Today, we're stepping outside of the 1980's - 1977 to be exact - to a video that became internet legend three decades after it's release, and for good reason. This is the most glorious depiction of redneck stereotypes this side of a monster truck show.
The song is Black Betty by Ram Jam.
Just a bit of history about these guys before we dive in.There's a good chance you don't care about any of this, and if you don't, just skip the next two paragraphs. It's just background info for people as obsessive about music as I am.
The band was put together by Jeff Katz and Jerry Kasenetz, a pair of bubblegum pop producers from the sixties around guitarist Bill Barlett, who was the guitarist for The Lemon Pipers, who were bubblegum pop one hit wonders with the absolutely horrible Green Tambourine. Their bassist, Howie Blauvett was a member of The Hassles, which featured a young Billy Joel. He's the guy with the awful mustache and the bandanna Lead singer Myke Scavone is currently a member of the garage rock throwback band, The Doughboys, featuring a drummer by the name of Richard X. Heyman. I don't expect anyone to know who Richard X. Heyman is, but he's one of the best pure pop songwriters out there and I love his work.
As for the song, Black Betty was a folk song possibly going back to the 18th century. It's often credited to folk/blues musician Leadbelly, but there are recordings of it from before his own. As with many folk songs, it's near impossible to find exactly when it came from. The earliest known recording was made by musicologists John and Alan Lomax in 1933, performed by a group of convicts on a Texas state prison farm. Leadbelly's version comes from about six years later.
Alright, the boring history stuff is over. Here's the video.
Just for shits and giggles, try and guess what state Ram Jam is from.
If you guessed New York, you're right. But you didn't unless you already knew that. Or maybe you live in rural central New York. I do, and because of that, it doesn't surprise me that these guys are New Yorkers. But it probably surprises people that they aren't from the deep south or the rural mid-west. Redneckery is not exclusive to those regions.
Things to look out for - Awful aviator sunglasses on the guitarist, the guy in the scarves dancing around like an idiot (that's their lead singer - he isn't singing lead here, so he's just flailing around like he's on drugs. Because he probably is. And by probably, I mean definitely.) Gay biker bassist. Random women in the background dancing around motor cycles. Pointless fading editing.
There's a reason that this is an internet legend. Because it deserves to be.
As a side note that nobody cares about, I'm the 15,000,700th visitor to the video.
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