The Ruts
The Ruts / Ruts DC are an English reggae-influenced punk rock band, notable for the 1979 UK Top 10 hit "Babylon's Burning", and an earlier single "In a Rut", which was not a hit but was highly regarded and regularly played by BBC Radio 1 disc jockey John Peel.
Career
Formation and early days
The Ruts were formed on 18 August 1977. The band consisted of singer Malcolm Owen, guitarist Paul Fox, bass player John "Segs" Jennings and drummer Dave Ruffy and were active in anti-racist causes as part of the Misty in Roots People Unite collective based in Southall, West London and playing several benefits for Rock Against Racism.
Schoolboy friends Fox and Owen shared a mutual interest in music. In the early 1970s they lived together in a commune on the Isle of Anglesey off the coast of North Wales, where they performed their own musical compositions with Paul Mattocks, who played flute, guitar and keyboards and later became The Ruts' first drummer.
Post Office telephone engineer Jennings met record shop manager Ruffy in 1976 and became interested in punk after discussing the latter's Ramones' T-shirt. Meanwhile, Owen's interest in punk was piqued when he saw the Sex Pistols playing live. At the time, Fox was playing with Ruffy in a funk band, Hit and Run, which included J.D. Nicholas who went on to join The Commodores in the U.S and sixteen-year-old saxophone player Gary Barnacle, who later played on several Ruts songs. Hit and Run were a covers band who released one single, a version of Sam the Sham and the Pharoahs' 1965 hit "Wooly Bully". The Ruts initial history is described in an audio interview with Jennings, conducted by Alan Parker, which appears on the album Bustin' Out.
Podcasts:
The Ruts
ALBUMS
- Babylon's Burning: Reconstructed Dub Drenched Soundscapes released: 2007
- Live at Deeply Vale released: 2006
- Get Out of It!! Live released: 2006
- The Punk Singles Collection released: 2006
- Grin and Bear It released: 2005
- The Crack / Grin and Bear It released: 2003
- Criminal Minds released: 2002
- In a Rut released: 2002
- Something That I Said: Best of The Ruts released: 1995
- Live and Loud released: 1994
- Demolition Dancing released: 1994
- Live released: 1987
- Live and Loud released: 1987
- 1996 released:
- You Gotta Get Out Of It released:
- Bustin' Out released:
- The Crack released:
- The Peel Sessions released:
Babylon's Burning: Reconstructed Dub Drenched Soundscapes
Released 2007- Intro (Night Vision version by Rob Smith)
- Mark Wallis & Dave Ruffy
- Rob Smith (Courtesy of Smith & Mighty)
- Don Letts Dub Cartel (Under Dan Donovan Control)
- Terminal Head
- Vom & Andy (Die Toten Hosen) & Jon Caffrey
- Babylon 23
- Apollo 440
- Dreadzone
- Black Star Liner
- Groove Corporation
- Kid Loco (Strictly for Rockers)
- Fundamental (The Dhol Cue version)
- Cosmic Rocker (... This One remix)
- Turtle Bay Country Club (Main1 remix)
- Savanarola (Babylon Revisited remix)
In a Rut
Released 2002- Babylon's Burning (Underhill studio session)
- Babylon's Burning (version) (Underhill studio session)
- Blackmans Pinch (a.k.a. Give Youth a Chance) (Underhill studio session)
- Society (Fair Deal studio session)
- H-Eyes (Fair Deal studio session)
- In a Rut (Fair Deal studio session)
- Peel Speak (Fair Deal studio session)
- Something That I Said (Mystery studio session)
- Criminal Minds (Mystery studio session)
- Babylon's Burning (Mystery studio session)
- Stepping Bondage (a.k.a. Gotta Little Number) (Mystery studio session)
- You're Just A... (Mystery studio session)
- Savage Circle (Mystery studio session)
- Blackmans Pinch (Mystery studio session)
- Babylon's Burning (Underhill studio version #2)
- H-Eyes (Fair Deal studio version #2)
Live and Loud
Released 1994- Gary Gilmore's Eyes
- New Boys
- One Chord Wonders
- On the Roof
- New Day Dawning
- Quick Step
- Safety in Numbers
- The Great British Mistake
- We Who Wait
- New Church
- Bombsite Boys
- Bored Teenagers
- One Chord Wonders (Encore)
- Something That I Said
- H-Eyes
- Gotta Little Number
- I Ain't Sophisticated
- Babylon's Burning
- Backbitter
- Out of Order
