Birdcage Records
| Jah Paul Jo | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Joseph Jack Ramsey |
| Also known as | Severs |
| Born |
November 1, 1956 Los Angeles, California |
| Origin | Sierra Madre, California |
| Died | December 29, 2014 (aged 58) Arcadia, California |
| Genres | Rock, reggae |
| Occupation(s) | Musician, producer, songwriter, record label owner |
| Instruments | Guitar, keyboard, bass |
| Years active | 1983–2014 |
| Labels | Birdcage Records, Island Records, IRS Records, Warner Brothers, JVC (Japan) |
| Associated acts | Dread Zeppelin, The Prime Movers, Ron Asheton & The Empty Set |
| Website | http://www.dreadzeppelin.tv, http://birdcagerecords.com, http://primemoversmusic.com |
Joseph Jack "Severs" Ramsey, better known by his stage name Jah Paul Jo (November 1, 1956 – December 29, 2014) was an American musician, singer and producer best known for creating the novelty band Dread Zeppelin. From 1983 to 1988, Ramsey was the singer/bass player in The Prime Movers. Ramsey was also the owner of independent record label Birdcage Records, which has released albums by Dread Zeppelin, The Prime Movers, Stan Ridgway,Ron Asheton, In Vivo, The Mystery Band and others.
Hailing from Sierra Madre, California, The Prime Movers – Gary Putman on guitar and vocals, Severs Ramsey on vocals and bass and Curt Lichter on drums – formed in 1983, adapting their name from a favorite episode of the science fiction TV series, The Twilight Zone. The band first garnered attention with the mini-LP "Museum" released in 1984 on Jah Paul Jo's indie label, Birdcage Records. Cashbox Magazine wrote in their edition of August 6, 1988, "Gary Putman weaves an ethereal tapestry which blends technical wizardry with pure emotion to create one of the most stylistically unique guitar sounds ever (Did you hear that, Les Paul?)."
While playing the Southern California club circuit, the band landed a major label deal with Island Records. A&R reps saw The Prime Movers at the legendary nightclub, Madame Wong's Chinatown and immediately signed the band to the label.
Island Records UK released two singles and a self-titled EP that found favor with the English record buying public and were critically acclaimed by the British press. A song from the EP, "Strong As I Am," was featured song in the 1986 film Manhunter, and on its soundtrack LP, as well as being released as the A-side of a single on MCA Records. A UK tour with Big Country followed.
In 1987, The Prime Movers fell from favor with their label, Island Records, and Ramsey hatched the idea to record new music under an assumed name – the crazier the concept the better. It was at this time Ramsey first used the Jah Paul Jo stage name as an homage to Led Zeppelin bassist John Paul Jones. While recording demos for A&M Records as part of a songwriting publishing deal, Jo, along with Carl Jah, Curt Lichter (Cheese) and Gary Putman recorded two demos, "Memphis of the Mind" and "Earshot" that laid the groundwork for what would soon become Dread Zeppelin.
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