For almost five years from 1958, former record distributor Joe Ruffino’s Ric and Ron labels typified the New Orleans R&B sound of the era. The labels didn’t have too many national hits, but Ric and Ron were crucial to the ongoing development of the careers of New Orleans luminaries Eddie Bo, Professor Longhair and Tommy Ridgley – as well as introducing the music world to notables such as Irma Thomas and Johnny Adams.
Ruffino died in 1962, but his family had the presence of mind to preserve his master tapes. More than 50 years later Ace is proud to bring you the first of two volumes that will chronicle Ric and Ron’s output from start to finish. “You Talk Too Much”, named in honour of Joe Jones’ US Hot 100 Top 10 hit which began life on Ric, concentrates on the records made between 1958–1960. A second volume will be issued later in 2014 featuring material from 1960–1962 and will include several tracks never issued on CD before.
Many of the selections here are among the all-time classics of New Orleans R&B such as the title track and ‘Go To The Mardi Gras’, ‘I Won’t Cry’, ‘Carnival Time’, ‘Don’t Mess With My Man’. As a former record distributor, Joe Ruffino knew what a record needed to make it sell. He always employed the Crescent City’s finest musicians and recorded his sessions at Cosimo Matassa’s world-renowned studio.
Every track on this compilation is sourced from an original Ric and Ron master tape and none has sounded as good as it does here.