Section: Home Video

RAMONES MAY BE `OUTTA HERE,' BUT THEIR FINALE LIVES ON VIDEO

------------------------------------------------------------

Dateline: NEW YORK-

As the sticker on the box says, they were "America's premier punk band."

So it's only fitting that the concert finale of one of rock's most

glorious groups be commemorated by a home video release. But "We're

Outta Here!," which was released Nov. 25, has turned out to be much more

than a mere concert cassette.

First, the $24.99 Radioactive/Universal tape is packaged with a 32-song

CD soundtrack of the entire 70-minute Aug. 6, 1996, concert at the

Palace in Hollywood, Calif. It features guest performances by Pearl

Jam's Eddie Vedder, Soundgarden's Chris C ornell and Ben Shepherd,

Motorhead's Lemmy Kilmeister, Rancid's Lars Frederiksen and Tim

Armstrong, and original Ramones bassist Dee Dee Ramone in his first

stage appearance with the band since his 1989 departure.

The 150-minute tape goes far beyond the event, offering interviews from

past and present band members. Also on hand are friends and fellow

musicians Jello Biafra, Rob Zombie, Richard Hell, Jerry Harrison, Tina

Weymouth, Chris Frantz, and Debbie Har ry; film directors Jim Jarmusch

and Allan Arkush; and author and former Ramones manager Danny Fields.

Presented, too, is archival footage spanning the Ramones' influential 22-

year career. On the cassette are vintage rehearsal and performance

material from the early days and television appearances on "Sha Na Na,"

"The Uncle Floyd Show," "The Old Gre y Whistle Test," and "The

Simpsons."

"You never know what we can dig up, but as of now, this is the last

piece," says guitarist Johnny Ramone, who with vocalist Joey Ramone went

the distance with the band. Longtime drummer Marky Ramone and young

bassist C.J. Ramone rounded out the qua rtet at its end; Dee Dee Ramone

and original drummer Tommy Ramone also appear on the tape.

"I think there's enough stuff there that the fans will find interesting,

" adds Johnny Ramone. "It's not really a documentary, not really a

concert--but there's a lot of good stuff on there, like two songs from

our concert last year in Buenos Aires, where you see the whole

audience. Seeing Lemmy with the Ramones is tremendous."

"We're Outta Here!" is packaged in a 7- by 7-inch square box, with a

book-like, flip-open top flap. Cartoon artwork recalls classic Ramones

album covers. "It was designed to be a great Christmas boxed set," says

Ira Lippy, the band's manager and vi deo producer. "We wanted to provide

fans with the ultimate collection of the Ramones work at a price they

could afford."

Kevin Kerslake, who directed a longform video for Nirvana and clips for

the Rolling Stones and Soundgarden, was brought on for the project. "He

was really interested, and since we'd done [the Talking Heads'] 'Stop

Making Sense' years ago, we wanted this to be that--or 'The Ramones Last

Waltz'--and show what a Ramones concert was really like," says Lippy.

"But it grew into a chronicle of their whole career, including

testimonials of various key people from various eras. There's a

rehearsal from 1974, CBGB footage, a huge show in an Argentina stadium--

all kinds of stuff that if you're a Ramones fan y ou'll go crazy, and if

you aren't, you'll understand what it was all about."

On the morning of the release date, the Ramones appeared in New York on

Howard Stern's syndicated radio show. That afternoon they were joined by

Dee Dee and Tommy Ramone in greeting fans at the downtown Tower Records.

It was a one-time-only event a t which 500 pieces of "We're Outta Here!"

were sold. The six Ramones signed autographs for three hours.

"There won't be any tour, because the band's retired at this point,"

says Lippy. "It was the last time for anyone to get their hands on the

Ramones."

Lippy adds that retail advertising is the primary marketing focus in

support of "We're Outta Here!," with some servicing of the package to

press and specialty radio shows. "We're positioning it primarily as a

gift set, an opportunity for Ramones fa ns to have a piece of

memorabilia," he says.

"I think there's enough stuff there that people will find enjoyable,"

says Johnny Ramone. It seems to have been a band that could have lived

forever and, on video, probably will.

PHOTO (BLACK &WHITE): The Ramones relive their past in "We're Outta

Here!," a concert video and CD package that includes vintage footage and

band member interviews.

~~~~~~~~

BY JIM BESSMAN