Q&A with Ray Russell

Exclusive Interview by Karen Beishuizen
Photos courtesy of Ray Russell

Ray Russell is an English guitarist, record producer and composer. He worked with John Barry on the soundtracks for seven James Bond movies and composed the tunes for the TV series “Bergerac” and “A Touch of Frost”. He worked with Tina Turner on her album “Private Dancer” and collaborated with George Harrison, Jeff Beck, Paul McCartney and David Bowie. Ray let a locked-out Jimi Hendrix back in the hotel in Sweden after a gig in the late 1960s. Currently he is composing music for murder mysteries and is working on a new album.

KB: Did you always want to be a musician growing up?

My dad played piano and accordion. I was about 10 when the Rock scene started and I sold some toys to contribute in buying an acoustic guitar. My dad taught me chords by this system rather like Semaphore. He would move his arms in various directions and that would denote the change. I went to lessons and my teacher Mr Bergstrom (I love that his name ended in Strom so I called him Mr Strum) showed me chords that were beyond the rock scene and although emotionally I was into the bands at that time, what he taught me became an asset.

Later the inevitable school band George Bean and the Runners (that was the singer’s real name!). I left school as early as I could. I was good in music, art and English literature but naff at everything else. I found that staying away from exams got me a better mark. I had a couple of day jobs and I met Paul Buckmaster who was working at the same place. We had fun. I can’t understand how we never got fired.

KB: You and James Bond movies: You worked on the soundtracks for 7 of them. How did you get involved?

I used to buy a magazine called the Melody Maker and on a tea break I read that the J.B.7 were looking for a guitar player to replace Vik Flick. At that time people would put a phone number in the paper as there was no internet or even answer phones (a select few were creeping in). I called the number from the manager’s office (strictly forbidden) and the tenor player Bob Downes answered. He asked me if I knew the tunes and I said yes (not true) and could I read music. I said yes (not true). We arranged an audition at a place in North London for a week later. I called in sick and spent the week learning the tunes from a John Barry album. I went to the audition. The first piece of music placed before me was ‘The James Bond Theme’. I could read the titles better than the music but luckily this arrangement was the same as the record.

I played it note perfect although I found my left leg trembling. Bob made a phone call to John B. “Hey John, this guy is good, we should look no further”. Wow one tune. They gave me a lift home as I came by bus with a small amp. My Mum answered the door. I announced that I was going on tour the following week. They looked worried but the other guys in the band were older than me and looked after me. I got on well with John and he asked me to play on several of the Bond soundtracks. Working with Rita Coolidge and Carly Simon was great. This gave me a great grounding in session work which was the next 20 years but after I took the Job with George Fame and the Blue flames. This is where the jazz chords helped me and jamming with other artists on tour like Paul Butterfield really improved me. I do have to add that the bass player in the J.B.7 – Dave Richmond – taught me to read on the tour bus. This was invaluable.

The music scene was buzzing and there were more recording sessions than you could manage. I would sleep on a studio couch sometimes as it was easier than going home. Let me give you a sample of one of the best music days of my life:

8am – a jingle which was a Sex pistols take on ‘My Way’. ‘My Way’ in three chords! 10am to 6pm – Andy WIlliams album – all Live – big reading gig. Then Ronnie Scott’s playing with the Gil Evans band. I loved Gil, we did the Montreux Jazz Festival (which was recorded) and many more gigs. We used to hang together when he was In the UK. So after Ronnies which was 3am in the morning, producer Greg Walsh asked me to come over to work with Martin Ware of Heaven 17. I had worked with Greg frequently and had played guitar on the last to H17 albums.

KB: And along came Tina Turner.

Yes, it was for Tina Turner. I arrived at CBS studios around 3.30 am. Tina had just put a vocal on. It was amazing – the hair on my neck stood up, her voice was one of the best ever. I plugged straight into the mixer and off we went. Greg asked me to play fills wherever I felt they should go.

I guess the memorable moment was Tina saying that she liked what I was doing which meant a lot.

After the session, it was dawn, The track was sounding great and you just knew it was going to be a monster hit. We walked out of the studio buzzing like I had been at the biggest party on earth.

KB: You created the music for A Touch of Frost: How did you get involved and what was the process like?