- Jah Wars
- Criminal Mind
- In a Rut
- Blue Suede Shoes
- Ditty, Part 1
- Society
- Love Song
- Ditty, Part 2
-
by The Roots
-
by The Roots
-
by The Roots
-
by The Roots
-
by The Roots
-
by The Roots
-
by The Roots
-
by The Roots
-
by The Roots
-
by The Roots
-
by The Roots
-
by The Roots
-
by The Roots
-
by The Roots
-
by The Roots
-
by The Roots
-
by The Roots
-
by The Roots
-
by The Roots
-
by The Roots
-
by The Roots
-
by The Roots
-
by The Roots
-
by The Roots
-
by The Roots
-
by The Roots
-
by The Roots
-
by The Roots
-
by The Roots
-
by The Roots
-
by The Roots
-
by The Roots
-
by The Roots
-
by The Roots
-
by The Roots
-
by The Roots
-
by The Roots
-
by The Roots
-
by The Roots
-
by The Roots
-
by The Roots
-
by The Roots
-
by The Roots
-
by The Roots
-
by The Roots
-
by The Roots
-
by The Roots
-
by The Roots
-
by The Roots
-
by The Roots
I Will Not Apologize
by: The Roots[Chorus: (Dice Raw) Talib Kweli]
(I will not apologize) I will not apologize
(I will not apologize) I will not apologize
This is for all of my peoples who understand and truly recognize
Some won't get it for that I won't
(I will not apologize) I will not apologize
(I will not apologize) I will not apologize
This is for all of my peoples who understand and truly recognize
Some won't get it for that I won't apologize
[P.O.R.N.]
I'm so sick cause I'm infected but but I don't need a medic
Need a liquid anesthetic, let me show you how I get it
I don't got it but I bet it, I don't worry, I don't sweat it
You can bitch, you can dead it, you can take it there like FedEx
Nothing sweet diabetic, big dog can't pet it
Pack an L then I wet it then I fill it till it's pregnant
(Take the high back) face it everybody got a favorite
I embrace it like I date it but my grandma think I chase it
(Like oh yeah) I told her that her baby moving slower
Cuz the world is on his shoulders then I woke up out that coma
(And got right back) at it with a little black 'matic
Lay you down craft-matic, then I'm gone, black magic
(To the hideout) you don't want to gamble with the devil
Especially when them chewy blueys got me on another level
Cuz my teacher think I'm slow but my momma think I'm special
But even she know I'm coming back like an echo.
[Chorus: (Dice Raw) Talib Kweli]
[Dice Raw]
For the statements I'm about to make I will not apologize
Niggas talk a lot of shit, really need to stop the lies
Jewels rented, cars rented, homie that ain't authentic
Acting tough on TV but to me you seem a little timid
Don't blame the nigga, blame America, it's all business
Acting like a monkey is the only way to sell tickets
Shit I can dig it, niggas gossip silly digits
White kids buy it, it's a riot when we talking about pimping
Or sipping on old English brew or whatever they think we do
Spraying double Uzis cuz you know they think we live in zoos
The problem is with this everyone seems to be real confused
The niggas on the streets to the old people that watch the news
And watch BET and the crazy shit they see
They associate with you do the same shit to me
When you look at me you see just a nigga from the projects
But can't understand this nigga's mind set but still
[Chorus: (Dice Raw) Talib Kweli]
[Black Thought]
Yo, a revolution's what it's smelling like, it ain't going be televised
Governments is hellified, taking cake and selling pies
I ain't got a crust or crumb, to get some I'd be well obliged
Murder is comodified, felon for the second time
Never was I into chasing trouble I was followed by
Facing trouble with no alibi, had to swallow pride
Vilified, victimized, penalized, criticized
Ran into some people that's surprised I was still alive
Look into my daughter's eyes, wonder how can I provide
Got to get from A to B but how can I afford to drive?
Messed around, tried to get a job and wasn't qualified
Had to see a pal of mine, got to get the lightning rod
Now I'm in the black Impala looking for the dollar sign
Palms get the itching man I got to get the calamine
Before I fall behind, guess the grind will be my 9 to 5
I will not be conquered by, I will not apologize
[Chorus: (Dice Raw) Talib Kweli]