Johnny Thunders & The Heartbreakers

This months Mojo magazine CD celebrates some of the bands of the New York punk rock scene.

Dee Dee Ramone's ode to heroin - co-written with Richard Hell - is one of New York punk's defining tracks. The track first appeared on the Heartbreakers' debut album, L.A.M.F. (short for "Like A Motherfucker") in 1977.

Dee Dee, however, wasn't initially allowed to record it with The Ramones due to guitarist Johnny's resolutely anti-drug stance. The Ramones finally released their version of Chinese Rock on their "End Of The Century" album in 1980.

So ex-New York Dolls guitarist Thunders snapped it up and inserted it in his set alongside Born To Lose, which he'd written at the same time.


Johnny Thunders & the Heartbreakers - Chinese Rocks