Link Protrudi and the Jaymen

This month’s Under-Appreciated Rock Band of the Month, LINK PROTRUDI AND THE JAYMEN is obviously named in honor of Link Wray and His Ray Men.  However, this is not a tribute band; while they have their versions of classics like “Night Train” and “The Stroll”, most of the songs that they play are originals. 

The above album is a 1989 retrospective album, Missing Links of their original recordings and features one of the most over-the-top drawings of a rock band that I have ever seen.  Besides a sample of their instrumental monsters, Side 2 includes a live performance of “Batman”, played against the backdrop of the original “Batman Theme” by Neal Hefti for the 1960’s Batman TV show.  Midway through the performance, two of the bandmembers take a novel approach to the old rumor that Batman and Robin were the original Ambiguously Gay Duo by letting Robin admit to having a dalliance with Spider-Man. 

Rudi Protrudi – who was born Glen Dalpis, but Rudi Action Protrudi is the name on his passport – is the frontman and lead singer of the one of the most popular and talented punk/psychedelic revival bands of the 1980’s, the Fuzztones.  He formed Link Protrudi and the Jaymen in the spring of 1986 as an offshoot of the Fuzztones with their original bass guitar player Michael Jay and “Mad” Mike Czekaj, the man who would become the drummer when the Fuzztones moved from New York City to Los Angeles in 1987. 

As the liner notes explain it on the album that I have, Missing Links:  “While many of today’s ‘revival’ groups attempt to imitate past Rock & Roll styles, Link Protrudi & the Jaymen play only the wyld Rock & Roll sounds they were weened on.  These men do not know how to play ‘modern’ music. . . .  Of course, in today’s disco-drek world of pop music, few hardy souls would attempt to play a style of music extinct for over 20 years.  But the power and fury unleashed by these 3 wildmen make this a timeless statement of what Rock & Roll is all about.”  Rudi Protrudi himself adds on the back cover:  “If you enjoy this album half as much as we did making it, you’ll probably be breaking some kind of law. . .” 

The mention in the Wikipedia article on the Fuzztones about Link Protrudi and the Jaymen makes it appear that the band was a one-off project in the 1986-1987 period; besides Missing Links, they also had a 1987 album, Drive it Home!.  Actually, Link Protrudi and the Jaymen also had a 2006 release, Slow Grind, and another album called Drive it Live (1992). 

Missing Links is an unusual album in that Side 1 is at 33 rpm, and Side 2 is at 45 rpm.  I know of only one other such album, a retrospective album by the Allman Brothers Band simply called The Allman Brothers. 

(February 2013)

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Items:    Link Protrudi and the Jaymen 

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