“There’ve been a few different record collections that’ve had an impact on me. My cousin Buck’s a rock & roll aficionado/record collector and stayed with us one summer. I was 12 and Buck was 18 or so, and he showed me how to turn on the amp, how to handle the records, how to move the tonearm and drop the stylus, and told me “don’t touch the EQ!” That’s where I first heard The Allman Brothers, Thin Lizzy, Rod Stewart, Lynyrd Skynyrd, The Who, and Tom Petty.”
“The way he inspected the records and read the liner notes as the behind the scenes story of each record captured my attention. Everything about it all seemed important to me. The first three songs on side 2 of his Cheap Trick Live At Budokan album knocked me out. I loved the big dramatic intro on “Ain’t That A Shame.”
A couple of girlfriends have turned me onto important music on vinyl too. My friend Marie in NYC has a great collection and turned me onto JJ Cale, Chris Whitley, Gordon Lightfoot, Jackson Brown, Gerry Rafferty, and Townes Van Zandt. My friend Julia in Los Angeles has an excellent 45 rpm single collection and turned me onto Jeff Beck, Robin Trower, Albert Lee, Roberta Flack, Bobby Womack, and Allen Toussaint.
Getting hooked on a song, playing it over and over for days and weeks is something I’ve been doing since I can remember. I think The Stones’ “Honky Tonk Women” is the first time I can remember totally geeking out on a song at like 7 or 9 years old before I could operate a stereo/turntable. I’d pester the hell out of whoever was handy to play that song for me over and over. A few years later though, I think I was 14 or so, I bought Little Feat’s Dixie Chicken and wore it slap out.
Vinyl’s the most desirable way to listen to recorded music. It’s a thrill to have Sea Of Lights currently in manufacturing with Kindercore Vinyl for 12″ LP just in time for Americanafest in Nashville. I’m playing an official Americana Showcase at Acme Feed & Seed September 14th and will have a release signing and all.”
—Boo Ray
Sea of Lights, the new full-length release from Boo Ray arrives in stores September 15—the first vinyl release pressed at Kindercore Vinyl Pressing in Athens, GA.
