Johnny Thunders interview, Ireland 1990

[@nhl041976]

so sharp in every way. he was gone within a year of this. Poor Johnny. He was so talented and a natural. His voice, guitar style and presence was like no one else.

[@Itelkner]

Was just thinking the same thing. What a presence, nothing else like him.

[@mebeasensei]

And he looked way healthier here than say, in the early '80s.

[@philliplandry4139]

​@mebeasensei That's what I'm thinking, even though he was ill during this interview. Johnny looks way better than his junkie years (early 80s). If only Johnny would have listened to Nolan to get treatment instead of going to Japan and New Orleans, he might have live through. I know people might disagree with me or not. I always felt Johnny is one of the earliest people started the 80s thread in the early 70s with the New York Dolls and when he had died in 1991. The 80s died with him including Freddy Mercury's death and Magic Johnson HIV announcement later that year.

[@sovaine]

I'm 62 next week and I'm still taken a back that I met Johnny Thunders in 87 and 89....he wanted to swap his black suit jacket for my red drape jacket and I knocked him back, then I met him again at the Leeds Astoria backstage and he remembered my red drape jacket....I found him polite and very articulate considering the medication etc he was taking...a true icon simple as that.

[@bmoneyrancidfan91]

Legendary u should of traded just cause it was johnnys

[@victorgallagher6312]

Thats how he got most of his clothes was by trading clothes with other people

[@Randy-jz9ox]

You blew it lol you could have had that coat man!

[@benji.B-side]

Great interview, great performance, this man is a legend and was gone too soon!!

[@deeg8849]

Straight up rock n roller. Swagger and smart.

[@leahflower9924]

Yes definitely

[@RavnerRavner]

He has it together here. He's so much smarter than he pretended not to be.

[@ExcitedAnacondaSnake-hg8ec]

Methadone and alcohol

[@victorgallagher6312]

A true Guitar Hero, And a one of a kind Rockstar, there will be nobody like Johnny Thunders. 🤘🤘🤘🤘🤘

[@bigmaz4002]

Great to see Johnny so put together.

[@sgt.thundercok4704]

While looking so on the edge.

[@johnryan3913]

Methadone was a life saviour.

[@jamesfarrell8346]

Had the pleasure of seeing him at Cabooze, Minneapolis tha year. Fantastic show. Anyone else there?

[@Paulcvids]

The camerawork on this and general production is sensational!

[@TruthScopeTV]

British TV and film production has always been outstanding - the quality is very good for the time.

[@speakertreatz]

Maybe it has, but this is Irish TV not British@@TruthScopeTV

[@toneohm]

how awesome was that.. went right from the interview, straight into a song.. all shot on film mind you.. such a time back then.. amazing

[@NancyLynn]

So sad, his leaving this earth. ....thanks for the upload CR!

[@jamesbradshaw3389]

I fully agree with you, what an honest good man he was, Johnny please come back for a little while and bring Phil Rory & Garry with you

[@robbysoaks]

At the beginning of the interview, JT mentions that he worked with Stiv Bators and Dee Dee Ramone, who were putting a group together, in Paris. Tragically, not long after this interview, the great Stiv Bators was struck by a car in Paris. Bators died later that night in his sleep from a traumatic brain injury (he had been taken to a hospital, but reportedly left before seeing a doctor after waiting several hours and assuming he was not injured).

[@mikehoben7341]

This is an amazing snapshot of the yr 1990. wow i love it

[@seandelap6268]

Thanks very much for uploading this.

[@fliphens1]

Last of the real rockers,jt like no other

[@df289]

I saw Johnny thunders in the TV club in 1983-4 or something. He was f++king brilliant. He stood at the mike dressed like Dick Whittington with long boots and just rip it for the whole gig he was off his head, don,t think he knew where he was.A memorable gig

[@vamboroolz1612]

I saw him in 1984 on a co headline tour of the UK with Hanoi Rocks. He was wasted but memorable enough that I can still clearly remember both bands sets.

[@johnrectangle6034]

Here is the JT I like.This man,alone,made r'n'r so interesting and so exciting from 73 to 77.RIP Mr Thunders

[@xdef1ne]

For someone who was dead a year later, he looks quite good here.

[@johnrectangle6034]

He should be on methadone programm.Because he 's so articulate.There's a lot of videos where he's acting like a junkie

[@falica77]

In 1991 he looked very ill

[@xdef1ne]

@@falica77 that he did

[@septimiusseverus343]

Johnny had been diagnosed with leukemia in '87. In the last year of his life it accelerated and it explains the decline in his appearance during that time. I fear that even had Johnny not died that night he'd have been living on borrowed time anyway.

