Rubber Rodeo was an American, Rhode Island-based band active in the 1980s. The band fused Roxy Music-influenced new wave music with

country and western A country is a distinct part of the world, such as a state, nation, or other political entity. It may be a sovereign state or make up one part of a larger state. For example, the country of Japan is an independent, sovereign state, while the ...

influences, and dressed in 1950's-vintage country & western clothing. Their 1984 release "Anywhere With You" reached No. 86 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100.

History

Foundation and early years (1980–83)

Rubber Rodeo was founded in Rhode Island in 1980, and initially consisted of Bob Holmes (vocals, guitars), Trish Milliken (vocals, keyboards), Gary Leib (synthesisers), Eddie Stern (pedal steel),

Doug Allen Doug Allen (born February 22, 1956) is an American underground cartoonist, illustrator, and musician. Best known for his long-running comic strip ''Steven'', Allen has over the years collaborated with long-time friend Gary Leib on music, anima ...

(bass) and Bob's brother Barc Holmes (drums). Almost all were students at the Rhode Island School of Design, and lead singers Holmes and Milliken were also romantically involved. Bob Holmes later described the band as "a cross between

Gene Autry Orvon Grover "Gene" Autry (September 29, 1907 – October 2, 1998), nicknamed the Singing Cowboy, was an American singer, songwriter, actor, musician, rodeo performer, and baseball owner who gained fame largely by singing in a crooning s ...

and

Devo Devo (, originally ) is an American rock band from Akron, Ohio, formed in 1973. Their classic line-up consisted of two sets of brothers, the Mothersbaughs (Mark and Bob) and the Casales (Gerald and Bob), along with Alan Myers. The band had a ...

". Others noted that when Milliken was singing, Rubber Rodeo sounded something like a countrified Blondie. Most of the band's material consisted of original songs composed by Bob Holmes, or by the team of Holmes and Milliken. However, the group also recorded takes on country and western classics such as

Ennio Morricone Ennio Morricone (; 10 November 19286 July 2020) was an Italian composer, orchestrator, conductor, and trumpeter who wrote music in a wide range of styles. With more than 400 scores for cinema and television, as well as more than 100 classica ...

's "The Good, The Bad and The Ugly" and the Patsy Cline standard " Walkin' After Midnight". As well, their first independently released single was a cover of Dolly Parton's "Jolene" in 1981. Shortly after this single was released, pedal steel guitarist Stern left the band, to be replaced by Mark Tomeo.

''Scenic Views'' (1984)

After two independent EP releases, on Eat Records, in 1982 and 1983, the band recorded their full-length debut '' Scenic Views'' (1984) for Mercury Records. The sessions were not without tension: producer

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used a Linn drum machine rather than letting Barc Holmes play, and bassist Allen played only on a portion of the track "Walkin' After Midnight" before being let go by the band. Former Rubber Rodeo producer John Doelp took over on bass for the remainder of the sessions, and was credited with "bass and musical direction" on the final release, although he was not an official member of the group. After the album was made, bassist Hal Cragin was added to the line-up for live work; he also appears as bassist and band member in the videos shot for the ''Scenic Views'' album. Despite the difficulties in making the record, ''Scenic Views'' was a moderately successful release. The LP's first single "The Hardest Thing" failed to chart, but the video received significant

MTV MTV (Originally an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable channel that launched on August 1, 1981. Based in New York City, it serves as the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group, part of Paramount Media Networks, a di ...

airplay. The album's second video "Anywhere With You" also received MTV play, and the "Anywhere With You" single was a minor hit in the US, reaching no. 86 on the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100 singles chart. Rubber Rodeo's fusion of new wave and country music on the album led music critic J.D. Considine to coin the term "cowboy pop" in his review published in ''

Musician A musician is a person who composes, conducts, or performs music. According to the United States Employment Service, "musician" is a general term used to designate one who follows music as a profession. Musicians include songwriters who wri ...

''. Later in 1984, the band picked up a

Grammy The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pre ...

nomination for a long-form video they made for ''Scenic Views''. The video was produced by Second Story Television and written and directed by David Greenberg. The home video release also included the music video for their early Eat Records single, "How The West Was Won".

''Heartbreak Highway'' (1986)

Before recording their follow-up album, the band's line-up was reshuffled again. Tomeo departed, to be replaced by Ray Gantek on pedal steel and dobro. The band's second album, 1986's ''Heartbreak Highway'', was produced by Ken Scott, who had previously produced albums by David Bowie and

. However, the album was not a commercial success and the band was subsequently dropped by their label. Nevertheless, the group soldiered on for a while, with Reeves Gabrels taking over from Gantek as Rubber Rodeo's steel guitarist.

