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Brian Ray
P r e s e n t a t i o n
Native Californian Brian Ray's exceptional career began with
a transistor radio, an ice cream bucket and a vivid imagination. Co-writer
of Smokey Robinson's "One Heartbeat" and admired for his energetic
stage presence and unparalleled guitar playing as a key member of Paul McCartney's
current band, Brian is irrefutably ranked among today's top musicians. His
latest project, his first solo album entitled "Mondo Magneto" is here. He will
release it through his own label Whooray Records. This record underscores his
talents as an award-winning songwriter, singer, producer and renowned guitarist.
Brian's first performances were in front of his peers - at show and tell -
setting his own lyrics to the tune of old folk songs. By age 9, he retired
his makeshift ice cream bucket drum kit and picked up a guitar. He channeled
the influences of legends such as the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, and all
the other greats and by age 13, was a serious songwriter. Before Brian graduated
high school his music career was well under way.
It began in the most unlikely and serendipitous way. As one fifth of Bobby
Pickett and the Crypt Kicker Five, Brian found himself playing the "Monster
Mash" at a fundraising benefit hosted by and for the notorious Phil Kaufman
to offset the burdensome "Grand Theft Parson's fines. Phil, missing his
departed friend Gram, took Brian in and would soon introduce him to Etta James
at the world famous Troubadour. Etta was on the brink of a come-back, "so
full of fire and intensity" Brian says. That brief introduction would,
only a few months later, lead to Brian's l4 year career as Etta's Musical Director
and guitarist.
As Brian honed his guitar prowess on the road with Etta, sharing stages with
legendary musicians such as Keith Richards, Santana, Joe Cocker, Bonnie Raitt,
John Lee Hooker and Bo Diddley, he also began focusing more intensely on his
songwriting. He would spend the late 80's collaborating with Peter Frampton,
Rita Coolidge, Michael Steele (Bangles) and friend and songwriting partner
for 13 years Steve LeGassick.
It was his partnership with Steve that would catapult Brian's songwriting
to the world stage in 1987 with the Smokey Robinson award-winning mega hit "One
Heartbeat."
Brian and Steve were so confident about the song they wrote and recorded for
Smokey, they sent it in even after the producers said they already had enough
material. Brian recalls "We knew we had something good..., well, Motown
also decided to title the album One Heartbeat. We are now nearing 3 million
airplays for that song."
Underscoring his talent, Brian cemented his position as one of the top contemporary
guitarists in the world today when he began touring with Paul McCartney in
2002. Hailed as "Paul's best band since the Beatles" playing with
McCartney is literally a dream come true for Brian. He has appeared on several
DVD's and TV Specials including two Super Bowl appearances, and participated
in such meaningful collaborations as the Nelson Mandela's 46664 project.
As Brian continues to tour with Paul McCartney, he manages
to squeeze in other projects such as scoring the award winning 2003 independent
film "The
Failures." This was Brian's first venture into film, although he has scored
for television in the past. It is his contributions to other artists albums,
including Etta James, Shakira, The Bangles, Adam Cohen, and Paul McCartney's
most recent projects that spawned his own creative endeavor: writing, producing
and releasing his first solo album entitled "Mondo Magneto" through his own
label Whooray Records. When asked "what took you so long?" he says "I
guess I was just busy." Indeed.
Brian united with friends, collaborators and bandmates Abe
Laboriel, Jr., Wix Wickens and Rusty Anderson, as well as Scott Shriner (Weezer),
Davey Faragher
(Elvis Costello) and others for "Mondo Magneto". Etta James makes a rare special
guest appearance singing with Brian on the haunting song "Soft Machine" as
a symbol of their continued respect and affection for one another.
He's come a long way from show and tell, rewriting lyrics to old folk songs,
and playing drums on empty ice cream buckets, but Brian still draws on those
early childhood impressions of a world of music coming over his first transistor
radio as well as his life experiences and observations for an inspired first
album.
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