[@paulocanecarlthedamnjohnson]

Yeah wait till he takes his sunglasses off

[@rooflessmofo]

A superb upload.

[@keenanketsdever590]

I love that sax playing

[@Johnniehaha]

I wish I'd have met him, he sounds like a down to earth geezer, if a little wayward.

[@philliplandry4139]

He was far from a geezer. He passed away at 38.

[@sgt.thundercok4704]

What a wise, and sharp wit. Street smart.

[@gionugoro9150]

Johnny ❤

[@fletchkeilman2205]

Thank you for this

[@Rexy-sy9wt]

Thanks for posting. I really got into his solo stuff So much that i started doing a thunders tribute . I did like the Dolls alot prior and was in Hollywood 18 years early 80's til late 90's. Grew up on soul music then classic rock then punk ..glam. Weird that although his LAMF record got played often at the rotating door punk house Huntington Beach. Weird 2014 i formed LAMF tribute. I met Brooke Delarco a nice lady who had been at Johnnys side as a take care of everything from mixing sound to finding gear ... She had a great memorial for Johnny during covid . Show was supposed to be at Satellite club or Spaceland LA.. because of covid she had artists n bands from all over the world send their renditions of JT songs. She got so many she had to scale it down to maybe a dozen foing 2-3 songs each. She booked a kool recording studio downtown LA and had my LAMF band play live one take a few songs two of them we learned on the spot and went for it "Alone in a crowd" ..there was a couple bands before us and another couple after us with Sam Harris singing did a great job doing "Operator" .. its on youtube search Johnny Thunders 30 year memorial.

[@walkingwithtamson]

Auld Johnny... How long can you keep going, till I die...

[@mdermot]

Great stuff 👍 ...and Simon Carmody lurking over his shoulder!

[@1967PONTIACGTO]

Johnny is amazing here... both in what he says and the song... but it's unbelievable how many times I've seen his guitar strap come loose during a performance

[@victorblack6995]

RIP Johnny Thunders LAMF!

[@steve-bk1qd]

A rock 'n' roll legend... old school... a tragic waste... so many great songs... could have been so many more

[@koont666]

Used to drink with him at the ad lib Kensington lovely fella ❤🇬🇧

[@kingeatking]

Great upload. Especially as a year he was found dead.

[@drumgold23]

Surprisingly good interviewer.

[@speakertreatz]

It's not a surprise to anyone who has seen Shay Healy interview people, musicians or otherwise. If you want to see the direct opposite look for Danny Bakers interview with Johnny from around the same time.

[@jamesbradshaw3389]

Did you ever hear the story that Phil told about meeting Johnny Thunders at a recording section in London for Johhny's new album, Phil was cracking up about Johnny taking drugs and finding it hard to stand up. Fucking drugs badly damage those of those very great hard rocking men. What a nice honest good man John was. now for my personal request Hi Johnny please come back for a little while and bring Phil, Rory, Jimi,Garry and Willy DeVille and Jim Morison back with you. Life would be extra great if Johhny and Phil and all those great people was still around town playing their music, telling their stories, and kicking up plenty of dust

[@SlobZombie]

If you can somehow read KZbin video comments on the other side.....Thanks Johnny!

[@karllux-d6g]

Even the dark forces that took him away could not erase the legendary status of the figure, the talent and the aura. There were like a dozen embodiments of the true RnR spirit in the second half of the century. Thunders was one of them, and that's RnR royalty shortlisting.

[@TRASHtheband]

Johnny looking good!!! Everybody ripped him off...I'm talking to you Nikki Sixx...

[@buzibatman]

Wdym he ripped him off?

[@pariaheep]

Such a sweet pie... Little Johnny Thunders. Handsome as hell, R.I.P. man, we love you!

[@Talentedtadpole]

He was violent to women.

[@entosphenus]

Great interview RTE had their moments RIP Johnny

[@afay8807]

Nighthawks was a great programme. RIP Shea.

[@robbiebanks9182]

I hated it .

[@matthewjdouglas6471]

John was on great form here. So sad he would die so young. I would've loved to have known johnny he was a real person. With rock'n'roll in his veins

[@robertthorn8233]

SeX PisTOls’Great Rock n’Roll Band!…J.T.🖤R.I.P.,..X

[@bealmor1963]

I saw him in Belfast. Pure Rock'n'Roll even though he was a bit wasted.

