Ruthless Records



Ruthless Records was an independent label run as a cooperative of Jon Babbin, The Effigies, Naked Raygun and Steve Albini (Big Black). After the release of their Haunted Town EP, the John Kezdy was dissatisfied at the way Autumn Records handled their expenses and decided to start the label with Babbin. Naked Raygun and Big Black came on board shortly after and all three acts worked together to get their initial records released. It wasn't really a company or anything of that sort, just a way for these bands to get their records out under one umbrella. The bands themselves were pretty much responsible for all the organization and expenses on their own records, Ruthless was just a central name/address to give the appearance of a record company for distribution purposes.

The latter half of Ruthless' existance (from about 1985 on) was run almost exclusively by Steve Albini and most of the releases were by bands outside Chicago. The label ended around 1990.

Early Catalog

 * Effigies - Bodybag / Security 7", 1982
 * Big Black - Lungs EP, (RRBB02, December 1982)
 * Effigies - We're Da Machine EP, (E1003, 1983)
 * Circle Seven - Suburban Hope 12" (1000, 198?)
 * Naked Raygun - Basement Screams 12", (03, 1983)
 * Naked Raygun - Flammable Solid 7", (311057, 1983)
 * Big Black - Bulldozer 12", (RRBB07, December 1983)
 * Big Black - Live Cassette, (Recorded at 950 11/1983)
 * Effigies - For Ever Grounded LP, 1984
 * Effigies - Haunted Town 12", (1984, 1984) (Re-release)
 * Effigies - Fly on a Wire LP, 1985
 * End Result - Ward EP, 1985
 * Urge Overkill - Strange, I 12" (1986)

Later non-Chicago Catalog

 * Rifle Sport - Complex LP (1985)
 * Dark Arts - Long Way From Brigadoon 12" (1986)
 * Appliances sfb - Them/Green Door (1987)
 * Rifle Sport - White Made In France LP (1987) number given twice
 * Black Spot - Burn LP (1989)
 * Rifle Sport - Live At The Entry LP/CD
 * Brick Layer Cake - Eye For An Eye, Tooth For A Tooth 12"