Ruby Vroom
Encyclopedia
Ruby Vroom was Soul Coughing
's 1994
debut album
. The album's sound is a mixture of sample-based tunes (loops of Raymond Scott
's "Powerhouse
" on "Bus to Beelzebub", Toots & the Maytals
, Howlin' Wolf
, The Andrews Sisters
, and The Roches
on "Down To This," and a loop of sampler player Mark De Gli Antoni
's orchestral horns on "Screenwriters Blues" among others), guitar based tunes like "Janine," "Moon Sammy," and "Supra Genius." and jazzy, upright-bass-fueled songs that often slyly quoted other material--the theme from "Courageous Cat" on "Is Chicago, Is Not Chicago," Thelonious Monk
's "Misterioso" on "Casiotone
Nation," and Bobby McFerrin
's cover of Joan Armatrading
's "Opportunity" on "Uh, Zoom Zip."
The album's lone guest is Rachel Benbow Murdy, band founder Mike Doughty
's ex-girlfriend, who supplies a vocal on "Janine." Doughty had Murdy go out to a payphone in Sheridan Square in New York and improvise a long, meandering song into their answering machine. Recorded a year before the Ruby sessions, Doughty and bass player Sebastian Steinberg
recorded the tune at the avant-garde jazz club The Knitting Factory during the daytime, when the club was closed, with club soundperson James McLean. McLean put a mic on the answering machine, which Doughty had brought to the session.
Ruby was named after Ruby Froom, daughter of record producer Mitchell Froom
--a frequent collaborator of Ruby Vroom producer Tchad Blake
--and singer/songwriter Suzanne Vega
.
The album was recorded at Sunset Sound Factory in Hollywood, Blake and Froom's usual haunt--a storage room near the studio's lounge was filled with vintage keyboards and road cases filled with toys--whistles, baby rattles, children's toy xylophones. Many of these ended up in the songs, such as a train whistle played by Doughty on "Uh, Zoom Zip". This was in keeping with Tchad Blake's spirit of maverick experimentation, which included sticking a binaural
head-shaped microphone in front of Yuval Gabay
's drumkit, sticking a mic in a car muffler, called "the Bone" and sticking that in the drum booth as well, and having Doughty improvise wild, yelling ad-libs on "Casiotone Nation," singing into a cheap amplification system called an Ahuja
that Blake bought in India. The speaker was essentially a huge bullhorn atop a stick.
Soul Coughing
Soul Coughing was a popular New York-based alternative rock band. The band found modest mainstream success during the mid-to-late 1990s. Soul Coughing developed a devout fanbase and have garnered largely positive response from critics. Steve Huey describes the band as "one of the most unusual cult...
's 1994
1994 in music
This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1994.-January–February:*January 25 – Alice in Chains release their Jar of Flies album which debuted at number one on the Billboard 200, becoming the first ever EP to do so....
debut album
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
. The album's sound is a mixture of sample-based tunes (loops of Raymond Scott
Raymond Scott
Raymond Scott was an American composer, band leader, pianist, engineer, recording studio maverick, and electronic instrument inventor....
's "Powerhouse
Powerhouse (song)
Powerhouse is a instrumental musical composition by Raymond Scott, probably best known today as the iconic "assembly line" music in animated cartoons released by Warner Brothers.-History:...
" on "Bus to Beelzebub", Toots & the Maytals
Toots & the Maytals
Toots and the Maytals, originally called simply The Maytals, are a Jamaican musical group and one of the best known ska and reggae vocal groups. According to Sandra Brennan at Allmusic, "The Maytals were key figures in reggae music...
, Howlin' Wolf
Howlin' Wolf
Chester Arthur Burnett , known as Howlin' Wolf, was an influential American blues singer, guitarist and harmonica player....
, The Andrews Sisters
The Andrews Sisters
The Andrews Sisters were a highly successful close harmony singing group of the swing and boogie-woogie eras. The group consisted of three sisters: contralto LaVerne Sophia Andrews , soprano Maxene Angelyn Andrews , and mezzo-soprano Patricia Marie "Patty" Andrews...
