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 sa国际传媒淧romo Monkeysa国际传媒� 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 Ramsaysa国际传媒檚 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 worldsa国际传媒檚 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 sa国际传媒淧romo Monkeysa国际传媒� books are subtitled sa国际传媒淢onkey See, Monkey Two: Personas & Prima Donnassa国际传媒� and sa国际传媒淢y Life as a Bellhop in the Waldorf Hysteria: Friends & Enemas.sa国际传媒�

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

sa国际传媒淭he reason theresa国际传媒檚 two books is because theysa国际传媒檙e written in different styles, and I just couldnsa国际传媒檛 mix them,sa国际传媒� Ramsay said over a cup of coffee.

sa国际传媒淚 kind of miss the job (as record company promo rep/manager), but writing the book is something Isa国际传媒檇 wanted to do,sa国际传媒� he continued. sa国际传媒淚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 sa国际传媒� give us more! So OK, that went on for years, and thatsa国际传媒檚 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.sa国际传媒�

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 sa国际传媒渉umpsa国际传媒� for Quality/TPC, and the April Foolsa国际传媒檚 joke is not lost on the author.

Later, another landmark day was Aug. 16, 1977, when Elvis Presley died. sa国际传媒淎nother good start,sa国际传媒� Ramsay deadpanned about his very first day with RCA, which was Presleysa国际传媒檚 record label.

sa国际传媒淚 was driving home from signing the deal to work there, and on the radio comes the news that Elvis died,sa国际传媒� Ramsay recalled. sa国际传媒淩ecord sales went through the roof, of course.sa国际传媒�

sa国际传媒淚 did meet Colonel Parker at an Elvis convention centre in Vegas,sa国际传媒� continued Ramsay, talking about The Kingsa国际传媒檚 notorious manager. sa国际传媒淗e was sitting there counting stuff, and Ricky Nelson, his latest victim, was sitting next to him. Years later we found out about Parkersa国际传媒檚 treatment of Elvis and I thought, you son-of-a-bitch, why didnsa国际传媒檛 you look after him?sa国际传媒� Taking 50 per cent of what he made was outrageous. I havensa国际传媒檛 seen the movie (Baz Luhrmannsa国际传媒檚 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.sa国际传媒�

Similar tales are told on Ramsaysa国际传媒檚 Facebook page, dubbed sa国际传媒淢onkey House: the Written Werd,sa国际传媒� and on the website he calls sa国际传媒淎 Lad in Ladnersa国际传媒� (aladinladner.simplesite.com).

STORY CONTINUES BELOW

One story involves the night he had some fun with American country artist Charley Pride at Surreysa国际传媒檚 old Newton Inn in the late-1970s.

sa国际传媒淗e had a night off and wanted to go to a country club, and I knew that was the one at the time,sa国际传媒� Ramsay recalled. sa国际传媒淭he club sent a limo for him, which was cool, he walks in and everyonesa国际传媒檚 jaw drops.sa国际传媒�

Pride didnsa国际传媒檛 perform at the Newton Inn that night, but Ramsay said Kenny Rogers did on another night there.

sa国际传媒淚t was just when sa国际传媒楾he Gamblersa国际传媒� was coming out and blowing up really big,sa国际传媒� Ramsay said. sa国际传媒淚t was called a routing date, and he had an open night, to keep the calendar filled. Kitty Wells played there, too.sa国际传媒�

sa国际传媒� RELATED: .

Ramsaysa国际传媒檚 sense of humour was shaped by sa国际传媒淢onty Pythonsa国际传媒檚 Flying Circus,sa国际传媒� the British comedy show.

sa国际传媒淚 worked with Monty Python in the sa国际传媒�70s when they were coming through Vancouver,sa国际传媒� he said with a smile. sa国际传媒淭he tickets werensa国际传媒檛 selling (for the show), which blew my mind, because who wouldnsa国际传媒檛 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.sa国际传媒�

For the record labels, Ramsaysa国际传媒檚 job involved getting albums noticed and sold.

sa国际传媒淚 remember we had The Eurythmics, and Annie (Lennox) had the mask on for that album (sa国际传媒淭ouchsa国际传媒�), and we were at A&B Sound. For the ad I said, sa国际传媒榃esa国际传媒檙e going to put this album in upside-down.sa国际传媒� The buyer, we got into it screaming and yelling, he says, sa国际传媒楾hatsa国际传媒檚 stupid.sa国际传媒� But it was our ad, and he didnsa国际传媒檛 get the concept of people reading the Province on the bus and theresa国际传媒檚 this upside-down ad, and how people would then get into a conversation going about that.sa国际传媒�

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

sa国际传媒淏ack then we had to get creative sometimes,sa国际传媒� Ramsay said. sa国际传媒淚 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.

sa国际传媒淪ome people didnsa国际传媒檛 bother, and believe me, I donsa国际传媒檛 think I ever did anything special that someone else couldnsa国际传媒檛 have done, I just did it because I saw an opportunity and moved with it.sa国际传媒�

Ramsay says partial proceeds from sales of his two books will be donated to Wigs for Kids and BC Childrensa国际传媒檚 Hospital.

tom.zillich@surreynowleader.com
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