Rockabilly

 When I start rockabilly blog here my first idea was to try create rockabilly/psychobilly scene in Bosnia/Herzegovina (and I am still trying J). Idea was to „catch“ younger people in rockabilly culture, to present them rockabilly way of life. My country was (and still is) devasted by four years war and still you can feel wounds and blood around. Still there is no any official records store and there is no possibility to buy any records. Internet is only way for proper information about any music. This blog is not my begining of promoting rockabilly / psychobilly music. Much before this I am write music review for one of the best music websites in Bosnia/Herzegovina www.barikada.com (formely http://muzika.bosnia.ba), also free magazin „Urban Bug“ is publish my reviews as well. Thru them I am do interview with Howard Raucous and Alan Wilson, have agreed interview with P. Paul Fenech from the greates The Meteors, also there was Mississippy Queen, Voodoo Cadillac and some others. But mainly respond from the peoples was „how rockabilly sounds?“. So I came up on idea (advised by one of my best friend Dzenan) to start my own blog where I can present all news from the scene. And there is start of this blog. Idea is to share and try to present rockabilly/psychobilly sound, culture, fashion, gigs, etc ... I am start with sharing albums found on other blogs (in the begining there was Mredondo blog, with whom I had huge discussion about free sharing music), but I came up point (like you will read latter in the following interview) that I can't lock and secure download only for my country. So from some time as you can see this blog easly make changes in contest. More information about movement in the rockabilly/psychobilly scene, less download. I am commercial free blog (even I had a lot of offers to put some adds on blog) and will try to keep that in the future.

Following interview is my next step in changing blog. My next thing which I will try is to found a way for corporation between bloggers and records label. There must be a way for common work, for common support. I still think that original CD's / DVD's are still expensive and their price must be lower (can be lower).

Here is interview with Ralph, owner of one of the best rockabilly lables, „Rhythm Bomb Records“. Is very interesing for reading and if you have any comment you can leave in „Komentari“ section. Hope you will enjoy ...      

Lab3352: When you take look back in the past, what is change on rockabilly/psychobilly scene in UK and around?

Ralph: I am around since the early 80s in the szene, mainly in germany, holland, UK and skandinavia. In my opinion the bands have become more better and professional, the szene has grown up and is interested in more varieties of styles. Don’t know nothin about psychobilly, the last psychobilly album I bought was 1983 from the Sharks, Phantom Rockers was the name. I guess I missed the psychobilly era … except one the summer of 1984 when I bought a bottle of Domestoz and changed the color of my jeans from blue to white. In the 1980s London was the capital of rockabilly, I think that changed over the years to Berlin …

Lab3352: What was a main idea to start your own label? Who was first signed on label, releases and why name „Rhythm Bomb Records“?

Ralph: I was always just a fan, going to gigs and having a beer or two. I had always friends playinging bands. One day I was introduced to Rockin Lloyd Tripp. We talked a lot about the music business from a artist perspective, and pretty soon I discovered that most artists had no interest in the business side. At this time I was running a database on the web called Rock-a-Chicka, presenting new bands, featuring reviews and all this stuff. At the first Green Bay festival I decided to start a record label. At the second Green Bay festival I had more than 20 bands from my label playing there. The first project was a to release a bunch of recordings from bands from LA that had been recorded by Lloyd on his Uranium Rock label, including Omar Romeros first recordings. This project was never finished and the first CD with Lloyd Tripp was released after I had 23 other releases out. The first release I ever did was The Roundup Boys – Lift Off ! together with a re-rerelase of the Chrome Daddies album Whos Your Daddies ?.  Rhythm Bomb is pretty easy, its just using my initials RB… I thought this is a cool name and I still like it. The secret behind Rhythm Bomb is that we treat our artists with respect.  

Lab3352: How many bands you have now on Rhythm Bomb Records? Can you tell what was your biggest selling album from your label and Can you live normally like a rockabilly records owner today or not?

Ralph: I have 54 bands on my label now and I never lost anybody except Billy Lee Riley, RIP. There are many good selling albums like Cherry Casino, Mystery Gang or Jason Lee Wilson, just to name a few. The best selling ever are the low price compilations like the Hotrodder series or Perfect for Parties. Unfortunately I can not make enough money from it, so I have to work as a computer engineer … Im investing all money that I make back in my label and the artists.

Lab3352: What is main reason that rockabilly/psychobilly music never become so popular and until today stay as a let me say, underground music?

Ralph: When I was 15, I heard the Stray Cats and Polecats. This was my kind of music. My taste has changed a little bit, but its still basicly rockabilly. Most people I know are from the 80s/90s szene. We need another revival to catch more young people with our music …

Jason, Lab3352, Ralph and Karlo (from Mississippi Queen) in Medulin 2009

Lab3352: One of the things which I would like to ask you, as a records owner, is do you think that present CD prices of origianl albums are to high or not? What need to be done to cut a prices of cd's, since by my opinion and others which I am hear, price today are to high?

