Ram Jam Ram Jam

• 1Black Betty03:57
• 2Let It All Out04:00
• 3Keep Your Hands on the Wheel03:41
• 4Right on the Money03:01
• 5All for the Love of Rock N' Roll03:01
• 640403:44
• 7High Steppin'03:40
• 8Overloaded02:56
• 9Hey Boogie Woman03:10
• 10Too Bad on Your Birthday03:10
• Total Runtime34:20

Info zu Ram Jam

„Though it may seem like ordinary 1970s hard rock, this album is interesting for a few reasons. The first is that it was produced by Jerry Kasenetz and Jeff Katz, the producers behind a string of classic bubblegum hits like "Yummy, Yummy, Yummy" and "Chewy, Chewy." The other reason is that the group leader Bill Bartlett was formerly a member of the Lemon Pipers, a psychedelic bubblegum group who scored a hit with "Green Tambourine" (which was produced by Kasenetz and Katz). All three men put behind their bubblegum past on this album of hard-driving rock & roll. Ram Jam is best known for its hit single, "Black Betty"; this electrifying update of a Huddie Ledbetter blues tune layers on plenty of searing electric guitar riffs and a steady 4/4 drum beat that turns the song into a strange but exhilarating blend of heavy metal and disco. None of the other tunes on Ram Jam surpass the bracing standard set by "Black Betty," but there are some other worthwhile moments for hard rock fanatics; "Keep Your Hands on the Wheel" is a stomping, driving-themed rocker in the vein of Bachman-Turner Overdrive, and "Overloaded" is a swinging rocker built on a taut bassline and a catchy, cowbell-driven chorus. The album also features "Too Bad on Your Birthday," a mid-tempo rocker with a sing-along chorus that was later revived by Joan Jett. The one real downside here is that it suffers from a samey production style that makes the songs run together on first listen. Despite this problem, all the songs on Ram Jam presents a sturdy blend of guitar fireworks and pop hooks that any hardcore fan of 1970s hard rock will enjoy.“ (Donald A. Guarisco, AMG)

Myke Scavone, vocals, percussion
Bill Bartlett, guitar, vocals
Howie Blauvelt, bass, vocals
Peter Charles, drums

Recorded 1977 at K&K Studio City-Great Neck, New York
Produced by Jeff Katz, Jerry Kasenetz

Digitally remastered

Ram Jam
The members of Ram Jam were Bill Barlett (former lead guitarist of the Lemon Pipers), Pete Charles (drummer), Myke Scavone (lead singer), and Howie Arthur Blauvett, who sang with Billy Joel in two earlier groups (the Hassles and El Primo). Ram Jam's only hit, "Black Betty," created quite a stir when Epic Records released it. The recording session was the brainstorm of Barlett and bubblegum producers Jerry Kasenetz and Jeff Katz. Two civil rights groups, the N.A.A.C.P. and C.O.R.E., called for a boycott of the song, claiming it insulted black women. Despite the controversy, it still reached the number 18 spot on Billboard's pop chart in September 1977. The Cincinnati band Starstruck had released a more driving, riveting version of "Black Betty" on the Truckstar label before Ram Jam's version. Starstruck's version received little airplay or recognition; ironically, future Ram Jam member Barlett had been a member of Starstruck when they recorded "Black Betty."

In the early '90s the producers remixed "Black Betty" and got an international hit for their efforts. The band released two LPs: Ram Jam (1977) and Portrait of the Artist as a Young Ram (1978). Epic issued only three singles by the rockers. Blauvelt joined Spitball, a funky blues-type band, in the '90s, and performed with them until he died of a heart attack. Billy Joel often dedicates "We Didn't Start the Fire" to Blauvelt when he performs live. Barlett continued to play in the southwestern Ohio/eastern Indiana area.

Dieses Album enthält kein Booklet