I DON'T KNOW
...with Tony Borrow
(Anglia TV's "Hyperbole Man")
Hello and Hi There to "all the young dudes" - as the man once said!
My name's Tony Borrow, and although I haven't worked since 1964, I can still spot a tip-top pop tip,
such as RUTH's rock flavoured single I don't know which sees it's
second-time release on the 31st March 1997. "We've heard it all before" I hear you saying, but no!
This time around we can all be treated to a whole new disc full of previously unheard numbers from
the boys' back-catalogue.
That's right, there are available to buy TWO DIFFERENT CD compact discs, both newly repackaged.
CD 1 features the same line-up of songs as the original record, but on CD 2 are three recordings
never before previously heard plus a fabulous picture-poster of our boys for your wall!
So without further ado let's dive right inside and have a good hard listen to the songs which comprise
the two versions of RUTH's single I don't know!
First the title track I don't know itself.
The first thing current owners of this mid-paced
rocker co-written by the band's own premier tunesmiths the brothers Matt and Ben Hales is the
brand-new beginning.
The opening has been trimmed no enable instant access to the slow-burning riff
from Ben's powerful electric guitar complemented by Matt VB's pounding drum figure and Stephen's
pulsating electric bass.
Our boys are the first to admit that the song owes quite a debt to
"Foxy Lady" by The Jimi Hendrix Experience, but that isn't the only quotation from popular music to
grace this track - look out for a nod to Led Zeppelin's "Whole Lotta Love" in the first verse and the
central ostinato from The Beatles' "Lady Madonna" which forms the crashing climax of the song.
But that isn't all! Ben's remarkable sectional guitar solo (created from samples taken from guitar
parts throughout the song) bears more than a passing resemblance to Neil Finn's solo in
"Locked Out" from the final Crowded House LP "Together Alone".
All in all Matt and Ben can
hardly claim to have written any part of this song - but who's complaining when the sing-along
existential-angst refrain comes roaring in carrying all our cares away and reminding us that even if
our part in the universe is without significance we can at least have a jolly good time listening to
RUTH?
Next along is the laid-back What shall we do penned by the brothers Hales and
tousle-haired drummer Matt Vincent-Brown.
Matt Hales takes the stool behind the electrified Fender
Rhodes piano to bring some warm 1970's tones to this parochial shuffle.
Once again the taste of plagiarism sours enjoyment of Ben's sinuous guitar part, but he himself
claims "I'd never even heard 'Soul Man' before I wrote this - the similarity is honestly a coincidence".
Highlight of the track is
Matt's percussive piano solo. Legend speaks of the many spoons that were placed inside the piano
to create the queer clattering that can be heard. Our boys had to be careful the piano's owner
("Two Ronnie's" regular Barbara Dickson!) didn't find out about the stunt or she would
have withdrawn her piano favours.
The effect is completed by the sound of Matt's rubber gloved
hands squeaking on the ivories - it the removal of these gloves that creates the mysterious slappy
sounds that adorn the end of the track. These are the sort of crazed high jinks that are fast gaining
the RUTH boys a reputation as innovative sound-men.
Third and final track on CD 1 is Matt's fairground waltz Whirler.
Matt VB is sitting behind
a tom-less drum set beating out the on-beat on an un-damped bass drum, and is later to be heard
ferociously beating two cymbals together to add to the sonic swirl. Is that two ladies playing the part
of the letters? Not at all; in fact it's Matt Hales singing to a slowed-down backing. When the tape is
played back at the correct speed Matt's voice has been sped up to sound the way Matt imagines
letters and flowers to sound.
Whirler is surely a showcase for Matt's diverse talents - the track
features his excellent trombone work. "It had been some years since Matt last played trombone - you
should have seen the way his lips swelled up!" chuckles Ben.
Listen out for the sound of a car crash at the end of the trombone section - looking through a library
of samples for carnival atmospheres the boys came across the car crash section and just HAD to put
one in! Those crazy boys and their fun-loving sense of humour!
Disc 2 kicks off, of course, with another rendition of the boys' hit song, but after that we head for
less familiar territory. Number one of the new tracks seems at first to be a song we've all heard of,
namely Can't stop myself.
The song winds up on "Harrison" in a rather different form
than that which appears here; and before you ask it isn't even the version which graces the limited
edition 1994 7" (see the RUTHMart). This recording is even earlier.
It's the product of the boys' first
official trip to top London studio Westside in April 1994.
"This track is so different on the
album, we thought it would be interesting for people to hear the development over three different
recordings" says Matt.
This version is notable for Matt VB's busy 'helicopter' drum pattern and some
decidedly amateur vocal performances.
Can't stop myself is a fascinating document of a
young, naive RUTH unsteadily finding their sound feet in the high-pressure world of top
studios.
Track three, It'll be fine was cut at the very same 1994 session (incidentally engineered
by the remarkable Danton Supple who later worked on Irish rock group U2's album "Zooropa") and is
a glimpse of an altogether different RUTH than the one we know today.
It'll be fine is something of an anomaly in the RUTHcatalogue.
The youthful spark that usually infuses our boys' work has been replaced with an uncomfortable
'lame funk' 'summer groove' which subsides all too quickly into a middle-aged mid-Atlantic rock
anthem chorus that wouldn't sound out of place amongst tracks by Rod Stewart, Bryan Adams or
the dreadful Marc Cohen.
"It is a bizarre song for us," says Ben "but earlier songs like 'Pillow' do hint
at that kind of overblown 'serious' songwriting which we were into at the time".
However, the boys
do have an affection for It'll be fine which does achieve an unusually lush enormity
towards the end, and the middle-eight section heralded by the entry of Matt playing Westside's
mighty Bosendorfer piano is particularly fine.
This combined with Ben's intriguing lyric provides
plenty for the discerning RUTH admirer to enjoy, if a little queasily.
This disc is admirably topped-off with one of RUTH's cheeky low-fidelity
home-recorded 8-track demonstration recordings, I think it's time.
t's right! Sound recording technology
has advanced far enough for Stephen to have a near Abbey Road-quality studio in his own home in
Eastbourne. Why they did not choose to use it to record I think it's time will remain a mystery.
This up-tempo rock-inflected number was initially penned by Matt VB in 3/4-waltz time, but was
converted to common time at Stephen's suggestion. Stephen handles the guitar and bass side of
things while Matt VB takes his usual place behind the drum set but also provides the piano
accompaniment - using the piano in Steve's basement which, I think you'll agree, is in need of
attention!
Matt and Stephen share vocal chores on this - in case you hadn't guessed, those pesky
pop brothers Matt and Ben were safely back in London keeping their interfering hands out of it.
Stephen apologises for sending the mix in which the drums fade out, but I think but it only adds to
the make-do authenticity. I hope you enjoy this little bonus confection as much as I do.
That's about all from me, but I should point out that CD2 which includes the poster is of limited
edition, so if you want that one, HURRY!
Please do rush out and buy your copy on the 31st so as to make RUTH the wonder-stars
we know they are.
Goodnight,
Tony Borrow
Produced by RUTH CD1: Engineered by Ewan Davies 1 Mixed by Alan Winstanley 2&3 mixed by
Ewan Davies and RUTH CD2: 1 Engineered by Ewan Davies mixed by Alan Winstanley 2&3
Engineered and mixed by Danton Supple assisted by Lee Phillips 4 recorded by Steve and Matt at
Steve's house. All songs published by Waif Productions Distributed by PolyGram TV © ARC 1997
ALAN 7
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