Glen Dalpis (born December 15, 1952), known by his stage name Rudi Action Protrudi, is an American rock musician, songwriter, record producer, artist, and actor best known as the lead vocalist and frontman of the garage band The Fuzztones.
Rudi
Protrudi was born in Washington, D.C., and raised in Camp Hill, Pennsylvania. Both he and his younger sister, Rene Laigo, inherited their artistic talent from parents, John and Janet.
Rudi attended school in Camp Hill, Lemoyne and New Cumberland, where he graduated from Cedar Cliff High School in 1970. He attended York Academy of Art from 1971 to 1972.
At the age of 12, after seeing The Beatles on The Ed Sullivan Show, rock and roll became his obsession.
Through The Beatles, he became familiar with Chuck Berry, who quickly became his idol. Like Berry, Rudi chose guitar as his instrument, and by the age of 14 had formed his first band, King Arthur's Quart.
He continued to play in local bands until 1976 when an audition for the Dead Boys provided him the opportunity to play bass for them at CBGB.
Soon afterward, he founded Tina Peel with then girlfriend/live-in partner, Deb O'Nair and they moved to New York in 1977, where their serious music careers started.
Tina Peel
Tina Peel was a bubblegum-punk band, formed in 1976. Rudi says that this band was heavily influenced by
The Monkees, Cryan' Shames, 1910 Fruitgum Company and the Dave Clark 5.
[ Interview with Low Cut Magazine ] It is also Rudi's first band where he performed as frontman.
Rudi wrote or co-wrote the majority of the original material recorded by Tina Peel with then members Deb O'Nair, Jim Nastix and Jackson Plugs. Dave U. Hall (ex-bassist from Birdland with Lester Bangs) replaced Jim Nastix after his tenure with the band. Dave went under the name Rick O'Shea.
Soon, they became a popular New York attraction, often headlining the major clubs of the time (Hurrah, Irving Plaza, Ritz, CBGB), as well as appearing on several television shows, including the cult favorite,
The Uncle Floyd Show.
Even though the band was courted by major labels and enjoyed frequent press, Tina Peel broke up when members Rudi Protrudi and Deb O'Nair went on to form
The Fuzztones in 1980.
The Fuzztones
The Fuzztones were Deb O'Nair on keyboards and vocals, Michael Jay on bass, Elan Portnoy on lead guitar and Ira Elliot (now with
Nada Surf and Bambi Kino) on drums. Their first studio LP,
Lysergic Emanations, released in 1985, achieved gold record status.
The band also released a live album with blues singer Screamin' Jay Hawkins in 1984.
One year later the band toured for 3 months in the United Kingdom and Europe opening for The Damned, and introducing the 1960s
garage-psych sound to a European audience.
After the tour the band broke up, and in 1987 Rudi and new drummer Mike Czekaj moved to Los Angeles, where they reformed
the Fuzztones. The additional band members were Jordan Tarlow on guitar, John Carlucci on bass and Jason Savall on organ. This line-up toured Europe heavily between 1987 and 1990, and was the only band from the 1980s garage revival to land a major label record deal (
RCA Corporation/Beggars Banquet).
Their album,
In Heat, was produced by
Shel Talmy. A later line-up recorded the third studio album,
Braindrops, in 1991, followed by
Monster A Go-Go in 1992.
A live album,
Lysergic Ejaculations, was released after their break up in 1992. Rudi wrote or co-wrote the majority of the original material recorded by the Fuzztones.
Among Protrudi's most popular compositions are "Ward 81," "She's Wicked," "Bad News Travels Fast," "Highway 69," "Nine Months Later," "Romilar D" and "Action Speaks Louder Than Words."
Their version of
The Sonics's "Strychnine" reached No. 1 in Italy.
In 2000 Rudi reformed the band with founding member Deb O'Nair, and again toured Europe frequently. In 2003 they released the critically acclaimed studio album
Salt For Zombies. In 2010 they began their new album's tour. The album, named
Preaching to the Perverted, was released in 2011. With Rudi as the only remaining original member, the band is now based in
Berlin and is still touring and releasing albums.
Personal life
Rudi's first television appearance was in 1970, when he and his band, Rigor Mortis, played his original composition, "Bandit," on
The Weekend Show in Hershey, Pennsylvania.
