RAM JAM

Personnel:

Formed in the mid-70s, Ram Jam was an east coast group best known for its one Top 20 single, Black Betty, in 1977. That song was the focus of a boycott by several groups who considered it offensive to black women, even though it had originally been written by Huddie "Leadbelly" Ledbetter, the legendary black folk and blues singer. The group consisted of guitarist Bill Bartlett (b. 1949), bassist Howie Blauvelt (formerly a member of Billy Joel's early group the Hassles), singer Myke Scavone and drummer Pete Charles. Ram Jam's connection to Bubblegum was through Bartlett who had earlier been lead guitarist with the Lemon Pipers. (Additionally, their first album was produced by Kasenetz-Katz, thereby sealing their fate. Although Jerry Kasenetz declared: "This is not a bubblegum record" preeminent Bubblegum song stylist, Arthur Resnick, co-write Too Bad On Your Birthday -- T. Rex meets The Music Explosion at a Rolling Stones concert -- for their debut.) After leaving The Pipers, Bartlett retired from music for some time, before recording a demo of the Leadbelly song. Released on Epic Records, it reached number 18, but the group never had another hit. In the UK they succeeded twice, in 1977 (number 7) and in 1990 a re-mix version made number 13 making them a quite extraordinary one-hit-wonder. And what was up with that name, Ram Jam?

ALBUMS:

RAM JAM (Epic EPC 82215) 1977

PORTRAIT OF THE ARTIST AS A YOUNG RAM (Epic EPC 463299) 1978

45s:

Black Betty/I Should Have Known (Epic 8-50357) 1977

Keep Your Hands On The Wheel/Right On The Money (Epic 8-50451) 1977

Pretty Poison/Hurricane (Epic AS 490) 1978

Pretty Poison/Runaway Runaway (Epic 50587) 1978

We Rock The Mansion (Super K 100) 197?