The Green Ray - ProfilesArchive

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THE GREEN RAY are a psychedelic rock band with leanings towards improvisational jazz and blues. They are named after the 1986 Eric Rohmer film 'The Green Ray' (Le Rayon vert). Initially called The Archers, they have links back to the music of 1960's England and the spirit of Jefferson Airplane and Quicksilver Messenger Service's San Francisco. The line up includes two ex-members of 1970's rock bands Man and Help Yourself (Ken Whaley and Richard Treece). Help Yourself played at the first ever Glastonbury festival back at the beginning of time ! The band's line-up is completed by Simon Haspeck and Ken's brother Simon Whaley. (for further info on Man see: www.manband-archives.com and a history of Help Yourself at: www.terrascope.org/helps.html) The band have released two twelve inch singles and three CDs, with a new live one, recorded at the Classic Rock Club, Cheshunt, just out. Their 'Fragile World' CD got a four star review in Record Collector, who called it 'a find', and the last studio album 'Back from the edge' got some fine reviews from Ptolemaic Terrascope on line and the Jefferson Starship magazine 'Holding Together'. CD 5 from Help Yourself, recorded in the 1970's but not released until 2004, was also awarded four stars by Mojo magazine. As an improvisational band it's in the live setting that they really catch fire. They have regular gigs at The Plough in Walthamstow, London and the long running, critically acclaimed improvisational club 'The Klinker' in London's Islington. Over 35 years after Ken and Richard played with Help Yourself at the Glastonbury festival, they were invited back with The Green Ray - a bit of a wait but well worth it ! In the last few years they have supported The Electric Prunes, Man and been Barry 'The Fish' Melton's band during his visits to Britain. In 2006 Robyn Hitchcock from The Soft Boys joined them on stage in Oxford and Nick Saloman from the Bevis Frond has quite often played with them at gigs, one of which was recorded for their current live album. Aaron Liddard, who has played with everyone from Amy Winehouse to Prince, has often been heard playing saxophone with them and has featured on a couple of tracks from their 'Back from the edge' CD. Recently, the 'Help's' and 'Man's' Malcolm Morley has been playing support for the band, and has, on a few occasions, sat in with them on guitar and keyboard. From the middle to the end of the 1990s, Slithey Tove guitarist Simon Burgin had been a big part of The Green Ray, his time being tragically cut short when he died of a brain haemorrhage in 2000.

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Member Since: 27/10/2006
Band Website: www.myspace.com/thegreenraybanduk
Band Members:

TO PURCHASE CDS OF THE GREEN RAY (Back from the edge, Fragile world and the new Live Classic rock club, Cheshunt) GO TO www.effigymusic.co.uk or E-MAIL [email protected] RICHARD TREECE - guitar, vocals. SIMON HASPECK - guitar, vocals. KEN WHALEY - bass, vocals. SIMON WHALEY - drums. oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo ooooooooooooRICHARD TREECE - Amazing psychedelic guitar exponent, Richard played on all the Help Yourself releases and live with various Man offshoots. He has released his own solo album and recently played on albums by American act Donovan's brain and Malcolm Morley's solo CD. His guitar playing is also to be heard on the early Stiff Records single by Sean Tyla, 'Texas chainsaw boogie'. Deke Leonard from the Man Band says of him - 'Ricky has no limitations and few equals. If Lord Byron had played guitar, this is what he would have sounded like'. He has been with The Green Ray since their formation. Richard is the son of author Henry Treece. SIMON HASPECK - Some people may recognise Simon as being the doorman at London, Islington's legendary Hope and Anchor music venue during the early 80s. He has contributed a large amount of songs to The Green Ray's repertoire. Simon has been with the band since their beginning, apart from a period when he was recuperating from a serious motor bike accident. KEN WHALEY - Ken started in bands that supported Pink Floyd during their early days. He was a member of fondly remembered '70s band Help Yourself, who released albums on the left field, progressive rock label United Artists, including the self-explanatory 'The return of Ken Whaley'. He joined Welsh band Man for their 'Rhinos, winos and lunatics' and 'Slow Motion' albums of 1974 and the consequent tours. During the mid-'70s an album was recorded with American West coast guitarist Barry'The Fish' Melton. After Man he helped form Ducks Deluxe with Sean Tyla and later played with the Tyla Gang, after which he spent some years working in journalism. In the '80s he formed The Green Ray, then called The Archers. SIMON WHALEY - Younger brother of Ken. Simon also has another band, festival regulars Slithey Tove, with whom he plays guitar. He has played drums with The Green Ray since their inception.
Influences: Thanks to www.kdwyermedia.co.uk for this piece of film of the Green Ray playing Julie Miller's 'All my tears' at the 100 club, London. On this occasion they were supporting Nik Turner's Space Ritual - a fine band. Aaron Liddard, from the Amy Winehouse band, joined the 'Ray' on Sax and hat. Take a look at his myspace site at: myspace.com/aaronsax or aaronliddard.com
Sounds Like: If you would like to know more about what The Green Ray sound like, get hold of a copy of either of their CDs (Back from the edge & Fragile World), the DVD with Barry 'The Fish' Melton, or come and see them live ! Back from the edge and Fragile World are both available from www.thegreenrayband.co.uk or by e-mailing [email protected] Their DVD is available from www.effigymusic.co.uk Taken from a posting on Youtube by a certain 'ISHAR123', who ever that may be ! (please tell us if you would like to be credited) It's a blues work out featuring Richard Treece on guitar. Titled 'Moody Greens', from the 'Back from the edge' album. It's from a night in February 2007 at the Plough inn, Walthamstow, East London. Nice snazzy post and real time production from whoever filmed it - what were you on ? - You've almost made the Plough look like San Francisco's Avalon ballroom ! Green Ray and Barry Melton from behind the bonfire. Warm day, cold night. Barry Melton joined the band for this 'Return to the Summer of Love' party in deepest Kent on 7.7.07

