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 91裸聊视频淧romo Monkey91裸聊视频� 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 Ramsay91裸聊视频檚 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 world91裸聊视频檚 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 91裸聊视频淧romo Monkey91裸聊视频� books are subtitled 91裸聊视频淢onkey See, Monkey Two: Personas & Prima Donnas91裸聊视频� and 91裸聊视频淢y Life as a Bellhop in the Waldorf Hysteria: Friends & Enemas.91裸聊视频�

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

91裸聊视频淭he reason there91裸聊视频檚 two books is because they91裸聊视频檙e written in different styles, and I just couldn91裸聊视频檛 mix them,91裸聊视频� Ramsay said over a cup of coffee.

91裸聊视频淚 kind of miss the job (as record company promo rep/manager), but writing the book is something I91裸聊视频檇 wanted to do,91裸聊视频� he continued. 91裸聊视频淚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 91裸聊视频� give us more! So OK, that went on for years, and that91裸聊视频檚 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.91裸聊视频�

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 91裸聊视频渉ump91裸聊视频� for Quality/TPC, and the April Fool91裸聊视频檚 joke is not lost on the author.

Later, another landmark day was Aug. 16, 1977, when Elvis Presley died. 91裸聊视频淎nother good start,91裸聊视频� Ramsay deadpanned about his very first day with RCA, which was Presley91裸聊视频檚 record label.

91裸聊视频淚 was driving home from signing the deal to work there, and on the radio comes the news that Elvis died,91裸聊视频� Ramsay recalled. 91裸聊视频淩ecord sales went through the roof, of course.91裸聊视频�

91裸聊视频淚 did meet Colonel Parker at an Elvis convention centre in Vegas,91裸聊视频� continued Ramsay, talking about The King91裸聊视频檚 notorious manager. 91裸聊视频淗e was sitting there counting stuff, and Ricky Nelson, his latest victim, was sitting next to him. Years later we found out about Parker91裸聊视频檚 treatment of Elvis and I thought, you son-of-a-bitch, why didn91裸聊视频檛 you look after him?91裸聊视频� Taking 50 per cent of what he made was outrageous. I haven91裸聊视频檛 seen the movie (Baz Luhrmann91裸聊视频檚 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.91裸聊视频�

Similar tales are told on Ramsay91裸聊视频檚 Facebook page, dubbed 91裸聊视频淢onkey House: the Written Werd,91裸聊视频� and on the website he calls 91裸聊视频淎 Lad in Ladner91裸聊视频� (aladinladner.simplesite.com).

STORY CONTINUES BELOW

One story involves the night he had some fun with American country artist Charley Pride at Surrey91裸聊视频檚 old Newton Inn in the late-1970s.

91裸聊视频淗e had a night off and wanted to go to a country club, and I knew that was the one at the time,91裸聊视频� Ramsay recalled. 91裸聊视频淭he club sent a limo for him, which was cool, he walks in and everyone91裸聊视频檚 jaw drops.91裸聊视频�

Pride didn91裸聊视频檛 perform at the Newton Inn that night, but Ramsay said Kenny Rogers did on another night there.

91裸聊视频淚t was just when 91裸聊视频楾he Gambler91裸聊视频� was coming out and blowing up really big,91裸聊视频� Ramsay said. 91裸聊视频淚t was called a routing date, and he had an open night, to keep the calendar filled. Kitty Wells played there, too.91裸聊视频�

91裸聊视频� RELATED: .

Ramsay91裸聊视频檚 sense of humour was shaped by 91裸聊视频淢onty Python91裸聊视频檚 Flying Circus,91裸聊视频� the British comedy show.

91裸聊视频淚 worked with Monty Python in the 91裸聊视频�70s when they were coming through Vancouver,91裸聊视频� he said with a smile. 91裸聊视频淭he tickets weren91裸聊视频檛 selling (for the show), which blew my mind, because who wouldn91裸聊视频檛 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.91裸聊视频�

For the record labels, Ramsay91裸聊视频檚 job involved getting albums noticed and sold.

91裸聊视频淚 remember we had The Eurythmics, and Annie (Lennox) had the mask on for that album (91裸聊视频淭ouch91裸聊视频�), and we were at A&B Sound. For the ad I said, 91裸聊视频榃e91裸聊视频檙e going to put this album in upside-down.91裸聊视频� The buyer, we got into it screaming and yelling, he says, 91裸聊视频楾hat91裸聊视频檚 stupid.91裸聊视频� But it was our ad, and he didn91裸聊视频檛 get the concept of people reading the Province on the bus and there91裸聊视频檚 this upside-down ad, and how people would then get into a conversation going about that.91裸聊视频�

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

91裸聊视频淏ack then we had to get creative sometimes,91裸聊视频� Ramsay said. 91裸聊视频淚 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.

91裸聊视频淪ome people didn91裸聊视频檛 bother, and believe me, I don91裸聊视频檛 think I ever did anything special that someone else couldn91裸聊视频檛 have done, I just did it because I saw an opportunity and moved with it.91裸聊视频�

Ramsay says partial proceeds from sales of his two books will be donated to Wigs for Kids and BC Children91裸聊视频檚 Hospital.

tom.zillich@surreynowleader.com
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