A lifetime in the music business has given RayMan Ramsay plenty to write about.

The now-retired South Surrey resident has authored two books about his days as a B次元官网网址淧romo MonkeyB次元官网网址� who helped sell records, starting in the late-1960s.

The series offers a wide selection of real-life stories and hands-on working experiences documenting RamsayB次元官网网址檚 decades with Quality Records/TPC Distribution and, later, the RCA/BMG record labels, in the B.C. market.

He also includes anecdotal stories and his thoughts of some of the worldB次元官网网址檚 most famous musicians, including Elton John, KISS, David Bowie, Dolly Parton and others, along with Vancouver-area music-biz insiders.

Full of puns Ramsay is known for in conversation, the two B次元官网网址淧romo MonkeyB次元官网网址� books are subtitled B次元官网网址淢onkey See, Monkey Two: Personas & Prima DonnasB次元官网网址� and B次元官网网址淢y Life as a Bellhop in the Waldorf Hysteria: Friends & Enemas.B次元官网网址�

Self-published by Friesen Press, the books kept Ramsay busy during the COVID pandemic, and in the years before that, too.

B次元官网网址淭he reason thereB次元官网网址檚 two books is because theyB次元官网网址檙e written in different styles, and I just couldnB次元官网网址檛 mix them,B次元官网网址� Ramsay said over a cup of coffee.

B次元官网网址淚 kind of miss the job (as record company promo rep/manager), but writing the book is something IB次元官网网址檇 wanted to do,B次元官网网址� he continued. B次元官网网址淚n 2013 I realized it was my 45th anniversary in the music business so I wrote a little thing about that and sent it to all my friends. Well, they all came back wanting more B次元官网网址� give us more! So OK, that went on for years, and thatB次元官网网址檚 where I got the idea to turn these thoughts of mine into a book, or books now. They were enjoying it and I wanted to enjoy something too, before my orbit goes to obit.B次元官网网址�

A couple of years go Ramsay and his longtime wife, Lynne, moved from Ladner to a place in South Surrey.

As a young man Ramsay got into the commercial fishing business, following in family footsteps, but eventually put his passion for music to work, as a guy with a creative mind and a way with words and ideas.

On April 1, 1968, Ramsay got his start in the music business when he was hired as a 19-year-old to work as a warehouse B次元官网网址渉umpB次元官网网址� for Quality/TPC, and the April FoolB次元官网网址檚 joke is not lost on the author.

Later, another landmark day was Aug. 16, 1977, when Elvis Presley died. B次元官网网址淎nother good start,B次元官网网址� Ramsay deadpanned about his very first day with RCA, which was PresleyB次元官网网址檚 record label.

B次元官网网址淚 was driving home from signing the deal to work there, and on the radio comes the news that Elvis died,B次元官网网址� Ramsay recalled. B次元官网网址淩ecord sales went through the roof, of course.B次元官网网址�

B次元官网网址淚 did meet Colonel Parker at an Elvis convention centre in Vegas,B次元官网网址� continued Ramsay, talking about The KingB次元官网网址檚 notorious manager. B次元官网网址淗e was sitting there counting stuff, and Ricky Nelson, his latest victim, was sitting next to him. Years later we found out about ParkerB次元官网网址檚 treatment of Elvis and I thought, you son-of-a-bitch, why didnB次元官网网址檛 you look after him?B次元官网网址� Taking 50 per cent of what he made was outrageous. I havenB次元官网网址檛 seen the movie (Baz LuhrmannB次元官网网址檚 biopic, released last summer), and it kind of angers me to see Elvis being used that way. I understand this business is all about money, but look after people.B次元官网网址�

Similar tales are told on RamsayB次元官网网址檚 Facebook page, dubbed B次元官网网址淢onkey House: the Written Werd,B次元官网网址� and on the website he calls B次元官网网址淎 Lad in LadnerB次元官网网址� (aladinladner.simplesite.com).

STORY CONTINUES BELOW

One story involves the night he had some fun with American country artist Charley Pride at SurreyB次元官网网址檚 old Newton Inn in the late-1970s.

B次元官网网址淗e had a night off and wanted to go to a country club, and I knew that was the one at the time,B次元官网网址� Ramsay recalled. B次元官网网址淭he club sent a limo for him, which was cool, he walks in and everyoneB次元官网网址檚 jaw drops.B次元官网网址�

Pride didnB次元官网网址檛 perform at the Newton Inn that night, but Ramsay said Kenny Rogers did on another night there.

B次元官网网址淚t was just when B次元官网网址楾he GamblerB次元官网网址� was coming out and blowing up really big,B次元官网网址� Ramsay said. B次元官网网址淚t was called a routing date, and he had an open night, to keep the calendar filled. Kitty Wells played there, too.B次元官网网址�

B次元官网网址� RELATED: .

RamsayB次元官网网址檚 sense of humour was shaped by B次元官网网址淢onty PythonB次元官网网址檚 Flying Circus,B次元官网网址� the British comedy show.

B次元官网网址淚 worked with Monty Python in the B次元官网网址�70s when they were coming through Vancouver,B次元官网网址� he said with a smile. B次元官网网址淭he tickets werenB次元官网网址檛 selling (for the show), which blew my mind, because who wouldnB次元官网网址檛 go see these loons? So I suggested they get a flatbed truck, build a cage and put all the Monty Python signage on it, for the concert, and pay a guy to drive around in rush-hour. The guy putting on the concert, Hugh Pickett, said at that time, it then set a box-office record for sales, because that was outside the box, and different people react to different things.B次元官网网址�

For the record labels, RamsayB次元官网网址檚 job involved getting albums noticed and sold.

B次元官网网址淚 remember we had The Eurythmics, and Annie (Lennox) had the mask on for that album (B次元官网网址淭ouchB次元官网网址�), and we were at A&B Sound. For the ad I said, B次元官网网址榃eB次元官网网址檙e going to put this album in upside-down.B次元官网网址� The buyer, we got into it screaming and yelling, he says, B次元官网网址楾hatB次元官网网址檚 stupid.B次元官网网址� But it was our ad, and he didnB次元官网网址檛 get the concept of people reading the Province on the bus and thereB次元官网网址檚 this upside-down ad, and how people would then get into a conversation going about that.B次元官网网址�

In the record business today, digital marketing dominates the streaming world, and there are few CDs, vinyl albums and cassettes to sell.

B次元官网网址淏ack then we had to get creative sometimes,B次元官网网址� Ramsay said. B次元官网网址淚 really enjoyed the work I did because I was absolutely thrilled by the feeling that I could create an idea and move the thing forward.

B次元官网网址淪ome people didnB次元官网网址檛 bother, and believe me, I donB次元官网网址檛 think I ever did anything special that someone else couldnB次元官网网址檛 have done, I just did it because I saw an opportunity and moved with it.B次元官网网址�

Ramsay says partial proceeds from sales of his two books will be donated to Wigs for Kids and BC ChildrenB次元官网网址檚 Hospital.

tom.zillich@surreynowleader.com
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