Ramatam was a 1970s

rock band A rock band or pop band is a small musical ensemble that performs rock music, pop music, or a related genre. A four-piece band is the most common configuration in rock and pop music. In the early years, the configuration was typically two guita ...

featuring

Mike Pinera Mike Pinera (born September 29, 1948) is an American guitarist, singer, songwriter and producer who started professionally in the late 1960s with the group Blues Image, which had a number 4 hit in 1970 with their song "Ride Captain Ride". After th ...

on guitar and vocals, April Lawton on lead guitar, and, for a short time,

Mitch Mitchell John Graham "Mitch" Mitchell (9 July 194612 November 2008)In his book about the Experience, Mitchell states he celebrated his 21st birthday while on tour on 9 July 1967, which makes his birth year 1946.Mitchell's obituaries in ''Billboard' ''T ...

on drums. Ramatam was notable for having Lawton, a female lead guitarist.

Tom Dowd Thomas John Dowd (October 20, 1925 – October 27, 2002) was an American recording engineer and producer for Atlantic Records. He was credited with innovating the multitrack recording method. Dowd worked on a veritable "who's who" of recordings ...

produced their self-titled debut album in 1972. Pinera was known for his work with

Blues Image Blues Image was an American rock band. They had a hit in 1970 with "Ride Captain Ride", which reached No. 4 on both the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 and the Canadian RPM magazine charts. Career Blues Image was formed in Tampa, Florida in 1966 by ...

Ride Captain Ride "Ride Captain Ride" is a song recorded by the American rock band Blues Image. It was co-written by the band's singer-guitarist Mike Pinera and keyboardist Frank "Skip" Konte, and was included on the group's 1970 album, ''Open''. Released as a ...

") and later

Iron Butterfly Iron Butterfly is an American rock band formed in San Diego, California, in 1966. They are best known for the 1968 hit "In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida", providing a dramatic sound that led the way towards the development of hard rock and heavy metal music. ...

. Mitchell had been a member of

The Jimi Hendrix Experience James Marshall "Jimi" Hendrix (born Johnny Allen Hendrix; November 27, 1942September 18, 1970) was an American guitarist, singer and songwriter. Although his mainstream career spanned only four years, he is widely regarded as one of the most ...

. The group also included some former members of

Janis Joplin Janis Lyn Joplin (January 19, 1943 – October 4, 1970) was an American singer and musician. One of the most successful and widely known Rock music, rock stars of her era, she was noted for her powerful mezzo-soprano vocals and "electric" stage ...

Big Brother and The Holding Company Big Brother and the Holding Company is an American rock band that formed in San Francisco in 1965 as part of the same psychedelic music scene that produced the Grateful Dead, Quicksilver Messenger Service, and Jefferson Airplane. After some in ...

. Russ Smith was the bass player and co-writer on some of the tunes. Ramatam performed at Concert 10 in Long Pond, PA with Emerson Lake & Palmer,

Edgar Winter Edgar Holland Winter (born December 28, 1946) is an American musician. He is a multi-instrumentalist, playing keyboards, guitar, saxophone, and percussion, as well as singing. His success peaked in the 1970s with his band the Edgar Winter Group ...

Three Dog Night Three Dog Night is an American rock band formed in 1967, with founding members consisting of vocalists Danny Hutton, Cory Wells, and Chuck Negron. This lineup was soon augmented by Jimmy Greenspoon (keyboards), Joe Schermie (bass), Michael Allsup ...

The Faces Faces are an English rock band formed in 1969 by members of Small Faces after lead singer and guitarist Steve Marriott left to form Humble Pie. The remaining Small Faces—Ian McLagan (keyboards), Ronnie Lane (electric bass, vocals), and Kenne ...

and others in 1972. Mitchell's departure came before the band released its second and final album, ''In April Came the Dawning of the Red Suns'' (1973). Pinera left the band after claiming Lawton, who wanted both Pinera and Mitchell out, wanted to turn Ramatam into the "April Lawton Band." Pinera and Mitchell departed from the band at that point, leaving the focus entirely on Lawton. Jimmy Walker replaced Mitchell at that point and they recorded their second album "In April Came the Dawning of the Red Suns" along with Tommy Sullivan on bass. Shortly thereafter, the band fractured under the pressure of business and musical direction and broke up in 1974.

Discography

*''Ramatam'' (

Atlantic Records Atlantic Recording Corporation (simply known as Atlantic Records) is an American record label founded in October 1947 by Ahmet Ertegun and Herb Abramson. Over its first 20 years of operation, Atlantic earned a reputation as one of the most i ...

, 1972) U.S. #182 *''In April Came the Dawning of the Red Suns'' (Atlantic, 1973)

References

External links

Ramatam audio
at www.aprillawton.com American rock music groups {{rock-band-stub