The Raybeats formed in 1979, brought together by
George Scott. He had worked with Jody Harris and Don Christensen in
James Chance and the Contortions, and he had worked with Pat Irwin in
8-Eyed Spy. When Scott died from a drug overdose in August 1980, he was replaced by Danny Amis. Amis left in the spring of 1982, after which the Raybeats used several bassists-for-hire, including David Hofstra, Bobby Albertson and
Gene Holder. Amis later formed
Los Straitjackets. With Amis, the Raybeats recorded an
EP called
Roping Wild Bears, which was released in 1981. Later that year, they recorded and released a full-length album titled
Guitar Beat produced by
Martin Rushent. It featured ten original tunes, plus a cover of
Jan Berry's "B-Gas Rickshaw." After Amis's departure in 1982, the Raybeats recorded one more album, ''It's Only A Movie!'', which was released on
Shanachie Records in 1983. They disbanded in 1984. In 1990, Christensen, Harris and Irwin reunited one more time, playing a benefit concert for the
Brooklyn Academy of Music. Jared Nickerson played bass. On August 21, 2010 Pat Irwin, Jody Harris, Don Christensen, with Gail Ann Dorsey on bass backed up Adele Bertei (Contortions/The Bloods) at Joe's Pub in Greenwich Village. They played another show on August 25, 2010 at Bowery Electric (327 Bowery at 2nd Street). Also on the bill was Faith as well as Command V which was a band consisting of Pat Irwin, Cynthia Sley (Bush Tetras) and filmmaker Rachel Dengiz. On June 29, 2011, the Raybeats headlined a benefit concert at
Maxwell's in
Hoboken, New Jersey, raising funds to cover medical expenses for former bassist Danny Amis, who had been diagnosed with multiple myeloma. Steve Almaas, formerly of
The Suicide Commandos and
Beat Rodeo, filled in on bass. == Discography ==