# Ric Records

> Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Ric_Records
> Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Ric_Records.md
> Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ric_Records
> Source revision: 1353702745
> License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)

{{Short description|American record label}}
{{Infobox record label <!-- See Wikipedia:WikiProject_Music -->
| name        = Ric Records
| image       =
| image_size  = 
| image_alt   =
| caption     =
| parent      =
| founded     = {{start date|1959}}
| founder     = Joe Ruffino
| defunct     = {{end date|1962}}
| slogan      = <!-- advertising slogan or "motto" of the label, if any -->
| status      = <!-- leave blank unless "Inactive" -->
| distributor = <!-- distributors, separated by using commas, {{Flatlist}} or {{Hlist}} -->
| genre       = R&B, Soul
| country     = United States
| location    = New Orleans
| website     = <!-- such as "{{URL|www.atlanticrecords.com}}" -->
}}
'''Ric Records''', along with sister label '''Ron Records''', were American record labels formed by '''Joe Ruffino''' in 1959.<ref name="NolaRnB"/>  Although most of Ric's releases did not rise above regional hits, the label was active during the golden era of [New Orleans R&B](/source/New_Orleans_R%26B) and was an incubator for many artists who are now recognized as definers of the style.thumb|alt=Ric Records 45|Example of Ric Records 45 label

After his first taste of the music industry at A-1 Distributors,<ref name="distro"/> Joe Ruffino set out on his own with the Ric and Ron imprints, headquartered at 630 Baronne Street in New Orleans.<ref name="NolaRnB"/> The labels were named after Joe's two sons.<ref name="NolaRnB"/>  Ric Records was focused exclusively on releasing local New Orleans talent. [Edgar Blanchard](/source/Edgar_Blanchard) was brought in to help with studio arrangements, and supervised all early Ric studio sessions.<ref name="NolaRnB"/> He was later replaced by [Harold Battiste](/source/Harold_Battiste).<ref name="NolaRnB"/> Mac Rebennack (later "[Dr. John](/source/Dr._John)") was also brought on as label president and helped with writing and producing.<ref name="drjohn"/>

Artists on the label included [Eddie Bo](/source/Eddie_Bo), [Johnny Adams](/source/Johnny_Adams),<ref name="Adams" /> Lenny Capello, [Al Johnson](/source/Al_Johnson_(musician)), [Tommy Ridgley](/source/Tommy_Ridgley) and [Joe Jones](/source/Joe_Jones_(singer)). Jones provided Ric with its only sizeable hit, "[You Talk Too Much](/source/You_Talk_Too_Much_(Joe_Jones_song))", which peaked at No. 3 on the [''Billboard'' Hot 100](/source/Billboard_Hot_100) in late 1960.<ref name="NolaRnB" /> This record was the cause of legal issues with New York City-based outfit [Roulette Records](/source/Roulette_Records), for which Joe Jones previously recorded a version of the tune.<ref>{{Cite magazine|date=October 10, 1960|title=Roulette Buys Jones Master From Ric|url=https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Billboard/60s/1960/Billboard%201960-10-10.pdf|magazine=Billboard|pages=4, 33}}</ref><ref name="talk" />

Sister label Ron Records had a similar focus on local talent. Artists released include [Professor Longhair](/source/Professor_Longhair) (local favorite "[Go to the Mardi Gras](/source/Go_to_the_Mardi_Gras)"<ref name="Fess"/>), [Irma Thomas](/source/Irma_Thomas), [Bobby Mitchell](/source/Bobby_Mitchell_(singer)), [Eddie Lang](/source/Eddie_Lang_(singer)) (not to be confused with the jazz guitarist [Eddie Lang](/source/Eddie_Lang)) and Martha Carter. After being discovered in a local club by Tommy Ridgley, Irma Thomas recorded her first single "(You Can Have My Husband but) Don't Mess with My Man" for Ron within a week.<ref name="NolaRnB"/>  She is now recognized as an important American singer,<ref name="irma"/> and was inducted into the [Louisiana Music Hall of Fame](/source/Louisiana_Music_Hall_of_Fame) in 2007.<ref name="nolahall"/>

