A second posthumous solo album from Ramones frontman Joey Ramone will be released on May 15, Rolling Stone reports. Ya Know? will feature unreleased 17 tunes that the singer recorded as demos, both for The Ramones and after the pioneering punk-rock group's 1996 breakup. The tracks were finished by a number of producers, including longtime Ramones collaborator Ed Stasium and ex- Plasmatics bassist Jean Beauvoir . In addition, a variety of guests artists contributed overdubs to the recordings, including E Street Band guitarist Steve Van Zandt , Joan Jett , one-time Ramones drummer Richie Ramone and members of Cheap Trick and The Dictators .
The completion of the project was delayed by negotiations involving Daniel Rey , who produced some of the original demos. Joey's brother, Mickey Leigh , helped oversee the making of Ya Know? and also appears on the album, which follows Ramone's 2002 solo debut, Don't Worry About Me . In a Facebook post , Leigh explained that he chose the title because it's a phrase that Joey used constantly in conversation. He also reported that Ya Know? will be available as a standard CD, a two-disc vinyl set and a digital download. A two-track single will precede the album's release on April 21.
Joey Ramone died on April 15, 2001, after a battle with lymphoma.
Copyright 2012 ABC News Radio
