STUCK IN THE VINYL AGAIN - RAY STEVENS - RAY STEVENS' GREATEST HITS VOL. 1

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Good Tuesday morning to you all and welcome back to Stuck In The Vinyl Again. Today we are ecstatic to wish Clarkdale, Georgia native,  country and pop singer-songwriter and comedian, Ray Stevens (Harold Ray Ragsdale) a very Happy 84th birthday. Happy Birthday Ray ! The two time Grammy Award winner was born in 1939 to parents Willis Harold Ragsdale and Frances Stephens Ragsdale. He formed his first band, The Barons, while still in high school. Throughout his 7 decade career, he has 50 studio albums, 125 singles, 3 live albums, 67 compilation albums, 3 box sets, and 1 extended play. It is one of those compilations that is our subject of sound today. Ray Stevens' Greatest Hits Vol. 1 was released  February 1987 on the MCA label and was produced by Ray Stevens and Jim Malloy. It peaked at #41 on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart. On it we definitely hear some of Ray's greatest, including "The Streak", "It's Me Again Margaret",  "Gitarzan", and "Ahab the Arab".

1. "The Streak" Ray Stevens 3:17

2. "Shriner's Convention" Ray Stevens 5:33

3. "It's Me Again Margaret" Paul Craft 3:26

4. "Turn Your Radio On" Albert E. Brumley 2:09

5. "Misty" Erroll Garner, Johnny Burke 2:53

6. "Mississippi Squirrel Revival" C.W. Kalb, Jr., Carlene Kalb 3:42

7. "Gitarzan" Ray Stevens, Bill Everette 3:14

8. "Ahab the Arab" Ray Stevens 3:32

9. "Along Came Jones" Jerry Leiber, Mike Stoller 3:37

10. "Everything Is Beautiful" Ray Stevens 3:32

Vocals, Siren whistle: Ray Stevens

Keyboards: Ray Stevens (piano, organ, clarinet, ARP synthesizer, vibes, bells, etc.)
Bass: Jack Williams 

Bass : Stuart Keathley

Bass : Norbert Putnam

Drums: Jerry Carrigan

Drums : Jerry Kroon

Drums : Kenneth Buttrey

Rhythm guitar: Johnny Christopher 

Rhythm guitar, banjo : Mark Casstevens

Banjo : Bobby Thompson

Fiddle: Lisa Silver

Steel: Hal Rugg 

Steel : Jay Dee Maness

Saxophone: Norman Ray

Backup voices: Ray Stevens, Toni Wine, Lisa Silver

Rodger Morris – keyboards and synthesizers 

Steve Gibson – electric guitars, banjo, dobro

Jack Williams – bass

Jerry Carrigan – drums 

James Stroud – drums 

Terry McMillan – harmonica

Lisa Silver – fiddle, backing vocals

The Nashville String Machine – strings

Diane Tidwell – backing vocals

Wendy Suits – backing vocals 

Sheri Huffman – backing vocals 

Alan Moore – backing vocals 

Hurshel Wiginton – backing vocals 

Background vocals: the Merry Melody Singers
Orchestra conducted by: Jerry Kennedy

Piano: Ray Stevens
Bass: Norbert Putnam
Drums: Jerry Carrigan
Guitars: Jerry Kennedy, Harold Bradley, Chip Young
Percussion: Farrell Morris
Strings: Brenton Banks, Byron Back, George Binkley, Lillian Vann Hunt, Marvin Chantry, Martin Katahn, Sheldon Kurland, Bruce Waterman, Stefanie Woolf, Rex Peer, David Vanderkooi, Gary Van Osdale
Steel Guitar: Weldon Myrick
Trumpets: Patrick McGuffey, George Tidwell, Don Sheffield, Glenn Baxter
Trombones: Dennis Good, Gene Mullins
Saxophones: Billy Puett, Norman Ray
"Everything Is Beautiful," performed with the B.C.&M. Choir of Nashville through the Courtesy of Nashboro Records
Studio: Jack Clement Studio - Nashville
Background voices and special effects instruments: Ray Stevens
Special thanks to: Mrs. Eichler's 2nd grade class for the introduction to "Everything Is Beautiful"
Front cover photo: Del Hayden
Back cover photo: Keats Tyler