Runaway Express Home of Jim and Salli Ratts, their bands, CDs, music, videos, events, and photos

Runaway Express, a fixture of the Denver music scene for 20 years, announces the release of “Oh, Boy!”. a follow-up to their acclaimed “Yeah, Buddy!”, released in 2000. Both are collections of tunes recorded by the legendary West Texas rock innovator, Buddy Holly.

One might think that this band was ‘stuck in the ‘50s’. Consider these facts and decide for yourself:
Last August Runaway Express performed an amazing 5-hour (no breaks!!) All Woodstock Music Extravaganza featuring songs by The Band, Crosby, Stills and Nash, Jefferson Airplane, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Richie Havens, Neil Young, John Sebastian, the Grateful Dead and The Who. They’ve been doing a summer Woodstock show since 1994. Maybe they’re stuck in the ‘60s.

The band has backed up numerous artists, including the ‘Ragin’ Cajun’ Doug Kershaw, Chuck Berry, Michael Martin Murphy, The Coasters, The Kingston Trio, and John Prine. In 1986 Runaway Express joined forces with John McEuen of the Dirt Band, and Jim and Salli continue to perform with John from time to time.

Runaway Express played a 30-song tribute to Bob Dylan at The Taste Of Colorado in Denver. They are unafraid of lengthy ‘theme shows’ on almost any topic as they skip through the years and musical genres.

Runaway Express claims an astounding repertoire of 2,000 songs.

The band has released many albums of original material during their 20 years of recording. Their last release, “NATURE”, was a collaboration with the Aerie Nature Series, featuring a collection of Jim’s songs about wildlife and wild places. These tunes have been used in school presentations by Perry Conway and have been heard by tens of thousands of Colorado kids. Jim has also written songs recorded by legendary folk groups The Kingston Trio, The Limeliters, and The Dillards.

Runaway Express has performed at the Telluride Bluegrass Festival 6 times and played the Red Rocks stage.

Jim’s song “HOWLIN’ AT THE MOON” was recorded by world class instrumentalist and ‘king of Telluride’, Sam Bush. It was the single release and title track of his 1998 album and was #3 on the National Bluegrass Charts for two months. The song was #79 on Bluegrass Unlimited’s ‘Top 200 Songs of the Decade’ list.

Runaway Express has received Westword’s ‘Best of Denver’ awards for Best Country Recording, Best Collaboration With An Established Star, and a reader’s choice for Best Dance Band.

Jim’s work with members of the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band includes his involvement with The Wild Jimbos. The NGDB’s Jimmy Ibbotson is the wildest Jimbo and their MCA “Wild Jimbos” project included the single “Let’s Talk Dirty In Hawaiian”. A summertime release, the video of that song was in heavy rotation on the country music television networks CMT and TNN. Swimming against the mainstream, Wild Jimbos provided an eclectic alternative for country listeners with their bluegrass flavored, country-folk inspired Colorado Americana music. Ibbotson has written the best Colorado songs this side of John Denver. Hour-long Wild Jimbo encores of spontaneous and passionate musical explosions were not uncommon. Sam Bush was in the band.

Runaway Express may be the most fearless request band in the state.

And, most remarkably, Jim and Salli have performed together for 2 decades and remain happily married!
No, this group is not lost in the ‘50s, any more than they’re lost in the wonderful smorgasbord of classic country, rock, folk, bluegrass, blues, reggae and roots/Americana music that has inspired 3 generations of Americans to allow these songs to be the soundtrack of their lives.

Listen to Runaway Express give 14 Buddy Holly classics the Runaway Express treatment on their new release “Oh, Boy!” and come to a show with an oblique request. You might be surprised.




	RUNAWAY EXPRESS Runaway Express, a fixture of the Denver music scene for 20 years, announces the release of “Oh, Boy!”. a follow-up to their acclaimed “Yeah, Buddy!”, released in 2000. Both are collections of tunes recorded by the legendary West Texas rock innovator, Buddy Holly. One might think that this band was ‘stuck in the ‘50s’. Consider these facts and decide for yourself: Last August Runaway Express performed an amazing 5-hour (no breaks!!) All Woodstock Music Extravaganza featuring songs by The Band, Crosby, Stills and Nash, Jefferson Airplane, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Richie Havens, Neil Young, John Sebastian, the Grateful Dead and The Who. They’ve been doing a summer Woodstock show since 1994. Maybe they’re stuck in the ‘60s. The band has backed up numerous artists, including the ‘Ragin’ Cajun’ Doug Kershaw, Chuck Berry, Michael Martin Murphy, The Coasters, The Kingston Trio, and John Prine. In 1986 Runaway Express joined forces with John McEuen of the Dirt Band, and Jim and Salli continue to perform with John from time to time. Runaway Express played a 30-song tribute to Bob Dylan at The Taste Of Colorado in Denver. They are unafraid of lengthy ‘theme shows’ on almost any topic as they skip through the years and musical genres. Runaway Express claims an astounding repertoire of 2,000 songs. The band has released many albums of original material during their 20 years of recording. Their last release, “NATURE”, was a collaboration with the Aerie Nature Series, featuring a collection of Jim’s songs about wildlife and wild places. These tunes have been used in school presentations by Perry Conway and have been heard by tens of thousands of Colorado kids. Jim has also written songs recorded by legendary folk groups The Kingston Trio, The Limeliters, and The Dillards. Runaway Express has performed at the Telluride Bluegrass Festival 6 times and played the Red Rocks stage. Jim’s song “HOWLIN’ AT THE MOON” was recorded by world class instrumentalist and ‘king of Telluride’, Sam Bush. It was the single release and title track of his 1998 album and was #3 on the National Bluegrass Charts for two months. The song was #79 on Bluegrass Unlimited’s ‘Top 200 Songs of the Decade’ list. Runaway Express has received Westword’s ‘Best of Denver’ awards for Best Country Recording, Best Collaboration With An Established Star, and a reader’s choice for Best Dance Band. Jim’s work with members of the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band includes his involvement with The Wild Jimbos. The NGDB’s Jimmy Ibbotson is the wildest Jimbo and their MCA “Wild Jimbos” project included the single “Let’s Talk Dirty In Hawaiian”. A summertime release, the video of that song was in heavy rotation on the country music television networks CMT and TNN. Swimming against the mainstream, Wild Jimbos provided an eclectic alternative for country listeners with their bluegrass flavored, country-folk inspired Colorado Americana music. Ibbotson has written the best Colorado songs this side of John Denver. Hour-long Wild Jimbo encores of spontaneous and passionate musical explosions were not uncommon. Sam Bush was in the band. Runaway Express may be the most fearless request band in the state. And, most remarkably, Jim and Salli have performed together for 2 decades and remain happily married! No, this group is not lost in the ‘50s, any more than they’re lost in the wonderful smorgasbord of classic country, rock, folk, bluegrass, blues, reggae and roots/Americana music that has inspired 3 generations of Americans to allow these songs to be the soundtrack of their lives. Listen to Runaway Express give 14 Buddy Holly classics the Runaway Express treatment on their new release “Oh, Boy!” and come to a show with an oblique request. You might be surprised. Runaway Express is Salli and Jim Ratts, Scott Bennett, Ted Cole, Butch Hause, Ernie Martinez and Dr. Dan Jones. P.O. Box 2333, Englewood, Colorado 80150 303-781-3314 www.runawayexpress.com e-mail: ratts@runawayexpress.com

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