Paul Collins Beat, DJ Josh Styles, DJ Ardavon

The Original CBS Bio:
THE BEAT(1979 C.B.S. Records)

American culture has had no stronger influence and ally during the past twenty years than rock 'n roll. The music thrives on social conflict, making its impact in the face of turmoil - or in spite of it. The popular ascent of black-rooted rhythm & blues and its marriage to white rockabilly in the 1950's - the marriage that formed rock 'n roll - was in part a reaction to the complacency of that decade. In much the same way, rock would graduate to an environment of communal activism and unrest in the 1960's.

The Beat is four very determined young men - Steve Huff (bass), Mike Ruiz (drums), Larry Whitman (guitar), with Paul Collins fronting the stage. "We're just four guys playing music," says Paul, "no trickery, no bullshit, just rock 'n roll. It's a whole new ball game now. All of a sudden, people who had their fingers on the pulse of what was going on - no longer do. All of a sudden, groups that were the definition of the times - no longer are... It's a big toss-up. What we're doing is no big deal to us, we're doing what comes to us naturally, the difference is that we're not trying to be the stuff that's going on now. We think we are what should be now."

Their first album for Columbia was produced by Bruce Botnick, of Doors, Rolling Stones, and Buffalo Springfield renown; who has also produced Dave Mason and Eddie Money. The Beat's recording sessions were fast (not hurried), efficient, five days for basic tracks and out. Rehearsals were carried out in advance, no time to be wasted inside the studio. Whitman; himself an L.A. veteran at the ripe old age of 23, is proud of the fact that four tunes on THE BEAT album are first takes.

About Paul Collins: Born in Manhattan, he lived near Army bases in Greece, Vietnam, and around Europe, his father being a civilian attached to the service. At 14, he was back in Manhattan, eventually landing at Juilliard Music School as a composition major involved in modern and avant-garde music - which had nothing to do with anything, he testifies.

He went to the Fillmore East a lot, and claims WABC radio as his biggest musical influence, circa 1968-69. At one point he wound up living in England, moved back to New York briefly, and then headed west to satisfy his curiosities, musical and otherwise.

Settling in San Francisco, he joined with songwriter Jack Lee and formed The Nerves in 1974, an original new rock band whose repertoire included "Hanging On the Telephone," later a successful single for Blondie. The song was included on The Nerves' 1976, 4-song EP, a successful record in its own right. It sold 10,000 copies in the U.S. and gave the band the momentum they needed to carry out a profit-making coast-to-coatst tour of underground and alternative rock venues.

They shared the stage with The Ramones, Mink DeVille, the Shadows of Knight in Chicago, and most importantly Eddie Money at the Longbranch in San Francisco. Eddie became an early supporter of The Nerves; and a close friend of Paul Collins, even after the group moved from San Francisco to Los Angeles in 1977· A year later The Nerves split up, and Paul met Steve Huff through the Musicians Personal section of The Recycler, southern California's newspaper of free classified advertisements.

Huff is described as "Mr. Bass Player" (or "Mr. Mellow"), from Redding, Cal., quiet, reserved, wears horn-rimmed glasses, and is a truly gifted bass player. He has a healthy dose of rock 'n roll sensibilities, and the right attitude to pull it off. He and Paul spent long hours in his living room, at first just formulating mental song ideas, later translating them onto a couple of TEAC tape decks for demo purposes.

Those initial demos found drummer Mike Ruiz joining the lineup of what was already being referred to as The Beat. Born and raised in New York, Mike has been in and out of every imaginable type of band - rock and otherwise - since getting his first set of drums at age 10. For our purposes, however, it was his stint in Milk 'n Cookies that is most important. Their-debut LP on Island was produced by Muff Winwood in 1975, while the band was still New York-based; eventually they moved to Los Angeles and, as these things happen, Mike found himself drumming on The Beat's demos. (Ask, and Mike'l1 also tell you of his half-year spent as Music Director of KROQ-FM in Los Angeles.)

Mike had drummed earlier (briefly) in a fairly well-known L.A. band, Needles & Pins (known for their prejudice towards the 'girl group' sounds of the '60's), featuring lead guitarist Larry Whitman. It was no trick for Mike to introduce Larry to Paul and Steve - thereby completing The Beat's lineup. Born in Pittsburgh, Larry's lived 20-odd years in L.A., playing guitar professionally since age 8. His playing credits are boggling: Shaun Cassidy's first backup band at age 14; on tv's "Groovy" rock series; formal study with Joe Pass and Mike Bryant; a power trio called kickback; endless Page-Beck-Hendrix bar bands; in Jeff Porcaro's high school band, Still Rural Life; and stints with Buddy Miles, Monte Rock, Kim Fowley, Iggy Pop, and others prior to Needles & Pins.

In mid-April, 1979, the Bill Graham Organization added The Beat onto Eddie Money's soldout night at San Francisco's Kabuki Theater. It was a resounding success, though unadvertised,and unexpected, and won The Beat a management contract with Mr. Graham. Now, THE BEAT album represents only the second act to appear on Columbia through Graham's Wolfgang Productions, the other being Eddie Money. The Collins-Money relationship also continues to thrive - they collaborated on Eddie's newest single, "Get a Move On," from the Americathon soundtrack LP on Columbia; and one track on THE BEAT album, "Let Me Into Your Life."

"To become successful is hard," Paul says, "but to maintain being successful is harder than anything." The band is keenly aware of who they are, what they are, and what their music is about.

Now… What is it that everyone likes about rock 'n roll? it's THE BEAT!