By MEL&THEN SOME (195.219.7.26) on Wednesday, February 05, 2003 - 03:25 pm:

Yet another very talented artist that should of made it bigger(in my opinion)is Ruby Andrews.
Ruby Andrews was born in 1947 on 3rd December
in Hollingdale,Mississippi.But spent most of her life in Chicago.
As with a lot of artists she began singing in church at the age of 8.
Making the transition to pop with various local groups during her high school days.After dropping out of high school she took a residence at the club Delise in Chicago.

At this early stage in her career Ruby did background singing on recording sessions which included lending her vocal support to her friends The C.O.D.'s on their record 'Michael'(Kellmac records no.1003).A no.10 R&B hit in early 1966.
That same year Ruby was signed by Ric Williams to his newly formed Zodiac label.A local Michigan independant label.
Aged 19 she cut her first record which was also the companys first release titled 'Lets get a groove going on',although for Ruby it wasnt an outstanding start to her recording career.
But in all fairness,Ric Williams budget for that initial session wouldnt have allowed much studio time for all but the basic foundations of the 2 part recording.

Her second single was 'I Just cant get away'.
Produced by Andre Williams.

Ruby's third release was 'I Just dont believe it'with the flip being 'Casanova(your playing days are over)'.
And it was with this flip side that Ruby had her biggest hit during her period with Zodiac records.It reached no.9 in the R&B charts in 1967.
The song was written by Jo Armstead supposedly for Ruby about Ric Williams with whom she was going with at the time.
Zodiac were beginning to spend money as the recolrding of 'Casanova'is dominated by a complex string arrangement courtesy of
Mike Terry.
At the time of its release the record was something new and intriguing.Williams himself liked the song as Ruby re-cut it in 1970 for her 1st album.
The record is extended to over 5 minutes on the album.
There was a version by Loletta Holloway on the now defunct Aware record label and an instrumental version by guitarist Wayne Bennett on the Giant Label(GT-703),The label for which the songs composer Jo Armstead also recorded.Bennetts bluesy guitar vies with Mike Terry's strings for the top slot.

A year later Ruby hit the national R&B charts again with 'The Love I Need' which reached no.48 in the tail end of 1968.

'Hey Boy Take A Chance On Me'
followed 'Casanova'.The song was penned by
Robert Eaton and Fred Bridges,
who together with R ichard Knight have written and produced so many great tracks.


Does anyone know what Ruby Andrews is doing today?Any info would be appreciated,and any mistakes that have appeared I apologise and would appreciate rectifying.
Is Ruby still recording today?
Many Thanks to any in-put.
mel.

By KevGo (64.115.26.80) on Wednesday, February 05, 2003 - 04:50 pm:

Mel:
Ricardo "Ric" Williams now lives in Chicago. When I speak to him next time I'll ask him about Ruby Andrews.

I do know that she did release a CD almost 10 years ago but I would have to locate it.

"Casanova (Your Playing Days Are Over)" remains one of my favorite "Lost Soul" gems.

Kevin Goins - KevGo

By MEL&THEN SOME (195.219.7.115) on Wednesday, February 05, 2003 - 04:51 pm:

Cheers Kev.
mel.

By dvdmike (12.84.11.94) on Wednesday, February 05, 2003 - 04:57 pm:

Did they cut Ruby in Detroit? Did Joshie produce her?

By Davie Gordon (193.122.21.34) on Wednesday, February 05, 2003 - 05:10 pm:

Mel, Kev

The last I heard of Ruby was when she was working
with Jerry "Swamp Dogg" Williams - he produced an
album on Ruby "Kiss This" about ten years ago.

I'm trying to remember the label - probably one of
Swamp's own distributed by Ichiban.

Swamp says he now owns the rights to Zodiac
and Ric Williams' other labels.