[@matthewjdouglas6471]

Johnny's guitar straps are a curse

[@brnrik500]

I love how he handled his strap coming off his guitar. He laughed & made jokes. “Who dreams of one day being a Rock Writer?” 😂🤣😂🤣 Legend!!! RIP JT hope & pray we meet in heaven soon✝️🙏👏👍🎸

[@szann6639]

holy fuck! this is awesome! everyone should know this mans name! so fuckin cool! lets get weird every day!

[@jonathansteadman7935]

When Johnny was 'on' he was just cool as fuck. Saw him about 5 times in the 80's, Marquee, Dingwalls, the Ad Lib in Kensington/Shepherds Bush, he had laryngitis. You never knew if you were going to get an excellent gig of to wasted to play, but that was what you got. Definitely a one off, but 100% Rock n Roll.

[@jimszikk775]

Brilliant!

[@leannecampbell4551]

The mercurial JT in all his glory!

[@royfowler3893]

LEGEND. 🔥👏💔

[@Ragnarokr]

Even a stoned Thunders can outclass below average interviewers. You just wonder if he had managed to stay clean what he could have acomplished...

[@speakertreatz]

Shay was giving him a lot of room, letting him tell old stories about Dee Dee, prompting him to talk about his influences, carrying him through the interview. He didn't want a car crash ruining his programme.

[@johnryan3913]

​@@speakertreatzJT seems pretty straight here. He was on methadone and that sobriety utterly changed his songwriting voice. Then suddenly he was gone.

[@johnmonachelli5256]

He simply burned to bright for this earth

[@chabrake]

Vous dites que des bla bla ...I love forever Johnny T. Merci pour tous ces bons moments .Ty

[@Cfolger]

Anyone seen that movie room 37?

[@billbailey1511]

Dee Dee was 100 percent Gay or Bi. I'm gay myself and he has the mannerisms (despite his attempt to lessen them) plus he used to work as a rent boy. Johnny knew.

[@smkxodnwbwkdns8369]

He wasn’t gay. He sold his body for money and picked up homosexual mannerisms pretending to be a pretty boy for money but he wasn’t attracted to men.

[@motorcop505]

Just listen to Chinese Rocks. He was probably bi as he had two close wives.

[@smkxodnwbwkdns8369]

I also notice a lot of gay guys are sure of a lot of straight people being gay, for some reason.

[@billbailey1511]

@@smkxodnwbwkdns8369 Yeah some gay men do try and say straight people are gay when they're not. However let's be real my friend, suggesting that a mildly camp dude who worked as a rent boy may be gay is a bit different than making unfounded claims.

[@smkxodnwbwkdns8369]

@@billbailey1511 Then why was he in love with women and seeing women for the rest of his life? Even while he was a rent boy he was in love with women, I’ve heard stories about his girlfriend. He grew up in New York where homosexuality was more or less accepted, especially in the art scene/hard rock scene where there was a strong LGBTQ presence, both his manager and record label president who signed him was gay, he would have no reason to live a lie. He grew up poor and used his sexuality for money, especially as a heroin addict from a young age, I can see how that’s a potentially even if he was straight. I also know because I almost did that myself before the PUA money came through and saved me. Gay guys always have hit on me and thought I was gay when I wasn’t.

[@darrendodd3646]

Never seen this interview until. He comes across as someone who was quite sweet and unassuming. That said, I do remember watching the interview with Danny Baker, that's on KZbin, somewhere, and that was pure 'car crash'. Still more interesting than most wannabes, it has to be said.

[@Cfolger]

Word is he stole dee Dee's leather jacket,cmon johhny it was smack

[@jonyscrewzo]

💔💔💔

[@martysmith5260]

If Johnny thought New York was "sleazy" back then, what the hell would he think of New York today?!?

[@docbenway1445]

These days New York is Disneyland compared to how it was in the late 70s and most of the 80s…

[@johnryan3913]

Antiseptic!

[@michaelgriffith6410]

What makes a legend a legend? Dieing early at young age? Or the music they left behind? Johnnys music wasnt ramones impact but he was underated so what makes him legend

[@slappy2836]

You obviously don’t know who Johnny Thunders is.

[@smkxodnwbwkdns8369]

He was far more influential than The Ramones. Just because people say The Ramones were influential, like journalists, doesn’t mean they were. If you look at musical history johnny thunders and New York Dolls were far more influential than the ramones and one of the most influential rock acts in history, equally influencing the punk movement and glam.

[@michaelgriffith6410]

@@slappy2836 thats why im askn the question ya fool.

