The Rubinoos
Band members Related acts
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line up 1 (1970-71) (as Jon Rubin and the Rubinoos) - Alex Carlin -- keyboards - Tommy Dunbar -- vocals, lead guitar, keyboards - Ralph Gramich -- drums, percussion - Joe Rubin -- lead vocals, rhythm guitar - Danny Wood -- sax
line up 2 (1971-73) (as The Rubinoos) NEW - Tom Carpender -- bass - Tommy Dunbar -- vocals, lead guitar, keyboards - Joe Rubin -- lead vocals, rhythm guitar NEW - Don Spindt -- drums, percussion, vocals, backing vocals (replaced Ralph Gramich)
line up 3 (1973-75) - Tommy Dunbar -- vocals, lead guitar, keyboards - Joe Rubin -- lead vocals, rhythm guitar - Don Spindt -- drums, percussion, vocals, backing vocals NEW - Greg Keranen -- bass, vocals (replaced Tom Carpender)
line up 4 (1975-79) NEW - Royse Ader -- bass, vocals (replaced Greg Keranen) - Tommy Dunbar -- vocals, lead guitar, keyboards - Joe Rubin -- vocals, rhythm guitar - Don Spindt -- vocals, drums, percussion, backing vocals
line up 5 (1980-1982) NEW - Al Chan -- bass, vocals (replaced Royse Ader) - Tommy Dunbar -- vocals, lead guitar, keyboards - Joe Rubin -- vocals, rhythm guitar - Don Spindt -- vocals, drums, percussion, backing vocals
line up 6 (1982-83) - Tommy Dunbar -- vocals, lead guitar, keyboards - Joe Rubin -- vocals, rhythm guitar
supporting musicians: - Roger Powell -- keyboards - Kasim Sulton -- bass -
Willie Wilson -- drums, percussion line up 6 (2002- ) NEW - Michael Boyd -- keyboards, guitar - Al Chan -- bass, vocals NEW - Mike D'Virgilio -- drums, percussion (replaced Don Spindt) NEW - Susie Davis -- keyboards - Tommy Dunbar -- vocals, lead guitar, keyboards NEW - Kit Potamkin -- keyboards - Joe Rubin -- vocals, rhythm guitar
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- The Magic Echoes (Joe Rubin) - Jonathan Richman & the Modern Lovers (Greg Keranen) - Joe Rubin and the Rubinoos - Spock's Beard (Mike D'Virgilio) - Vox Pop (Al Chan, Tommy Dunbar, and Don Spindt)
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Genre: pop Rating: 4 stars **** Title: The Rubinoos Company: Beserkley Catalog: BZ
0051 Country/State: Berkeley, California Grade (cover/record): VG+/VG+ Comments: -- Available: 1 Catalog ID: 1154 Price: $10.00
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By the time The Rubinoos got around to releasing an album, front men Tommy Dunbar and Joe Rubin had been performing together for seven years.
From a practical standpoint these guys exhibited simply horrendous timing with the release of their debut LP. With the buying public increasingly mesmerized by dance music and punk, a power pop act like The Rubinoos was simply out of step with commercial tastes. That wasn't meant as a criticism since 1977's "The Rubinoos" was nothing short of terrific. Featuring a largely original set of tunes (Dunbar serving as the prime writer), the band displayed an effortless knack for radio-friendly power pop tunes. While their cover of the old Tommy James & the Shondells hit 'I Think We're Alone Now' was released as the leadoff single and scored the band their lone pop hit, it was actually one of the weaker tunes. Far better were band originals like 'Leave My Heart Alone', 'Hard To Get', and 'Nothing a Little Love Won't Cure'. Even better was the atypical, mildly punk-inspired rocker 'Rock and Roll Is Dead.' As lead singer, Rubin was fresh and energetic, while the rest of the band, including new bassist Royse Ader, were uniformly tight. Yeah, there were a couple of clunkers here - their cover of Jack Hamer's 'Peek-a-Boo' and 'Make It Easy', but those missteps were far and few between. All told, it was a dandy mid-'70s pop album that deserved wider recognition.