The Green Ray - Brown Rice. Low resolution film from the Standard in Walthamstow. Not their best ever version of Don Cherry's Brown Rice but the flavour's there !

Add to My Profile | More Videos The Green Ray and Nick Saloman-Running Down Deep
The Green Ray and Nick Saloman playing the 'Helps' 'Running down deep', at the Classic Rock club, Cheshunt. Saturday, January 5th 2008
Record Label: Self released
Type of Label: Unsigned

My Blog

Late Information about gigs

Hello,Having found out at the 11th hour that a recent gig by the Green Ray wasn't taking place, I unfortunately had no immediate way of contacting anyone who had decided to attend. (I was nearly ready...
Posted by on Wed, 08 Jul 2009 12:03:00 GMT

Another Green Ray spending opportunity !

Another Green Ray spending opportunity !A limited number of the Green Ray's first CD, unavailable for some time, have been sourced directly from the label who released it back in 1996 and they're now ...
Posted by on Tue, 02 Jun 2009 10:51:00 GMT

Apology

Apologies to the people who came to the Klinker club on Thursday 19th March and were only allowed a 15-20 minute set by the band (just enough time to start those fingers getting warmed up). You can be...
Posted by on Sat, 21 Mar 2009 09:36:00 GMT

Plough gig on 3rd February cancelled

The gig at the Plough on Feb 3rd has had to be cancelled due to illness in the band. All other dates should be going ahead as planned.
Posted by on Mon, 02 Feb 2009 12:16:00 GMT

Richard Gould's review of the new live CD

The following review of The Green Ray's new live CD is by Mr. Richard Gould. Further details about purchasing the CD can be found on a previous blog on this site. THE GREEN RAY with Nick Salo...
Posted by on Tue, 13 Jan 2009 12:06:00 GMT

January's gig cancelled

Sorry to say that the Green Ray's first gig of 2009 has had to be cancelled at short notice. It was to take place on Tuesday 13th January at the Plough in Walthamstow. At the moment the next gig arran...
Posted by on Sun, 11 Jan 2009 06:03:00 GMT

New live Green Ray CD - further information and ordering details

HELLO AND HAPPY NEW YEAR.Hope you enjoyed the last Green Ray CD 'Back from the edge'. If so, then maybe you will be interested in their new live CD - or maybe not ! ......................................
Posted by on Sun, 04 Jan 2009 06:53:00 GMT

Sean Kelly reviews The Green Ray at the Klinker club, Nov 25th 2008

Green Ray at the Klinker 25th November 2008 A cold night in late November and it's off to Stoke Newington. The Klinker Club is a free-improv music and other stuff/weird stuff [films /comedy/ poetry/ p...
Posted by on Thu, 27 Nov 2008 01:59:00 GMT

Review by Andrew Middleton of Malcolm Morley and The Green Ray, The Plough, Oct 08

Thanks very much for the review by Andrew MiddletonSome Photos of the evening, taken by Gina Steadman, can be found towards the end of page 4 in this website's photos section.Malcolm Morley, supportin...
Posted by on Sun, 26 Oct 2008 04:04:00 GMT

Mention of the Green Ray in Nigel Crosss Quicksilver Messenger Service review

Thanks to Nigel Cross for his review that first appeared on the Terrascope website - Check it out now ! Although not a Green Ray review as such, the bands skills are mentioned in a complimentary way a...
Posted by on Sun, 26 Oct 2008 04:03:00 GMT