Whoa, Black Betty (Bam-ba-lam) / Whoa, Black Betty (Bam-ba-lam), the words croaked out from a quake of thunderous beats and screaming strings, sounding so foreboding as if carrying an omen on its sharp, intrusive lyrics.
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“Black Betty” became an instant success upon its release and would live on still today to soundtrack any moment badassery is about to take place. With the song, Ram Jam crafted a classic that was, while repetitive, an undeniable rock and roll hit, but it would be their only one.
Where their song endured, Ram Jam fell into obscurity. It makes one wonder, “Where are they now?”
Ram Jam Then
Which came first: the song or the band? In Ram Jam’s case, it was the former.
The New York-formed band – made up of vocalist-guitarist Bill Bartlett, singer Myke Scavone, bassist Howie Arthur Blauvelt, drummer Pete Charles, and their touring guitarist-turned-later member Jimmy Santoro – came to be after “Black Betty” already existed.
Bartlett, a member of a group called Starstruck at the time, arranged the hard-rocking tune after hearing blues legend Lead Belly’s version of the tune, which was originally an African-American work song. Bartlett recorded and released it with Starstruck, but its success was isolated to the region.
According to Louder Sound, Super K Productions executives Jerry Kasenetz and Jeffry Katz saw the tune’s potential and formed the group Ram Jam with Bartlett at the center. With a new band and refreshed image, “Black Betty” was re-released as a single in 1977. However, Ram Jam never actually cut the track, the single by Starstruck was just edited and re-issued.
Ram Jam dropped their self-titled debut record shortly after, but it was their lead single that continued to outshine the rest of their work. “Black Betty” peaked at No. 18 on the U.S. singles chart after its release and became a top ten hit internationally.
Their follow-up album, Portrait of the Artist as a Young Ram, was released the next year, but saw little success and Ram Jam called it quits shortly after.
Ram Jam Now
Little is known about what became of the members of Ram Jam. Bartlett reportedly still plays music professionally today. Scavone continues to make music with a band called the Doughboys and has been a touring member of The Yardbirds since 2015. Santoro has continued a music career and supposedly teaches music at a Long Island-area elementary school. Blauvelt passed away in 1993 as did Charles in 2002.
While Ram Jam only lasted a little over a year, their legacy has endured in “Black Betty.”
(Photo by Echoes/Redferns)
