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Jack Ruby (band)

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Jack Ruby
OriginAlbany, New York, US
Genres
Years active1973–1977
Labels
  • Ugly Pop
  • Feeding Tube
  • ugEXPLODE!
Past members

Jack Ruby was an American rock band formed in Albany, New York, in 1973. The band was named after Jack Ruby, the nightclub owner who shot and killed Lee Harvey Oswald. Jack Ruby made only five studio recordings and performed at a small number of gigs between 1973 and 1977. They have been regarded as early and influential pioneers in the New York no wave scene.[1][2][3]

Background

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Jack Ruby formed in Albany, New York, in the summer of 1973. The original lineup included vocalist Robin “Robby” Hall, guitarist Chris Gray, synthesist and drummer Randy Cohen, and violist Boris Policeband who played viola through an FM transmitter and strapped police walkie-talkies around his waist. After relocating to New York City, the band added bassist George Scott III and a second vocalist, Stephen Barth.[4][5][6]

The band drew inspiration from proto-punk artists like the Velvet Underground and the Stooges, as well as avant-garde composers like Steve Reich and Iannis Xenakis.[4] They rehearsed regularly at Matrix Studios on 27th Street, where early supporters like Lydia Lunch and James Chance gathered, sometimes in crowds so large the studio banned guests.[7][4] Thurston Moore would later talk about Jack Ruby stating:[1]

This was a band whispered about from the most inner circle of no-wave knowledge, as they pre-dated a lot of the aesthetic weirdness and wild style of so much of that scene.

Although, the group never officially released music during its lifetime. Jack Ruby recorded five studio tracks between 1974 and 1977, including “Hit and Run,” “Mayonnaise,” and “Bored Stiff.” These sessions, done in professional Manhattan studios, were met with confusion from engineers and disinterest from labels. Epic Records passed on their demo, and Paul Nelson, who once signed the New York Dolls, called them “the Velvet Underground in a car crash.”[4]

Randy Cohen left in 1974 to become a writer; Boris also departed shortly after. The band finally dissolved in 1977, as members drifted toward other projects. George Scott joined James Chance and the Contortions and co-founded the Raybeats and 8-E.[7][4][8][9][10]

Revival

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In 2011, a resurgence of interest in Jack Ruby began when Gary Reese, a former roommate of bassist George Scott III, wanted to pay tribute to him by releasing music for his first ever project, he connected with Robin Hall and unearthed some long-lost recordings. Rediscovered rehearsal tapes and a collection of recordings found in a storage space rented by Randy Cohen's mother brought new material into the fold, including a master of “Mayonnaise” previously thought lost. These rediscoveries led to restored releases produced by Don Fleming, with contributions from industry figures like Thurston Moore of Sonic Youth.[11][12][13][14]

Legacy

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Martin Scorsese’s HBO series Vinyl drew inspiration from the band. The character arc of the fictional group The Nasty Bits paralleled Jack Ruby's story, with Mick Jagger's son, James Jagger, portraying a frontman inspired by Robin Hall. Notable musicians including Lee Ranaldo and Don Fleming covered Jack Ruby songs for the series.[15][16][17]

Discography

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Albums

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  • Jack Ruby (2011, Feeding Tube Records / Holy War) – limited archival LP release
  • Hit and Run (2014, Ugly Pop Records) – compilation of studio and live material
  • Jack Ruby (2014, Feeding Tube Records) – expanded compilation of demos, rehearsals, and live recordings

EPs

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  • Jack Ruby (2011, Feeding Tube Records) – 7" EP, features unreleased 1970s material

References

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  1. ^ a b Moore, Thurston (April 25, 2014). "Thurston Moore on Jack Ruby: the forgotten heroes of pre-punk". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved July 4, 2025.
  2. ^ Cohan, Brad (December 28, 2011). "Q&A: Proto-Punks Jack Ruby And No Wave Goddess Lydia Lunch On Finding The Lost Tapes And Remembering Boris Policeband And The Contortions' George Scott". The Village Voice. Retrieved July 10, 2025.
  3. ^ "DJ Mustard's lean, mean ratchet party 10 Summers and 14 more record reviews". Chicago Reader. August 19, 2014. Retrieved July 10, 2025.
  4. ^ a b c d e Breznikar, Klemen (September 17, 2024). "Jack Ruby | W-2 | Interview | "The Velvet Underground in a car crash"". It's Psychedelic Baby Magazine. Retrieved July 4, 2025.
  5. ^ Quietus, The (May 30, 2014). "Dancing The Temporal Tango: An Interview With Jack Ruby". The Quietus. Retrieved July 10, 2025.
  6. ^ Cohan, Brad (December 28, 2011). "The Story Behind 1970s-era NYC Proto Punks Jack Ruby". The Village Voice. Retrieved July 10, 2025.
  7. ^ a b Quietus, The (May 8, 2014). "Jack Ruby — Hit And Run". The Quietus. Retrieved July 4, 2025.
  8. ^ Christgau, Robert (1996). Please Kill Me: The Uncensored Oral History of Punk. Penguin.
  9. ^ Moore, Thurston (2007). No Wave: Post-Punk, Underground, and the Avant-Garde, 1976–1980. University of California Press.
  10. ^ Cohan, Brad (December 28, 2011). "Q&A: Proto-Punks Jack Ruby And No Wave Goddess Lydia Lunch On Finding The Lost Tapes And Remembering Boris Policeband And The Contortions' George Scott". The Village Voice. Retrieved July 10, 2025.
  11. ^ Cohan, Brad (April 24, 2014). "Stream "Bad Teeth" from 1970s NYC Proto-Punk Nihilists Jack Ruby, Who've Influenced Every Single One of Your Favorite Bands". Vice. Retrieved July 4, 2025.
  12. ^ Masters, Marc (February 12, 2016). "How "Vinyl" and Lee Ranaldo Turned a Lost '70s Act Into TV's Next Great Fictional Band". Pitchfork. Retrieved July 4, 2025.
  13. ^ Segal, Dave. "Holy Noise-Rock Rediscovery: Jack Ruby Gets a Second Shot". The Stranger. Retrieved July 10, 2025.
  14. ^ Roe, Nat (February 16, 2012). "Brain Melters - Weasel Walter". Vice. Retrieved July 10, 2025.
  15. ^ Lipez, Zachary (February 22, 2016). "'Vinyl' Is a Hell of a Guilty Pleasure". Vice. Retrieved July 4, 2025.
  16. ^ Harvey, Eric (June 23, 2016). "Let's Just Say It: 'Vinyl' Deserved To Be Cancelled". Pitchfork. Retrieved July 4, 2025.
  17. ^ Coscarelli, Joe (March 4, 2016). "'Vinyl' Looks (and Listens) for Authenticity in Its Tunes". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved July 4, 2025.
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