Link Protrudi and the Jaymen

Fuzzed and confused

When Eric Danno and Jeannemieke "Miss Jean" Hectors started the Ace-Tones, it was no secret that the Fuzztones (originally from New York, but by then LA-based) were a main influence. As soon as the Ace-Tones had a set of songs ready and the first shows had been played, inevitably there were some dreams of doing a support act for the Fuzztones sooner or later. Jean and Eric had become acquainted with Fuzztones main man Rudi Protrudi, with Eric being a Vox instruments collector like Rudi - and Jean, too, being the proud owner of a British Vox Phantom IV (and being a photographer) - but that support act never happened. Something else did...

Jean got a letter from Rudi, who was touring in Italy and maybe wanted to use some of the Fuzztones photos she had made. There was a little PS for Eric: "It seems like we may need someone to replace our bassplayer after this tour. If you're interested, call our agency in England..." He did, and Hardslug Agency told him that they had indeed been trying to get a hold of Mr Danno. Next thing was a phonecall to Rudi (who by then had returned to LA) who asked Eric if he could come to Los Angeles to join the Fuzztones...! "This was at two in the morning, and I was completely bewildered. I mean joining the Fuzztones, when you are thinking of maybe doing a support act for them some day... fucking unreal!"

Rudi 'Action' Protrudi

"Fucking unreal" or not, Rudi was serious about Eric joining the Fuzztones. Rudi had heard the Paradogs album and some Ace-Tones demo tapes, and... the fact that Eric already looked like a 100% Fuzztone made him fit for the job. Joining the Fuzztones however would indeed mean moving to LA - and if you live in Holland, that's basically the other end of the world. It would also mean leaving Jeannemieke for an uncertain amount of time (she had her studies in Holland), leaving Paradogs, the Ace-Tones and... leaving his cat! ("Something that really mattered, oh yes!")
However, before he had come to a decision,there was the fire (already mentioned elsewhere) that held Eric from playing for a couple of months. Yet the story was far from over; although the LA plans were off (and Rudi had dissolved the Fuzztones altogether), Mr Protrudi - who, by the way, wrote some very encouraging letters when Eric was hospitalized - had plans of moving to Europe and he wanted the Ace-Tones to be his new backing band.

Jaymen who...?

The Ace-Tones by then had their first album out and had plenty of gigs; becoming Rudi's backing band would mean better gigs and, who knows, fame and fortune - but things didn't work out (see Ace-Tones page); a couple of months later however Rudi asked if maybe Eric and Rob could join him on a European tour of his "hobby" band, Link Protrudi and the Jaymen. This band was formed inbetween the NYC and LA line-ups of the Fuzztones, with Rudi on guitar accompanied by 'NYC' Fuzztone Michael Jay on bass (hence 'Jaymen') and newcomer 'Mad' Mike Czekaj on drums; the whole idea was basically doing Link Wray instrumentals and rock'n'roll tunes in that same vein. The gigs were an instant success (and a personal victory for Rudi who proved to be a far better guitarist than most people thought he was); also the first album "Drive It Home" (being recorded to a 4-track in a rehearsal cellar) was quite successful and the Jaymen toured Europe a number of times, with John Carlucci replacing Michael Jay pretty soon. A striptease dancer was added to the show for the tour promoting the "Slow Grind" album, that introduced sleazy strip music along with blistering rock'n'roll. The third studio album "Seduction" was heavily psychedelic with Eastern overtones and bellydance tunes; Rudi couldn't bring the musicians with whom he had recorded it on tour, so the phonecall to Eric was pretty much like "hey, I've got a new album out, I've got a tour booked, what do you say?" This was planned as just a one-off thing, Eric had by then left Paradogs, and the Ace-Tones got the promise that both Eric and Rob wouldn't quit the band to join Rudi on a permanent basis, so in the summer of 1994 Eric, Rob and Rudi toured Europe... with Rudi's (now ex-) wife Cori as the mysterious bellydancer and stripper Mysti Lane (also playing some two-finger Vox organ) - and the Ace-Tones' singer, Ad, as merchandizer!

Okay let's shake it...

Shake it down...

... down to the ground!

Rob Louwers, the Ace-Tones' drummer, had to replace Mike Czekaj (who had been the drummer at all previous tours). Not an easy job, since Mr Czekaj is unique, but lots of people spontaneously told him "we don't even miss Mad Mike with you on drums!"
"There was a lot of crazy shit happening at this tour," says Eric, "but the one thing I'll never forget is Rob being rushed to a hospital at seven in the evening. Diagnosis? Alcohol overdose, malnutrition, dehydration... and he had to play a show that night, too! Five minutes before showtime, Rob was still nearly unconscious, but he did play that show - purely on adrenalin!"

Both being wildmen on stage, Rudi and Eric brought out the best and the worst in eachother... the fact that Eric doesn't need a shoulderstrap for his Höfner 'Beatle bass', but straps it to his wrist instead, gave way to some extraordinary stage antics - and Rudi is not someone to be left out-cooled, so...

There is little evidence of the 1994 'Seduction' tour; there's one bootleg EP (probably from the Czech republic) that has five songs recorded somewhere during this tour. The sleeve says that this Jaymen line-up possibly was the best so far, and who knows...
After the tour, things in Europe didn't work out the way Rudi had hoped, and he split for the USA again after a while. Nowadays, the Fuzztones have re-grouped once more, the first Jaymen album is being re-released along with all Fuzztones albums by Rudi himself on his own Sin Records (with some new, totally cool artwork) and the relatively short Jaymen story for Eric and Rob now turns out having been a prelude to an even bigger adventure...:

Playing with The Man Himself - LINK WRAY.

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Photos by Jeannemieke Hectors