, and The Roches
The Roches
The Roches are a female vocal group of three songwriting Irish-American sisters from Park Ridge, New Jersey, known for their "unusual" and "rich" harmonies, quirky lyrics, and casually comedic stage performances.The Roches have been active as performers and recording artists since the mid-1970s,...
on "Down To This," and a loop of sampler player Mark De Gli Antoni
Mark De Gli Antoni
Mark degli Antoni , often credited as Horse Tricks, is a New York / Los Angeles composer, known for his work as keyboard and sampler player for the band Soul Coughing from 1992 to 2000....
's orchestral horns on "Screenwriters Blues" among others), guitar based tunes like "Janine," "Moon Sammy," and "Supra Genius." and jazzy, upright-bass-fueled songs that often slyly quoted other material--the theme from "Courageous Cat" on "Is Chicago, Is Not Chicago," Thelonious Monk
Thelonious Monk
Thelonious Sphere Monk was an American jazz pianist and composer considered "one of the giants of American music". Monk had a unique improvisational style and made numerous contributions to the standard jazz repertoire, including "Epistrophy", "'Round Midnight", "Blue Monk", "Straight, No Chaser"...
's "Misterioso" on "Casiotone
Casiotone
Casiotone refers to a series of home electronic keyboards released by Casio Computer Co. in the early 1980s.These first keyboards used a sound synthesis technique known as Vowel-Consonant synthesis to approximate the sounds of other instruments...
Nation," and Bobby McFerrin
Bobby McFerrin
Robert "Bobby" McFerrin, Jr. is an American vocalist and conductor. He is best known for his 1988 hit song "Don't Worry, Be Happy". He is a ten-time Grammy Award winner.-Life:...
's cover of Joan Armatrading
Joan Armatrading
Joan Anita Barbara Armatrading, MBE is a British singer, songwriter and guitarist. Armatrading is a three-time Grammy Award-nominee and has been nominated twice for BRIT Awards as Best Female Artist...
's "Opportunity" on "Uh, Zoom Zip."
The album's lone guest is Rachel Benbow Murdy, band founder Mike Doughty
Mike Doughty
Mike Doughty is an American indie and alternative rock singer-songwriter. He led the band Soul Coughing in the 1990s, and in the 2000s, became a solo artist...
's ex-girlfriend, who supplies a vocal on "Janine." Doughty had Murdy go out to a payphone in Sheridan Square in New York and improvise a long, meandering song into their answering machine. Recorded a year before the Ruby sessions, Doughty and bass player Sebastian Steinberg
Sebastian Steinberg
Sebastian Steinberg is an American bass player, best known for his work in the band Soul Coughing.- Biography :Steinberg played with Soul Coughing throughout the band's entire history, from 1992–2000. He also recorded and performed with guitarist Marc Ribot and appeared on William Shatner's 2004...
recorded the tune at the avant-garde jazz club The Knitting Factory during the daytime, when the club was closed, with club soundperson James McLean. McLean put a mic on the answering machine, which Doughty had brought to the session.
Ruby was named after Ruby Froom, daughter of record producer Mitchell Froom
Mitchell Froom
-Career:Froom began his career as a keyboard player in Sonoma County, California. The band Crossfire featured two keyboards players; Mitchell on one side of the stage and brother David on the other with Gary Pihl on guitar...
--a frequent collaborator of Ruby Vroom producer Tchad Blake
Tchad Blake
Tchad Blake is an American record producer, audio engineer, mixer and musician.He has worked with numerous artists and musicians, including State Radio, Apartment 26, Elvis Costello, Peter Gabriel, Pearl Jam, Tom Waits, Richard Thompson, Brazilian Girls, Sheryl Crow, November 2nd, Travis, Marike...
--and singer/songwriter Suzanne Vega
Suzanne Vega
Suzanne Nadine Vega is an American songwriter and singer known for her eclectic folk-inspired music.Two of Vega's songs reached the top 10 of various international chart listings: "Luka" and "Tom's Diner"...