Davie

By KevGo (64.115.26.80) on Wednesday, February 05, 2003 - 05:20 pm:

Davie:
When did you last speak to Swamp Dogg regarding the Zodiac catalog and Ric's other labels? Please advise (I know of a label that's interested in licensing some of Ric's tunes).
Regards,
Kevin Goins -KevGo

By MotownForever (64.12.107.54) on Wednesday, February 05, 2003 - 05:51 pm:

Mel:

Ruby also recorded an LP for ABC Records in 1977 which included a few nice cuts like "I Wanna Be Near You"; "Cinderfella"; "Let's Make Every Second A Memory" and "A Love Feeling." Some of the tracks were produced by Ronald Dunbar.

By john dixon (205.188.209.38) on Wednesday, February 05, 2003 - 07:08 pm:

From 1988 to 2001 I did afternoon drive at a very unique radio station called the Breeze. Our studio was here in Charleston SC but we simulcasted on frequencies in Wilmington,NC, Columbia,SC, and Hilton Head/Savannah, so we covered alot of ground. The format and our identifier was "beach, boogie, and blues". Musically it was the most fun I ever had in radio because every day I could play some Motown and Stax, along with some Jimmy Reed, John Lee Hooker, and Big Joe Turner. One of our most requested songs, which had been adopted by the Carolina beach music crowd, was this risque number by Ruby Andrews called "Footprints On The Ceiling". By the sound of the production, it couldn't have been too old (probably an 80's recording, but I'm just guessing). Toward the fade she starts to pull a Meg Ryan/When Harry Met Sally-diner scene number, if you know what I mean. A wild song.

By acooolcat (210.201.192.198) on Wednesday, February 05, 2003 - 09:07 pm:

Mel - I think the Zodiac label was based in Chicago - not Michigan, although I know that some of Ruby's sides were recorded in Detroit - at the Sidra studio... this is what George McGregor told me.
I love "Casanova" too.
Graham

By Sound Man (66.3.112.65) on Wednesday, February 05, 2003 - 09:50 pm:

Ruby Andrews tracks for Zodiac Records where recorded in Chicago at Sound Market Recording Studios, I was the Engineer on one album.

By MEL&THEN SOME (195.219.7.40) on Thursday, February 06, 2003 - 12:18 am:

Thanks to everyone for your info
much appreciated as always.
mel.

By Eli (151.197.38.47) on Thursday, February 06, 2003 - 12:46 am:

I believe Casanova was cut at Tera Shirma, the first studio.

By Heikki (62.71.79.237) on Thursday, February 06, 2003 - 01:50 am:

After Kiss This (Ichiban 1104)in '91 a cd simply called Ruby on Goldwax (GWX 477774)in '93 and Hip Shakin' Mama on Ripete Blues (2259)in '98.
Heikki

By acooolcat (210.201.192.198) on Thursday, February 06, 2003 - 02:41 am:

Here's a list of Ruby's Zodiac 45s, which I think is complete...

1001 - Let's Get a Groove Going / same
1003 - Johnny's Gone Away / I Just Can't Get Enough
1004 - Casonova / I Just Don't Believe It
1006 - Hey Boy / Come To Me
1007 - You Can Run / Wonderful Night
1010 - Love I Need / Just Loving You
1012 - I Guess That Don't Make Me A Loser / I Let Him Take Me
1015 - You Made A Believer / Where have You Gone
1016 - Help Yourself / All The Way
1017 - Everybody Saw You / Can You Get Away
1020 - You Ole Boo Boo, You / Gotta Break Away
1022 - Hound Dog / Away From The Crowd
1023 - Whatever It Tajes To Please You / same
1024 - My Love Is Coming Down / Good 'N' Plenty
1032 - You Got To Do The Same Thing / Don't I Fool You

I got these from the recordmaster.com Website and they date from 1967 - 71.
Soundman - please elaborate on which tracks you were involved with.
Many thanks,
Graham

By Heikki (62.71.79.237) on Thursday, February 06, 2003 - 03:04 am:

Hi! More about Ruby...I just had a listen to those three cd's:

KISS THIS) true, produced by Swamp Dogg together with Michael Lockett and leased from Jerry's SDEG label. Jerry also wrote all the songs except the old Clovers hit, Lovey Dovey (he does a duet with Ruby on that one).
Another cover is To The Other Woman (the Doris Duke Canyon hit in '70), which Ruby does okay and, strangely, sounds a lot like Irma Thomas.
Overall the cd is a rather mixed bag of jump blues, Latin pop, monotonous funk and some fine soul, like a sensitive mid-pacer called Loving You no. 44 and a great, poignant beat ballad, As In Always.