Ralph: I am selling my CDs as cheap as I can to dealers. You will find my CDs for 10-12 EUR in the shops. Im usally 2 EUR cheaper than other labels and pay my artists much better than any other record company. If you can convince 800 people to buy every release from me directly, I could easily cut the sales price to 50%. But I need the dealers, cause they are present at shows and festivals. They need to earn money too. At least 50% of the salesprice is margin for dealers and wholesalers. Many people just see the pressing cost, which is around 1 EURO and say that they earn 14 EUROs per CD. But there are many other costs like the payment to artists, recording studio, mastering, artwork, songwriters royalties. I earn between 1 and 1,50 EUR per CD and have to cover the complete risk.

Lab3352: On the last question we are comming to free download issue. I know that is a problem for records labels, but my opinion is that free download is direct cause of high cd prices. What do you think about free download today? Is it crime or not?

Ralph: It is. Cause those people don’t cheat rich companies like Universal or Sony, they cheat small enthusiatic companies like Rhythm Bomb and much more worse they cheat the artist. My artists get paid by CDs sold, if we don’t sell CDs, they don’t have money. I have invested up to 10.000 EUR in a release. If I don’t get my money back, I wont have any money to produce a new album. If I cant pay the artist, he will not return to record a new album. Guess how big is my motivation to loose money on Rhythm Bomb ? I have nothing against downloads. But someone needs to pay the production costs. And the only model to get money is to sell the product, as download or physical product. If somebody really likes the music, he should support the music. We don’t talk about selling 50.000 CDs per release, mostly its just 800-1.000 CDs. If there is anybody out there who has a idea how to cover the production cost, I would be the first label who offers free downloads …

Lab3352: Beside of free download there is huge sub culture of bloggers on the interent. I am one of them, but I am trying to put rockabilly scene in my country. In my case I didn't found other way but over blog (country devasted by war, no much money for buying cd's, no records shops, lot of problems). What do you think about bloggers and how bloggers and records label owners can work in future? Do you think there can be any corporation or not?

Ralph: As I mentioned before, my first step into the business was a website promoting modern bands. That’s the same like todays blogging. I have many friends in Croatia and I know its not possible to spend 15 EUR for a CD for most of those people. But todays internet is not limited to countries or areas, its worldwide. So you cant keep it local. I enjoy many blogs and podcasts. But if the offer downloads without asking the owner for permission, it’s a crime. I already found people who are charging money for their serice … that’s not cool. Everybody you runs a blog should send me a email asking for permission. I will not allow full CDs to download, but there are many other ways of cooperation. Just ask …  Its legal to offer stuff that is out of copyright. That’s public domain, mostly stuff before 1957. I enjoy downloading stuff that was ripped from LP …

Lab3352: What can be your advise to bloggers? If you tell them just „Stop sharing music“ J you will make most of them very angry.

Ralph: Stop sharing music from my label. If you want to promote us, just ask. If you enjoy a song so much that you want to share it with others, just ask. We won’t ask for fees or money. We will shutdown any blog that is offering free downloads from our music. Anybody angry ? Again … we are the good guys, we pay our artists, we don’t cheat anybody and we invest all money back in new recordings and artists. We treat everybody with respect and we also want to be treated with respect. If you want to use our material – ask !

Lab3352: Back on your label. How you are choose band which you will sign? What can be advise to unknown bands to become one of the huge Rhythm Bomb Records artists?

Ralph: I just sign bands that I like. Its very hard to become a Rhythm Bomb artist today, cause we are so busy with our 54 bands. I have only a few big names on my labels. Most bands started with Rhythm Bomb as their first label, I really enjoy unknown bands like Wailin Elroys or Star Mountain Dreamers …

Lab3352: By your opinion what is future of rockabilly/psychobilly music?

Ralph: There will be a revival someday ... We have amazing bands in the szene, somebody will make it someday …

Lab3352: Can you present some of your releases and what is plans for the future and how people can find more information abour your label (send demos, gigs, etc)?

Ralph: We have recorded some new cool stuff over the last month. When we met in Croatia I introduced you to Jason Lee Wilson and Doug Wilshire. They will have a new CD out this year. And there is a amazing new project including those two singer plus Rayburn Anthony and our friend Karlo Starcevic. They recorded a album together. We have just finished the artwork, so it will be ready for christmas time. Im also excited about a new country band. You see, there are many new projects going on, all funded out of CD sales. Its really necessary that somebody is buying that stuff …

Doug, Lab3352, Jason, Ralph and Karlo in Medulin 2009