[@qcerv1777]

I never heard of Johnny Thunders until this week and I’m blown away, reading into his story and listening to the music you can see how he influenced Punk, the dude just couldn’t catch a break with that monkey on his back

[@johnrectangle6034]

What's makes him a legend?First,he got an absolutely unique guitar style.It's not hard to find the notes he played,but nobody duplicated the way he caressed the strings. Also,he's a great composer,in a r'n'r style.His lyrics are about lowlife,not for the winners in life And,he was one of the greatest performers in r'n'r in the mid seventies .He was described as the next Chuck Berry.Once ,Jimmy Page send him a limo just to check this man.Jagger was the producer of Vinyl,a TV show when the first band of JT,The New York Dolls were one of the principal subject of the show . All over the world,in Europe,in Japan,in North and South America,you could find thousands of people looking for the same guitar he played,a Les Paul Junior . For what I know,more than 30 years after his death,his records are selling well.Because he's a legend.

[@johnryan3913]

I so miss him, met him several times he seemed so sweet and vulnerable. Don't like the interviewer much. Let him finish the DeeDee story! He was going in a new direction when he passed. I really miss him ❤

[@drumgold23]

Why did he say I hope I don't turn black though at 5.40

[@doorag_nationwide]

'cause he was a racist lol

[@jamie.777]

Because it's true 😅

[@clydeg4274]

Better red than dead 😂

[@manuelamunoz3939]

Johnny was very cute, you know what I mean

[@johnmoser9731]

Does he say the Odd Birds as a band he went to see? Can't find any info on them. Anyone know anything about them?

[@artis1969]

He said the Yardbirds.

[@bmoneyrancidfan91]

Johnny ws so mean to dee dee

[@jeromealexandre4162]

Good

[@Dogboy86]

In “Please Kill Me” the reason given for dee dee destroying all his stuff was that thunders was stealing everybodys stuff in Paris to go cop with. Thunders was very far gone by that point and dee dee had told stiv to make sure johnny wouldnt show up … then when johnny did dee dee tried to make the most of it … when johnny started stealing everyones shit, then dee dee lost it, crying i told ya so.

[@mtnvortex]

Quite the honker.

[@johnnydelgrady]

Sax... Drugs... Rock n Roll... 2 out of 3 ain't bad.

[@robertafierro5592]

Ratso Rizzo.

[@lukpaard]

cool!!!

[@leahflower9924]

You're just little London boys haha!

[@frasercampbell6606]

Hit team were out for Johnny....

[@stiiimes]

avoid nola, johnny 😢

[@randybackgammon890]

1.54 top left,apperence by the ghost of John Lennon...spooky✌️

[@robbiebanks9182]

Hated that feckin nighthawks programme loved thunders an heartbreakers though

[@TheIanoTube]

Where are they here?

[@Morra5472]

Bronycon.

[@ghostexits]

apropos of nothing, it never ceases to amaze me how much America hates it's own artists

[@startervisions]

he think he Neil Young :)

[@JormaX]

''I hope I dont turn black, though!'' :D

[@Games-n-ganja]

Ive always thought Dee Dee had a gay vibe. It seemed like he was trying to dampen it,but you could hear it in his voice and see it in his facial expressions every now and again. Ive got a feeling he was in the closet.

[@glengamble526]

Dee Dee had turned tricks in early days when money was low. Seymour Stejn also talks about Dee Dee hitting in him-in his book. It was an open secret that he was bi.

[@jeremywhakarau2403]

LAMF

[@L1573N3R]

Such a junkie. I still think he did great work, but he was so stunted by his addiction. I mean I feel the same way about Dee Dee Ramone, but Dee Dee was such a prolific song writer and had long periods of sobriety he really emerged as one oif my personal favorites.

[@smkxodnwbwkdns8369]

How was he stunted by his addiction exactly? He released more music than most and is one of the most influential rock musicians ever.

[@L1573N3R]

@@smkxodnwbwkdns8369 Johnny Thunders? He was on two and a half albums with the New York Dolls. He recorded one studio album with the Heartbreakers. And he recorded six solo studio albums, many songs of which were covers and rerecordings. Sure that's a good bit of work, but are you telling me he wouldn't have been a more prolific artist had he not been a junkie? Are you saying it's important to the Johnny Thunders mystique that he was addicted to heroin? Sure he made a lot of live albums, and made some true magic on the stage, but he also put on some terrible shows. If you saw Johnny Thunders in the mid to late '80s there is a 50/50 chance whether it would have been worthwhile Dee Dee Ramone was one of my favorite artists/songwriters growing up in the '80s, and addiction ruined his life and cost the world probably at least 10 more albums of his music. I'm adult enough to say that Dee Dee would have been a far better songwriter and musician if he stayed sober after his initial recovery. No matter how great an artist a junkie is, I can promise you that he would have been a better artist without heroin.