RUBY (on Goldwax)- and altghough 1993, again there are real instruments on the background. Besides redoing Casanova, she covers many William Bell Songs - Getting Out Of Your Bed & Getting Into Your Head - plus does a duet with Elvin Spencer on I Don't Want To Wake Up (Feelin' Guilty). Among the rather raunchy r&b stompers there's one delightful ballad still, When You Love Somebody, and a few catchy mid-pacers. Produced by E.W.Clark, Sr.

HIP SHAKIN' MAMA (Ripete Blues in '98) - good-time r&b jamboree. Produced by CEO of Ribete Records, Marion Carter.
Covers, mostly stompy r&b, include You'll Miss Me (When I'm Gone) - originally by Fontella Bass and Bobby McClure, here by Ruby and Vance Kelly;
You Can't Play The Blues (In An Air Conditioned Room) - originally by Mel McDaniel;
Hip Shakin' Mama - originally by Chuck Newsome in '49;
Somebody Touched Me (In The Dark Last Night) - earlier by Ruth Brown in '54;
old gospel called Strange Things Happening Everyday;
Candi Staton's '79 dance hit, Chance;
plus some contemporary boogie woogie and Nashville songs.
She even covers herself on Footprints On The Ceiling from her Goldwax set.
At the time, when I asked her about Goldwax she answered that "the president of the company went crazy and the investors pulled out", but I didn't get deeper into that.
Best regards
Heikki

By Heikki (62.71.79.237) on Thursday, February 06, 2003 - 03:15 am:

Sorry, still a couple of things on Ruby.
Goldwax, of course, emerged again after '93.
On Collectables in 2000 they released a compilation called Casanova - 16 tracks from Ruby's Zodiac days - and it's still available.
Heikki

By David Meikle (80.5.115.23) on Thursday, February 06, 2003 - 01:36 pm:

Graham sent in this scan of the classic 45.

By MEL&THEN SOME (195.219.7.39) on Thursday, February 06, 2003 - 01:39 pm:

Great pic graham/david.

By KevGo (64.115.26.80) on Thursday, February 06, 2003 - 03:45 pm:

Wow!
Kevin Goins - KevGo

By Ed Wolfrum (69.3.253.34) on Thursday, February 06, 2003 - 04:33 pm:

Ruby Andrews is the session in the Label Shot at United with George McGregor and Mike Terry producing, later she did sessions with Mike doing the charts and Fred Bridges and Rick Williams producing.

The shot I posted of Fred Bridges and myself was taken at one of the Zodiac Records sessions. Memory tells me it was the "Other side of my mind"/Everything is alright now" session (Z-1018), which, believe it or not I have the single on!!! Probably because I never liked all the compression used in the disk mastering by Columbia

By Dave Rimmer (213.120.109.141) on Thursday, February 06, 2003 - 05:10 pm:

Following her releases on the Zodiac label Ruby had three releases on ABC.

ABC 12215 - I Got A Bone To Pick With You / I Don't Know How To Love You - 1976
ABC 12257 - Queen Of The Disco / A Little Fixin' Up (Will Keep Him From Messin' Up) - 1977
ABC 12286 - I Wanna Be Near You / Cinderella - 1977

Does anyone know of any more ?

