an album.
- Album contains 11 song and Don't Worry About Me is one of the song titles. It's one of my favorite songs on the album, and is right in the spirit of my brother liking to see people happy and having fun rather than being sad that he's not with us anymore. I wanted to use a title that was his own words rather than make something up myself or use other people's suggestions, told Mickey in 2002.
TRACKLISTING OF THE DON'T WORRY ABOUT ME:
1) What A Wonderful World (Robert Thiele and George David Weiss)
2) Stop Thinking About It (Joey Ramone and Andy Shernoff)
3) Mr. Punchy (Joey Ramone)
4) Maria Bartiromo (Joey Ramone)
5) Spirit In My House (Joey Ramone)
6) Venting (It's A Different World Today) (Joey Ramone)
7) Like A Drug I Never Did Before (Joey Ramone)
8) Searching For Something (Joey Ramone and Al Maddy)
9) I Got Knocked Down (But I'll Get Up) (Joey Ramone)
10) 1969 (Dave Alexander, James Osterberg, Ron Asheton and Scott Asheton)
11) Don't Worry About Me (Joey Ramone)
Joey said before that he entered a New York studio in late march, 2000, to begin recording. Joey was also asked (February 2000) Marky playing drums for a few songs. Marky played some tracks. Other way the line-up contain also producer/ guitarist Daniel Rey and Dictators bassist Andy Shernoff. Drummer Frank Funaro from the Cracker has also played songs. The Misfits and Captain Sensible guest on other tracks, and Mickey adds a vocal part to the album-closing Don't Worry About Me..
Joey performed some new songs on his "A Pre-CMJ Showcase Party Blowout" -show at CBGB on October wed. 18, 2000.
ALBUM REVIEWS:
Read some album reviews here.
SOME CHART POSITIONS OF THE DON'T WORRY ABOUT ME ALBUM:
- USA: 1st week = 109, 2nd week = 192.
- Finland: 1st week = chart position 25.
(I browsed many charts (+10) and couldn't find other chart positions...)
DIFFERENT PRESSINGS OF DON'T WORRY ABOUT
ME:There are some differences between some album pressings, like in one pressing font color in front and back sleeve is yellow. In normal editions font color is pink.
After album was released and when you ordered it from www.ramonesworld.com, you received Joey's CD with it's release cover PLUS you got the Arturo Vega designed cover that was not used for free. See more details below.
From MusicToday.com store was received Joey Ramone poster and a limited-edition special CD booklet insert.
PINK AND BLACK SPLATTER VINYL VERSION (2021)
A limited edition pink and black splatter vinyl edition of Joey Ramone's first solo album Don't Worry About Me (2002) was published as a Record Store Day release on June 12, 2021 to celebrate what would have been Joey's 70th birthday. His 70th birthday was on May 19, 2021.
Pink and black splatter vinyl edition was limited to 2500 copies worldwide. There are no any bonus material etc. Label BMG.
First LP version was released in March 2002. It is limited to 5000 copies on pink vinyl (it's more dark pink / red than regular pink). Second vinyl version was published (white vinyl) was released on October 21, 2014.
WHITE VINYL VERSION (2014)
Don't Worry About Me re-issued on a limited edition white vinyl (LP) on October 21, 2014. Buy this version of Don't Worry About Me here from Amazon.com
.First LP version was released in March 2002. It is limited to 5000 copies on pink vinyl (it's more dark pink / red than regular pink). Third vinyl version is also available. A limited edition pink and black splatter vinyl edition of was published as a Record Store Day release on June 12, 2021
SPECIAL 2CD RELEASE IN SPAIN: JOEY RAMONE: WHAT A WONDERFUL JOEY 1951-2001 (2003):
There was released a special 2CD Joey Ramone release with a special cover in Spain in January, 2003. Release is titled What A Wonderful Joey 1951-2001. This is limited to 3000 copies and it includes Joey's album Don't Worry About Me album and Christmas Spirit... In My House EP.
Album and CDEP are Sanctuary Records (label) versions. Release has cardboar cover and most of texts in cardboard are in Spanish (for example comments of Joey by Captain Sensible (The Damned) and Lemmy Kilmister (Motö:rhead). Back cover has barcode and name of label Dock (Dock-land.com, site is not working anymore).
DON'T WORRY ABOUT ME DVD WITH EXTRAS (2002)
Re-released - on USA, November 19th, 2002 - Joey's album Don't Worry About Me was re-released in DVD Audio 5.1 Surround Sound format on USA, November 19th, 2002.
SLEEVE ARTWORK VERSION BY ARTURO VEGA (2002)
Arturo Vega released through www.officialramones.com a special edition. See photo of it in right. The sleeve artwork is totally different from official version, it has a picture of Joey on the corner of 2nd St, and Bowery in NYC. Photo is taken by Steven Sebring. It's Joey Ramone Place...
RELEASE PARTY OF DON'T WORRY ABOUT ME AND DANIEL REY'S COMMENTS:
(Pic: Joey and Mickey with The Independents at
Manitoba's bar in New York.)Release party of the Joey's Don't Worry About Me album was at CBGB February 19, 2002. It was a private party.
