Artist: Eugene Ripper, Album: The Peking Hop Single, Song: The Peking Hop

"They are twisting all night on the old Great Wall."  Eugene Ripper is a singer songwriter from Toronto originally.  He started out in a punk band known as Stark Naked and the Fleshtones in the early eighties and then broke off into his solo career.  He got his name back in high school when he accidentally stepped on a dangling piece of denim from his friend's blue jeans.  It caused his buddy's pants to rip up the side of his leg causing him to exclaim, "Y-y-y-y-ou Jean Ripper!"  Hence, the name Eugene Ripper. He blasted on to the scene in 1986 with this single, The Peking Hop.  It was a rockabilly type tune which got a lot of support on local radio like CFNY and Q107 in Toronto.  He played a number of festivals and shows in Ontario before relocating to Vancouver.  He is a man of diverse styles, having played solo as well as in bands specializing in various genres of music like ska, punk reggae and folk.  He's lived in Halifax and New York as well.  When he's not making music, he also has a successful career as a writer, editor, producer and content strategist for various entities such as the Polaris Prize Office.  Today, Eugene is still rocking and he just released a new album entitled, Punks and Pushers.  You can purchase the album on Itunes.  You can follow Eugene Ripper at http://www.eugeneripper.com/.  His first single, The Peking Hop, is a very rare find today.  I wasn't able to locate any available copies for sale at the time of this blog.  However, you can hear the song, The Peking Hop, on You Tube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ykzkFVwGAs).  Thanks for reading and enjoy!