By Jim Vitti (68.60.97.20) on Friday, February 07, 2003 - 02:14 am:

Ruby was a gracious lady and a wonderful talent. In 1977 her album was released on ABC, and was
entitled "Genuine Ruby" # AB-1002. Myself and Ken Sands shared the engineering on this album. If memory serves me right - Ron Dunbar and George McGregor produced, with ron producing half of the
tracks and george the other half of the album.
I believe if I check my album collection, I'll find a pristine copy of that album. More on this later.


Jim

By acooolcat (210.201.192.198) on Friday, February 07, 2003 - 03:50 am:

Hi Ed
You've lost me a little - are you refering to a photo that you posted here on the forum?
Also, the record you mention isn't in my list above - is this one Zodiac #1018?
Best wishes, Graham

By Davie Gordon (193.122.21.26) on Friday, February 07, 2003 - 10:13 am:

Kev,

I don't know Swamp personally - it's just that we're both members of the southernsoul mail list.

You can contact him at his website

www.swampdogg.com

Good luck !

By Ed Wolfrum (69.3.253.34) on Friday, February 07, 2003 - 02:41 pm:

Hi Graham,

The photo I was talking about was in the earlier "Fred Bridges" thread. It was taken at United on a Fred Bridges session. This either was the Ruby Andrews session Z-1004 or the Zodiac Z-1018, the Chuck Bermard project. Most probably the later. I'll have to ask Fred if he remembers thenext time we talk.

Pax,

Ed

By steve w (152.163.188.68) on Friday, February 07, 2003 - 03:05 pm:

Mel and the forum, Ruby is supposed to be coming over to England to the next Blackpool weekender in October, along with Marvin "have more time" Smith of Artistics fame
please dont take this as gospel as it is early days but "i've got a bone to pick with somebody" if it doesn't transpire

By MEL&THEN SOME (195.219.7.14) on Saturday, February 08, 2003 - 03:23 am:

Nice one steve.
mel.
ps.what a great record 'have more time'is.

By Mark Speck (65.57.17.222) on Saturday, February 08, 2003 - 04:06 am:

I believe she first recorded under the name Ruby Stackhouse for the Kellmac label. Is that correct?

Best,

Mark

By R&B (138.238.41.128) on Saturday, February 08, 2003 - 09:51 am:

GOOD THREAD MEL,RUBY ANDREWS HAS ALWAYS BEEN ONE OF MY FAVORITES,I SAW HER PERFORM AT THE HOWARD THEATRE IN THE LATE SIXTIES AND SHE WAS A SMASH,SO CUTE WITH SUCH GOOD RANGE.IT WOULD BE WONDERFUL TO HEAR FROM HER AGAIN.

By MEL&THEN SOME (195.219.7.61) on Saturday, February 08, 2003 - 12:12 pm:

Thanks R&B.

By Davie Gordon (193.122.21.26) on Saturday, February 08, 2003 - 03:19 pm:

Mark,

Yes - her first single was credited as "Ruby
Stackhouse"

By Garry J Cape (205.188.209.38) on Saturday, February 08, 2003 - 03:28 pm:

Just reading this thread from on the road in the US - I can tell you that our UK GRAPEVINE label have licensed and scheduled for Summer 2003 release the definitive compilation of Ruby's Zodiac recordings - all remastered to our usual high standard and incorporating a high quality insert written by the esteemed Robert Pruter - check www.grapevine-soul.com for future news on this and other releases.

We are also looking at a further compilation featuring the Bridges-Eaton-Knight collaborations

Garry J Cape
Grapevine

By Ian W (194.75.128.2) on Thursday, February 13, 2003 - 07:34 am:

The above compilations sound wonderful!

Candace Love, another (presumably) Chicago artist, recorded Ruby's 'Wonderful Night' on another Ric Williams label 'Aquarius'. I can't decide which I like better. What fantastic arrangements!

By FLB (68.21.40.98) on Monday, March 10, 2003 - 05:32 pm:

ED:THE OTHER SIDE OF MY MIND & EVERYTHING IS ALRIGHT NOW WAS ON CHUCK BERNARD ON ZODIAC I
WROTE& PRODUCE IT.


FRED