Break-up and later careers

The band split up by the end of the 1980s, with their final recording appearing on a 1991 tribute album honouring

Duplex Planet ''The Duplex Planet'' is a zine edited and published by David Greenberger since 1979. It contains transcriptions of his interviews with elderly residents of senior centers and "meal sites" in the Massachusetts area. For many years, the zine fo ...

poetry naif

Ernest Noyes Brookings Ernest is a given name derived from Germanic word ''ernst'', meaning "serious". Notable people and fictional characters with the name include: People *Archduke Ernest of Austria (1553–1595), son of Maximilian II, Holy Roman Emperor * Ernest, ...

. By this point, bassist Allen had returned to the group and Rubber Rodeo was credited as a quartet of Bob Holmes, Trish Milliken, Gary Leib, and Doug Allen. Holmes and Milliken's marriage came to an end in the 1990s about the same time they had their child Zane Holmes. Bob Holmes (not to be confused with guitarist Robert Holmes from the new wave band 'Til Tuesday) went on to a successful production career for artists ranging from David Bowie to Nils Lofgren, and now produces multi-media in New York City. In 2011, Holmes formed a new band called The Crusty Gentlemen, with original Rubber Rodeo bassist Doug Allen, pedal steel guitarist Jonathan Gregg, bassist Roger Moley, and banjo player Jeffrey Freidberg. The "Crusties" perform covers of classic bluegrass/country songs, with the occasional cover of popular songs such as, "Sweet Child O' Mine," originally done by

Guns N' Roses Guns N' Roses is an American hard rock band from Los Angeles, California, formed in 1985. When they signed to Geffen Records in 1986, the band comprised vocalist Axl Rose, lead guitarist Slash, rhythm guitarist Izzy Stradlin, bassist Duff McKa ...

. Both

and Gary Leib, meanwhile, drew upon their art school backgrounds and became noted cartoonists. Elsewhere, Reeves Gabrels moved to London and joined David Bowie's band Tin Machine; and Tomeo, Cragin, and Gantek all carved out careers as notable session musicians. Rubber Rodeo did get back together to record a third album some time in the 1990s, but it has never seen release. In November 2007, Gary Leib was interviewed for the Alternative Classix podcast, where he discussed Rubber Rodeo's history and legacy. Bob Holmes and Gary Leib performed in a new project named SUSS, that has been referred to as “ambient country" music.

Discography

Albums

EPs *''Rubber Rodeo'' (1982 Eat Records) # "The Theme for Rubber Rodeo" (1:35) # "Jolene" (4:17) # "Slippin' Away" (4:08) # "How the West Was Won" (3:26) # "Tumblin' Tumbleweeds" (2:36) # "True Confessions" (2:58) *''She Had to Go...'' (1982 Eat Records) # "She Had to Go..." (5:11) # "The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly" (2:44) # "Forbidden Valley" (3:59) LPs *'' Scenic Views'' (1984 Eat Records) # "Need You, Need Me" (4:39) # "Slow Me Down" (3:31) # "Anywhere With You" (4:40) # "Walking After Midnight" (3:56) # "City of God" (5:13) # "The Hardest Thing" (3:15) # "House of Pain" (4:45) # "Mess o' Me" (5:03) # "Before I Go Away (5:57) # "Woman of Straw" (4:20)* *''Heartbreak Highway'' (1986 Mercury Records) # "Heartbreak Highway" (4:33) # "If You're Ever Alone" (4:10) # "Everybody's Talkin'" (3:40) # "Souvenir" (3:48) # "The Civil War" (4:14) # "Deadtown" (4:43) # "When Words Collide" (4:13) # "Look Who's Back" (4:11) # "Maybe Next Year" (4:28) -*on CD and cassette releases

Singles

*"Jolene" (1981) *"She Had To Go" (1982) *"The Hardest Thing" (1984) *"Anywhere With You" (1984) *"Everybody's Talkin'" (1986) *"Souvenir" (1986)

References

{{Authority control 1980 establishments in the United States 1989 disestablishments in the United States Musical groups from Boston American new wave musical groups Rock music groups from Massachusetts Cowpunk musical groups Musical groups established in 1980 Musical groups disestablished in 1989 Rhode Island School of Design alumni in music