.
The album was recorded at Sunset Sound Factory in Hollywood, Blake and Froom's usual haunt--a storage room near the studio's lounge was filled with vintage keyboards and road cases filled with toys--whistles, baby rattles, children's toy xylophones. Many of these ended up in the songs, such as a train whistle played by Doughty on "Uh, Zoom Zip". This was in keeping with Tchad Blake's spirit of maverick experimentation, which included sticking a binaural
Binaural
Binaural literally means "having or relating to two ears." Binaural hearing, along with frequency cues, lets humans and other animals determine direction of origin of sounds...
head-shaped microphone in front of Yuval Gabay
Yuval Gabay
Yuval Gabay is a Jerusalem-born hip-hop Drummer who currently lives and works in the United States. Gabay is most well known for his work with the Jazz/hip-hop quartet Soul Coughing from 1993 to 2000. He also played drums on Firewater's 1996 Debut Album Get Off the Cross, We Need the Wood for the...
's drumkit, sticking a mic in a car muffler, called "the Bone" and sticking that in the drum booth as well, and having Doughty improvise wild, yelling ad-libs on "Casiotone Nation," singing into a cheap amplification system called an Ahuja
Ahuja
Ahuja is a common family name of Hindus and Sikhs with origin ranging from Sindh and Punjab that are usually of the Arora sub-caste and of the Khatri caste. They adhere to family traditions, respect for elders and family rituals. Ahujas are members of the business community, and are believed to...
that Blake bought in India. The speaker was essentially a huge bullhorn atop a stick.
Track listing
- "Is Chicago, Is Not Chicago" – 3:48
- "Sugar Free Jazz" – 3:55
- "CasiotoneCasiotoneCasiotone refers to a series of home electronic keyboards released by Casio Computer Co. in the early 1980s.These first keyboards used a sound synthesis technique known as Vowel-Consonant synthesis to approximate the sounds of other instruments...
Nation" – 3:50 - "Blueeyed Devil" – 4:12
- "Bus to Beelzebub" – 4:33
- "True Dreams of Wichita" – 5:00
- "Screenwriter's Blues" – 5:08
- "Moon Sammy" – 4:09
- "Supra Genius" – 3:59
- "City of Motors" – 4:38
- "Uh, Zoom Zip" – 3:56
- "Down to This" – 3:49
- "Mr. Bitterness" – 5:32
- "Janine" – 4:58
Personnel
- M. Doughty – vocalsSingingSinging is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
, guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with... - Mark de Gli AntoniMark De Gli AntoniMark degli Antoni , often credited as Horse Tricks, is a New York / Los Angeles composer, known for his work as keyboard and sampler player for the band Soul Coughing from 1992 to 2000....
– keyboardKeyboard instrumentA keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
, samplerSampler (musical instrument)A sampler is an electronic musical instrument similar in some respects to a synthesizer but, instead of generating sounds, it uses recordings of sounds that are loaded or recorded into it by the user and then played back by means of a keyboard, sequencer or other triggering device to perform or... - Sebastian SteinbergSebastian SteinbergSebastian Steinberg is an American bass player, best known for his work in the band Soul Coughing.- Biography :Steinberg played with Soul Coughing throughout the band's entire history, from 1992–2000. He also recorded and performed with guitarist Marc Ribot and appeared on William Shatner's 2004...
– double bassDouble bassThe double bass, also called the string bass, upright bass, standup bass or contrabass, is the largest and lowest-pitched bowed string instrument in the modern symphony orchestra, with strings usually tuned to E1, A1, D2 and G2... - Yuval GabayYuval GabayYuval Gabay is a Jerusalem-born hip-hop Drummer who currently lives and works in the United States. Gabay is most well known for his work with the Jazz/hip-hop quartet Soul Coughing from 1993 to 2000. He also played drums on Firewater's 1996 Debut Album Get Off the Cross, We Need the Wood for the...
– drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....