[@smkxodnwbwkdns8369]

@@L1573N3R Most musicians don’t have much more than two or three good albums in them. I thought The Ramones only good works was their debut and rocket. Home was a bunch of leftovers from their debut, phil spector botched their forth album which had potential to be good listening to the demos, and everything after was just making albums and touring for the money, the passion was deflated when they realized they wouldn’t get any bigger than selling a few hundred thousand copies per release and touring small theaters. Look at David Johansen, he was sober-ish and was prolific as a solo artists with dozens of releases. None of them were any good and his best work is still with the dolls. At least johnny had the dolls and two albums worth of great solo material with the heartbreakers. Four good albums is more than Janes Addiction, Chili Peppers, Nirvana, Soundgarden, Alice in Chains, and many others. I don’t think theres more than a dozen rock artists that surpass the three good album mark. And half of them were junkies and druggies anyway, like rolling stones and jimi hendrix. Johnny was very underground when he was around. He is a lot more famous today than he ever was in a way. I think the dolls debut moved a few hundred thousand units, after that nothing surpassed 100,000 for any of the dolls junk or no junk. I think he did fulfill his potential as a musician. Heroin was a part of who he is, if he didn’t become a junkie he wouldn’t be who he is. Take ramones, Dee Dee wrote a few albums worth of great songs on junk while Johnny totally sober and straight barely co-wrote more than a few good songs. It’s not as simple as no drugs=more success. The kind of rock Johnny was doing has been the most popular kind of rock people enjoy since the 90s and nirvana flipping the rock scene on its head. Before nirvana, the style of rock that was more fashionable sounded more like led zeppelin and pink floyd. There wasn’t a big enough audience for johnnys rather primitive and high energy style of music , for the same reasons the MC5 failed and The Stooges failed initially. People wanted Steely Dan back then. It took a long time for that to change. Suddenly The Stooges were playing huge festivals and Steely Dan were doing small theaters. It would be funny if it wasn’t for devastating for the great artists. IMO Johnnys style of rock was better than the zeppelin pomp. Rock also started out that way in the 50s, it was sgt peppers that changed things. And I like zeppelin btw.

[@L1573N3R]

@@smkxodnwbwkdns8369 most musicians are shit. If they can manage one decent album out of a life time of work, they are lucky. The Ramones fourth album was Road to Ruin. Phil Spector produced their fifth album End of the Century, and while it's not a great record, there are a few great songs on it. Your opinion of the Ramones is fine, I just happen to disagree. There are a lot of great tracks on Subterranean Jungle, Too Tough to Die, and Animal Boy, and while the emergence or Richie Ramone and Dee Dee leaving the band were about the time I lost interest, I would say all three albums are among their best work. (I took my brothers to see them play one of their last shows with Dee Dee in Canton, NY in 1989). The Dee Dee King rap album aside (It is God awful crap), his years after the Ramones were not as productive but produced some great work, especially his work with Daniel Rey on Zonked! Plus Live the Ramones were like no other band, even at their worst, and at the end of their careers. I saw Thunders perform. It was not awesome. And even through all of this, as much of a fan as I am, I still think Dee Dee was handcuffed by his addiction. Sure it may have given him some insight into certain aspects of himself which allowed him to write, but it curbed his productivity, and eventually killed him. To tell me Johnny Thunders was better with heroin than without is a moot point. You cannot say that with any certainty. And regardless of what you think of his, or anyone's music, I can easily argue that when an artist who is a junkie dies early due to his addiction, he is not the best artist he can be.

[@smkxodnwbwkdns8369]

@@L1573N3R I never said johnny was better because of his addiction. What I said is these hypotheticals and theorizing of what ifs is a useless and naive exercise, because if john didn’t use heroin he wouldn’t be john, but it was his personality and character that led to addiction as much as it led to his creativity. There has been many more musicians that never used heroin yet haven’t produced work half as good as thunders or many other musicians that use. No one has one good album because they were “lucky”. Perhaps one good song but not a good album. It takes a lot of hard work and dedication. For the first decade of johnnys career he was consistent and put out a lot of high quality music. It was only later that he became jaded, cynical, and self-destructive,

[@jamiegroves5155]

Who thinks Johhny was murdered

[@lynnloww]

They rly do die in rows of 3… Stiv Bators, Johnny and Jerry Nolan died back2back.