Ray Burton

Music:

Member Since: 14/07/2006
Band Website: www.rayburtonmusic.com
Band Members: The players on my "Blu-Azz" album tracks are: Greg Lyon: BASS, - Geoff Wright: ELECTRIC GUITARS, - Russel Dunlop: DRUMS, - Dave Sanders: DRUMS, - Steve Russel: KEYBOARDS, - Alan Park: KEYBOARDS, - Murray Burns: KEYBOARDS, - Doc Span: HARMMONICA, - Ray Burton: LEAD VOCAL, ACOUSTIC GUITAR & VOCAL HARMONY, - Cheray: BACKUP VOCALS {My Daughter}, - Greg Lyon: BACKUP VOCALS, -Over the years, and on most of my recordings are giants and especially gifted people in the music business so these are just a few:- BASS: Greg Lyon, Barry Sullivan (Chain). Duncan Maguire, DRUMS: Dave Sanders, Doug Gallagher, Steve Hopes. Russel Dunlop, Mark Kennedy, Barry Harvey {Chain} ELECTRIC GUITAR: Jim Kelly. Geoff Wright, Rick Fenn, ACOUSTIC GUITARS: Mal Clarke, MOOG: Rex Bullen, HAMMOND ORGAN, Rex Bullen. Steve Russel, Alan Park, Peter Bolton, ELECTRIC PIANO and ACOUSTIC PIANO: Tony Ansel, Steve Russel, Alan Park, Murray Burns, CLAVINET: Rex Bullen, STRING ARRANGEMENT: Col Loughnan [ex-Ayers Rock]. SAXOPHONE: Col Loughnan.
Other players I have worked with include BASS: Steve Hogg [Blackfeather], DRUMS: Terry Gasgoine, ELECTRIC GUITARS: Tim Piper, Peter Walker (Bakery), PERCUSSION: Ian Bloxham. ACOUSTIC GUITARS: Mal Clarke. ACOUSTIC GRAND PIANO: Tony Ansel. PIANO: Warren Morgan. GUITARS: Peter Walker [ex-Bakery] BACKUP VOCALS: Kerrie Biddel. STRING ARRANGEMENTS: Jackie Orzasky. Col Loughnan and the list goes on and on. Oh and by the way, that's only in Australia!
Influences: Too many influences to mention here. Good musicianship, talent, heart, passion, drive, and when you hear it you just "know". From a busker group on the streets of Byron Bay to an 11 year old wonder voice Bianca Ryan to Paul Brady's or Don Henley's lyrics (and music) and let's not forget Jackson Browne or Joni Mitchell either as lyricists. Then there is Jimmy Webb's Majestic "Big Sky" "Grand Canyonesque" orchestrations that tend to spirit a person right over the Rockies and beyond.
Great music and lyrics are all around us and the list of talented writers and musicians goes on and on.
Jazz, Blues, Rap, Pop, Country, (new and old style) and World or Ethnic music. I just have to keep my ear to the earth and the sky, listen, absorb, sift, sort and then go off and do my own bloody thing anyway but at least I'll know what most of the music world is up to. Right? That's why I'm a songwriter first and foremost. I sing and play guitar so that someone will hear what I have to say, or feel what I felt at the time of writing and creating the song.
Human emotions are many and I have listened to all of the "old school" great songwriters ever since I was a small boy; writers like Cole Porter, Hogey Carmichael, Irving Berlin etc. I still listen intently to all of the new writers who come onto the scene like my most recent favourite John Mayer. Now that guy really CAN write and play and he restores my faith in songwriting and musicianship. Thanks John! There is a special song out there for everyone and every situation in every single day of our lives!

Sounds Like: It sounds like ME! Hey, If it is ME performing my own song it sounds like ME. . . Der! . . . When I sing it the song is totally mine and when someone else sings/covers the song they then own it artistically and it becomes THEIR musical interpretation of MY song. Successful songs are all about hooks! As every good producer and performer knows, it's all in the overall "feel" of the song. It's the lyric married with the vocal performance and the uniqueness and originality of the song in the first place. These magic ingredients combined with the quality of the musicianship and the music in the arrangement seals the deal and then . . . Voila! & Whoopee you have another hit song on your hands [hopefully] and people just can't stop humming the dam thing. Infection! this is what every serious commercial song writer strives for. They want to infect you all in plague proportions with their work whereas the only cure for YOU is to go and BUY the song/s right away and then play the song/s to death until you never want to hear them again. Or at least not for the next few months. Agreed? One thing is for sure though: "Great Songs Never Die" they just keep getting resurrected and re-cycled which in turn is great for songwriters and their families even after the writer has long gone to the big gig in the sky. For the dedicated songwriter it makes all of those hard times and sleepless nights worthwhile. Otherwise, why do we bother doing it? It's our profession, our art and our craft.
Record Label: Shopping for a "Sensible" Publishing Deal.