Daniel Rey told following at Rolling Stone article by Colin Devenish:
"Joey was able to see the project almost all the way through to its conclusion. It wasn't mixed but all the recording was done. Ironically, right before he got sick was when he finished the last little bit, and then I mixed it after he passed. I'm sure he thought about [death], but he also didn't dwell on it, and I think he was just trying to be positive. It wasn't anything that he talked about. That's one reason why the vocals took long, because he wanted to sing when he felt good. I was basically on call for the last year or two. Whenever Joey was up to sing, I was there."
I (Jari-Pekka Laitio-Ramone) did long interview with Daniel Rey at his studio in 2003. Daniel produced many Ramones albums, Joey's albums, Dee Dee's Zonked album etc. Interview is in my second book Rock In Peace: Dee Dee And Joey Ramone.
Here are few samples of interview:
Jari-Pekka: What are your special memories while recording Joey's solo album Don't Worry About Me?
Daniel Rey: "Joey had been talking about making a solo album for like ten years. So we were finally in there in the studio and Marky was set up behind the drums and we were actually recording the first songs. I could look overat Joey and he was smiling, he was very happy that he was finally doing it and it was really exciting for him. More exciting than it had been for the Ramones. Because you know this was something new, a challenge."
Jari-Pekka: How did and when did you and Joey decide the best time to record the vocals for his solo record?
Daniel Rey: "Whenever he felt like singing, he would come over to my house and sing. We recorded it all here in the house and he liked to work early in the daytime and I liked to work late at night. But it worked out well. He liked to just keep coming over to my house and sing a vocal over again and again and everytime that he sang something good, I would keep it you know, and eventually it was all very good. This was Joey's solo album, so he wanted it to be perfect and he didn.t have any pressure to finish it. There wasn.t any record company or manager telling him to finish it and we were doing it in our houses, so it didn't cost any money, Joey took his time and made sure everything was perfect."
He also tell stories behing Joey's songs and much more of Ramones and Dee Dee sessions and his history with the Ramones since 1976 in that special interview which you can find from my book Rock In Peace: Dee Dee And Joey Ramone.
SECOND JOEY RAMONE SOLO ALBUM...:
The highly anticipated second solo LP from Joey Ramone got published in May 22, 2012.
Album is named ...Ya Know?, after the way Joey used to end every sentence in his Queens drawl.
You can find extensively information of ...Ya Know? album here.
JOEY RAMONE'S CHRISTMAS SPIRIT... IN MY HOUSE EP:
Joey Ramone's Christmas Spirit... In My House CDEP came out: December 10, 2002.
CDEP Contains songs:
1) Christmas (Baby Please Come Home). Ronnie Spector is in vocals with Joey.
2) Merry Christmas (I Don't Want To Fight Tonight)
3) Spirit In My House
4) Don't Worry About Me
5) What A Wonderful World
So this was published first in 2002. But in Friday November 28, 2014, got published two Ramones specials in Record Store Day's Black Friday. Another was this Christmas Spirit... In My House, but it has three songs and format is 10' vinyl.
JOEY RAMONE'S MERRY CHRISTMAS (I DONT WANT TO FIGHT TONIGHT) SINGLE
At last song Merry Christmas (I Don't Want To Fight Tonight)
not appeared on the Don't Worry About Me album, but on a single, which
features also a track I Couldn't Sleep At All. This single came out
December 18th, 2001 on
Sanctuary. The single is sold-out and they wont be pressing any more.
Mickey Leigh told following in 2001:
- Joey and I started recording Merry Christmas (I Don't Want To Fight Tonight) after we made the demo of the one used by the Ramones. Often, I helped Joey put his songs on tape as demos, so that he could then play them for the band. We put down the fast version of Merry Christmas... and then we tried a slower, steamier variation and Joey sang this beautiful, really romantic vocal. It's a little different than most Ramones songs, but it's Joey and it is a Christmas song, so we thought it's OK to be a bit sentimental. Completed about two weeks ago (end of August, 2001), I played guitar and bass, and some our old friends: Steve Jordan (from the David Letterman and Blues Brothers band) played drums and Tommy Mandell (Bryan Adams band) on keybords, mention Mickey.
WHAT A WONDERFUL WORLD PROMOSINGLE AND VIDEO
Also Merry Christmas (I Don't Want To Fight Tonight) is included in promosingle, where maintrack is classic cover of Louis Armstrong's What A Wonderful World. This was sent to radio outlets for airplay beginning in early January, 2002.
Mickey wrote for me - January 27th - of the video.
- Very recent news you are hearing first Jari-Pekka, we are planning to make a video very soon for "WHAT A WONDERFUL WORLD". Using some of the footage of Joey performing the song taped at CBGB and Continental with Andy Shernoff of the Dictators and other home, road and backstage footage.
Mickey wrote more news of the video for me in March 27, 2002.
- Have been busy making the video for Wonderful World.. I filmed some scenes for it on Sunday with actor, Michael Pitt, from the movie "Headwig And The Angry Inch" and his girlfriend. We will edit this week and next. We will use that footage along with performance and home movie footage. It is going to be great. Should be ready in about 2 weeks.
Marky told that it contains lot material from his archives and he's really satisfied for video. Mickey said in April 10.
- Finished the video for What A Wonderful World last week. It came out great. I hope you like it... It's now on www.joeyramone.on in RealVideo format, 56K Dialup and Cable Modem