"The
Rubinoos" track listing: 1.) I Think We're Alone Now (Ritchie Cordell - B. Gentry) - 2:52 As much as I love these guys, the decision to open the album with a cover of the old Tommy James and the Shondells hit was a mild disappointment. Mind you, their power pop take on the classic 'I Think We're Alone Now' wasn't bad, but why do a cover when they had so much even better original material ? Berkeley tapped this one as a single. rating: *** stars 2.) Leave My Heart Alone (Tommy. Dunbar - James. Gangwer) - 2:37 A wonderful power ballad with an insidiously catchy hook that had top-40 written all over. Shame it wasn't released as a single. rating: **** stars 3.) Hard To Get (Tommy. Dunbar - James Gangwer) - 3:02 'Hard To Get' opened up with a funky guitar and synthesizer riff and never stopped.. Complete with wonder Motown-styled backing vocals, this was another tune that managed to limb into your head and resist all efforts to forget it. Easy to see why Beverley tapped it as the second single. rating: **** stars 4.) Peek-a-Boo (Jack Hamer) - 2:09 Their cover of Jack Hamer's 'Pee-a-Boo' was the album's first misstep .... other than a nice guitar solo, this one simply didn't have much going for it. For some reason the song was tapped as a Dutch single. rating: ** stars 5.) Rock and Roll Is Dead (Tommy. Dunbar - Jon Rubin - A. Carlin) - 2:50 For anyone who thought these guys were just a bunch of mindless popsters, the blazing 'Rock and Roll is Dead' carried more anger and angst than most punk LPs in their entirety. Add in a truly vicious guitar solo and you had aural nirvana. The video and sound quality are poor, but YouTube has a clip of the band performing the tune on the British The Ole Grey Whistle Test television program: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x8KIwY0PnZM The album's toughest tune, this one was also released as a British single. rating: **** stars
(side
2) The ballad 'Memories' was one of the prettiest tunes Dunbar ever wrote. rating: *** stars 2.) Nothing a Little Love Won't Cure (Tommy Dunbar) - 2:37 One of their best pop tunes; 'Nothing a Little Love Won't Cure' was the kind of tune that Eric Carmen would have killed to have penned ... Beverley released this one as a promo single. rating: **** stars 3.) Wouldn't It Be Nice (Tommy. Dunbar - James. Gangwer) - 3:21 Okay, admittedly, on the surface 'Wouldn't It Be Nice' sounded a bit like a remake of 'I Think We're Alone Now', but it was a fun tune which made up for the lack of originality. rating: *** stars 4.) Make It Easy (Tommy. Dunbar) - 3:02 Dunbar seemed to have a knack for effortlessly tossing out power pop tunes like 'Wouldn't It Be Nice'. Always loved the country-tined guitar solo on this one though the rest of the song was somewhat forgettable. rating: *** stars 5.) I Never Thought It Would Happen (Tommy. Dunbar - James Gangwer Royse Ader) - 2:33 Bouncy pop tune with Rubin turning in his best Carl Wilson impression - Beach Boys fans should fall all over themselves for this one. rating: **** stars
As mentioned the album included several singles:
- 1977's 'I Think We're Alone' b/w 'As Long As I'm with You' (Beverley catalog number B-5741) # 45 pop - 1977's 'Nothing a Little Love Won't Cure' b/w 'Leave My Heart Alone' (Beverley catalog number ZS8-5810-A/B) promo release
UK 45s: - 1977's 'Rock and Roll Is Dead' b/w 'I Never Thought It Would Happen' (Beverley catalog number BZZ-3) - 1977's 'Hard To Get' b/w 'Memories' (Beverley catalog number BZZ 6)
Dutch 45s: - 1978's 'Peek-a-Boo' b/w 'Hard To Get' (Beverley catalog number 15-532)
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Genre: pop Rating: 3 stars *** Title: Back To the Drawing Board Company: Beserkley Catalog: JBZ
0061 Country/State: Berkley, California Grade (cover/record): VG+/VG+ Comments: -- Available: 2 Catalog ID: 1156 Price: $9.00
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Co-produced by Matthew King Kaufman and Gary Phillips, 1979's "Back To the Drawing Board" wasn't a monumental shift in The Rubinoos sound. If you enjoyed their [patented brand of power pop, then you were likely to find their second album as good as the debut. Maybe because it wasn't a major change from the debut and the band occasionally sounded like they were running on leftovers, I've never enjoyed it as much as the first album. With Tommy. Dunbar and James Gangwer again responsible for most of the material, I'll readily admit 'I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend' was a killer tune; perhaps the best thing they'd ever written. And while there were a couple of other first rate tunes ('Lightening Love Affair', 'Ronnie' and '1,2,3 Forever') scattered across the album, the overall feel was of a band struggling to come up with a sound that would appeal to the record buying public. The album certainly wasn't bad; I enjoyed it way more than most punk and new wave releases from the same timeframe, rather it wasn't as good as "The Rubinoos". "Back To
