On Thursday, November 7th, The Ruf Records 30th Anniversary Tour kicks off at Carnegie Of Homestead Music Hall in Pittsburgh. Samantha Fish headlines the show that includes Mitch Ryder, Canned Heat, Bernard Allison, and Ghalia Volt’s One Woman Band.
“It’s not my show,” say Mitch Ryder. “It’s Samantha Fish’s show run by her manager. Thomas Ruf (CEO of Ruf Records) asked me to do this as a favor because it’s a caravan of artists that were on his label or are still on his label. I felt a little out of my element, but I said I will do this for him as a favor, so that’s how that occurred. I’m more of a purist (than the other acts) because of my age.”
He’s 80.
Ruf is a German label that features American blues acts. While Mitch Ryder is an American act who’s best known in the United States for 60-year-old rock hits including “Devil with a Blue Dress On” and “Good Golly Miss Molly,” he’s enjoyed six subsequent decades in Germany with a steady stream of hit albums that are completely unknown to his fan base in the United States.
“My U.S. fans are expecting ‘Devil with the Blues Dress On’ and ‘Jenny Take A Ride’ or ‘Sock It to Me.’ They’re gonna hear songs they have never heard before,” says the veteran rocker whose European hits are among the heaviest blues rock ever recorded by a blues label.
“In America my demographic is a bunch of old people. My demographic in Europe is quite different. We have all ages. We have people bringing their children. The children bring their grandchildren. We have been working every year in Europe twice – two months every year since 1975.”
For 47 years Mitch has built his following in Germany with an ever-growing discography that’s basically unknown to an American fan base that thinks of him as an oldies act. “On our last tour (in Germany) this January, February and March we sold out every gig. That’s probably why this company was anxious to get me up because they realized how much money there was in me alone.”
Bernard Allison, also on the tour, is the son of the late Luther Allison who worked with Thomas Ruf. “The story I heard was that Thomas Ruf found him in Paris working with a bunch of musicians he did not know, and according to Thomas, that’s what helped him build his label.”
I told Mitch that I’d seen Samantha Fish twice in the last two years. I saw her open for Buddy Guy, and also saw her do a set on her own at a nightclub that appeals to a younger demographic than most blues artists. That when she was on her own, and her fans in the club went out of their minds. I’ve never been in a more enthusiastic audience. When she was opening for Buddy Guy, it took her half a set to grab Buddy Guy’s demographic.
“I have all the respect in the world for her because it is her tour,” says Mitch, “but it is a change in element for me.” Mitch is releasing a new solo album on Ruf this month. It’s his second this year on Ruf. The first was a two-disc The Roof Is On Fire released in January. “We did appear on the blues charts. We debuted at number 3 in America on Billboard.”
In his mind this next album is a rock album, not a blues album, but he considers it a giant leap for him creatively. “Thomas told me this is the best recording he’s ever had on his label.” Mitch is excited about the 30th anniversary tour. “I have all the respect in the world for Samantha because it is her tour, but it is a change in element for me. This album we created is definitely not a blues album.”
They’re all his own originals. He wrote none of his ’60s hits known to his American fans. “There’s a good reason for that. I sued to get out of my management contract with Bob Crew because one of the first things he did when I was coming up in Detroit. I recorded my first records at the age of 16 on a gospel label in Detroit.
“We met a guy. He had a label called Highland Records, and what he did was record us and a group that later became the Detroit Wheels. And based on that recording we got offered a deal with Bob Crew out of New York who of course was doing the Four Seasons and many other acts. He ripped us off for many millions of dollars and millions of dollars in ’65. That would be tens of millions today.”
In contrast, Mitch has great respect for Thomas Ruf. “I’m strictly dealing with Thomas Ruf as a record company owner. My manager’s name is Brett Steel. I just signed a contract with him and we’re in the process of picking up a booking agent for America.
“I think what I’m writing these days is now considered blues. That’s not out of line with what he does with the artist. My confusion comes with the songs I’ve written that are all great songs. Young kids aren’t hearing the old original stuff. Something about the music is being interpreted as the blues. I don’t see it. I see it as a rock and roll album, but other people see it as a blues album.”
I told Mitch that because Thomas Ruf is German, he feels a camaraderie with Mitch because he’s more popular in Europe than he is in the United States. That is probably an anomaly for most of the acts on his label. Also, I think Thomas Ruf has good taste. He runs his label based on how an act fits into a niche. He looks at each act he signs individually. They’re all totally different from one another.
Mitch agrees. “Because as a label I heard he’s one of the few who thrives in an era where so much of it is done by streaming. People are not paying so much attention to licks as they did 10 years ago.”
Tour Dates:
Nov. 7 (Thu) – Pittsburgh PA@Carnegie Music Hall of Homestead
Nov. 8 (Fri) – Warren OH@Robins Theatre
Nov. 9 (Sat) – Cincinnati OH@Ludlow Garage
Nov. 10 (Sun) – St. Charles IL@Arcada Theatre
Nov. 11 (Mon) – Columbus OH@Bluestone
Nov. 15 (Fri) – Virginia Beach VA@Elevation 27
Nov. 16 (Sat) – Hopewell VA@Beacon Theatre
Nov. 20 (Wed) – Washington DC@Warner Theatre
Nov. 21 (Thur) – Glenside PA@Keswick Theatre
Nov. 22 (Fri) – Jim Thorpe PA@Penn’s Peak
Nov. 23 (Sat.) – New York NY@Sony Hall