He made his first record in 1972, a single released by Springhead Motorshark.
In July 2016 he released his autobiography The Fuzztone.
Discography
|
|
| King Arthur's Quart | Misty Lane Single | 2003 |
| Rigor Mortis – Basementville | Teen Sound Compilation LP | 2003 |
| Springhead Motorshark/Rapa's Schoolgirl | Baldwin Sound Productions Inc. | 1972 |
| Tina Peel/Penis Between Us | Boston Bootleg | 1976 |
| Tina Peel/More than Just Good Looks | 4 song 7-inch EP-Dacoit/Limp Records | 1977 |
| Tina Peel/30 SECONDS OVER DC | Limp Records/Comp | 1978 |
| Tina Peel/Fifi Goes Pop | Teen Appeal 45 records | 1978 |
| Tina Peel/Extra Kicks | Teen Appeal Tapes 001 | 1978 |
Tina Peel/You'll Hate This Record-Comp
Exception to the Ruler | The Only Label in the World | 1983 |
| Tina Peel/Pajama Party | Misty Lane Records | 2003 |
Tina Peel/Pajama Party
Today Is Just Tomorrows Yesterday | Misty Lane Records | 2003 |
Link Protrudi & The Jaymen
Drive It Home | Music Maniac | 1987 |
Link Protrudi & The Jaymen
Missing Links | Skyclad | 1988 |
Link Protrudi & The Jaymen
Drive It Live | Skyclad | 1988 |
Link Protrudi & The Jaymen
Slow Grind | Music Manic | 1992 |
Link Protrudi & The Jaymen
Seduction | Music Maniac | 1994 |
Link Protrudi & The Jaymen
Hit & Run | Get Hip | 1998 |
Rudi Protrudi & The Others
Yellow Green & Purple | Misty Lane Records | 1999 |
Rudi Protrudi
It's A White Trash Thing | Music Maniac Records/Twist Records | 1994/2007 |
Rudi Protrudi
Unfuzzed Live | Hund Gawd! Records | 2014 |
Fuzztones
(full discography on website or Wikipedia site) |
Has played with or recorded with
1. Screamin' Jay Hawkins
2.
Lydia Lunch & The Devil Dogs
3.
Esquerita
4. The Dead Boys
5. Peter Stampfel (ex-Fug and Holy Modal Rounder)
6.
Billy Idol
7.
Ian Astbury (
The Cult)
8.
Ann Magnuson (Ann's heavy metal satire band, Vulcan Death Grip, appears in her Cinemax special, Vandemonium and performs 2 songs co-written by Rudi.)
9. Big Sandy
10. The Unholy Modal Rounders
11.
Sean Bonniwell and Ron Edgar (as Music Machine 2001)
12. Arthur Lee
13. The Miracle Workers
14. The Chocolate Watch Band
15. Craig Moore (
GONN)
16.
The Surfaris
17. Vinny Martell (
Vanilla Fudge)
18.
Mark Lindsay (former lead singer for Paul Revere & The Raiders)
19.
Pretty Things
20.
Sylvain Sylvain (New York Dolls)
21.
Davie Allan
22. The Damned
23.
Marky Ramone
24. Jeff Salen (Sparks,
Tuff Darts)
25.
Mars Bonfire
26.
Tempest Storm
27. Dixie Evans
28. Andy Shernoff & Ross The Boss (
The Dictators)
29. The Headhunters
(members of the Fuzztones, Tommyknockers and Groovie Ghoulies)
30.
Steve Mackay (
The Stooges)
31. The 69 Eyes
32.
Sami Yaffa (New York Dolls,
Hanoi Rocks)
33. James Lowe (The Electric Prunes)
34.
Sky Saxon (
The Seeds)
Further reading
-
Interview with Low Cut Magazine
-
Article on Leave Your Mind At Home with Screamin' Jay Hawkins
-
Screamin' Jay Hawkins Movie
-
REM remembers Rudi Protrudi in NYC
-
Tina Peel review
-
Interview with InYourEyes Zine
-
Rudi Protrudi Interview in German Magazine OX
-
Rudi Protrudi Interview in Spanish
External links