the Drawing Board" track listing: 1.) Falling In Love (Tommy. Dunbar - James. Gangwer) - 2:48 Yes, it was an amazingly radio-friendly slice of pop, but there was something cold and calculated about 'Falling In Love'. I'll also readily admit Jon Rubin's falsetto left me cold. Beserkley tapped it as a single. rating: *** stars 2.) I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend (Tommy. Dunbar - James. Gangwer) - 3:16 The bouncy 'I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend' was easily the best song on the album and one of the best things they'd ever written. Simply sterling power pop with one of those hooks that wouldn't leave your head. Years later writers Dunbar and. Gangwer sued Avril Lavingne, claiming her hit 'Girlfriend' was based on the song. As I remember they won an out-of-court settlement from Lavingne. rating: **** stars 3.) Promise Me (Tommy. Dunbar - James. Gangwer) - 3:22 Pretty, but ultimately forgettable ballad. rating: *** stars 4.) Hold Me (Little - Oppemhein - Schuster) - 3:01 'Hold Me' opened up with a '50s vibe, but then switched gears into a bouncy Beatles-esque tune with a distinctive early-'60s flavor. rating: *** stars 5.) Ronnie (Tommy. Dunbar - James. Gangwer) - 2:38 Who wouldn't want a girlfriend like 'Ronnie'? Hot and capable with a knife !!! Power pop with a distinctive edge. rating: **** stars 6.) Driving Music (Tommy. Dunbar - James. Gangwer - Jon Rubin) - 3:13 To my ears this one actually sounded a bit AOR-ish. Still catchy and commercial and the lyrics were definitely pop, but the overall sound was a tad grown up for the band. rating: *** stars
(side 2) 1.) Operator (Tommy. Dunbar - James. Gangwer) - 2:57 Maybe it's just me, but the sheer giddiness and innocence of 'Operator' makes me giggle when I hear it. rating: **** stars 2.) Jennifer (Tommy. Dunbar - James. Gangwer - Gary Phillips) - 2:33 'Jennifer' was another tunes that reflected the band's long standing affection for '50s doowop and early-'60s influences. The song will eventually grow on you, but may take awhile. rating: *** stars 3.) Arcade Queen (Tommy. Dunbar - James. Gangwer) - 2:27 I've always loved the pinball and arcade game lyrics. Cute tune. rating: *** stars 4.) Lightening Love Affair (Tommy. Dunbar - James. Gangwer - R. Bimler) - 2:46 Sporting one of the album's best melodies and silky smooth backing vocals, 'Lightening Love Affair' was another album highlight. rating: **** stars 5.) 1,2,3 Forever (Tommy. Dunbar) - 2:43 Bouncy (almost spastic) power pop, '1,2,3 Forever' sounded like it had a touch of English punk/new wave anger in it. Nice way to end the album. rating: **** stars
The US singles of the album were:
- 1978's 'Hold Me' b/w 'Lightening Love Affair' (Beserkley catalog number BJ 5750) - 1978's 'I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend' b/w 'Lightening Love Affair (Beserkley catalog number 46518)
The band toured extensively in support of the album, including opening for most of Elvis Costello's 1979 Armed Forces American tour, but growing Beserkley financial problems didn't help sales.
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Genre: pop Rating: 2 stars ** Title: Party of Two Company: Warner Brothers Catalog: 23960-1 Country/State: Berkeley, California Grade (cover/record): VG+/VG+ Comments: five track 12" EP Available: 2 Catalog ID: 1155 Price: $8.00
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The Rubinoos released two wonderful albums for Beverley Records (and recorded a third set that was shelved before it was completed, though many of the tracks subsequently sawn the light of day on 1993's "Basement Tapes: Studio Demos Circa 1980-1981"). Unfortunately, when Beverley went belly-up they found themselves without a recording contract. Luckily, Warner Brothers picked the band up, teaming them with Todd Rundgren in the producers role. With extensive support from Rundgren's band Utopia, 1983's "Party of Two" found The Rubinoos paired down to front men Tommy Dunbar and Joe Rubin. Cutting to the chase, how you feel about '80s synthesizer pop is going to have a big role in what you think about this five track EP. The said fact was that with the exception of 'The Girl', Dunbar and Rubin all but abandoned the '60s influenced power-pop that had made them such a joy to hear. Instead, Rundgren and company shoved an instantly dated, MTV-ready mixture of jittery new wave moves, complete with skinny ties, syndrums, and cheap sounding synthesizers on the pair. At least it was a relatively quick listening experience ...
"The
Rubinoos" track listing: 1.) If I Had You Back (Tommy Dunbar) - 3:14 So you were looking for an MTV-ish track, 'If I Had You Back' would be a pretty good choice. The core song was actually pretty good, but dressed up in jumpy '80s synthesizers, today the tune sounds extremely dated. By the way, the band cut an MTV video for the song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TJb_bPnaphY Warner Brothers also tapped this one as a promo single. rating: *** stars 2.) Failed Dream (Tommy Dunbar) - 4:19 To my ears 'Faded Dream' was simply unrecognizable as a Rubinoos tune. Full of syndrums and pulsating synthesizer bleats and burps, it actually sounded a bit like an early Michael Jackson solo tune ... rating: ** stars
(side 2) 1.) The Girl (Tommy Dunbar - M. Jones) - 2:52 'The Girl' was apparently one of the tracks penned for the group's planned third Beverley LP. Resurrected for this EP, this version found the bad pairing down some of the irritating synthesizers, 'making it a partial return to their earlier power-pop tune. Imagine something written as the theme for a television comedy program and you'll know what this one sounded like. Easily the album's standout performance. rating: *** stars 2.) Crash Landing (Tommy Dunbar) - 3:56 Painful, big ballad that sounded like something a distressed "big hair" band might have done in the quest for a hit. Hideous. rating: ** stars 3.) The Magic's Back (Tommy Dunbar) - M. Boyd) - 3:23 Sadly, the final tune 'The Magic's Back' found them diving headlong back into '80s synthesizer pop moves. The magic wasn't back. rating: ** stars
For anyone interested, The Rubinooos have an active website at: http://rubinoos.com/
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