The Ric and Ron labels became dormant in 1962 when Joe Ruffino died.<ref name="NolaRnB"/> Ruffino's brother in law Joe Assunt, owner of the One Stop Records store procured the Ric and Ron tapes and reissued various popular titles for the next decade, adding a couple of Johnny Adams 45s to the label listings.<ref name="NolaRnB2">{{cite web |last1=Kelly |first1=Red |title=The Ric and Ron Labels |url=http://cosimocode.com/ricandron.html |website=The Cosimo Code |publisher=Soul Detective |access-date=15 February 2023 |archive-date=28 May 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230528203635/http://cosimocode.com/ricandron.html |url-status=dead }}</ref> On Assunto's death in August 1981 the tapes passed to his daughter Joel Ann Mcgregor.<ref name="NolaRnB2"/>

==References==
<references>
<ref name="drjohn">
{{Cite book
| last = Rebennack
| first = Mac
| author2 = Jack Rummel
| title = Under a hoodoo moon: the life of Dr. John the Night Tripper
| publisher = St. Martin's Press
| year = 1994
| location = New York, NY
| pages = [https://archive.org/details/underhoodoomoonl00john/page/81 81]
| url = https://archive.org/details/underhoodoomoonl00john/page/81
| isbn = 0-312-13197-6
}}
</ref>
<ref name="NolaRnB">
{{Cite book
| last = Broven
| first = John
| title = Rhythm and blues in New Orleans
| publisher = Pelican Publishing Company, Inc.
| year = 1978
| location = Gretna, LA
| pages = [https://archive.org/details/rhythmbluesinnew00brov/page/170 170–77]
| url = https://archive.org/details/rhythmbluesinnew00brov/page/170
| isbn = 0-88289-433-1
}}
</ref>
<ref name="distro">
  {{Cite web
 |last        = Slaven
 |first       = Neil
 |title       = The Instant & Minit Story
 |url         = http://lm-mail.com/mailouts/web16_web.html
 |access-date  = February 20, 2011
 |url-status     = usurped
 |archive-url  = https://web.archive.org/web/20110820051328/http://lm-mail.com/mailouts/web16_web.html
 |archive-date = August 20, 2011
}}
</ref>
<ref name="Adams">
{{Cite web
  | last = Dahl
  | first = Bill
  | title = Johnny Adams Biography
  | publisher = [Allmusic](/source/Allmusic)
  | url = http://www.allmusic.com/artist/p50432/biography
  | access-date = February 20, 2011}}
</ref>
<ref name="talk">
{{Cite web
  | last = Ankeny
  | first = Jason
  | title = Joe Jones Biography
  | publisher = [Allmusic](/source/Allmusic)
  | url = http://www.allmusic.com/artist/joe-jones-p561838/biography
  | access-date = February 20, 2011}}
</ref>
<ref name ="Fess">
  {{Cite web
  | last = Nadal
  | first = James
  | title = Professor Longhair Biography 
  | url = https://www.allaboutjazz.com/musicians/professor-longhair
  | access-date = February 20, 2011}}
</ref>
<ref name ="irma">
{{Cite web
  | last = Block
  | first = Melissa
  | title = Irma Thomas: The Soul Queen Of New Orleans
  | publisher = [NPR](/source/NPR)
  | date = August 23, 2010
  | url = https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=129345910
  | access-date = February 20, 2011}}
</ref>
<ref name ="nolahall">{{Cite web
  | last = Aswell
  | first = Tom
  | title = Irma Thomas page at Louisiana Music Hall of Fame
  | url = http://louisianamusichalloffame.org/content/view/33/83/
  | access-date = February 20, 2011
  | archive-date = April 12, 2011
  | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110412143150/http://louisianamusichalloffame.org/content/view/33/83/
  | url-status = dead
  }}</ref>
</references>

{{Authority control}}

Category:Rhythm and blues record labels
Category:Pop record labels
Category:Companies based in New Orleans
Category:Record labels based in Louisiana
Category:Record labels established in 1959
Category:Record labels disestablished in 1962
Category:Defunct record labels of the United States

---
Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Ric Records](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ric_Records) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ric_Records?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.