My composing life started in earnest when I met George Fenton. He is one of the best composers ever and now one my best friends. We were writing together a series which was really popular on Sunday night called “Bergerac”. During that time I worked with a lot of directors which was a very interesting experience as some were big music fans and always wanted a music cue where they could fit one in and some were not really bothered. Most were music fans. One of the directors (David Reynolds) was now a producer. He asked me if I would like to compose the music for “Frost”. I wrote about half an episode for them to listen to. They came over to my little studio (which was one of the major changes in music) and I played them some of the music to picture. They made a couple of alterations and I got the job!

This lasted for 18 series. Amazing. People ask me if there was any conflict in writing a TV score and playing Jazz – just recording all kinds of music. The thing is that composing is writing a musical story and the challenge is to get the mood right. You learn so much about the techniques and how to sculpture a score to have continuity and also be interesting as music. The common denominator for me and what I choose to play and what I’m asked to play is the guitar which is the most important instrument of the generation. It’s an instrument which has been used by Hendrix, John McLaughlin, Charlie Christian – so many – and in the studio the artist would usually come along with an acoustic and play us the song for us to get an arrangement together. Fascinating and great creative fun working with other musicians.

KB: You met Jimi Hendrix a few times. He borrowed your guitar and you had to let him in after he locked himself out? Now that’s an interesting situation.

Ahh, that story. Well, I was in Sweden on tour with Cat Stevens. It was a great tour as the Walker Bros and various big artists were with us. Jimi was emerging and was amazing. Cat was top of the bill.

No big hotel charms then. We stayed one night in this vast log cabin which had about ten rooms. I was on the ground floor. So it’s late and I’m thinking about going to bed when I hear tapping on my window; It’s Jimi, still dressed in his stage gear – although he did wear very similar clothes for every day wear — he’s asking to be let in. I obliged.

He’s locked out as the hotel isn’t open 24 hours. He gets in through the window and we start talking. I made him a cup of tea. Although he picks up my guitar and starts playing which was amazing, he was more interested in how you asked for a cleaning service and other domestic things which is always up to you on tour apart from everything else. We talked about this then he left to go to his room. I met up with him with Chas Chandler who became his manager. I was rehearsing with Georgie at a basement club in London. Jimi asked to borrow my guitar to play Chas a song. I can’t remember what it was but it was great and it was loud. Jimi loved the UK. Give 10 guitar players the same guitar and they will all sound totally different. The secret is having a sonic signature where people can recognize your style.

KB: You created Made Up Music in 2008: What is this and what does it do?

This is way further down the life line now. Sessions were becoming more remote as many things in life. Made up Music or ‘MUM’ started as TV was using library music or ‘production music’ for their shows, especially for documentaries and shows that were more editor lead where there wasn’t a big music budget. The editor will find a track that fits the picture and use a ready made piece of music. So it’s like a ready made score. MUM along with a lot of other companies would produce music in all genres and moods design to fit to picture. We made over 200 albums.
KB: You worked with George Harrison. What did you do and how was it working with him?

I worked a lot on the movies that George’s company HandMade Films produced: “The Life of Brian”, “Water”, and others. This was always fun. He was very casual. He loved playing guitar and anything with strings on really. We just relaxed and got into the track. A few jokes just like any session. It was a great time for music in that it was open to all ideas, sometimes a friend (usually someone very well known) would come in and listen or even play. At the end of the film ‘Water’, he gave me a guitar. He thought it would be more use to me than him.

KB: Are there any current artists out there you would love to collaborate with?

Well, I’m up for anything really. So many creative people out there.

KB: Your favorite albums: what would you pick?

I have to say that a lot of tracks that influenced me were not guitar orientated but some were of course – Here we go.

1. The John Coltrane Quartet Plays – John Coltrane
2. Kind of Blue – Miles Davis
3. Speak Like a Child – Herbie Handcock
4. Spectrum – Billy Cobham
5. Play It Loud – John McLaughlin/ Tony Williams
6. Out of the Cool – Gil Evans
7. Old Friends – Simon and Garfunkel
Can I also mention:
8. Rodrigo Guitar Concerto – Julien Bream/John Williams.
9. We Want Moore – Gary Moore
10. Symbiosis – Simon Phillips

So many more but these I play at least once a year. Always inspiring.

KB: What are you currently up to?

Making an album. Wow! This year so far I’ve been composing some music for documentaries, murder mysteries. In between, I’m trying to put down some tracks that are turning out to be quite moody. We’ll see what happens.

Check out Ray’s website: HERE

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