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The Ramones Back North East Charity Record

Iconic punk rock band The Ramones have given their backing to a charity record by a budding amateur musician from the North East.

Keith Newman, from Ulgham near Morpeth, recorded the American band’s hit record ‘I wanna be your boyfriend’ for the Meningitis Research Foundation after both of his children contracted the disease when they were young.

Amy, 14 and James, 6, both made a full recovery but Keith has continued to work for the charity, running the Great North Run and selling ice cubes on eBay. When Keith contacted The Ramones to ask their permission to record the song, surviving band member Tommy Ramone wished him luck. Manager Monte Melnick said: “Here’s a great Ramones song for a wonderful charity that helps many people in their time of pain.”

Keith, the marketing and assessing manager for Gateshead Warm Zone, worked on the record with colleague John Leslie who plays in local band The Attention Seekers. The pair, under the name Meninjeans for Meningitis, recorded ‘I wanna be your boyfriend’, as well as ‘Watching’ – a track Keith wrote almost 25 years ago when he was in a punk band.

The CD, which will be sold for £4, is released today and includes information about meningitis as well as a sticker which can be stuck inside a child’s wardrobe as a constant reminder of the symptoms.

To get hold of a copy visit www.justgiving.com/ramones

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Ruth Mitchell .