How many drugs are too many drugs? Well, many people may not know this, but lovable goofball Dee Dee Ramone, bass player for the legendary NY punks, had a brief side project as Dee Dee King in 1989.
In a deleted scene from the Ramones biopic End Of The Century directed by Michael Gramagia and Jim Fields in 2002, Dee Dee fondly recalls the inspiration for his musical U-turn:
“Somebody started calling me Doug Fresh, cause that’s my real name, Doug . Like Doug E Fresh and the Get Fresh Crew. I thought it’d be kinda interestin’… I’m not gonna make another album. Hur! Hur ! Hur!”
Thankfully, he was as good as his word. This err… unique side project featured such classics as Funky Man (it wasn’t) and was followed up by the album Standing In The Spotlight, which had Debbie Harry on backing vocals, and Chris Stein and Marky Ramone, amid its personnel. Ramone sported gold chains as he lumbered around rapping out of time. Happily the lustre wore off the bling as quickly as the comedown and he got sober and ditched both drugs and this ill-advised act of artistic hubris. It currently retails on e Bay for £24.50. I’d body swerve it if I were you.
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