Rockplast was one of the greatest shows on West German TV (and Germany after the unification). Over the years, their cameras showed up at concerts across the country and captured the great bands of the era. Now two of their shows are coming to CD/DVD in October. The Rubinoos were power pop legends. They performed the title song to Revenge of the Nerds. Earth Quake also get one of their shows from their prime as part of the show. Both Rockplast concerts are great ways to discover The Rubinoos and Earth Quake. Here’s the press release from Made In Germany:
Made in Germany Music Announces the Release of Rare Live Recordings of Power Pop Legends The Rubinoos and Earth Quake on CD/DVD The Rubinoos Live at Rockpalast 1978 [CD/DVD] Earth Quake Live at Rockpalast 1978 [CD/DVD] 10/10 |
| When The Rubinoos appeared in front of the Rockpalast cameras at the Audimax in Hamburg on February 14, 1978, the four likable musicians (Jon Rubin, Tommy Dunbar, Royse Ader, and Donn Spindt) were already the darlings of the American rock press. Alongside Greg Kihn, Earth Quake, and Jonathan Richman, The Rubinoos were among the musical figureheads of the successful US label Beserkley Records (1973-1986) from Berkeley, California. The label was founded by former A&M Records in-house producer Matthew King Kaufman “to have fun and produce some great records.”From 1975 onwards, the label’s bands conquered the charts worldwide with their US power pop rock and received plenty of airplay – as did “I Think We’re Alone Now” (1976) by The Rubinoos. However, the band had already made their debut in 1975 on the album, Beserkley Chartbusters, Volume 1. The title of this LP was purely a marketing gimmick; it was the first LP on the Beserkley label and consisted of songs that hadn’t even come close to the charts – some were even recorded especially for this LP – and served “only” to make the label known to the media. Forty-seven years later, lead singer/rhythm guitarist Jon Rubin takes stock, “This insight into the band’s beginnings under extreme circumstances captures the spirit and silliness that have defined us from the beginning and continues to define us today.” Pre-order on Amazon here: https://a.co/d/7C66XE2 Earth Quake, formed in Berkeley in 1966 under the name Purple Earthquake, was heavily influenced by 1950s and 1960s rock and blues bands such as the Yardbirds, Muddy Waters, and the Kinks. Their manager Matthew King Kaufman signed the band to A&M Records in 1970 and produced their first two albums, Earth Quake (1971) and Why Don’t You Try Me? (1972), with the band and Allan Mason. From 1975 to 1980, Earth Quake released four albums on Beserkley and worked with other artists on the label; they served as the backing band for Jonathan Richman on his hit song, “Roadrunner,” and Greg Kihn sang backing vocals for Earth Quake in the studio. The band scored a hit with their blazing cover of the Easybeats’ “Friday on my Mind” and opened for Patti Smith, among others. In the early 1980s, the five musicians went their separate ways. Encouraged by the commercial success of Jonathan Richman’s “Egyptian Reggae” and the release of the label sampler, Bezerk Times, Beserkley artists Tyla Gang, Greg Kihn, The Rubinoos, and Earth Quake embarked on a joint European tour in the spring of 1978. The bands’ concerts on March 14 and 15 at the Audimax in Hamburg were recorded by WDR for the program Rockpalast. Lead guitarist Robbie Dunbar reminisces, “A great performance, a great show, by our unforgettable band,” and encourages fans to “Turn it up and enjoy!” Pre-order on Amazon here: https://a.co/d/jkJSYuN |
